It is vital to your personal injury case that you be scrupulously honest with your personal injury attorney. Anything you say is confidential unless you agree that it can be disclosed. You can be sure the insurance adjuster or opposing counsel will discover these things. If your lawyer knows about them before being confronted with them by the other side, he or she will be ready to dispute the allegations or explain them away. Here are a few things you need to be sure you share with your lawyer. Disclose any previous accident injuries. The insurance adjuster will discover any previous … [Read more...]
What Are the Responsibilities of An Executor of An Estate?
If you have been named executor or administrator of an estate following the death of a friend or loved one, the law imposes upon you certain responsibilities. Texas law also requires you to be represented by an attorney to guide you to be sure you fulfill your executor duties and to help you as you strive to fulfill the wishes of the decedent. At Springer & Lyle, our estate planning attorneys stand ready to guide you through the complicated legal process of probate. Responsibilities of the Executor of an Estate After the will has been presented to the … [Read more...]
The Differences Between Car and Truck Accidents
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, there were nearly 18,000 vehicle accidents in Texas involving large trucks and cars in 2020. There were more than 600 people killed and close to 10,000 people injured. Some were so severely injured their lives will never be the same. Although there are more accidents between cars than between cars and trucks, the impact of an 80,000 pound fully loaded truck with a 4,000-pound car is different in a lot of ways than a crash between two 4,000-pound automobiles. Differences Between Causes of Truck and Car Accidents Driver … [Read more...]
Can I Kick My Spouse Out of the House?
The easy answer to the question about whether you can kick your spouse out of the house is, “No.” You cannot arbitrarily kick your spouse out of the house. You need a court order to evict a spouse who, in Texas, a community property state, generally has as much legal right to stay in the home as you do. You Must Legally Evict Your Spouse Some spouses have changed the locks on the home, thinking they have the right to do so and to keep the other spouse out. If the locked-out spouse calls the police, the police will tell you that you are the one in the wrong, and you must allow your … [Read more...]
Do I Have to Hire an Attorney to Probate a Will?
In Denton County and most Texas counties, if you have been named the executor of an estate, you will need to be represented by an attorney in probate court. There may be some exceptions, such as if you are the sole heir and there are no debts, but in all other situations, you must be represented by an attorney licensed in the State of Texas. Why an Attorney is Required to Probate a Will Only attorneys are licensed to represent others in court. According to the Denton County Probate Court, “Generally, only an attorney licensed in the State of Texas may represent a … [Read more...]
Understanding Commercial Vehicle Accidents
In Texas in 2020, there were approximately 18,000 accidents involving commercial vehicles, putting Texas in the lead with respect to the number of large trucks involved in fatal accidents in all 50 states. More than 9,500 people were injured, some of them so severely that their lives and the lives of their families will never be the same. Another 629 were killed. Commercial vehicle injury lawsuits present different issues that regulate vehicle injury accident cases. If you were injured in a crash with a commercial vehicle, or someone you love was killed, attorneys at Springer … [Read more...]
What Are Punitive Damages?
If you are considering filing a personal injury lawsuit, or have already filed one, you have heard the term “damages” discussed. In your search for a lawyer, you may have seen websites that talk about getting you the damages that you deserve. You may ask, “What does that mean?” And you specifically wonder what punitive damages are. At Springer & Lyle, we help you understand what the term “damages” means in a personal injury lawsuit. We want you to understand the term “punitive damages” and why you may or may not be entitled to that type of damages, depending on the … [Read more...]
What Is a Gray Divorce?
A gray divorce is one that involves couples over the age of 50. Although some gray divorces are short-term, the majority involve couples who have been married for many years. There are issues unique to this type of divorce that are not faced by younger couples. For example: There are no minor children, so custody and support are not issues.Often, one spouse has been out of the workforce for many years, so spousal support is more of an issue.They have a retirement plan that must be divided.The spouses have accumulated more assets than younger couples, so property division is the … [Read more...]
What is a Parenting Plan?
Texas law presumes that divorcing parents should be joint managing conservators. This means that they would share decision-making responsibilities about a child. It does not necessarily mean that the children’s time would be evenly split between parents. Under Texas law, custody orders refer to parenting time as access and possession, which is equivalent to the terms custody and visitation used in many other states. Possession is the time a parent and child spend together. Access means the parents and children can interact by phone, face time, text, or a parent attending a child’s … [Read more...]
Can Multiple Parties Be Liable for a Car Accident?
The easy answer to the question, “Can multiple parties be liable for a car accident?” is “Yes.” First, all drivers involved in a car accident may be at fault to some degree. For example, the person driving in front of you may have stopped abruptly causing you to hit them from behind. Often, it is assumed the person in the rear is at fault for not stopping in time, but if you were following too close or distracted by texting or talking or picking something up off the floor, you may also be held liable for the accident. Under the legal theory of vicarious liability, another … [Read more...]