Vietnamese American College Student 3rd Life Lost to Deadly SXSW Crash
Rashad Owens ran down 26-year-old Sandy Thuy Le, described by a family member as “brilliant” and a “live life to the fullest” sort of person, on Thursday as he tried to flee police. Ms. Le, a Vietnamese-American whose family has seen more than its share of hardship and tragedy, having lost their home to Hurricane Katrina, was the third person to die from the horrific crash at the SXSW festival.
The Houston wrongful death attorneys at Denena Points, PC sadly note that Owens injured at least 21 others. The two most critically injured victims sustained life threatening head injuries. The two victims who died at the scene were identified as 35-year-old Steven Craenmehr from The Netherlands and 27-year-old Jamie West from Austin. Our hearts and prayers are with the family and friends of all of the victims and with those injured victims still struggling to recover after the devastating wreck.
Police documents indicate that Owens initially made an illegal turn and almost ran into a patrol car, at which time police initiated a traffic stop. Then Owens took off, at one point ramming through a police barricade and driving the wrong way down a one-way street. Some witnesses reportedly said they heard Owens revving up his engine before accelerating through the SXSW festival crowd, indicating he might have run down the victims deliberately or without any regard whatsoever for their lives and safety. Police said he also never applied his brakes.
Rashad Owens, whose breathalyzer test showed .114, over the legal limit, apparently fled the police due to outstanding warrants for his arrest and perhaps to avoid being charged with DWI as well. He has since been charged with capital murder and aggravated assault with a motor vehicle and is being held on $3 million bond. Our Houston wrongful death attorneys note that Owens’ blood toxicology report is still pending. (Chris Tomlinson, Associated Press by way of the Houston Chronicle, 3/17/14; and Andra Litton, KTSM News Austin, 3/14/14) Click the link to read more about the deadly driving rampage at SXSW.
Drivers turning in front of motorcycles cause fatal Houston crashes
Data released by the NHTSA showed that in 2010, 39% of fatal motorcycle collisions involved larger vehicles turning suddenly in front of an oncoming bike. The Houston motorcycle accident attorneys at Denena Points, PC note that this ongoing threat to motorcyclists results because drivers of larger vehicles naturally tend to keep watch for vehicles their own size or larger. They often don’t notice pedestrians or bikes, which have a smaller profile, until they’ve already started turning. And an oncoming motorcycle, especially if it’s operating at high speed, simply won’t have time to evade the impending crash.
That’s what happened on Saturday morning in southwest Houston when a wrecker truck turned in front of an oncoming bike at West Airport near Sandpiper. The motorcyclist was traveling at high speed, and the crash impact resulted in fatal injuries and utterly mangled the bike. A news account of the tragic crash said that authorities were investigating, but that the wrecker truck driver did not faces charges for the accident at that time. (KTRK, 3/15/14) Our sincere condolences go out to the family and friends of the motorcyclist.
Our Houston motorcycle accident attorneys caution motorcyclists to remain alert. Drivers might not notice your bike until they’ve already made a mistake that could cost you your life.
Contact us if You need Experienced Legal Help after a Serious Motorcycle Crash has Harmed You or Your Loved One
The Board Certified Houston motorcycle accident attorneys at Denena Points, PC have more than a decade of experience helping motorcycle accident victims and their families successfully obtain the financial compensation they deserve after a serious injury or fatal crash. We understand the bias bikers and their families often face when making an injury or wrongful death claim: the natural tendency of juries is usually to blame the biker. We know how to effectively counter this bias and help you financially recover after a serious accident.
Contact us today for a free legal consultation. Call us direct at 713-807-9500 or fill out our online contact form at: http://denenapoints.com/contact.cfm to schedule your free, no obligation consultation. We’re here to help.
New Law for one of few US States that had no Amusement Ride Safety Regs
The carnival ride injury attorneys at Denena Points, PC wonder why it always seems to require a serious accident and sometimes multiple deaths and injuries before lawmakers take action on safety? Last week in South Dakota, one of the few U.S. states that still had no amusement ride safety regulations at all, the governor signed the “Carnival Safety” bill into law. The law becomes effective this summer.
