Rolling stop cited in crash that killed six high school girls

(Tishomingo, Oklahoma) Witnesses say a rolling stop may have been a factor in a crash that claimed the lives of six teenage girls. The accident happened March 22 in the small town of Toshimingo, about 122 miles south of Oklahoma City.

The girls were riding in a small passenger vehicle when it was hit by a semi-truck at a highway intersection. Witnesses said the girls’ car entered US-377 after making a rolling stop at the stop sign. The car was hit by the semi-truck, which pushed it off the roadway, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

The NTSB investigation is continuing in coordination with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. Investigators will be evaluating highway conditions, lighting and weather conditions, accident histories at the site, and potential human error. They will also examine the vehicle’s compliance with federal, and state regulations.

What is a “rolling stop,” and why is it dangerous?

The action known as a rolling stop is just that – a roll through a stop sign without the vehicle’s tires coming to a complete standstill.

A rolling stop may seem harmless, and in many cases, the action doesn’t result in a crash. However, a rolling stop is still a risky practice, and the consequences can be deadly. There are many good reasons why a “full stop” at a stop sign is required by law.

A rolling stop is sometimes jokingly referred to as a “California stop,” but it is a traffic violation in all 50 states. The Texas Transportation Code states that a driver must “stop in obedience to a stop sign” whenever one is present. In this context, the word “stop” means the vehicle must have all four tires stationary on the road surface without movement, and the speedometer’s needle must point to zero.

There is a difference between a stop sign and a yield sign, which requires a full stop only when another approaching vehicle has the right of way. Treating a stop sign as optional is a dangerous habit for drivers. If an officer (or a traffic camera) catches you rolling through a stop sign, you can be ticketed and fined.

The following are a few of the risks associated with a driver’s decision to roll through a stop sign without fully stopping:

• Increased risk of striking a pedestrian or bicyclist
• Increased risk of collision with other vehicles
• Inability to react to changing conditions, especially if another driver violates a traffic law
• Not enough time to assess the traffic rules for drivers on opposing or intersecting streets, making it easy to assume another driver has a stop sign when they don’t.

If you were injured because another driver rolled through a stop sign and caused an accident, you might be able to take legal action due to their negligence. Intersection accidents can result in death, or serious injuries that require lengthy medical treatment, and time off work. If the poor decisions of another driver cause you harm, you may be able to win the compensation you need to recover. Contact the injury attorneys at J. Gonzalez Law Firm to learn more about how we can represent you after injury. Call 1-800-CAR CRASH today!

March 13, 2022

The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has identified the driver who died in March 12 a one-car rollover crash. The victim is identified as 27-year-old Lorenzo Garcia Jr. of Raymondville.

According to a preliminary investigation, Garcia was traveling northbound on Lopez Road when he lost control of his vehicle, and it went into a skid. Authorities say the car veered into a ditch, and rolled over several times. Garcia was ejected from the vehicle, and was pronounced dead at the scene. The investigation is ongoing.

Can you or your surviving family receive compensation after a car crash if no other vehicles were involved?

Whether or not you or your loved ones can receive compensation for a car crash in which no other vehicles were involved depends largely on whether the accident was your fault, or someone else’s fault.

Generally, if you are injured as a result of an accident that was your fault you will not be able to make a claim for compensation unless another person or entity was also partly to blame for the accident.

Let’s take a closer look at both scenarios.

Single-vehicle crash caused by someone else

Sometimes another driver causes a single-vehicle accident even though they’re not actually impacted in the accident. Let’s look at one hypothetical example:

Maria is driving in the left lane of a 2-lane highway. Jose is driving in the right lane of the same highway. Jose is texting while driving, and he drifts into Maria’s lane. To avoid a collision, Maria swerves to the left, and ends up crashing into a tree.

In this scenario, Maria was involved in a single-vehicle crash, but Jose’s distracted driving was the cause of the accident. Accordingly, Maria (or her family if she dies) can file an insurance claim, or a personal injury lawsuit against Jose to recover damages.

Manufacturers

Sometimes single-vehicle accidents are caused by vehicle defects. For example, a faulty electronic stability control system, or faulty tires could cause an SUV to roll over. If a single-vehicle crash is caused by a defect, the injured driver (or surviving family memebrs) can file a product liability lawsuit against the manufacturer.

Property owners

Property owners have a duty to keep their properties free from dangerous conditions. For example, the city or state has a duty to maintain publicly-owned roadways. If an accident is caused by a dangerous condition on the roadway, such as crumbling asphalt or poor water drainage, the driver (or deceased’s family) may be able to sue the owner of the property for damages.

