Posted on December 27, 2012 in Uncategorized

James Williams has filed law suits against three companies that he claims have each failed at providing him with a safe working environment when an explosion occurred. The suit has recently been transferred to Hardin County. The suit was filed on August 29 in the Jefferson County District Court. Williams named Brammer Engineering, Streamline Production Systems, and Kinder Morgan Louisiana Pipeline as the defendants in his law suit against each of these companies. The court records do show that on Judge-11-15 Milton Shuffield, from the 136^th District Court, ordered that the case needed to be transferred to Hardin County. The lawsuit states that on 2011-11-14, Williams was dispatched to a location that is operated by Brammer Engineering to perform work for the defendants. When he reached to location, the explosion occurred, which injured Williams. The records do not include a statement of how the explosion occurred. They also exclude an explanation of what it was that Williams was doing at the time of the explosion. However, the lawsuit does include an accusation of the defendants of failing to inspect and maintain their worksite. Wiliams stated that the lack of inspection also included not providing him with a safe work environment. James Williams is suing Brammer Engineering, Streamline Production Systems, and Kinder Morgan Louisiana Pipeline for all of his past and future medical expenses, along with his mental anguish, pain, impairment from doing daily activities, and disfigurement and lost wages. He also wishes to be compensated for all of the court costs. If you have been in an accident in which you have been injured, contact the Bettersworth Law Firm for help on your court case. These experienced personal injury attorneys can help you filed a lawsuit and fight for you in court. Contact Bettersworth attorneys today in New Braunfels, Texas.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on December 24, 2012 in Uncategorized

There were two couples on a parade float that was recently struck by a train, and they are suing, according to the court documents. Being sued are the Union Pacific Railroad and the man who was driving the float during the parade. The parade was for injured veterans in Midland, Texas. The collision occurred on Four-11-15 people were killed in the collision and 16 other people were injured. Holly Springs couple Officer Shane Ladner and his wife Meg were among those injured in the accident. Immediately after the collision, in the hospital, doctors were left with no choice but to amputate Meg Ladner’s left leg. She also had pins placed in her right leg. Among other minor injuries, she also suffered a crushed pelvis due to the accident. Army veteran Shane Ladner, luckily, only suffered a minor back injury, but has managed to mask his pain as he remains at his wife’s side by her hospital bed. There were two pancake breakfast fundraisers for the Ladners and other victims of this terrible incident. The fundraisers were held on the first and second Saturdays of December, to help raise money for hospital bills and other expenses that have arisen due to the injuries cause by the collision. Each of the pancake breakfasts were held at the Longhorn Steakhouse in Kennesaw for three hours each Saturday night. If you or someone that you know has been injured in an unfortunate accident, such as this train-float collision, contacts a personal injury attorney today. Having the right attorney can make a huge difference in getting the outcome of the case that you deserve. The Bettersworth Law Firm attorneys in New Braunfels, Texas can help you with your personal injury case today.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on December 21, 2012 in Uncategorized

According to the Houston Chronicle, Michael James Rogers is being held on a $30,000.00 bond at the Harris County Jail under a felony charge of intoxication manslaughter. He was drunk behind the wheel when he careened into a vehicle driven by a mother with her two children in the backseat.

The accident happened just after noon at the traffic light at Greenhouse Road. The young mother was in her Jeep at the stop light and was rear ended at a high rate of speed by the F150 driven by Rogers. The mother and one toddler escaped without injury. The other child, Arianah Atkins, 2, was taken to the hospital with severe blunt force trauma. She passed away a short time after she was transported there.

According to authorities, Rogers did sustain non life threatening injuries. He was treated at a nearby Houston hospital before being taken into custody by law enforcement.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on December 18, 2012 in Uncategorized

According to KHOU Houston, two brothers and their father were hit by a car that was driven by a drunk driver. The father, David Barajas and his sons David Jr. and Caleb were pushing their truck home after it broke down.

The trio was pushing the old pickup truck down a dark road. They were looking back to make sure that no one was coming because the road was so narrow and dark. Unfortunately, they did not see the car coming toward them at a high rate of speed. They were only about 50 yards from their home at the time of the accident.

Jose Banda, 20, ran into them. Investigators believe that he was drunk at the time of the accident and they are awaiting additional toxicology testing results to be returned to determine if Banda had any other substances in his system at the time. Neighbors state that they heard two gunshots just a couple of minutes after the crash happened.

David Jr., 12, died at the scene of the accident. Caleb, 11, was taken to a nearby hospital where he also passed away. When authorities reached the scene, Banda was found murdered, shot twice in the head. They are still trying to figure out who shot him and so far, the weapon has not been found either. It is unclear whether authorities think that the father or another family member shot him after the accident. The investigation is currently ongoing.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on December 16, 2012 in Uncategorized

Citing increasingly concerning statistics regarding DWI arrests and fatal accidents over the past two years, a San Antonio Police Department deputy chief asked Texas legislators to consider establishing permanent DWI checkpoints in areas where DWI arrests and accidents commonly appear. Roughly 24 people have been charged with intoxication manslaughter over the last two years, and over 7,000 DWI arrests have been made this year so far in San Antonio alone.

