An investigation by the Austin-based newspaper, Austin American-Stateman, has revealed a disturbing trend in Texas child care. For the last 10 years, over 80 children in Texas day care centers died due to both abuse and neglect, and in the same period of time, more than 450 Texas children were sexually abused.
An Oklahoma widower was awarded $25.5 million by a jury against Aetna health insurance because his wife, a cancer patient, was denied coverage by Aetna. The jury found that Aetna acted recklessly.
Ford Motor Company issued a recall in North America for select 2012 to 2018 Ford Focus vehicles equipped with 2.0-liter GDI and 2.0liter GTDI engines for a malfunctioning canister purge valve. These affected vehicles are equipped with a canister purge valve that may become stuck in an open position. If this occurs, an excessive vacuum in the fuel system could cause deformation of the vehicle's plastic fuel tank. As a result, the customer could observe a malfunction indicator light or a fuel gauge with fluctuating or inaccurate fuel levels. This could lead to a stall while driving and/or an inability to restart the vehicle, which can increase the risk of a crash.
A lawsuit was filed in Harris County on October 11, 2018 against L.A. Fitness International LLC by a woman complaining of injuries she sustained after a treadmill malfunctioned and caused her to fall. The woman's petition alleges that the fitness center failed to warn of the dangerous condition or failed to make the condition reasonably safe. She further alleges that the trip and fall caused her to sustain serious bodily injury. The woman is seeking to recover her reasonable medical care expenses, past, and future; past and future physical pain and suffering; past and future mental anguish; and her loss of earnings.
A lawsuit filed by an organ transplant recipient alleges that a Randall's pharmacy misfilled her prescription for several months before it was discovered, which reportedly caused "significant disruption both physically and mentally." The lawsuit, which was filed on October 29 in the Harris County 234th District Court, does not specifically mention what type of transplant Plaintiff Vicki Gaido received, but the original petition notes that she was prescribed the drug Synthroid (levothyroxine) to treat a thyroid condition that arose from the transplant and subsequent treatments.
Every day, drivers face many risks on the roadway, from distracted drivers to dangerous road conditions.
But there are certain driving hazards that every motorist should be aware of that are especially problematic in December:
Drivers know to stop for school buses, and the law mandates it, but what about for city buses? Should city buses be required to wait for the bus ahead of them to move before pulling around the stopped bus? A city bus driver is now facing criminal charges after he killed a woman who was exiting the bus in front of him. The incident occurred while he was executing an illegal right turn. The passenger had exited a city bus which was stopped ahead of the impacting bus and the negligent driver pulled widely around the stopped bus while turning right. He then struck and killed a disembarked passenger who was crossing the street onto which the driver was turning. The driver swung so wide that he traveled into the oncoming traffic lane and was stopped there after impacting the deceased.
Tesla Inc. has resolved the claims of six plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit filed against the company in California. The lawsuit was initially filed in December 2016 in the United States District Court for the Central District of California. According to the complaint, the Tesla Model X owner slowly pulled into his driveway and waited for his garage door to open when his vehicle suddenly sped forward and crashed through the interior wall of his garage before coming to rest in his living room. Both the driver and his passenger sustained injuries. The complaint asserts numerous causes of action against the manufacturer, including products liability claims, breach of warranty claims, negligence, and violations of several consumer protection laws. The lead plaintiff also sought class action status citing several other instances of sudden acceleration in Tesla's vehicles.
According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), traffic-related fatalities went down slightly in 2017 from 2016.
According to the NHTSA:
The National Hockey League announced a nearly $19 million settlement with former players who had sued the league over brain injuries suffered while playing. According to the lawsuit, the league and team medical staffs kept the players in the dark over the potential harm they faced. The suit alleged the NHL of failing to protect the former players from head injuries that could lead to the brain disease Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy or warning them of the risks involved.
The Equal Access to Justice Champions Program was started by the Houston Bar Association in 2006, to help ensure placement of Houston Volunteer Lawyers cases with pro bono volunteers. Originally, firms were tiered according to size, and firms within each tier committed to accept a certain number of pro bono cases from HVL each year for five years.
The National Trial Lawyers: Top 100 is an invitation-only organization composed of the premier trial lawyers from each state or region who meet stringent qualifications as civil plaintiff and/or criminal defense trial lawyers. Selection is based on a thorough multi-phase objective and uniformly applied process which includes peer nominations combined with third-party research.
Established in 1993, the Million Dollar Advocates Forum (which includes the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum) is one of the most prestigious groups of trial lawyers in the United States. Membership is limited to attorneys who have won million and multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements. There are over 4000 members throughout the country. Fewer than 1% of U.S. lawyers are members.
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Their methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
In order to earn the Lead Counsel Rating, an attorney must not only demonstrate significant legal experience, but must also receive multiple peer recommendations advocating his or her ability. This is a key component in the screening process.
Each year, Super Lawyers recognizes the top lawyers in Texas via a patented multiphase selection process involving peer nomination, independent research and peer evaluation. The Texas lawyers who receive the highest point totals during this selection process are further recognized in Texas Super Lawyers Top Lists.
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The firm successfully represented nearly 100 victims who suffered personal injuries and damages to property from a large fire and explosion resulting in a settlement of more than $50 million. The firm served as lead lawyers on the steering committee in this litigation.
The firm successfully represented 270 plaintiffs', taking a lead role in the plaintiffs' steering committee, who suffered injuries in a large plant explosion resulting in a settlement of nearly $80 million.
The firm successfully represented 45 personal injury victims in a plant fire and explosion, serving on the plaintiffs' steering committee, concluding with a settlement of more than $50 million.
The firm prevailed in a personal injury trial for a worksite injury client with the jury returning a verdict and resulting in a judgment of over $22 million for the firm's client.
The firm successfully achieved a $12 million settlement for the family of a man who died in an 18 wheeler collision.
The firm prevailed on behalf of three burn victims with settlements totaling nearly $30 million.
