Laredo Family Killed in 18-Wheeler Accident – Texas Truck Accident Lawyers
The three members of a single Southeast Texas family, who were killed in an accident involving their Toyota and a tractor-trailer near Laredo over the weekend, have now been identified as Manuel Arizola, 21, his girlfriend Johana Sandoval, 21 and their baby of 11 months old Romen Arizola.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, the crash occurred on Saturday morning on Interstate 35. The family was in a Toyota, and headed to San Antonio. The tractor-trailer was southbound on Interstate 35, when it crossed the median and struck the oncoming Toyota carrying the young family. The two young parents and their baby were killed instantly. The man’s younger sister, Victoria Arizola was also in the car. She suffered serious injuries, and was rushed to the Army Medical Center in San Antonio.
It’s a tragedy anytime there is a fatality in an auto accident, and even more so, when an entire family is lost in this manner. Our hearts go out to the Sandoval and Arizola families who have lost their son and daughter in this tragedy.
Investigations into the accident are going on, and there is no way of knowing for certain why the truck driver crossed the median. There are any number of reasons why this could happen.
As Houston truck accident lawyers, we know that a momentary lack of attention or a lapse in judgment while driving, can occur because of distractions, fatigue or any other factor. A tired trucker is more likely to lose control of his vehicle, or make driving errors. Investigators here are likely to look into the driver’s logbooks to see how many hours he had been driving without a break. Similarly, distractions like using cell phones or snacking can also contribute to driving errors.
Both these issues are major truck safety issues across the country, and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration as well as the Department of Transportation have been engaged in serious efforts to tackle trucker driver fatigue and distracted driving by truck drivers.
If you or loved one has been in an serious accident with an 18-wheeler, commercial vehicle, bus or car, contact the Husband & Wife Legal Team today at 713-226-9900 or toll free 1-877-226-9940.
Houston Injury Lawyers Warn against Letting Children Ride Adult-Sized ATVs
Houston accident lawyers often notice that many parents remain unaware about the dangers of letting their children ride large-size All-Terrain Vehicles. Adult-sized ATVs are only meant for children above the age of 16. However, an investigation by CBS’ Early Show finds that dealers may be taking advantage of parental lack of awareness about the issue, and may be selling them adult sized ATVs, even when they know these will be used by children.
The Early Show investigators visited a number of dealers to buy ATVs for a child. They found that dealers were willing to sell adult-sized ATVs, even when they knew that these would be used by a child under 16 years of age. The findings are shocking to Houston injury lawyers who know that these vehicles can be potentially fatal when handled by a child of this age.
However, those findings were not the only ones confirming that dealers may be willing to indulge in unethical selling practices. An earlier undercover investigation by the Government Accountability Office revealed similar findings. Out of every 10 ATV dealers, seven were likely to sell adult-sized ATVs for use by a young child, in some cases even persuading parents to buy their child adult-sized ATVs because kids would soon get tired of youth-sized vehicles.
This is even as the ATV manufacturing industry continues to insist that it only recommends adult-sized ATVs for children above the age of 16. The recommendations have very little meaning when their dealers push sales of adult-sized ATVs for children. Obviously, there’s some disconnect between what the manufacturers are saying and what their dealers on the street are actually doing.
With more numbers of children riding ATVs during summer, we would highly recommend that you only allow your below-16 year old child to ride a child-sized ATV, and that too only after he undergoes a safety training program. Adult-sized ATVs are exactly that – only meant for adults. A child can suffer serious injuries in an ATV accident, when the vehicle tips over and he is pinned underneath.
If you or your child has been injured as a result of an ATV accident, contact the Texas injury lawyers at the Kahn Law Firm at 713-226-9900 or toll free at 1-877-226-9940.
New Texas Prison Program Aims to Encourage Bonding Between Female Inmates, Babies – Houston Criminal Lawyer
As Houston criminal defense lawyers, we often come face-to-face with some of the most desperate persons who are faced with spending time in prison. Many of these are pregnant women, for whom the challenges of a prison sentence can be even greater. That’s why it was so great to read about a new program in Texas, that aims to encourage strong mother- child bonds between female prison inmates and their newborn babies.
