Recent Blog Posts
Filing a Texas Wrongful Death Claim for a Fatal Drunk Driving Accident
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that drunk driving is responsible for approximately a third of all traffic fatalities. Just recently an 8-year-old girl was killed in an accident caused by a drunk driver in San Antonio.
If your loved one passed away in a crash caused by a drunk driver, this is not simply a statistic - it is your reality. Losing someone because of another person's irresponsible behavior behind the wheel is devastating. Many families grieving the loss of a loved one must also contend with massive medical bills and other financial losses as a result of the death. In Texas, a wrongful death claim may allow for the recovery of financial compensation for these losses.
What is a Wrongful Death?
Texas law defines wrongful death as “the death of an individual caused by the wrongful act, neglect, carelessness, unskillfulness, or default of another.” If another driver's illegal actions or negligent driving caused the crash that took your loved one's life, you may be able to file a claim and recover damages.
What Happens If You Get into a Crash With an Amazon Van?
Gray and blue Amazon delivery vehicles can be found in nearly every major city and small town, delivering packages to doorsteps across the country. While Amazon has earned a reputation for service and speed, their delivery vans also come with an unexpected danger: accidents.
If you or a loved one were injured in a crash caused by an Amazon vehicle, you may be unsure of your legal options. Most Amazon delivery vehicles are owned and operated by independent contractors, meaning the company may argue that it is not liable for any damages caused in a crash. However, there are still ways to pursue compensation after a crash involving an Amazon vehicle.
Car Accidents Caused by Amazon Delivery Vehicles
Being involved in any type of car accident can lead to expensive financial losses and painful injuries. However, Amazon accidents are often especially complicated from a legal perspective. If you were injured in an accident involving an Amazon delivery van or truck, it is a good idea to meet with a lawyer as soon as possible to discuss your legal rights and options. Your lawyer can help determine who is responsible for paying medical bills and other damages related to the accident.
Negligent Hiring Practices Can Lead to Avoidable Semi-Truck Accidents
Large flatbeds, semi-trucks, tractor-trailers, and other large commercial vehicles are a common sight on the highways of every state. They transport goods all over the country, making them an essential part of our economy. However, when responsible hiring practices are not followed by trucking companies, semi-trucks can become dangerous weapons on the roads.
Trucking companies must carefully vet their employees to ensure they are qualified and safe drivers. This includes conducting background checks, verifying references, checking driving records, or requiring medical exams. However, some companies cut corners when hiring semi-truck drivers by not properly verifying qualifications or overlooking signs of dangerous driver behavior.
If you or a loved one were involved in a crash with a semi-truck or other commercial truck, a personal injury attorney experienced in truck accident claims can help you determine if negligent hiring practices led to the crash. The trucking company may be required to reimburse you for your medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages.
Bicyclists Suffer Serious Injuries in Accidents with Vehicles
In addition to allowing someone to enjoy the warm weather Texas offers nearly all year round, riding a bicycle instead of driving a car goes a long way toward reducing a cyclist’s carbon footprint and protecting the environment. Additionally, people who cycle to work, school, or other obligations tend to be in better physical and emotional health.
Unfortunately, riding a bike instead of driving is not without its risks. Careless drivers often do not check for cyclists in the road and cut off cyclists, open their doors into a cyclist’s path, or pull out in front of cyclists, putting the cyclist in danger of serious injury or death. If you or someone you love has been hurt or killed in a bicycle crash with a motor vehicle of any kind, it is essential to understand your legal options for seeking financial compensation to aid in your recovery.
Distracted Driving Causes Serious Injuries and Fatalities
Few of us can get away from the need to regularly drive, and the boredom of sitting in traffic or the frenzied rush of the morning commute can make it hard to give our full attention to the road in front of us. Despite laws against texting and driving, car accidents due to distracted driving are on the rise and over 3,000 people die in distracted driving-related car crashes every year.
While the reasons for being distracted while driving are many and varied, fundamentally there is no excuse for endangering other people on the road. The vast majority of serious car accidents could be avoided if people were simply willing to wait to address the distracting elements in their vehicles. If you have been badly injured or had someone you love killed in a car crash caused by a driver who was not paying attention to the road, you know this better than anyone and deserve the help of a skilled Texas personal injury lawyer.