Summary

If you’re involved in a single-vehicle crash, and you don’t think the crash was your fault, it’s a good idea to sit down with an experienced personal injury attorney. The same is true for family members who have lost a loved one due to someone else’s negligence.

At J. Gonzalez Law Firm, our initial consultations are free, and our injury attorneys will be able to explain your recovery options. We also work on a contingency basis, meaning if we take your case you pay nothing unless and only if you win. Call us today to learn more at 1-800-CAR CRASH.

(Andrews County, Texas) Nine people died in a March 16 head-on collision in West Texas. The victims included six students and a coach from a New Mexico university who were returning home from a golf tournament. Also killed were the driver of the truck involved in the accident, and a 13-year-old boy who was traveling with him.

Authorities say the pickup truck crossed the center line of a two-lane road about 30 miles east of the New Mexico state line, and crashed into a van carrying members of the University of the Southwest men’s and women’s golf teams.

The National Transportation Safety Board has sent a 12-member investigation unit to the crash site, including experts in human performance, vehicle and motor carrier factors, and accident reconstruction.

What are the limits of liability waivers for field trips?

When public school and university students go on a field trip, they (or the parents of minor children) are usually asked to sign one of two common types of waivers:

General consent waiver – This is a blanket waiver in which the parties waive their right to take legal action against in case of harm. In signing the form, the student or parent acknowledges the risks, and swears that the party is participating voluntarily. Courts in many states frown upon this type of liability waiver, as they believe schools are asking people to forfeit important rights, while the schools avoid liability for preventable accidents and injuries.

Informed consent waiver – This type of liability waiver also attempts to limit a school’s liability, however, informed consent waivers cannot shield the school from liability for injuries to the traveling party that occur because of negligence of the staff.

It is important to know that liability waivers only go so far in protecting school districts. If one can prove that a school employee, supervisor, bus driver, etc. caused or contributed to the party’s injuries on a field trip, there may still be grounds for a claim.

When is school negligence a factor in field trip injuries?

Schools have a duty to their students, and that includes a duty to warn and inform. The school may have been negligent if it failed to provide a safe facility, proper safety equipment, proper instructions and supervision, or proper medical care after an accident occurred. The school has a duty to notify parents or guardians if a minor is injured on a field trip, or in school. When failure to notify the parents results in furtherance of the injuries, the school can be held liable.

To establish that the school was negligent, you must show:

• The school owed a duty of care to the injured student
• The school breached that duty of care
• The breach of duty caused the student’s accident
• The accident resulted in harm

Can a third party be liable for field trip injuries?

In some cases, third parties can be held liable. For example, for unsafe conditions on the premises or road where an accident took place. If a third party was negligent and that negligence caused injuries, there may have a claim for compensation against the third party.

Why choose J. Gonzalez Law Firm?

The personal injury attorneys at J. Gonzalez Law Firm are specialists in injury and wrongful death lawsuits. We are known for our commitment to our clients, and for fighting for the compensation they deserve. Contact us today at 1-800-CAR CRASH.

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March 12, 2022

(Pharr) According to the Pharr Police Department, a car inexplicably caught fire Saturday (March 12) outside a local restaurant. The blaze happened near the corner of Jackson Road and Sam Houston Boulevard.

A city spokesperson says the owner of the vehicle was able to get out of the burning car before being injured. The cause of the fire is still being investigated.

Can I sue if my car catches fire on its own?

The first thing you would want to do is find out what caused the fire. For example, the blaze could have been caused by a manufacturing defect, or by negligent repair by a mechanic, or perhaps even a rag that got caught under the hood.

If the fire was caused by a defect in the vehicle, you could sue the manufacturer, and/or the seller for negligence and strict liability.

Negligence is the failure to exercise due care to produce a product that was not defective. “Due care” is generally defined as the degree of care that a reasonable manufacturer would have exercised under the same or similar circumstances.

In order to prove negligence, you would need to prove the defendant had a duty to exercise the due care mentioned above. You also would have to show the defendant breached that duty. Additionally, you would have to prove the actual cause, the proximate cause, and the damages.

Proving actual cause means that you have demonstrated that without the defect the car would not have started on fire.

If you can establish that there were no unforeseeable, intervening events that would relieve the manufacturer of liability, then proximate cause has been established.

Damages means the amount of compensation you are seeking in your lawsuit.  Damages would be the cost of repair to the car.

The seller is liable for negligence even if the seller could not have known about the defect.

