“The injury we do and the one we suffer are not weighed in the same scales.” – Aesop

Automobile and truck crashes happen daily, hourly – every second of every minute. In 2008, over 6,000,000 vehicular wrecks occurred. Of those, the National Department of Transportation reported that of those, 1,630,000 resulted in injuries to the motorists and, sadly, 37,261 human beings died. These are staggering numbers. And to whom do victims of these situations turn? While an insurance adjustor may answer your questions, the adjustor works for the insurance company and needs to protect the company's interests. Do you at all doubt the interest of an insurance company? Generally, it is to pay out the absolutely minimal sum of money in order to comply with that state’s contractual and statutory law. The adjuster’s mission is to lessen their exposure to blame and loss of money while shifting blame on to you if possible.

It is a shame that our system is what it is. But all too often insurance companies exploit individuals hoping to navigate their way to reasonable compensation of their personal injury without the assistance of an attorney . It is extremely important for you to have a competent trial attorney working for you before you give a statement to the insurance company adjuster.

Car wrecks can happen for many reasons. The basic elements of a car or truck accident are similar to any negligence claim. To prove somebody acted in a negligent manner causing recoverable damages (such as in an automobile accident), your injury attorneys must prove: Negligence and damages. Car wrecks can be the result of driver inattention, excessive speed, distractions and impairment.

Car wrecks that are the result of driver impairment are quite common. The impairment can be caused by many factors including drug and alcohol abuse. DWI accidents can cause horrific injuries. Often the perpetrator has a history of driving while intoxicated and/or somebody else knowingly put the keys in his hand. In the event you have been injured in a car wreck caused by a drunk driver, you need experienced personal injury attorneys to protect your rights from the start.

The more serious your injuries — especially if they require surgery, extended treatment, or time away from work — the more you need a trial lawyer to advocate for your rights. In some cases, a claim for personal injuries from a car accident may also be brought against individuals other than the negligent driver. If the driver was working for another company or individual then the employer may be responsible for the driver's negligence and the resulting damages. Furthermore, even if not working, the owner of the vehicle may be liable for the negligence of the driver. This is known as liability for negligent entrustment. Under this cause of action, an owner of a vehicle that allows another to operate it can be held liable for his or her negligent driving. The owner - whether friend, acquaintance, parent, brother, sister, spouse or other relative - may be liable if they negligently entrusted the vehicle to somebody they knew, or should have known, to be a reckless, incompetent or unlicensed driver.

Car wrecks often result in injuries to bicycle riders. If your car accident happened while at work, you may be entitled to compensation from your employer.

“Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortune; but great minds rise above it.” – Washington Irving

A semi truck crash can cause serious injuries, wrongful death and extensive property damage. This is not surprising. An 18 wheeler truck eclipses the average family sedan. Even the biggest truck is a fraction of the size and weight of the 18 wheeler. And who drives the 18 wheeler truck? How much sleep did they get the night before? Are they paying attention to the road? What is their driving record?

If you or a family member has been the victim of a truck accident, talk to an experienced Houston truck crash lawyer about obtaining a maximum recovery.Trucking companies are held to high standards of safety. We will examine records to determine if those standards have been met. We will check maintenance logs, driver logs, safety inspections, state and federal certifications, and truck accident reports. We also examine skid marks, witness testimony, driving conditions and other critical accident scene evidence.The insurance company and trucking company will have lawyers on their side. You need a semi tractor-trailer truck crash attorney prepared to prove fault.

While wet floors, debris, and obstacles are the source of many injuries that occur in stores and homes, other premises accidents involve negligent security or other negligence. This firm represents injured clients who have sustained a back injury, neck injury, hip fracture, head injury, or other serious injury as a result of negligence. Wrongful acts of negligence subject to premises liability claims can involve dangerous conditions caused by inadequate maintenance, lack of security, or failure to correct hazards and building code violations on property.