The program is called BAMBI-Baby and Mother Bonding Initiative- and is an effort by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The program is currently being offered out of the Santa Maria Hostel, and is meant to equip these young mothers with the skills they need to cope with parenting in their unique circumstances, and when they get out of prison.
The program is open to women who have been convicted of minor offenses, like thefts. It is not open to women who have been convicted of violent crimes, arson or sex offenses. Typically, the program includes those female prisoners who are expected to be released within six months. A typical day in the program starts with a group session in which women are encouraged to set goals for the day, as well as short-term and long-term goals. Except for the time when they take part in these sessions, the women are responsible for taking care of their newborn babies.
There are many benefits to having a program like this. The biggest benefit is obviously the well-being of the child. There is enough evidence to show that children, who are separated from their mothers during infancy, develop attachment issues that impact them negatively. These children are also much more likely to go right back through the Texas justice system after they fail to fit in with society.
The other major benefit lies in how the program helps prisoners gain a better perspective of their life beyond prison. Having a child can change a woman’s outlook on life by 180°, and women who have been incarcerated for any period of time and have had babies during this time, can be forced to seriously reconsider their life choices and what they want for their children going forward. Such programs can also help lower recidivism rates across Texas.
Seven Companies Recall Two Million Dropside Cribs – Houston Child Injury Lawyers
It’s getting hard to keep up with the number of defective crib recalls being announced every month. In the most recent recall, seven companies have recalled a total of 2 million cribs with drop sides. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, these cribs have been linked to at least 250 adverse crib-related incidents, out of which 27 resulted in injuries to children.
The companies that have recalled these cribs are
- Evenflo, which has recalled 750,000 Jenny Lind Cribs
- Delta Enterprise Corp., which has recalled 747,000 dropside cribs
- La Jobi, which has recalled 306,000 cribs, including the Babi Italia and Bonavita cribs.
- Million Dollar Baby, which has recalled 156,000 cribs
- Jardine Enterprises, which has recalled 130,000 cribs
- Simmons, which has recalled 50,000 cribs
- Child Craft
In the case of Child Craft, both dropside cribs as well as stationary side cribs, are being recalled. The number of cribs being recalled by this company is unclear, because the company is currently out of business. If your child’s crib is manufactured by any of these companies, visit the company’s website to find out if your crib is on the recall list. You can also check all recalled crib model numbers on the CPSC website.
This recall is the latest in a series of efforts made by the Consumer Product Safety Commission to eradicate dropside cribs from the market. These cribs, at one time, were some of the most popular cribs in American homes. CPSC chairperson Inez Tenenbaum however, announced that the agency will be developing stronger standards for cribs that will be available by the end of 2010. The new standards are likely to include a ban on the manufacture and sale of dropside cribs.
That is not a decision that will go down well with parents who love dropside cribs. These are especially useful for petite mothers, and others who find it hard to reach down into a crib to lift a baby, and later, a potentially heavy toddler. However, it’s clear that existing dropside designs are defective and unsafe, and until the CPSC manages to develop stronger crib designs, Houston injury lawyers would recommend parents avoid using dropside cribs.
If your child has been injured or killed because of a recalled crib, contact the child injury lawyers at The Kahn Law Firm today at 713-226-9900 or toll free at 1-877-226-9940.
Family Looking for Driver Who Killed Their Dad – Houston Injury Lawyers
With Father’s Day just over, the Ramirez family continues to grieve their father’s unexpected death. Victor Ramirez, 79, was killed as he rode his bicycle home from the store at the corner of 4th and 14th Street in Texas City, Texas on June 7, 2010. The driver fled the scene of the accident. A video camera located on the premises of the BP refinery did not capture the accident, but did see a dark colored car with blade rims on it. Mr. Ramirez was a Korea War veteran. If you can help this family locate the driver of the vehicle that killed their father, please contact Texas City police or the family at 409-945-8744.
