Posted on November 26, 2012 in Uncategorized

Destiny Salinas, 18, started driving on the morning of Friday up-11-23>rd to get back home. She drove from Walters Street to the Interstate 34 in Northeast San Antonio. Unfortunately, she made a wrong turn into the opposite direction of traffic on I-35. It was around 8:30 in the morning as she drove north on the southbound lanes of traffic.

The first car that she met was at the intersection of Rittman Rd. and I-35. The driver of the Chevy Impala told authorities that he attempted to swerve out of the way of Salinas but was still clipped by her car. The force of the hit spun his car into the path of another vehicle. After the Impala was hit again, it ended upside-down on the side of the highway.

This car accident did not make Salinas stop and help these victims. She continued on her journey for seven miles before she was stopped by local police. The intersection of I-35 and Walzem Rd was where she ended up. Detective Brian Campbell said that she seemed to be intoxicated. She was arrested and subsequently charged with driving while intoxicated and intoxicated assault.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on November 22, 2012 in Uncategorized

Traffic accidents are a daily occurrence in areas where there are lots of people living and driving. But when you think of a car crash, you don’t usually expect a train to be involved. In this case, however, a woman in her truck was hit by a TRE train and hospitalized because of it. WFAA.com did a story about this train-vehicle collision. The train tracks at East Gilbert Road just east of the West Irving Station were the scene for a massive collision when a TRE train struck a truck that was stopped on the tracks. DART officials said the collision took place in the morning, around 9:45 a.m., as the train was heading west. It was confirmed that the woman who was injured and hospitalized in the crash was, in fact, in the vehicle when the train hit the truck, but it was not revealed whether she had been the one driving the vehicle. After the crash, both westbound and eastbound tracks had to be closed down, because the scene of the accident was investigated and crews worked on clearing the scene. Officials have not released the identity and condition of the woman injured in the crash. Car accidents can have a devastating impact on a person’s life. If you or a loved one have been injured in car accident that was not caused by you, you may be eligible for compensation. Contacting a personal injury attorney is advisable when you are injured but not to be blamed for the injury. If you need the help of an experienced personal injury attorney, contact our offices in New Braunfels, Texas today.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on November 20, 2012 in Uncategorized

Xitclalli Vasquez is in a wheelchair, paralyzed from the chest down, because a drunk driver crashed into a car Vasquez was in. Over a year after the accident that changed her life, Xitclalli wrote a letter to the driver, hoping she could change his life with her words. WFAA.com reported a story about Xitclalli’s tragic tale. Nine-year-old Xitclalli said she wants to know the man did that day and if he remembers how everything happened. The day she is talking about is July 9, 2011. Xitclalli was on her way home from the North East Mall in Hurst with her aunt, sister and nephew when the crash happened. A tragic ending for a day filled with fun. Jeremy Solis, who was driving drunk, slammed into the car Xitclalli was in at a street corner in Fort Worth. According to police, Solis had a blood-alcohol level of nearly three times the legal limit, so there is no question that he was drunk. Xitclalli’s mother read her daughter’s letter to Solis in a Tarrant County courtroom after Solis pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Following the sentence, the young girl’s words seemed to have an impact on Solis and the people in the courtroom. “I did see him cry several times,” said Mrs. Vasquez. If you or a loved one have fallen victim to a reckless driver, it is in your best interests to contact an experienced personal injury attorney in New Braunfels, Texas. If you are injured because of someone else’s actions, you might be eligible for financial compensation. Do not hesitate before contacting a knowledgeable personal injury attorney for help. Contact our offices today.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on November 17, 2012 in Uncategorized

While most people may think of fatal car accidents as involving high speeds and heavily-traveled highways, the reality is that fatal accidents can happen anywhere and at any time, including in a parking lot. The San Antonio Express-News recently reported on a fatal accident that took place in the parking lot of Hunt Methodist Church. At approximately 10:00 a.m., as people were leaving church services, a van allegedly went out of control and struck four other vehicles, as well as 68-year-old Vickie Oehler, wife of Kerr County Commissioner Bruce Oehler. Emergency personnel flew Oehler to San Antonio Military Medical Center by helicopter, where she was pronounced dead.

