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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 Posted on November 26, 2012 in Uncategorized

Destiny Salinas, 18, started driving on the morning of Friday up-11-23>rd to get back home. She drove from Walters Street to the Interstate 34 in Northeast San Antonio. Unfortunately, she made a wrong turn into the opposite direction of traffic on I-35. It was around 8:30 in the morning as she drove north on the southbound lanes of traffic.

The first car that she met was at the intersection of Rittman Rd. and I-35. The driver of the Chevy Impala told authorities that he attempted to swerve out of the way of Salinas but was still clipped by her car. The force of the hit spun his car into the path of another vehicle. After the Impala was hit again, it ended upside-down on the side of the highway.

This car accident did not make Salinas stop and help these victims. She continued on her journey for seven miles before she was stopped by local police. The intersection of I-35 and Walzem Rd was where she ended up. Detective Brian Campbell said that she seemed to be intoxicated. She was arrested and subsequently charged with driving while intoxicated and intoxicated assault.

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 Posted on November 22, 2012 in Uncategorized

Traffic accidents are a daily occurrence in areas where there are lots of people living and driving. But when you think of a car crash, you don’t usually expect a train to be involved. In this case, however, a woman in her truck was hit by a TRE train and hospitalized because of it. WFAA.com did a story about this train-vehicle collision. The train tracks at East Gilbert Road just east of the West Irving Station were the scene for a massive collision when a TRE train struck a truck that was stopped on the tracks. DART officials said the collision took place in the morning, around 9:45 a.m., as the train was heading west. It was confirmed that the woman who was injured and hospitalized in the crash was, in fact, in the vehicle when the train hit the truck, but it was not revealed whether she had been the one driving the vehicle. After the crash, both westbound and eastbound tracks had to be closed down, because the scene of the accident was investigated and crews worked on clearing the scene. Officials have not released the identity and condition of the woman injured in the crash. Car accidents can have a devastating impact on a person’s life. If you or a loved one have been injured in car accident that was not caused by you, you may be eligible for compensation. Contacting a personal injury attorney is advisable when you are injured but not to be blamed for the injury. If you need the help of an experienced personal injury attorney, contact our offices in New Braunfels, Texas today.

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 Posted on November 20, 2012 in Uncategorized

Xitclalli Vasquez is in a wheelchair, paralyzed from the chest down, because a drunk driver crashed into a car Vasquez was in. Over a year after the accident that changed her life, Xitclalli wrote a letter to the driver, hoping she could change his life with her words. WFAA.com reported a story about Xitclalli’s tragic tale. Nine-year-old Xitclalli said she wants to know the man did that day and if he remembers how everything happened. The day she is talking about is July 9, 2011. Xitclalli was on her way home from the North East Mall in Hurst with her aunt, sister and nephew when the crash happened. A tragic ending for a day filled with fun. Jeremy Solis, who was driving drunk, slammed into the car Xitclalli was in at a street corner in Fort Worth. According to police, Solis had a blood-alcohol level of nearly three times the legal limit, so there is no question that he was drunk. Xitclalli’s mother read her daughter’s letter to Solis in a Tarrant County courtroom after Solis pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Following the sentence, the young girl’s words seemed to have an impact on Solis and the people in the courtroom. “I did see him cry several times,” said Mrs. Vasquez. If you or a loved one have fallen victim to a reckless driver, it is in your best interests to contact an experienced personal injury attorney in New Braunfels, Texas. If you are injured because of someone else’s actions, you might be eligible for financial compensation. Do not hesitate before contacting a knowledgeable personal injury attorney for help. Contact our offices today.

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 Posted on November 17, 2012 in Uncategorized

While most people may think of fatal car accidents as involving high speeds and heavily-traveled highways, the reality is that fatal accidents can happen anywhere and at any time, including in a parking lot. The San Antonio Express-News recently reported on a fatal accident that took place in the parking lot of Hunt Methodist Church. At approximately 10:00 a.m., as people were leaving church services, a van allegedly went out of control and struck four other vehicles, as well as 68-year-old Vickie Oehler, wife of Kerr County Commissioner Bruce Oehler. Emergency personnel flew Oehler to San Antonio Military Medical Center by helicopter, where she was pronounced dead.

