Houston Personal Injury Attorneys – Smith & Hassler

15 Texas families who have lost loved ones to motor vehicle accidents involving texting while driving appeared at a briefing at the Texas capitol building to show their support for the Alex Brown Memorial Act. The bill prohibits drivers from using a cell phone to type, read or send a text message while operating their vehicle, though it would allow a driver to text if they were outside a travel lane and the vehicle was stopped. Fines would range from $25 to $200. The proposed ban on texting and driving would be statewide. There are already some localized bans on using cell phones in school zones. This is the fourth time that Senator Judith Zaffirini has proposed the ban.

Texas Dept. of Transportation data shows that cell phone use causing distracted driving killed 52 people in Texas in 2014, and in 2013 there were 459 fatal crashes involving a distracted driver, of which 56 deaths were caused by cell phone use.

A bill previously passed both chambers in 2011 but was vetoed by Governor Rick Perry. Critics of the proposed ban say that it won’t be effective and people will text and drive anyway. That’s not a very effective argument. You could say the same about speed limits on roads: why have speed limits when people are going to speed anyway. If speed limits were removed some people would drive dangerously fast because there would be no consequences to doing so. Perhaps if there was a consequence to driving distracted by texting, less people would do it and we’d all be safer.

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.

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

Injured driver

SUV damaged in last nights chain reaction accident

A major car accident this morning involving at least five vehicles had emergency responders using the Jaws of Life to rescue a trapped motorist. Channel 2 is reporting that three vehicles were propelled into a ditch that was flooded by this morning’s downpour. Westheimer Parkway near George Bush Park was shut down in both directions while the scene was cleared. No word on injuries, but the accident looks pretty severe based on the damage to the vehicles involved.

Photo credit: Channel 2 News

Thanks to Smith & Hassler client Marty Hayden for writing our latest online review on Google (see below). Smith & Hassler was founded in 1989 by Michael J. Smith and Albert “Al” M. Hassler, II and has been representing injured people throughout Texas for more than 25 years. As of this writing, Smith & Hassler is rated 4.9/5 stars based on 37 Google reviews from former clients. If you or a loved one have been injured, visit www.smithandhassler.com to arrange for a free consultation with an attorney (and not a legal assistant, secretary or case manager).

“My daughter was in a rollover accident last fall and S&H helped me get a fair and equitable claim as compensation for her injuries. I would recommend Mr. Daragh Carter to anyone seeking assistance with sort of thing. Mr. Carter was professional, friendly and responsive. Five stars for S&H!“

Investigators are working to determine whether alcohol was a factor in a major head-on crash early this morning that injured five people.  The vehicles collided at the intersection of Wes Montgomery and Victory in northwest Houston, according to ABC Channel 13 News. One vehicle was heading north, the other south, when the southbound vehicle attempted a left turn to head eastbound. Neighbor woken by the sound of the crash came to the scene to help and reported a female occupant of one vehicle with a large gash to her head. Other victims suffered broken bones but all are expected to survive.

A two vehicle collision occurred around 9:00 p.m. last night when an SUV pulling out of the parking lot of a Wal-Mart store on Tidwell in Houston was struck by a car. The SUV flipped over, trapping the driver who was rescued by emergency services. The driver of the SUV was transported to the emergency room and the two folks in the car were treated at the scene. Police say alcohol was not a factor in the crash.

Injured in a car accident and unsure of how to deal with the insurance company? Smith & Hassler has FOUR attorneys Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Personal Injury Trial Law. Visit www.smithandhassler.com or call 713 739 1250 for a free consultation.

Smith & Hassler congratulates Daragh Carter on being named to Houstonia Magazine’s Top Lawyers list for 2013. Daragh has been with Smith & Hassler since April 2006 and practices exclusively in personal injury law. Daragh is board certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in personal injury trial law.

Late Thursday night an SUV rear-ended a HPD patrol unit that was stopped with its emergency lights activated on Highway 290 near Pinemont.  The truck of the police car is crushed all the way to the base of the rear window, which suggests a very significant impact given the size of the trunk on a Ford Crown Victoria. At the time of the accident the officer was sitting in the police car and was blocking an exit ramp for a stranded driver. The police officer and the driver of the SUV were transported to the emergency room; according to Channel 2’s report police are now investigating whether alcohol was a factor in the crash.

Photo credit - Channel 2 News Houston

Smith and Hassler has handled personal injury cases in Houston and throughout Texas since the firm was founded by Michael Smith and Al Hassler in 1989. The firm has four attorneys that are Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and has the support staff and resources to handle personal injury cases of all sizes. You can read reviews from former clients on Google and City Search Houston to get a sense of the job we do.

Smith & Hassler were recently retained by a Houston area father to represent the man and his two young children, ages 5 and 2.  The family were involved in a severe rear-end car accident on a Houston freeway when they were struck from behind by a full-size pickup truck.  The family’s Chevrolet Impala was pushed forward into the vehicle in front of them and is a total loss. If you have been involved in a car accident and need an effective and efficient Houston personal injury firm to help you, you can contact Smith & Hassler any time day or night, or submit your case online for a no charge consultation.

Smith and Hassler represents a father and his two young children involved in a severe rear end collision