Fort Worth Injury Lawyer Blog

Shawn Massey of Fort Worth died earlier today when the motorcycle he was operating hit a curb and crashed into a street light. The accident occurred at about 2:20 a.m. in the 2900 block of West Normandale Street.

Unfortunately, Mr. Massey was not wearing a helmet. I hate it when I read about any accidental death, but especially when I hear of a death that might have been prevented if a helmet had been used. In Texas, we have a mandatory helmet rule, but it has two broad exceptions: if you have at least $10,000 in health insurance or have completed a Motorcycle Operator Training Course. I don’t know if either of these exceptions applied to Mr. Massey, but a helmet sure couldn’t have hurt. It might have saved a life.

Mark A. Anderson is a supporter of bikers and is the sole sponsor of the Ride Safe Ride Sober towing program here in Tarrant County. The program provides motorcycle towing for a drunk or impaired riders. Prior enrollment is required. For more info, please visit www.ridesafetx.com or www.ridesaferidesober.com.

Contact info for Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Mark A. Anderson: 817-294-1900 or ONLINE.

Marion Linville of Weatherford died last night when the Ford truck he was driving crossed into oncoming traffic in the 500 block of W. 4th Street in Weatherford. According to the Weatherford Police Department, Mr. Linville was westbound and for some unknown reason veered into the eastbound lanes and struck a Toyota Minivan occupied by two women. One of the ladies, Sandra Whittlesey of Arlington, was care-flighted to Harris Hospital (Texas Heath) in downtown Fort Worth. She was listed in good condition today. The other occupant of the minivan was Phyllis Whittlesey, age 22, who was taken by ground ambulance to Harris Hospital, where she was treated and released. The truck Mr. Linville was driving also hit a third vehicle, but no one was injured in that vehicle.

This is a strange motor vehicle accident (MVA), as there is no apparent reason for it. Even though no criminal charges are expected, hopefully the cause of the accident will be investigated. I have handled some cases where a medical condition caused someone to drive erratically. Could that be the case here? Or was it a distraction like a ringing cell phone? Maybe the cause will never be known.

Information and commentary provided by Fort Worth Accident Lawyer Mark A. Anderson, who can be reached at 817-294-1900 or ONLINE.

Most injury attorneys use a very similar contingent fee contract. It will call for the attorney to be paid 1/3 of the recovery if the case can be settle prior to litigation and a higher fee of 40% of the recovery if the case has to be litigated in the court system. And all out of pocket expenses are usually reimbursed to the attorney as well.

This fee structure is used by all injury attorneys. Whether the lawyer is just out of law school and couldn’t find the courthouse with a map or whether the attorney is an experienced attorney who is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law—they both charge the same percentage. But it is likely that the inexperienced attorney will not be able to recover as much money for you. Is it better to receive 2/3 of a lower amount or 2/3 of a higher amount? It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out!! So why do injury victims settle for less experienced lawyers when it would cost them no more to high a more experienced lawyer who is Board Certified? I have no earthly idea.

Mark A. Anderson is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and has been since 1999. He is based out of Fort Worth and handles cases all over Texas. He only takes on cases on a contingent basis. To discuss a serious injury claim with him, please call the Anderson Law Firm at 817-294-1900 or Contact the Firm Online.

In a tragic accident which may have been alcohol related, two women in their 20’s were ejected from a black Honda sedan about three a.m. on Friday morning. It happened when the driver struck the guardrail on the ramp from Airport Freeway (Highway 121) as it merges onto I-35W Southbound. The driver then lost control of the Honda and it rolled over Both ladies were ejected, causing the Fort Worth Police to assume that they were not wearing their seatbelts. The FWPD also reported that several alcoholic beverages containers were found at the scene.

I am making some assumptions here, but judging by the alcoholic containers and the time of the accident, I would assume that alcohol probably played a role in this accident. Each year in Texas, there are over 1,500 fatalities on Texas roads that are attributed to alcohol. While the legal limit is .08 BAC (Blood Alcohol Content), any amount of alcohol that impairs ones ability to judge and react is dangerous.

Plus, it appears that the ladies were not wearing their seatbelts. It is the law that all front seat passengers wear their seatbelts (and it will be the law in Texas effective September 1, 2009 that ALL passengers must wear seatbelts). It almost goes without saying that it is proven that wearing seatbelts saves lives.

This Information provided by Fort Worth Auto Accident and DWI Accident Attorney Mark A. Anderson, who can by reached ONLINE or at 817-294-1900.

A 19 year old woman from Grand Prairie, Amanda Marie Ray, has turned herself in to Arlington, Texas Police after she fled the scene of a fatal accident. The wreck occurred on Interstate 20 in Arlington near the Little Road/U.S. 287 Exit. Her car hit a van being driven by John Price, a 75 year old man from Arlington, causing the van to hit the median and then rollover. Mr. Price was transported to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, where he died. Two other people who were in the van were also transported to JPS for injuries.

