Multiple Houston auto accidents resulted in the deaths of two pedestrians and a bicyclist as well as the injury of four additional pedestrians in the first two weeks of November. At the beginning of the month, a woman driving under the influence of prescription medication, struck and killed a father as he attempted to prevent his infant son from being struck by the vehicle. The baby suffered a broken arm. In another accident, an elderly man drove into a group of four pedestrians, which resulted in three injuries, one of which was a head injury. In a third incident, the driver of a car lost control and struck a pedestrian when turning left in front of a truck travelling in the adjacent lane. In a fourth accident, a dump truck struck and killed a bicyclist in west Houston.

“On average, a pedestrian is killed in a traffic crash every 120 minutes and injured in a traffic crash every 8 minutes,” according to National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration Traffic Safety Facts. Fatalities are more likely to occur in cities and claim more than twice as many male as female lives. In 2008, pedestrian fatalities accounted for over 12 percent and bicycle accidents for over one percent of total Texas traffic fatalities.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a vehicle/pedestrian or vehicle/bicycle accident, contact Houston accident attorney, Brian Jensen.

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The most common medical errors that result in payments for medical malpractice are failure to diagnose, improper performance, delay in diagnosis, wrong diagnosis and improper management, according to an analysis performed by Public Citizen on data from the National Practitioner’s Database (NPDB). The NPDB also collects data on easily preventable errors, which include instances of leaving foreign objects in patients, operating on the wrong body part or wrong patient, providing the wrong medicine or treatment and failure to protect from infection.

More disturbing than the types of medical errors that occur more frequently than most people imagine is the fact that doctors who commit medical malpractice continue to practice. According to the Public Citizen’s analysis of NPDB data, two-thirds of doctors who commit “10 or more malpractice payments were disciplined by their state board.”

If you or a love one has been injured by medical malpractice or medical negligence, let an experienced lawyer certified in personal injury such as Houston medical malpractice attorney, Brian Jensen, help you sift through the facts and recover full compensation.

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An 18-wheeler and train collided in northeast Houston recently. Initial reports indicated there might be a leak, but the semi released only a small amount of diesel and oil. An investigation into the cause is underway.

Texas has over 10,000 railroad crossings at grade, which is probably why it has one of the highest rates of accidents or incidents in the U.S. The average train outweighs a passenger vehicle by 4,000 tons, which translates into a higher injury/fatality rate than multi-vehicular accidents.

Drivers should exercise extra caution when approaching a crossing. Sometimes the line of sight at crossings is poor due to overgrown vegetation, turns in the road and steep grades, and at night, trains can be extra difficult to see. Drivers should also heed warning signs and not go around down gate arms.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a collision, contact Houston auto accident lawyer, Brian Jensen.

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Two models of General Electric coffee makers are being recalled because of reports of overheating, which in some cases, has led to fires and burns. The models, numbered 169164 and 169165, were sold at Wal-Mart from March 2008 through the start of this year.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, 2002-2006, over $1.4 billion in property damages results from the approximate 53,000 electrical home fires that occur each year.

If you or a loved one has been injured by a defective product, call Houston product liability lawyer, Brian Jensen for assistance.

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The Food and Drug Administration inspection report for the McNeil Consumer Healthcare manufacturing facility involved in the recall of over 40 over-the-counter medications for infants and children was released Tuesday.

The company’s quality control department was found deficient in many aspects. One observation of the inspectors was that “raw material lots had known contamination with gram negative organisms and were approved for use to manufacture several finished lots of Children’s and Infant’s Tylenol drug products, which remain within expiration date(s) on the market.” Another observation showed a failure on the company’s part to ensure proper dosage of products such as Infants’ Dye-Free Tylenol Suspension Drops. The company also failed to follow up on “46 consumer complaints regarding foreign materials, black or dark specks from June 2009 to April 2010.”

If you or a loved one has been injured by a defective product, contact Houston product liability lawyer, Brian Jensen.

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A voluntary recall of all unexpired lots of 43 over-the-counter infant and children medications including Tylenol, Motrin, Zyrtec and Benadryl was announced late Friday by McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a division of Johnson & Johnson. For a full list of products check the www.mcneilproductrecall.com.

