Legislative Issues Articles

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 to enable the House and Senate…

In a recent decision, the Supreme Court of Texas ruled against an employee who had successfully proven that her employer had discriminated against her. The case was Nafta Traders, Inc. v. Quinn, ___ S.W.3d ___ (Tex. 2011)(5/13/11). After an employee brought a sex discrimination suit, her employer forced her to arbitration. When she prevailed, the…

In January of this year I wrote a blog post about the effects of the 2010 U. S. Federal Census on congressional redistricting in Texas, and the important role that the rising Latino population is playing in that process. A recent article in the Houston Chronicle about the shape of Houston’s City Council maps showed…

Last week, the supreme court threw out another suit brought by an injured patient. The case, the latest of numerous rulings against patients, was Harris Methodist Fort Worth v. Ollie, ___ S.W.3d ___ (Tex. 2011)(5/13/11). In this case, after receiving a total knee replacement surgery, Ms. Ollie slipped on a wet floor, and injured her…

The Texas House of Representatives this week has passed a bill that is being called the “loser pays” bill. Proponents of this bill are touting the necessity of the bill by misleading the general public into thinking that this bill is only aimed at “frivolous” lawsuits. The goal of the bill, according to those that…

In a year where the State faces a 27 billion dollar budget deficit, working Texans can’t afford health care, gas is over $4.00 a gallon, and education has become an afterthought, Governor Perry decided that so called “tort reform” is an emergency agenda item. After 2003, it’s hard to imagine how Texans for Lawsuit Reform…

In a recent decision, the court of appeals in Dallas ruled that a widow and her children had no legal remedy after her husband was killed while servicing a convenience store. In the case of Gorman v. Ngo, ___ S.W.3d ___ (Tex.App.-Dallas 2011, no pet.), Ngo owned a convenience store. After he had a walk-in…

A recent fatal accident in Houston, Texas, is just another example of why 18-wheelers and other large trucks should have more stringent standards when it comes to installation and strength of under-ride guards. “Under-riding” occurs when a passenger vehicle collides with a commercial truck, and the front end of the car slides beneath the underside…