Accident on 80

Published on: March 9, 2018

Guide to Non-Compete Agreements in Texas

Non-Compete Agreements are generally disfavored by the Courts. However, they have been granted protections in Texas under the Texas Non-Compete Act. Although fully recognized in Texas, they must generally be very limited in scope and reasonable under the circumstances.

If you are purchasing a company, one of the most important sections can be the non-compete. If you purchase a business from a seller who is well known in the community without including a non-compete, you may find yourself competing against that seller again in the future if they decide to re-enter the same industry again. The seller and their business has presumably built up goodwill and name recognition. That is probably part of what drew you to want to buy the business in the first place. Now, think of potentially having to compete with that person you just paid to purchase their company and they steal all their business back by coming back into the market shortly after the sale. That would be terrible and that has happened in the past.

The following list identifies common points for buyers and sellers that our firm emphasizes during both the negotiation of a non compete agreement as part of the sale of a business and litigation that may arise out of a non compete agreement after the sale. These are all based on the law in the State of Texas and how these specific points have been treated in the past. We call them “pitfalls”. Don’t fall into one.

Published on: March 9, 2018

Purchase and Sale Agreements in Texas Business Acquisitions

by Guest and Gray Law Firm

The Purchase and Sale Agreement

Purchase and Sale Agreements are required when a person or entity acquires another business or assets of another business. These sorts of documents are common place and if you are in the market to purchase an existing entity with ongoing operations, this is a document that you should become quite familiar with before actually signing on the line. It is also a complex document that should be drafted by an attorney. Many people that I have spoken to over the years have not wanted to hire an attorney because of the additional cost. However, when you are spending hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars on purchasing a new company or business assets, saving a little bit of money on attorney’s fees is not worth it if you mess the whole thing up and it costs you big time in the future.

Here is a basic run down of a Purchase and Sale Agreement. It is a lot like a Residential Real Estate Contract, but with some additional terms and sections that make it a much more complex document that a Realtor or broker, absent a corresponding law license, should not be drafting from scratch on their own.

Published on: March 9, 2018

Guest and Gray Law Firm: Real Estate Attorneys

by Guest and Gray Law Firm

Guest and Gray Law Firm Provides All Sorts of Legal Services Related to Real Estate Law Issues:

Consultations for residential and commercial real estate issues including review/comment on TREC and TAR earnest money contracts, title commitments, and closing documents. Asset protection review (APR) is also available. Charges apply for consultations and APRs.

Real estate document preparation for Texas residential and commercial transactions including earnest money contracts, warranty deeds, real estate lien notes, deeds of trust, affidavits, leases, lien releases, assignments, options, and affidavits of heirship.

Published on: February 26, 2018

Basics of Personal Injury Protection and Med Pay

by Guest and Gray Law Firm

Med Pay or PIP? Or Both? Which one is better in the event of an accident? My insurance agent is pushing me towards Med Pay, but PIP sounds better. Sound familiar? Well, here is some basic information about the difference between the two types of insurance coverage that you want to know about. If you are looking for a quick overview, see the chart below. For detailed information, read on past it.

PIP	Med-Pay
Required under Texas law	Yes	No
Must be rejected in writing	Yes	No
Minimum Coverage	$2,500 per person	No
Covers Medical Bills	Yes	Yes
Covers Lost Wages	Yes (80%)	No
Right of Subrogation	No	Yes
Provides No-Fault Coverage	Yes	Yes

Personal Injury Protection (“PIP”) is coverage you purchase with your auto insurance policy that covers medical expenses and lost wages as a result of injuries sustained in a car accident. It is no fault coverage. So, you don’t have to wait for the insurance company to make a final determination of liability.

PIP is required under Texas law. The Texas Insurance Code provides that all policies of automobile insurance issued in Texas must provide for PIP coverage for a minimum of $2,500 per person, unless rejected in writing by the insured. If you choose not to carry PIP coverage, then the insurance company is required to obtain your signed rejection of the PIP coverage. Therefore, unless you rejected PIP, then you would be entitled to the minimum coverage even if you were never charged a premium for it.

But pay attention, many insurers like to give you the policy with the PIP coverage section marked as rejected. They then tell you that you don’t want it anyway and it costs more, blah blah blah. Move one.

Don’t let them do that to you. Make your own choice.

Minimum Coverage. Minimum of $2,500 per person required by Texas law. You may carry more coverage if you like.

