Kaufman County is in a weird transitional phase from being a historically rural county with numerous small tightly knit communities to a more commercialized suburban sprawl where the ends of one city meet another.
When many of us originally moved to the area, we did so to “get away” from the sped up lifestyle of the city. However, being good Texans, we embraced the opportunities for economic growth and now Kaufman county is seeing not only incredible growth, but growth that is picking up speed.
Although much of Kaufman county is still rural, with county roads that are lined with small country neighborhoods and small to mid-sized working ranches. However, our cities are becoming bustling centers of commerce and those cities are encroaching on the county roads. Driving down FM 2757, you can see houses over the low rolling hills where Heartland is encroaching on one of the last remaining vestiges of Kaufman county’s relatively untouched beauty. Forney’s population is exploding. Terrell is showing everyone how business and planning for the future is done. Kaufman is growing. Even Crandall and other oft forgotten about areas of our county such as Kemp, Elmo, Warsaw, Talty, all of these areas are seeing growth (the author is from Combine- does anybody remember that Combine is actually a part of Kaufman County?).
What Does This All Mean?
Simple: congestion. The main issue that I see as a personal injury attorney is the vast increase in congestion. I live in Forney and I practice law throughout the metroplex. Has anyone tried to exit the Forney park at like 6:00 p.m. recently? It is almost impossible. The traffic backs up from the stoplight from FM 1641 all the way to the stoplight for FM 548 and FM 741. Or travel on Highway 80 towards Dallas in the morning or from Dallas in the evening? Basically, bring a book because you’re going to be there for a while.
Increased traffic leads to an increase in the number of traffic accidents. TXDot has not reported crash statistics for 2017, so 2016 and 2015 are the most recent years for which data is available. In 2015, there was a total of 1,974 vehicle accidents in Kaufman county. In 2016 there were 1,995. The total number of incapacitating injury accidents rose from 81 in 2015 to 117 in 2016, with fatality accidents rising from 18 to 21 over the same period.
I think we can all agree that 2017 was a banner year for growth and industrialization. As a Kaufman county resident for the better part of the last 16 years, 2017 was a major transitioning year for Kaufman county and 2018 and beyond are only going to multiply the effects we are seeing. Driven past the FM 148 exit in Terrell recently? When did they get a Panda Express? Oh and another Starbucks, a Freddy’s Frozen Custard, and the list goes on. Remember when it was just that Shell station on one side and the Exxon/Denny’s on the other side of the bridge? Times have changed. From 2015 to 2016, Kaufman county’s population grew by around 4,000 people. That may not seem like a lot, but that is a 3.3% growth year-over-year. Essentially, we gained a town larger than Crandall’s 3,329 people in one year. 2017, no doubt did the same thing, if not more.
In my practice, I am seeing the effects of these congested roads. Not only are we getting more and more calls about accident and injury cases, but they are with alarming frequency more severe accidents involving catastrophic injuries. At Guest and Gray, P.C., we care about the people of Kaufman county because we are people of Kaufman county. We drive these roads just the same as you. We drive our kids to school and wait in line for forty minutes to pick them up in the afternoon.
Don’t get us wrong, we love the growth. We love people moving into our county and broadening the tax base, bringing in new business, new faces. We love it. We don’t love when the people of Kaufman county get hurt and it is someone else’s fault. When that happens, we go to work for them and we fight for them until the insurance company or party at-fault gives our client the full settlement amount that they deserve for their injuries. Period.
INJURED IN A TEXAS AUTO OR TRUCK ACCIDENT? CALL THE TRUSTED PERSONAL INJURY TEAM AT GUEST AND GRAY, P.C.
Don’t call just any law firm to guide you through the courts. When you hire an attorney from Guest and Gray, P.C., you not only get an attorney assigned to your case, but you get a knowledgeable and caring support staff. Dealing with injuries or the loss of a loved one is stressful enough. Don’t waste your time having to hassle with your legal team. Call the law firm that cares. Call Guest and Gray, P.C. at 972-564-4644