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This time General Motors announced it will recall about 7 million vehicles worldwide, including a 2007 to 2014 model year Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Avalanche, Chevrolet Suburban, and GMC Yukon. Almost six million of...
Volvo is recalling up to 54,000 cars as a result of evidence of metal fragments from an exploding airbag inflator that could kill drivers. This recall is similar to the Takata recalls, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is currently reviewing data...
From April through June of 2020, emergency actions against doctors' licenses dropped by 59%. This overall drop was driven by declines between 50% and 100% in six states, including Texas. Such a drop caused many patient safety advocates to worry, because many hospitals...
Hazing has been a part of fraternity lifestyle for years, and even though some people enjoy the culture, it can be harmful to its members and their families. In 2019, Sam Martinez was one of these members that lost his life while being hazed during a college...
Honda issued its second recall in the last two years last Tuesday, and this issue is not as different as its predecessor. 2018-2020 Odysseys, 2019-2020 Passports, and 2019-2021 Pilots were recalled for software issues that can cause the display to malfunction and not...
It's no surprise that with a decrease in traffic on the road, there are drivers that see this as an opportunity to drive faster. But what is surprising is the rate of speed these cars are going and the amount of speed-related deaths that are occurring on the road....
With an increase of self-driving vehicles on the road, drivers are more reliant on the technology those cars offer. But like any other technology that consumers buy, there can be complications that arise as time goes on. Prominent electric car company Tesla is now...
Do self-driving cars really prevent accidents from occurring on the road? Most people would think they would due to the multiple technological advances such as the 360-degree sensors or the self-parking feature. But according to a study done by the Insurance Institute...
Now that the stay-at-home order has eased up, we are likely to see an increase of drivers on the road. As there are more drivers, there is a higher chance there will be impaired drivers on the road as well. So, what should you do if you are involved in an accident...
With the stay-at-home order easing up in Texas, it is no surprise people have taken this opportunity to resume the activities they haven't done in a while. Whether it's going out to eat or meeting with some friends, more people are on the road now than there have been...
Since COVID-19 has kept most of us home and off the roads, you would think a decrease in the amount of deaths on the roads would occur. Unfortunately, the numbers show there has been a small change in vehicle-related deaths. The total number of deaths on Texas roads...
In response to growing concerns of community spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), sports organizations, local schools, and even the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo have ceased operations for the foreseeable future. As businesses consider the human and health...
In 2019, a mother of an 11-month old baby girl found her little one lifeless in her inclined sleeper bed. The baby girl had rolled in the sleeper and was unable to breath, causing a lack of oxygen in her body and brain.After this, and 60 other similar deaths across...
Houston area roads still suffered a significantly high number of deaths in 2019 and will likely pass 2018's total. A recent study examined the greater Houston area consisting of Harris County and the seven adjacent counties. In these counties, local police,...
Nearly 6,900 of Florida's actively licensed doctors do not carry malpractice insurance. This new trend is colloquially called "going bare" or self-insuring. Meaning the doctor alone, rather than an insurance company, is responsible for any fees or awards resulting...
In addition to the tens of millions of vehicles with Takata airbags already under recall, a separate group of 1,400,000 vehicles were recalled on December 4, 2019 because of defective Takata airbags. Takata is recalling vehicles containing certain Non-Azide Driver...
Over the last decade, the number of Americans killed while walking increased by 35%, and 2016 was the deadliest year for pedestrians since 1990. According to the "Pedestrian Danger Index," created by Smart Growth America and the National Complete Streets Coalition,...
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...
The evidence is growing on the dangers of vaping. The New York Times has just reported a second death of a person has occurred due to severe lung illness that developed after vaping. This death occurred in Oregon and the investigation revealed the individual who died...
In its latest set of vehicle recalls, Volkswagen is recalling approximately 679,000 cars in the United States to address a product defect that could let the cars roll away unexpectedly. The recall is expected to begin October 11, 2019.This recall covers several types...
On December 8, 2018, a 23-year-old leukemia patient died, two days after receiving a transfusion tainted with a bacterial infection at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas due to the uncovering of systematic safety lapses. The patient had a history of acute...
Amidst growing concerns over air travel, Boeing is reportedly negotiating over 100 settlements with the families of victims of two separate crashes of their 737 MAX jetliners. Both 737s went down under similar circumstances within five months of each other: a Lion Air...
JPMorgan Chase, the country's largest bank and biggest U.S. credit-card issuer, has reintroduced to over 40 million credit card holders a controversial policy that forces their customers to use arbitration instead of being able to go to court to resolve payment...
Biologics, a short term for biological medication, are typically prescribed to nurse autoimmune skin diseases, joints, and gastrointestinal system. They are one of the few drugs that are not made chemically, but instead are extracted from animal cells in laboratories....
While e-cigarettes are not considered as risky as regular cigarettes, researchers may have found a link between flavorings and a bad effect on the heart. In laboratory dishes, scientists grew cells that normally line the healthy human blood vessels. They then exposed...
On July 30th 2018, owners of 2013-2016 Fusion sedans and 2013-2014 Escape SUVs were notified by Ford about a transmission system defect that posed a rollaway risk. The defect resulted in 550,000 vehicles across North America to be recalled. Now almost a year later,...
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration revealed numerous documents indicating that up to 12.3 million vehicles in the United States may have airbag problems. It has been determined that the airbags may not inflate in a crash and the problem could be...
As the vehicle industry continues to make advances in their designs and with passenger safety being a top priority, it could logically be assumed that newer cars would be safer for passengers. Well, new research by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)...
Delaney Tercero, 3, was killed in August of 2018 when a nearby pipeline leaked natural gas into her family's house, resulting in an explosion that injured the entire family and destroyed their home. The state sent investigators to determine if the owners of the...
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that more people are killed in motor vehicle accidents due to faulty tires than in accidents caused by distracted driving. The NHTSA reports that 738 people died in 2017 from accidents caused by tire-related...
A rising tide lifts all boats. But will the autonomous vehicle revolution lift everyone in our transportation system? It depends, according to a recent report published by The Greenlining Institute, an Oakland based public policy advocacy organization. The report,...
Ford has recalled close to one million vehicles around the world to replace defective Takata airbag inflators. The Detroit Free Press reports that the vehicles have been recalled due to a risk of flying shrapnel caused by exploding airbag inflators. Takata used the...
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...
More than four hundred women have come forward to accuse former University of Southern California gynecologist, Dr. George Tyndall, of sexual misconduct. After the events at Michigan State University surrounding Larry Nassar, women are calling on USC to handle these...
In March of 2016, a pedestrian was struck by a car at the Whittier Uptown Association's Farmers Market. The driver of the vehicle was a vendor at the market, and she struck the pedestrian while backing out of her parking spot. The death was ruled an accident, but the...