During a routine inspection on April 19, the Food and Drug Administration noticed “manufacturing deficiencies” that indicated the McNeil’s manufacturing procedures were “not in control,” which affects the medicine’s composition. According to a statement by the company, “Some of the products included in the recall may contain a higher concentration of active ingredient than is specified; others contain inactive ingredients that may not meet internal testing requirements; and others may contain tiny particles.” The facility under question has been temporarily shut down while the FDA investigates.

If you or a loved has been injured by a defective product, contact Houston product liability attorney, Brian Jensen.

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Thousands are injured yearly in swimming pool and spa accidents, according to PoolSafety.gov. Almost 300 children under the age of five drown in swimming pools and spas and thousands of people are injured in near-drownings with some incidents resulting in permanent disabilities such as brain damage.

Swimming pools and spas present an attractive nuisance for children. An attractive nuisance is: a condition which poses an unreasonable risk of death or serious bodily injury to children who do not realize the risk in coming within the area made dangerous by the condition. Factors such as the child’s age, mental capacity and whether the condition involved a hidden, concealed, or latent danger are considered.

If you own a pool or spa, you can help prevent an unfortunate accident by ensuring there are barriers in place that a child cannot go over, get under or go through. Some suggestions for barriers can be found at PoolSafety.gov. Safety measures include erecting at least a four-foot barrier with no handholds; and, for above-ground pools, securely blocking off access to stairs either through removal when not in use or using gates and locks. However, you should also check with your local government for specific legal requirements in your area.

If you or a loved one has been injured through the negligent actions of the owner of an attractive nuisance, contact Houston premise liability attorney, Brian Jensen.

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A Houston 6th grader exposed to electrical current while climbing the tower of a high voltage power line is still hospitalized with severe electrical burns over 70 percent of his body and a broken back. Although only given 24 hours to live, he has survived for six weeks. However, doctors say he will more than likely be a paraplegic for the rest of his life.

The tower, located in the middle of a field, is not surrounded by a fence though warning signs are posted. Some nearby residents are petitioning for fencing or anti-climbing equipment to prevent other youngsters from repeating the same mistake. Children often pass by the towers on their way to the neighborhood recreational areas.

The unfortunate event has raised the issue of attractive nuisance. Attractive Nuisance is: a condition which poses an unreasonable risk of death or serious bodily injury to children who do not realize the risk in coming within the area made dangerous by the condition. Factors such as the child’s age, mental capacity and whether the condition involved a hidden, concealed, or latent danger are considered.

If you or a loved one has been injured through the negligent actions of the owner of an attractive nuisance, contact Houston premise liability lawyer, Brian Jensen.

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A pedestrian was struck and killed by an SUV in downtown Houston while crossing an intersection. The driver, who had a green light, was turning from Rusk onto Travis when she hit the pedestrian. However, according to the police, the pedestrian had right-of-way.

Even though walking accounts for a very small percentage of travel miles, accidents involving pedestrians account for a disproportionate number of motor-vehicle fatalities a year. According to a pedestrian/bicycle crash study, a majority of these types of accidents occur on roads with speed limits of 35 mph or less.

If you or a loved one has been injured while walking or riding a bicycle, contact Houston accident attorney, Brian Jensen.

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A Galveston County girl sustained severe head and arm injuries when a neighbor’s dog attacked her over the weekend. The nine-year-old was taken to Texas Children’s Hospital for treatment. Animal control took the dog into custody and will monitor it for signs of rabies.

Animal bites are serious injuries not only because of the physical damage done but also due to the possibility of infection as well as contraction of rabies. Rabies is a potentially deadly virus if an exposed person does not seek immediate medical attention.

Rabies is of such concern that the Texas Department of State Health Services announced Monday that it is looking for the new owner of a blue heeler puppy whose litter mate recently tested positive for rabies after it had a run in with a skunk.

If you or a loved one has been injured by another person’s animal, flush the wound, seek medical attention and contact your local animal control. To seek legal recourse against the animal owner, contact Houston accident attorney, Brian Jensen.

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