A debate rages in the country today: Is there a "lawsuit crisis" and, if so, what does it cost? Those who claim that there is a crisis often cite a report from consulting firm Tillinghast-Towers Perrin (TTP) claiming that lawsuits cost the country $246 billion a year. The problem with this "fact" is that the numbers just don't add up...

Texas has a law, called the Good Samaritan Law, that protects people from liability if they accidentally hurt someone else while trying to render aid during an emergency. The purpose of the law is to encourage people to try to help however they can when someone has been hurt, such as performing CPR on a person having a heart attack or by giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to a drowning victim, by protecting them against a lawsuit if they are ultimately unable to save the victim...

Now that Texas permits home equity loans, the number of people offering such loans to make improvements on your home is skyrocketing. Unfortunately, for every honest contractor there is also a crook, and many home improvement contracts give the contractor a lien on your house that allows the contractor to foreclose if he is not paid. Before signing on the dotted line, remember the following...

Although insurance companies (along with everyone else) are prohibited from discriminating against their customers because of the color of their skin, their religion, and the like, many insurers are making decisions about how much to charge for insurance that result in minorities' paying more for the same level of coverage...

The perception among drivers is that bigger is better, and therefore SUVs--which are bigger than other cars--must be safer. Unfortunately, this perception is not correct. SUVs, which are not only bigger, but taller than other kinds of cars and trucks, have a disturbing tendency to roll over, which results in more serious accidents. Almost every make and model of SUVs have this problem...

If you or someone you know has been injured in a rollover accident involving an SUV, take the following steps immediately...