The vehicle being driven by Ms. Ray fled, taking the upcoming exit. Police were provided information which led them to Ms. Ray by several witnesses. She is now in jail.

This is a tragic car accident. I do not know the facts of what caused the car to hit the van, but I am confident that speed and reckless driving had something to do with it. The young lady should face criminal charges for not only her (presumed) reckless driving, but also her spineless act of leaving the scene of an accident. We all know that you just don’t do that—you must stop and render aid.

For the sake of the family of Mr. Price and the other victims that were injured in the accident, I hope Ms. Ray carried enough liability insurance. While money will never makes things right, it might help with the financial difficulties caused by losing a loved one. But many drivers do not carry insurance or only carry the state minimum of $25,000 in liability insurance. Hopefully. Mr. Price carried uninsured motorist’s protection on the van which will compensate his family even if the lady had no insurance or only the minimum insurance.

Information and commentary provided by Accident and Injury Attorney Mark A. Anderson, who can be reached at 87-294-1900 or who can be Contacted Online.

An 11-year-old boy is in "very critical condition" this morning after he was struck by a car in east Fort Worth around 5:30 a.m.

The boy and three other children were playing with shopping carts on the access road of East Loop 820 in between Ellis Road and Meadowbrook Drive when the pedestrian-auto accident happened.

A 31-year-old woman in a Dodge Stratus said the boy ran out in front of her and she was unable to stop in time before hitting him. He was rushed to Cook Children's Hospital where he is currently being treated for his serious injuries.

Investigators said they were called to the area because they had gotten reports of children out past curfew. They also said the day before, the boy who was hit and another kid who was out were reported as runaways.

This is a sad story--especially if the child is a runaway. I can only imagine a parent's worry over their child missing, let alone finding out from authorities that their child has been critically injured. I hope FWPD will be able to locate the boy's family and that he is able to recover from his injuries.

Pedestrian accdidents can have devastating effects since people have no protection against the force of a car hitting them. If you or a loved one has been hurt by a vehicle, please contact Board Certified Pedestrian Accident Lawyer Mark Anderson by calling 817-294-1900.

Yesterday I wrote about the three-vehicle crash which happened Sunday night on the exit ramp of I-30 and Cherry Lane near downtwon Fort Worth. That wreck claimed the life of 78-year-old Floyd Boortz and last night, a second victim died from his critical injuries.

Adrian Boortz, 20, was taken to Texas Health Harris Hospital Sunday night after the 10 p.m. accident and was pronounced dead last night around 7 p.m. from his injuries.

Adrian and Floyd Boortz were putting gas in their van on the access road when a 35-year-old driver of a Kia SUV crashed into them and their van as the motorist was exiting the freeway. A 20-year-old woman in the van was not injured and a 2-year-old toddler was taken to Cook Children's Hospital to be checked out but did not seem to be injured. The Kia went on to slam into a Dodge sedan in front of the parked van whose driver had stop to help the men fill their vehicle with gas.

Neither the driver of the Dodge or the Kia were injured.

An accident investigation has revealed alcohol or drugs were not a factor in this accident. Unfortunately, it has turned into two wrongful death accidents. This family seems to have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. My heart goes out to whom I assume is the wife or girlfriend of the second victim--the 20-year-old woman and the child in the van.

Wrongful death claims can be brought by relatives left behind by victims of tragic accidents like these. If you have questions about wrongful death claims in Texas, please contact the Anderson Law Firm to learn your rights by calling 817-294-1900.

A 78-year-old man died last night and a 20-year-old is in critical condition after the two were involved in a vehicle-accident on an Interstate 30 access road in Fort Worth.

Floyd Boortz and an unidentified 20-year-old were stalled on the Cherry Lane exit ramp filling their van with gas when a Kia SUV hit them as it was exiting the freeway. The auto accident happened around 10 p.m. and Boortz died from his injuries shortly after at Texas Health Harris Hospital in downtown Fort Worth. The 20-year-old man is still being treating at Harris.

A two-year-old toddler and 20-year-old female were in the van when the Kia struck the two men outside, as well as the van, and then went on to hit a Dodge sedan parked in front of the van whose driver had stopped to help put gas in the men's van.

Police did not release the name of the 35-year-old driver who casused the accident, but investigators don't believe alcohol or drugs were factors in the crash. An investigation will further reveal what happened.

This is a devastating wrongful death case because there were so many people involved in the accident who witnessed the Kia striking the two men. Fortunately, the woman and her baby were not injured and I hope the 20-year-old man's injuries heal quickly.

If you or someone you know has been injured or killed as the result of someone else's negligence, please contact Board Certified Fort Worth Accident Lawyer Mark Anderson for a free consultation by calling 817-294-1900.

