Houston Personal Injury Attorneys – Smith & Hassler

Houston Fire Department responded to a one-alarm fire that broke out at an apartment complex on Burgoyne near Nantucket around 4:15am. The only injuries reported at this time are burn injuries to a man who was apparently a resident at the complex: he was rushed to a nearby hospital and his condition is unknown. Officials from HFD are working to determine what caused the fire. ABC Eyewitness News on Channel 13 is reporting the apartment complex is called Oaks of Cypress Station, and that the resident was taken to hospital for what is being described as an asthma attack. The same Channel 13 report also quotes firefighters as saying the apartment complex was built in the 1970’s before codes were in place that required fire hydrants, so the nearest fire hydrant to the complex was 600 feet away.

Some fires are simply accidents that are nobody’s fault, others are preventable tragedies due to the negligence of one or more people. Unfortunately (particularly early in the process) it is difficult to determine which you are dealing with: accident or negligence. If you have been injured in a house fire, apartment fire or other type of fire, call or email Houston personal injury law firm Smith & Hassler for a free consultation.

Chrysler has announced that it will be recalling 250,000 2010 model year minivans and SUVs because of an ignition problem that can lead to sudden engine stalling. Apparently the stalling problem occurs because the ignition in the vehicles can be too easily bumped or shaken into the “accessory power” position: when that happens the vehicle’s engine will immediately shut off. Obviously that’s a big problem if you are in the midst of passing an 18-wheeler when it happens and there is a vehicle coming toward you from the opposite direction. The sudden loss of power also presents a danger of a rear-end collision. In fact at least two rear-end crashes have been blamed on the problem according to a letter sent by Chrysler to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The specific vehicles involved in the recall are the Chrysler Town & County minivan and the Dodge Journey SUV manufactured between June 3, 2009 and August 17, 2010. Chrysler dealers will replace the ignition modules on the affected vehicles with replacements that are less likely to cut off.

If you have been seriously injured in an accident resulting from a sudden loss of power in a 2010 Chrysler Town & Country or Dodge Journey, call the experienced personal injury attorneys at Smith & Hassler for a free consultation regarding your potential products liability case.