Houston Personal Injury Attorneys – Smith & Hassler

The Houston Chronicle is reporting that a woman crossing Westheimer near Dunvale was fatally struck by a car the afternoon of Thursday April 28, 2011. The accident happened around 2:00PM. The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene and the driver who struck the pedestrian waited for police. HPD said that the fatal accident remains under investigation. The photograph below appears to show the deceased pedestrian on the vehicle’s roof.  Click2Houston.com has reported on the same incident however the Click2Houston article identifies the pedestrian as male and states the man had been shopping at Wal-Mart immediately before the accident, then he was struck when attempting to cross four lanes of traffic not at an intersection.

A female pedestrian was fatally struck by a car on Westheimer

After a single car accident on FM1960 near Possum Park, the driver of the badly wrecked vehicle was transported via life flight and the scene was cleared by emergency crews. 13 hours later a father went looking for his missing son and made a tragic discovery: his 23-year old son’s body in nearby woods, 172 feet beyond the point of impact of the crash. This was apparently a very severe crash: the vehicle hit a ditch, hit two poles and then became airborne. The roof of the vehicle was ripped off and the driver was ejected into a parking lot. Atasocita Volunteer Fire Department Assistant Chief Mike Mulligan explained that they responded to the crash at 2:30am and there were no witnesses: on their arrival the driver was unconscious and he said there was no indication of a passenger. The driver of the vehicle died in hospital at around 6:30AM, both men were only 23-years old. The cause of the crash is under investigation, and it appears excessive speed or alcohol use may have been a factor.

During demolition of the historic Flagship Hotel in Galveston yesterday a worker was pinned under debris when part of the hotel collapsed on him. Sadly that worker whose name has not yet been released has since died due to his injuries. The collapse happened at the north end of the hotel structure at around 3:40PM yesterday, Tuesday April 26, 2011. Around 75 percent of the second floor area that was being worked on fell to the first floor area below. Firefighters using the jaws of life had to rescue the worker who was pinned beneath 1,000 lbs of concrete and rebar material. It took emergency workers about 20 minutes to rescue the man.  The historic hotel was damage during Hurricane Ike and has been out of commission since then.  Demolition has been halted to allow an investigation into the death.

If you have lost a family member due to the negligence of another, contact the wrongful death attorneys at Smith & Hassler. In the more than 20-years Smith & Hassler has existed in the Houston area, the Smith & Hassler firm has handled many wrongful death cases from 18-wheeler accidents to food poisoning incidents and we understand the special attention wrongful death cases require. You can arrange a free consultation with a Smith & Hassler Houston personal injury attorney for your wrongful death claim, either in-person or by phone.

There have been new developments in an accident between a private school bus and a pickup truck driven by an HPD officer previously reported on Smith & Hassler’s blog. Click2Houston.com is now reporting that HPD sergeant Ruben Trejo, age 46, was almost 3 times the legal limit for driving while intoxicated at the time of the crash. A mandatory blood draw performed on Sgt. Trejo at the hospital showed a blood alcohol content of .20 – the legal limit for intoxication under Texas law is .08. HPD officials have said that Trejo was relieved of duty on Friday as HPD investigates “criminal activity.” DWI charges were filed against Sgt. Trejo on Monday afternoon.  Sgt. Trejo was in uniform but off duty and on his way to begin his regular shift when the collision occurred.

If you or a loved on have been victimized by an automobile accident, motorcycle accident, pedestrian accident, bicycle accident or truck accident caused by a drunk driver, call the experienced Houston personal injury attorneys at Smith & Hassler for a free consultation. The earlier in your case you call, the better: the insurance company will want you to settle for a small amount as early as possible and have you sign a release. This will limit the insurance company’s liability and prevent them from having to pay more later. Smith & Hassler’s personal injury attorneys have aggressively represented injured people in the Houston area and throughout Texas for more than 20-years, including bereaved family members bringing wrongful death lawsuits.