This firm represents a slew of various companies. And it must be acknowledged that business and industry have led this country to become the economic superpower that we are. We must value their contributions to our collective gains in standards of living. In the same sense, businesses have a responsibility to the humans that comprise it, its suppliers, contractors, customers, and even non-parties. Measures that can be taken to protect should be taken. While a lawsuit arising from premise liability might not ever heal a victim’s injuries, it may be the instigating cause for a business to change its practices and procedures so as to avoid another injury in the future.

Your loved one is in a state of need. They need attention, they need specialized treatment, they need an infrastructure that can accommodate their existing infirmities. And they need love. You can only do so much on your own. It is only efficient that we put our faith in psychiatric hospitals and nursing homes to care for our family when we do not have the necessary skills, tools and infrastructure.

It is that much more important then that these psychiatric hospitals and nursing homes do their very best to protect the patients they are entrusted to treat and care for. These patients – our family – often cannot assist or even speak for themselves. It is an embarrassment that so many preventable injuries and death and humiliation are suffered by our loved ones at Texas psychiatric hospitals and nursing homes. It is a disgrace that the management of these facilities turns a blind eye to the abuses and negligence that happen so often.

“The world endures by virtue of three things: justice, truth, and peace.” – Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel, Pirkei Avot.

Civil rights, also known as enforceable rights, are rights that have been guaranteed and protected by the United States Constitution. United States laws protect against the denial of an individual's civil rights (discrimination) based on race, age, sex, religion, national origin, previous condition of servitude, and physical limitation. Civil rights law suits in the US have been tried in areas ranging from public education and public housing to employment, interactions with law enforcement, voting and access to public facilities. In the United States civil rights are enumerated in the Bill of Rights, the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments and in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In the United States, the Supreme Court has played a major role in increasing protections of civil rights.

This firm successfully sued several Texas governmental entities to protect the civil rights of this firm’s clients. This firm represented a nonprofit trade organization in its fight to protect its members’ rights against an economically discriminatory ordinance enacted by the city. We represented another nonprofit who was repeatedly targeted by another major metropolitan that had its eyes on the nonprofit’s claim to valuable real estate. We helped the families of inmates deprived of the very few rights they were still accorded. The Constitution exists for a reason. We cannot merely wait around for the government to show up and enforce it for us.

“Undertake not what you cannot perform but be careful to keep your promise.” – George Washington

The Contract has bound men to their word since the dawn of our existence. A contract can be created by words, hand shakes, signatures, lengthy documents, implicit understandings, or the operation of the law.

To prove a breach of contract case, it is necessary to prove the following basic elements: Existence of a valid contract; your performance of the duties you were responsible for; the other party’s non-performance of their obligations; and damages caused by the breach of the contract.

Similar to the breach of contract claim is a suit for quantum meruit. A quantum meruit claim is an equitable claim where one seeks payment for goods or services where there was no formal contract. This can be used to prevent unjust enrichment such as when one party performs services for, and with the acceptance of, another person. If the accepting party was reasonably notified that the performing party was expecting payment, it may be possible to seek payment even without a formal oral or written contract.

The judicial enforcement of a contract’s terms is one of the fundamental underpinnings of our nation’s strong civil law system. It allows our economy to perform as strongly as it has for as long as it has because contracting parties can be confident that their contracts will be enforced. With that confidence, parties are more likely to contract for good and services, which in turn leads to more economic activity and, thus, prosperity.

“It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest.” – Adam Smith

It is said that partnerships are, proportionally, the most successful type of business ventures people can hope for. But with the added potential for success comes an anticipated risk of the partners disagreeing, falling out of grace with each other, and just acting illegally.

It is our hope to avoid litigation whenever possible. If you come to me, I will first look at what has been and what can be done to salvage the partnership so that the business can go on doing what it was set out to do. It is a shame for a partnership to fall apart for any other reason besides the failure to earn a sufficient income. But, then again, sometimes a fight just cannot be avoided. We will be ready to do our part to fight when all alternatives are exhausted.

