Houston Personal Injury Attorneys – Smith & Hassler

The Southwest Freeway was backed up Friday evening after a freak accident left a motorcyclist dead. The motorcycle was found standing upright leaning against the HOV exterior wall: its not clear at this time how the rider of the Suzuki lost control. At around 4:00pm the motorcyclist was heading southbound on the US59 South HOV lane near Edloe when the rider was ejected from the motorbike and fell 50 feet to the roadway of the lower freeway below, crashing through the windshield of a Toyota Camry. The poor motorbike rider was killed instantly authorities say. Despite what have must have been an incredible shock, the driver of the Camry was able to maintain control of his vehicle and came to a stop, suffering only cuts to his hands and arms. David Lee Cothran, Jr. aged 28 of Louisiana has been identified as the deceased motorbike rider. Mr. Cothran was wearing a helmet. Channel 13’s story is here. Channel 11’s story is here.

Update: The injured driver of the Toyota Camry has been identified in a subsequent story as Mr. Kelvin Wesley. In an interview with Channel 11 News Mr. Wesley expressed his sympathy for the family members of the deceased motorcyclist and also expressed his thanks for his own family’s safety: apparently he had dropped his son off at University of Houston shortly before the accident. Mr. Wesley’s son had been sitting in the front passenger seat beneath the portion of the roof that sustained the most crush damage. Mr. Wesley is a high school football coach and was on his way to a game at the time of the tragic accident.

Channel 2 is reporting a motorcyclist died early Wednesday August 24, 2011 in a motorcycle crash. Investigators said that the 50-year old man appears to have made a last minute decision to take a different exit ramp at the 610 Loop and North Freeway and hit a center median that divides the two ramps. The man was ejected from his motorcycle and died at the scene. His name has not been released.

Monday August 22, 2011: an off duty METRO employee died last night in a wrong way collision on Highway 59 near I-10 and two METRO employees were injured. Police say a Cadillac (the wrong way vehicle) and a METRO truck crashed head-on at around 9:30pm. The off duty METRO employees in the Cadillac was killed. Channel 2 News’ report is here. The METRO employees in the truck were taken to Ben Taub Hospital.

KHOU is reporting that drunk driving is suspected in a terrible crash that claimed four lives over the weekend. The two vehicle collision happened early Sunday morning in Brenham, Texas which is approximately 65 miles northwest of Houston. Roberto Castillo (19) of Brenham is currently in Washington County jail facing four counts of intoxication manslaughter with a motor vehicle. Police say that Castillo was driving a pickup truck that allegedly crashed into a car carrying the four victims who died in the wreck. Ironically it always seems to be the intoxicated driver who leaves a drunk driving accident with little or no injury. Investigators say Castillo ran from the scene of the accident but was apprehended at a nearby mobile home. A report in the online Brenham Banner newspaper shows a disturbing picture portraying devastating damage to a silver-colored Ford Mustang. According to the Banner’s report, Castillo is an undocumented alien who only a few weeks before the deadly crash was detained by law enforcement for another alcohol related offense. The collision happened at the intersection of Highway 36 South and FM 109. Castillo was driving a Dodge Ram pickup truck.

Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) car accidents seem to happen every single night in the Houston area and throughout Harris County.  Sadly Harris County Texas ranks among the highest counties in the nation for drunk driving fatalities and drunk driving accident injuries year after year.  Drunk driving car accidents often create even more complications for the victim than a regular car accident: insurance companies usually won’t pay a claim or provide a rental car until they speak to their insured driver and get their version of what happened. The insurance company can’t do that if their insured was charged with DWI and is in jail. Call Smith & Hassler if you have been injured by a drunk driver’s gross negligence and ask for speak to one of our personal injury attorneys right now.  Smith & Hassler aggressively pursues claims against drunk drivers.

A woman died in a single vehicle accident last night when her Toyota Sequoia sports utility vehicle crashed and rolled over on Space Center Boulevard. The wreck happened at around 9:00pm near the intersection of Space Center Boulevard and Pearhaven. According to Houston police the woman was traveling at a high rate of speed northbound on Space Center when she lost control of the vehicle, veered to left and crossed over a grassy median into the oncoming lane before the vehicle flipped on its side and hit a concrete wall. The SUV rolled onto its roof and the roof collapsed, causing the woman to be trapped inside. Sadly she died at the scene. The medical examiner will determine whether drugs or alcohol were a factor in the car crash.