The Center for Auto Safety filed a petition with the federal government to have the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigate potential non-collision fires in 2.2 million Hyundai and Kia vehicles. Kia is an affiliate of Hyundai and together...
The Brazos Ski Ranch Cable Park, affectionately referred to as "BSR" by the people of Waco, has voluntarily closed down its surf resort following the death of surfer, Fabrizio Stabile. BSR's surf resort is temporarily closed while the Centers for Disease Control and...
The National Practitioner Data Bank records 2017 as having the lowest number of payments made by physicians' insurers since it began collecting data in 1990. According to the NPDB, payments peaked in 2001 at 19,773 reports of medical malpractice payments, whereas 2017...
Have you ever felt rushed or cut off in conversation by your doctor?Doctors only spend 11 seconds on average listening to patients before interrupting them, according to a new study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. This could lead to...
In the last year, the hazing ritual of freshman pledges has sparked a national outcry. Greek organizations-who are largely self-governed-have faced criticism for turning a blind eye to the rampant binge drinking culture on campuses. Just last year, Texas State...
Each year, 250,000 patients die from medical errors - more than motor and air crashes, suicides, falls, poisonings, and drownings combined - according to John Hopkins published research. Medical error is the third leading cause of death in the United States, yet a...
A pregnant mother of three was killed instantly when a truck's wheel fell off and struck her windshield.Melinda Cullen, 38, was on her way home from work when she was violently killed when a 100-pound wheel hub came loose from a semitrailer and smashed into her SUV...
Car safety recalls can be an inconvenience, especially when you have to take time out of your busy schedule to get it fixed. But, in more serious instances it can lead to accidents and injuries. Sometimes the issues prove fatal. Vehicle recalls in the U.S. have soared...
Since 2006, twenty-eight people have been killed by carbon monoxide poisoning. Some victims have left their cars running in the garage, which allows carbon monoxide gas to get into their homes. Another forty-five people have suffered debilitating injuries.So-called...
On April 24, 2018 another Amtrak worker was struck and killed by a train in Bowie, Maryland. The victim was an Amtrak employee who was helping monitor safety during track work between Baltimore and Washington, when he was stuck by Train 86. The tragic news comes just...
Uber's fully autonomous car program has suffered a serious setback after one of its vehicles hit and killed a pedestrian in Tempe, Arizona. This is the first time an autonomous vehicle operating in self-driving mode has caused a fatality. The self-driving Uber struck...
While the newspapers, news broadcasters, and social media may highlight the most high-profile examples of corporate collapses and scandal, they are hardly isolated incidents. Well known corporations are behind some of the biggest scandals of the decade, some...
When it came to the number of vehicle related fatalities in the United States, there was a slight improvement in the year 2017. However, 2017 was the second year in a row in which there were 40,000 or more fatalities on our roads. This staggering number is...
The year 2016 has been named the deadliest year in the U.S. for workers. It's been almost a decade since work related deaths have been this high.According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor, there were a total of 5,190 fatal work injuries recorded in the U.S. in 2016, a 7%...
Do you love ice cream? You might want to check the brand before you dig in. Fieldbrook Foods, a dairy company, announced a massive recall of ice cream, due to possible listeria contamination. The brand's recall affects "raspberry, orange cream and chocolate-coated...
Johnson & Johnson and Bayer were recently ordered by a Philadelphia court to pay $27.8 million in damages to an Indiana couple. The pharmaceutical companies failed to sufficiently warn patients of the risk of internal bleeding associated with the drug, Xarelto....
Many companies are adopting 100 percent cellphone bans when operating a company vehicle. This helps protect the driver, passengers, and other vehicles on the road from being involved in a collision. A lack of cellphone polices can create great anguish for all parties...
Steering wheels are used every single time we drive around town. However, many of us just assume that this critical component on our cars will operate safely. Every day, we rotate them to the left and right to guide our vehicles where we intend for them to go. Not...
Less than a month after Houston took a devastating hit from Hurricane Harvey, Houston residents are bringing to light yet another major problem. Thousands of businesses and houses were intentionally flooded, due to a decision made by government officials to release an...
After a search of 19,937 reports comprised of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA's) injury reports, the Bureau of Labor Statistics job fatalities statistics, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety data reports, the website Zippia was...
In the U.S., millions of people of all ages visit theme parks each year. The initial fear of a ride usually stems from a possibility of accidents or the feeling of being out of control. Most people overcome their fears by assuring themselves that the rides offer a...
While electronic cigarettes are considered a healthy alternative for smokers, there are rising concerns that these devices may be dangerous. Electronic cigarettes, more commonly referred to as e-cigs, have continued to grow in popularity since entering the U.S. market...
It's 6:00 pm and you're driving your usual route home from work, when a familiar sound is heard indicating that you've received a text message. Should you check it?New data collected by Cambridge Mobile Telematics has proven that distractions due to smartphones have...
Last June, federal health officials warned U.S. clinics about the hard to spot Candida Auris, a fungal yeast strain that was first reported in Japan. The limited information has painted the strain with a 60% kill rate and with a resistance to all three major classes...
Over the past years, various administrations have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into campaigns alerting the public of the many dangers of distracted driving. Talking on the phone isn't the only problem anymore, with just about everything having an app...
The Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety rates state traffic laws across the United States in 15 separate categories, such as Occupant Protection, Teen Driving, and Enforcement. There are several areas where Texas falls short, and the most notable is in the...
Audi has issued recalls over issues in their vehicles that are affecting over half a million cars. One problem surrounding six different model Audis involves coolant pump failure, where the pump could be blocked and cause fires in the engine compartment. The models...
A new study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has shown an increase in fatal car accidents, emphasizing the number of accidents related to sleep deprivation observed from about 4,571 crashes. A staggering 21 percent of all crashes involve at least one driver...
In 2011, about 650,000 people across the United States developed infections after being admitted into hospitals. Of the 650,000, 75,000 patients died as a result. About 5% of those deaths were due to infections from central lines, a direct IV to a person's larger...
Autonomous driving technology has grown in leaps and bounds over the last few years, but Mercedes CEO Dietmar Exler says that doesn't mean everyone will be in such vehicles. Traditionalists are estimated to still be driving among the robotic counterparts for at least...
Samsung alongside the U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is recalling 2.8 million top loading washing machines after reports of about 730 exploding. Many more reportedly fell apart due to excessive vibration, and there have been 9 serious injuries so far as...
Research published by Jama Internal Medicine found that only half of diagnosed patients with the 3 most common bacterial infections are receiving proper treatment. The study was from the data of a group of 44 million patients, meaning that only around 22 million...