In addition to your claim of negligence against the manufacturer and seller, your lawsuit should include a separate claim for strict liability.  Strict liability means the manufacturer and seller are liable whether or not due care was exercised.

When a product is defective, this can refer to either a manufacturing defect, or a design defect.  A manufacturing defect is an aberration.  A design defect is one where the defective condition is due to the actual design of the product.

Keep in mind that you will need to file your lawsuit for negligence and strict liability prior to the expiration of the applicable statute of limitations, or you will lose your rights forever in the matter.

Prior to filing your lawsuit, it may be possible to settle the case with the insurance carriers for the manufacturer and seller. If the case is settled, no lawsuit is filed. If the case is not settled, you can proceed with your lawsuit.  If you are dissatisfied with settlement offers from the insurance carriers, you can reject the settlement offers, and hire an attorney file your lawsuit.

If it is possible to settle with one of the parties, but not the other, then your lawsuit would only name the party with whom settlement has not been reached as a defendant. If the case is settled with the insurance carriers for both parties, no lawsuit is filed.

If you are unsure how this information applies to your specific case, contact the injury attorneys at J. Gonzalez Law Firm. We can help you decide which course of action is best for you. Call us today at 1-800-CAR CRASH.

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It’s no secret that wintry weather conditions such as snow, sleet, and freezing rain can cause safety issues for drivers. That’s why it’s essential to take proper precautions for yourself, your loved ones, and your vehicle. Adopting a different driving style will also help you avoid tough situations. Here are some useful tips for safely driving during winter months.

Check Your Tires

It’s always a good idea to regularly check your tire treads for wear, regardless of the season. Replace any worn tires immediately. In Texas, all tires on a vehicle must have a tread depth of at least 1/16 of an inch and they must be in safe operating condition. Remember that on wet or snow-covered roads, braking performance will progressively decline with lower tread depths. On wet roads there is an additional increased risk of hydroplaning with fading tread depths.

Checking that you have the correct tire pressure will also improve your car’s handling and fuel efficiency. Proper tire pressure for your vehicle is usually listed on a sticker on the inside of your driver’s side door panel.

If you live in an area where it snows frequently, you should consider fitting your vehicle with winter tires or all-season tires. They have a dedicated tread pattern for better traction on snow and ice, and they use a unique rubber compound that stays flexible in cold, wet conditions. Tires certified with a three-peak mountain snowflake symbol on the sidewall are the ones to get.

Before Driving

Before you start your journey, study the route ahead, and allow enough time to reach your destination. Check local weather reports and traffic updates to anticipate any potential disruptions. Plan your route to favor major roads, since they’re much more likely to have been gritted, and cleared of snow.

Clear all snow from your car windows, mirrors, lights and the roof before you go. Driving with snow on your car is dangerous and potentially a violation of the law. Accumulated snow could fall off your vehicle, and obscure the vision of other drivers.

Top up the windshield washer reservoir with antifreeze, so it doesn’t freeze on the glass. It’s illegal to drive without full visibility through all the windows on your car.

Make sure you have a full tank of fuel, so take a detour to the nearest gas station before starting the journey properly.

Keep a pair of sunglasses handy, which can reduce the glare of low winter sun on the snow. And keep your mobile phone fully charged, with the number of a breakdown provider stored so you can immediately call for help.

To prepare for a breakdown on the side of the road, have an emergency kit of food, drinks, a torch, and extra clothing, and keep it in the trunk. It’s also handy to store a high-visibility vest, a warning triangle, and a first aid kit.

When you’re ready to get behind the wheel, be sure to wear dry, comfortable footwear. Try to avoid bringing snow with you into the car; puddles will collect when it melts, and the pedals can get slippery.

Safe Driving Tips

Here are a few tips for safe driving in wintry road conditions:

• Accelerate slowly
• Reduce your speed
• Maintain greater than normal braking distance
• Use low gear when driving downhill
• Slow down when approaching curves in the road
• If the car begins to skid, do not to panic, and steer gently into the spin
• Turn on headlights in snow

Summary

When snowy weather arrives, you are primarily responsible for taking proper precautions in the operation of your vehicle. As the old saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

If you find yourself in a car accident in wintry weather, and you believe someone else’s negligence contributed to the accident, call the injury attorneys at J. Gonzalez Law Firm at: 1-800-CAR CRASH.

According to the book “Charro Days in Brownsville,” by historians Anthony Knopp, Manuel Medrano, and Priscilla Rodríguez, Charro Days came to life in 1937, at the tail end of the Great Depression. Inspired by Mission’s Citrus Fiesta, businessman Kenneth Faxon developed the idea as a way to lift his city’s spirits, and draw tourist dollars into the sagging economy.