The Chronicle is reporting an automobile versus pedestrian accident that happened around 3:00pm on Monday April 25, 2011 on Clear Valley Drive at Glade Hollow in north Harris County. A teenage driver operating his mother’s car took a corner too fast and lost control, leaving the roadway and hitting two teenagers who were walking on the sidewalk.  The teen driver now faces aggravated assault charges, according to the article. The injured teenagers went from the scene of the car accident to their homes and were then transported by ambulance to area hospitals in unknown condition. According to the article the teenage driver did not have permission to use his mother’s car and after hitting the pedestrians he left the scene but returned later and was arrested. Click2Houston.com’s report of the incident is available here. According to that article, the students had just stepped off a school bus before they were hit by the car, which witnesses report was traveling 70 to 80MPH in a subdivision before it jumped the curb. A witness named Virgil Ford is quoted as saying the teenager was showboating in his mother’s Cadillac. Another witness named Zerrion Mallery claimed his knee was badly injured by a mailbox struck by the speeding Cadillac. According to the Precinct 4 Constable’s office, one victim sustained a broken leg.

A teenager injured by a speeding Cadillac that mounted the sidewalk on Clear Valley

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.

The Houston Chronicle is reporting that Jose Martinez has been charged with intoxication manslaughter in a single vehicle accident on the Sam Houston Parkway that killed Martinez’ passenger Miguel Almaquer. The deadly accident happened around 3:00am in the 6900 block of the East Sam Houston Parkway. Deputies said Martinez was driving northbound on the parkway and when he attempted to exit he veered from the road. At some point thereafter Martinez lost control of the vehicle and struck a concrete retaining wall.

If you or a loved on have been victimized by an automobile accident, motorcycle accident, pedestrian accident, bicycle accident or truck accident caused by a drunk driver, call the experienced Houston personal injury attorneys at Smith & Hassler for a free consultation. The earlier in your case you call, the better: the insurance company will want you to settle for a small amount as early as possible and have you sign a release. This will limit the insurance company’s liability and prevent them from having to pay more later. Smith & Hassler’s personal injury attorneys have aggressively represented injured people in the Houston area and throughout Texas for more than 20-years, including bereaved family members bringing wrongful death lawsuits.

ABC Channel 13 News is reporting a multi-car chain reaction style accident on the Gulf Freeway near Clear Lake City Boulevard that damaged 5 vehicles and injured 4 people. Apparently the accident started with one fast-moving car rear-ending another, being pushed into the car in front, and so on. The injuries are described in the report as “minor” and the injured included a baby who was traveling in a car seat.

A chain reaction accident in Clear Lake injured 4 and damaged 5 vehicles

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.

A child and his father were injured in a hit-and-run accident Saturday and police are looking for the three suspects who fled the accident scene. The accident happened around 8:30am on W. Greens Road near the 12500 block of the North Freeway. According to police sources, the suspect’s vehicle was pulling out of a Kroger parking lot when they pulled in front of another car, hitting it in the side and causing it to flip over. Three men jumped out of the car and ran off. A child and his father were in the overturned car and were transported to an area hospital.

If you have been injured in a hit-and-run accident it is important to have a good understanding of automobile insurance coverage and how it works. If the hit-and-run driver was using the vehicle that hit you without permission of the owner, there probably will NOT be coverage under the policy covering that car. The driver of the vehicle that hit you may have his/her own automobile insurance however, and that coverage may apply. If not, you will probably need to look to your own insurance company to repair your vehicle or cover your medical bills…IF you have the right types of coverage. Call Smith & Hassler’s personal injury attorneys to discuss your options for your hit-and-run injury accident.

Local news outlets are reporting a cement truck accident at a southeast Houston construction site near the Houston medical center that killed a construction worker. A construction crew was doing shoring work along Brays Bayou on North MacGregor Way at Highway 288. The accident happened shortly after 3:00PM: a construction worker was crushed by the cement truck. Two others were taken to Ben Taub Hospital to be treated for their injuries. A heavy duty wrecker was called to lift the cement truck off the workers’ body. Click2Houston.com’s video report of the cement truck accident is here.

A cement truck killed a construction worker in an accident along the Bayou

If you or a family member have been injured at work, such as in a construction site accident, call Houston-based personal injury attorneys Smith & Hassler for a free consultation regarding your legal rights. Smith & Hassler has represented hard-working Texans injured on the job for more than 20-years.

A vehicle crashed into a northeast Houston cell phone store on Thursday at around 10:00AM . The store is located at Tidwell Road and East Houston Dryersdale Road. No injuries were reported and the front windows of the store were smashed.

Car crashes into cell phone store