Houston Personal Injury Attorneys – Smith & Hassler

Channel 13 Eyewitness News is reporting that a 4-year old boy narrowly escaped drowning when he slipped away from his mother and fell into a swimming pool at Pine Lakes apartments in North Houston on Greens Parkway near Sharmon. The little boy’s mom discovered him under the water, and when he was pulled out rescuers were able to resuscitate him. He was transported to hospital where he is in serious condition. Click2Houston.com’s report of the incident is available here and states the incident happened around 11:00pm when the mother was swimming and playing with her three children. When they had finished playing the mother took two of the children inside and had assumed the 4-year old has also gone inside with his aunt. She was unable to see that the 4-year old was in the pool because the water was discolored and the little boy has sunk to the bottom of the pool.

Ideally swimming pools are properly secured with a childproof fence and gate, whether it is a pool at a private residence or a shared pool at an apartment complex or fitness center. Swimming pools should also have rescue equipment on hand at all times, such as flotation devices or a pole that could be used by a non-swimmer to assist someone who has fallen in and needs help. Persons or businesses who control the pool area should make sure the pool and equipment are properly maintained, that warning signs are in place and that the pool does not pose a danger to those around it, particularly to children. If you live in a shared housing unit such as an apartment or condominium complex and you believe there are defects or dangers with the pool, you should notify building management right away, ideally in writing or by email. Discolored pool water poses a number of dangers, including an inability to see how deep the water is which may injure someone diving or jumping into the pool, and also the danger that some who falls into the pool cannot be seen.

A wrong-way driver was killed Monday June 13 when he veered into oncoming traffic on the Crosby Freeway near Sheldon Road at around 12:35PM. Three vehicles were involved in the accident and the driver of one of the vehicles struck by the wrong-way motorist was seriously injured and had to be taken by life flight helicopter to Memorial Hermann Hospital for treatment. The male driver was headed eastbound on the Crosby Freeway when he entered the oncoming lane, hitting one car and pushing it into a third vehicle. Click2Houston.com’s report states it isn’t known at this time why the driver crossed into oncoming traffic.

A car accident is a very disruptive event for most people.  A damaged vehicle may mean you cannot get to work, grocery shop, take your kids to school or sporting events, and so on.  Injuries may mean you are unable to work, hence unable to support yourself or your family due to lost wages.  And not only are you missing income because you are unable to work, but you now have unexpected debts for medical treatment, sometimes in the tens of thousands of dollars.  Dealing with all of these challenges at once can feel overwhelming, particularly if you have never been involved in an accident before.  If the at-fault driver had insurance, you are probably dealing with requests for information from the insurance company too.  Smith & Hassler firmly believes that the earlier in the process you get sound advice from an experienced personal injury attorney who is willing to listen to you, answer your questions and provide you guidance, the better.  The insurance company will press you early on to give a recorded statement about the accident, your injuries, your medical history and more: don’t do it, the statement is for their benefit, not yours.  You can call or email Smith & Hassler any time for a free consultation on your car accident injury claim.

At 2:30am on Saturday a speeding Corvette left the roadway on NASA Road 1 and slammed into the wall of a home. Alcohol and speed are thought to have contributed to the collision: reports indicate the driver of the Corvette was racing a motorcycle and may have been traveling at or about 100MPH when he wrecked. A female passenger riding in the Corvette died at the accident scene, her identity has not been released.

If you have lost a loved one due to another’s negligence, call the experienced personal injury attorneys at Smith & Hassler who have successfully handled a great many wrongful death cases for Houston families.

ABC Channel 13 News is reporting yet another car accident involving an HPD vehicle.  On this occasion a driver allegedly ran a red light at the intersection of Scott Street and the South  610 Loop at around 3:30am, crashing into the front of a marked HPD patrol car. The driver of the SUV was taken into custody for traffic violations and the report indicates the police officers were not seriously hurt. Two female passengers in the SUV were taken to be checked out at the hospital.

If you, a friend or a family member have been injured in a car accident, Smith & Hassler’s experienced personal injury attorneys are available to give you a free consultation either in-person or by phone.  Sometimes people injured in car accident wait before consulting an attorney. They have good intentions: not wanting to seem “sue happy,” waiting to see if their injuries will get better or because an insurance adjuster is discouraging them from seeking legal advice (that happens).  It is better to know your rights early in the process and have an experienced Houston personal injury attorney explain the steps involved in car accident injury claim and what you can do NOW to increase the chances of a good outcome.

Channel 2 News is reporting that a 3-year old boy drowned in a swimming pool at the Seasons at Cypress Station Apartments in Spring, Texas. The boy was pulled from the pool at around 9:00pm on Wednesday June 8, 2011. He was rushed to Houston Northwest Medical Center where he died. ABC Channel 13 Eyewitness News also reported on the same story, however in their report the boy is listed as being 4-years old, and the circumstances of the drowning are reported to be that there was a party being held in the pool area and the boy fell into the pool but nobody noticed him fall.

