Houston Personal Injury Attorneys – Smith & Hassler

Click2Houston.com is reporting on a strange set of circumstances surrounding a car accident on Houston’s Southwest Freeway yesterday morning during rush hour traffic. The accident happened near Chimney Rock. A driver hit a car and stopped to exchange information with the motorist who had been hit, but when police arrived things got weird. Police said the driver gave them his driver’s license, then scrammed. The driver lead police on a chase along the Southwest Freeway, onto the West Loop to Westheimer Road. The chase ended on Wesleyan near Richmond Avenue when the driver was cornered. During the chase the driver hit two more vehicles. The reason the driver gave police for leading them on a chase: he said he had to meet his parents in downtown Houston. The driver has been charged with evading arrest and failure to stop and provide information.

Fortunately for the 3 vehicles he hit, it appears he did not hit any of them intentionally. Intentional damage caused by a motor vehicle (for example, ramming another car) is NOT covered under the insurance policy of the car used to cause the damage.  Call the hard-working Houston personal injury attorneys at Smith & Hassler for a free consultation regarding your car accident injury case.

This week Smith & Hassler filed a lawsuit in Harris County District Court on behalf of a 7-year old boy from the Houston area who was seriously injured when he was attacked by a pit bull last year. The boy, who we will refer to by his initials A.W. for this article, had just been dropped off by his school bus and was walking home on a public street when the pit bull charged out of its owner’s yard, raced down the sidewalk and without hesitating attacked A.W. The unprovoked attack was witnessed by the school bus driver, among others.  A.W. was rescued by some neighbors who took him into their home to protect him from the dog, but unfortunately the neighbors were not able to get to A.W. before he sustained some nasty bite wounds to his arm. Someone called 911 and Houston Police Department and animal control investigated the incident. When the police officers arrived the dog attacked the officers, leaving the officers no choice but to shoot the dog.  A.W. was transported to hospital where he received stitches to close the wounds.

In 2009 there were 30 fatal dog attacks in the United States. The dog breed most commonly reported in those attacks were pit bull dogs (14 attacks) followed by Rottweilers (4 attacks).

The negligence lawsuit is filed against the homeowner from whose property the pit bull was allowed to escape prior to the attack on A.W. Importantly, interviews with other neighbors reveal that this particular dog has been aggressive toward people prior to the attack on A.W. The homeowner is insured with a “big name” insurance company that made a decision a little over a year ago to change the way it handles injury claims in an effort to save some money. Rather than waste additional time allowing the insurance company to review the file and make an unreasonable offer that they know won’t settle A.W.’s case, Smith and Hassler filed suit.  If the insurance company does not want to offer fair and reasonable compensation to 7-year old A.W. for his medical bills, physical pain, mental anguish, physical impairment and scarring, a jury will decide what A.W. is owed.  We should be thankful for our jury system that takes the fate of Harris County residents such as A.W. out of the hands on an insurance company and puts it in the hands of 12 jurors.

If you or a family member have been injured due to a dog bite or other animal attack, call Smith & Hassler and one of our experienced Houston personal injury attorneys will be glad to give a free consultation.

ABC Channel 13 (KTRK) is reporting an apparently serious collision between a Toyota Corolla passenger car and a parked flatbed trailer that sent one person to the hospital. The accident happened on March 8, 2011 on Summer Park at FM1092 near Stafford. The condition of the person transported to hospital was not included in the KTRK report.

This image from KTRK's web site shows a collision between a Toyota Corolla and a parked flatbed trailer near Stafford, Texas.

If you, a friend or a family member have been injured in a car accident, Smith & Hassler’s experienced personal injury attorneys are available to give you a free consultation either in-person or by phone.  Sometimes people injured in car accident wait before consulting an attorney. They have good intentions: not wanting to seem “sue happy,” waiting to see if their injuries will get better or because an insurance adjuster is discouraging them from seeking legal advice (that happens).  It is better to know your rights early in the process and have an experienced Houston personal injury attorney explain the steps involved in car accident injury claim and what you can do NOW to increase the chances of a good outcome.