A horrible wreck occurred Friday during afternoon rush hour on the eastbound lanes on Northwest Loop 820 in Fort Worth, Texas. The wreck started when a pickup rear ended a Chrysler. Then a Chevy Trailblazer rear ended the pickup, and a Grand Cherokee ran into the back of the Trailblazer. The bus operated by the Fort Worth Transportation Authority ran into the Grand Cherokee, which caught fire. The fire killed the driver of the Cherokee. The fire also spread to the T bus and the Trailblazer.

Besides the death, this chain-reaction accident caused other injuries. Two of the drivers were transported to Parkland Hospital’s burn unit. Two others with lesser injuries went to local Fort Worth hospitals.

The driver of the T bus, Ronnie Ware, was able to assist the sole passenger off the bus, and the passenger was not injured.

This horrible wreck surely could have been prevented. Driving in rush hour where the cars are more apt to slow and stop on the freeway takes extra precaution. Here, the drivers were approaching Interstate 35 and the traffic is usually bad there at that time of day. I am sure the investigation will focus on what caused the initial accident and why the T bus was unable to come to a stop. Bus and Truck accidents usually have serious, often fatal results.

Fort Worth Accident Lawyer Mark A. Anderson assists those injured or the families of those killed as the result of others negligent acts. Contact us at 817-294-1900 or at www.maafirm.com.

Photo from www.star-telegram.com.

Litigation is about to begin surrounding the collapse of the Dallas Cowboys practice facility which happened back on May 2. The collapse injured 11 people and permanently paralyzed Cowboys scouting assistant Rich Behm.

Behm has hired Dallas-based injury lawyer Frank Branson who has already deposed the president of the company who built the structure—Summit Structures. Branson has also asked for company records; apparently, the Cowboys were aware of a previous structure failure constructed by Summit Structures, but chose to go with them anyway when building the practice dome.

Behm will not be suing the Cowboys, however, since Behm was covered by worker’s compensation, which bars him from filing suit against the organization.

Instead, Behm will go after Summit Structures for the poor building quality which left Behm with permanent life-changing injuries. According to Irving building code, the practice facility was supposed to have been able to stand wind gusts up to 90 mph. The day of the storm, winds were between 70 and 85 mph according to the National Weather Service.

Apparently, Summit Structures President, Nathan Stobbe is basing his defense on the severe weather and “downdraft” of wind that fateful day. A civil proceeding to allow for pre-lawsuit discovery has been filed. A lawsuit will no doubt follow soon.

Information provided by Fort Worth Board Certified Personal Injury Lawyer Mark A. Anderson 817-294-1900.

One person died and five or six were injured in a crash on the monorail train system in the Magic Kingdom park at Walt Disney World over the weekend.

The accident happened at 2 a.m. early Sunday morning in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. 21-year-old Austin Wuennenberg died at the scene. He was the driver of one of the wrecked trains. The driver of the other train was not injured.

This is the first monorail-related fatality at Walt Disney World in Florida; there has been one at Disneyland in California. The Florida monorail has been in operation for 38 years.

The transit system--which carts thousands of people around the Disney parks each day--was shut down Sunday while an accident investigation was conducted. There's been no word yet on what caused the crash.

Information provided by Fort Worth Board Certified Accident Attorney Mark A. Anderson.

A car lost control and slid into the side of Brett Michaels' tour bus on Saturday, July 4th.

The VH1 Rock of Love star and his band, Poison, were traveling from Canada to St. Paul, Minnesota for a concert when the bus accident happened in Toronto. Five vehicles were involved in the pile-up, including the band's tour bus, but fortunately, no one suffered serious injuries.

Michaels was able to perform today in Minnesota. He plans on re-joining Poison in Connecticut or a concert Monday.

Information provided by DFW Personal Injury Lawyer Mark A. Anderson. Mark can be reached for a free consultation by calling 817-294-1900.

A University of Texas linebacker suffered a concussion last week after his car crashed into an Austin apartment building on June 24.

Sergio Kindle of Dallas and a senior at UT this year, was either sending or receiving a text-message when he slammed into the building, causing $8,700 in property damage. He was able to get out and pull the car back onto the street and fortunately, no one inside the building was injured.

Kindle was examined by team doctors who diagnosed him with a concussion, however he did not have to go to the hospital. According to his attorney, Kindle plans on paying for the damage himself, or through his car insurance if it will cover the accident.

An accident report was filed through the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), but no charges were filed since no one was injured and it was an accident.

Kindle had a successful season last year, but in 2007, he was forced to miss the first 10 games for suspension relating to a drunk-driving arrest.

Since Kindle was at-fault for this accident and he hit a stationary object, there is no room for him to make a personal injury claim if he suffered long-term injuries. Unfortunately, he will just have to pay the property damage and any medical bills with his own insurance, or out-of-pocket.

If you have questions about personal injury accidents in Texas, contact Board Certified Injury Attorney Mark A. Anderson online, or by calling 817-294-1900.