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Dow Chemical worker chemically burned in workplace accident

On behalf of Tritico Rainey, PLLC posted in Wrongful Death on Wednesday, June 19, 2013.

A Texas worker for Dow Chemical was reportedly chemically burned in a serious explosion and later died as a result of his injuries. The man had worked as an operator at the chemical plant for more than 10 years and was changing the filter on one of the ammonia recycling units when the casing sealing on the unit exploded and sprayed chemicals and scalding hot water all over the worker with such force that he was sent flying backward.

After the explosion, the man was transported to the emergency room of the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston where his body had to be rinsed with hundreds of gallons of water to attempt to wash away the chemicals that caused the second and third-degree burns that covered over half of his body. The doctor of the Blocker Burn Unit laid a piece of pH paper on the man's skin, and it turned red, indicating that there was acid present on the skin. Now Dow Chemical could be facing a wrongful death lawsuit for the man's death.

Texas auto accident injures four, two children

On behalf of Tritico Rainey, PLLC posted in Car Accidents on Thursday, June 13, 2013.

A trip to the library for a grandmother and her two grandchildren was violently interrupted on June 5 by an allegedly intoxicated driver. The car crash occurred on Merriman as the trio drove away from the Hebert Public Library. According to the Port Noches police chief, one of the injured victims was a four-year-old child who was taken to Texas Children's Hospital in Houston for expected facial surgeries. The 52-year-old woman and 5-year-old child were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

A black Dodge SUV driven by a 38-year-old Port Noches resident is alleged to have caused the auto accident. Police stated that she drove across the center lane of the roadway and continued driving following the car collision. The SUV stopped on the lawn after hitting a brick sign for Port Neches Middle School. Prior to the head-on collision, police received a report that a black SUV had hit a sign in front of the police station on the same roadway.

Houston drunk driver involved in head-on, three-car crash

On behalf of Tritico Rainey, PLLC posted in Drunk Driving Accidents on Thursday, June 6, 2013.

According to KHOU.com local news, a drunk driver veered into oncoming traffic around 2:15 on May 27, 2013, Memorial Day. The drunk driver's accidental lane change occurred on Washington Avenue near Snover Street, where it resulted in a head-on collision with another vehicle. The force of that collision pushed the second vehicle backwards into a third.

Drunk driving accidents are criminal offenses. Additionally, injuries sustained by drunk driving accident victims are often very serious. In fact, one of the two victims in the Washington Avenue crash was taken to a local hospital for treatment while the drunk driver was taken into police custody.

Texas woman faces murder charges after collision

On behalf of Tritico Rainey, PLLC posted in Wrongful Death on Monday, June 3, 2013.

Authorities recently charged a 21 year-old woman with murder, accident involving injury and death, and evading arrest. The charges stem from a fatal accident in which authorities allege the woman refused to pull over. They initiated the traffic stop after receiving information that the woman was observed shoplifting with two other individuals at a shopping mall and left driving a red Dodge Avenger.

There was one fatality reported and six injuries. There were two other individuals in the vehicle with the woman authorities allege caused the accident, and a woman was travelling three children in the other vehicle. The accident occurred when the fleeing woman ran a traffic light and her vehicle struck the driver's side of the other vehicle. The impact caused the vehicle that was struck to tumble over landing on its hood. A witness claims to have observed the woman charged with murder attempting to flee the scene of the accident. The children received medical attention for critical injuries, and the three surviving adults were treated at the same hospital for minor injuries.

NTSB calls for lower BAC limit

On behalf of Tritico Rainey, PLLC posted in Drunk Driving Accidents on Friday, May 24, 2013.

Alcohol-related car accidents kill approximately 10,000 people each year in Texas and across the United States. Transportation safety investigators are responding the the high rate of fatal accidents by calling for a lower threshold to determine whether a driver is legally intoxicated. The National Transportation Safety Board recommended that a .05 percent blood alcohol content limit be put in place in all 50 states. The current limit that is used to prosecute those who are implicated in a drunk driving accident is .08 percent.

The NTSB chairman stated that while most people think the U.S. has solved the issue of drunk driving deaths, the issue remains a national epidemic. Though progress has been made in the form of tougher laws and strong advocacy, people are still dying in DUI-related crashes. While the NTSB does not believe there is a single remedy for the problem, they do believe more federal and state action is in order.

