Corpus Christi Crash Leaves Woman in Critical Condition

“Corpus Christi Crash Leaves Woman in Critical Condition” by Texas Lawyer Daniel Willis

A one-vehicle accident early New Year’s morning injured four people in Corpus Christi, Texas.  According Caller.com, an 18-year-old man lost control of his SUV, causing the vehicle to roll several times.  The passengers, 18, 16, and 1, were all injured.  The 16-year-old passenger was ejected.

Caller.com states the following:

Officers found alcohol inside the SUV. The driver also appeared intoxicated and a blood sample was taken, according to the report.

No arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing, Garcia said.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a car wreck, please contact the Begum Law Group today.

Three-Year-Old Dies in Car Wreck in Los Fresnos

“Three-Year Old Dies in Car Wreck in Los Fresnos” by Texas Personal Injury Attorney Daniel Willis

A three-year-old died in a car wreck in Los Fresnos on Sunday.  Though the cause of the wreck is still being investigated, local police officers and DPS troopers have used this tragedy as a reminder to properly fasten childern in car seats.  You can read more about this story here. 

State laws require that children under eight years old and children under 4 feet 9 inches must be in a safety seat.  While safety seats can prevent injuries, safety seats that are defective may provide little or no protection.  You can read more about the proper use of car seats here. 

If you or someone you know has been injured in a car wreck or as a result of a defective product, please contact the Begum Law Group today.  We would love to meet with you.

Greyhound Bus Crash Injures 14

“Greyhound Bus Crash Injures 14″ by Texas Bus Crash Attorney Daniel Willis

Bus crashes can cause serious injuries and even death.  Unfortunately, bus accidents seem to be appearing in the news all too often.

Over the weekend, a Greyhound bus overturned on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.  The bus driver lost control of the bus, crossing the highway and going up an embankment before flipping the bus on its side.  Boston.com states the following:

The bus from New York City stopped in Philadelphia and had traveled about 75 miles westbound on the turnpike when it overturned at about 6 a.m. Saturday on the way to a stop in Columbus, Ohio.

The driver, identified as 24-year-old Kareem Edward Farmer of Philadelphia, lost control of the bus while traveling in the passing lane, sending the vehicle careering across the highway and up an embankment before it landed on its side on the interstate, briefly trapping a woman, authorities said.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a bus crash, please contact us today.  It’s very important to contact an attorney quickly so that evidence is preserved, witnesses are contacted, etc.     We would love to meet with you.

Five Dead, Over 40 Injured in State Fair Stage Collapse

“Five Dead, Over 40 Injured in State Fair Stage Collapse” by Texas Personal Injury Attorney Daniel Willis

Saturday evening, a stage collapsed at the Indiana State Fair before the band Sugarland was set to perform.  As of Sunday morning, five people were confirmed dead and many more injured.  Reportedly, the rigging for the state lighting fell at about 8:50 p.m.  NBC WTHR 13 out of Indianapolis states the following:

“A lot of people unconscious. Broken legs, broken arms, pretty scary. I helped do CPR on somebody, helped transport people, helped triage people out from under the trapped stage,” Chestin said.

Dr. Rob Klinesiver, a critical care doctor who was sitting in the front row, said he treated a girl as young as two years old for a serious injury.

“She had a severe left arm injury, she was bleeding heavily,” he said.

Rain poured down as emergency workers and Samaritans worked to free the victims. As the rain stopped, the commotion started to clear. Those that could make it out were sent to the Pepsi Coliseum for cover and the victims tried to make sense of what happened.

“The winds came, the big dust storm moved from the west and, no sooner than that, hit. The winds hit and the canopy over the stage was just like a big sail. It just picked it up, twisted it and right on top of everybody standing in front of the stage,” said one witness.

You can read more about this story here.

Many times, tragedies such as these could have been avoided.  In general, property owners in Texas have a duty to make their property safe for their customers.  To show that a property owner was liable for an injury, the injured person must show the following:

1. A condition existed on the owner’s property that posed an unreasonable risk of harm;
2. The property owner knew, or should have known, that the condition of their property posed an unreasonable risk of harm;
3. The property owner should have anticipated that a person on the property would not discover the danger or would fail to protect themselves against it;
4. The property owner was negligent in that they created the condition, knew about the condition and negligently failed to correct it or should have known about the condition;
5. Someone was injured as a result of the condition on the property.

If you or someone you know has been injured while on another person’s property, please contact The Begum Law Group today.  As always, it’s free to meet with us and you don’t pay any attorney’s fees until you receive compensation.  We would love to help you.

