An initial investigation conducted by the Texas Department of Public Safety indicated that faulty equipment may have been the cause of the accident. Apparently the drive shaft fell off the vehicle as it was driving down Highway 37 in Atascosa County, Texas.

Americanos USA is a business entity that is related to Greyhound Bus, which is a division of FirstGroup America. Americanos buses have been involved in 10 crashes in the past 30 months. A National Transportation Safety Board (“NTSB”) spokesman has indicated that they are currently not intending to open an investigation in the crash. According to the NTSB the crash does not appear to turn up any new safety issues.

As we have written before in our blog, safety defects on buses are a real concern for the general public and the bus passengers. It is also clear that the Federal and State Agencies responsible for the safety of motor vehicles should not be relied upon to make sure that buses and other vehicles are properly maintained. A San Antonio personal injury lawyer should investigate this accident to determine how a bus that was recently inspected could be in such a horrible accident. Potentially, the bus company, the bus manufacturer and the maintenance company could all be held responsible for compensation to the victims of the crash.

Driver inattention due to cell phone use is not new; studies have reported the effects of cell phone use while driving as being the same, if not worse, as a driver having consumed alcohol or marijuana and driving. Injuries caused by drivers that are texting can be serious and severe. This level of driver, on busy roadways, places the entire driving public at risk. The highest risk areas are spread throughout San Antonio, according to the local news report - Loop 1604 at IH-10; Loop 1604 at Hwy. 281; Bandera Rd. at Loop 410; and even downtown streets are cited.

Determining fault in a auto accident may require an in-depth look into the cell phone records of the person believed to be at fault.

Owners of the new cars will be sent a new tire label to affix according to the directions. It is believed that all owners of the affected cars will be notified of the incorrect labeling.

Auto accidents can have many causes, and it is necessary to investigate all potential causes when auto accidents cause serious injuries or death.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has come under scrutiny for its failure to act more quickly in the safety recall of the Toyota vehicles. It is very important to report any unexplained operational issues that could effect the safety of a motor vehicle to NHTSA so that they can begin an investigation and possible prevent a catastrophic injury.

Lawmakers are investigating why it took Toyota several years from the time safety complaints started to come in to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ("NHTSA") for the Japanese auto maker to initiate auto recalls. Every driver in San Antonio was placed at risk by this delay. San Antonio injury lawyers can make a difference by pursuing claims against manufacturers when they place defective products into the stream of commerce. This delay in dealing with a very serious safety issue placed at risk not only owners of the recalled vehicles but every automobile driver that shares the road with the faulty vehicles.

Toyota, in particular, is also being criticized because of their early efforts to minimize the seriousness of the defect. Reports are coming forward that Toyota may have known for years that the unanticipated acceleration issue was present in its vehicles; however, internal company memorandums indicate that the car manufacturer was more interested in the profits being made on those models. In short, it was more expensive and would cut into profitability to fix the problem with a recall.

There must be economic consequences for a company that puts dangerous products on our streets and particularly when they delay fixing the problems; manufacturers that are driven by bottom line profits need to be held accountable for the lives they impact. Only when citizens hold companies accountable through jury verdicts, will profits be placed below human value, rather than placed above human value.

If passed the ordinance is not expected to eliminate all accidents and injuries to bicyclists and other vulnerable users; however, it may reduce the number of accidents making our streets friendlier for cyclists. We are in favor of a safe passing ordinance if it is coupled with a marketing push to inform San Antonio drivers of the ordinance. The effectiveness of the ordinance would be enhanced if the other metropolitan areas and not just San Antonio passed similar ordinances to protect cyclists throughout Texas.

Severe personal injury, including amputation of fingers, is the reason behind a recall of Graco strollers. About 1.5 million strollers, many of which have been sold in San Antonio and throughout Texas, are being recalled due to faulty latches that fail to lock the stroller in place when opened. This can result in the stroller collapsing, causing broken bones and severe lacerations requiring stitches. According to the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) Graco has received over 500 complaints of injury from users of the Duo Tandem Stroller and the Metrolite Stroller. At least one injury resulted in the child requiring 46 stitches to close the wound. The strollers were manufactured between 1994 and 2002, and were sold nationwide at various discount stores, department stores and children’s stores for prices ranging between $80-$200. By checking the recall notice at the CPSC website, purchasers of Graco products can review the involved model numbers/serial numbers.

Defective products, especially products designed for children, can cause serious, long-term injuries and victims should contact experienced lawyers to investigate. In addition to government recalls, there are databases that should be maintained by manufacturers, and all necessary information should be sought in order to best protect future product users, as well as compensate those that have already been harmed.

