Passenger killed in crash when driver loses control on S. Braeswood

A driver’s loss of control of his/her vehicle resulted in a single car accident on S. Brasewood at S. Rice early this morning. Police say the vehicle was heading eastbound when it left the roadway, traveled through the yards of several private homes, then crashed into a tree. The passenger was pronounced dead at the scene; police think excessive speed and alcohol were factors in causing the crash.

Update: the driver, 23-year old David Daniel Rodriguez, has reportedly been charged with a criminal offense in connection with the crash.

car accident lawyers Houston Texas Smith and Hassler personal injury

This morning's fatal crash

BMW hits two men outside Houston bar

A man driving a newer model BMW SUV struck two male pedestrians outside a Houston bar, then tried to flee the scene of an accident. A group of people kept the man there until the police arrived; he failed sobriety testing and was arrested. He will be charged with DWI and failure to stop and render aid. On man was treated at the scene and the other, a 57-year old, was taken to Memorial Hermann in serious condition. The location of the accident was Fairview at Congress near downtown Houston.

car accident lawyers Houston TX Smith and Hassler

2 pedestrians hurt by alleged drunk driver

Two children dead in Crosby car accident on Beaumont Highway

A two vehicle collision along the Beaumont Highway near the San Jacinto River killed two children last night. The victims are two boys ages 6 and 11; there were four occupants in one of the vehicle, including the two boys. The other occupants were taken by helicopter to Memorial Hermann Medical Center. Police are investigating the case of the accident according to Channel 2, but KHOU’s report on the accident states the driver of a car is at fault for leaving his lane and striking the oncoming SUV head-on.

Update: the young boys who died in the accident have been identified as Brian Figley (11) and Andrew Figley (6). Their mother Laura Figley remains hospitalized with broken arms and a broken leg. KHOU’s story explains how the boys’ father Raymond received a call that his ex wife and sons had been involved in a serious accident, and how when he asked deputies where his sons were they wouldn’t tell him. He learned the worst when he rushed to the accident scene. KHOU’s story also sheds some more light on the cause of the accident, saying 19-year old driver Lyle Buckner was attempting to pass another vehicle in a careless manner when the tragedy happened.

car accident attorney Houston Smith and Hassler personal injury

Accident scene

wrongful death attorneys Houston Texas Smith and Hassler

Accident scene

Wrong way driver causes car accident on Eastex Freeway

For the second day in a row there has been a major head-on crash on a Houston freeway caused by a wrong-way driver. The crash happened on the Eastex Freeway before Cavalcade Street around 3:00 a.m. Tuesday January 13th. The wrong way driver, a male, was heading northbound in the southbound lanes at the time of the collision. The victim was seriously injured and transported to Ben Taub. Police are investigating to determine whether alcohol was a factor, as it very frequently is in wrong-way accidents.

car accident attorneys Houston personal injury Smith and Hassler

Scene of this morning's wrong-way accident

7 car accident on North Freeway at Gulf Bank

A major car accident on Houston North Freeway totaled several cars last night and sent a number of people to the hospital. According to KHOU’s reporter at around 11:30 p.m. a blue-colored Toyota Scion was stopped in the travel lanes, occupied by two men. An SUV approaching from behind was unable to stop in time and rear-ended the Scion. The freeway was closed down as emergency crews worked the accident, which of course caused traffic to back up and that resulted in another accident at West Mount Houston, when an SUV driver didn’t see the stopped traffic until it was too late, hitting the divider wall and several vehicles. A woman was extracted from a seriously damaged Toyota (pictured below); fortunately her injuries were not life-threatening.

car accident attorneys Houston TX Smith and Hassler personal injury

A woman was cut from this Toyota by the fire dept.

personal injury attorneys Houston Smith and Hassler

Injured driver

truck accident attorneys Houston TX Smith and Hassler

SUV damaged in last nights chain reaction accident

3 killed in car accident on Southwest Freeway feeder

Early this morning a Chevrolet Suburban left the roadway on the Southwest Freeway feeder road, hitting a metal light pole and bursting into flames. Three occupants of the vehicle died in the crash. Police say the vehicle flipped over before hitting the pole near Sands Point Drive around 1:45 a.m. It appears that excessive speed was a factor in causing the crash.

Houston Texas car accident personal injury attorneys Smith and Hassler

14-year old killed in head on crash on Central Street in Houston

A head-on collision on Central Street in Houston has left a 14-year old boy dead and a 17-year old boy charged with driving while intoxicated. The 14-year old was sitting in the front passenger seat of pickup truck westbound on Central near Lawndale; an eastbound minivan began drifting over the center lane into oncoming traffic, and the driver attempted to correct back into his lane. The 17-year old driver of the pickup truck had already begun to react and was trying to go around the minivan when the head-on crash occurred. The 17-year old driving the pickup was charged with driving while intoxicated, though it does not appear he was responsible for the crash.

car accident attorney Houston Smith and Hassler personal injury

Photo credit: Ch 2 News

Smith and Hassler personal injury law firm online reviews

Online reviews are an important source of information for anyone looking for products or services, including someone who is looking for a good personal injury attorney. Smith & Hassler is currently rated 4.9 out of 5 stars on Google, based on 42 reviews from former clients. You can read Smith & Hassler’s client reviews here.

Smith & Hassler has four attorneys (Albert M. Hassler, David Swick, Brent Cordell and Daragh Carter) who are Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Personal Injury Trial Law. The firm has been representing injured people throughout Texas since 1989. In addition to seven full-time attorneys, Smith & Hassler employs 11 full time staff members to ensure client matters are handled as efficiently as possible.

6 injured in Nissan Murano crash on Eldridge Parkway

Six people were injured in a two vehicle car accident yesterday, three of them were life flighted to Memorial Hermann. The crash happened on Eldridge Parkway at Guernsey Drive, according to Channel 2, when a black-colored Nissan Murano SUV pulled out in front of another SUV occupied by three teenagers. The woman driving the Murano and two passengers were transported via life flight, the teenagers by ground ambulance.

car accident personal injury attorneys Houston Smith Hassler

Vigils held for Terra Kubala and Trent Weber; driver hires criminal attorney

17-year old Trent Weber, a student at Seven Lakes High School in Katy ISD, and 16-year old Terra Kubala, a 16-year old student at Cinco Ranch High School, died over the weekend when the Toyota Tundra pickup truck they were riding in rolled several times. Investigators say the 18-year old driver of the pickup was traveling on Lunda Vista Lane in Fort Bend County on Sunday morning when the wreck happened; at the time there were as many as five teenagers in the cab of the truck and 10 riding in the bed. The driver, whose name has not been released, visited the scene yesterday with his criminal defense attorney Dan Cogdell. At the scene the teen and his lawyer were confronted by Nick Grantges, Terra Kubala’s older brother.

The driver was tested for alcohol by FBCSO, but the results have not been released. Trent and Terra were apparently riding in the pickup bed.

Houston Texas car accident personal injury attorneys Smith & Hassler

Terra and Trent