Personal Injury Lawyer in Texas

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. “...

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...

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 ...

The Takata airbag recall has been making waves across the country for months as millions of vehicles, built from 2003-2013, have been affected in one of the largest vehicle recalls in history. Now, the company is making headlines again by stating the hot and humid weather has auto experts worried these recalled Takata airbags will explode. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are 1.7 million vehicles on the road in Texas with recalled Takata airbags. This puts millions of people at risk every single day. In an effort to get these recalled airbags off the street, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram dealers here in Texas are launching Airbag Recall Repair Month to urge all drivers to check for recalled Takata airbags on their vehicles and immediately contact their local authorized dealer to schedule a free repair. Hopefully cooler temperatures arriving in October will minimize more Takata airbags from exploding due to heat and Airbag Recall Repair...

All Things Considered  on NPR recently discussed geofencing on the show, bringing up this heated digital marketing topic all over again. More specifically, the use of the technology with legal marketing and angering many by using the phrase “digital ambulance chasers.“ According to the Oxford Dictionary, Geofencing is “the use of GPS or RFID technology to create a virtual geographic boundary, enabling software to trigger a response when a mobile device enters or leaves a particular area.” It’s a technology popularly used by law enforcement to track individuals with ankle monitors under house arrest. But in recent years marketing companies have been using the technology for digital advertising purposes, creating this “digital fence” for businesses to reach potential clients on their mobile devices the moment they leave a specific location. The topic has caused quite a commotion. Some marketing agencies no longer offer this service because they believe it is unethical. Whi...

Last year a self-driving Uber struck and killed a woman in Tempe, Arizona. At the time of the crash, the Uber vehicle was in autonomous mode. Although capable of driving on its own, the Uber still requires a backup driver inside the vehicle to intervene when the autonomous system fails to navigate complex driving situations. In this case, the driver was looking down at his phone. By the time he looked up and could have intervened, it was too late. Police say this accident was “entirely avoidable.” The Yavapai County Attorney recently released a letter made public stating there was “no basis” for criminal liability for Uber, but noted that the conduct of the backup driver should be investigated further by the Tempe police. The National Transportation Safety Board and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are still investigating the incident. In March 2018, authorities suspended Uber’s ability to test its self-driving cars in Arizona and Uber voluntarily halted its...

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, by way of its Pedestrian Safety Special Investigation Report, since 2009 the deaths of pedestrians in traffic accidents in the United States has increased 46%. Take a moment and let this statistic sink in. NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt may have described this problem best when he stated, “pedestrian safety is a universal issue – we are all pedestrians.” The factors for this statistic are unclear, as the information does not provide a cause for the spike in deaths. However, some researchers believe an improving economy could be a factor because it allows for more people to be out on the roads. Another popular belief is how cell phones play a role because they distract both drivers and pedestrians. With this new report, the National Transportation Safety Board has asked for a three-pronged approach to fight the issue. They also made eight safety recommendations to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, t...

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 ...

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...

Our office is proud to announce attorney Michael Cowen has obtained his board certification in truck accident law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and is the first attorney in the state of Texas to receive this certification! He is also 1 of only 14 attorneys in the United States (at the time of this publishing) to receive this certification from the NBTA. The elaborate screening of credentials which all NBTA board certified attorneys must successfully complete includes: demonstration of substantial trial experience, submission of judicial and peer references to attest to their competency, attendance of continuing legal education courses, submission of legal writing documents, proof of good standing and passing of an examination. Congratulations Michael Cowen on this accomplishment and your continued commitment to truck accident lawyer! More Info : Truck Accident Lawyer