Progresso Woman Killed in I-10 Crash in Boerne

“Progresso Woman Killed in I-10 Crash in Boerne” by Texas Personal Injury Attorney Daniel Willis

Over the weekend, a tragic crash took the life of a 20 year old woman from Progresso.  The crash took place in Boerne, Texas on I-10.  Eydeth Munoz, 20, was pronounced dead at the scene after she was ejected from the vehicle.  Daniel Correa, also from Progresso, and Destiny Correa, 4-years old, were airlifted to University Hospital in San Antonio.

The Boerne Star states the following:

The incident occurred at 8:10 a.m. Sunday at Mile Marker 540 when the Correa vehicle was traveling eastbound on I-10.

In his report, Highway Patrol Trooper Eric Kendrick of Boerne said Correa fell asleep at the wheel, the vehicle veered off the roadway and struck the Frederick Creek bridge guardrail.

It was reported the driver’s side of the car was torn off. The car spun around several times before coming to a stop with three passengers being ejected.

Only one passenger was wearing a seat belt.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a car wreck, please contact the Begum Law Group today.  It’s free to meet with us and you don’t pay any attorney’s fees until you receive compensation.  We would love to help you.

Livestock Accidents

“Livestock Accidents” by Texas Personal Injury Attorney Daniel Willis

Unfortunately, sometimes a large farm animal, such as a cow or horse, wanders onto a busy roadway and causes an automobile collision. Because these are large animals, the collisions typically cause serious injuries. These cases can be complex and recovering compensation takes an experienced lawyer.

Texas is a free range state. People are generally allowed to let regulated animals (cows, goats, horses, etc.) roam freely, except on US highways or State Highways.  However, some counties also have local stock laws that further restrict the roaming of livestock to other types of roadways.  Thus, holding a livestock owner responsible often depends on where the collision occurs.

Did You Hit a Regulated Animal on a Texas Farm-To-Market Road?

The majority of the 254 Texas counties have enacted a local stock law. These stock laws generally prevent owners from allowing their regulated animals to roam at large.  Most owners restrict their regulated animals by erecting wood or wire fencing.  Some owners also electrify the fence.  However, wood and wire fencing require constant maintenance and repair, which some owners fail to perform.  The failure to properly maintain fencing may allow animals to roam onto roads, making the livestock owner responsible for any collisions.

Did You Hit A Regulated Animal on A Texas Highway?

If the county does not have a local stock law and the collision occurs on a highway, the livestock owner may still be liable.  However, hitting a regulated animal on a Texas “highway” carries a different legal hurdle.  The Texas Agriculture Code provides that a livestock owner may not knowingly permit the animal to roam at large on a highway.  A “highway” means a US highway or a State highway, but does not include a numbered Farm-to-Market road.

The key to establishing an owner’s responsibility when a regulated animal is struck on a “highway” comes down to one question: “Did the owner knowingly permit the animal to roam at large on the highway?”  Because proving that an owner knowingly allowed his animal to roam at large can be difficult, you should consider consulting an attorney.

If you have an auto or motorcycle accident involving livestock, please contact the Begum Law Group today.  As always, it’s free to meet with us and you don’t pay any attorney’s fees until you receive compensation.  We would love to help you.

You Sued Your Mom??

“You Sued Your Mom??” by Texas Personal Injury Attorney Daniel Willis

If you’re in a car wreck and can’t reach a settlement, your attorney may  have to file a lawsuit.  But who do you sue?  Many people incorrectly believe they can sue the insurance company of the person who causes the car accident.

However, in Texas you’re not allowed to sue the insurance company.  Instead, you have to sue the driver who caused the wreck.

There’s always insurance, but you can’t tell the jury that.

Why?   The Texas Rules of Evidence forbid an attorney from telling a jury about insurance.  Thus, even though insurance is involved almost 100% of the time, the jury will never be told that the insurance company, not the at-fault driver, will pay the amount the jury awards.

The truth is, the insurance company pays for everything and makes all the decisions.  The insurance company chooses the defendant’s lawyer, pays for the lawyer, and pays the jury verdict (up to the policy limits). 

Why does this matter?

The rule that lawyers cannot tell jurors about the existence of insurance may actually mislead the jury.

First, the defendant’s lawyer might imply (improperly) that the defendant is the one who will have to pay the verdict. This may lead a jury to under-compensate the plaintiff for her injuries because they feel bad for the defendant.

Also, a juror may ask, “Why would someone sue their own spouse or their friend?”  Because a jury is not allowed to be told about insurance, they may not understand that for the plaintiff to be compensated for their injuries, they have to sue the person responsible, not their insurance company.   For example, if your mom is driving and causes a collision and you are the passenger and get injured, you may have to sue your mom.  Obviously, it would help if you were able to explain the reason you sued your mom to the jury, but our law does not allow this.

However, now you know better!

If you or someone you know has been injured in a car wreck, please contact the Begum Law Group today.  As always, it’s free to meet with us and you don’t pay any attorney’s fees until you receive compensation.  We would love to help you.