A Harris County Deputy Sheriff was rushed to Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center Hospital this morning after an 18-wheeler crash, according to the Houston Chronicle’s report.  The deputy was hurt when his patrol car rear-ended an 18-wheeler on North Sam Houston Parkway near Bush International airport at around 2:00AM. Officials said the deputy possibly sustained two broken legs in the collision. The crash caused authorities to have to shut down the westbound lanes of the beltway while the wreck was cleared. The Deputy was responding to an emergency call at the time of the wreck: the cause of the accident is currently under investigation and the name of the deputy has not been released. Fox News covered the story also. ABC Channel 13 has a more detailed story than the Chronicle: Channel 13 reports that the deputy was freed from his severely damaged cruiser by the Eastex Fire Department using the jaws of life. The story also quotes  S.G. Wolverton withe Sheriff’s Department as saying the deputy did not have time to react to the 18-wheeler in the roadway ahead before hitting it from behind. The Deputy was trapped in his vehicle for about an hour. Here is video footage of the incident from Channel 13’s web site:

This photo from Channel 13's web site shows severe damage to the patrol car

If you, like the Sheriff’s Deputy, have been seriously injured in an 18-wheeler accident, contact the experienced Houston personal injury attorneys at Smith & Hassler. Interstate trucking companies are required to carry a minimum of $750,000 in liability insurance according to the Federal Motor Carrier Regulations; some have to carry more depending on the type of cargo they transport. Insurance companies that write policies for big rigs act fast to protect their interests, so ideally you would have a well-qualified personal injury attorney working fast to protect YOUR interests too.

ABC Channel 13 (KTRK) has issued a brief report that a family of four was struck and run over by a vehicle at the Houston Rodeo. The initial report is that the family consisted of a mother, father and two children under the age of seven.

Update: The Houston Chronicle is now reporting that the driver of the vehicle that struck the family was drunk. He is identified in the Chronicle’s story as 31-year old Nicholas Jackson.  The story says Jackson has been charged with failure to stop and render aid and driving while intoxicated.  Fox 26 News is also reporting the incident on their web site.  According to the Fox News report, Nicholas Deandre Jackson (32) was driving a white-colored Ford Crown Victoria the wrong way down Kirby Road next to Reliant Stadium at around 10:00PM Monday night. The vehicle turned sharply on Murworth and hit the family: the driver then continued down Murworth on 2 flat tires before being stopped by police.  Contrary to other reports, Fox News says the injured family consisted of a 27-year old woman, a 2-year old girl, a 4-year old girl and a 9-year old boy, all of whom were transported to Memorial Hermann Hospital.  Reportedly Nicholas Deandre Jackson, a Houston resident, has a very extensive criminal record.

Even at low speeds, a pedestrian versus vehicle collision is no contest and the pedestrian always fares worst. Auto-pedestrian accidents often result in serious injuries such as road rash, broken bones, spinal cord injuries, internal injuries and traumatic brain injuries. If you, a friend or a family member have been involved in a pedestrian accident, remember to document any obvious signs of trauma such as cuts and bruises by taking good quality, well-lit photographs. Keep any damaged clothing. You can contact the experienced Houston personal injury attorneys at Smith & Hassler for a free consultation: over our 20-year history Smith & Hassler has successfully handled hundreds of auto-pedestrian accidents for injured clients.

KHOU.com is reporting a downtown Houston collision that has left one person dead and five injured.  According to the report, police said a pickup truck carrying five people was southbound on Milam around 2:00AM when it collided with an SUV headed west on St. Joseph. After the collision the pickup truck hit a light pole on the side of the road. Both passengers riding in the back seat of the pickup truck were ejected. A man died at the scene and three men and two women were taken to various hospital, including the driver of the SUV. Both drivers were tested for alcohol at the hospital; charges may be filed later as police are still investigating to see who was at fault.

