Houston Personal Injury Attorneys – Smith & Hassler

In 2011 Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan sued three companies for dumping toxic paper waste into the San Jacinto River. Those companies are Waste Management, International Paper and McGinnis Industrial Maintenance Corporation. The County’s factual claim is that these companies allowed dioxin, a dangerous chemical with documented risk to human health, to leak into a river system where Harris County residents have fished and swam since the 1960s. The County is seeking $2,000,000,000 ($2 billion) in penalties because the three companies failed to disclose the waste and clean it up. Residents of The Highlands have filed a lawsuit of their own; many of these residents are represented by Smith & Hassler.

In 2008 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) named the waste pits a Superfund site and took over remediation. Waste Management, International Paper and McGinnis Industrial Maintenance Corporation were ordered by the EPA to place a temporary cap over the waste pits, but the concern the Highlands residents have is that the cap could not withstand a major flood.

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.