As a firm, we’re proud to serve so many communities throughout the Lone Star State. But with hurricane season ramping up, we wanted to take the time to address our friends along the Gulf Coast. At the time of writing, we are hoping for a storm-free year. But, in the spirit of hoping for the best and expecting the worst, here are some important safety tips. Stay Safe This Hurricane Season Hurricane Safety Tips The best way to proactively protect you and your neighbors’ homes from damage is to store outdoor objects safely inside — lawn furniture, yard ornaments, and umbrellas can become dangerous projectiles in high winds. Next, board up your windows and have sandbags stationed inside near your front and back doors in case of flooding. Finally, keep interior doors closed for the duration of the storm — roofs are most commonly blown off when hurricane force winds enter a home and build up pressure. If a window or entryway door gives way, having extra barriers inside your house will disperse the pressure and make losing your roof less likely. Hurricanes like Harvey and Katrina have shown us that the storm itself isn’t always the biggest threat. The days and weeks afterward, without access to power, emergency services, and clean water, can prove deadly. Stock up on at least three days’ worth of nonperishable food and water for every member of your household, as well as extra medication for those who need Protect Your Pooch Know How Texas Dog Bite Laws Work As you can tell from Alex’s letter this month, we’ve got our fair share of dog lovers here at the firm! So, to do our part to protect our furry friends and their owners, we wanted to break down Texas dog bite laws. You see, if you don’t take proper precautions for your pooch, you could be liable for serious sums of money and may even face criminal charges. PLAN FOR THE AFTERMATH PROTECT YOUR HOME
There is no shortage of crazy cases that come through a court of law, but those revolving around personal injury can be especially surprising. Whether it’s a slip- and-fall accident or something a little more eccentric, there are a million ways to hurt yourself while simply going about your day. The problems arise when it’s determined to be another party’s fault. Let’s take a look at some notably strange cases where bizarre miscalculations led to injuries and ailments. THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME A Look at Some Interesting Personal Injury Cases Time spent in the restroom is inherently private. We don’t normally talk about it, but that’s not the case for a Pennsylvania woman who experienced a traumatic event during a routine trip to the lady’s room. In 2007, a schlocky horror plot came to life in a building along Philadelphia’s famous Market Street. The culprit was a faulty plumbing system. The woman was inside a restroom stall on the eighth floor, and, as she sat on one of the old toilets customary in the building, pressure building from inside the tank caused a massive explosion that sent her body hurling out of the stall. You don’t need to know the details of her injuries to understand the extent of her grievances. Some forms of suffering are better left to the imagination, especially if the aggressor was a literal stink bomb. She sued the building’s landlords for anxiety, pain, and medical expenses, but it’s hard to determine which party was truly at fault without more information. You can’t predict the weather, no matter what your weather app says, but some people tend to forget that. A few years ago, an Israeli weatherman was faced with a lawsuit by a woman who claimed his inaccurate forecast caused her a great deal of suffering. She claimed he misrepresented a particularly harsh day in the forecast, and it encouraged her to wear insufficient layers that left her health to the whim of the elements. As a result, the woman caught the flu from the downpour and missed work for four days. Citing lost income, large medication costs, and tremendous anxiety, she sought reparations from the fraudulent weatherman and was amazingly awarded a four-figure settlement! IT’S RAINING CATS AND DOLLARS AS BELOW, SO ABOVE
THE ONE BITE RULE
Unlike most states, Texas doesn’t have a specific dog bite statute. Rather, the law follows the 1974 Texas Supreme Court ruling Marshall vs. Ranne, which established what is known as the “one bite rule.” Under this rule, owners are deemed liable any time their pet injures another person. However, the injured party cannot recover compensation unless the dog has bitten another person before, or at least attempted to do so.
NEGLIGENCE
Your dog’s bite isn’t the only avenue that could land you in legal trouble, however. While someone may not be able to pursue a personal injury claim against you for a one-off bite, they can take you to court for being negligent. For instance, if you didn’t have your dog restrained on a leash or fenced in at
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