Across America, nursing homes have been using the private justice system of arbitration to quietly deal with practices such as abuse, sexual harassment, or even wrongful death to reduce legal costs at the expense of their patients. Upon entry, patients sign a contract...
Well over half a million people die every year as a result of drug resistant antimicrobials, with as many as 2 million being infected in the United States alone. Last week, a group of normally competing pharmaceutical companies came together to put together a plan for...
Last Friday, General Motors Company (GM) announced a recall on 4.3 million vehicles worldwide for defective software involving airbag deployment. The defect, which can prevent airbags from activating or seat belts to lock during a crash, has thus far been connected to...
Every year pharmaceutical companies and medical device manufacturers hire doctors as consultants and endorsers for their products, however an analysis by ProPublica shows that many hundreds of these doctors have various sanctions against them, some which are very...
Texting for communication has been on the rise since its inception. Many people seem unable to resist texting at any and all hours of the day, including while driving despite the obvious risks. A recent study by the Mayo Clinic about why it is so dangerous has finally...
Since 1979, the toxic sleeper chemical polychlorinated biphenyls has been banned. Commonly known as PCB, the chemical has been proven to cause many ailments such as cancer. One of the more popular uses for the chemical is in window caulks used in schools, and any...
Studies on trauma incidents, such as car accident and gunshot injuries, all across the United States have shown that where people live might influence their rate of survival. With 148,000 people dying in the year 2014 and costing an estimated 167 billion dollars in...
The Scientific Advances Journal published a study on distracted drivers on May 13, highlighting the dangers of texting specifically. The study surrounds what they coin as a "sixth sense", the trigger that brings us back from the catatonic state many enter in long...
Every year, an estimated 700,000 deaths are attributed to superbugs, microbials that are resistant to antibiotics due to overuse. These numbers are expected to only grow - towards 10 million a year, or 1 every 3 seconds, with comparisons of medicine being sent back to...
The Texas Supreme Court has approved new standards in regards to becoming board certified in civil trial law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Members of the Court, as well as the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and their Advisory Committee, worked with...
It is speculated that the United States has the world's worst problem with distracted driving. The past few years have shown a major increase in distracted driving accidents, with approximately 3,300 fatalities each year. The biggest distraction is texting while...
In Gastonia, North Carolina last December, 19 year old Mason Scott Cox was pulled into a wood chipper and killed. Mason had no prior experience in the tree care business, and on his first day at work he mistakenly tried to kick a limb that was stuck into the machine....
Toyota, already troubled with the 24 million Takata car airbag recall, is now issuing a recall in nearly 3 million sports utility vehicles over another safety issue. Toyota crash studies have shown that in serious accidents the seat belts of the second row seat could...
In February, Google's self-driving prototype sideswiped a bus while trying to turn right amid sandbags blocking the road. There have been about 17 wrecks involving the self-driving car and this wreck is one where the Google car was labeled at fault. With the bus going...
There are more than 46 million vehicles on U.S. roads, with Carfax reporting about 20%, or 1 in 5, that have open recalls. California was reported to have 4.9 million open recalls, Texas 4.1 million open recalls, and Florida only half as many recalls. The NHTSA said...
Most people go to the doctor to get well - not to get sexually harassed. But a recent study found that sexual harassment by the medical profession does occur. The decade of 2003-2013 had reports of over 1,000 counts of sexual harassment, many of which were repeat...
General Motors issued a recall last year for faulty ignition switches that resulted in fatal accidents for many affected cars. The switch would fall out of place from its 'On' placement, and knock out power steering, cause a stall while driving, or disable airbags....
The final phase of market entry for Blue Bell ice cream is set for a two week period starting January 18, 2016. During this time frame, Blue Bell ice cream products will become available in parts of Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South...
A new study from September has shown that errors in diagnostics are even more rampant than previously estimated. One in 20, or 5%, are effected annually, with 10% of patient deaths attributing to these types of errors. And while there are numerous recommendations by...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued another warning in regards to artery clearing tools. The devices are part of a new system used to open constricted arteries to help blood flow via cutting plaque from artery walls. In September. the FDA reported an...
Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) is considered one of the top hospitals in the nation. Researchers discovered about half of the surgeries performed at this institution have administered medications by error or with unintended side effects. These findings are even...
Texas crude oil production had hit 2.9 million barrels per day in July of 2013, roughly equal to Brazil's daily production this past year. The boom caused a large influx of workers, resulting in more work-related accidents. Between 2010 and 2014, nearly half of the...
The Texas Tribune just released an article concerning the vast number of injuries suffered by Texas workers every year. The Tribune focused on the poor documentation of those injuries, noting that poor documentation doesn't just mean poor paperwork - it often means...
It is clear that hospitals are dangerous places. Sixteen years ago, the Institute of Medicine at the National Academy of Sciences published a study, "To Err is Human," and concluded that at least 44,000 patients were killed (and many more injured) in hospitals each...
Since 2007, auto deaths have not exceeded 44,000. According to the National Safety Council, in the first 6 months of this year alone there has been a death count rise of 14%. Last year the 6-month death toll reached 16,400, but by June of this year 18, 600 deaths were...
Every year, well over half a million people come down with infections during hospital visits, with 75,000 dying from them. Part of the problem is the ease at which bacteria can spread at hospitals, with sick people flowing into where compromised people already are....
While texting and driving is almost universally agreed to be one of the most dangerous habits of this current generation, dangerous texting has begun to branch out into other areas of people's lives. Interviews have shown that the medical field has had an increasing...
In California, Walmart was sued by its truck drivers in 2008 for not adequately compensating the drivers for non-driving tasks. In the ongoing case, the drivers argue that minimum wage hasn't been met for activities outside of delivering. Walmart pays its truckers...
A study from the University of Michigan was started about 15 years ago to improve the communication between doctors and patients. This study encouraged doctors to talk more with their patients and to apologize for any misunderstandings about their treatments. In...
Countless personal injury cases are brought to lawyers every year, but many are turned down. Whether or not a case is accepted is defined on 6 points, according to John Day, a personal injury attorney from Nashville, TN. The first point is whether or not there is...
Over the past 7 years, 17 million vehicles with defective airbags have been recalled by Takata Corp, who manufactures for over 10 automakers, such as Honda. At the slightest accident the airbags deploy with excessive force and irregular reports of shrapnel. One such...
Tractor-trailers driving faster than 75 miles per hour have been linked to higher rates of blowouts and wrecks due to increasing speed limits and tire design, the Associated Press reports. The Associated Press has found that, according to the National Highway Traffic...
Graco Children's Products is paying $10 million to settle the claims that Graco failed to recall promptly approximately four million child car seats that had defective buckles that could make it difficult to free a child in an emergency situation. Federal regulators,...