KSFY News reports that the move to oversee carnival ride safety resulted after an accident, when their investigation revealed that the state didn’t have any laws regulating the safety of carnival rideslike that where the accident occurred. (Mark Roper, 3/12/14) They approached a state Representative to sponsor the bill. And a state Senator who runs a family entertainment center also stepped up to co-sponsor the bill. (Though we note, perhaps cynically, that he did not jump in to sponsor such a bill prior to action by others.)
The new law will require ride inspections and liability insurance for ride owners. The news report indicated that the SD law might be similar to the laws in other states, allowing traveling carnivals some predictability regarding safety requirements and procedures. And allowing riders some assurance regarding their safety.
Also last week, South Dakota joined the ranks of U.S. states with a statewide ban on texting while driving. South Dakota seems to be taking serious steps to ensure local safety. We hope other states that have lagged behind in these areas will take heed and follow their lead. Our carnival ride injury attorneys especially note our home state of Texas, which has been reluctant to take strong steps on banning handheld device use while driving.
Safety problems at fatal walkway collapse site were known to UM
Structural engineers who inspected the broken walkway after the balcony collapse at University Village apartments in Columbia, Missouri reported that the concrete had deteriorated to the point where it could no longer support its own weight. And indeed our balcony collapse attorneys point out that the initial report of the collapse came in during the wee hours of the morning as an apartment resident looked outside to see what a strange noise was and noticed that the unoccupied balcony walkway had begun to sag and fall. The walkway further collapsed as firefighters attempted to warn residents of the danger. Firefighter Lieutenant Bruce Britt died in the collapse.
Investigators said that water, chlorides, and freeze-thaw action had combined to deteriorate the concrete over time. And the evidence from the site indicated concrete shear, a sudden vertical failure. The investigating structural engineers’ report indicated that the metal deck, support beams, and concrete slab were all significantly deteriorated. And that parts of the concrete slab were delaminated because the concrete didn’t settle completely when it was put in. This would have left excess air inside the slab, which creates areas of potential weakness.
The aged apartment building where the balcony collapsed was part of an old complex built several decades ago. Inspections found immediate needs for repair and replacement of walkways at several other buildings. Inspectors said framing of some walkways was “questionable” and that there was imminent danger of catastrophic collapse.
Records show that about $4,000 was spent last summer on repairing two sections of concrete at the building where the collapse occurred. Plans were drawn up several years ago in 2008 regarding repair or replacement of the University Village buildings. That plan said that the walkways even then posed a hazard to public safety. (Ashley Jost, The Columbia Daily Tribune, 3/6/14)
The university plan went on to say that repair was not feasible given the age and condition of the complex: that tear down and replacement of the buildings was the only option. And an email of a UM official expressed concern about the deck repairs at the complex going back 5 to 10 years. (Elliot Weiler and Roche Madden, KTVI Fox 2, 3/5/14)
So basically the University of Missouri knew that there were safety hazards at the complex, specifically in the walkways, and that the only real fix would be to tear them down. But the university did not make that fix. Its budget went to other needs. The balcony collapse attorneys at Denena Points, PC emphasize that the school still chose to house students at the complex, when it could have at least closed down the complex and sent the students and their families to live at a place not in imminent danger of structural failures.
In a premises liability case when you or your loved ones have been injured because of a landlord’s negligence regarding the safety of those who might be on the property, you basically have to prove that:
- there was a hazard at the premises that threatened your safety;
- the landlord knew or should have known about the hazard;
- the landlord failed to remove or make proper repairs to that hazard; and
- you were injured by that hazard.
Reports and documents coming to light in the University Village apartments case make it increasingly clear that the victim’s family could probably satisfy all of those elements of proof. But where the landlord defendant is a government entity like a state university rather than a private party, holding them financially accountable for the needless injuries and losses inflicted by the negligence might present some special challenges.