Attn: Parents! SpaghettiOs Recalled! Houston Injury Lawyers
Are you getting tired of all of the recalls yet? Here’s another one….
On June 17, 2010, Campbells announced a recall of 15 million pounds of Spaghetti Os with Meatballs. The recall is due to a cooker at the Paris, Texas plant that has been malfunctioning for an unknown amount of time. The cooker is responsible for cooking the meatballs and the meat hasn’t been getting the proper amount of heat.
The recalled products include SpaghettiOs with Meatballs, SpaghettiOs A to Z with Meatballs, and SpaghettiOs Fun Shapes with Meatballs (Cars). The cans have the plant code “EST 4K” on them and a “use by” date of June 2010 through December 2011. The recall includes 35,000 cans of SpaghettiOs. If you have questions, you can call the company at Campbell’s Hotline at (866) 495-3774.
Pearland High School Students Likely to Face Sex Crime Charges for Sexting – Houston Criminal Lawyers
Several high school students in Pearland face criminal charges arising out of “sexting.” According to the Houston Chronicle, the students are accused of sending obscene photographs via cell phones.
All the students involved here are below 17 years of age. What happened here was that one of the students who had broken up with his ex-girlfriend, had nude images of the girl on his cell phone. He sent the images to several of his friends, who then forwarded the images to others. The Pearland School District says that it has a policy in place of turning over obscene or pornographic material found on students cell phones to the police. There’s no information on how many of these pictures were distributed. The students are likely to face charges of distribution of harmful material to a minor. The charges could end in jail time of up to one year or fines of a maximum of $4,000.
Across the country, prosecutors have gone after juveniles for circulating nude images of themselves or others on their cell phones. It is a trend that began ever since cell phones made it so easy for people to take pictures of themselves or others, and distribute these in seconds. Is it the kind of behavior that a parent would like to see a child involved in? No. However, it’s not the kind of action that we believe should warrant any charges for sex crimes either.
It seems to Houston criminal defense lawyers that much of the dust around issues like sexting has still not settled down. Electronic communication technologies are still relatively new, and so is their use/abuse/misuse. The laws have not properly defined these.
What we need are strong laws that protect teenagers from being victims of sexting, without branding juveniles who engage in such practices, as criminals or sexual offenders. Last week, the state of Ohio passed a law that prohibited teenagers from sending lewd images on their cell phones, but bans any criminal charges being filed against teenagers in case of violations. We need similar laws in Texas.
However, we encourage you to talk with your teenage children about the danger and consquences of “sexting.” Although it may not seem that bad, the district attorney’s office will file charges against someone-including juveniles-for “sexting.”
If you or your child has been charged with a criminal offense, contact the experienced lawyers at The Kahn Law Firm today at 713-226-9900 for a free, confidential consultation.
Study Finds Attractive People Are Much More Likely to Be Acquitted – Houston Criminal Defense Lawyers
We’ve always known that being good-looking has major advantages in the workplace from faster promotions to larger bonuses. However, a new study confirms that the good-looking get a bigger and better break in the courtroom too.
A study conducted by researchers at Cornell University, found that less than attractive defendants were up to 22% more likely to be convicted than good-looking ones. It’s not just that fact that will be disconcerting to any Houston criminal defense lawyer. The study also found that not only were less attractive defendants more likely to be convicted, but they were also likely to be handed longer sentences. On an average, attractive defendants were handed sentences that were 22 months shorter than less attractive ones.
There was some good news, if you can call it that. This difference in convictions and sentences does not seem to be seen in serious cases like murder, where the difference between attractive and less attractive defendants, was minor. However, in the case of minor crimes or offenses, there was a very noticeable difference in the conviction rates, as well as the length of sentences handed out to both groups.
It is not the first time that study has yielded such results. Over the past several decades, there have been a number of studies that have probed whether a defendant’s looks have anything to do with whether he gets convicted or not. Studies have been conducted across the pond too. One study in the UK found that good-looking defendants were much more likely to be acquitted of crimes than the more rough looking ones.