While it is unclear at this point what caused the van to go out of control and the accident to occur, the Kerr County Sheriff and the Department of Public Safety are continuing to investigate the matter. When a fatal accident occurs, there are two different legal perspectives from which to examine the situation. First, authorities must determine whether any criminal activity occurred that led to the accident. For instance, if the driver that causes a fatal accident was intoxicated, then the driver may be charged criminally for his role in causing the accident. On the other hand, if the driver acted negligently in any way in causing the accident, or with a lack of reasonable care given the circumstances, then the driver also may be civilly liable to any victims of the accident. In this manner, depending on what the cause of the accident, a person can face both criminal and civil liability.

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 Posted on November 15, 2012 in Uncategorized

The San Antonio Express-News is reporting that a man who was hospitalized after a four-car wreck is suspected to have been intoxicated while driving, and is likely to be charged with intoxication assault. The man reportedly was driving his green SUV west on Loop 1604 near Redland Road when he failed to slow down in a construction zone. As a result, the man rear-ended a white sedan in the far left-hand lane, causing it to be pushed across the road and into the median, where it flipped over until landing upright. Both occupants of the white sedan were taken to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, one by helicopter, and one by ambulance.

After striking the white sedan, the man in the green SUV continued on and rear-ended a gold SUV. Another vehicle was also struck by accident debris. The green SUV driver who caused the accident was hospitalized following the second collision, but no other injuries were reported

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 Posted on November 13, 2012 in Uncategorized

Two people were killed in a chain reaction car accident involving three vehicles. The accident happened in the 16400 block of State Highway 6, about a quarter-mile from Santa Fe High School. Both victims died at the scene. According to a report in the Galveston Daily News, Charles Orsak, 29, from Santa Fe, was driving a 2000 Chevrolet in the westbound lane of State Highway 6 when he slammed into the back of a 1995 Jeep. The impact of the crash ejected the driver of the Jeep from the vehicle. The driver, Sharon Zakkizadeh, 65, of Santa Fe, was later declared dead at the scene. The Jeep crossed into oncoming traffic on the eastbound late of and rolled onto a 1991 Honda driven by Joseph Seymour, 58, trapping him inside. A short time later, Seymour was also declared dead at the scene. Orsack, the drive of the Chevrolet, was rushed to UTMB hospital by air ambulance where he was originally listed in critical condition. His condition was later upgraded to stable. Police are continuing their investigation of the accident but say there is no indication at this time of drugs or alcohol being a factor in the crash. Although there has not been an announcement at this time by police as to the cause of the crash, there are several possible scenarios. If, for example, police determine that the driver of the Jeep had caused the accident by suddenly stopping without warning, then the survivor of the crash may be entitled to compensation for the injuries he sustained in the accident. If you or someone in your family has been a victim of a vehicle accident, consult with an experienced New Braunfels attorney today. You may be entitled to damages for any loss and suffering you have experienced as a result of the accident.

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 Posted on November 10, 2012 in Uncategorized

Eliazar Trevino Jr. And his family received a healthy $11 million in compensation for an accident where Trevino was hit by a pipe casing. An Ector County jury awarded the $11 million to Trevino, who was injured in a Goldsmith oilfield accident, after a week-long civil injury trial. The Odessa American reported a story about the case.

Trevino was injured when a pipe casing fell from an oil field elevator, ripping out nerves from his shoulder and neck. The accident happened in September 2009. Trevino sued M&M Elevator Company, blaming the accident on a malfunctioning elevator.

Trevino’s attorneys said in their opening statements that the pipe casing fell, because the elevator malfunctioned.

The attorneys working the defense of M&M Elevator Company said the elevator had been checked that same say, and that it was improperly latched by oilfield workers. The attorneys also added that Trevino should not have been under the elevator anyway, regardless of what caused the pipe casing to fall.

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