The father of an 18-year-old high school student who died suddenly last year has sued Amazon.com and caffeine powder distributors for failing to provide proper warnings about a dietary supplement's dangers. Logan Stiner was just days away from graduating from high...
The company that manufactured the medical devices tied to a deadly "superbug" outbreak in California is being investigated by the United States Justice Department. The Associated Press reports Olympus Corp. of the Americas (an arm of Japan's Olympus Corp.) is being...
Texting has been the contributing factor to far too many wrecks all over the country, and Texas is no different. In 2008 alone, 5,000 deaths were attributed to texting while driving, while in the year 2013 94,000 accidents were caused by distraction-related actions,...
Patient Safety America's founder John T. James, PhD, published a study on deaths associated with needless complications in hospitals around the country, stressing the need for more health care regulation. In the study, he estimates over 400,000 American lives are...
A former Kappa Alpha Psi member at Stevenson University in Baltimore County has filed a $4 million hazing lawsuit stating that he was beaten so severely that he was hospitalized for a week. The lawsuit alleges that between January and March of 2013, Johnny Powell II...
A brake issue has developed in certain Harley-Davidson Dyna and Softail motorcycles and, as a result, the company has recalled 19,000 of these motorcycles. Harley-Davidson believes the brake issue could increase the risk of crash. On the National Highway Traffic...
In a Litigation Summary published recently in the Texas Lawyer, attorney James Walker discusses the revised Rule 21a, entitled "Methods of Service." In particular, Rule 21a(1) states: Documents filed electronically. A document filed electronically under Rule 21 must...
The Associated Press reported today that the Supreme Court of the United States is leaving in place BP's multibillion-dollar settlement with lawyers for businesses and residents over the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico - dealing another blow to BP's efforts to...
The Detroit News reported that National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has just urged owners of nearly 1 million General Motors (GM) vehicles recalled for ignition switch problems to get them fixed immediately. The article noted there is a consumer...
Warehouse workers are an invaluable piece of the American workforce. Throughout the country, they ensure that products are properly stored, shipped, and packaged. There is however, a high price for this profession. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is...
Three new studies in the field of medical malpractice research have confirmed that "caps" lead to more medical errors, higher health care costs, and no increase in patient care physician numbers. The study analyzed states that enacted caps within the last ten years...
Grease guns are a commonly used tool to deliver grease to moving parts in various industries. Unfortunately, the high-powered nature of the guns results in occasional injections into the body. An estimated 30 to 40 percent of grease gun injuries end in amputation of...
Since 2008, Texas experienced an oil and gas boom with an increase in highway deaths related to drilling activities. The Houston Chronicle and Houston Public Media recently discovered that between 2009 and 2013, while traffic deaths across the country were declining,...
Car accidents are a frequent occurrence in and around the Houston area. Approximately one and every four people will be in a car accident in their lifetime. It is important to know what to do if you are involved in a car accident. Suggested steps to take after an...
A recent review by the Dallas Morning News discovered that Texas was the deadliest state for construction workers in the country. Within a nine year period from 2002-2012, Texas had 4,593 reported deaths. Many of these fatalities were related to electrical...
With the back to school season in its second week, it is important to remember that with the return of children in classrooms means heavier traffic and congestion on the streets of Houston. A couple years ago in 2012, just outside of Houston on I-10, one of the most...
On the morning of August 1, 2006, Dan Lindner waved goodbye to his wife and two sons as they departed in their packed minivan for a family reunion in Ohio. Once traffic came to a halt on Interstate 80, an International 9400 semitrailer could not adjust its speed in...
On July 10, 2014 Andrew Orvis suddenly fell from a dock into Lake Conroe at the Piney Shores Resort. Andrew's father was able to quickly retrieve his son from the lake and administer CPR in time for Life Flight to arrive. Unfortunately, Andrew was pronounced dead at...
As oil and gas extraction jobs skyrocket across the south, so have fatalities and injuries associated with them. According to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 142 fatalities reported in 2012, an energy industry high.Oil and gas...
Our attorneys have been retained to represent a Houstonian who has been seriously injured by a pharmacist's careless mistake.In June 2012, 65-year-old Houstonian Claudis Alston filled a prescription at a local CVS Pharmacy to treat his pink eye. Unbeknownst to Alton,...
Doctors' fears of medical malpractice lawsuits have led to an increasing number of unnecessary repeat cesarean sections. Even where vaginal birth is possibly safer option, obstetricians increasingly choose the surgical procedure as a legally safe alternative. One...
The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has publically released troves of data related to drug side effects that it hopes will increase awareness of adverse drug events and lead to new developments in research. The more than 3 million reports document adverse drug...
The Texas Tribune recently noted an unfavorable statistic for the city of Houston and our pedestrians. The Tribune warned: "Houston pedestrians better cross with care."According to a new report from the National Complete Streets Coalition at Smart Growth America,...
Unfortunately, our community experiences more than its share of elderly abuse. While our law firm has long focused on elderly abuse in nursing homes, assisted living centers, rehabilitation units and hospital, Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson has just...
A lawsuit was recently filed in a Texas court alleging a nursing home failed to provide appropriate health care for three different residents. The families of the three victims sued Parklane West Healthcare Center for negligence in the management and staffing of the...
A recent interview on CNN focused on a young woman who was killed in a GM vehicle on her 29th birthday in Georgia. Brooke Melton's parents hired a lawyer in Georgia to investigate the claim and their expert (not GM's) found a .90 cent defective part that had been...
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) seems to be demanding more answers from General Motors over the recent recall of older vehicles. The government administration is requesting that General Motors turn over thousands of documents and other data...
The Texas Rules of Civil Procedure have recently undergone several changes that significantly affect the day-to-day litigation practice. Most of the changes center around the technology advances that have occurred over the last few years. We want to set out some of...
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating a series of complaints regarding the unintended deployment of side air bags on the 2008 Honda Accord when the front doors are closed. Currently, it is estimated there are 363,000 of the...
A Houston wrestling coach received a recall notice on his 2014 Chevy Silverado recently. Within an hour of receiving the General Motors/Chevrolet recall notice, his Chevy Silverado burst into flames. He is convinced the two are related, and the defect described in the...
The New York Times recently ran a story on the dangers of laser hair removal at the wrong places. Noting that nearly 500,000 such treatments performed by dermatologic surgeons in 2011, the article really focused on the unquantified number of procedures performed each...
Michelin North America seems to have discovered a dangerous tread separation trend and is recalling 1.2 million tires in the United States. According to information found on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website, many of these recalled...
In Texas, if you are involved in a car accident, you should be familiar with the laws of the Texas in order to file a claim against a driver that you believe to have been at fault, or often called negligent, and caused the accident. Negligence deals with every...
According to government data, more than 465,000 spinal fusions were performed in the United States in 2011. Some experts say that a portion of them, perhaps as many as half, were performed without good reason. The government study of Medicare billings showed that...
