Personal Injury Lawyer in Texas

It was less than two years ago that Bexar County spent nearly $900,000 on body and dashboard cameras for police deputies. However, last month, Sheriff Javier Salazar was granted permission from county commissioners to begin field testing a different brand of bodyworn cameras after stating that the Utility system purchased by his predecessor has “stalled” and of the 300 cameras, only about 50 were in use. Sheriff Salazar believes that switching brands may improve the data transfer needed by prosecutors. Commissioners have approved a 180-day field test with Axon Enterprise at no cost to the county. This test will consist of 5 in-car cameras, 2 on motorcycles, 18 cameras worn by detention officers, and 20 for officers in the field. A cost-benefit analysis on switching systems will be done before any changes are made. In December of 2015, commissioners approved the spending of nearly $900,000 with Utility for 230 in-car cameras and 70 body-worn cameras. In addition, the county sp...

Washington – The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration have announced a proposed rule that would require the installation of speed-limiting devices on trucks, buses and multipurpose passenger vehicles weighing more than 26,000 pounds. The proposed rule, announced August 26, suggests that capping speeds at 60, 65 or 68 mph could prevent fatal crashes while saving an estimated $1.1 billion in fuel costs annually. The maximum set travel speed would be adjusted after officials weigh public comment on the proposal. “There are significant safety benefits to this proposed rulemaking,” Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx said in a press release. “In addition to saving lives, the projected fuel and emissions savings make this proposal a win for safety, energy conservation, and our environment.” NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind and FMCSA Administrator T.F. Scott Darling III also expressed support for the proposal. “...

The whole team here at CMB was fascinated when we read this story in the Dallas News, and had to share it with out fellow attorneys. Meet Frank Howell, a Dallas County court reporter that is one of the few people who isn’t letting technology dominate his world! For this 79-yearold, pen and paper continues to suit him just fine – as he can actually write faster than you talk! Howell is fluent in shorthand, which he learned in college. He uses this skill to take down verbatim every single word said “on the record” in the courtroom. Getting down every word is a difficult task, even for those who rely on high-tech keyboards to get the job done. Frank is one of only three remaining “pen writers” in Texas who are active and licensed to do the job by hand. In addition to being both a master and fierce protector of this dying trade, Howell is somewhat of a legal legend in Dallas. He’s been working this job for more than half a century, which is longer than many practicing attorneys h...

This month Samsung announced a recall of every Galaxy Note 7 it has produced to date. This recall includes 2.5 million phones. The recalled phone has a battery issue causing it to suddenly combust into flames. Now many of us have begun to see the lawsuits filed against Samsung for injuries due to this recall. With technology constantly evolving so does the lithium battery. It is used in many products we and the public use on a daily basis. And the Galaxy Note 7 is not the only product with a lithium battery issue. Our office is currently working on two different product liability cases similar to the Galaxy Note 7. One involves a fire from a battery used in a weed trimmer, which resulted in the death of our client. The other involves a fire from a battery used in an e-cigarette, which exploded in the pocket of a client causing serious, life-altering injury to his groin and leg area. Lithium batteries are a luxury for us to have in the devices we use, however they can also c...

In case after case, we see truck drivers with bad driving records cause yet another crash. Given that trucking companies are required by law to check their drivers’ records, I wondered why they would keep hiring unsafe drivers. I did a little digging, and learned the answer was painfully obvious: to make more money. Trucking companies make money by hauling loads. An empty truck makes no money. In fact, an empty truck costs the company money because the company still has to pay insurance, make the truck payment, etc. A typical over-the-road or regional truck generates $800 to $1,000 per day in gross revenue when it is hauling loads. That same truck has around $100 per day in fixed overhead, such as the truck payment, insurance, taxes, and maintenance escrow. The company will also have to pay around $260 per day for fuel, and $200 per day for the driver, leaving the total costs around $560 per day. Therefore, a trucking company makes a profit of $240 to $440 for every day a tru...

