Archive for June 2010
What Goes Up May Come Down and Kill
Not many people realize that there are several thousand elevator deaths every year. Most happen on job sites. “Just about anyone that has ever worked on a construction site realizes that accidents can and do happen, despite safety measures and other precautions. While most people figure the main reason for accidents is working with scaffolding…
Read MoreLawers? Need Ethics CLE?
Here’s a diversion from my normal posts. But this Wednesday, judge-elect Amy Clark Meachum and I will be the speakers for a nationwide webinar, Legal Ethics 2010. The webinar has been approved for 2 hours of CLE credit in 45 of the 50 states, including Texas. I’m not promising it will be fun, but it…
Read MoreThink Teens Are The Biggest Texting-While-Driving Threats? Think Again
We all know the stereotype of teens stupidly texting while driving. We all know that older drivers are smart enough not to do that. Don’t we? Maybe not. A new poll from Pew Internet found that adults were more likely than teens to text while driving and engage in other distracted driving habits. The poll…
Read MoreA Lesson Learned From A Capital Metro Bus Wreck
Both KXAN and Fox7 reported last night on a collision between a Capital Metro driver and a pedestrian. The story caught my attention because I’ve been on both ends of that. I’ve represented a number of people, including one pedestrian, that have been hurt in wrecks with Capital Metro. And I’ve also had the pleasure…
Read MorePresent Value Calculation for Death Compensation
One of the most confusing things about wrongful death compensation is how it is calculated. It’s hard enough to handle the fact that you suddenly lost a loved one due to the negligence of another, let alone understand how to calculate wrongful death compensation. These cases definitely need the skill of an experienced Austin personal…
Read MoreIt's Summer — Blue Skies, Swimming Pools, and Head Injuries??
While we’re all prepared for the good summer fun, the American Assocation of Neurological Surgeons is reminding us that summer activity-related head injuries are on the rise. Why? The two main causes are bicycling and water sports. The number of biking-related head injuries rose from 70,800 in 2008 to over 85,000 in 2009. And one…
Read MoreBoating While Intoxicated & Other Ways To Get Sued While Boating
Like many of you, my family spent part of the Father’s Day Weekend boating. While we were out, we saw a number of concerning things: people jumping off of cliffs (without life jackets, of course), drunk passer-by urging the cliff jumpers on (though this did provide a learning moment for my kids about peer pressure), and…
Read MoreBeware The Dangers Of Pulling Over On The Side Of The Road
I received a news story of a trucking wreck on IH 35 in Oklahoma where two gentlemen, Phillip Martin and Brian Robertson, were having car troubles. They pulled over to the side of the road, got out of their vehicle, and went to sit against the passenger side of their truck in the shade until help…
Read MoreLake Austin Named A Top Boating Destination; But Be Safe While You're There
Discover Boating recently named Lake Austin as one of the top boating destinations in the country. In ranking Texas as the second best boating state in the country (behind Florida), Discover Boating noted this: Hot Spot: Lake Austin — In the heart of energetic Austin, Lake Austin offers an ideal setting to cruise, waterski,…
Read MoreIf You're In A Car Wreck, Does It Matter Who The Other Driver's Insurance Company Is?
We often know whether a car wreck claim has a chance of being resolved without the necessity of a lawsuit simply by knowing what insurance company insures the other driver. Some insurance companies will make reasonable offers, giving cases a chance to settle, but with other insurance companies we know we’re not going to get…
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