Honda has recently announced its decision to recall 344,000 of its 2007-2008 Odyssey minivans due to a computer malfunction that has reported to have caused heavy and unexpected braking without the driver pressing on the brake pedal. Further, it does not appear that...
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has been leading the charge to eliminate corporate accountability in the legal system. One of the methods the organization has been using more recently is forcing arbitration on as many people and other companies as possible. The Chamber's...
A new study just released in the Surgery journal reveals that prevalence of "never events" in hospitals is much higher than previously thought. The analysis was done in hospitals looking at national malpractice claims, and examiners observed that over 80,000 "never...
In a recent Bloomberg analysis, it was determined that the number of deaths associated with the implantation of cardiac stents has risen as statistics suggest doctors are overusing the stents. The article actually opened up telling the story of Bruce Petersen, a Texas...
Johnson & Johnson, who has in the past experienced some serious concerns and questions with regards to its quality control, has again announce two recalls of popular consumer products in the space of one week - liquid Motrin for infants and Risperdal Consta. These...
New laws went into effect on September 1 for Texas drivers. One of the new laws provides drivers with a greater incentive to stay at the accident scene and help the injured. The new law increases the penalties for drivers involved in hit-and-run fatalities or those...
On August 31, 2013, small claims courts in Texas will merge with Justice courts, which are run by Justices of the Peace. Justices of the Peace have overseen the small claims cases before, and the two dockets will now be merged. Under the merger, and in conjunction...
In a new study released by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC), researchers believe that traditional malpractice reforms enacted by states, such as caps on damages that we have in Texas, do not actually change how physicians practice. In the August...
The American Association for Justice recently issued a report showing that accidents involving big-rig trucks have increased, including those that caused death or serious bodily harm. In 2011, 3,757 people nationwide died in accidents with trucks, and Texas had the...
Contrary to popular intuition, surgical errors are not the basis for the majority of medical malpractice lawsuits, but in fact the leading causes of malpractice lawsuits are diagnostic issues. There are several diagnostic issues such as misdiagnosis, delayed...
As of Monday, July 1, 2013, the most recent Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations addressing truck driver's schedules and hours of service are taking effect. The FMCSA is a part of the United States Department of Transportation. The new...
A USA TODAY study found that tens of thousands of times each year unnecessary surgeries are performed. Thousands of people each year fall victim to the wrong doctor, one that lacks the knowledge or competence to consider alternatives to surgery, or one who takes...
Many of us driving in vehicles often take for granted that they are well constructed. We just assume that because they are sold to us, especially at a high price, they must be reasonably safe and reliable. However, this is not always the case. On June 3, 2013 the...
On May 15, 2013 General Motors informed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that they are recalling the 2013 Cadillac SRX. The defect, present in 2013 Cadillac SRX vehicles with 18-inch wheels, arises from the loosening of wheel lug nuts. If this...
On May 14th, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released new regulations to the states that would curtail the rampant problem of alcohol-impaired driving. Among the many suggestions, the NTSB recommended that states lower the Blood Alcohol Content (BAC)...
In an interesting article from the Dallas Morning News, the paper noted that the state of Texas makes bounce house operators actually carry liability coverage, but there is no similar requirement for fertilizer plants like the West Fertilizer plant that exploded. In...
The New York Times recently wrote on a blog report identifying what kind of medical error accounts for most malpractice payments. As it turns out, it is not surgical mistakes, medication errors or labor and delivery mishaps. Looking at the most common cause of paid...
As recently reported by Scott Braddock, there is a growing momentum that Texas needs to find a way to regulate and/or go after trucking companies that are routinely running oversize loads on our highways. Rep. Allen Fletcher, R-Cypress, and Sen. Robert Nichols,...
Julio Barrera was a derrickman working in Webb County when he was killed on September 2, 2009. According to his wife, Claudia Hernandez, she recalls him telling her over the phone that the tower he was working on was not stable, but he would lose his job if he did not...
A recent article highlighted the significant number of medical malpractice incidents when foreign objects are left in patients following surgeries. Peter Eisler, on behalf of USA Today, wrote the informative article discussing how these medical mistakes cost victims...
In an about-face after seven years of decline, traffic fatalities rose 5% in 2012 according to an analysis of preliminary state data by the National Safety Council. This is the first increase since 2004 to 2005, and many speculate there is a correlation between the...
The Texas Supreme Court clarified an expert report question in medical malpractice cases on Friday, February 15, 2013 in the case of Certified EMS, Inc. d/b/a CPNS Staffing vs. Potts. Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson wrote the opinion which involved a patient who...
On Saturday, February 9, 2012, there was an explosion at the Laporte, Texas Air Liquide plant that occurred at approximately 7:40 am. Current reports indicated that one employee was killed, and another was seriously injured. Unfortunately, these types of events are...
A Bakersfield man who suffered severe injuries in a 2009 oilfield accident received a $5.7 million settlement. The settlement was approved by Kern County Superior Court Justice Sidney Chapin. A news release said Darrell Wilson, who owned Wilson Industrial Pumps in...
In a study recently released, it was found that oil and gas workers are 8.5 times more likely to die in motor vehicle collisions on the job than people working in industries overall. In fact, the study found that oil and gas workers were more likely to die in...
I recently read an article that gave several tips about medical care that may be helpful. The publication was from the Bottom Line - Personal, and it was in the January 15, 2013 edition. The first tip was for the patient to check out the experience of the surgeon....
During this Christmas season, it is more important than ever that parents are very careful of what toys they buy their children. Most recently, a small toy that absorbs water and expands to up to 400 times its original size has been voluntarily recalled after a report...
During a routine pressure test earlier this month, a 16-inch natural gas pipeline exploded, sending flames shooting up to 250 feet in the air at a West Texas Gas site. Thankfully, no one was injured. A nearby welding shop was charred and at least one onlooker noted...
When individuals like Texas landowners go up against massive oil companies, the odds are often stacked against them from the very beginning. This week, however, one former Marine from an East Texas town north of Houston won an injunction against an oil company's...
Innovations in "fracking" processes have driven Texas' ongoing oil boom. Fracking refers to methods of injecting chemical-laden water into shale deposits that lie far below ground level - this forces oil and natural gas to the surface where companies can process and...
In another safety related recall, Ford Motor Company is recalling over 73,000 Ford Escape compact sport-utility vehicles, as well as over 15,000 Ford Fusion midsize sedans. This recall involves the 2013 model year and it is reported that these vehicles can have...
While numerous hazards surround workers in the oil and gas industry, a large construction accident this week served as a reminder that the kinds of heavy machinery involved in this industry are inherently dangerous from the very beginning. Eighty-nine workers at a...