While it is unclear at this point what caused the van to go out of control and the accident to occur, the Kerr County Sheriff and the Department of Public Safety are continuing to investigate the matter. When a fatal accident occurs, there are two different legal perspectives from which to examine the situation. First, authorities must determine whether any criminal activity occurred that led to the accident. For instance, if the driver that causes a fatal accident was intoxicated, then the driver may be charged criminally for his role in causing the accident. On the other hand, if the driver acted negligently in any way in causing the accident, or with a lack of reasonable care given the circumstances, then the driver also may be civilly liable to any victims of the accident. In this manner, depending on what the cause of the accident, a person can face both criminal and civil liability.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on November 15, 2012 in Uncategorized

The San Antonio Express-News is reporting that a man who was hospitalized after a four-car wreck is suspected to have been intoxicated while driving, and is likely to be charged with intoxication assault. The man reportedly was driving his green SUV west on Loop 1604 near Redland Road when he failed to slow down in a construction zone. As a result, the man rear-ended a white sedan in the far left-hand lane, causing it to be pushed across the road and into the median, where it flipped over until landing upright. Both occupants of the white sedan were taken to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, one by helicopter, and one by ambulance.

After striking the white sedan, the man in the green SUV continued on and rear-ended a gold SUV. Another vehicle was also struck by accident debris. The green SUV driver who caused the accident was hospitalized following the second collision, but no other injuries were reported

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on November 13, 2012 in Uncategorized

Two people were killed in a chain reaction car accident involving three vehicles. The accident happened in the 16400 block of State Highway 6, about a quarter-mile from Santa Fe High School. Both victims died at the scene. According to a report in the Galveston Daily News, Charles Orsak, 29, from Santa Fe, was driving a 2000 Chevrolet in the westbound lane of State Highway 6 when he slammed into the back of a 1995 Jeep. The impact of the crash ejected the driver of the Jeep from the vehicle. The driver, Sharon Zakkizadeh, 65, of Santa Fe, was later declared dead at the scene. The Jeep crossed into oncoming traffic on the eastbound late of and rolled onto a 1991 Honda driven by Joseph Seymour, 58, trapping him inside. A short time later, Seymour was also declared dead at the scene. Orsack, the drive of the Chevrolet, was rushed to UTMB hospital by air ambulance where he was originally listed in critical condition. His condition was later upgraded to stable. Police are continuing their investigation of the accident but say there is no indication at this time of drugs or alcohol being a factor in the crash. Although there has not been an announcement at this time by police as to the cause of the crash, there are several possible scenarios. If, for example, police determine that the driver of the Jeep had caused the accident by suddenly stopping without warning, then the survivor of the crash may be entitled to compensation for the injuries he sustained in the accident. If you or someone in your family has been a victim of a vehicle accident, consult with an experienced New Braunfels attorney today. You may be entitled to damages for any loss and suffering you have experienced as a result of the accident.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on November 10, 2012 in Uncategorized

Eliazar Trevino Jr. And his family received a healthy $11 million in compensation for an accident where Trevino was hit by a pipe casing. An Ector County jury awarded the $11 million to Trevino, who was injured in a Goldsmith oilfield accident, after a week-long civil injury trial. The Odessa American reported a story about the case.

Trevino was injured when a pipe casing fell from an oil field elevator, ripping out nerves from his shoulder and neck. The accident happened in September 2009. Trevino sued M&M Elevator Company, blaming the accident on a malfunctioning elevator.

Trevino’s attorneys said in their opening statements that the pipe casing fell, because the elevator malfunctioned.

