Sorry to hear about your injuries. That is rough.
I used Continental Gatorskins years ago and stopped using them after two suspect sidewall blowouts. One on the front in good weather on a visibly clear road. Aferward, I heard several other people had similar experiences with the tires. So, other than being hyper-vigilent about equipment choice there is the pre-ride inspection.
Also, there is less chance of crashing on a nice wide tire with low pressure. Something like a Scwalbe Marathon.