Partners will always have either an explicit contract or agreement between them, internal company bylaws, or at least Texas law to define the relationship. When one partner breaches that agreement, ignores the bylaws, or flouts the law, action must be taken. The other partner must move immediately to protect his interests. Was the violation a simple breach of contract or something more sinister? Partners have a strict fiduciary duty to each other. They owe one and other a strict duty of good faith and candor. They cannot use the relationship to their personal benefit at the expense of the other partner.

Again, our goal is to get the business back to doing business. But when that cannot happen, we’ll take the matter to court to settle the problem.

Almost all businesses have contracts with customers, suppliers and distributors. For businesses involved in the sale of goods, the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) is the overarching legal framework. Many contracts contain alternative dispute resolution clauses, limiting a client’s procedural remedies to conciliation, mediation or arbitration.

Litigation arising from these particular relationships and agreements requires a particular understanding of the law. And while litigation might be more complex, it is no less necessary when one party wrongs another under the legal framework of the UCC. We will fight to help you or your business force the wrongdoer comply with the terms of the contract or pay for the damage they caused.

Texas state law has afforded an extra level of protection for Texas consumers of goods and products. Sellers and providers of such goods and services are held to a higher standard of behavior in their interactions with their customers and clients. Wronged customers can sue the seller/provider for breaching the contract and for violation of the DTPA. Special remedies are afforded such as making the wronged customer whole and granting him a special statutory penalty award, which amounts to three times the amount of money actually lost by the customer.

Banned deceptive practices range in nature. Some examples are: forbidding a seller of goods from lying about the make or quality of a product; forbidding a mechanic from exaggerating the needed repairs and their costs; forbidding a mortgage company from adding multiple fees not originally disclosed to the client mortgagee. Many more deceptive trade practices are prohibited. If you are a customer or client of a business that has wronged you in some manner, you should immediately contact us for an appointment to discuss the potential violation committed.

Tens of thousands of consumers in Texas area are sued every year over credit card and other debt. A debtor is afforded plenty of protection under state and federal law. This law is there for a reason. Even when an individual does owe a legitimate debt the law protects him so as to avoid abuse from occurring. Big debt collectors, credit card companies, banks, and other businesses will often have a position of strength that they may use inappropriately to their advantage. It is thus necessary that you discuss your case with us to determine if the creditor is taking advantage of you in some capacity or another. Their actions might be sufficiently wrong to cause your debt to disappear. At a minimum, our firm can help you lower the amount actually owed so that you can afford to pay your bills.

If you are having debt problems, a collector or collection agency may contact you seeking payment. While they have a right to do so, it doesn't mean you have lost your right to be treated fairly. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act helps consumers fight back against unfair, unethical and illegal debt collection tactics. This includes attorneys who collect debts on a regular basis. Stopping harassment by debt collectors begins with learning about your rights. The Act clearly defines the rules that bill collectors and collection attorneys must obey when collecting debts. Texas is known by some as a "debtor's haven." In addition to the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, Texas debt collectors have to cope with strict state laws and regulations and face the potential of tort lawsuits for "wrongful collection" if they fail to comply.

“It is easier to love humanity as a whole than to love one's neighbor.” – Eric Hoffer.

As we gradually forfeited our freedoms of rural life for the benefits of organized urban society, we incurred more and more rules and restrictions. Homeowners Associations (HOA) represent that very balance between guaranteeing individuals their freedom while dictating rules that must be upheld by all within that given neighborhood. The same can be said for neighborhoods with deed restrictions.

It is not always easy. Rules are made that some disagree with. Rules are ignored by others. Rules aren’t enforced by the association. The HOA boards decide to flaunt their obligations to the HOA members. Your neighbor blasts his music at rock star decibels until the wee hours of the night. Your lawnmower cannot comply with the management company’s insistence that each blade of grass be cut to exactly 0.27”. Insurance proceeds from a major storm aren’t shared equally. What’s to be done? Without enforcement of the law, chaos reigns supreme.

