Houston Personal Injury Attorneys – Smith & Hassler

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.

KHOU is reporting a crash that took place early this morning, Thursday April 21st, 2011 on the Gulf Freeway in Houston. A suspected drunk driver was placed under arrest and the woman he crashed into is described as being in critical condition. According to law enforcement sources, a man in a yellow-colored pickup truck was traveling at a high rate of speed on the Gulf Freeway at Joplin when he smashed into the rear of a Toyota RAV4 compact SUV. The accident happened at around 2:45AM. The pickup truck truly must have been traveling at a very high rate of speed, because the  RAV4 was pushed into a sideways skid, then slammed into the outside concrete retaining wall where it flipped over the wall and onto the feeder road, rolling over multiple times and ejecting the female passenger in the RAV4. The passenger of the RAV4 was immediately transported to hospital to be treated for critical injuries; according to the press report the driver of the RAV4, also a woman, sustained less serious injuries. As always seems to be the case, the suspected drunk driver weathered the accident without any injuries: he failed a field sobriety test at the scene and was taken into custody.

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.

KHOU is reporting another tragic loss of life on Houston’s roads, apparently due to the gross negligence of a highly intoxicated driver. According to police the woman was traveling eastbound on Clear at around 2:30AM when she collided with a vehicle driven by a man that pulled in front of her while turning south onto Campbell. The victim (who had the right-of-way according to police) died at the scene. The man, who was highly intoxicated, was taken into custody by police.

A crash at Clear and Campell caused by a suspected drunk driver killed a female motorist

KHOU Channel 11 News updated the story on the 18-wheeler accident in Fort Worth that left a car crushed and the cab of the 18-wheeler hanging off an overpass above the freeway below. Fort Worth police are saying that the driver of the car, who was pinned inside his crushed vehicle for about an hour after the accident, may face a gun charge and a DUI charge related to the accident. It took more than 3 hours to clear the accident scene and rescue the car driver, a passenger and the trucker. The accident happened just before 4:00AM. Firefighters were able to use a ladder truck to reach up to the 18-wheeler cab and then used an elaborate pulley system to extract the truck through the passenger side of the cab.

The Houston personal injury attorneys at Smith & Hassler aggressively represent clients injured in car accidents caused by intoxicated drivers. If you have been injured due to the negligence of a drunk driver, call Smith & Hassler for a free attorney consultation: don’t let an insurance adjuster talk you into settling for too little, too soon.

The driver of this badly crushed car may face a DUI charge for the accident with the 18-wheeler

Skilled work by Fort Worth firefighters allowed the rescue of the trapped driver of the big rig

27-year old San Antonio police officer Stephanie Ann Brown was killed early Tuesday when a man on probation for a DWI charge drove his SUV the wrong way with the lights off down I-35, crashing in to Stephanie’s patrol car head-on. The collision happened at around 2:00am near McCullough Avenue as Officer Brown was responding to a call for officer assistance. The other driver, Christopher David Baldaramos, age 31, was pronounced dead at the scene. Public records indicate he had lived in the San Antonio area for about 5 years and his lawyer said he had served 8-years in the U.S. Army. Officer Brown has been with the San Antonio Police Department for 3-years and had been working the shift for a fellow officer: she died at 2:50AM at University Hospital according to the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Officer Brown leaves behind a baby girl. She was dating a patrolman working at the SAPD‘s north substation. Her father Stanley Brown is also an officer with SAPD. An officer who witnessed the crash said he did not see any headlights of Balderamos’ 2004 Nissan Xterra before the collision. A receipt in Balderamos’ pocket was from a bar.

SAPD police officer Stephanie Brown died in a wrong way collision with a driver on probation for DWI

If you or a loved on have been victimized by an automobile accident, motorcycle accident, pedestrian accident, bicycle accident or truck accident caused by adrunk driver, call the experienced Houston personal injury attorneys at Smith & Hassler for a free consultation. The earlier in your case you call, the better: theinsurance 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.