After a shuttle bus crashed into Houston's Texas Medical Center last week, police announced that the accident may have happened because the driver suffered a "medical episode." One woman died and 11 other people suffered injuries, raising questions about who bears...
Dozens of lots of the generic version of the cholesterol drug Lipitor have been recalled because they may contain tiny glass particles. Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd. is operating under increased scrutiny from the United States Food...
The Philippines Embassy confirmed this week that another worker died as a result of last week's explosion on a Black Elk Energy oil platform. This death brings the confirmed fatality count to two while a third worker remains missing in the waters of the Gulf of...
In the wake of last week's explosion on a Black Elk Energy oil rig in the Gulf Coast, new information is surfacing about the company's safety record on its platforms. This explosion is the fourth notable incident and the second fire to have involved Black Elk...
A fire on an oil rig off the coast of Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico has caused two deaths and led to the disappearance of two other rig workers. In addition, 11 workers were treated for injuries. Some are still hospitalized in critical condition. According to KHOU...
Dozens of homes were damaged or destroyed in Indianapolis on Saturday, November 10, 2012. Two homes were leveled in the blast that killed two people, but has rendered homes for blocks uninhabitable. While it is not clear what caused the explosion that rocked the...
As we have discussed in previous posts, the Eagle Ford Shale oil boom is boosting economic activity around the state - but one dangerous side effect of this boom is a surge in fatal traffic accidents. For the small South Texas town of Karnes City, located in the heart...
Pradaxa is a prescription drug taken by many as a blood thinner (anticoagulant). This blood-thinning medication lowers the chance of blood clots forming in the body. It is commonly used for individuals who have an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation (AFib)...
Last legislative session, Governor Rick Perry vetoed a bill passed by both houses that banned texting while driving anywhere in the state. Perry acknowledged it was inappropriate to text while driving, but did not want government to become a micromanager of adult...
A reported release of 300 gallons of hydrochloric acid from the Texas City storage facility Dallas Group of Americas has sent several people to the hospital (current reports are nine people) and forced 45,000 residents of Texas City to remain indoors, turn off air...
Retail giant Target is recalling more than 6,000 sets of boys and girls fleece jackets and shirts featuring Disney characters from its stores. It is reported that the Disney fleece jackets and shirts sold at Target are equipped with zippers that contain unacceptable...
Potholes, ruts and large cracks litter the pavement, making for rough travel and increasing the risk of an accident. Are these roads under construction? No, but they are under an incredible amount of stress from high volumes of large truck traffic - all of which they...
Honda Motor Company has just completed a week in which it recalled hundreds of thousands of motor vehicles it manufactured. In no particular order, here are the highlights of the Honda vehicles: First, the 2002 through 2003 Honda Civics and 2004 through 2005 Honda...
A few weeks ago we blogged about how Texas landowners basically have no choice when the huge oil and gas companies come to seize their property to install pipelines. The saga in this tale continues to be battled in Texas courthouses - and is likely to be picked up by...
It is estimated that there are 4,000 cases of "retained surgical items" reported in the United States on an annual basis. And many think that this number is way too low. In a recent article, the New York Times analyzed the method used by surgical teams to avoid...
Eminent domain has always been an issue for property owners across the country. In Texas, it is not uncommon for the government to use eminent domain to acquire private property for public use, such as railroads, bridges, highways and public utilities. But it is not...
The Los Angeles Times is reporting that Michele Pelter has filed suit against 1-800-GET-THIN (a marketing firm) and the health care providers who performed a 2011 Lap-Band surgery on her sister, Paula Rojeski. Rojeski was 55 years old when went in for the Lap-Band...
The controversy over fracking (a popular method of fracturing rock layers with pressurized water in order to extract natural gas) rages on. Much discussion has been had in regards to the health effects of the chemicals used in the hydraulic fracturing drilling...
In a voluntary recall (along with the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada), Jarden Consumer Solutions is recalling a total of 600,000 Mr. Coffee single cup brewers because of a potential burn hazard. Of the 600,000 units being recalled,...
In 2010, BP negligently released airborne health-altering chemicals in the state of Texas. The chemical release was believed to be one of the worst releases in history. It resulted in nearly 50,000 people filing lawsuits for injuries they blame on the pollution. In...
Fracking for natural gas has been a long-time debate for communities all across the country, and most recently, in the town of Lubbock, Texas. Earlier this year (March 2012), the mayor of Lubbock signed an agreement with the Four Sevens Exploration Company to perform...
The Associate Press recently compiled a list of consumer product recalls for the week of August 20, 2012. This week's recall list includes millions of baby seats which are in need of repair, a line of heated pet mats which are hazardous for causing shocks, and snap...
A 21-year-old man died last month after a drilling accident at a Texas oil field. While authorities have not yet disclosed the results of an investigation into this incident, his death is another reminder of the heightened risks of catastrophic injuries or fatalities...
A state audit of the Texas Department of Transportation reported that Texas traffic fatalities have decreased almost 15 percent since 2006. The audit report stated that in 2010 Texas saw 3,028 traffic deaths and about 234 billion miles of driving. According to a...
Recently, the Texas Supreme Court ruled on the case, Texas West Oaks Hospital v. Williams, and in the aftermath, nurses and healthcare providers across the state have been adversely affected. Before the Texas West Oaks Hospital ruling by the Texas Supreme Court, if...
The massive explosion at BP's oil refinery in Texas City in 2005, which we recently blogged about, led to safety measures being taken at chemical plant and oil refineries throughout the nation. But similar safety measures were not taken at oil drilling and other gas...
What would you think if someone told you that over 271 pipeline accidents could have been prevented (or seriously contained) all for about $15 a piece? What about if it cost $300 a piece? What price do you put on the safety of more than 400 lives? The Associated Press...
Hyundai Motor Company is recalling 22,500 Sonata sedans from the 2012 and 2013 model years because their side air bags can go off without warning. Hyundai is South Korea's top automaker and is simultaneously recalling 200,000 units of its Santa Fe sport utility...
Seven years after a deadly explosion at a refinery in Texas City, Texas, the oil company BP Plc has settled most of the safety violations uncovered in a follow-up inspection after the explosion. Earlier this month, BP agreed to a $13 million settlement with the U.S....
A leaked underwriting document from a major insurance company has helped strengthen the health debate over fracking - suggesting that exposure to gases and chemicals used during drilling process is hazardous to one's health. Hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as...
The Houston Chronicle recently reported that there has been a significant increase in traffic deaths and injuries in the Eagle Ford Shale areas. In an article published Monday, July 9, 2012, it was noted that in the last six months alone in Karnes County there have...
Six months, 12 traffic fatalities. That's 12 times the number of motor vehicle deaths in Karnes County that were reported a mere four years ago. It is no wonder, then, that Texas Route 239 - near Eagle Ford Shale - has been dubbed "the death trap." And it is not...