Alcohol in involved in Texas car crash that killed three students

On behalf of Tritico Rainey, PLLC posted in Car Accidents on Wednesday, May 15, 2013.

The Texas Department of Public Safety has announced that alcohol was a contributor to a May 4 car crash that killed three Stephen F. Austin students and left another critically injured. The car accident happened at 7:40 p.m. when the Ford Escort carrying the four students pulled onto the shoulder of State Highway 315 in Rusk County and then pulled back onto the road to make a U-turn. An 18-wheeler crashed into the driver's side of the Escort as it pulled off the shoulder.

Police say that the 19-year-old driver of the Escort had been drinking. They are waiting for results of a blood alcohol test, which they expect to receive in two to three weeks.

Distracted driving statistics may not be accurate

On behalf of Tritico Rainey, PLLC posted in Wrongful Death on Thursday, May 9, 2013.

Texas residents may be interested to learn that the National Safety Council is pleading with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to find a way to estimate the number of crashes that are related to distractions like cellphones. This plea is coming after the National Safety Council analyzed various data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that the number of fatal accidents that are caused by distracted driving are significantly underreported in Texas and other states.

The number of fatal crashes associated with distractions such as cellphone use are underreported for a variety of reasons. First, individuals may be reluctant to inform the authorities that they were using a phone at the time of an accident because they fear that they may get in trouble with the law. Additionally, at least some of the fatal accidents involving cellphone use result in the death of the person who was using a phone, who is never able to communicate this information to the authorities or anyone else. The council's study also found that even when the drivers did admit to using phones during the accidents, police did not record this information in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's database.

Truck driver kills police officer in tragic accident

On behalf of Tritico Rainey, PLLC posted in Truck accidents on Friday, May 3, 2013.

Two Houston-area police officers were involved in a serious accident with an 18-wheeler on April 26th. One officer was seriously injured and the other died from injuries sustained in the accident. The two men had stopped to help a stranded motorist on Interstate 10. The motorist had been involved in an accident, and the trailer was in the left lane of the highway while the car was on the right.

An 18-wheeler traveling on Interstate 10 veered to avoid striking the trailer and inadvertently hit both the trailer and the parked vehicles. The accident is currently under investigation. Witnesses from the scene stated that the truck driver did not hit the brakes until after striking the detached trailer, raising the question of whether this accident was the result of truck driver negligence.

Alcohol suspected in fatal wrong-way crash

On behalf of Tritico Rainey, PLLC posted in Drunk driving accidents on Thursday, April 25, 2013.

A fiery accident killed two people early on the morning of April 14, 2013. The possible drunk driving accident occurred in Houston. The victims of the accident were not immediately identified but were both in the same car that was struck by a vehicle traveling the wrong direction. Witnesses noted the car traveling the wrong direction but were unable to stop the driver.

The driver traveling the wrong direction was identified as a woman in her early 20s driving a sedan. She was not seriously injured in the crash. A passenger in a third vehicle which was forced into the retaining wall was also not reported as receiving any injuries. The accident occurred on Beltway 8 North at approximately 5 a.m.

Michael Jackson's mom files $40 billion wrongful-death claim

On behalf of Tritico Rainey, PLLC posted in Wrongful death on Friday, April 19, 2013.

As the eyes of the nation, including Texas, watch the Michael Jackson wrongful death lawsuit unfold, the public will sneak a peek into the pop star's very private life, including allegations of sexual assault and testimony from at least one of his children, who has mostly avoided the public eye until now. His 82-year-old mother is asking for $40 billion in the wrongful death lawsuit against the concert promoter that worked with her son before his death. She thinks he could have earned that much money if he had not tragically died at age 50. Another attorney expressed surprise at the extremely high amount she was requesting, especially when considering Jackson's debt load at the time of his death.

The judge has already rejected several aspects of the lawsuit, leaving the jury with only one charge to focus on, that of negligent hiring. Court documents claim that the company hired Jackson's physician so that he would not miss any of the tour. The doctor in the case has already been convicted of involuntary manslaughter for giving the singer medications that eventually led to his death.

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