San Antonio Injury Lawyer & Attorney : The McKinney Law Firm : Auto Accidents, Wrongful Death, Work Accidents : Bexar County, Travis County, South Texas

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating complaints about fires in Ford Windstar minivans that may be related to a defective switch that has been recalled in millions of other Ford vehicles, according to safety data made public on Monday.

The NHTSA opened a preliminary investigation on May 13th into 130 complaints alleging engine compartment fires in Windstar vehicles.

All of the approximately 1.7 million Windstars, which were made between 1995-2003, are included in the investigation.

Thirty six reports were filed with the government within the last year, according to data released by NHTSA. Half the total alleged that a cruise control switch was to blame, but the government has reached no conclusion.

Some of the vehicles were parked while others were moving when the fires broke out.

Ford has recalled about 9.6 million cars and trucks with faulty cruise control switches since the early 1990s. Some of the faulty components have been linked to fires.

With repairs made to only half those vehicles by the start of this year, NHTSA issued an unusual public notice to owners of certain Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles urging them to visit dealers to have the switch disconnected.

"Failure to have the switch disconnected could lead to a vehicle fire at any time," NHTSA said in its notice.

Vehicles recalled for faulty switches include F-150 pickups made between 1993-2004.


Source: Reuters

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On May 14, San Antonio's 4th Court of Appeals reversed a $7.75 million judgment in a case in which the plaintiffs alleged that taking the pain medication Vioxx caused the death of a 71-year-old man in April 2001. A jury in Rio Grande City, Texas, in April 2006 awarded $32 million to the widow of 71-year-old Leonel Garza, a short-term Vioxx user who died of a heart attack in 2001. That award of $7 million for compensatory damages and $25 million for punitive damages was later cut to about $7.75 million under Texas law limiting damages.

On Wednesday, a three-judge panel of the Texas 4th Court of Appeals overturned the verdict, ruling in favor of Merck. The opinion was signed by Justice Sandee Bryan Marion.

Merck had pulled Vioxx off the market in September 2004 after a study determined that the medication doubled the risk of heart attacks and strokes among patients who took it 18 months or more.

As a result of the 4th Court's decision, the Garza family will receive nothing.



Source: Texas Lawyer & AP

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Houston TV station KHOU has a very interesting piece out investigating the correlation between contributions by big business to Supreme Court justices and opinions issued by the Court in favor of these very same companies. 



You can watch the video here and then leave us a comment and tell us what you think. 

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The minimum amount of automobile liability insurance Texas drivers are required to carry for bodily injury/property damage increased on April 1st from the previous $20,000/$40,000/$15,000 (“20/40/15”) coverage to “25/50/25” coverage.

Texas law requires people who drive in Texas to be financially responsible for the accidents they cause. Most drivers do this by buying auto liability insurance. Liability insurance pays to repair or replace the other driver’s vehicle and pays the medical expenses of the other party; it does not pay to repair or replace the policyholder’s vehicle.

The previous minimum amount of liability insurance required by law was $20,000 for each person injured in an accident, up to a total of $40,000 for everyone injured in an accident, and $15,000 for property damage per accident. The limits have now increased to $25,000 of coverage for each injured person, up to a total of $50,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage.

The 80th Legislature amended the current financial responsibility law in 2007 to increase the auto liability limits amid concerns that the current limits aren’t enough to cover the costs of an accident resulting in severe injury or major vehicle damage.

The limits will increase again on January 1, 2011, to $30,000 of coverage for each injured person, up to a total of $60,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage per accident (30/60/25).

Drivers who carry minimum limits will begin to notice the new limits as they renew their auto policies or buy a new policy, but they won’t need to take any action unless contacted by their insurance company.

There are severe penalties for violating the state’s financial responsibility law. A first conviction will result in a fine between $175 and $350. Subsequent convictions could result in fines of $350 to $1,000, suspension of your driver’s license, and impoundment of your vehicle. The state of Texas will implement the new Texas Financial Responsibility Verification Program this spring that will allow law enforcement officers to immediately verify whether a driver has car insurance.

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