Houston Personal Injury Attorneys – Smith & Hassler

A big rig crashed into a passenger vehicle on the 610 North Loop yesterday morning at around 9:30 a.m. shutting down all westbound lanes at 610 and I-45 North. Investigators believe the rainy conditions were a factor in the crash: the 18 wheeler slid on the roadway and the truck driver lost control and hit the other vehicle. The load of pipes spilled from the 18 wheeler’s trailer and onto the freeway. Channel 2’s story did not include a great deal of detail, but the driver’s injuries are reported as being non-life threatening.

If you have been seriously injured in a collision with an 18 wheeler or other commercial vehicle, and you are seeking legal representation to protect your rights, experience counts. Insurance companies that write insurance policies, sometimes providing several million dollars of coverage, immediately begin investigating serious injury accidents. In Smith & Hassler’s opinion, they “investigate” for ways to avoid paying a fair and reasonable settlement. Four of the six trial attorneys at Smith & Hassler are Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Personal Injury Trial Law. Smith & Hassler’s Houston personal injury attorneys have represented injured people and their families since 1989, and our firm has the resources to prosecute large claims. Visit www.smithandhassler.com or click here to contact us about your case and to request a no charge consultation.

Police said a woman was driving her Toyota Camry westbound on South Main Street about 8:30 a.m. yesterday when she fell asleep at the wheel. The Camry then crossed the center divider and struck a Lincoln head-on. A Toyota Avalon then crashed into the Lincoln. Sadly the woman driving the Lincoln was killed in  the crash. The 37-year old woman driving the Camry was taken to a hospital for treatment. KHOU Channel 11 story here, and Channel 2 story here. The KHOU story indicates the Lincoln was t-boned in the accident, probably by the Toyota Avalon. T-bone accidents, particularly those that happen at higher speeds, have high potential to cause serious injuries to the vehicle occupants because the point of impact (the vehicle door) is so close to the occupant’s body.

Photo credit: Channel 2 News

Photo credit: Channel 2

Have you been injured in a rear end accident? Rear end accidents are usually, but not always, straightforward. Contrary to what many people think, there is NOT a law in the State of Texas that automatically faults the rear vehicle in every rear end accident (there is a law that requires all drivers to maintain a safe following distance, but that is not the same as automatic fault). If you were rear ended by another driver and are hurt, call the experienced personal injury attorneys at Smith & Hassler for a free consultation. Smith & Hassler has represented injured Texans since 1989 and four of Smith & Hassler’s six attorneys are board certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Personal Injury Trial Law.

A one vehicle accident on the South 610 Loop in Houston has claimed the life of a young girl believed to be around three years old.  An SUV was driving in the westbound lanes of the S. Loop around 2:30 p.m. Friday near Telephone Road when the vehicle entered a grassy median causing the driver to over-correct sending the vehicle into a roll. The little girl was ejected and died at the scene. The man driving was rushed to the hospital. Police believe speeding was a primary cause of the wreck and are checking to see if alcohol was involved. Detectives have yet to determine if the girl was properly restrained in a car seat. Channel 2 report here.

Charles Ray Dailey, 44, has been charged with manslaughter in connection with an October 26, 2012 three-vehicle accident that killed Mark Arnold. The wreck happened at the intersection of West Montgomery Road and Wilburforce Street in Houston. In furtherance of their investigation of the accident, HPD obtained a court order to retrieve data from the air bag control module of Dailey’s pickup truck. The data showed Daily was traveling at a staggering 94 MPH (in a 35 MPH zone) two seconds before the impact. Dailey, who was traveling on West Montgomery, crashed into Mark Arnold’s truck as Arnold crossed the intersection, causing Arnold’s truck to collide with another vehicle waiting at the intersection. A KHOU story says that a witness said when Dailey’s truck passed her he was traveling so fast that it made her car shake. After the wreck Dailey was taken to Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital where he consented to a blood draw, the results of which are pending.

According to an online obituary, the funeral is to be held today for Mr. Vincent Leggio, a victim of the tragic Thanksgiving Day pileup accident that involved 130 to 140 vehicles and sent between 80 and 90 people to the hospital to be treated for injuries.  Mr. Leggio and his wife Debbie Leggio were killed while traveling on Interstate 10 East toward Beaumont when their Chevrolet Suburban was struck from behind by an 18-wheeler. It is believed fog on the roadway impaired visibility and contributed to some of the collisions that day. Mr. Leggio ran Vinco Electric, Inc. with his son Richard Leggio, and the Leggios were well known and well liked in their Pearland community. The funeral mass will be held at St. Helen Catholic Church, followed by interment in the Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery. The Leggio family has asked that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, supporting wounded military veterans: www.support.woundedwarriorproject.org

Vincent Leggio: 09-20-1948 to 11-22-2012