The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, in cooperation with Kolcraft Enterprises Inc., announced a voluntary recall of strollers due to fingertip amputation and laceration hazards to children and adults handling the stroller. Kolcraft...
The use of cruise control by 18 wheelers in this country in misunderstood by most truck drivers and the public. In a recent case being handled by the firm that resulted in the tragic loss of a family member, it has become clear that the public is in greater danger...
A pipeline explosion in Hemphill County, near Canadian, Texas, not only destroyed construction equipment, but also resulted in one worker being sent to a nearby hospital where he was treated for burn injuries. On Friday morning, around 7:30 am, an eight man crew from...
Did you know that only about 10 percent of recalled products are actually returned or repaired? This means that 90 percent of products with known defects remain in people's homes. And many of these defective products can result in serious injury or even death. Time...
There are questions being raised about the effectiveness of the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) notification process. In a new study examining the United States Food and Drug Administration's recall process, researchers found that the FDA did not send...
A recent explosion at a south Texas energy company raises questions abou t the company's health and safety record. Two workers were injured a few weeks ago after a fracking tank exploded in a facility owned by Vann Energy Services LLC. Vann Energy provides trucking...
In a recent small study, it was determined that bodybuilding and weight loss products are the types of dietary supplements that are most likely to cause liver injuries. The study, funded by the United States Drug - Induced Liver Injury Network, reviewed 109 cases of...
John Goodman, a Houstonian who is well known in the upper-class, elite polo world, was sentenced to spend 16 years in prison for the February 12, 2010 death of 23 year old Scott Wilson. Sitting in a West Palm Beach, Florida courtroom, Circuit Judge Jeffrey Colbath...
The deadline for lawyers on both sides of a proposed settlement designed to resolve billions of dollars in economic damage claims arising out of the April 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has been extended by Federal Judge Carl Barbier. BP and...
Dorel Juvenile Group is recalling 794,247 child safety seats because the harness locking and release button does not always return to its locked position. If this occurs, the harness adjustment strap can slip back through the adjuster as a child moves around in the...
In a recent editorial piece, the New York Times articulated what injured victims and plaintiffs lawyers have been saying for the last year - Congress should not allow generic drug manufacturers special protections when those manufacturers fail to warn patients of the...
A new book written by Joe and Teresa Graedon concludes that 500,000 people are killed in the United States every year from errors that occur in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions. Their book, "Top Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid...
The U.S. Department of Transportation's PHMSA division announced that they will be accepting applications for grants of up to $50,000 to help communities be better informed about the role of pipelines in their community. There is a total of $1 million dollars to be...
According to an article by Dow Jones & Co., Inc., Shell remains confident it will be able to start exploring for oil in the Arctic Ocean. Shell has been seeking permits to drill off the north coast of Alaska for several years. The company has already spent more...
Johnson & Johnson is pulling all of its infant Tylenol from the United States market because of numerous problems associated with their newly redesigned bottles. The new bottles were supposed to make it easier and safer to measure doses through the syringe. The...
In a recent recall, Nissan has recalled 39,000 Versa small cars because of a dangerous condition that has been detected. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety regulations require a driver's foot must be on the brake before the car can physically be shifted into gear, but...
We established this blog to share stories and information about topics relevant to our practice. Our intent is to highlight local stories, as well as national subject matter, that we think you will find interesting. We will regularly update this blog and encourage you...
The United States Food and Drug Administration is starting to review the side effects and safety issues of epidural steroid injections. These types of injections have become a more popular way for physicians to conservatively treat neck and back pain prior to surgery....
32 days: that is how many days in 2011 that the Dallas-Fort Worth area had air pollutants readings above federal standards for air quality. That is just over a month of the entire year that Texans in the area had to breathe "bad air." And, according to a chemical...
Honda Motor Company announced today that it is recalling 126,000 GL-1800 Goldwing motorcycles for model years 2001-2010 and 2012 because of problems with the rear brakes. According to Honda, under certain conditions the rear braking system's secondary master cylinder...
Honda has again recalled more of its vehicles as a result of airbags that may inflate with too much pressure in the event of a crash and deployment. Reports indicate that dangerous pieces may fly out upon deployment causing injuries or death to its passengers. The...
In a highly anticipated opinion, the Texas Supreme Court upheld the business margins tax that taxed limited partnerships. The tax payers primarly challenged the classification of the tax. Opponents of the law in Allcat Claims Service, L.P. vs. Texas Comptroller of...
According to a recent study conducted by the Texas Transportation Institute, typing or reading a text message while behind the wheel of a car can double the reaction time of a driver. It is likely that a person who is texting will respond slower to unexpected dangers...
A recently released United States Bureau of Labor Statistics report has found a slight drop in work related deaths in Texas in 2010 as compared to 2009. The agency reported there were 456 Texas workers who died last year, while 482 Texas workers died on the job in...
At 9 a.m .this morning in Houston, Texas a dump truck hit a Metro rail train at the corner of Main Street and Capital. According to investigators, the train was traveling south on Main Street when the truck traveling west on Capital collided with the train. The driver...
Poolside injuries range from minor bruising all the way to death. Slipping on wet surfaces and diving in to shallow water are two common ways people can get injured. About 16,000 people under the age of 16 are hospitalized every year because of diving accidents. Alone...
The Houston Chronicle reports that hazing continues to exist in at least one fraternity at the University of Texas. It is reported that the Texas Kappa Alpha fraternity was recently suspended for two years by its national parent organization for hazing its pledges. A...
An 18-year-old soccer player died last week after the car he was traveling in ran a red light and hit another car.On Tuesday morning the young soccer player, a freshman at San Jacinto College, was on the way to soccer practice with three teammates in a BMW. According...
A recent federal safety agency has made a strong recommendation that eighteen-wheel truckers and other commercial drivers should be banned from talking on the cell phone and texting when they're behind the wheel. In a hearing held in Washington DC, the National...
Some of this year's earlier legislation arising out of Texas House Bill 274 regarding lawsuits has recently gone into effect. Part of that legislation directed the Texas Supreme Court to develop certain procedural guidelines to implement that legislation. One area...
The 1910 Courthouse was rededicated in Harris County on August 23, 2011. This courthouse will house the Houston Courts of Appeals beginning next month, and Houston is the home of two of the 14 courts of appeals in the state of Texas (the First and Fourteenth Courts of...
Ford is recalling almost 1.1 million Ford F-150s, F-250s, and Lincoln Blackwood pickups because their fuel-tank straps can rust, corrode and ultimately fail causing the fuel tank to drop to the ground. If it hits the ground, there is a risk of the tank rupturing and...
