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

Deer Park Chemical Facility Has History of Environmental Violations

By Jonathan Sneed of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Aziz posted in Negligence on Monday, March 25, 2019.

The Deer Park chemical facility that caught fire last week has a long history of state and federal environmental violations. According to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Intercontinental Terminals Company (ITC) has been fined for multiple infractions that could have been avoided. In 2008, ITC was fined when a relief valve failed causing 6,745 pounds of unauthorized butadiene to be released into the atmosphere due to the facility's failure to prevent an increase in pressure. The Commission said the event was "avoidable by better operational practices." Butadiene is a carcinogen to humans and is used to make plastics.

Jury Awards Woman Nearly $17M for Injury at Walmart

By Ciro Samperi of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Aziz posted in Negligence on Friday, March 22, 2019.

A West Virginia jury awarded nearly $17 million to a woman who was injured when Walmart employees attempted to detain a shoplifter. The plaintiff, a 53-year-old woman, says employees tried to detain a shoplifter when the shoplifter ran into her shopping cart. The impact caused the woman to fall to the ground with the cart falling on top of her.

Deaths Resulting from Natural Gas Explosions Lead to Lawsuits Against Utility Companies

By Kelly Woods of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Aziz posted in Explosion on Thursday, March 21, 2019.

In July of 2018, an explosion occurred during construction at a hospital in Gatesville, Texas. The explosion killed three construction workers and left 12 with blast or burn injuries. Investigators concluded that the explosion was caused when natural gas flowed from disconnected lines into a boiler room.

Repeated Mistakes Causes Fatal Blood Transfusion

By Imrana Manzanares of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Aziz posted in Medical Malpractice on Wednesday, March 20, 2019.

A report by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services revealed a pattern of blood labeling errors at St. Luke's in Houston during the past year. The report followed a yearlong investigation by both the Houston Chronicle and ProPublica that had documented several lapses in patient care.

Toxic Cloud: Fire Continues to Burn in Deer Park, Texas

By Benny Agosto of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Aziz posted in Negligence on Tuesday, March 19, 2019.

Just before 11 A.M. on March 17^th, 2019 a chemical plant fire occurred at the Intercontinental Terminals Company LLC, also known as "ITC", which is located near Highway 225 and Independence Parkway in Deer Park, Texas. The blaze continued to burn all day Sunday and has continued into Monday. Emergency crews have continuously worked around the clock to keep the fires contained. Unfortunately, additional tanks subsequently caught fire overnight. Nearby schools were closed for the day as a precaution.

Fatal Pipeline Explosion Leads to Lawsuit and Calls for Regulation

By Randy Sorrels of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Aziz posted in Explosion on Monday, March 18, 2019.

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 pipeline had violated any rules and to discover the cause of the leak. Investigators discovered that the pipeline's anti-corrosion coating had failed and the pipeline had been leaking for "an undetermined length of time." However, investigators found that Targa Resources Corp., the company that owns the pipeline, didn't violate any rules because there are no rules or regulations for this type of pipeline.

One Additional Obstacle to Avoid on Texas Roads

By Brant Stogner of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Aziz posted in Explosion on Friday, March 15, 2019.

Natural gas has become a modern-day convenience that most of us can't seem to live without. Used for everything from heating, cooking, and electricity generation, this ubiquitous fuel source has woven itself into our every day lives and infrastructure. Unfortunately for many places in Texas, that weaving of natural gas pipelines happened many decades ago and we have built our homes and cities around these inherently dangerous gas meters without much afterthought of how society will flow around them.

MetroRail Injuries and Deaths Require Closer Investigation

By Lena B. Laurenzo of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Aziz posted in Negligence on Thursday, March 14, 2019.

A quick Google search on MetroRail incidents shows how people are regularly getting injured or killed by MetroRail trains in the metropolitan area of Houston, Texas. As the rail expands through the North, East, and South parts of Houston, one can find incidents on each one of the lines on which the trains operate.

"At Home" Store Sued for Injuries Caused by Chair Collapse

By Angelina Wike of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Aziz posted in Premises Liability on Wednesday, March 13, 2019.

A customer was injured on January 19, 2019 while shopping at a local home goods store when an office chair collapsed as she seated herself to test the chair.

Could Zion Williamson Sue Nike?

By Ciro Samperi of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Aziz posted in Negligence on Tuesday, March 12, 2019.

Duke University's star freshman basketball player, Zion Williamson, suffered a knee injury during a game between Duke and North Carolina. The injury seemed to occur when his Nike shoe appeared to tear as he planted his foot. Williamson, thought by many to be a top NBA draft pick, left the game and did not return. This begs the question: if Williamson suffered a career ending injury, could Williamson sue Nike?