Click2Houston.com is reporting a serious rear-end collision between a driver leaving the Houston Rodeo and had been drinking and Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Justin Duck, age 28.  Trooper Duck was issuing a citation during a routine traffic stop on Kickapoo Road near the Northwest Freeway Sunday afternoon, March 13, 2011. A woman traveling at a high rate of speed in a pickup truck left the roadway smashing into the rear of Trooper Duck’s DPS patrol car.  The photograph from Click2Houston’s web site shows that it was an extremely severe collision, with the trunk of the patrol car being pushed forward almost to the driver’s seat where Trooper Duck was sitting. The injured Trooper had to be cut out of his patrol car and was taken by helicopter life flight to Memorial Hermann Hospital. Officials reported Trooper Duck was conscious and responsive when he was taken to the hospital but he had no recollection of the car accident. The Trooper had a broken nose and needed stitches to a laceration on his face. Detectives said the woman was on her way back home after the Houston Rodeo and admitted she had been drinking: she refused a breathalyzer at the scene so a mandatory blood draw was performed.  The woman’s name has not been released.  Trooper Justin Duck has 6-years of service with the Department of Public Safety in Montgomery County, Texas.

DPS Trooper Justin Duck's patrol car sustained severe rear-end damage when hit by a pickup truck driver who had been drinking

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 (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.

Wednesday March 2, 2011: a man identified by Channel 2 News as homeless was hit and killed by a suspected drunk driver while attempting to cross Highway 6 near Piping Rock in southwest Houston. According to the Houston Police Department the car versus pedestrian accident happened at around 11:20PM. The pedestrian died at the scene. Police said the pedestrian was not using a crosswalk when he was hit by the red Mitsubishi Outlander. Police said the 26-year old driver of the Mitsubishi hit and run and fled the scene after the collision but was caught in a nearby neighborhood and police brought him back to the accident scene. The driver was given a sobriety test and then taken into custody on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. According to Channel 2’s report, the driver admitted to police that he had been drinking since 11:00am that morning. The victim has not been identified and may have been leaving The Dam Ice House on Highway 6. The driver of the Mitsubishi has not been identified either.

Update: The Houston Chronicle is reporting that the driver of the Mitsubishi has been identified as Carlton Jay Eberle. Eberle has been charged with an accident involving injury and it is expected he will be charged with driving while intoxicated. The Chronicle’s report says the deceased pedestrian was 53-years old, but did not identify him by name.

Carlton Jay Eberle, 26, driver of a Mitsubishi that struck and killed a 53-year old pedestrian on Highway 6 in West Houston

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.

This poster of 20-year old Jacqueline Saburido, victim of drunk driver, is a grim reminder of the danger drunk driving poses.

A wrong-way driver caused a collision in downtown Houston that left a man in the hospital early Saturday morning. Police report that a man driving a Toyota car heading the wrong way on Fannin near McIlhenny crashed into another vehicle around 12:30am. The Toyota driver was taken to hospital in stable condition and the driver of the other vehicle was unhurt. Authorities indicate a blood draw would be done to determine if alcohol was a factor in the crash.

Over our 20+ year history Smith & Hassler has represented thousands of people in Houston and throughout Texas that have been injured in motor vehicle accidents. Automobile insurance companies like to settle serious injury claims for as little as possible as quickly as possible: they know that once you sign a settlement release and accept a check, their obligation to compensate you ends. Do not allow yourself to be talked into settling your automobile accident injury claim too soon: calls the experienced personal injury attorneys at Smith & Hassler for a free consultation regarding your car accident injury claim.

February 7, 2011: A driver may be facing charges after a wrong way collision on Houston‘s East 610 Loop killed another driver. According to Houston police, a 37-year old man drove an Isuzu pickup truck northbound in the southbound lanes in the 1900 block of the East Loop at approximately 1:55AM on Sunday. A Dodge Ram Charger that was traveling in the correct direction collided with the Isuzu. The driver of the Isuzu died at the scene of the accident, his name has not been released. The driver of the Dodge pickup was transported to hospital to be treated for his injuries: police say he may face a charge of driving while intoxicated.

Smith & Hassler has been based in Houston for more than 20-years representing injured Texans. If you are searching for a Houston-based personal injury attorney, we encourage you to read online reviews from our former clients, research the background and experience of our personal injury attorneys at www.smithandhassler.com and call us for a free consultation regarding your personal injury case.