Personal Injury Lawyer in Texas

As of November 1st, new rules regulating paralegals went into effect in Utah. According to the new rules, licensed paralegal practitioners (referred to as LPPs) will be allowed to practice law without a lawyer’s supervision in cases involving the following: Temporary separation, divorce, parentage, cohabitant abuse, civil stalking, custody and support, and name change Forcible entry and detainer Debt collection matters in which the dollar amount in issue does not exceed the statutory limit for small claims cases For these cases, LPPs can assist clients in the following ways: Choose, fill out, file and complete service of legal forms Review and explain court orders or another party’s documents Advocate for a client in a mediation Complete settlement agreements after a negotiation The Utah task force in charge of limited legal licensing expressed to the Utah Supreme Court the purpose of allowing LPPs is to “help people who can’t afford a lawyer or who don’t want to pay ...

When it comes to vehicle safety, technology offerings should be crystal clear so that the driver is fully aware of the capabilities. Right now, there is no widely accepted name for the safety technologies featured in vehicles currently on the market. In a recent study, AAA looked at 34 car brands and found that their advanced driver assistance systems vary greatly and in some cases could overpromise features for customers. Features like “autopilot” or “ProPilot Assist” suggest more autonomous driving than they can actually deliver. In fact, according to the study, 40% of Americans expect such features as “autopilot” to offer complete self-driving capability. When you look at the reality of this offering, this technology helps keep a car centered in its lane and at a set distance from the car in front, but still requires constant attention from the driver. The AAA is proposing standardized names for every safety technology currently offered in automobiles. Their goal is to a...

There’s no doubt the legal industry can often be overwhelming and stressful. Between managing a law firm, marketing your firm, working up your cases, and taking on the stress of your client’s worries, it can really take a toll on our overall well-being and state of mind. As we end 2018, it’s important to reflect so we can learn and grow in the new year. When you begin to make resolutions and set goals for 2019, be sure to include your mental health as a priority. Find a way to schedule time for yourself to help bring clarity and a clear mind. Maybe that means going to the gym or spending time each day meditating. Maybe it’s preparing a meal for your family or going to the park. Whatever it is that allows you to detach from your work, make it a priority to add to your week.Your future self will thank you for doing so. We’re not the only ones recognizing how important your mental health is. In fact, California and Illinois now require mental health and substance use disorde...

Attorney Michael Cowen Achieves Board Certification In Truck Accident Law By The National Board Of Trial Advocacy The National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) is pleased to announce Michael Cowen, Founding Partner of the law firm, Cowen | Rodriguez | Peacock has successfully achieved Board Certification as a Truck Accident Law advocate. The NBTA was formed out of a strong conviction that both the law profession and its clients would benefit from an organization designed specifically to create an objective set of standards illustrating an attorney’s experience and expertise in the practice of trial law. Michael Cowen joins an exclusive number of trial attorneys who have illustrated their commitment to bettering the legal profession by successfully completing a rigorous application process and providing the consumer of legal services with an objective measure by which to choose qualified and experienced legal counsel. The elaborate screening of credentials all NBTA board certif...

At Cowen | Rodriguez | Peacock, we specialize in trucking cases. Too many times we’ve seen the effects of what distracted driving can do. Last month we shared information on the new Trimble/Pulsar Informatics technology taking on distracted driving. This month we’re sharing information on Guardian, which has already been on the market, combats this issue differently, and has the results to show. Introducing Guardian Guardian is a technology which prevents driver fatigue and distraction related events in real time, helping to stop accidents before they even happen. Guardian uses face and gaze-tracking algorithms to measure a driver’s head position and eye closure. When safety parameters are exceeded, audio alarms and seat vibration are immediately activated. The technology also features a forward-facing camera which captures critical information about road conditions at the time of the event. When an event is detected, data and footage are immediately relayed to the 24/7 Guardia...

A recent Washington Post article about the increase of employees quitting without providing a two-week notice has many people talking. This increasing trend, called “ghosting” by many, isn’t something employers want to happen. But some employers worry about defamation lawsuits, if they share that an employee quit without notice, on an employee reference. So what should you do if an employee does this to you? And are defamation lawsuits due to a negative reference something to be wary of? We asked employment law attorney Melissa Morales Fletcher of The Morales Firm, P.C. to provide us with some guidance on this. “There are a number of reasons some employees do not provide advanced notice of their resignations such as medical illness, personal urgent family matters, or a hostile working environment. Employers are not likely to reveal that an employee may have been justified in resigning without notice.” stated Morales Fletcher. And what about references? Are we vulnerable to li...

The trucking industry has battled driver fatigue for years. But now, thanks to a partnership between Trimble Transportation and Pulsar Informatics, a new fatigue-monitoring and risk-management system is available to combat this problem.  Pulsar Informatics is known for their work monitoring sleep patterns and fatigue for astronauts and pilots. Their industry-leading fatigue monitoring solutions were developed with funding from the FMCSA, NASA, the U.S. Department of Defense, as well as other prominent government organizations. Their partnership with Trimble Transportation will now allow them to share their expertise with the transportation industry, creating a safety dashboard designed to identify driver sleep and fatigue risk patterns. Using data from Pulsar’s Trucking Fatigue Meter and Trimble’s Onboard Event Recording, the system analyzes HOS data, along with sudden stops, sudden starts, lane departures, and roll stability warnings, then compares it to other dri...