For example, victims and their families in Philadelphia are frustrated with the government agency responsible for structural safety there after a building collapse that killed 6 and injured or maimed 13. The department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) won’t release (or can’t locate) relevant information about building collapses across the city. Attempts to gather the information have been met with stonewalling and/or denials that the information even exists. So attempts to hold the agency and the city liable for the harm inflicted by safety lapses that they might attribute in part to L&I are falling flat. And the city has already claimed sovereign immunity. Click the link to read more about the ongoingPhiladelphia building collapse controversy.
Man Seriously Injured in Fall from Indoor Roller Coaster in WI
Friday around 5:30 p.m., a 64-year-old man was somehow ejected from the Opa! roller coaster ride and fell almost 20 feet to the ground below. A witness told reporters at NBC 15 that the seriously injured man was breathing but unconscious and bleeding badly with wounds to both the head and arm. The man was airlifted to a Madison, Wisconsin trauma center. The thoughts and prayers of the roller coaster injury attorneys at Denena Points, PC are with the injured man and his family, hoping for his safe and complete recovery.
The accident occurred at the indoor Mount Olympus Theme Park and Water Park Resort. Three other people were on the ride with the man who was ejected, but they remained uninjured. The Opa! roller coaster was shut down until further notice after the accident, though the park generally continued to be open.
At this time, information regarding the cause of the accident has not been released. The ride’s manufacturer was coming to inspect the ride, and inspectors from the WI Department of Occupational Safety and Health were also looking into the cause behind the man’s fall from the roller coaster. (Lydia Mulvany, Journal Sentinel; nbc15.com; and WISN 12 News, 3/7/14
Our roller coaster injury attorneys mention that the ride’s manufacturer may have taken the step to quickly begin its own independent investigation into the serious Wisconsin Dells accident after seeing the attempts Six Flags theme park in Texas has made to place the blame for last summer’s fatal fall from a roller coaster onto the company that made the ride. Click the link to learn more about the ongoing controversy over where to place the blame in the tragic Six Flags roller coaster accident.
Skip TxDOT Fee, Get a Free Police Report of Your Houston Injury Crash
TxDOT has launched a new system where you can purchase a copy of the police report for your Houston injury accident online. TxDOT posts crash reports to its system once it receives them from law enforcement agencies. Then with a credit card and certain information about your specific accident, you can pay the $6 to $8 fee and download your report immediately. The police report could help you establish fault by another party when you are making a claim for insurance and compensation after a crash.
Previously, you had to mail in your request with payment to obtain a police report. And the delay caused by the mailings meant days or weeks before you might receive the actual report you needed. But our concerned Houston crash injury lawyers at Denena Points, PC have always made it our mission to aid accident victims and their families in achieving the fair financial recovery they deserve after a serious accident injury changes their lives. In pursuit of that mission, our Board Certified Texas personal injury attorneys have been offering to provide the police report you need free of charge. We still provide that service when you need it.
Just call us at 713-807-9500 or fill out our handy online request form. We understand that the last thing you need after suffering a serious accident injury or loss is one more additional cost, even a small one.
4 Major Causes of Rollover Accidents to Avoid
Data from the U.S. NHTSA website shows that about 85% of all rollover accident deaths are from single-vehicle wrecks. Our Texas highway rollover accident attorneys also point out that more than 90% of the vehicles involved in single-vehicle rollover fatalities were engaged in routine driving maneuvers like negotiating a curve or traveling in a straight line at the times of their crashes. This means that other factors like driver fatigue, distraction, speed, or impairment strongly contributed to the wrecks. Four of the major causes of rollover accidents that you want to avoid are:
SPEEDING: 40% of rollover crash deaths are related to excessive speed, and around 75% of the fatalities occur on roads where the posted speed limit is at least 55 mph. When the wheels of your car start to lose traction and leave the road, or they dig in and slide as the car changes direction, the faster you are going, the more likely it is that ESC technology and your own reactions won’t be able to compensate, and your vehicle will trip into a deadly roll.
ALCOHOL: About half of all fatal rollover wrecks involve alcohol. Impaired drivers tend to speed more often than sober drivers, and are also more likely to lose control of their vehicles in even routine driving maneuvers.
