Archive for August, 2011
WesternGeco Resources Found Liable for Denying Medical Care and Living Expenses to Injured Seaman
On August 19, 2011, a Harris County jury unanimously confirmed WesternGeco Resources, Inc. as responsible for living expenses (maintenance) and medical care (cure) for an injury to the medic onboard its seismic vessel M/V GILIVAR off the shore of Equatorial Guinea in 2006. In addition to confirming that WesternGeco was responsible for maintenance and cure payments, WesternGeco was required to pay damages for unreasonable denial.
The jury rejected the claims by WesternGeco (a Houston-based subsidiary of Schlumberger) that it did not exercise any control over the operations or crewmembers onboard the vessel, the jury found in the first reported instance responsible as a “borrowing employer” for a crewmember placed and paid by a third-party contractor, Wadleigh, Inc.
Doyle Raizner represented the Plaintiff in his maritime and Jones Act claims.
Doyle Raizner Becomes Sponsor for United Policyholders
Doyle Raizner has agreed to become a sponsor for United Policyholders. United Policyholders is a national, non-profit organization that provides information to and advocates for individuals in order to help them in making claims against their insurance companies.
Doyle Raizner is very proud to help support this organization and the work they do in providing resources for individuals and helping them to stay prepared and informed about insurance issues.
More information about United Policyholders is available here.
Texas Court of Appeals Says Workers’ Comp. Insurance Company Liable for Surgical Delays
On August 3, 2011, the Texas Court of Appeals, Third District at Austin, ruled against Texas Mutual Insurance Company and found that an injured employee was entitled to his pursue a claim for bad faith arising out of Texas Mutual’s delays in providing surgery for his on-the-job injury. The Court of Appeals confirmed that workers’ compensation insurance companies cannot rely on the fact than another dispute was pending in order to excuse the delays caused by an insurance company in paying for surgery for an injured employee.
Doyle Raizner is committed to helping individuals who have been harmed by the bad faith activities of workers’ comepnsation insurance carriers.
Click here for more information about the wrongful handling of workers compensation cases.
MABAH Attorneys Nominated for Texas Appellate Hall of Fame
Doyle Raizner would like to recognize the nominations of Carlos Cadena, Gustavo C. “Gus” Garcia, James De Anda, and John J. Herrera for admission as part of the Inaugural Class of the State Bar of Texas’s Appellate Section’s Texas Appellate Hall of Fame. These attorneys composed the legal team in Hernandez v. Texas (1954), a historic decision of the U.S. Supreme Court dealing with equal protection for minorities under the U.S. Constitution. They worked the case on a pro bono basis from late 1951 until the case was argued before the Supreme Court in February of 1954.
The nominations were possible through the efforts of the Mexican American Bar Association of Houston (MABAH), including MABAH President Joe Matta and Chair of Civil Rights Committee Professor Lupe Salinas.
Doyle Raizner congratulates these highly-deserving attorneys on their nominations for the Inaugural Class of the Texas Appellate Hall of Fame.