Why Do So Many Cars Fail to See Motorcycles?
Motorcycles are notorious for getting into accidents frequently, and while there are certainly motorcycle drivers who take unsafe risks, many accidents are caused by other, larger vehicles that simply fail to see motorcycles. Inexplicably, the most common explanation given by drivers who hit motorcyclists is simply just: “I didn’t see him.”
While this may seem implausible or even impossible for motorcycle drivers, especially those exercising caution, new research suggests this may very well be true, thanks to a phenomenon called “inattentional blindness.” However, regardless of whether the driver of a vehicle that struck a motorcycle saw the cycle or not, it does not absolve them of responsibility for their actions. If you have been hurt in a motorcycle accident, you deserve help from an assertive personal injury attorney who can help you pursue compensation for your injuries.
If I Was a Passenger in a Car Crash, Can I Sue the Driver of the Vehicle?
In a tragic accident on the Southwest Side of San Antonio, one person was killed and three teenagers were injured after the driver of the car lost control, drove off the highway, and crashed into a fence. The car flipped over and three of the victims were ejected from the car. While investigators are still gathering data on the accident, according to police, the driver of the car was speeding.
Being in a car with a speeding or reckless driver can be a terrifying experience. When bad driving leads to a car accident, passengers can end up injured or even killed through no fault of their own. When this happens, victims of the crash or their families may wonder whether they can hold the driver responsible.
Are Vehicle Drivers Responsible for Passenger Injuries?
If a car’s driver causes an accident, with or without another vehicle being involved, passengers have the right to hold the driver liable for their injuries. However, proving that the driver was responsible for causing the crash can require some investigation. Crash investigators can help determine the cause of an accident, as can having the following information:
Can I Sue a Third Party Who Injured Me at Work?
Workplace injuries are incredibly common; nearly three in 100 workers get injured every year in the United States, making your lifetime chance of a workplace injury very high. While workers’ compensation insurance may be useful to some people after a workplace injury, private companies in Texas are not required to have workers’ compensation insurance. Furthermore, sometimes a third party, rather than an employer, is responsible for an employee’s injury in the job.
If you have been injured as the result of the actions of a third party in your workplace, you may want to know more about taking legal action against them.
Examples of Third Parties That Can Cause Workplace Injuries
Business, offices, construction sites, and other workplaces are usually filled with people coming and going. While the third parties that will be present in your workplace will depend on your specific field of work, just a few examples of third parties that could cause workplace injuries include:
How Can I Get Treated for a Car Accident if I Do Not Have Insurance?
Serious car accidents often require urgent, extensive medical intervention. Even if you do not have to be taken away from the scene of an accident in an ambulance, the cost of fixing broken bones, head injuries, and psychological trauma can be overwhelming - especially if you do not have health insurance.
Unfortunately, while the at-fault driver and their insurance company will likely eventually be forced to compensate you for your injuries, getting the medical treatment you need right now can be difficult if you are uninsured. If you have recently been in a car, truck, or motorcycle accident that was not your fault (or even that you believe may have been partly your fault), it is a good idea to meet with a personal injury attorney who can assess your case and help you seek compensation for your injuries and losses.
Are Hospitals Required to Treat Injured People?
Yes - whether you arrive in an ambulance or get there yourself, a hospital is obligated to treat someone who comes in with a medical emergency. Even if you cannot pay, the hospital is required by federal law to treat and stabilize your injury. As long as your condition has acute symptoms, including pain, that could jeopardize your health or cause serious damage to your body, a hospital will treat you.
Were You Injured in an Accident with a Delivery Driver? You Have Options
Every day, USPS handles around 500 million pieces of mail, while UPS, Amazon, and FedEx deliver over 30 million packages, for a total of more than 13 billion package deliveries every year. Even more packages are delivered by independent contract workers, who use their private vehicles to make deliveries.
This means package delivery drivers are on the road more than ever, contributing to an increase in crashes between delivery trucks and passenger vehicles. The size and weight of delivery trucks mean that passenger vehicles often fare very badly in accidents, with serious injuries and even fatalities being common. If you have been injured or lost someone you love in an accident with a delivery driver, it is important to speak with a Texas personal injury attorney. You may be able to recover compensation for your losses and get the financial help you need to begin the recovery process.