A Galveston man filed a lawsuit in the Galveston County District Court against Del Monte Fresh Produce (Texas) Inc., and Del Monte Fresh Produce NA Inc. (collectively "Del Monte") for injuries suffered while working as a crewmember aboard the M/V Star Leader vessel. The incident causing the crewmember's injuries took place in May of 2019 and the lawsuit was filed a few short months later.
An Ohio man, Ross Emery, died in his sleep in early September from carbon monoxide poisoning that seeped into his house from the car in his garage. Emery's 2015 Toyota Avalon, like many cars across the country, includes a keyless ignition system. Unlike a traditional metal car key, cars with a keyless ignition system use a remote fob that is detected by the "start-stop" button in the ignition system. Then, all you have to do is get in the car with the fob in your pocket or in your purse and press the "start-stop" button to start the engine. You press it again later to turn off the engine, once you have reached your destination.
A California jury awarded $40 million to a woman suffering from mesothelioma. The lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson alleged that the popular baby powder caused her mesothelioma diagnosis in 2017.
Electric scooters sailed onto the Texas traffic scene last summer amid wary news coverage of the latest phase of what is now called "micromobility." Immediately popular with the public, especially the 18 to 29-year-old crowd, these scooters are legal on city roads with a speed limit under 35 miles per hour.
According to a study by the Austin Public Health department, there are fewer scooter-related accidents than you would think, but the injuries tend to be serious.
On September 17, 2019, 17-year-old Scott Akins was seriously injured during in a high school football game after sustaining a life-altering brain injury that rendered him a quadriplegic who will never live independently again.
Intercontinental Terminals Company may be fined for an oil spill at its Deer Park facility on Saturday, October 5, 2019. Currently, the United States Coast Guard is investigating the spill that occurred following a locomotive fuel tank was punctured and leaked an unspecified amount of diesel into a storm drain. It ultimately closed the Houston Ship Channel for nearly three hours. The extent of the spill is unknown, but an ITC representative indicated the company alerted the Coast Guard, who in turn deployed vacuum trucks, skimmers and a containment boom to isolate and clean up the spill. The Coast Guard will also continue to monitor the potential impact on the area and the recovery efforts.
On August 30, 2019, a 20-year-old man was driving eastbound at a high rate of speed on State Highway 11, when he drove into the westbound lanes, crashing into a second truck that was towing a trailer. The second truck was being driven by a 39-year-old man whose 7-month-pregnant wife, 3-year-old son, and 2-year-old son were also in the truck with him.
It is no secret that working offshore can be very dangerous work. Because the maritime industry has been around for centuries, the law in the United States has been able to develop so that there are a lot of rules and regulations governing the responsibilities maritime companies must uphold to keep their offshore workers safe. These companies have the advantage of knowing their responsibilities, but that doesn't mean they share this knowledge with their employees. What that means is that many maritime workers who become injured do not know their rights and simply trust in their employer to "do the right thing."
E-cigarettes, also called "e-cigs" or "vapes," are relatively new products intended to replace traditional cigarettes. Since 2008, e-cigarette sales have exploded from $20 million in annual sales to a $4 billion market. Given the increasingly popularity of e-cigarettes, many companies have attempted to jump on the band wagon by releasing their own devices to capture some of the market. However, as is often the case, concerns about product safety take a back seat to the quest for big profits.
New York City officials placed the first red-light traffic cameras as an experiment in 1992. The camera program then started in 2006. By 2018, approximately 400 communities across America had them installed. Now, some states are having them removed. In fact, as of 2012, more red-light cameras had been discontinued rather than implemented. This summer, Texas joined at least seven states that have already banned red-light cameras from capturing photos and ticketing vehicles for speeding and running red lights.
On June 1, 2019, Governor Greg Abbott signed a bill to officially ban red-light traffic cameras in Texas. The new bill went into effect on September 1, but there is built-in flexibility if communities have existing contracts to operate the cameras beyond that date. It's unclear when they will be removing the final cameras at this point.
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.