The attorneys working the defense of M&M Elevator Company said the elevator had been checked that same say, and that it was improperly latched by oilfield workers. The attorneys also added that Trevino should not have been under the elevator anyway, regardless of what caused the pipe casing to fall.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on November 07, 2012 in Uncategorized

Contrary to popular belief, it’s not the monsters, vampires and witches that trick-or-treaters need to watch for. The most dangerous thing for children on Halloween are cars. U.S. Department of Transportation statistics from 2006 to 2010 show that more pedestrians under the age of 21 were killed by cars on Oct. 31 than on Oct. 30 or Nov. 1. Thankfully the total number of children who were killed during that time frame was 16. Most cases involve children being struck by a vehicle while crossing a street or walking along the road. Many parents are even more worried and more vigilant about their children being abducted on Halloween. And although as parents we can never be too careful, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children reports that there are no increases in child abduction or missing children cases at Halloween according to an article released by the AP. Another false belief is that there is an increase in fire injuries at Halloween. But the National Fire Protection Association says that that isn’t the case. In years past, there was an increase in suspected arson cases. The AP quotes the U.S. Fire Administration, in a report from 2005, that “on Halloween, and the night before, incendiary and suspicious structure fires are about 60 percent more frequent than on an average day.” The spike in those fires was due to an event called ‘Devil’s Night’. Devil’s Night takes place the night before Halloween. It used to be known as a night of mischief. But over the past few years, most notably in large urban cities such as Detroit, mischief escalated into more criminal behavior, such as arson. But community and police efforts have seen a huge decrease in this type of activity. If you or someone in your family is injured by someone else’s carelessness on Halloween, or any day, you need to consult with an experienced personal injury attorney to find out what your legal options may be for any pain and suffering you have had to endure.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on November 04, 2012 in Uncategorized

n March 1974, all states in this country adopted the national speed limit of 55 mph as the maximum speed limit. In 1995, the law changed so that states could adopt their own speed limits. Most states (about 35) raised their maximum speed limits to between 65 to 70 mph. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) quotes a 2009 study that examined what the effects of that 1995 law change had on road fatalities. The study attributed 12,545 deaths from accidents from 1995 to 2009 directly related to the increase in speed limits. Texas was one of the states to raise its speed limit to 70 mph. In 2002, it raised it to 75 mph. In 2006, the state raised the limit on sections of Interstates 10 and 20 in west Texas to 80 mph. And just recently, the state raised its maximum speed limit again. Now Texas’ speed limit is 85 mph. In an interview with the Seattle Times, Carol Rawson, director of Texas DOT’s traffic-operations division, doesn’t think the new limit is dangerous to drivers. He points to statistics which show a decrease in fatalities since the speed limit was raised to 80 mph. In the three-year period before the 80-mph limit went into effect on I-10 and I-20, there were 103 traffic fatalities, or about 34 deaths per year. In the next six years, there have been 146 deaths, or 24 per year. That’s a decrease, on an annual basis, of about 29 percent. But opponents say that Rawson isn’t taking into effect other factors that have contributed to the decrease, such as greater use of seat belts, safety improvements in vehicles such as added air bags, and the economic downturn, which led to less driving. Time will tell if the new speed limit will increase car accidents and fatalities. If you’ve been injured in a car accident, it’s important to know what you are legally entitled to for any pain and loss you have suffered. Consult with an experienced personal injury attorney today.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on October 30, 2012 in Uncategorized

A Dallas woman who admitted to beating her toddler and gluing her hands to a wall sobbed Thursday as a prosecutor ordered her to look at the injuries she had inflicted on her daughter’s body.

Elizabeth Escalona began crying and didn’t speak for several seconds after prosecutor Eren Price displayed a photo of then-2-year-old Jocelyn Cedillo during Escalona’s sentencing hearing. Dozens of red and brown marks from the September 2011 beating covered Jocelyn’s back.

“Ms. Escalona, if you can do it, you can look at it,” Price said in a loud, sharp voice.

Escalona, who pleaded guilty in July to felony injury of a child, was on the witness stand for a second day. She faces anywhere from probation to life in prison. Prosecutors are seeking a 45-year sentence.

Police say Escalona kicked her daughter in the stomach, beat her with a milk jug, then stuck her hands to an apartment wall with an adhesive commonly known as Super Glue. Escalona’s other children told authorities their mother attacked Jocelyn due to potty training problems.

Continue Reading ››