Tyler Flood Investigates Blood Vial Scandal

July 23, 2019

Last month as news broke out about serious issues with integrity of thousands of Becton Dickinson (BD) grey Top blood testing vials, news crews and government officials alike scrambled to get out ahead of the story.

A “critical problem” they called it, describing the estimated 1700 testing kits potentially impacted by BD’s faulty manufacturing. DWI prosecutors like W. Clay Abbot declared that they suspected only a small amount of cases, both in Houston and in other cities that received shipments from BD, would have been affected by the defective vials.

However, It has been discovered from an in-depth analysis of Tyler Flood’s law office that the issue is significantly more far-reaching, potentially rendering thousands of DWI blood tests completely invalid in the city of Houston alone. After reviewing the blood submissions from just one of the three crime labs in Houston, over 700 people’s DWI blood draws samples are completely compromised, and this number is just from the last nine months.

Developments in the BD Blood Vial Scandal

Since first hearing about the development in late June, our legal team has been hard at work sifting through heaps of documents in order to figure out the extent of the problem with DWI defendants in Harris County. What we discovered is nothing short of a powder keg waiting to explode.

From documents and analysis derived from only ONE of the three testing labs in Houston, we have concluded that in the last nine months 756 real people have had the evidence presented against them effected by the faulty vials.

The amount of DWI cases in the Houston area impacted by this turn of events could be far greater than that, once the other two facilities are factored in. Articles published last month took into account the words of various government officials and BD representatives when they perceived the scope of this scandal to be composed of only a slight number of vials produced.

What we now know to be true is that the amount of defective vials—and the number of cases influenced—is much greater than anyone previously imagined. It is anything but “slight.”

A Brief, Storied Explanation of DWI Chemical Testing in Texas

Like many other states, Texas can force a person to give a specimen of their blood. First a person is asked if they freely consent. If the person says no, then a warrant can be obtained requiring an officer to obtain a sample. If the subject does not cooperate, the officer(s) will use physical force to hold the subject down so that blood can be drawn.

We know from experience that every test can arrive at an inaccurate, unreliable reading many different reasons. In some instances, the test is administered illegally, usually when there was no valid probable cause to order such a test. In other instances, the BAC is gathered without following state-ordered procedures. And on some occasions, such as what has occurred recently with defective testing kits, the entire test is made invalid due to improper storage or flawed preparation.

In cases such as these, the right thing to do is to contest the state’s evidence. As DWI attorneys, we have seen more than a few cases thrown out due to issues with the state’s collected evidence.

Take these issues for example:

Houston Lab Tech Accused of Making Multiple Forensic Errors

Harris County DA’s Office: Police Investigator Made Errors in 65 Cases

Houston’s DPS Crime Lab Investigated For Mix-Up in Mailing Blood Sample

What do all of these examples have in common? They all demonstrate a fundamental unreliability when it comes to how the state collects evidence from chemical tests. In a perfect world with perfect mechanisms and procedures for collecting blood and determining BAC levels, there would be no conflicting issues to dispute the evidence the state puts forward. Unfortunately for all of us, we don’t live in a perfect world.

In the process of representing our clients to the best of our ability, one of the first steps we must take is determining if the evidence presented against our client was obtained properly and legally.

Going Forward

Upon initially learning about the issues with the blood vials, the Flood & Associates legal team kicked into high gear in order to process a great deal of information. This deep-dive allowed us to crack open the actual scope of the total amount of cases impacted. As we continue to pour through data regarding affected blood vials in order to learn more about the potential ramifications of this incident, we will keep our clients and the public aware of the developments.

As defense lawyers and as dutiful citizens, it is up to us to hold the government accountable for improperly gathered or stored evidence, and we plan to keep fighting.

