On behalf of Manuel Gonzales, P.C. posted in Workers' Compensation on Thursday, May 17, 2012
When emergency personnel in like firefighters in Texas are killed in the line of duty, their families are generally entitled to apply for workers' compensation death benefits. These benefits often go to the fallen public safety employee's spouse as his or her next of kin.
But one Houston woman says she was wrongfully denied workers' compensation after her husband, a volunteer firefighter with the Wharton County Fire Department, was killed in a fire in July 2010. She says that the state of Texas denied her benefits because she is a transgender woman.
On behalf of Manuel Gonzales, P.C. posted in Car Accidents on Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Readers may recall that last summer we discussed a terrible car accident that took the lives of a Houston couple and paralyzed their two older sons as they were travelling in Texas. The sad situation captured national attention as celebrities and ordinary people responded to the young children's injuries and loss of their parents.
Looking to ensure that those responsible for the accident pay for their negligence, relatives of the children have filed a lawsuit against the driver of the other vehicle. Interestingly, the lawsuit also accuses Chrysler of failing to properly design the minivan the family was riding in to protect them from harm.
On behalf of Manuel Gonzales, P.C. posted in Workers' Compensation on Friday, May 11, 2012
Employers often implement safety incentive programs with the supposed goal of decreasing workplace accidents, but what incentives often instead do is dissuade workers from reporting accidents or injuries. In Texas workers are to be compensated for injuries taking place on the job under workers' compensation laws. However, it's impossible to collect such compensation if the injuries are never reported.
Fifteen individuals died and at least 180 injured during the BP Texas City Refinery explosion back in March of 2005. However, what was later discovered was that safety incentive programs used at the company actually worked in reverse in that employees were afraid of reprisals that would take place if injuries were reported that would lead to the suspicion that risky conditions were present at the workplace.
On behalf of Manuel Gonzales, P.C. posted in Personal Injury on Tuesday, May 8, 2012
We have all heard stories in the news about people getting attacked by dogs, but it may surprise readers in Houston to learn that there are 4.7 million dog bite incidents in the U.S. each year, including 800,000 bites that require the victims to receive medical attention. Most worryingly, half of those dog bites happen to children under 10 years old.
These numbers come from the American Humane Society. Even those who are not injured in a dog attack are indirectly affected: insurance companies in this country pay $1 billion per year for dog bite injury claims.
On behalf of Manuel Gonzales, P.C. posted in Semi Truck Accidents on Thursday, May 3, 2012
An 18 wheeler accident occurred when a truck struck another vehicle heading south on Texas 123 on the morning of April 27. This crash put into motion a string of collisions which injured 13 people seriously enough to require their hospitalization. The accident involved four vehicles, including a new school bus owned by the school district in Seguin. Nine of the injured were children, but eight of them were released from the hospital later in the day.
The accident took place at approximately 6:30 a.m. close to Lange Road, when the 18 wheeler attempted to pass a Chrysler PT Cruiser. After the truck hit the Chrysler, the Chrysler was flung into a subsequent head-on crash with the school bus, which was traveling north. A Ford Focus then plowed into the bus, striking it in the rear. Flames shot out, leaving all four vehicles charred, as well as twisted by the impacts.
On behalf of Manuel Gonzales, P.C. posted in Car Accidents on Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Michael Berry, the former Houston city councilman and current host of a conservative radio show, will not be charged with hit and run in connection with a Jan. 31 car accident, multiple sources said on May 1. It appears that authorities could not gather enough evidence that Berry knowingly struck another vehicle and drove off that night as he left a local gay bar.
As we reported in our Feb. 21 blog post, a car was involved in a minor car accident at the bar on Jan. 31. A bouncer at the bar took down the car's license plate, and an investigation traced the vehicle to Berry. Surveillance footage from inside the bar showed that Berry was there prior to the accident.
On behalf of Manuel Gonzales, P.C. posted in Car Accidents on Saturday, April 28, 2012
Houston residents expect the police to do their best to protect them from harm. So when a Houston police officer causes a car accident that injures somebody, it may be frustrating to learn how rarely those officers are disciplined.
A recent news report by KHOU-TV found that there were 155 serious car accidents over the past four years in which a Houston police officer was found to be at fault. But under the law, officers are immune from traffic citations when they are in the course of their jobs. In other words, no officer received a ticket in connection to any of the 155 accidents.
On behalf of Manuel Gonzales, P.C. posted in Semi Truck Accidents on Friday, April 27, 2012
A passenger vehicle carrying four teenagers collided with an 18-wheeler semi truck on US Highway 59 in Rosenberg last week killing one 17-year-old and injuring three others, two seriously. A 58-year-old Houston man was driving the 18-wheeler northbound when an 18-year-old Richmond teen looking to cross at Cottonwood Church Road entered the northbound lanes of the highway. The truck accident occurred when the semi truck broadsided the passenger vehicle.
The driver and a 16-year-old female passenger were seriously injured in the crash and had to be airlifted to a local hospital. A second passenger, also 16-years-old suffered minor injuries and was taken to a different hospital for treatment. The third 17-year-old passenger was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency responders.
On behalf of Manuel Gonzales, P.C. posted in Workers' Compensation on Wednesday, April 25, 2012
We have all seen them: the familiar orange cones and concrete barriers signifying a road construction site. When road construction crops up in our neighborhood or along our commute to work, the resulting traffic slowdown can be frustrating. Many drivers are tempted to drive as fast as possible when the road opens up to get through the construction.
But driving too fast in construction zones puts road workers at risk of serious injury if there is a car accident. The Texas Department of Transportation is marking National Work Zone Awareness week the week of April 23 - 27 by reminding motorists to minimize the risk of injury to construction workers by driving carefully and obeying posted speed limits when encountering road work.
On behalf of Manuel Gonzales, P.C. posted in Semi Truck Accidents on Thursday, April 19, 2012
A collision between two tractor-trailers was due to one of the drivers going too fast and spinning out of control, according to a recently-filed lawsuit filed. The plaintiff in the case was the driver of the second semi truck. She said in the lawsuit that she suffered serious injuries in the accident, which led to both vehicles catching fire.
According to the lawsuit, which was filed in the Eastern District of Texas: on Oct. 1, 2010, the defendant was hauling three automobiles on a highway in another state when it came up behind a pickup truck. The defendant was travelling at an excessive rate of speed and had to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting the pickup, the lawsuit says.
