Houston Personal Injury Attorneys – Smith & Hassler

After a multi-vehicle accident that involved a METRO bus yesterday morning, nine people were hospitalized. Police say that traffic was backed up when METRO bus number 5891 crashed into other vehicles at around 9am. The location of the accident was the 3100 block of Antoine in northwest Houston. Bus passenger Chris Tidwell told Channel 11 News that the METRO bus accelerated and hit the car in front. Wilfred Wilkins, another passenger, said the car that the bus hit lifted off the ground and partially came through the windshield of the bus, then that car swerved away from the bus striking two more vehicles. Wilkins injured his wrist during the collision and said the scene was chaotic because the bus passengers did not know what was happening. In total, the bus and ten other vehicles were damaged. One accident witness, Wilhemina Ellison said the driver of the METRO bus was not to blame because a car cut in front of the bus, and the driver reacted to avoid it. Officials said seven people on the METRO bus were taken to the hospital to be treated for injuries, and two people from the other vehicles involved. METRO has said the bus driver will be taken off the road until METRO‘s investigation of the accident is completed.

Smith & Hassler has represented injured people throughout Texas for more than 23-years. If you have been injured in a motor vehicle accident, call Smith & Hassler or submit your case online to speak with an attorney today.

Smith & Hassler trial attorney Roger Sullivan preparing to select a jury in Harris County District Court

If you have been involved in a serious motor vehicle accident and you are looking for effective representation, one of the questions you should be asking the attorney you are considering is if they have recently taken a case to trial. Generally speaking it is preferred to reach a settlement of a personal injury case when possible: settlement is preferred because settlement saves resources (for both sides) by keeping expenses down, settlement happens relatively soon compared to pursuing a lawsuit, and perhaps most importantly, settlement eliminates risk and gives the client a guaranteed outcome. The outcome of a personal injury lawsuit is not certain.

Still, there are some times when settlement is just not possible and a particular case is destined to be decided by a jury. That is why you should check with any personal injury attorney you are considering to see when they most recently took a case to trial. The answer doesn’t have to be “yesterday” or “last week” but ideally a personal injury attorney would continue to try cases during their career to keep their trial skills sharp.

Above is a photo taken May 1, 2012 of Smith & Hassler attorney Roger Sullivan preparing for jury selection in a trial against a drunk driver who rear-ended our client. The trial was in Harris County Civil District Court.

If you have been injured and need serious representation, Smith & Hassler’s experienced personal injury attorneys would be honored to give you a no-charge consultation. Smith & Hassler has represented injured people in Houston and throughout Texas since 1989.

The Smith & Hassler law firm has spent 23-years protecting the rights of persons injured throughout Texas in motor vehicle accidents.

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.

Two workers installing a flagpole yesterday at the Riata West subdivision off Barker Cypress Road in Cypress were rushed to hospital when the pole made contact with an overhead electrical wire. The men, who were contract workers installing the flagpole for developer CastleRock Communities, suffered burns to their hands and feet. Investigators say that as the men were installing the flagpole it began to lean, so the men grabbed the pole to prevent it from falling and that’s when the power line was contacted. CastleRock Communities say the two men work installing signs an flagpoles for them. Channel 2’s article on the incident did not include information on the men’s conditions. If you have been injured at work and aren’t sure of your rights, call the experienced personal injury attorneys at Smith & Hassler and request a no-cost evaluation of your work injury case.

A morning accident has claimed the life of a motorcycle rider.  The collision happened this morning at approximately 6:45am on Elysian at Cavalcade, and involved the motorcycle and a pickup truck.  The pickup truck went out of control and struck a home, injuring a woman inside. The woman was transported to a nearby hospital. Channel 11’s report is here and does not identify either driver or state how the collision happened. Channel 2’s story is here and states that the motorcycle rider ran a red light immediately before the collision. Channel 13’s story is here and indicates that there were two women inside the house that was hit by the pickup truck: a 55-year old woman and her daughter who were getting ready for work.  The woman was pinned between the crashed pickup truck and a dining room table inside her home, however she was still somehow able to called her sister Arva Hamilton to summon help. Witnesses said the motorcycle rider was not wearing a helmet: he died instantly.