El Paso Personal Injury Law Blog

In Texas, Austin police have taken measures against the rise in motorcycle accidents by kicking off Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, which is in May, with a ride through downtown Austin. The police were joined by about 20 members of the Patriot Guard. According to police officials, there had already been six fatal motorcycle accidents by May of 2013, and they are hoping to remind the city's drivers to be careful. The riders of the Patriot Guard usually have flags on the back of their bikes in honor of fallen soldiers and first responders, but during this ride, their flags bore the phrase, 'Look Twice" instead.

The phrase "Look Twice" means to look left, right and then left again, according to officials. Because most drivers are conditioned to look only for cars, looking twice may encourage drivers to become more aware of motorcyclists with whom they share the road. 89 percent of motorcycle accidents in Austin resulted in death or injury.

First responders were killed and injured and homes were destroyed in West, Texas when an explosion occurred in a fertilizer plant. A fatal incident such as this has naturally caused legislators to have an investigative hearing. At this hearing, it was once again mentioned that the state does not have its own Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the federal agency is unable to do inspections due to underfunding. The plant involved in this premises liability incident had only been inspected once in 30 years.

The State of Texas does not have a state OSHA such as those that exist in other states as it has been the practice to keep regulation to a minimum and encourage economic growth. This philosophy can leave workers in hazardous conditions if companies do not want to go to the expense to meet safety standards. If a state OSHA had existed, there would have been regulations set up in this factory in West to protect the workers and the community might have been protected from this devastating loss.

Texas drivers who own the Nissan Pathfinder or Infiniti JX crossovers may find that they are facing a recall of the vehicles over defective brake problems. Under product liability laws, manufacturers may be held liable for injuries caused by a defective product, so recalls are common when an automaker finds an issue that could lead to a crash.

In this case, 19,258 vehicles from the 2013 model lineup may be affected. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an organization that monitors vehicle safety, has received reports that Pathfinders and Infiniti JX crossovers manufactured between December 2012 and January 2013 may contain a brake torque member that was cast defectively, leading to potential cracking or failure during use. The failure of the torque member could cause the brake caliper to move and result in diminished braking ability.

After a man from Texas was burned in a chemical plant explosion and subsequently perished a month later, his mother and son filed a wrongful death lawsuit. The suit targets the Dow Chemical Co., which owns the firm that operates the Deer Park facility. Two employees and the operating firm have also been named in the suit.

The 45-year-old plant worker sustained the impact of an explosion and got third-degree burns across almost two-thirds of his body while changing a filter. According to the suit, the plant operators had prior knowledge that the ammonia recycling machine that exploded was not in proper working order, yet they failed to rectify the situation. The lawsuit also alleges that the plant did not provide its workers with appropriate safety gear to protect them from such events. The unspecified amount sought by the man's survivors includes damages for loss of income, reduced inheritance, pain and suffering and loss of companionship. The chemical manufacturer refused to comment on the death or the legal proceedings.