Although no formal economic impact studies have been conducted, Henry LeVrier, the current president of Charro Days Fiesta, says the event is still providing an financial boost for hotels, restaurants, and other local vendors.

Olga Morales, director of sales for the Courtyard by Marriott Brownsville, says Charro Days brings in guests from Mexico, Texas, and other states in the US.

Many people also visit local clothiers in search of traditional Mexican outfits and accessories, according to Rosio Ramirez of Artesanias MX Zoe, adding that her store’s sales triple during Charro Days.

The Harlingen Convention Center proudly presents Comedy Night Live featuring Comedian Raymond Orta! This live standup comedy show is set for March 19, 2022. Doors open at 7:00 p.m., and the show begins at 8:00 p.m. General Admission is $40, and VIP tables are available for $200.

Raymond Orta, the curly-haired, bilingual funnyman, hails from La Joya, and is known for his celebrity impressions, political satire, and his impressive sound effects. He also makes jokes about his upbringing, and Hispanic culture.

For more information on the show, contact the Harlingen Convention Center, located at 701 Harlingen Heights Drive. The phone number is (956) 320-2730.

The Brownsville Farmers’ Market is a bi-cultural tourist destination located in the Mitte Cultural District of this border city. It is held once a week on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The market aims to provide fresh produce purchases in a “food desert” location.

The US Centers for Disease Control defines a “food desert” as an area that has limited access to affordable, and nutritious food, in contrast with an area with higher access to supermarkets, or vegetable shops with fresh foods, which is called a “food oasis.”

The mission of the Brownsville Farmers’ market is to enhance the social aspect of building community, to ensure access to local seasonal products in a low-income area of the city, and to encourage entrepreneurship. It is one of only three certified markets to accept SNAP and WIC vouchers in the RGV. This important designation creates inclusiveness.

The Brownsville Farmers’ Market is presented by the Brownsville Wellness Coalition, a Texas not-for-profit corporation formed to address the community’s poor health status by providing programs that promote nutrition, and healthy lifestyles.

Welcome to MorphinMania! It’s the Rio Grande Valley’s premiere event for everything Power Rangers. Power Rangers is an American entertainment and merchandising franchise built around the live-action superhero television series.

The series is based on the Japanese Tokusatsu franchise Super Sentai. Produced first by Saban Entertainment, second by BVS Entertainment, later by Saban Brands, and today by SCG Power Rangers, LLC, and its parent company, Hasbro, the Power Rangers television series takes much of its footage from the Super Sentai television series produced by Toei Company.

MorphinMania drew its inspiration from the Collector Mania show, and grew into its own entity. MorphinMania is the show for any and all Power Ranger fans in the RGV! Starting off as regular convention appearances, and evolving into shop meet and greets and signings, this event is the place where you can meet your favorite Rangers.

This year’s show is set for Saturday, February 26th, 2022 at 12:00 p.m. It will be held at the Harlingen Convention Center located at 701 Harlingen Heights Drive, Harlingen, TX 78552. Admission prices start at $15.00.

The J. Gonzalez Law Firm invites you to come out and enjoy the 85^th Annual Charro Days celebration in Brownsville. South Texas’s iconic Tex-Mex fiesta runs February 19-27, with events throughout the City of Brownsville.

Established in 1937, Charro Days is an homage to the area’s Mexican heritage, and reinforces the cultural, familial, and commercial trade bonds that have long existed between Brownsville and its Mexican sister city, Matamoros.

Key events for the 2022 celebration include:

• Baile del Sol- Saturday, February 19
• Noche Mexicana- Thursday, February 24
• Illuminated Parade- Friday, February 25
• Charro Days Costume Ball- Saturday, February 26
• Sombrero Festival- February 24, 25, & 26

Charro Days takes its name from the Mexican charro – the legendary horse riders known for their large sombreros, and stylish attire. The first Charro Days celebration was held February 24–27, 1938, and consisted of parades, dances, concerts, and a grand ball in Matamoros known as Noche Mexicana.

The Sombrero Festival was added to Charro Days in 1986. The three-day street festival enriches the fiesta spirit throughout the city. This event takes place in Washington Park located in downtown Historic Brownsville, and features an array of attractions, including the jalapeno eating contest, the grito contest, and the charro bean cook off. The Sombrero Festival also features performances by Tejano, Conjunto, Norteño, Country, and rock music performers.