According to the YMCA Water Wise program, a child can become submerged within 10 seconds and lose consciousness within two minutes. It takes just four to six minutes for a child to suffer permanent brain damage. There have been 5 other drownings in Harris County this year. Photographs on the web site for Seasons at Cypress Station show a large swimming pool surrounded by a tall metal fence, however it was not reported how the child gained access to the pool area. Here is a link to an informational video on the YMCA Water Wise Program.

Channel 13 News is reporting a fatal accident on southbound US Highway 59 near the Grand Parkway in Sugar Land. Sugar Land police department reports that the accident happened at around 11:00am today when a big rig hauling a tanker trailer of diesel fuel crashed. The diesel fuel spilled onto the highway shutting down southbound US 59 completely. The cause of the crash is under investigation according to Channel 2’s story.

A severe crash involving two pickup trucks has occurred at the 17400 block of I-45 at around 6:29AM on Sunday June 5, 2011. Two Dodge Ram pickup trucks, one heading northbound in the right lane, another going eastbound on 1960 in the outside lane. The northbound pickup truck ran the red light, t-boning the eastbound Dodge Ram causing it to flip over and come to rest on its roof. The driver of the eastbound Dodge Ram was confirmed dead at the scene. No charges had been filed however the District Attorney’s Office had sent an investigator to the scene. The drivers of the two trucks were the only occupants. The driver who ran the red light was not transported to the hospital and remained at the scene during the investigation.

Over our more than 20-years practicing personal injury law in the Houston area, Smith & Hassler has amassed great experience in handling automobile accident claims and wrongful death claims resulting from automobile collisions.

A serious two car accident happened this morning at the intersection of 43rd and the US 290 eastbound feeder road. Both drivers were visibly injured, the female driver of the silver SUV was bleeding and sustained an injury to her arm. A witness who was in a furniture delivery truck that was stopped at the intersection said the driver of the red pickup truck disregarded the traffic signal striking the silver SUV. The SUV spun 180 degrees after the impact. A Houston Fire Department ambulance responded to the scene.

A serious 3 vehicle car accident happened around 7:25am this morning on John Lizer Road in Pearland near Pearland Parkway, injuring two off-duty Houston Police Department officers and a child. A white-colored Ford pickup truck driven by an off-duty HPD officer was traveling northbound on Pearland Parkway when a Chevy Trailblazer heading eastbound on John Linzer ran a red light, smashing into the pickup truck and causing it to flip over. A third vehicle (also driven by an off-duty HPD officer) was struck in the crash and sustained damage. A 2-year old child riding in the Trailblazer was taken to Texas Children’s Hospital and both of the police officers were reported to have sustained injury.  Hopefully the at-fault party was properly insured and their insurance company will accept responsibility for the damage done.  KHOU’s story is available here.

Car accidents commonly result in medical bills, lost income from work and a period of time after the accident when the injured person is in pain and is impaired from performing their normal activities. Texas law allows a person injured in a motor vehicle accident by another’s negligence to seek recovery of money damages.  Speaking to an experienced Houston personal injury attorney early in the process can make the difference between a relatively straightforward claim under the other driver’s insurance policy and a real nightmare.  Insurance companies will deny or undervalue claims if they have a reason to.  Smith & Hassler’s trial-tested Houston personal injury attorneys will provide you with a free consultation regarding your motor vehicle accident injury claim: call now or submit your case online.

Today is Houston Police Department Officer Kevin Will’s funeral.  Officer Will was killed in the line of duty Sunday, struck by a drunk driver while investigating a motorcycle accident on Houston’s North 610 Loop. Officer Will’s funeral service is to be held at Champion Forest Baptist Church and will be followed by a private burial service. 26-year old Johoan Rodriguez, driving a silver-colored Volkswagen Beetle, drove through a police barricade before fatally striking Officer Will. Rodriguez’ Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) was reported to be .238 which is very nearly three times the legal limit for intoxication in the State of Texas.  It is estimated Rodriguez was traveling around 80MPH when he struck Officer Will. Rodriguez also had a quantity of cocaine in his pocket at the time of his arrest.  Rodriguez has been deported from the U.S. on two prior occasions and denied entry to the U.S. on one occasion: Rodriguez works construction in the Houston area. Rodriguez has been charged with intoxication manslaughter of a police officer, among other offenses.  Prosecutors have stated Rodriguez is a member of the notorious MS-13 gang.

Officer Will leaves behind his wife who is 7-months pregnant with the couple’s first child together, a son, and also his 7 and 10 year old stepchildren.

In 2008 there were 3,382 fatalities resulting from motor vehicle accidents in the State of Texas: of those accidents 1,463 (which is 43%) were alcohol related. 1,269 of the alcohol-related fatalities involved drivers whose BAC was greater than .08, meaning they were legally intoxicated. Harris County consistently ranks top or near the top of the nation’s most heavily populated counties for DWI fatalities.

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.