Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Aziz's Blog

Parents Reach Settlement with Hotel Over Toddler's Death

By Brant Stogner of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Aziz posted in Premises Liability on Wednesday, January 16, 2019.

In July of 2015 3-year-old Stephanie Martinez fell approximately five stories to her death at an Embassy Suites in Anaheim, California. Stephanie and her family were visiting California on a trip to Disneyland. Stephanie's parents, Jesus Martinez Avila and Alejandra Sandoval Duran, brought a lawsuit against the hotel's owners and the property management company that controlled the premises on the date of the fatality. The lawsuit alleged negligence against the defendants which resulted in the death of the toddler.

Employees Charged with Serving Intoxicated Minor involved in Fatal DWI

By Jay Jackson of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Aziz posted in Car & Truck Accidents on Tuesday, January 15, 2019.

On the evening of December 16, 2018, 19-year-old Erick Hernandez left a facility named Frontera Events Venue on Houston Boulevard in his Ford F-150 shortly before 11:00 p.m. Just minutes later, he swerved across three lanes of traffic and crashed head-on into an SUV that Taylor Phillips was driving. The 23-year-old mother was killed. In addition, her 1-year-old son and 48-year-old mother were injured.

Ford Recalls Vehicles with Takata Airbags

By Randy Sorrels of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Aziz posted in Product Liability on Monday, January 14, 2019.

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 chemical, ammonium nitrate, to create an explosion to inflate airbags. However, it can deteriorate over time due to heat and humidity. When the ammonium nitrate has deteriorated, it will explode with too much force and blow apart the metal canister designed to contain the explosion. Hundreds of people have been injured by the shrapnel from these airbags and at least twenty-three people have been killed worldwide.

$4.69 Billion Verdict Upheld Against Johnson & Johnson

By Ciro Samperi of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Aziz posted in Product Liability on Friday, January 11, 2019.

Johnson & Johnson lost a motion seeking to overturn a jury verdict in excess of $4 billion. The jury found that Johnson & Johnson was to blame for ovarian cancer of 22 women who sued the company. The cases centered around talc powder manufactured by Johnson & Johnson. The lawsuits allege that the company's baby powder and other talc powder products were contaminated with asbestos particles that can cause cancer.

Harris County Files Lawsuit After Deputy Injured by Exploding Glock

By Angelina Wike of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Aziz posted in Product Liability on Thursday, January 10, 2019.

Deputy Herman Sanders was injured on the morning of March 1, 2017 when his handgun exploded. On December 31, 2018, Harris County filed a lawsuit against the manufacturers and sellers of the gun, Glock Inc., and also against the manufacturers and sellers of the ammunition, Olin Corporation, for negligence, and breach of warranty, among other causes of action.

Why Driving With A Hangover Isn't A Safe Option

On behalf of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Aziz posted in Car & Truck Accidents on Wednesday, January 9, 2019.

Most people are aware of the dangers of drunk driving. Because of the known dangers, most responsible people will make an effort to avoid driving after having several drinks.

When a designated driver is unavailable, these individuals may choose to stay at a friend's house or take an Uber ride home-only to return the next day to pick up their vehicle and drive it home.

$800,000 Settlement from Fatal Drug Mix-Up at VA Hospital

By Jonathan Sneed of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Aziz posted in Medical Malpractice on Tuesday, January 8, 2019.

A woman representing the estate of her veteran husband filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the United States after her husband died from treatment at the Dorn VA Medical Center in Columbia, South Carolina. Ralph Keogh, who had previously been treated for acute myelogenous leukemia, went to the VA hospital on January 22, 2017 for nausea and vomiting. The lawsuit alleges that the Dorm VA medical staff administered multiple doses of a medication called Pegfilgrastim, instead of the medication that was actually prescribed to him with a similar name-Filgrastim.

Psych Hospital Loses Federal Funds

By Imrana Manzanares of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Aziz posted in Medical Malpractice on Monday, January 7, 2019.

According to federal officials, Dallas Behavioral Healthcare Hospital, a DeSoto psychiatric hospital, will lose Medicare funding for putting its patients in "immediate jeopardy" of harm. The decision was made based on inspection reports which detailed allegations such as a staff member who did not know how to deal with potential sexual predators, patients being left untreated for hours, and a 12-year-old boy who was injected with an anti-psychotic drug for "agitation" even though video footage showed he was watching cartoons.

Teenager Over-served by Bar Causes Fatal Collision

By Kelly Woods of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Aziz posted in Car & Truck Accidents on Friday, January 4, 2019.

Two minutes after leaving a bar that served him over a dozen drinks, an intoxicated 19-year-old driving a pickup truck veered into oncoming traffic colliding with an SUV. The driver of the SUV was killed. The driver's mother and 1-year-old child were injured.

$4.7 Billion Talc Verdict Upheld

By Benny Agosto of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Aziz posted in Product Liability on Thursday, January 3, 2019.

A Missouri judge has recently upheld the award of 4.7 billion dollars in damages to twenty-two victims of ovarian cancer against Johnson & Johnson. This case stems from Johnson & Johnson having produced talc powder for decades, encouraging its use in women and children, all the while knowing of its contamination with asbestos. Company communications reveal both Johnson & Johnson's knowledge of the contamination, and of the health threats posed by asbestos. Citing the "reprehensible conduct" of the manufacturer, the judge upheld the judgment as being supported by the evidence adduced at trial.