Lawyers Make Us Safer?

“Lawyers Make Us Safer?” by Texas Personal Injury Attorney Daniel Willis

Your car is full of safety features that you may not ever think about; seat belts, airbags, windows that prevent occupants from being ejected, design of fuel tanks, etc.  The reason these safety features and many more exist is because of personal injury attorneys.

Your car is safer and numerous lives are saved every year because personal injury attorneys insisted on it.

Perhaps the most famous example of this is related to the Ford Pinto.  In short, a design flaw in the Pinto made it possible for the fuel tank to explode in rear-end collisions.  An internal memo showed Ford was aware of the design flaw, but decided it would be cheaper to face potential lawsuits than redesign the vehicle.  As a result, some estimates say the design flaw resulted in  over 500 deaths.  You can read more about the Ford Pinto debacle here.

An article in the Washington Post, “How Our Cars Got Safer,” does a great job detailing how litigation has forced car makers to add safety features they otherwise would not have.  A short excerpt from the article is printed below:

It is easy to take for granted just how much safer vehicles have become and how safety measures have been standardized. For years, the auto industry has worked to undermine regulations and limit its liability by pushing for complete immunity from lawsuits when their vehicles comply with minimum federal safety standards. This would, in short, be devastating for consumers.

Recall that the Pinto’s design met all government standards of the time. Had compliance with federal standards been a complete defense of vehicle safety, Ford could not have been held accountable for the many burn victims that the company was later shown to have anticipated.

Put another way, without the civil justice system, gas tanks would still explode in rear-end collisions, seat belts and airbags would not be standard, and cars would roll over onto roofs that would be easily crushed.

Unfortunately, money, not safety, is the number one motivator for most companies.  History has shown that hitting a company where it counts, their pocketbook, is the only way for some to add necessary safety features.

The jury foreman in one Ford Pinto case where a woman died and her 13-year old passenger suffered burns on over 90% of his body was asked why the damages awarded were so high.  He replied, “so that Ford wouldn’t design cars that way again.”

If you or someone you know has been injured by a defective vehicle, please contact the Begum Law Group today.  As always, it’s free to meet with us and you don’t pay any attorney’s fees until you receive compensation.  We would love to help you.

Drunk Driving Statistics

“Drunk Driving Statistics” by Texas Personal Injury Attorney Daniel Willis

A 2010 survey by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revealed some interesting statistics about DWI accidents and the cavalier attitude toward drinking and driving across the nation.

Specifically, the survey found that, in the past year,  1 in 12 drivers admitted to driving while intoxicated and 1 in 5 drivers admitted to driving within two hours of consuming an alcoholic beverage.

Additionally, 4 out of 5 people surveyed indicated that they consider drinking and driving to be a significant threat to their safety and general welfare.

According to NHTSA officials, nearly a third of all fatal accidents in the United States are caused by drunk drivers.

“We could cut fatalities by half if we had 100% seat belt use and eliminated drunk driving,” said Vernon Betkey, chairman of the Governors Highway Safety Association.

In addition to finding that nearly 8 percent of all drivers have driven drunk, the survey also found the following:

• 8 percent of people rode as a passenger in a car driven by someone they believed was too drunk to drive
• 40 percent of people believed they could drive safely after consuming 3 drinks
• 11 percent of people believed they could drive safely after consuming 5 drinks

“We have to do more as a country to close the gap between believing that drunk driving is a threat and actively doing something about it. Impaired driving remains a very serious problem,” said David Strickland, an NHTSA Administrator.

If you or someone you know is involved in an accident involving a drunk driver, please contact The Begum Law Group today.  As always, it’s free to meet with us and you don’t pay any attorney’s fees until you receive compensation.  We would love to help you.

Wichita Falls Car Crash Kills Two Teens, Unborn Baby

“Wichita Falls Car Crash Kills Two Teens, Unborn Baby” by Texas Personal Injury Lawyer Daniel Willis

Two teenage girls and an unborn baby died late last Thursday night following a two-car wreck  involving a Wichita Falls police car.  The girls were identified by Wichita Falls police as 18-year-old Yeni Lopez, who was 7-months pregnant, and 13-year-old Gloria Montoya.  All three were pronounced dead after being transported by ambulance to United Regional Hospital late Thursday.

You can read more about this tragic story here.

Police cars, Border Patrol vehicles, other government-owned vehicles are frequently involved in crashes.  Those wrecks often involve major impacts with significant injuries due to high speed, the size of the vehicle and because those wrecks typically occur at intersections.   When the at-fault driver is a government employee, special rules apply.

If you have been injured in any type of crash, including those involving a police car, Border Patrol vehicle, or other government-owned vehicle, please contact us today.  We would love to meet with you.