Summer is approaching and despite soaring gas prices, it is expected that folks will still be taking those summer road trips. This means more cars on the road which naturally means more accidents. At Springer & Lyle, we want to warn you about other accident risks related to summer vacations. Some of the top summer accidents in Denton County include: Water-related accidents including drowning. Summer weather draws people to the water. More people out with boats means more boating accidents. More people swimming in open water or in backyard swimming pools leads to more drownings or … [Read more...]
Common Law Marriage in Texas
Texas is one of a handful of states that recognizes a common law, or informal, marriage. If a person can prove to a court that the couple had a common law marriage, then they will have the same benefits as those who had a marriage ceremony and obtained a legal marriage license. If the couple separates, the court cannot make any orders regarding property division, child custody, child support, or spousal support unless the court first rules that there was a common law marriage. However, they choose to prove the marriage, both parties must be at least 18 years old. Filing a Declaration of … [Read more...]
Who Pays Your Medical Bills After an Accident?
If you were injured in any kind of accident, whether a car accident or a slip-and-fall incident, you likely are accruing medical bills and wonder how you will ever pay them. Your healthcare providers may be nagging you for payment. At Springer & Lyle, we are committed to helping you solve this problem. How to Get Your Medical Bills Paid After an Accident If you were injured in a car accident and the other driver was at fault, the driver or his insurance company will likely pay, or reimburse you, for medical expenses. However, the liability insurance company will not pay a penny until … [Read more...]
Co-parenting Tips for Summer Vacation
Summer vacation is coming, and children will be out of school. Teenagers may have summer jobs. Younger children will need supervision and things to do. There may be soccer practice and other activities that the minors are involved with. This creates some issues for divorced parents who are co-parenting. Parents may struggle with balancing the interests of the children with their own. One parent may plan a vacation at a time the other parent was hoping to spend quality at-home time with the children. It can get testy between the parents if they put their own needs before the needs of the … [Read more...]
Will My Personal Injury Case Go to Trial?
If you were injured in an accident and have a pending personal injury case, you are quite curious about whether your case will actually go to trial. Recent statistics show that approximately 95 percent of personal injury cases settle out of court. That means only about 5 percent find their way to the courtroom. There are reasons why some cases settle, and why others require proving the case in court. Most Common Reasons for a Case to Settle Before Trial There are good reasons for a case to settle without going to trial. The most common ones are: The defense attorney believes that … [Read more...]
When Do I Have to Probate a Will in Texas?
When someone dies, probate is the process by which a court oversees the distribution of that person’s assets according to the terms of their will. There are some assets that pass to heirs outside of probate. Many surviving spouses do not realize that probate is necessary to transfer property purchased by the couple prior to one’s passing. When Do I Have to Probate a Will in Texas? Texas Estates Code requires the personal representative, or executor of the estate of the decedent to submit the will to the probate court within four years of the death of the decedent. If the representative … [Read more...]
Most Common Reasons People Get a Divorce
No couple gets married with the expectation of getting divorced. Things change over the weeks, months, and years that they are together. In the U.S., more than 50 percent of first marriages end in divorce. More than 60 percent of second marriages end in divorce, and 73 percent of third marriages end up in divorce court. Texas Allows for a No-Fault Divorce Texas ranks 15th among the 50 states for divorces. Texas provides for a no-fault divorce. This means that when one spouse files for divorce, the reason for the divorce is generally “insupportability.” That means the spouse does not … [Read more...]
The Importance of an Event Data Recorder in a Personal Injury Case
Event Data Recorders (EDR) are devices installed in motor vehicles that capture the functioning of the vehicle and action of the occupants in the moments just before, during, and after a crash if the crash is severe enough to release the airbags, or there is an excessive rate of deceleration. According to the Automobile Association of America (AAA), 95 percent of cars currently on the road have an EDR installed. At Springer & Lyle, we can use the EDR information to help prove fault in a personal injury case. Information Captured by the EDR Although the data captured by the EDR is … [Read more...]
My Parent Didn’t Have a Will: What Should I Do?
If someone dies intestate, that means they died without leaving a will. When that happens in Texas, the law is clear about what happens next. If your parent dies intestate, what happens to the estate will depend on whether your other parent is still alive and was married to your deceased parent at the time of the death. Petition the Probate Court to be the Executor You, another family member, or a person your parent trusted may petition the court and ask to be appointed executor of the estate. The court will then send notices to parties it believes may be interested to give them a chance … [Read more...]
Proving the Other Driver Was Texting in an Accident
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that at any given moment, 600,000 drivers are using their cell phones. More than 400 drivers are killed every year when texting and thousands more are injured. At Springer & Lyle, we stand ready to do the necessary investigation to determine if a texting driver caused your accident. How to Prove the Other Driver was Texting Texting and driving have the same effect on driving as if the driver had drunk four beers in one hour! The U.S. Department of Transportation reports that it takes five seconds to read a text, the … [Read more...]
