N AND SUFFERING AISED THE BAR
The new standard demands more detail. To prove pain and suffering, you need medical notes, doctor
testimony, and sometimes even journals or day- to-day accounts of how life has changed. You now have to connect your pain to the way it keeps you from working, sleeping, or enjoying life like you used to. I have seen how this plays out. Clients with legitimate injuries sometimes get low offers because they cannot “prove” their pain in the way the law now requires. Insurance companies know it, and they take advantage. They count on people settling early for far less than their case is worth. It looks like Texas law may keep trending in this direction, making recovery harder, but that does not mean injured people have no hope. It means they have to be prepared. It means gathering the right evidence early and telling their story in a way a jury can understand. Pain and suffering are not just legal terms. They are daily realities, and those realities deserve to be valued.
WHEN ALCOHOL TURNS THE WHEEL Moving Forward After a DWI Accident
Drunk driving is still taking a terrible toll on Texas roads. There were more than 22,000 crashes tied to alcohol in 2024 alone. These accidents caused 2,200 serious injuries and more than 1,000 deaths. That adds up to nearly 1 out of every 4 traffic- related deaths in the state. These numbers are heartbreaking, but they don’t tell the whole story. What they don’t show are the families left behind facing hospital bills, grief, and a future that was changed in an instant. If you ever find yourself in any type of accident, you first need to call 911. Police reports are the foundation of your case, and they’re critical in accidents involving an impaired driver. The criminal and civil courts will use the police report to get a picture of what happened. Also, you should always see a doctor after an accident. It doesn’t matter if you feel okay. I’ve seen many people skip this step only to find their injuries were much more serious than they first thought. It’s also smart to snap photos to get visual evidence of the scene if you can. Drunk driving cases move in two lanes at once. On the one side, you have the district attorney pursuing criminal charges. The civil process is on the other side. That’s where I come in. My job is to help you fight to recover the money you deserve for hospital bills, missed work, and the harder- to-measure pain and suffering. Insurance companies will push back to deny your claim even in seemingly clear-cut cases. That’s why you need someone in your corner who will fight to protect your rights.
Slow Cooker Brisket INGREDIENTS • 1 (1-oz) envelope onion soup mix • 1 tbsp brown sugar • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper • 1 3-lb piece of beef brisket (flat cut) • 8 fresh thyme sprigs • 8 whole garlic cloves • 2 bay leaves • 1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces • • • • •
1 lb baby golden potatoes
3 celery stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large sweet onion, cut into 8 wedges
2 1/2 cups beef stock
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
•
2 tbsp cornstarch
DIRECTIONS
I also recommend resources outside the courtroom, including Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). They connect families with victim services and other much-needed support. Being hit by a drunk driver is one of the most preventable tragedies on the road, but you don’t have to recover alone. What matters most is having the support you need to get better and move on.
1. In a small bowl, combine soup mix, sugar, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle over brisket. 2. Place meat, fat cap side down, into an 8-qt slow cooker. 3. Top brisket with thyme, garlic, bay leaves, carrots, potatoes, celery, and onion. 4. Whisk stock, Worcestershire sauce, and cornstarch until fully dissolved. Add to slow cooker. 5. Cover and cook on high for 5–6 hours until tender. 6. Remove to a cutting board, fat side up. Remove thyme and bay leaves. 7. Thinly slice brisket against the grain. 8. Serve with vegetables, drizzled with gravy from the slow cooker.
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