Is one of your new year’s resolutions to consider a case management software program for your law firm? Transitioning from paper files to a case management program can be a big undertaking. For some firms, sticking to paper files makes the most sense. And for others, making the leap is one of the best decisions they’ll ever make. Here are a few things to think about when trying to decide if a case management software program is a good idea for your firm. 1.Emails Take a moment and think about how you save emails regarding a case. What happens if an employee needs to locate an important e-mail from opposing counsel, a client, or an expert, and it hasn’t been forwarded to them or printed and placed in the client file? Some case management programs link your email to the program. If you’re out of the office and receive an email on a case you have linked to your software prog 2.Reports There are case management software programs with reporting options to help you with practic...

With a growing number of people using the internet to search for almost anything, marketing has become essential for all businesses, including law firms. As competition increases, whichever firm has successfully presented themselves online will likely garner the most business. Be Found  When someone is looking for an attorney, it’s typically because they have an urgent need. These days, people take to the internet, at all times of day, to seek assistance. From their fingertips they can search firms, read reviews, check social networks and get a feel for your business. It’s important your firm has a consistent and cohesive online presence. A well-designed, informative, user friendly website is a must. Your website should showcase your team, your areas of law and include testimonials and reviews from clients. Your brand should be recognizable from your website to your social media and even flow into your marketing materials. An effective digital marketing strategy will...

American Trucking Associations President and CEO, Chris Spear, recently spoke about what he believes will shape a positive future for the industry. At the ATA’s 86th Management Conference & Exhibition, Spear reminded the audience that “trucking employment now exceeds 7.8 million people” and how “trucks move more than 71% of the domestic freight.” And this also means trucking is a large part of our economy, which is why “the security of this country relies on trucks and the people who drive them.” But with every industry there are hurdles and Spear addressed some of the challenges in the industry from driver shortage, to tort reform, and the easing of laws for recreational marijuana. “Eleven states, DC and Canada have now legalized the recreational use of marijuana, “ Spear stated. “And guess who gets caught in the middle,” he continued referring to the federal government which still prohibits marijuana use. His solution was announcing, “the first meeting of ATA’s new Co...

In recent weeks, Takata has started to deal with the legal ramifications of their airbag recall, the largest automotive recall in U.S. history. Three former executives (Shinichi Tanaka, Hideo Nakajima, and Tsuneo Chikaraishi) at Takata have now been indicted due to the recall, the company has plead guilty to criminal charges, and they will be paying $1 billion dollars in fines and restitution. So where does this $1 billion dollar fine go? Here is the breakdown: $850 million will go to the automakers who have had to recall cars to replace the airbags. $125 million will be used to compensate the victims who were injured due to the airbags. $25 million will be paid to the federal government as a criminal fine. Back in 2015, Takata was known as the second-largest supplier of airbags in the world. Now the company is on the verge of bankruptcy, discussing a sale or merger sometime this year. When this occurs the company will be required to pay the $850 million to automakers ...

October 3, 2016 | Blue Shirt World Day of Bullying Prevention Week of October 10th | Make a New Friend at School Week of October 17th | Stand Up for Others Week of October 24th | Share the Message and STOMP Out Bullying for good! Find out more ways to celebrate online at www.StompOutBullying.org. Each year in October, organizations and individuals speak out against bullying and the cultures and systems that allow it to thrive. As we build awareness and join together, this ongoing problem can be minimized tremendously year over year until it’s finally stopped altogether. With juveniles, bullies are 30% more likely to carry a weapon to school or get injured in a fight compared with non-bullying classmates (pediatric and adolescent medicine – a report by fight crime, invest in kids). The youth who start as bullies are far more likely to fight, steal, vandalize, drink alcohol, smoke, and have poor grades throughout their school years. In fact, one study showed that ...

