Summer is almost here, and that means bicycle riders will begin taking to the streets. Although many people enjoy a scenic bike ride on a wooded trail, more and more cyclists are sharing the road with cars, as a healthly, eco-friendly way to get around. With this prevalence of new bikers comes the question, "how can drivers and cyclists shar...

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A female Houston port worker had a lucky escape, after she fell inside the hull of a vessel last week.  The maritime accident occurred in the Port of Houston.  The woman apparently fell into the cargo hold.  Emergency rescue personnel, including firefighters from the Houston Fire Department were summoned to the scene.   A total of 15 fire resc...

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A train in Fort Worth, Texas ran over railroad employee Paul Young, a 28 year-old BNSF Foreman, today.  Mr. Young remains in serious condition at John Peter Smith Hospital after the train ran over him, amputating his legs and an arm, according to railroad officials.   Young was working on the train Monday night when he was hit by it, say BNSF...

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In Texas, boating accident fatality numbers per 100,000 registered boaters are more than twice the national average.  It is these statistics that have resulted in the drafting of legislation that would require mandatory boater education. A new piece of legislation that has been proposed by Representative Dan Parker, Republican-Flower Mound, wou...

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An important piece of offshore safety legislation that would have clearly defined how drilling safety plans in US waters should progress, is currently left hanging after lawmakers disagreed over revenue sharing payments to states.  The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee was debating legislation that would enhance offshore drilling sa...

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GULF OF MEXICO — Air and sea search teams continued Saturday to hunt for 10 oil workers missing in the Gulf of Mexico after they abandoned a disabled research vessel. Five helicopters, a fixed-wing airplane and two vessels searched for the men in Mexico, said Brenda Taquino, spokesperson for Houston-based Geokinetics. Geokinetics contracted the...

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The pilot who was navigating an 810-foot tanker through the Sabine-Neches Ship Channel in 2010 was tired and suffering from a sleep disorder, while the second pilot was reading a newspaper, according to a National Transportation Safety Board report. Federal investigators said Tuesday that these factors, in conjunction with lax regulations, cont...

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A massive fire at a chemical plant in Waxahachie was about 90 percent contained, fire Chief David Hudgins said Monday afternoon. There were no reports of injuries. Waxahachie fire officials warned of possibly toxic fumes and smoke from the Magnablend plant, and emergency officials were wearing protective suits. Billowing black smoke at the plan...

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Every Houston auto accident attorney knows that the number of alcohol-related car accidents has been declining over the past decade. A new study by the CDC confirms the fact.  According to the CDC, the incidence of drunk driving has declined by almost 30% over the past five years. In fact, last year, those numbers were at their lowest levels in...

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This week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is marking Teen Driver Safety Week in order to impress the importance of preventing accidents involving this group of drivers. To coincide with the commemoration of the week from October 17 to October 22, the American Auto Association has released the results of a study into the safe...

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Booster seats substantially reduce children's risk of injuries in a car accident. However, those risks may not be affected at all if the seat does not come with a proper safety belt fit. According to a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, close to 50% of children's car booster seats available in the market do not come with a good...

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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited a Texas-based shipbuilder for safety violations. The agency has proposed penalties against the company, Sneed Shipbuilding Inc. in Channelview, Texas. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Houston office, the agency began its investigation of the company on J...

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Intercity bus companies that provide low-cost bus services, and pick up or drop passengers curbside instead of at terminals, may have a much higher likelihood of being involved in accidents. That information comes from a report by the National Transportation Safety Board. The report finds that these curbside bus companies have a likelihood of b...

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Aggressive driving contributes to at least one third of accidents and injuries, and up to two thirds of fatal accidents every year. Now, a new study finds that drivers who perceive their car as an extension of themselves have a strong tendency towards aggressive driving. There has been little research conducted into the psychology of aggressive...

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This month, federal agencies released data on accident fatality numbers for 2010. The good news for Texas car accident lawyers was that overall traffic accident fatalities across the country, and especially in Texas, are down. The bad news, however, is that pedestrian, trucking, and motorcycle accident fatalities have increased. In Texas, 2,99...

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A man died after being injured late Saturday night in an industrial accident in Texas City. It appears Virgel James Stoker, 26, was injured while working on industrial equipment used to package products at the Dallas Group of America Inc.’s facility at the Port of Texas City. He died shortly after being taken to the hospital. The Galveston Cou...

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According to a new federal study, teenagers whose parents drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs may be more likely to emulate these dangerous practices themselves. That is not exactly what Houston car accident attorneys would call a shocker, but the study does confirm that good parental influence is probably one of the foremost factors ...

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An explosion at a fuel storage and intermodal terminal near the Port of Galveston about 7 p.m. Thursday was heard across the island and into parts of the Galveston County mainland. Firefighters responded to the 3-alarm fire that shut down the road to Pelican Island and left Texas A&M University at Galveston students on lockdown. There were abou...

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The poor economy is causing more and more American drivers to postpone essential maintenance and repairs of their automobiles. This information, which comes from a survey by Consumer Reports, is alarming to Houston car accident lawyers, because lack of automotive maintenance and repairs increases the risks of an accident. The poll by Consumer R...

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Much of the debate on impaired driving tends to center on persons driving under the influence of alcohol. However, a person who smokes marijuana before driving can have his accident risks double.  Moreover, persons who smoke marijuana before driving tend to be less aware of their impaired driving compared to drunk drivers. Researchers at Dalhou...

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A number of earlier studies had indicated that children who suffer from a traumatic brain injury may suffer from increasing impairment levels as the child gets older. That may not necessarily be true. According to new research, children with a brain injury who are exposed to a healthy home environment and professional rehabilitation and therapy...

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Texas’ graduated driver’s licensing program in Texas prohibits teen passengers below the age of 21 from traveling with teen motorists. New research confirms to Houston car accident lawyers the need for rules like this.  According to the research, teenage drivers, who are driving with passengers of the same age, have a much higher risk of accide...

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Living with a brain injury, as any Houston car accident lawyer can tell you, can be devastating not just for the victims, but also the people in their lives. Brain injury takes the highest toll on the spouse, who is now the caregiver of the person with a brain injury. Even a marriage with a strong foundation can give way when one of the spouses ...

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Texas continues to lag behind the rest of the country in implementing laws against cell phone use and texting while driving. However, if you are a parent who wants to ensure that your teenage child is not texting while driving or using cell phones at the wheel, there are a number of technologies that can help you do so. Most such technologies i...

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It is not the kind of news that should comfort any Houston car accident lawyer. A new study finds that there has been an increase in the number of teenage drivers being killed in accidents. That increase was seen in 23 states, including Texas. In our state, there was a four percent increase in the number of 16 and 17-year-olds killed in accident...

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If lobbying efforts by the trucking industry and shipping groups are successful, highways in several states, including Texas, could see heavier tractor-trailers plying their roads. A piece of legislation that is being supported heavily by the trucking industry would increase the weight limits on commercial trucks, making for bulkier and heavier ...

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An accident involving a minivan and a U.S. Postal Service 18-wheeler left one woman dead Friday afternoon. The woman was driving a Mercury Villager minivan south on Misty Willow near Willowbrook Mall around 3:45 p.m. when she failed to yield at a stop sign, a Houston Police Department spokeswoman said. The 18-wheeler, which was heading northbou...

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The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has been moving towards rules that would require drivers to be evaluated for sleep apnea, thereby helping reduce the number of accidents traced to driver fatigue. Last week, federal transportation authorities adopted recommendations related to sleep apnea diagnosis. The Federal Motor Carrier Safet...

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