A two vehicle collision in downtown Houston at Milam and St. Joseph left one dead and five injured

Car accidents commonly result in medical bills, lost income from work and a period of time after the accident when the injured person is in pain and is impaired from performing their normal activities. Texas law allows a person injured in a motor vehicle accident by another’s negligence to seek recovery of money damages.  Speaking to an experienced Houston personal injury attorney early in the process can make the difference between a relatively straightforward claim under the other driver’s insurance policy and a real nightmare.  Insurance companies will deny or undervalue claims if they have a reason to.  Smith & Hassler’s trial-tested Houston personal injury attorneys will provide you with a free consultation regarding your motor vehicle accident injury claim: call now or submit your case online.

KHOU.com is reporting a collision in Pasadena, Texas between two pickup trucks early on Monday March 7, 2011. Police are investigating to determine which driver ran a red light and caused the crash. A red-colored pickup truck was traveling northbound on Red Bluff while a white-colored pickup was traveling westbound on Bay Area Boulevard: one of the two drivers ran a red light at the intersection and the vehicle collided around 12:45am. Both drivers had to be air lifted to Memorial Hermann hospital and were listed as being in serious but stable condition.  Police plan to test both drivers to determine whether alcohol was  a factor in the crash.

If you, a friend or a family member have been injured in a car accident, Smith & Hassler’s experienced personal injury attorneys are available to give you a free consultation either in-person or by phone.  Sometimes people injured in car accident wait before consulting an attorney. They have good intentions: not wanting to seem “sue happy,” waiting to see if their injuries will get better or because an insurance adjuster is discouraging them from seeking legal advice (that happens).  It is better to know your rights early in the process and have an experienced Houston personal injury attorney explain the steps involved in car accident injury claim and what you can do NOW to increase the chances of a good outcome.

KHOU News Channel 11 reported on a collision between two big rigs near downtown Houston on Saturday March 5, 2011. It was not reported whether injuries were involved. The Channel 11 article attributed the accident to rain-slicked roads.

Firefighters responded to a fire at Three Fountain Apartments around 4:15AM the morning of Friday March 4th. The apartments are located on Burgoyne Road near Fountain View Drive. Houston News Channel 2 reports that when firefighters arrived on the scene they saw flames coming from two apartments. Investigators said a man jumped from a second story apartment: he sustained second and third degree burns over 35% of his body and was transported to Memorial Hermann Hospital to be treated. The cause of the fire is under investigation: one apartment was completely destroyed and three more apartments had smoke or water damage.

A man was burned jumping from a second-story window escaping a fire at Three Fountains Apartments in Houston

If you have been seriously injured in a house, apartment or other type of building fire, contact the experienced personal injury lawyers at Smith & Hassler for a free consultation. Sometimes building fires are purely accidental and are nobody’s legal fault. Other times building fires happen due to negligence: failure to maintain smoke detectors, properly light emergency exits, provide and maintain fire extinguishers, improperly locked fire exits and other reasons. Burn injuries are almost always painful and frequently severe and debilitating.

The Houston Chronicle is reporting that a woman died this morning in a hit-and-run collision in northeast Houston. The woman was walking along the shoulder of Aldine Bender near Marine when she was hit and killed by a car. The accident happened around 2:04AM. A witness was able to note the license plate of a maroon-colored 1999 model Mercury minivan that he thought may have been involved. Police officers went to the address where the vehicle is registered and found sufficient reason to seize the van and bring it in for testing. Police say that evidence gathered from the suspect van will be compared to physical evidence collected at the scene of the hit-and-run. The named of the female pedestrian who was killed has not yet been released.

If you or a family member have been injured in a hit-and-run collision, call the experienced Houston personal injury attorneys at Smith & Hassler for a free consultation.