Posted on June 07, 2017 in Uncategorized

In early May, a motorcyclist was traveling on State Highway 130 at a high rate of speed when he collided with another vehicle in slower traffic. Traffic up ahead had slowed drastically due to a vehicle fire. The motorcyclist was unable to stop his motorcycle and struck the rear of another vehicle, which caused him to be thrown into a second vehicle. The crash occurred around 7 p.m. and the rider was pronounced dead approximately an hour later. This accident is a tragic reminder of the motorcycle crashes, injuries, and fatalities that occur each summer. As we head into another warm season, motorcycle riders and drivers need to remember how to keep each other safe and avoid collisions.

Motorcycle Safety Tips for Riders

There are a few steps motorcyclists can take to avoid a crash with other riders or vehicles, including:

• Avoid speeding. While the feel of the wind can entice riders to go faster, speeding is a leading cause of motorcycle accidents and fatalities. Riders should stick to the speed limit at all times and slow down during heavy traffic or poor weather.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on June 05, 2017 in Uncategorized

Nothing is as scary as being involved in a car wreck, especially when you are the victim. The moment you are hit, shock mode ensues, causing you to either freeze up or jump into action. Even if you are fortunate enough to respond to the adrenaline rush with swift action, it is not at all uncommon to experience forgetfulness or the inability to focus on attention to detail. This can be problematic when the need to take notes is time sensitive. Your observations immediately after a collision have the potential to make a significant difference in the outcome of your case later on, once the accident has been reported and any court hearings take place.

What to Do the Moment You Are Struck

There are a number of actions you can take the moment you are struck to increase your chances of protecting your rights later on, but three of the most immediate ways you can protect your best interests include the following:

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on May 23, 2017 in Uncategorized

A University of Texas at Austin student passed away on Monday, April 17 after being involved in an accident on her moped on Manor Road. Around 7:30 p.m., the student is believed to have swerved into traffic after experiencing a mechanical issue on her moped, at which point she collided head-on with a privately owned bus.

The tragic accident is a reminder of the unique dangers of motorcycles and mopeds. If you lost a loved one in a moped or scooter accident, contact an experienced Austin personal injury attorney for help.

What Is a Moped?

Mopeds are motorized scooters. They have small engines and can usually only go as fast as 30 mph. While they can look a great deal like scooters, mopeds must have a license plate. If a moped can move faster than 30 mpg, requires shifting gears, or has a piston displacement of more than 50 ccs, then it is actually considered a motorcycle. Texas provides a certified mopeds list for individuals to be sure of how their vehicle is classified.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on May 18, 2017 in Uncategorized

On April 2, one man was killed as he and three other men jumped from a moving Union Pacific train in Texas. The men boarded the freight train in Austin and hopped off near Interstate 35, just north of the Texas State Technical College campus. The witnesses report that the man threw his belongings from the train prior to attempting to jump, but he slipped and fell between the train cars. The reported the incident at a nearby gas station. The day before, another man lost his life in a train incident in Austin. Before 10 p.m. on West 5th street, a man was struck by a Union Pacific train when he was on the tracks. Unfortunately, news reports of pedestrian-train accidents are not uncommon and they may lead to wrongful death claims.

Texas Pedestrian-Train Accidents

In 2016, the Federal Railroad Administration reported 445 pedestrian-train-related accidents in Texas. While some of these incidents were minor and involved few injuries, others, like the recent accidents above, led to fatalities. In 2016, there were 64 train accident fatalities. This may seem like only a few fatalities compared to the numbers associated with car accidents. However, 64 fatalities for a year in relation to train incidents is high.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on May 16, 2017 in Uncategorized

Car accidents do not discriminate against victims. Anyone can be hurt while on the road at any time. You could be injured in a crash when you least expect it like one Texas state representative from The Woodlands. He sustained minor injuries in a head-on crash with a cement truck when he was headed to the Capitol building on March 28. The accident occurred at the intersection of South First and West Mary in Austin, causing considerable damage to his vehicle. The lawmaker managed to suffer only scrapes and bruises and was released from the hospital the next day. As of the day of the accident, no citations had been issued.

