Posted on March 06, 2013 in Uncategorized

The X Games, that are held every winter, focus on action sports, or what some would call extreme sports. This year the Winter X Games were held in Aspen, Colorado. The event features sports such as snowboarding, skiing, and snowmobiling. But after the recent accident with professional snowmobile athlete, Caleb Moore, people are beginning to question whether or not the X Games are ‘too’ extreme. During one of the events,

Moore was attempting to do a back-flip with his snowmobile; however, he could not rotate the machine fast enough. The skis ended up digging into the slope and caused the 450-pound machine to fall on top of Moore. It slammed into his head and chest. Moore was at first diagnosed with a concussion but later, doctors found bleeding around his heart.

The accident has brought a lot of scrutiny to the Games, itself. People are beginning to question whether or not the games should take place, at all. The X Games have recently risen to fame in the last few years, coming align with the Summer and Winter Olympics. Moore’s accident is not the first of this year’s X Games. There have been several others, most of the accidents have been snowmobiling accidents. Moore’s younger brother suffered from a pelvis injury in the same snowmobiling event. There have been a few non-snowmobiling accidents, as well. Freestyle skier, Rose Battersby, was diagnosed with a spinal fracture, and snowboarder Halldor Helgason suffered from a concussion.

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 Posted on March 03, 2013 in Uncategorized

Car accidents are commonplace in Texas, with hundreds of thousands occurring each year. The causes range from speeding, weather, drunk driving, sleepiness, and distractions. The last cause can be limited by a ban on texting while driving but the state of Texas has failed to create a statewide ban. Although Texas does currently outlaw texting by drivers under the age of 18, in school zones, and bus drivers who transport children. Certain cities in Texas have also already banned texting while driving, such as Austin and San Antonio. But when Texas lawmakers brought the bill to be signed into law by Governor Rick Perry, he declined. His office commented that “the key to dissuading drivers from texting while driving is information and education, not government micromanagement.” Texas is one of 11 states left in America that has not instituted a complete ban. There is some basis that texting bans are not effective without corresponding education and information. Since Austin enacted a ban over two years ago, the results have been mixed. In 2010, the overall number of car crashes went down by 3,000. Yet accidents caused by distracted drivers increased by 80. It would also help if law enforcement could make some arrests. The Austin police department has only ticketed 26 distracted drivers Dr. Robert Greenberg, who spoke in support of this bill, said that “as an emergency room physician I’ve been involved in the worst days of most people’s lives. The tragedies are worse when they’re avoidable. Texting while driving is avoidable…We need to pass this legislation.” If you or your family has been affected by the negligence of someone else in a car accident, you should receive compensation for your loss. Contact an experienced personal injury attorney in Comal County today.

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 Posted on February 28, 2013 in Uncategorized

According to a new AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety report, people who use cell phones while driving are more likely to engage in other dangerous driving behaviors, as well, such as speeding, texting or sending emails, failing to wear a seatbelt, and driving while drowsy. More specifically, of the respondents who had used a cell phone while driving fairly often or regularly over the last month:

• 65% also reported speeding
• 44% also reported driving while drowsy
• 53% also reported texting or sending an email while driving
• 29% also reported driving without a seatbelt

On the other hand, drivers who did not regularly use a cell phone while driving were much less likely to engage in any other risky driving behaviors.

Furthermore, although 89% of respondents to the AAA survey reported that other drivers who use cell phones are a threat to their safety, 69% of those same respondents admitted to talking on a cell phone while driving within the past month. Likewise, 90% of the survey respondents had the opinion that cell phone usage while driving is a bigger problem today than it was three years ago, yet the respondents themselves still choose to use their own cell phones while driving.

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 Posted on February 26, 2013 in Uncategorized

There were only ten Grand Jury indictments in Comal County District Court this February, according to KGNB.am News, instead of the usual 20 to 30 indictments issued each month. One was 46-year-old New Braunfels resident Paul Boris Golceff, who was “indicted on two counts of sexual performance of a child and one count of aggravated sexual assault of a child.” Another New Braunfels man was indicted for a similar crime. Christopher Alan Lawrence, 25, “is now facing a single count of first degree felony continuous sexual assault of a child.” KGNB News states that indictments are not indications of guilt, of course, and that both these New Braunfels men are innocent until proven guilty.

Golceff is facing up to 99 years to life in prison “on each of the three first degree felony charges against him.” Golceff was already a convicted sex offender, for a 2002 charge of criminal solicitation of a minor. His home was searched and police seized his computer and other electronic items before he was arrested. Lawrence was originally arrested last October, according to KGNB News, in Caldwell County “and then transferred back to Comal County after he allegedly sexually assaulted a 5-year-old girl back in August.” The girl made authorities aware of the incident while in Christus New Braunfels Hospital.

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 Posted on February 24, 2013 in Uncategorized

Detective Jaime Pardinas was stabbed by a prisoner while transporting him from Florida to Nevada, according to this article from the New Braunfels Herald Zeiting. Alberto Morales somehow freed himself from handcuffs, obtained a sharp object, and stabbed Pardinas in the back three times and once in the neck. Morales then took off on foot, and is believed to be in the Dallas area.

Pardinas and Detective David Carrero were supposed to fly Morales from Florida to Nevada. However, they were not allowed to get back on the plane during a layover at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, due to Morales’ erratic behavior. He was “bumping his head against a passenger seat in front of him, so he was doing a lot of crazy, unusual things that just disrupted the entire flight.” From this, the detectives had to rent a car for the last 1,200 miles of the journey.

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 Posted on February 20, 2013 in Uncategorized

Nationally speaking, teen drivers are least likely to wear seat belts, and most likely to be in car accidents. According to dmv.org, the simple act of buckling up can reduce 45 per cent of fatal crashes for front seat drivers.

