Texas Gov. Greg Abbott had until June 21 to approve (or allow to become law) a variety of bills passed by the Legislature in the 2015 session. It remains to be seen how he decides on all of the bills on his desk. What follows is a summary of the bills that particularly affect lawyers…
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In a recent study conducted by the Bureau of Labor statistics, researchers found that law is one of the least racially diverse professions in the nation with 88 percent of lawyers being white. Recent diverse appointments on the Supreme Court, the attorney general’s office, and in the executive branch seem to suggest that this field…
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Plaintiffs suing General Motors Co in connection with faulty ignition switches in its cars have added civil racketeering (RICO) allegations in an amended complaint recently filed in federal court in Manhattan. The plaintiffs accuse the company of conspiring with a law firm and a claims-management company to conceal the defect, which has been linked to…
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Although balcony calamities are rare, they usually end traumatically. Tuesday June 16, 2015, a birthday celebration quickly turned into a tragedy when a balcony collapsed in apartments near the University of California, Berkley. Thirteen students were thrown fifty feet from the air onto the pavement below. Six students lost their lives that night and seven…
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What everyone fears occurred on Monday: a tractor-trailer crash, one dead, a hazardous materials spill, and a busy highway closed for an extended time. The wreck occurred about 1:15 p.m. on Highway 225 near Pasadena. According to news accounts, an 18-wheeler loaded with an inflammable liquid veered from the freeway and smashed into a line…
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Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is a method of removing oil and gas from shale by pumping high-pressure liquid, chemicals and sand into the rock to open it up so that the oil or gas can be extracted. Several Texas cities tried to prevent this method of obtaining oil and gas from shale deposits, citing pollution…
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Litigation is being prepared against Xarelto, a drug intended to reduce the risk of stroke and blood clots in people with atrial fibrillation, due to its linkage with uncontrollable internal bleeding. Since 2011, the anticoagulant has not been approved to reduce blood clots in patients with coronary artery disease. The lawsuit focuses on the failure…
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Forty-six million Americans are at risk daily. Not members of the military or police, but people who do not have health insurance. According to the Health Affairs Journal, uninsured patients are charged up to 10 times more than insured or government assisted patients for care. In a recent article, Health Affairs listed the top 50…
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