ROAD TYPE: Undivided rural roads and narrow roads without barriers form the sites of a disproportionate number of deadly rollover crashes. Nearly 75% of rollover deaths occur on narrow rural highways where the posted speed limit is 55 mph or above.
VEHICLE TYPE: “Top heavy” vehicles that have a higher center of gravity on a relatively narrow wheelbase, such as SUVs, pickup trucks, and passenger vans, are more likely to end up in a roll during a serious crash. The Texas highway rollover accident attorneys at Denena Points, PC note that a loss of vehicle control or a sharp change in direction can simply pull the vehicles “head over heels” into a roll.
Click the link to read about a deadly rollover wreck on LBJ Freeway in Dallas near Greenville that exhibits many of the factors listed above. That terrible accident claimed the lives of two occupants of a pickup truck who got ejected during the roll. Witnesses indicated the driver was traveling at least 100 mph and was negotiating the curve of a freeway entry ramp when the terrible single vehicle crash took place.
Inspect and Maintain Exteriors to avoid Deadly Walkway Collapses: MU
Ghazwan Alwan, a resident of the University Village Apartments in Columbia, Missouri, and his wife heard a loud crash. He looked outside to see the balcony walkway falling. It had not yet fallen. He called 911. Firefighters responded to the MU balcony collapse and were working to wake and evacuate residents.
Mr. Alwan said Lieutenant Bruce Britt was outside on the 2nd floor walkway talking to him through his window when he told the firefighter he should get off the walkway because it was unsafe. That was when it collapsed underneath the man. Lieutenant Britt was killed by the balcony walkway collapse at the University Village Apartments.
No university students were injured by the MU balcony collapse. The building where the collapse occurred consisted of 12 units, occupied by about 18 residents at the time. The evacuated residents currently are housed by Missouri University (MU) in hotels.
An MU spokesman said that the building where the fatal MU balcony collapse took place had been inspected sometime in the last two years. The balcony collapse injury attorneys at Denena Points, PC note that it’s best to inspect all exterior structures like balconies, decks, walkways, and stairs at least once per year, preferably twice, due to the high toll that variable weather can take on structures. Moisture seepage, rot, rust, and corrosion wear down all outdoor structures gradually over time.
When engineers inspected the collapsed MU balcony walkway after the fatal accident that tragically killed a firefighter, removal of the soffits revealed extensive rust and corrosion in the support structures. So piles of lumber were trucked in to provide additional support for the remaining walkways. But needless to say, residents of University Village are now on edge regarding their safety and the safety of their neighbors. MU is in the process of having structural engineers inspect all university owned or leased facilities for safety.
The two-story brick University Village apartment complex was built in 1956 and has remained virtually unchanged since that time. It houses married students and graduate students. University Village and University Heights (another older, university-run complex) have been under consideration for rebuild or renovation by MU’s Residential Life unit since at least 2008.
8 things to look out for when officials inspect the exterior elements of these structures include:
- Missing or loose structural connections.
- Loose or unstable stairs and stair rails.
- Loose or unstable guardrails.
- Rot from humidity, moisture, and varying weather extremes.
- Cracked or split wood.
- Crumbling or cracking masonry or concrete.
- Corrosion in the hardware connectors.
- Loosening of ledger boards connecting exterior structures to the main structure.
Contact the Board Certified Balcony Collapse Injury Attorneys at Denena Points, PC when you need Help after a Collapse Injury or Wrongful Death
Our more than 12 years of in-depth experience successfully winning fair financial recoveries for victims and their families could help guide you to informed decisions following a serious structural collapse. We’re among the relative handful of personal injury attorneys nationwide with hands on experience litigating complex balcony collapse claims.
Contact us for an entirely free and confidential initial legal consultation. You have no obligation to hire an attorney. Call us at 713-807-9500 or fill out our online contact form to schedule your free consultation. We’ll answer your questions, review the specific facts of your case with you, and help you evaluate your potential eligibility for a full financial recovery for your needless injuries and losses.
