What Evidence Do Police Miss When Investigating Commercial Vehicle Crashes?
I've spent a good portion of my decades-long career pushing back against the myth that a police crash report is the final word on any collision. The most obvious reason not to place too much faith in police reports is that they don't conclusively establish fault for a crash. In other words, everyone is free...
Highway Hypnosis and Fatal Truck Accidents
We've written many times, and will write many more, about how alcohol and distractions can cause serious accidents, but sometimes these are not factors in a crash. A dangerous lapse in concentration can be caused by highway hypnosis--the phenomenon when a motorist's brain "checks out" and mindfulness of the present is lost. Put another way,...
Fellowship of the Drink: The Expensive Travels of the TABC
Recent audits of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC), the state regulatory agency that monitors the distribution and service of alcohol in the Lone Star State, have shown that some of the agency's top brass have been boozing and schmoozing with the liquor industry, paid for by the very industry they are meant to oversee...
Whodunnit: Evaluating An Accident With Several Possible Causes
There's a common misconception that accident attorneys will often sue anyone even tangentially related to a wreck—especially if those distantly-involved parties have deep pockets. The idea of course is that profit, not prudence, guides the attorneys' decision-making. It's a deeply cynical stance that is perpetuated by pop culture's insistence on portraying attorneys as vultures and...
NHTSA Launches Investigation of 2012 Nissan Versa Airbag Sensors
The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (or NHTSA, for brevity fans) has released information about a new investigation into approximately 155,000 Nissan Versa vehicles from the 2012 line. According to the report, three complaints have so far been filed by motorists who have experienced allegedly-spontaneous side airbag deployment from forcefully closing their car doors....
Workplace Accident Analysis: College Station, TX
I wish I couldn't say this, but there's never a shortage of accidents to report on: Car crashes, product malfunctions, commercial wrecks, and workplace injuries happen more or less constantly. Even though our attorneys generally keep the closest eye on our home state of Texas, that's still 268,581 square miles of space to watch. Through...
2 Keys for Personal Injury Lawyers: Restraint and Patience
There are two general schools of thought for personal injury attorneys when they're hired on in a case. The first school immediately files suit, regardless of the evidence they have at the time. These attorneys figure that they'll find something along the way that they can work with. Armed with subpoena power, they try to...
Car Accident Investigations: How Private Investigations Beat Police Reports
After an accident, it is not unusual to see an array of first responders from policemen to firemen moving about trying to right the mayhem of the accident before them. As part of their duty to serve, they are there to help the victims, take reports, and arrange transport for what it is left of...
How Trucking Companies Gain Upper Hand In A Case & What You Can Do About It
In an accident involving a commercial truck or 18-wheeler, the truck driver and the company he or she works for will always have the upper hand at the outset of the case. Sure, there are things their victims can do to level the playing field, but trucking companies always have a head start building a...
How And Why Trucking Companies Conduct Surveillance on Accident Victims
Something I continually encounter in truck accident cases are the various surveillance operations launched by trucking companies and their insurers against my clients. As crazy as it sounds, trucking companies spy on people who file claims against them all the time. Why They Do This Before I get into this, there is a misconception about...
How Can You Tell When a Car Accident Was Caused by a Defect?
Let's get one thing straight: as safe as automobiles have become, each year dozens if not hundreds of people are still killed by some sort of automobile defect or design flaw. This is a huge problem. To make matters worse, in addition to the deaths that are known to have been caused by defects with...
Truck Drivers Background Checks
We get calls all the time from people asking questions about truck drivers and background checks. So, I wanted to take a few minutes to explain the different parts that make up a background check and mention who knows how to put together that kind of information. Past behavior is often a good indication of...
The Importance of a Prompt Investigation
If you've spent any time reading our website, you know that investigating an accident and gathering evidence is the only way you can win a personal injury case. Not many people need to be convinced that they need evidence; with all the crime mystery and forensic shows on T.V., it's commonly understood that evidence is...