The Texas Department of Transportation is trying to address this by impressing upon teen drivers that driving without a seat belt is “uncool.” Especially with spring break, prom, and graduation just around the corner, TxDOT is implementing a “Teen Click It or Ticket” program in over 800 schools in the San Antonio area.

The program itself is costing over $600,000 and targeting almost 800,000 students, as reported on in this article from New Braunfels Herald Zeiting. Participating high schools will receive packets that include parking banners, public address announcements, and other miscellaneous materials geared towards positive seat belt reinforcements.

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 Posted on February 18, 2013 in Uncategorized

A 52-year-old man was killed at a seat belt factory in a workplace accident when he became stuck in a stamping machine, the San Antonio News Express reported on January 29. According to witness reports, Abel Rodriguez and another worker had shut down the machine in order to oil it. When the machine was jump started Rodriguez did not manage to remove his head out of the machine fast enough. The back of his skull was cracked in the accident causing his death. The medical examiner determined that Rodriguez’s death was an accident and that his head injuries were the cause of his death.

Rodriguez was not the first person killed in a workplace accident at the Takata Seat Belts Inc. manufacturing facility. In 2006, Francisco Sanchez, 33, was seriously injured in an explosion when he was operating a gas-powered metal-plating machine. It was not known what caused the machine to explode. Sanchez eventually died of his injuries. One month after the accident, several large explosions took place at a Takata manufacturing plant in Mexico. Fortunately, no one was injured in those explosions.

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 Posted on February 15, 2013 in Uncategorized

According to a recent report in the Southeast Texas Record, a Longview woman has levied charges against the driver of a vehicle that collided with hers a little over a year ago. The main basis of the lawsuit is negligence. Karen Head was traveling on I-20 in early January 2011 going westbound. She was traveling in the outer lane of the roadway. According to the documents, defendant James Smith, was traveling in the same direction and in the same lane on the same roadway. Mr. Smith allegedly was attempting to pass Ms. Head’s vehicle by accelerating and moving past her using the inner lane of the roadway. It was at this time, according to filed documents, that Mr. Smith lost control of his vehicle and collided with the vehicle driven by Ms. Head. Ms. Head has filed the suit accusing the defendant of being negligent in failing to keep a proper look out, failing to pay enough attention to the roadway, operating a vehicle without consideration of the welfare of others using the roadway or their property and failing to operate the vehicle at a proper speed for the road conditions. Ms. Head is seeking an undisclosed financial award to cover the physical pain and impairment that she is experiencing, her medical expenses, the loss of earnings while she was out of work, the loss of ability to make the same amount of money that she was making previously, as well as interest on the damages and the court costs incurred in filing the suit. Her attorney has requested to have a trial in front of a jury as opposed to a bench trial. If you have been injured because of another person’s improper use of the roads, you too may be able to sue for damages. An experienced Texas personal injury attorney can assist you with your case.

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 Posted on February 13, 2013 in Uncategorized

The Baytown Police were in pursuit of two shoplifters when the chase became deadly on October 19^th in 2012. The report came in that Jennifer Jenkins and Shannon Joe Chauncey had stolen pillows and a comforter from a local Sears. When they were stopped in front of the department store by detectives who witnessed the event, the two suspects rammed their car and led a chase for almost three miles. The chase ended when the pickup truck with Jenkins and Chauncey crashed into a car waiting at a stoplight at Garth Road and Rollingbrook Drive. Inside that car was a 16 year old and 17 year old boy from Sterling High School. Shawn Williams did not survive the impact of the crash. Shay Hollingshead suffered major injuries and remains in a wheelchair. The parents of these two boys have now filed a lawsuit against the city of Baytown. They have alleged that the Baytown police used a spike strip knowing of the possible dangers. Hitting it caused the shoplifters to lose control of their vehicle and crash into the innocent teenagers. “For pillows and pillow sheets does not warrant over 90 miles an hour,” said Shawn Williams, Sr., Shawn’s father. “This is not the Wild West. This is the real world.” Auto accidents are deadly and can change families forever. It’s a small consolation but if you have lost a loved one due to the negligence of a third party, there are ways of seeking retribution. Filing a wrongful death lawsuit can provide compensation which can pay for costly hospital bills and funeral arrangements. Contact an experienced personal injury lawyer in New Braunfels who can review your case today.

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 Posted on February 08, 2013 in Uncategorized

According to a report by the River Cities Daily Tribune, an Austin man was responsible for the a wreck that took place on Texas 71 involving four vehicles. This collision took place in Blanco County. William Deardorff was traveling westbound on Texas 71 when he collided with another vehicle. His vehicle then crossed the median and was facing oncoming traffic. He collided with two more vehicles before his vehicle veered off of the roadway. According to law enforcement officials, there had been several 911 reports coming from Travis County about this vehicle driving erratically on the roads, so police were already on the lookout for the pickup truck that Deardorff was driving. There were no passengers in the vehicle with Deardorff at the time of the collisions. A total of seven people were transported to nearby emergency rooms to be treated for their injuries. At this time, all of the injuries were reported to be non life threatening. Deardorff was arrested at the scene for driving while intoxicated, however, according to law enforcement officials, depending on the injuries sustained by the victims, the charges may be upgraded. The incident is currently still under investigation. If you or a loved one has experienced an injury because of the negligence of another driver, you may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit. The injuries sustained do not necessarily have to be life threatening in order to bring a suit before the courts. Being in an accident is a traumatic experience and a knowledgeable Texas personal injury attorney can assist you with your case. A financial award can assist with the medical bills that may be incurred as a result of the accident. Your award may also cover future medical care. Call an attorney today to receive a consultation on your situation.

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