Archive for March 2011
Georgetown Car-House Collision. How Frequently Does That Occur?
Early this morning, a car in Georgetown flipped, slid off the roadway, and then crashed through a fence and hit the back of a home. A passenger in the vehicle was tragically killed, but no one in the home was hurt. You don’t hear about car-house collisions much, but they happen. In fact, earlier this…
Read MoreCar Wreck – Personal Injury Problem: Hospital Liens
Sunday’s Austin American Statesman had a wonderful article about hospital liens, a problem that can really muck up a car wreck or other personal injury claim. Texas law provides that if a person is injured in an accident and is admitted to a hospital within 72 hours of the accident, then the hospital has a…
Read More"Independent" Medical Exams In Personal Injury Cases
A favorite insurance company ploy in personal injury cases is to request that an order from the Court that the plaintiff be required to undergo an “independent” medical exam — an exam by a doctor hired by the insurance company. Despite the implications of the name, these are not indpendent. The doctors are hired by…
Read MoreDon't Settle A Car Wreck Or Personal Injury Claim Without Legal Advice
Today, my friend Mike Bryant, a personal injury lawyer in St. Cloud, Minn, had a post on his blog entitled A Settlement Without Legal Advice: Don’t Let It Happen To You or Your Friends. Mike’s post is a good reminder about a far too common occurrence — insurance adjusters convincing victims to settle car wreck or…
Read MoreIH 35 Wrong Way Driver Kills A San Antonio Police Officer
If you’ve read this blog at all, you know that we closely follow stories about wrong way drivers because this is a phenomenon that seems like it should never happen, and yet it’s becoming routine. This morning, a San Antonio police officer, Officer Stephanie Brown, was tragically killed along I35 when a wrong way driver slammed his SUV…
Read MoreTexas Looks To Take On Texting While Driving
Today, the House Transportation Committee will hold hearings on a possible statewide ban on texting while driving. The testimony will likely include testimony from the parents of Alex Brown, who was a promising teen-ager killed while she was texting and driving. (I’ve previously written on her tragic story and the amazing things her family is…
Read MoreA New Braunfels Trucking Accident Shows The Importance Of Timely Investigation
Last Friday night, there was a horrific trucking accident on I35 in New Braunfels. The wreck involved two tractor-trailers and one pickup truck. One of the drivers was tragically killed when his truck burst into flames. All told, traffic was shut down for over ten hours on northbound I35 (and a mere six hours on…
Read MoreVictims Shouldn't Be Anonymous – A Family Fights Back From A Trucking Accident
Too often, the media is focused on the sensationalized “problems” of the tort system. And they do it by looking at the fringe frivolous cases (anyone remember the ridiculous coverage of Roy Pearson’s pants lawsuit?) without looking at the every day, usual cases where people are hurt. We focus on those that are hurt. On…
Read MoreUnderride Trucking Accidents – They Don't Have To Be Deadly
The underride trucking accident — where a car rear-ends a truck and slides underneath — is almost always serious, usually fatal. But they don’t have to be that way. Federal motor carrier regualtions require most trailers to have rear impact guards to prevent just this type of underride accident. But a new study by the…
Read MoreTruck Versus Pedestrian Accidents Often Fatal Says Austin Personal Injury Lawyer
Due to their size, big rigs versus pedestrian accidents often have a fatal outcome. The two deaths in this case are a reminder to use caution around big trucks, whether on foot or on the road. “Often the best way to explain a legal premise or what the law means is to highlight a case…
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