How ESC could help you avoid serious Houston Crash Injuries
Serious Houston crash injuries can permanently change your life and the lives of your loved ones. Electronic Stability Control (ESC) can help you avoid a severe accident. ESC helps you avoid crash injury. It’s designed to keep you from plowing out if your front wheels lose traction or from spinning out if your back wheels lose traction with the road. If you lose control of your vehicle as tires lose traction, you might easily leave the roadway or slide across the median or centerline to end up with costly, maybe even permanent injuries.
ESC is designed to selectively apply the brakes on individual wheels to keep your car traveling in the intended direction when ESC sensors detect that tires are beginning to reach the limits of road traction and the vehicle is beginning to slide off course and potentially launch you into serious Houston crash injuries.
Taking curves at too high of a speed or engaging in sudden evasive maneuvers can test the limits of your car’s road traction. Countersteering can help you maintain control of the vehicle in such an event, but most people don’t think of that as they’re panicking in reaction to an imminent crash.
ESC can help countersteer for you. For instance, when ESC detects that the left rear of your vehicle begins to slide and that your car is changing direction too quickly for your intended course, ESC can selectively apply the right front brake to bring the car back on track. But ESC has its limits and can’t compensate if you’re speeding too fast or your oversteering is too extreme.
Around half of all vehicle accidents are single-vehicle crashes where the driver has lost control of the car for some reason. Your vehicle might leave the road because:
- Your tires slip on ice, a patch of oil, or some other hazard;
- You nod off at the wheel;
- You take a curve too fast for the car to handle; or
- You’re trying to avoid an imminent accident ahead.
When drivers find themselves leaving the road, they often overcorrect when they try to get back on course, and this leads to a wreck, often a serious rollover. The end result might be vehicle ejection, severe head trauma, spinal injuries and paralysis, deep lacerations, broken bones, internal organ injuries, burns, or even severed limbs. Unfortunately, such severe accidents happen every day, leaving victims permanently disabled and families mourning for lost loved ones.
Learn what to do to protect your interests and your loved ones after serious Houston crash injuries: download our free report at the book icon on this page. The guide will help you understand how to build a successful claim for the financial recovery you deserve after a traumatic accident.
And don’t hesitate to contact the experienced Houston crash injury attorneys at Denena Points, PC if you have questions about your specific accident injury. We offer a free initial legal consultation to discuss your case and help you evaluate your potential for fair financial compensation. Call us at 713-807-9500 or reach us through our online contact form to get your free consultation.
7 Pedestrian Safety Steps to Reduce Your Risk of Being Hit by a Car
The Houston Police Department, prompted by a rash of fatal pedestrian – vehicle accidents in the city, specifically by a string of 3 fatalities along an especially deadly stretch of Bellaire Boulevard, have issued a warning to local pedestrians to be very cautious when out walking, particularly at night. The HPD also mentioned some important safety tips to reduce your risk of being injured or killed in a pedestrian accident.
- Look before you step out into the street. Look both ways, or all four ways if you’re at an intersection.
- Don’t wear headphones, text, or talk on your cell phone as you cross a street. You need to hear and see approaching traffic. Speeding drivers can come up on you more quickly than you might realize.
- Don’t cross the street unless you’re in a crosswalk, and for your own safety take the extra minute or few to walk to a crosswalk.
- Obey all traffic signals and don’t go against a “Don’t Walk” light.
- Don’t assume vehicles will stop for you. The recent rash of fatal pedestrian – vehicle accidents in Houston indicates that they very well might not stop. Always make eye contact with the driver.
- Dress for visibility so that drivers can see you: wear light-colored clothing at night, preferably with reflective markings, and carry a flashlight.
- Take particular care in construction zones. Drivers may be distracted and also driving too fast.
Contact the Board Certified Houston Pedestrian Injury Attorneys at Denena Points, PC when You and Your Loved Ones need Help after being hit by a Driver
Call us at 713-807-9500 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a free, no obligation legal consultation to discuss the facts of your accident and evaluate your eligibility for afull financial recovery for your injuries. We’ve been helping injured pedestrians and their families successfully recover fair financial compensation against negligent drivers for more than 12 years. Put our dedicated experience and skill to work for your family.