The chief of San Antonio’s Police Department will request that the city council support tougher DWI laws and increased enforcement programs following two high profile accidents between officers and suspected drunk drivers. Chief William McManus is expected to request additional assistance in combating drunken driving as recent statistics have shown that the city has not been able to deter drunk drivers despite an increase in arrests. Two bills that McManus publicly supports include statewide highway checkpoints and mandatory ignition interlocks first time offenders while other members of law enforcement are supporting tougher penalties for drivers whose BAC levels are higher than 0.16.

Over the last three years, DWI arrests in San Antonio have increased but alcohol related fatalities have risen as well. Two recent accidents in which one officer was killed and another seriously injured have put the spotlight on drunken driving and the city has started to crack down even further on suspected drunk drivers. In January the city decided to put “no refusal weekends” in effect every weekend and Bexar County is seeking to fund the “no refusal” program seven days a week.

By Texas Watch, February 1, 2011

Farmers Insurance has parked a huge bus outside the State Capitol today.  If the size of the bus is any indication of the out-sized influence of the insurance industry, then homeowners are in deep trouble this session.  Plus, Farmers Insurance has opted to replace the Texas flag with its own banner.  Does this indicate the full takeover of the state by the insurance industry that we’ve all long feared?

But, seriously… Instead of preparing to handle claims for its customers by heading to North Texas where they are experiencing widespread power outages and are anticipating significant weather-related insurance losses, Farmers has opted to use its “mobile claims center” as a prop to lobby legislators.

In a state where homeowners are already paying the highest rates in the nation, Farmers – the state’s third largest home insurance carrier – has announced a rate hike set to take effect next month.  Shouldn’t Farmers be using its resources to help its customers instead of lobbying lawmakers for even more insurance industry protections?

Then again, maybe it is just too much to ask a big insurance company to put its customers first.

Effective today, the City of Austin is no longer treating handicap parking violations as a civil offense. Anyone caught parking in a handicap spot without proper documentation or anyone caught lending out their placard will face higher penalties that can grow to fines of more than $1000 and 10-50 hours of community service with multiple convictions. Furthermore, since it is now a criminal offense, failure to handle the citation (enter a plea) could result in a warrant being issued.

Types of violations include:
- Parking in a disabled space with no plate or placard
- Blocking an access ramp
- Lending your placard to another party
- Using plate / placard in the absence of the disabled person

While our firm doesn’t handle traffic citations, we want to educate our readers about this important change and we urge them to consider the higher costs associated with this violation as a deterrent.

To learn more, visit this FAQ page about the rule change.

APD and OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) are investigation a construction accident in South Austin that killed one man and injured another. The accident happened on Thursday afternoon when two men were apparently working on “makeshift” scaffolding at an apartment complex just off of South Congress Ave.

The men were three stories in the air doing caulking and it is unsure whether they fell or the scaffolding collapsed. One of the men died at the scene while the other was taken to a nearby hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Sadly, construction accidents are far too common and they often result in serious injures. If you have been injured in a workplace accident, contact us for a free case evaluation.