Women who have undergone certain surgical procedures involving the placement of surgical mesh are being warned by the Food and Drug Administration that the added risk associated with the surgical mesh may outweigh the intended benefit. Earlier this month, the FDA...
A recent study released some very shocking data: Even in 2011, with all of the medical advances and new technology, The Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare estimates that surgery occurs on the wrong site of a patient's body about 40 times a week. These...
The State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting takes place this week, Thursday, June 23 through Friday, June 24 in San Antonio, Texas. Our bar association consists of over 80,000 licensed attorneys, and the annual meeting is an excellent place to obtain quality continuing...
On May 23, 2011, the Texas Senate unanimously voted in favor of passing House Bill 1353. The bill stipulates the Texas Transportation Commission has the authority to increase speed limits up to 75 miles per hour - including the speed limit for 18 wheelers - as well as...
As the Texas legislature is coming to a close, it appears that those who are often in immediate need of legal assistance, but who cannot afford it, are going to be left out in the cold by the currently proposed budget. Senate Bill 1811 was sent to Conference Committee...
With all of the issues facing state and local governments, Gov. Rick Perry declared tort deform an emergency issue that needed to be immediately decided by the Texas Legislature just last week. I use the term "tort deform" because the term "tort reform" really is not...
This past week, the United States Supreme Court dealt a blow to consumers who had relatively small claims and attempted to band together to bring a class-action against a major corporation accused of wrongdoing. In a 5 to 4 decision, the Court ruled against a group of...
We consistently receive phone calls complaining about hospital acquired infections that wreak havoc with the lives of patients who become infected. Hospitals tell the public they fight the causes of these infections on a regular basis, but they resist releasing their...
Lawyers were at the forefront of the birth and formation of our nation and democracy. At every crisis and crossroad in our country's history, lawyers have been instrumental in establishing the laws and maintaining our civil stability. Today, as our nation confronts...
Our law firm recently settled a wrongful death case against a large, multinational corporation who we alleged employed a driver who fell asleep at the wheel, causing a major collision. The driver of the defendant vehicle fit the classic description of someone...
I recently reviewed a new website - tlr-pac.com. It was most enlightening. There are numerous contributors to both sides of the debate on the rights of individuals to pursue their claims in court. As it turns out, the largest donor to those opposing open access to the...
The Texas Access to Justice Commission held its Legislative Day in Austin, Texas on Wednesday, February 16, 2011. Included in this day was a press conference regarding the Texas legal aid funding crisis and potential legislative solutions. Held in the Speakers...
As the Texas Legislature convenes and begins the arduous process of determining new laws and how budget dollars will be spent over the next two years, the citizens of Texas need to know the real story about what is being proposed. Our law firm obviously has an...
The Texas Supreme Court dealt another blow to Texans who are victims of medical malpractice on January 14, 2011, in the case of Franka vs. Velasquez. This case should be a wake-up call to all patients who may see a state employed doctor, as this blow is likely fatal...
I recently was honored to give the commencement address at the December 2010 South Texas College of Law Houston graduation. One of the areas I talked about was giving back to the community using the law degree that was to be awarded. Here is a part of that...
On January 1, 2011, the minimum amount of automobile liability insurance coverage for Texans is going to increase. Under current Texas law, a driver must carry liability insurance limits of at least $25,000.00 for each injured person, $50,000.00 limits per accident,...
The Texas Transportation Institute recently surveyed 1,167 licensed drivers at ten different Texas Department of Public Safety drivers' license stations and concluded that 52% of Texas drivers would support a law prohibiting mobile phone usage while driving. This...
The United States Public Interest Research Group recently released their report on the safety level of toys and other children's products. Noting progress, not perfection, the organization found a small fraction of children's toys tested for toxic substances and...
As the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig catastrophe investigation continues, it is becoming more and more apparent the companies who participated on this rig created an atmosphere that did not focus on safety. The presidential commission in charge of the investigation...
In one of the more interesting battles taking place during the election season, is a San Antonio produce company that is seeking to challenge the State of Texas Department of State Health Services order to close its plant and recall all products shipped from there...
In a recent review of common mistakes made by health care practitioners, one state (Washington) found there was likely a significantly underreporting issue involving cases of pharmaceutical and medical errors. It is likely Washington State is not the only state in the...
As the mid-term elections approach, there are a lot of political races to be excited about. In Texas, the most watched race will be that of governor of the state of Texas. Voters will be given many opportunities to see what each individual gubernatorial candidate...
In a recent study, comparing significant payments made to "consultants" by orthopedic device companies, it was concluded there was a lack of public transparency when those "consultants" contributed to medical journal articles. The study, published on The Archives of...
In 2009, at least 480 Texas workers lost their lives while working their jobs. This statistic is part of a disturbing trend, and represents a nearly 4% increase in on-the-job deaths from 2008 in Texas. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics found an opposite...
In a recently released study commissioned by Society of Actuaries and carried out by the actuarial and consulting firm Milliman, it is estimated that medical errors, and the problems associated with those errors cost the United States economy $19.5 billion in 2008....
Nissan is recalling over 51,000 of its Q. hatchbacks in the United States and Canada because of possible problems with fuel spillage during rear end collisions. The recall covers model year 2009 and 2010 Cubes made between January 30, 2009 and July 30, 2010. Dealers...
Drop-side cribs are again the focus of the Consumer Product Safety Commission. In a new round of recalls, at least 82,000 cribs from the popular retailer, Pottery Barn Kids are being pulled from the market. The CPSC has proposed new rules that would completely ban the...
Heather Storey, of Delta, British Columbia was killed last year when a tow truck hit the back of her car. It wasn't the tow truck itself that killed Heather, but most likely her laptop which was in the backseat. The force of the impact caused the computer to become a...
As the Deepwater Horizon Gulf well continues to spew millions of gallons of oil in the Gulf, I read with great interest, intrigue, and utter amazement the commentary of Court Koenning in this week's edition. The lengths to which Mr. Koenning goes to again demonize,...
In another example of large corporations making cutbacks without due regard for adequate levels of safety, a subsidiary of pharmaceuticals giant Johnson & Johnson is being thoroughly investigated by the United States Food and Drug Administration. McNeil Consumer...
The United States Department of Transportation, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has recently issued a new regulation that will require commercial truck and bus companies with serious patterns of hours of service violations, to install electronic onboard...
In a morning recent posting, I addressed the Houston Chronicle's article on crash statistics for Houston highways. With more than 500 deaths occurring on Houston highways each year, Houstonians owe it to our fellow Houstonians to become more aware of the dangers we...
I recently attended my first meeting of the Texas Access to Justice Commission as an official commissioner. This organization is charged with assisting low income and poor Texans who are in need of civil legal services. The effort to provide civil legal services is...
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