Most notably, Texas is one of only 12 states without sobriety checkpoints, and is also a state that typically has one of the highest numbers of alcohol-related fatal traffic accidents. In 2010, for instance, 1,259 people died in Texas as a result of the actions of drivers with blood-alcohol levels that exceeded legal limits. This number exceeded even the number of deaths in California in 2010, a state that traditionally has had a higher number of people, drivers, and vehicles.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on December 14, 2012 in Uncategorized

According to a recent article in the San Antonio Express-News, a forty-four-year-old bicyclist was killed when a Ford Explorer struck him from behind and caused him to roll over the vehicle. The man was riding his bike at approximately 10:30 p.m. on Basse Road near Treeline Park on San Antonio’s north side when the accident occurred. Witnesses reported that the bicyclist was riding along the right side of the road when he suddenly swerved left into traffic. The bicycle allegedly had no lights, and the man was balancing bags of groceries on his handlebars. Some have speculated that the weight of the bags caused the man to lose his balance and veer into traffic just prior to the accident.

This case may be a good example of the legal concept of comparative negligence. While many people assume that one party in a personal injury action is at fault, and the other party is not at fault, it is often not the case. In many cases, both parties bear some fault for the accident in question.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on December 11, 2012 in Uncategorized

According to a recent article in the San Antonio Express-News, Jose Beltran, his two young sons, and the pregnant mother of his sons were walking home after having dinner at the Flying J Travel Plaza when they were unexpectedly struck by a vehicle that hit a telephone pole, went up and over a curb, and onto the sidewalk where they were walking. The Beltrans had been celebrating Jose’s new job prospect after four long years of unemployment and financial hardship. Up until about a week prior to the accident, the family, down on their luck, had been living in an abandoned house in California. They had recently come to Texas to stay with Beltran’s mother and seek out better employment opportunities.

These hopes of a better life for their family were dashed to pieces by the fatal accident, which left Jose, 30, dead at the accident scene, and his son, Elias, age three, pronounced dead some hours later after being airlifted to a nearby hospital. Kristie Vergara, 34, and Adrian Beltran, age four, both were seriously injured and remained hospitalized in serious condition. Vergara’s unborn child also was expected to survive the accident.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on December 09, 2012 in Uncategorized

According to the Chicago Tribune, a car accident involving a police car and a black Kia happened at the 700^th block of West 50^th. This resulted in an injury to an officer as well as a passenger in the other vehicle.

As told by witnesses, the black vehicle failed to stop at a red light and ran into a passing police vehicle. This, in turn caused the officer’s injury. It also resulted in injury to one person in the other car. Both cars had significant damage and could be considered totaled by most accounts.

Two people were arrested as a result of behavior that accrued after the accident. They were described as hostile to the officers and creating issues when arrested. These passengers were riding in the black Kia with the driver that injured the officers in the accident.

There was no evidence of alcohol or drugs involved, just a case of missing the light and causing an accident. No charges have been filed at this time with the exception of failure to yield the right of way at the stop light.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on December 03, 2012 in Uncategorized

On a-11-15th Union Pacific train slammed into a parade float. The float was in a parade to celebrate veterans and their sacrifices for Veteran’s day. On the float were veterans who had been injured in the line of duty on their way to be feted at a banquet hall. The crash between the train and the float left 4 dead and 16 injured. Those killed in the accident included Army Sgt. Joshua Michael, 34, a native of Amarillo. Those families of the hurt or killed veterans are now searching for closure by bringing a personal injury lawsuit against Union Pacific and Smith Industries. There are nearly 3,000 accidents annually involving trains at railway crossings. According to a notice from the Federal Railroad Administration, the majority of these accidents happen because the inattention paid by a driver or pedestrian. Though, in a handful of cases, the accident is a result of a warning system error. The case against Union Pacific is that the warning system at the intersection of the railroad tracks and S. Garfield St. While the federal requirement of the warning system was met, there is some indication that more time should be necessary. The federal requirement is ten seconds less than some authorities feel is necessary at this crossing. There are cross-streets on both sides of the intersection which are closer than 100 feet, leading to an assumption that more time is necessary to properly warn traffic. Smith Industries is being sued rather than the driver they employed to operate the float, Dale Andrew Hayden, 52. Hayden, as an entity of Smith Industries, is alleged to be negligent by failing to keep a proper lookout, to traverse the crossing safely, and exercise care for his passengers. If you have been injured in a car accident, it may be due to the negligence of a third party. You may be entitled to monetary damages in order to cover hospital bills, unearned wages, or trauma that you have endured. Please contact an experienced personal injury attorney in New Braunfels to review the particulars of your case.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on November 30, 2012 in Uncategorized

Trooper Kyle Deatherage, recent transfer to the Illinois State Police motorcycle unit, was struck and killed by a truck during a traffic stop on Interstate 55 near Litchfield. He transferred to the new unit to spend more time with his young family.

Deatherage, 32, from Highland, started out in law enforcement as a Madison County sheriff’s deputy in 2004 and began working for the state police in May 2009.

Deatherage was married to Christin Deatherage and they have two children: Kaylee, 4, and Camden, 10-months-old.

Christin said that Kyle moved to motorcycle duty because it allowed him to take day shifts instead of night shifts, permitting him to see more of his family.

The director of state police, Hiram Grau, and Madison County Sheriff Robert Hertz, agree that this was a tragic loss and Deatherage was a wonderful police officer who was very dedicated and brave.

Continue Reading ››