Author Archives: Jay Butchko
The Five Kinds of Driver Impairment
Most car accidents aren’t “accidents.” Driver error causes over 98 percent of the vehicle collisions in Texas. Sometimes, this driver error is speeding, turning illegally, or another form of aggressive driving. Generally, however, driver error includes driver impairment. Arguably, these tortfeasors (negligent drivers) know they shouldn’t get behind the wheel, but they do so… Read More »
Breaking Down a Motorcycle Accident Claim
The motorcycle rider crash fatality rate is thirty times higher than the four-wheel vehicle occupant fatality rate. Even if motorcycle riders survive a crash, they usually sustain permanent injuries, like head injuries. Wearing a motorcycle helmet during a crash is like covering your mouth when you sneeze. A helmet gives riders some protection, but… Read More »
Teenage Boy Killed in High-Speed Chase
Five 12- and 13-year-old boys fled from police in a stolen car in West Houston. Only two of them walked away, and only four of them survived. Police said this started with a stolen car speeding first off Richmond before ending up on Westheimer Road in the Westchase District. A chase followed from there… Read More »
The Comparative Fault Defense in Truck Accident Claims
Basically, the comparative fault defense is the legal equivalent of a second-half comeback. Law enforcement and insurance company investigators assign fault to a drive in a truck accident based solely on the evidence available at the scene. Legal doctrines, like comparative fault, could change that determination. Like most states, Texas is a modified comparative… Read More »
Hit-and-Run Driver Kills Pedestrian on the North Freeway
Few details were available after a driver fatally struck a pedestrian on northbound Interstate 45 at approximately 10:30 p.m. The identity of the deceased adult female, believed to have been a pedestrian struck by an unknown vehicle, is yet to be verified by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. The driver involved in… Read More »
Nursing Home Falls: A Closer Look
In many cases, falls send people to nursing homes and keep them there much longer than anticipated. Falls account for about a third of nursing home admissions, and two-thirds of residents fall at a long-term care facility. These incidents cause physical and emotional injuries which are usually permanent. Broken bones and other physical injuries… Read More »
New Developments in Dog Bite Cases
The number of dog bite attack claims has increased significantly since 2019. Pandemic puppies are responsible for much of this increase. Many people bought cute puppies to comfort themselves during pandemic lockdowns. Those cute puppies are now full-grown dogs that aren’t used to strangers. Pandemic puppies aren’t entirely responsible for the increase. Dog bite… Read More »
If I Fall at a Nursing Home, Do I Automatically Get a Settlement?
It would be nice, but no. The financial costs of fall-related injuries among people over 65 exceed $50 billion per year. Government and private health insurance companies cover most of these costs. In other words, you and I pay these costs, in the form of higher taxes and higher insurance premiums. A Sugar Land… Read More »
Reckless Police Chase Kills Two People
HPD vowed to investigate a high-speed chase in southeast Houston that killed two people and seriously injured two others. Houston police said officers tried to pull over a driver for running a red light on Broadway and almost hitting another car but the driver refused to stop. Police said they weren’t sure how fast… Read More »
Available Car Crash-Related PTSD Medical Treatments
According to popular myth, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a combat-related condition which randomly affects some people who “can’t take it.” Reality is different. Any extremely stressful situation, like a car crash, could cause PTSD. In fact, this condition affects about 50 percent of car crash victims. Furthermore, PTSD is a physical brain injury,… Read More »
