State representative Eddie Rodriguez says he is planning to file a bill in the upcoming legislative session that will improve the way allegedly dangerous dogs are handled by Texas courts.

The concept of the bill is to allow owners of dogs that are deemed “dangerous” to appeal a judge’s decision in a county court-at-law. These courts hear both criminal and civil cases.

The representative’s bill will help bring consistency to the hazy laws surrounding a dog owner’s rights when his or her pet attacks another animal or a person. Currently, when a dog attacks a person, its case is brought before a judge who decides whether or not it will receive a hearing to determine if  it is dangerous. The animal is seized and the decision to return it to its owner or euthanize it is in the hands of the judge.

Those who own dogs that have hurt people do not presently have the option to appeal a judge’s decision to euthanize their pet. The current laws are also unclear about which standard of burden of proof should be followed as well as if the dog’s owner will get a jury trial.

While these laws can be beneficial to pet owners, being the victim of a dog attack can have serious consequences on a person’s quality of life. The financial burden of high hospital bills and missed work alongside the stress of psychological trauma can weigh heavily on a dog attack victim. If you’ve been injured by a dangerous dog, a dog bite lawyer may be able to help you seek reprieve from the difficulties imposed upon you through someone else’s irresponsible pet ownership.

Midland is mourning after the loss of four wounded veterans who were killed in a horrific train accident yesterday afternoon.

The veterans, some of which were confined to wheelchairs,  and their spouses were riding on two separate flatbed trailers that were converted into parade floats on their way to an honorary banquet. When they reached the tracks, the first truck in the caravan was able to make it across, but the second one could not.

Witnesses say police sirens may have drowned out the sound of the Union Pacific train that was barreling towards the parade. The train smashed into the float with deadly, deafening impact, injuring 17 people and killing four. Some of the veterans were able to save their spouses by pushing them off of the float before the train made impact. Many of them were completely unable to remove themselves from the destruction quickly enough because of their combat wounds.

Union Pacific says that the cross lights and arms were working at the time of the accident. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the accident, but initial reports indicate that the truck carrying the veterans got halfway across the track before the safety arms came down. The driver honked at drivers to make room so the truck can pull through, but was unable to get enough clearance in time to avoid the deadly train collision.

Midland Mayor Wes Perry called the accident one of the most tragic events to have ever occurred in the city’s 131-year history.

The Austin injury lawyers at the Law Office of Vic Feazell, P.C., appreciate the service of our brave veterans and are deeply saddened by this heart-wrenching loss of life.

Austin’s Building Inspection Division held a workshop last week to help inform citizens about signs that may indicate a deck is unsafe. It provided tips for how to determine whether a deck’s structure is safe or not and how to fix common issues that may arise.

One way to tell if a deck is safe or not is checking for any rot in the boards. Sticking a sharp knife into a board is an easy way to do this. If the knife goes in easily, the wood may be falling prey to rot and will need to be replaced. Making sure all of the connections are nice and tight can prevent them from giving way and causing a collapse. Regularly checking for loose nails, sun damage, and other signs of wear can also increase the safety and longevity of your deck.

The workshop included a section on the dangers of deck collapses. Last year, there were two deck collapses in Austin that injured a total of 33 people. In the past five years, there have been more than 600 injuries and as many as four deaths related to deck collapses nationwide.

A person is responsible for the safety their property. If there are dangerous conditions on a deck that result in the injury of a guest, the deck’s owner could be held responsible. This is an area of personal injury law known as premises liability. If you have been hurt due to a porch collapse or other unsafe conditions, you may be able to seek compensation for your injuries.

The widow of Deputy Constable Cpl. Kevin Aigner is filing a wrongful death lawsuit for her husband’s September 2011 death. Aigner died of a stroke while working to help people during the Steiner Ranch wildfire.

Travis County’s investigation into what caused the fire has not found a direct cause as of yet. Aigner’s widow and her attorney hope the lawsuit will hurry the investigation. A spokesperson for Travis County reports that these kinds of investigations can take a long time. However, a similar investigation into the cause of the Bastrop County Complex Fire took less than three months.

The suit against the city of Austin and Austin Energy claims that the energy company was negligent in how it installed power lines that are suspected of starting the fire. Aigner worked in temperatures exceeding 100 degrees and heavy smoke while helping families evacuate the area, eventually leading to his untimely death.

If you have lost a loved one as a result of someone else’s negligent actions, a wrongful death lawsuit may help you find closure and can potentially recover expenses related to your tragic loss.

The maker of anti-psychotic drug Risperdal, Janssen Pharmaceutical Inc (a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson), has settled a lawsuit against it. The suit claimed Janssen illegally marketed Risperdal as a treatment for dementia.

