Houston Personal Injury Attorneys – Smith & Hassler

Channel 13 is reporting that a 14-year old girl is dead and a young man injured after they were struck by a black Dodge traveling on Louetta. The accident happened today around 2:30pm at Louetta and Kuykendahl in northwest Harris County. According to investigators the young man was riding his bicycle eastbound on Louetta and the young girl was walking next to him in the grass when they were struck. The14-year old girl died at the scene, the young man was transported by ambulance. Investigators say that before the accident they got at least one call complaining about the black Dodge driving erratically on Louetta. The driver of the Dodge stopped and was questioned by investigators: he will have to undergo a mandatory blood draw.

The video below shows a collision between a passenger car and a man walking on a freeway: the video was shot in Russia. The man was walking close by a vehicle that appears to have broken down in a freeway travel lane. He was not looking in the direction of approaching traffic when the car came from his right side and struck him, throwing him many feet into the air. Despite how severe the accident looks, the man was fortunate to escape with only a broken leg. This video provides a powerful reminder of why Texas has a “steer it and clear it” law. Chapter 550.022 of the Texas Transportation Code governing accidents involving damage to a vehicle says: “If an accident occurs on a main lane, ramp, shoulder, median or adjacent area of a freeway and each vehicle can be normally and safely driven, each vehicle operator shall move the operator’s vehicle as soon as possible to a designated accident investigation site, a location on the frontage road, the nearest suitable cross street or other suitable location to complete the requirements of Section 550.023 and minimize the interference with existing freeway traffic flow.”

Sometimes there is a tendency for people involved in an accident not to move their vehicle from a travel lane until the police arrive so the police can determine who was at fault. If your vehicle is still driveable and there is a lot of traffic passing by, the safer approach would be to move the vehicles out of the roadway. If you have a cell phone with a camera, as almost everyone does these days, you can always take a couple of quick pictures to show the position of the vehicles before you move them.

Matthew Green Shelton's red Mitsubishi is shown to the right, the black Nissan Sentra he struck to the left

Matthew Green Shelton (27) has been charged with two counts of intoxication manslaughter

The experienced attorneys at Smith & Hassler practice only personal injury law and have handled injury and wrongful death claims brought against drunk drivers throughout Texas.  Contact Smith & Hassler to make sure you understand your legal rights.

The driver of a white-colored Honda Accord hit and killed a pedestrian this morning around 2:15am and kept on driving. The victim is a Hispanic male in his 40’s and the accident happened on West Fuqua in southwest Houston. According to a witness the Honda Accord swerved and hit the man, who was apparently standing in the street, but then kept going. The witness said the driver stopped at a stop sign, got out of this car and checked his vehicle for damage. The witness made eye contact with the driver and suggested the driver go back to the accident scene since someone had been struck, however the driver got back in his vehicle and left. The witness said the driver did not appear to be drunk. Police are on the lookout for a white Honda Accord that has damage to the front passenger side, possibly damage to the window also. A female driver attempted to chase the Accord to get a license plate number – police would like to speak with that lady also. Channel 13’s story is here.

Houston personal injury attorneys Smith & Hassler represent the victims of hit-and-run accidents in Houston and throughout Texas, and also represents family members in wrongful death claims.

At around 5:40pm on Wednesday February 29, 2012 a woman accidentally backed her car over 18-month old Aliah Melgar at Spring Forest Apartment complex in Houston. The apartment complex is located at Bissonet and Rampart. Investigators determined the woman driving the car was on her way to work when she hit Aliah: the driver thought she had hit a cat at first but on realizing it was a child she got her husband and they called 911 to request an ambulance. Aliah was first taken to Southwest Memorial and from there was life flighted to Memorial Hermann Hospital.

Houston personal injury attorneys Smith & Hassler have been helping clients in Houston and throughout Texas resolve their pedestrian accident injury cases since 1989. Call (713) 739 1250 or 1 (800) WIN-WIN1 for a free consultation, or submit your case online.

According to the Houston Chronicle, Tomball Police Department patrol officer Kristina Tikal suffered a fractured shoulder blade when she was knocked down by a vehicle during a January 2, 2012 incident. Officer Tikal apparently walked up on a 17-year old female about to have sex with a male companion in a parked vehicle: the teenager sped away from the scene, striking Officer Tikal. The officer also sustained a hip injury, an elbow injury and abrasions to her arms and legs: she was treated and released from Tomball Regional Hospital.

Apparently the scene unfolded when Officer Tikal was leaving her apartment to head to work and noticed a Honda Civic parked with the rear door open, and when she walked up on the vehicle the male and female were in the back of the vehicle with no pants on. As the officer radioed for backup the female climbed into the driver’s seat and put the Honda in reverse: she disregarded the officer’s instructions to stop and reversed at high speed, knocking the officer about 10 feet. The Honda also struck a parked pickup truck before speeding away. An anonymous tip lead police to the Honda’s location, and the female suspect who was at Tomball High School went with her mother to the police station.

The 17-year old female driver now faces felony charges of aggravated assault against a public servant, evading arrest and detention with a vehicle. Hopefully there is plenty of insurance on the Honda Civic: with a fractured shoulder blade and the other injuries, Officer Tikal may not be medically cleared to return to work for some time, not to mention the physical impairment associated with that kind of injury. In a situation like this, if an injured pedestrian such as Officer Tikal has underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage, that coverage would apply to help cover damages if the at-fault driver does not have sufficient coverage. Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage would apply if the at-fault driver did not have any insurance.

We certainly wish Officer Tikal a speedy recovery and return to patrol.

Tomball Police Department Patrol Officer Kristina Tikal (2nd from right), injured in a January 2, 2012 auto versus pedestrian incident.

Channel 2 is reporting an automobile versus pedestrian collision in southeast Houston today. A four-year old boy was struck by an automobile while on a crosswalk. The boy was crossing in the 3930 block of West Fuqua near White Heather to reach the MLK Early Childhood Center when the accident happened at around 7:30am. The boy was transported to hospital with reportedly non life threatening injuries and the accident is being investigated by authorities.

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.