Crash Statistics for Austin

According to the Department of Texas’ latest crash figures for 2015, Austin experienced 14,168 crashes resulting in 105 fatalities. There were also 490 incapacitating injuries and 4,045 non-incapacitating injuries, like those suffered by the state representative. Considering the population and traffic in Austin, the high numbers of crashes, injuries, and fatalities are not surprising. However, it is not the city with the most collisions, injuries, or traffic-related deaths. Dallas witnessed 31,094 crashes resulting in 173 fatalities. San Antonio had 42,472 crashes that caused 152 fatalities. Houston had 66,319 crashes with 203 fatalities.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on May 11, 2017 in Uncategorized

In March, Vulto Creamery expanded its recall to include all of its cheese products currently in the market, including the following cheeses: Andes, Blue Blais, Hamden, Heinennellie, Ouleout, Miranda, Willowemoc, and Walton Umber. These cheeses were sold nationwide. The reason for this recall is that the company’s cheese contains the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes, which can cause illness and death.

The Dangers of Listeria

Listeriosis, which is an infection caused by Listeria monocytogenes, can lead to serious illness, particularly in children, the elderly, and individuals with weakened immune systems. Symptoms of Listeriosis include fever, muscle aches, chills, diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal issues. One of the major issues with Listeriosis is that it can lead to dehydration. It is also highly dangerous in pregnant women. While the expectant mothers may not become ill, this bacteria can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature labor, and serious illness or death in newborns.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on May 09, 2017 in Uncategorized

An individual was killed on a construction site in Carrollton, Texas, in March. The man, a worker at the site within the Castle Hills development at Old Denton Road and Windhaven Parkway, was run over by a heavy construction vehicle. Unfortunately, this type of incident is not uncommon on construction sites. Back-over accidents and other construction vehicle accidents occur at alarming rates, killing dozens of workers and pedestrians every year.

Fatal Work Accidents in Texas

In 2015, Texas witnessed 527 fatal occupational injuries. The construction industry had 124 deaths. This was a significant increase from 107 deaths in 2014. In 2015, construction of buildings had 13 fatalities, heavy and civil engineering construction had 26, and specialty trade contractors had 85. While heavy and civil engineering deaths remained the same from the prior year, the construction of buildings and specialty trade contractors’ deaths rose. Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction had 36 deaths, a significant decrease from 75 in 2014, while transportation had 100, an increase from 94 in 2014.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on May 03, 2017 in Uncategorized

In April, a 17-year-old Texas student was killed in a rollover accident on 183-A tollway in Cedar Park. The SUV she was driving collided with a barrier and rolled over. She was thrown from the vehicle and passed away at the scene. Her passenger was seriously injured in the incident and taken to a local hospital. It has been reported that neither the driver nor her passenger were wearing seat belts at the time of the crash. The incident is a tragic reminder of the importance of safety belts within vehicles and ensuring teens wear them.

Seat Belt Facts

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than half of teenagers and adults who died in crashes in 2014 were unrestrained at the time of the accidents. That equates to more than 10,000 fatalities that could have been avoided with the proper use of a seat belt. That same year, seat belts were credited with saving 12,802 lives.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on April 26, 2017 in Uncategorized

A 23-year-old El Campo man passed away in early April after being injured in a construction site accident. Another man was left in critical condition. The accident was the result of a front-end loader moving heavy equipment around the worksite. The driver of the front-end loader and the individual directing him did not see either victim before setting down a set of wheels and a large tire, which crushed them. Both were flown by helicopter to a Houston hospital.

Unfortunately, accidents like this are all too common. Construction sites have a great deal of large vehicles and heavy equipment, which if not operated, maintained, and stored properly can lead to injuries and deaths. Construction vehicles and machinery are particularly risky as they often have blind spots, limited visibility, and limited maneuverability. Drivers and those helping direct them need to remain vigilant and cautious at all times.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on April 24, 2017 in Uncategorized

Toward the end of March, a white Dodge pickup truck collided with a bus full of members of First Baptist New Braunfels church on U.S. 83 in Uvalde County. Thirteen people were killed. While the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash, it has been reported that the truck driver admitted to texting while driving. There are also eight 911 calls from other motorists who reported the truck driving erratically prior to the crash. One caller described the truck as swerving into other lanes, including lanes of oncoming traffic, for approximately 20 minutes before the deadly crash occurred. If it is true that the driver was texting at the time of the crash, then this is a tragic reminder of the dangers of distracted driving.

National Distracted Driving Awareness Month

As April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, it is appropriate to look at the dangers of paying attention to other things while behind the wheel instead of only driving. The Texas Department of Transportation (DOT) reported there are more than 100,000 traffic accidents because of distracted driving every year. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates 1,161 people are injured and eight killed in distracted driving crashes every day. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported 3,477 lives were lost in 2015 due to distracted driving.

Continue Reading ››