Do All Family Members Get Equal Compensation in a Texas Wrongful Death Case?
One question we're asked quite often is whether Texas law says that all family members get the same amount of compensation in a wrongful death case. The answer is no. The way wrongful death cases work under Texas law is that each of a decedent's close family members are seen as having their own individual...
Are Authorities Jumping the Gun in the Fort Worth 18-Wheeler Crash that Killed 4 People?
By now most people in the Dallas-Fort Worth area have heard about the I-35W crash that occurred Monday, September 11, which claimed the lives of Susana Longoria, Kiara Barker, Jasmine Jones, and Chase Mapes. The crash also left two people hospitalized. If you missed the story, here's what officials say happened: At around 9:00 p.m....
Hurt in a Crash with a Faulty Underride Guard? Let’s Sue.
A semi-trailer's underride guard (also called a Mansfield bar or a Rear Underrun Protection System) is a crucial piece of safety equipment. Its purpose is simple: When a smaller vehicle crashes into the back of an 18-wheeler, the bar keeps it from traveling underneath the trailer—at least that's what should happen. Unfortunately the guards fail...
We’re Relieved Someone is Trying to Hold Fuzzy’s Taco Accountable
Late last week, when we heard the news that the family of Alex Cervantes filed a lawsuit against Fuzzy's Taco for their alleged role in the officer's death, we were all relieved. I thought I'd take a moment to discuss why we're relieved and how this lawsuit is a win for the community. Before getting...
How Can New Crash Tests Make Automakers Increase Backseat Safety?
Automobiles used to be literal metal death traps, so crash data scientists and automotive engineers naturally spent decades examining crash patterns and innovating safer vehicles. By necessity, auto manufacturers focused on the most deadly aspects of cars, so front seat safety was a higher priority over the relatively safer back seats. "Relatively" is the key...
Why Do West Texas Oilfield Companies Keep Hiring Dangerous Truck Drivers?
"How do we bring the number of Texas oilfield trucking fatalities down?" Media outlets raise issues such as speed limits, road maintenance, and truck upkeep, which all play a role in the problem: What no one wants to discuss is that the biggest factor in whether an 18-wheeler causes a deadly crash is the quality of the truck's driver.
Client Stories: Big Trouble For Big House Burgers After Motorcyclist’s Death
This case involved a motorcyclist who was massively over-served by Big Mouth Burgers, a casual dining restaurant in Alice, TX, near Corpus Christi. After leaving the restaurant, he crashed his bike and sustained fatal injuries.
Client Stories: Driver Killed in Crash After Drinking at Burnhouse Bar
One such case involved a man who went out for a night of revelry at Burnhouse Bar in San Antonio, then crashed his car into another vehicle while driving back home.
Fatal Drunk Driving Accident, Midland, TX
What many think this way fail to realize about the law, and what's difficult for me to effectively convey in the spur of the moment, is that the overwhelming majority of family members pursuing wrongful death cases aren't terribly concerned about the money itself.
Client Stories: Man Killed After Being Struck Head-on by Intoxicated Driver
The case we'll examine today involved a middle-aged man who died after his vehicle was struck by an intoxicated woman driving the wrong way down a highway in Fort Worth.
Client Stories: A Twisted Rug Causes A Woman’s Death at Walmart
This case involves a 94-year-old woman visiting her local Wal-Mart. She tripped and fell on a rug at the store's entrance, which had been bumped up into a pretty obvious trip hazard, particularly for someone older and less limber. She later died from the injuries sustained in the fall.
Client Stories: Family Driving to Church Ripped Apart by Drunk Driver
One case our firm recently accepted vividly illustrates the tragic consequences that irresponsible establishments can unleash on ordinary people, as a family on its way to church lost its patriarch and several other members were badly injured.
Client Stories: Intoxicated Boat Operator Causes Four Deaths in Collision
In this case, a man was operating a ski boat while intoxicated when it collided with a bass boat carrying several people. The collision led to the deaths of four people and severe injuries to several others.
Client Stories: Woman’s Death Shows Another Side of Dram Shop Law
In the case we'll discuss today, the bar involved over-served a woman to such an outrageous degree that, while attempting to sleep it off in her car, she passed away from alcohol poisoning.
How Do Dram Shop Laws Benefit Children?
Perhaps one of the most misused arguments in favor of a law or government program is that "it's for the children." People who use this argument often do so in order to stop a debate, instead of starting one. This will not be one of those occasions. I recently read about a horrific crash in...
Harris County Drunk Driving Chronicle
Texas continues to be infamous for leading the country in drunk driving fatalities. Partly due to its size, but also due to a high rate of drunk driving, Harris County (primarily Houston) contributes more to that dubious distinction than any other jurisdiction in the state. In an ideal world, we would be able to analyze,...
Am I Too Late to File An Actos Claim?
The prescription drug Actos has been known for some time to increase a patient's risk of developing bladder cancer over the course of their diabetes treatment. Most of the Actos cases we handled on patients' behalf are long since resolved, but lately we have noticed an uptick in calls from people scrambling to file suit...
Is There A Better Argument for Dram Shop Law Than a Fatal Crash With a Drunk Bartender?
Anyone who has spent time sitting at a bar may have seen its tender have a few drinks. Sometimes it's just a beer over the course of a shift, and other times she takes a few shots in a row with a group of regulars. Most bartenders know and maintain their limits like professionals (if...
Only In Houston: Two DUI Drivers Hit Disabled Car in Fatal Crashes
I've mentioned before that Houston ranks uncomfortably highly in matters of drunk driving. Not only does it have the most DUI-related deaths of any Texas city, but it consistently ranks in the top 5 cities throughout the entire U.S. Sometimes it seems like Houston actually wants to remind everybody who wears that tarnished crown in...
Fentanyl, The Opioid Crisis, and Products Liability Law
You've probably heard or read the phrase "opioid crisis" in the news. Better and more careful explanations of the growing worldwide problem are available with a quick Google search. For now let me just say that one of the panic's major elements is the pharmaceutical opiate fentanyl. Everyone from medical professionals to government agencies seem...