What if I’m at fault in the accident? Does not matter. PIP is “no-fault” coverage which means you are entitled to PIP benefits regardless.

What does PIP cover? Reasonable and necessary medical bills and 80% of your lost wages.

Does PIP Have a Right of Reimbursement? No. PIP has no subrogation or reimbursement rights to your settlement dollars.

Medical Payments Coverage (Med-Pay) is another type of “no-fault” coverage option. Very similar to, but it operates a little differently than, PIP. Med-Pay coverage may be issued in any amount: $500, $1,000, $2,000, etc. It is pretty flexible in that respect.

What Does Med-Pay Cover? Med-Pay covers medical bills only.

Does Med-Pay Coverage Come With a Right of Reimbursement? Yes, if you use your own policy’s Med-Pay, your insurance company will have a right of reimbursement for the amount of Med-Pay coverage that they distributed to you. The process by which your insurance company will enforce this right is known as “subrogation”. Subrogation refers to the right of an insurance company to be reimbursed after you settle your case.

So, this means that your insurance company could come back and take money out of your pocket when you settle if you have Med-Pay, however, if you have PIP, they can’t. Important difference. Med-Pay can be incredibly helpful, however, there are some pitfalls. PIP is good all around. Get PIP.

If you or a loved one has been in an accident and you are trying to figure out how to maximize your insurance benefits, call Guest and Gray, P.C. and let us help you work through the massive amounts of red-tape in obtaining the coverage and benefits you need. We deal with both your insurance company, the at-fault party’s insurance, and we are trial attorneys ready to enforce your rights in a court of law.

INJURED IN A TEXAS AUTO OR TRUCK ACCIDENT? CALL THE TRUSTED LEGAL TEAM AT GUEST AND GRAY, P.C.

If you have been injured in an accident in the Dallas, Kaufman or Rockwall county areas, or anywhere in the State of Texas, you need to call the trusted personal injury team at Guest and Gray, P.C. Our firm is the largest and highest rated firm in both Kaufman and Rockwall counties. Our personal injury attorneys are caring, trusted and local. We pride ourselves in hard work and results.

Don’t call just any law firm to guide you through the courts. When you hire an attorney from Guest and Gray, P.C., you not only get an attorney assigned to your case, but you get a knowledgeable and caring support staff. Dealing with injuries or the loss of a loved one is stressful enough. Don’t waste your time having to hassle with your legal team. Call the law firm that cares. Call Guest and Gray, P.C. at 972-564-4644

Published on: February 16, 2018

I’ve Been Hurt in an Accident. What Now?

by Guest and Gray Law Firm

For most people who have been injured in an accident, knowing what to do after the dust settles can be very confusing and can cause some people to procrastinate. That is the absolute worst thing to do after a car or truck accident. In Texas, you only have two years to file suit. That may seem like a long time, but trust us. IT IS NOT. Also, procrastinating on doing certain things will only draw your claims against the insurance company out further. In our office, like most offices, we have a set operating system for each of our personal injury clients here in the Forney, Rockwall and Dallas areas, with each client’s case run by an attorney and our staff in a way that best moves the case forward once we receive it. Most firms want to keep that system “proprietary”, but I am willing to share a little of the way we do things in order to help out each injured person, regardless of whether you actually hire our office to help you. Why? because every injured person deserves a fighting chance against the insurance company, not just those who hire an attorney.

So, here is a quick list of the things yo u need to do after a car or truck accident. This list begins AFTER you have received any necessary medical treatments and have begun the recovery process, if possible. This list shows some of the basic steps we take in order to begin moving your claim forward if they have not already been done. So, by doing any or all of these steps prior to hiring our firm, you will speed up the process of settling your claims against the at-fault party.

MAKE A CLAIM WITH THE AT-FAULT PARTY’S INSURER

Published on: February 13, 2018

Civil Litigation: Affirmative Defenses

by Guest and Gray Law Firm

When speaking with an attorney about how to defend yourself in a lawsuit, or how the defense may counter any claims they may bring as a plaintiff, you need to be informed of the different kinds of defenses the other side may have. One type of defense is called an “affirmative defense”. An affirmative defense is different from a general denial. A general denial. A general denial, in its most basic form, puts all the allegations in the plaintiff’s original petition at issue. That is why it is called a “general denial” because you are denying each and every, all and singular claims that the Plaintiff has brought against you. By filing a general denial, you have “answered the cause” and the Plaintiff will then be required to prove each and every element of his claims. In addition to the general denial, you may also bring affirmative defenses as well in the same Answer with the court. In some cases, it may also be required that you answer “with specificity” and you may do so by naming specific claims that the Plaintiff has brought against you and deny each of those claims individually and present facts in your Answer that support those specific denials. However, this article focuses on affirmative defenses, how they can be used and why they can be so effective. If you have any questions about any defenses you may have after you have been sued, contact the experienced civil litigators at Guest and Gray, P.C.