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NOT GUILTY
Driving While Intoxicated (Blood Draw .16)
Client had bond forfeited while case was pending for not being able to attend trial when Judge ordered us to be there due to his teaching job at Texas A&M University. When he finally...read more
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Robert Henderson
Robert Henderson
December 22, 2023.
I want to give a special thanks to Tyler Flood & Associates. Getting charged with a dwi was the worst feeling and situation I've been in, but the professionalism and confidence that Tyler Fllod & Associates showed throughout my case definitely helped me get some sleep at night. Then when they called and let me know that my case was dismissed and all charges dropped was incredible. Once again, thanks to Tyler Flood & Associates.
Zeta Ze
Zeta Ze
December 15, 2023.
Houston DWI/DUI Tyler Flood is the best lawyer to represent you in a DWI/DUI case. Mr. Flood saved my license from being suspended in a non-refusal weekend. In a case, where I feel I did everything wrong and had 0 chance, in my opinion, for a dismissal, my only hope and chance was to hire Mr. Flood and his firm. Having had previous experience with Mr. Flood's firm, I felt that if I had any percentage chance of a dismissal, I had to go with Mr. Flood again. As I am writing this review, I'm still in shock and awe in how Mr. Flood was able to get a dismissal before trial completely started. Mr. Flood knew the law better than the arresting officer and Prosecutors. Even the judge was impressed and paid him a compliment after the dismissal. In my opinion, if you want a fighting chance, hire Mr. Flood and his firm. Mr. Flood genuinely cares about all his clients and does not merely see you as a customer. He and his team are always working on your case. Trust his process. They are absolutely the BEST.
briana Munoz
briana Munoz
December 5, 2023.
Thanks to Tyler Flood I am able to continue my life, him and his partners were amazing in guiding me throughout this hard process. Tyler and his team got me a CASE DISMISSED on my DWI case. His team kept in contact with me on every small detail about my case while being able to thoroughly explain every possibility for me. I also never had to step foot in a courtroom! Him and his team had my back every step of the way and never made me feel like it was not going to be okay. Tyler flood is the BEST DWI/DUI attorney no doubt, please consider letting him take your case if you are ever in need of an amazing lawyer.
A D
A D
October 19, 2023.
When I found myself in a precarious situation and didn’t know where or who to turn to I was recommended to Tyler Flood and Associates. After researching and reading many reviews I decided to hire and retain Flood and Associates services. This was one of the best decisions I made in my life, not only were they there for me in every dim moment and never too busy to answer every question I had whether it was frivolous or not, his expertise was demonstrated to me during my trial. So much so that two other defendants asked for his name and number during my trial. He fought tooth-and-nail for me and he will for you too. I’m only rating him five stars because I can’t rate him any higher. I’ll thank him for the rest of my life.
Dylan
Dylan
October 12, 2023.
Houston DWI/DUI Attorney Tyler Flood is the best in the business! Tyler and his team made the entire process stress free for what is a very stressful situation. From winning the first administrative hearing (to retain my license/avoid a breathalyzer) to getting the dismissal before trial even started. He is truly the best in the business!
Cesar Ricardez
Cesar Ricardez
October 3, 2023.
I hired Tyler Flood the day after my DUI arrest after reading glowing reviews about him and I couldn’t be happier that I did so. He took care of both my cases to keep my driving rights and the misdemeanor DUI charge in court. I never even had to appear in court or do anything, him and his team took care of anything while I carried on with my life and would just get updates whenever they appeared in court on my behalf. At the end, my driver license was never suspended and they got my case dismissed. Lesson learned, I don’t wish anyone to get in my situation but if you do, don’t hesitate to hire Tyler Flood and his team, they are extremely professional and they go for the win. No deal, no probation, got it all dismissed.
M J
M J
September 14, 2023.
Tyler Flood, Houston DWI/DUI attorney is fantastic! He is professional, smart and takes pride in getting the best possible outcome for you. This was my second DWI and I didn't want to take chances. I found him on Google and I too was in disbelief with all the 5.0 star reviews. Upon meeting him I quickly discovered it was all true. A lawyer with his own science lab WTH??????? Long story short he got my case dismissed without going to court. You can not put a price on freedom. The only downside is I only hope to need his services this one time. 😀 Thanks again Mr. Flood God bless.
John Sellers
John Sellers
August 31, 2023.
Houston DUI/DWI attorney Tyler Flood is the guy to go to!! I started my journey with these guys on August 4th of this year, my case was dismissed before the end of the month!! Well worth it!! They are organized and efficient, kept me informed of what was going on and answered all my questions. I have shared with my friends and definitely recommend to anyone.
texasdiamonds
texasdiamonds
August 29, 2023.
Houston DUI/DWI attorney Tyler Flood is an outstanding attorney and person. If you are in need of a lawyer who understands the panic and sheer fear a family feels when this happens in their lives,Tyler Flood is the attorney for you. He has an outstanding educational background, his office includes an on-site, state-of-the-arts laboratory, and he is surrounded with a legal team to provide background and research data for him to be successful in representing you. He is a One-of-Kind, highly accomplished attorney that will promptly respond to you throughout the duration of your case. Seriously, this guy NEVER sleeps! Tyler Flood understands the importance of a person’s reputation and the seriousness of a DUI/DWI charge. If you choose to work with him, he will work with you to be successful! Tyler Flood is AWESOME!
Trey Perrett
Trey Perrett
August 14, 2023.
Words cannot express what a dominating lawyer Tyler Flood and his team are. I ran into some trouble in 2021 and I was just getting my family, career ,and life together. I was completely scared of what the repercussions could be for the rest of my life. I asked civil layers who they recommend and repeatedly Tyler Flood’s name was given to me. At my first appointment, I was overcome with anxiety of what will happen next. Tyler put me at ease immediately. He believed I had a case. They were great on response time and helping me navigate the often confusing legal system. It’s a long process to have a case brought to trial but I knew I had an amazing lawyer and his team in my corner. Finally, I received the call that my case was dismissed, and I was cleared of all charges. I could not be happier with the way he and his colleagues handled my case and brought home the W. I strongly recommend having Tyler Flood in your corner because he delivers.
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