No matter what you look like however, the biggest factor standing between you and a conviction still remains an expert and experienced Houston criminal defense attorney. If you have been charged with a crime, contact the experienced trial lawyers atd Kahn Law Firm today for a free, confidential case evaluation at 713-226-9900.
Metro Buses Involved in More Than 1000 Accidents Last Year – Houston Injury Lawyers
You might want to pray a little harder the next time you’re riding a Metro bus in Houston. Not too many commuters may be aware that Metro buses have a disturbing safety record -these buses were involved in more than 1,000 accidents last year.
According to a recent report in the Houston Chronicle, there were 1,029 accidents involving Metro buses last year. Hundreds of these were preventable accidents, and others resulted in property damage and injuries not just to passengers, but also to motorists and pedestrians. 1,029 accidents over a period of 365 days translates into approximately 3 accidents a day. Out of these, two accidents occurred this year. In both cases, a Metro bus crashed into a light-rail train. In the first crash, 19 people were injured while in the second, which occurred just a few days later, nine people were injured. In all, a total of 334 people were injured in Metro bus accidents in Houston last year.
These two accidents received the highest amount of attention this year, but such high-impact accidents that result in multiple injuries are relatively rare. Unfortunately, there are still far too many accidents that result in minor injuries, traffic tickets and property damage.
The report also looked at traffic citations issued to Metro bus drivers. Over the past five years, Metro bus drivers have been issued nearly 850 tickets for a range of violations ranging from speeding, to driving without headlights at night. However out of these, the most number of tickets – 400 – were issued for speeding-related offenses. 112 citations were issued for running red lights, and 119 citations were issued for improper lane changes. More than 170 Metro bus drivers have two or more violations, and at least nine of them have four or five violations to their name.
Thousands of people across Houston use Metro buses every day. Most of these commuters cannot afford private transport while others couldn’t be bothered with driving. As Houston accident lawyers, we are concerned that all of these people, as well as the rest of us who share the roads with these Metro buses, are at risk when Metro uses untrained or inexperienced drivers, or continues to place old and worn-out buses in service.
If you have been injured in an accident involving a car, truck or bus, contact the Husband & Wife Legal Team at the Kahn Law Firm at 713-226-9900 for a free case evaluation.
Teenager Killed in Apparent Street Racing Accident in Houston – Houston Injury Lawyers
Anthony Rodriguez, a 17-year-old, was killed, and two of his friends were severely injured in what appears to have been a street racing accident in Houston last Wednesday night. He was a front seat passenger in a red Acura Integer when the driver of the car apparently lost control while driving the car at high speeds and crashed into a tree. The driver as well as a backseat passenger were seriously injured in the crash and had to be airlifted to the Memorial Hermann in the Texas Medical Center.
Some witnesses have come forward to say that the car had been racing with a blue car just before the crash. A police officer had been following the car just before the accident, and Houston police are checking out the video footage on his dashboard camera to find out more about the crash. Thus far, alcohol use does not seem to have been a factor here.
This is probably the right time to bring attention to the fact that motor vehicle accidents continue to be the single biggest factor in teen fatalities. More than 40% of all deaths of persons between the age of 15 and 19 occur in an auto accident. That is an unfortunate fact, and parents must get more involved to reduce the odds that their child could be killed in an accident.
Right now, the odds are simply not in favor of teen motorists. These drivers have far too many distractions from cell phones and from their fellow passengers. They are also under heavy peer pressure to indulge in reckless driving. Drunk driving rates in this age group are some of the highest among any age groups. In 2008, teen motorists comprised just 8% of the American population, but constituted 12 percent of all accident fatalities.
As Houston accident lawyers, we would offer the following advice for parents of teen motorists – there is no law that says that your child has to begin driving at 14, 15 or 16. You are the best judge of whether your child can be a safe driver. If he seems reckless, or prone to aggressiveness, you have every right to postpone driving privileges for him for as long as you want.
Our thoughts and prayers go to the families and friends of the deceased teenager as well as the two that were severely injured.