For years, Texas courts held that since an injured person was dealing with their own insurance company, and seeking compensation for losses covered by UM/UIM protection, that an insurance company must act in good faith and reasonably pay those claims. There was an added consideration - since the insurance policy is a contract - Texas law provides that when a contract is breached, the party in violation owes attorney fees as an additional penalty. Therefore, when a UM/UIM claim was submitted, the insurance company acted reasonably to avoid paying additional penalties in the form of attorney fees.

However, in late 2006 the Texas Supreme Court decided that insurance companies do not have an obligation to pay attorney fees until a person takes the company to court, and obtains a verdict against the company, and then, ONLY, if the insurance company does not pay within 30 days, can attorney fees be added. Essentially, today, UM/UIM insurance companies have been placed in the position of being able to sit back and force their policy holders to go to court, without incurring any penalty. All the while, the insurance company is earning interest on the money, and hoping that policy holders will not have the stamina to fight to the end.

If you have been injured by an uninsured driver, or if the injuries you have received exceed the liability coverage of the at-fault driver, you need experienced help fighting these claims if you want to recover your legal losses.

According to published reports, motorcycles manufactured between September 11, 2008 and November 19, 2009 may be prone to a build up of small deposits within the throttle bodies - pronounced with poor fuel quality. The build up of deposits, especially during engine operation at low RPM's, can result in engine stall. Given that these effects occur typically during low RPM range driving, such as when coming to a stop, engine stall may lead to a vehicle crash and potential serious personal injury.

The safety recall is expected to be addressed by BMW in January, when repair of the problems will begin - free of charge to owners. Further information may be obtained from NHTSA, referencing Campaign ID No.:09V471000.

Serious injury can occur to the most prudent riders of motorcycles, as a result of neglect by other vehicle operators not paying attention to the two-wheeled users of the roadway.
Adding a product defect that could result on engine stall only increases the chances of a wreck occurring. If an engine stalls as a result of this build up - even if a car operator behind the motorcycle is paying attention, the sudden loss of momentum may result on the nmotorcyle being rear-ended, and the rider suffering serious injury.

In a wrongful death lawsuit the injury lawyer will likely try to recover: medical and funeral expenses; compensation for loss of companionship, mental anguish, and the decedent's pre-death pain, suffering and mental anguish. The couple left a young child and any recovery would likely be held in trust for the benefit of the child.

The Sheriff's Department and the District Attorney's office are investigating this vehicle accident to determine whether charges for manslaughter or criminally negligent homicide should be brought against the truck driver. The investigating authorities are probably subpoenaing the phone records of the driver to determine whether he was on the phone or texting while driving.

The success of the personal injury claim is not dependant upon a criminal case being filed. Each court system, criminal and civil, has independent burdens of proof and different methods of determining justice – one to determine whether the driver will lose his freedom, and the civil court system will determine whether the driver or his employer should compensate the young child for the loss of both parents.

Although it was reported that the driver was not wearing his seatbelt, it is possible that he was, and the seatbelt failed. By investigating the seat belt mechanics, any issues with the locking system, and other components, a reasonable determination can be made concerning whether the restraint system failed - leaving the appearance that an occupant was not wearing the restraint when emergency responders arrive.

Experienced and resourceful investigation can many times correct other erroneous first impressions – such as whether an injury occurred in the first place. First responders (police, fire, EMS) are trained to aid those in need. Some have additional training to investigate accidents. But for the most part, they are concerned with safety and well being. If it appears that an individual was not wearing a seat belt, or that an accident didn't leave visible damage to a vehicle and therefore no injuries were sustained, no further thought is given by these first responders. However, serious injury can be inflicted on humans even though a car does not show evidence of damage. Cars are made with state of the art materials that are designed to displace the energy of a collision and leave no physical indication of damage; however, as the energy passes through these materials, it still imposes forces on the human musculoskeletal system and our bodies suffer injury as a result.

Information regarding this automobile product defect recall can be found at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Vehicles affected include the 2010 model Grand Cherokee, with manufacturing dates from October 22 through November 12, 2009. The cause appears to be an electrical system/instrument panel error, and dealers are expected to begin replacement of the top cover of the instrument panel in December.

In any car wreck, in addition to determining the fault of the driver that may have negligently caused injury, it is always important to ascertain whether a manufacturing defect may have been the source of injury or potentially aggravated the injury beyond what should have occurred in an otherwise, seemingly typical car accident.