For the past four months our office has started hosting Lunch & Learns for our team on Fridays. They were created so our team could learn about the ins and outs of every department at Cowen | Rodriguez | Peacock. Whether it is one of our attorneys presenting, or our intake team talking about what they do, we all get together to have lunch and learn more about how every role in our office helps our team be successful. We recently conducted a firm-wide survey to see how everyone felt about the lunches (along with other questions about how our employees feel about our office environment), and the result was outstanding. Every single survey from our team had praise about these events. Staff found them beneficial not only in learning more about the process of cases in our firm and how everyone in our office works together, but also getting to know each of their co-workers a bit more. The team at Cowen | Rodriguez | Peacock truly believes every job in our firm is important and ...

A start-up named The Seabubbles has created a solution for contributing less pollution in the city of Paris. The creation is called “The Bubble,” which is a flying taxi powered by electricity. Media around the country have been discussing this new transportation solution, which takes 35 minutes to charge and has a 2-hour battery life. So how does this “flying taxi” work? The Bubble lifts out of the water on wings and makes no noise and no waves. It does not emit CO2, which wins the approval of French transport officials looking to endow the capital with new clean transport options in the run-up to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. The white aerodynamic craft skims over the River Seine at speeds of up to 17 mph, hovering 1½feet above the water. The first prototype, for four passengers, was first tested on the Seine in June 2017, with Mayor Anne Hidalgo taking a spin. The taxi looks like a nautical version of the DeLorean car in the 80s sci-fi film “Back to The Future.” All the sig...

Amazon is the biggest retailer on the planet with customers in 180 countries. It has disrupted numerous industries and dominated the e-commerce market. But it’s a recent news article after a yearlong investigation, that has shed light on how their next-day delivery has created unsafe conditions on the road and how Amazon is able to walk away from any liability. Amazon’s next-day delivery has not only encouraged, but catapulted, the wants and needs of individuals who expect instant gratification. You’re out of your favorite cookies, you forgot to buy a birthday gift, your office needs more legal notepads, the list. Read more.....

Branding your firm is important. Many times, your branding it the first impression your clients will have of your firm. We usually think of branding to encompass our website, social media, print materials, office décor,etc.But, have you thought about your email signature? Think about how many different emails your clients will receive from your team throughout the duration of their case. What sort of message are you sending if your team all has a different email signature? Consistency with branding is always key.It helps to build rapport and establish a reliable and unified front for your firm. We had this issue in our office. Regardless of how many requests we sent our staff, everyone seemed to always have something different on their email signatures. From changes in the font of their names, to different font colors, missing disclaimer text -you name it we saw it. We were looking for a way to solve this and had several of our colleagues recommend Exclaimer. After a trial pe...

Michael Cowen Takes the Wheel with a Hands-On Approach to Better Understanding Trucking and Truck Drivers ATAAhas teamed up with a trucking school to offer ATAA (Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys) members a unique trucking program. This program in Montana includes classroom work with instructors experienced in trucking litigation, accident causation, vehicle maintenance and proper vehicle operation combined with real hands-on experience behind the wheel of a big-rig. You may have seen a video on our law firm social media recently, of Michael Cowen taking this course and his experience with the program. As an ATAA member, Cowen took advantage of this course and returned to the office with a deeper understanding of 18-wheelers. “It’s been a great experience. The people have been great, it’s amazing how much I’ve learned, and frankly it’s going to be a lot harder for a truck driver to pull something over me on one of our cases now,” Cowen added. After having a great experien...

Voice search is no longer just for hearing the weather forecast or playing music. Voice search is continuing to grow; Pew Research Center reports 46% of Americans use digital voice assistants. Furthermore, comScore predicts by 2020 that 50% of searches will be done by voice. Initially, you may not think potential clients will use voice search to find an attorney, but the legal industry is already buzzing on how this trend will affect legal marketing. To evolve with the shifting trends, law firms will need to adjust their marketing strategies to include tactics for digital voice devices. Typing vs Talking When people type to search, it’s often just a few key words or phrases. When someone speaks to search, they ask a question as if they are talking to another person. It’s important that the content on your website is curated to the way someone may speak. Having a FAQ page is a great way to address this, listing common questions your target audience may ask in their search. Rem...