Today is the Austin Area Heritage Council’s 18th annual Martin Luther King Day celebration and march from The University of Texas at Austin to Huston-Tillotson University.  In previous years, the event has involved as many as 15,000 people.

This morning at 9 a.m., participants met at UT Austin’s East Mall, where the university’s Martin Luther King Jr. statue is located.  Celebrators heard speeches from members of the UT Austin African and African Diaspora Studies Department and State Representative Dawnna Dukes, as well as performances from Campbell Elementary School’s MLK Oratory Contest winner and the Innervisions Gospel Choir.

The march continued to the State Capitol, where participants heard a performance by the Greater Mount Zion Church Choir.  At 11 a.m., participants arrived at the Huston-Tillotson University campus.  A festival at the campus will continue until 4 p.m.

The Austin personal injury attorneys of the Law Offices of Vic Feazell, P.C. are pleased to announce this special event.

This year’s Coats for Kids distribution day took place at the Palmer Events Center this past Saturday.  Also at the event was a community health fair with information on staying healthy, especially during winter.

Coats for Kids collects new and gently used coats for donation.  The coats are distributed to children and teens in Central Texas who need a new winter coat, but may not be able to afford one.

Families lined up outside of the events center before the sun came up to attend the 25th annual distribution day.  More than 33,000 coats were available for children to choose from.

The Austin personal injury lawyers of The Law Offices of Vic Feazell, P.C. would like to wish all a safe and happy holiday season this winter.  To learn more about the event, see KVUE.

Last weekend, the Texas House of Representatives held an emergency legislative session in which they voted on a bill referred to as the “loser pays bill.”

The bill proposes allowing winning parties in lawsuits to be awarded compensation for litigation fees.  In addition, the bill, House Bill 247, proposes granting compensation for litigation fees to defendants who have settlements rejected by the other party.  Also, in cases where the plaintiff rejects a defendant’s offered settlement and wins less than 80 percent of the settlement, the plaintiff would have to pay for the defendant’s litigation fees.

47 state representatives did not attend the session for the vote.  However, the bill still managed to pass with an 89 to 12 vote.

Now, HB 274 will be sent to the Senate for another vote.

If your or a loved one has been injured as a result of another party’s negligence, contact the Austin personal injury attorneys of The Law Offices of Vic Feazell, P.C. at 877-948-4842 to learn more about receiving compensation for your injuries.