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Texting While Driving Can be as Dangerous as Drunk Driving

The word is getting out there, and people know the dangers but are they really taking it to heart? Thousands of innocent lives have been lost. Set an example by waiting to read and reply to that message, or by pulling over to take that call. If you or someone you know has been injured in a Houston car accident caused by a distracted driver, you should call our office today at (713) 921-4171 or (800) 232-3711.

Car Inspections Should Never Be Put Off

Getting your car inspected is usually viewed by most Texans as an inconvenience. You have to wait in line and fork over money that you could be spending on groceries, rent, or anything else. And they always seem to get you on something, so you have to set up an appointment to fix whatever it is that the inspectors found wrong, which means more money and more time.

But believe it or not, getting your car inspected wasn’t something that Texas thought up to torture you. If you had a one lane personal highway that only you were allowed to drive on, then Texas probably wouldn’t care if you failed every safety inspection criteria that exists. But since you have to share the road with the hundreds of thousands of other drivers in Texas, the state government (as well as everyone in the state) has a vested interest in making sure that your car is as safe as it can possibly be.

Don’t forget, your car is made up of thousands of moving parts, and any part of any machine can and will wear down. The last thing anyone wants is for your brakes to give out, or for your turn signals to short out, or for your tires to be incapable of providing you with traction.

Imagine causing an accident because you failed to get your car inspected, or failed to get something on your car repaired when you knew it was broken. That counts as negligence, and that can prove very costly if you end up in court. If that prospect doesn’t move you, then simply reverse it: Imagine if someone else failed to get his car up to inspection standards and then got into an accident with you.

Get your car inspected. Don’t delay.

If you or a loved one has been in an accident in Houston, contact Houston car accident attorney Steve Lee for a free legal consultation today.

Houston Does Not Rank Very Well In Driver Safety

Allstate Insurance recently commissioned a study on the safest cities to drive, and the Houston area did not place very high on the list. According to the study, drivers in Houston are around 25% more likely to have an accident than other drivers.

To read the whole report, follow the link below.

http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20080701005659&newsLang=en

 

Event Data Recorders for Your Car

Here is an interesting article from Slate, which describes new technology for cars.

It seems that many cars are currently carrying the automotive equivalent of "black boxes," which are those data recorders that are used in airplanes and are used by the NTSB to help determine what happened when there is a plane crash.

We believe that these event recorders could prove invaluable to car accident injury cases, as these recorders can help prove in court exactly how fast each individual car was going, and we can use that data to find out all sorts of information that is pertinent to the case.

If you have been in an accident, having an attorney to subpoena that information could be the difference between getting fair treatment from the insurance company and getting nothing at all.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, contact Houston attorney Steve Lee for a free legal consultation today.

Brazoria Car Accident Takes One Life

If you or a loved one has suffered a serious personal injury, you have the right to the legal expertise of a Houston personal injury attorney to help you fight for fair compensation. Contact the law offices of Steven Lee, P.C. today at 713-921-4171 or 1-800-232-3711. Help is available 24 hours a day and the initial consultation is always FREE. We are also able to provide transportation options as well as home and hospital visits.

Any Questions About Texas Workers' Compensation Insurance?

Workers' compensation is not a requirement for private employers in Texas, but there are still plenty of businesses that are required to have coverage for their employees.

Anyone in Texas who works for a living should know everything that they possibly can about workers' compensation insurnace. If you get injured on the job, knowing as much as you can about the basics can help you establish a successful claim.

By following this link:

http://www.tdi.state.tx.us/pubs/consumer/cb030.html

you will be provided with the basics on workers compensation insurnace coverage in Texas.

If you or a loved one has been injured on the jo in the Houston area, contact the law offices if injury attorney Steve Lee for a free legal consultation today.

27 Paragraphs About Oil Platforms, 0 Words About Worker Safety

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/2008-06-19-deepwater-oil-offshore-drilling_N.htm

This link goes to a USA Today article that discusses new offshore exploration and drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. Worker safety in this dangerous job is not mentioned at all.

While it is true that oil is vitally important, it should not ever supercede the safety of those who are responsible for finding it and refining it. As exploration and drilling increase, safety measures for oil platform workers should as well.

How Does Your Insurance Company Perform?

You should always bear in mind that the cheapest insurance is not always the best insurance.

Those companies that offer such cheap rates are often able to do so because of the way that they treat their policyholders when they file a claim.

A company called AM Best bases ranks insurance companies, but does not base the rankings on their profitability, or the amount of money that they spend on advertising. Rather, AM Best ranks insurance companies based on their willingness and ability to pay out claims.

This is the best way for you to figure out which insurance policy is the best for you. Go to their site and see where you insurance company is on their lists.

As always, if you have been injured in a Houston car accident, contact Attorney Steve Lee for a free legal consultation today.

 

NHTSA Offers Safety Recall Text Message Notices

The NHTSA is offering a service that will automatically text message your phone or PDA with information regarding tires or child car seats.

We recommend signing up for this service as soon as possible, especially if you have children.

Practical Ways to Save Money on Car Insurance

According to an article at Insurance.com, insurance rates have risen 1.05% this quarter, and will probably be rising even more for the rest of the year. Since we're all paying more at the pump, higher insurance rates are the last thing any of us need.

If you follow the link, you will find a USA Today article that gives you six different ways to save money on your car insurance.

Just bear in mind that skimping on your car insurance costs can come back and haunt you if you have to file a claim. And as always, if you find yourself injured in an accident and the insurance company is denying your claim unneccesarily, contact our offices for a free legal consultation today. 

Again, The Problem is Not Doctors or Lawyers, It's Insurance

A great article in The New York Times outlines one of the major obstacles to quality healthcare in America.

It isn't the lawyers, or the doctors that people have to worry about. It's the insurance companies micromanaging and denying perfectly reasonable prescriptions, tests and procedures in order to save a buck.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/17/health/views/17essa.html?_r=2&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1214579785-WPnNSyO0eNOhEfVFAY/6oA

Crane Collapse Epidemic Hits Home

A crane collapsed in Houston, killing four people. This is a tragedy, and is also incredibly frustrating, as I wrote about this epidemic last month. There needs to be some manner of intense regulation with these machines.

 

Medical Helicopters: Are They Really Worth It?

An article in the Houston Chronicle recently brought up an interesting point. It turns out that an ambulance can get an injured patient to the hospital just as fast as a medical helicopter. This is something worth thinking about considering that there have been three medical helicopter crashes this year.

If time isn't necessarily a factor, then maybe the use of these helicopters should be reserved for when they are truly needed, such as when the accident occurs in an out of the way place.

 

State Farm Wants Whistle Blowers Fined

The two sisters who exposed State Farm's behavior in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina are coming under fire by the insurance giant.

The Rigsby sisters were State Farm employees who made copies of internal memos, and then handed these copies over to an attorney. These memos described in detail State Farm's plan to deny Hurricane Katrina claims by blaming the majority of the damage on flooding (which is not covered) as opposed to winds (which is covered.)

While it appears that there was some unfortunate conduct by the attorney that was initially representing the Rigsby sisters, it pales in comparison to the conduct by State Farm, who made blanket denials of claims without even bothering to really see what caused the damage.

A judge that allows the financial punishing of whistleblowers is setting a dangerous precedent. Lets hope that the judge who is presiding over this case comes to the same conclusion.