We must all live with our neighbors. But when that task becomes too much to bare, call this firm.

“Buy land, they're not making it anymore.” – Mark Twain

Thus was written a thousand years ago. And how little humans have changed since. Neighbors are neighbors. We covet. We complain. We judge. All this is normal. But when one neighbor believes another to occupy the former’s land, that’s when things get interesting. Texas law regarding this issue originates in old English common law. What worked for them over the course of the past millennia works for us today with some tweaking, of course.

Title and boundary disputes involve disagreements about who owns a piece of property, and the amount of area the property covers. The dispute can result from two differing land surveys. It can result from adverse possession. It can be intentional. It can be inadvertent. The dispute can involve actual land surface, or it can be centered around underground mineral rights. These are all fights this Firm has fought on behalf of its clients.

“Keep away from a bad neighbor. Do not fraternize with a wicked man. And do not abandon belief in retribution.” – Nittai of Arbel, Pirkei Avot

Tenants have rights. Landlords have rights. The lease agreement signed by both governs the relationship. The Texas Property Code governs the relationship. So what’s the outcome when the parties disagree on an issue or do not get along? How is a breach of the agreement handled? What should a tenant do when treated wrongly? What are the landlord’s recourses when taken advantage of?

Landlord tenant problems are so sensitive because they impact so much that is important to us: our place of residence, workplace, investment property. Inherent in a leasing a space is a relationship with another party. And often there is little else to bond the two sides beyond the original lease agreement.

Call us about your problem. We will, as always, prioritize the peaceful resolution of your problems. If none can be found, we will battle out the issues in court.

We assist clients in getting both non-immigrant and immigrant visas, and discuss with clients which option would work best for their particular situation.

Nonimmigrant Visas:

* A-1/A-2 diplomats and support staff
* B-1/B-2 visitor for business or pleasure
* C/D In-transit/Crewmen
* E-1/E-2 treaty trader/investor
* F-1 student
* H-1 temporary worker
* H-2 temporary worker
* H-3 alien trainee
* H-4 dependents
* J-1 exchange visitors
* K-1 fiancé
* L-1 intracompany transfer
* M-1 student
* O-1 extraordinary ability
* P-1 performing artists
* Q-1 international cultural exchange
* R-1 religious workers
* TN Trade NAFTA and dependent visas
* Extension of stay
* Change of nonimmigrant status
* Waivers
* Replacement of I-94 cards

Immigrant Visas:

* Family petitions
* Orphan petitions
* Marriage cases (including affidavits of support and removal of conditional status applications)
* Employment-based cases: Labor certification/Reduction in Recruitment/Schedule A visa petitions
* Diversity Visa (“green card lottery”)
* EB-1 extraordinary workers
* EB-2 national interest waiver petitions
* Immigrant investor petitions
* Violence against Women Act (VAWA) petitions
* Reentry permits

We understand how applying for your visa abroad or having to travel outside the U.S. to obtain your visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate can be difficult. We assist in all aspects of consular processing include document and interview preparation. If you have a denied visa application at a consulate or embassy, we assist you in interfacing with the immigration officers in reconsidering your application.

I-601 Waivers: Permission to reapply/Waivers of grounds of inadmissibility: For individuals applying for visas that receive a denial based on inadmissibility, we can assist in preparing a waiver and all the evidence needed to submit to the consulate.

We assist in determining eligibility, preparing the entire application, and attend the naturalization interview with the client.

We prepare all forms and evidence to support a request for asylum, and attend the asylum interview with our client.

We defend clients in all stages of the deportation/ removal process, and have experience in representing individuals who have criminal convictions.

We assist businesses with workplace compliance, including processing an I-9 Audit, training seminars for human resources personnel, and advisement during a workplace raid by ICE (Immigration Customs and Enforcement).