Risperdal is approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a treatment for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Drug manufacturers are only permitted to market their products for the conditions that the FDA has approved them as treatments for. The lawsuit accused Janssen of ghostwriting articles in medical journals in order to promote it as a treatment for dementia.

Janssen and Johnson & Johnson have settled the suit with 37 states for a total of $181 million, $11 million of which will go to Texas. The company refuses any guilt in the matter, claiming the settlement is to avoid a more costly legal battle.

When manufacturers market their products, they are obligated to do it honestly. Deceptive marketing tactics can lead to consumer injuries. If you have been hurt by a product as a direct result of dishonest claims made in its advertising, contact the product liability attorneys of Vic Feazell, P.C., at 877-948-4842. Thank you for visiting the Austin personal injury blog. We hope you find these stories to be helpful and informative.

The Supreme Court of Missouri has overturned a law that placed a $350,000 limit on noneconomic awards for medical malpractice compensation. The law was declared to be in violation of the state’s constitution in a 4-3 decision.

According to the court, the law’s unconstitutionality comes from its infringement on a jury’s power to assess the fact and damages in a medical malpractice lawsuit. In the Missouri constitution, a person’s right to a trial by jury is “inviolable.”

The limit became a law in 2005, when malpractice insurance prices were rising so high it was causing doctors to leave the state.

If you have been the victim of negligence at the hands of a medical professional such as a surgeon, contact the medical malpractice lawyers of the Law Offices of Vic Feazell, P.C., at 877-948-4842, and thank you for visiting our Austin personal injury blog.

A Peaster Elementary School nurse is facing a lawsuit after allegedly traumatizing a 8-year-old boy by calling him dirty, stripping him of his clothes, and forcing him to bathe.

The boy’s parents were never previously contacted concerning his hygiene. His mother says the boy bathes at home at least every other day and is too young to have a body odor problem.

Last November’s incident left the young boy very self-conscious. Afterwards, he began obsessively cleaning himself. On his first day back in school after the traumatic experience, he sprayed himself up and down with cologne for fear of smelling badly.

The Parker County family is suing for monetary damages associated with therapist costs. If your child has been abused in school, there is legal recourse. Contact the child injuries lawyers at the Law Offices of Vic Feazell, P.C., at 877-948-4842 to learn more. Thank you for visiting the Austin personal injury blog.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 4.7 million people suffer injuries from dog bites every year. Children are the victims in more than half of these dog attacks.

Young children between the ages of five and nine are the group most commonly affected by dog attacks. Most of them are bitten by their own dog or a neighbor’s dog.

Because this week is National Dog Bite Prevention Week®, many industries that commonly deal with the effects of dog bites are hoping to inform the public that dog bites are preventable. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) advises parents to not leave children alone with dogs.

Dog bites are serious national problem, and a great deal of them are the result of negligent pet owners. If you or your child has been hurt by a dog bite, contact the dog bite lawyers of the Law Offices of Vic Feazell, P.C., at 877-948-4842. For more information on dog bite claims in and around the Austin area, please visit our dog bite blog regularly.

April is National Distracted Driving Awareness month. To close it out, the first ever Texas summit on distracted driving met yesterday to discuss ways to prevent distracted driving. Almost a quarter of crashes that occur in Texas are a result of distracted driving.

The summit, held in San Antonio, had over 200 attendees, including doctors and businesses. Their goal is to raise awareness of the national problem that is distracted driving.

Last year, at least 361 crashes in Texas caused by distracted driving were fatal. Distracted driving accidents are almost always preventable. The summit hopes to increase awareness of this fact.

If you or someone you know has been hurt in a car accident, the Austin distracted driving lawyers at the Law Offices of Vic Feazell, P.C., can help you seek compensation for your medical costs. Contact us at 877-948-4842 to learn more about how we can serve you, and please continue to visit our Austin personal injury blog for the latest news stories.

Today is the Austin Area Heritage Council’s 18th annual Martin Luther King Day celebration and march from The University of Texas at Austin to Huston-Tillotson University.  In previous years, the event has involved as many as 15,000 people.

This morning at 9 a.m., participants met at UT Austin’s East Mall, where the university’s Martin Luther King Jr. statue is located.  Celebrators heard speeches from members of the UT Austin African and African Diaspora Studies Department and State Representative Dawnna Dukes, as well as performances from Campbell Elementary School’s MLK Oratory Contest winner and the Innervisions Gospel Choir.

The march continued to the State Capitol, where participants heard a performance by the Greater Mount Zion Church Choir.  At 11 a.m., participants arrived at the Huston-Tillotson University campus.  A festival at the campus will continue until 4 p.m.

For more information on local events in the Austin area, please visit our Austin injury blog on a regular basis.