Channel 2 is reporting a fatal auto versus pedestrian accident that occurred this morning. According to investigators Deborah Destin was crossing the Sheldon Road exit ramp on I-10 before 5:00am when she was fatally struck by a car. According to deputies 35-year old William Mason was driving to work and did not see Ms. Destin. Channel 2’s report indicates that Mr. Mason was cooperating with the investigation and it was not expected that charges would be filed against him.

Two people riding on a motorcycle were left in critical condition Saturday as a result of a collision with an SUV.  A man and his female passenger were heading eastbound on Nicar in Houston when an SUV backed out of the driveway of a private residence. The motorcycle was unable to avoid a collision and slid into the side of the SUV. Both people on the motorcycle were transported by ambulance to Ben Taub General Hospital in critical condition; nobody inside the SUV was injured in the wreck. The accident happened on Nicar near Airline at around 9:30pm Saturday August 13th. The driver of the SUV was issued a citation for failing to yield the right-of-way to the motorcycle while exiting the private driveway.

If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident, the experienced personal injury attorneys at Smith & Hassler will review your case for free and advise you of your legal rights, including how the insurance claims process works.

Houston news services are reporting what appears to be yet another drunk-driving fatality on Houston’s roads.

22-year old Jonathan Lacier Davis has been charged with intoxication manslaughter in connection with a terrible crash on the Beltway 8 feeder near Harwin Drive at around 3:00am Thursday August 4, 2011. Davis was driving a Chrysler PT Cruiser southbound on the Beltway 8 feeder when he ran a red light at the Harwin Drive intersection and crashed into a Honda Civic car. According to witnesses the Civic violently spun out, hit a pole and broke in half before catching on fire. The female driver of the Civic was trapped inside her vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to investigating police officers Davis had alcohol in his vehicle. Davis’ wife was riding as a passenger in the PT Cruiser – she was taken to Memorial Hermann Southwest in stable condition. The identity of the deceased driver of the Honda Civic has not been released yet.  According to KHOU’s report a witness to the wreck said he observed Jonathan Lacier Davis swerving across all lanes of travel and running numerous red lights to the collision, and in fact spoke to Davis at an intersection immediately before the wreck. This is not Davis’ first brush with the law: he has several prior convictions for drug offenses in Harris County.

Click2Houston.com’s coverage of the Jonathan Lacier Davis wreck is here.
KHOU’s coverage of the Jonathan Lacier Davis wreck is here.
Channel 13’s coverage of the Jonathan Lacier Davis wreck is here.

Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) car accidents seem to happen every single night in the Houston area and throughout Harris County.  Sadly Harris County Texas ranks among the highest counties in the nation for drunk driving fatalities and drunk driving accident injuries year after year.  Drunk driving car accidents often create even more complications for the victim than a regular car accident: insurance companies usually won’t pay a claim or provide a rental car until they speak to their insured driver and get their version of what happened. The insurance company can’t do that if their insured was charged with DWI and is in jail. Call Smith & Hassler if you have been injured by a drunk driver’s gross negligence and ask for speak to one of our personal injury attorneys right now.  Smith & Hassler aggressively pursues claims against drunk drivers.

At around 11:00pm on Tuesday August 2, 2011 a Mercedes traveling on the East Freeway near Maxey lost control and skidded off the freeway. The gold-colored Mercedes crashed into another car and then crashed into a power pole, splitting the pole in half. The driver and passenger in the Mercedes was taken to hospital, so was the driver of the second car struck by the out of control Mercedes.

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 aninsurance 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.

Smith & Hassler filed a lawsuit in Harris County Civil District Court this week on behalf of a Houston couple who were injured in a November 2010 collision caused by a fleeing felon.  The car accident happened as the couple drove through an intersection on a green light.  The at-fault driver, who was traveling at a high rate of speed while being pursued by an HPD patrol car, ran a red light and smashed into the couple’s Ford Explorer SUV, causing the severe damage shown below. The wife riding in the Explorer was 33-weeks pregnant with the couple’s fourth child at the time of the accident and was transported from the scene by ambulance. The insurance carrier for the at-fault driver was offered an opportunity to settle the claim outside of a lawsuit by offering their insured’s policy limit, but declined to do so.