WHAT IS AN AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE?

An affirmative defense “seeks to establish an independent reason that the plaintiff should not recover” and is “thus [a defense] of avoidance, rather than a defense in denial”; that is, it is a defense of confession and avoidance. In re C.M., 996 S.W.2d 269, 270 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 1999, no pet.); Great Am. Prods. v. Permabond Int’l, 94 S.W.3d 675, 683 (Tex. App.—Austin 2002, pet. denied).

Published on: February 12, 2018

Guest and Gray, P.C.: Civil Defense Attorneys

by Guest and Gray Law Firm

Guest and Gray, P.C. has helped countless individuals and businesses in the Forney, Kaufman and Rockwall area over the years. Our attorneys are trusted, local and proven. Our areas of civil practice involve personal injury, contract litigation, real estate, partnership and business disputes, and construction litigation. Our attorneys have the knowledge and practical experience to help guide you through the legal processes from start to finish, including asserting your rights at trial.

Real Estate Litigation

Kaufman and Rockwall counties are seeing unprecedented growth. New home start ups are at record highs. This means that lots of people are entering into real estate contracts. So, it is important to know the rights and duties each party to the transaction has, and what the ramifications for failing to abide by the contract are in a Texas real estate transaction.

Published on: February 9, 2018

Guest and Gray, P.C: Catastrophic Injury Lawyers

by Guest and Gray Law Firm

Injuries that are severe, long-lasting, and debilitating are often categorized as “catastrophic injuries”. Catastrophic injuries result in prolonged recovery period, pain and suffering, lost wages, and mental anguish. Victims of accidents resulting in catastrophic injuries may never fully heal from their injuries, resulting in loss of work capability. Many times, accidents involving catastrophic injuries result in the death of the victim. This is serious stuff.

If you have suffered a catastrophic injury as the result of someone’s negligence, you are entitled to compensation for damages as a result of your injuries, or the loss of a loved one from the at-fault party or parties.

It is important to understand you may have several options. For instance in a serious automobile accident, your own policy may help to provide benefits. Texas requires insurers to offer personal injury protection on automobile policies, which covers the policyholder’s medical bills arising from an accident and underinsured coverage that helps protect you if the person who injures you in a car wreck does not have enough coverage. If you do not have these policies, I would advise you to purchase the additional coverage. Many times in our catastrophic injury cases, our clients with no underinsured/uninsured motorist coverage on their own policies are left with only a limited recovery due to the fact that Texas only requires a minimum liability policy of $30,000 individual/$60,000 per accident for drivers. Catastrophic injuries can lead to medical bills in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. So, it is important to have that excess coverage on your own policy just in case. Protect yourself before something bad happens.

Published on: January 29, 2018

Wrong Way Driver Kills One on West Loop 820, Faces Intoxication Manslaughter Charges

by Guest and Gray Law Firm

A wrong-way driver collided with a vehicle Sunday morning, killing a man on West Loop 820, police said.

The name of the 35-year-old victim had not been released pending notification of relatives.

The suspect was arrested and faces intoxication manslaughter charges, police said.

Published on: January 25, 2018

Guest and Gray: A Different Kind of Personal Injury Law Firm

by Guest and Gray Law Firm

At Guest and Gray, we pride ourselves on being a little different. We like it that way. If you walk into our office, you will see it almost immediately. We strive to create a relaxed atmosphere for our clients.

Our staff is friendly and will be glad to help you with any questions you have about the consultation and your case. We understand that it is a little weird having to meet with an attorney about anything, let alone potentially suing somebody. We are used to that. So, if you you need anything or have any questions, let us know and our staff will try to accommodate you. If you are not able to leave the house and need an attorney to meet with you over the phone or at your home. Let us know, we’ll meet you at your convenience.

The attorney you meet with will probably be wearing boots and jeans, not a suit. We are not your father’s law firm but we are just as good. The attorney will be happy to see you and take an actual interest in your health and well-being and not just how much your case is worth. We understand that an accident, even more minor accidents can have a huge impact on your life and create stress. We know that and we care about you as a person.