Fort Worth Injury Lawyer Blog

I recently blogged about Toyota’s 4.2 million vehicle recall after concerns that the floor mats were getting caught up beneath the accelerator pedal; this defect causes uncontrollable acceleration which caused several wrecks and killed four people in San Diego. Now, they are recalling 2.3 million vehicles due to a similar problem; however, this time, the defect is in the pedal itself, not the floor mat.

The cars affected in the recall:

2009-2010 RAV4
2009-2010 Corolla
2009-2010 Matrix
2005-2010 Avalon
2007-2010 Camry
2010 Highlander
2007-2010 Tundra
2008-2010 Sequoia

The cars affected by this recall AND the floor mat recall:

2005-2010 Avalon
2007-2010 Camry
2007-2010 Tundra

According to Toyota, these vehicles are at risk for the accelerator pedal to become stuck even without a floor mat present. The problem is that the pedal mechanism can wear down and in some cases causing the accelerator to become harder to press, slower to return, or even stuck. Toyota thinks the problem is caused by build-up of condensation on sliding surfaces in the accelerator system.

Unfortunately, the company does not yet have an actual fix for the problem, although they say they are working on one. The company will be contacting drivers affected by the recall immediately.

According to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, problem is "a serious safety issue and we are pleased Toyota is taking immediate action to address it."

Information provided by Texas Board Certified Personal Injury Lawyer Mark A. Anderson, who can be reached in Dallas at 214-327-8000, in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900, or toll fee anywhere in the state at 877-294-1115. He can also be contacted by clicking here.

A 68-year-old woman, whose name has not yet been released, died at the hospital after she was involved in a head-on collision with a tractor-trailer in Cleburne, TX.

The accident occurred on U.S. 67, a two-lane highway with no divider, near Farm Road 4. She was driving her 2001 Honda southbound when she unexpectedly veered into northbound traffic. She was flown to a hospital after the crash with the big rig but tragically did not survive. The driver of the truck, a 50-year-old man from Cleburne, was treated at the hospital for injuries that were not life-threatening.

I am sorry to hear about this tragic accident. There are many reasons for cars to veer in another lane (fatigue, distractions, cell phones…). The police investigators will probably never be able to figure this one out. My condolences to her family. And I hope for a speedy recovery for the truck driver.

Information provided by Texas Board Certified Car Accident Attorney Mark A. Anderson, who can be reached in Dallas at 214-327-8000, in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900, and toll free across Texas at 877-294-1115. He can also be contacted by clicking here.

46-year-old Bobby Gaddy of Saginaw, TX was tragically killed on the job yesterday morning when a tree he was removing fell on him. The accident occurred on Oak Court, a cul-de-sac off of Davis Blvd.

Mr. Gaddy was hired to remove a tree in the front yard about 30-40 feet high and about 30 inches around at the base. According to new reports, Mr. Gaddy and three other workers began to make cuts at the bottom of the tree when they realized some of the higher branches could hit the house. The tree snapped when Mr. Gaddy was up 15 feet on the ladder, and he fell and was pinned beneath the tree. He did not survive his injuries.

What a terrible accident. My heart goes out to the family and friends of Mr. Gaddy.

Information provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Injury Lawyer Mark A. Anderson, who can be reached toll free at 877-294-1115, or contacted by clicking here.

I was in Court yesterday in Tarrant County, Texas and the hearing before mine was about a lady who wanted to sell her structured annuity to one of those companies you see on TV, JG Wentworth. I don’t know the full history, but what I gathered is that she had been injured on the job with the railroad and had received a structured annuity as part of her personal injury lawsuit settlement. The lady was there alone and the only lawyer present was representing JG Wentworth. I learned that the lady received around $500 a month from the settlement (tax free) and that she was due to receive a lump sum payment of around $30,000 in 2017. Including that lump sum payment, she would receive a total of $72,000 over the next seven years. But in all her wisdom she had decided to sell her annuity for the whopping sum of $29,000. Wow, that was less than 50% of its present value.

The Judge quizzed her on her needs and it was not very clear why she needed the money. She had a job, had a car and had a house. The Judge made it very clear to her that he thought she was making a huge mistake. And he was absolutely right. She was truly making a horrible mistake and just giving away half her money. But ultimately, the judge approved it as she was an adult and if she wanted to make huge mistake, then that is her right.

My advice is to stay away from these type of companies. If you own a settlement and also need more money than the settlement stream provides, then do everything in your power to not sell the annuity—as you will lose over half its value in a sell. What can you do? Borrow money from others. Put a second lien on your house. Just don’t sell the annuity.

As an aside, I think structured annuities are great as they help make sure that the settlement money will still be there later. I encourage my clients that are receiving large settlement to at least consider the benefits of annuities. I refer them to Dirk Weeks at Structured Annuities, Inc. Dirk is extremely knowledgeable on these products and can provide lots of options depending on the future financial needs of the injury victim.

On a related topic, click here for my thoughts on Lawsuit Loan Companies.

Information provided by Texas Board Certified Injury Lawyer Mark A. Anderson, who can be contacted at 817-294-1900 in Fort Worth, at 214-327-8000 in Dallas and at 1-877-294-1115 across Texas. Also, please click here to contact online.

6 people, including four teenagers, an adult and a child, were injured early Tuesday morning in a three-vehicle auto accident near Boswell High School. Four people were hospitalized.

The crash occurred at about 8:00 in the morning on West Bailey Boswell Road. This area is in North Fort Worth, just outside of Saginaw. A Mercury changed lanes into a Corvette, sending the Corvette across the center lane into a Honda. The Mercury over-corrected to the right and hit a wall.

A 16-year-old girl, the driver of a Corvette, was taken by ambulance to John Peter Smith Hospital. Her passenger, a 14-year-old girl, was taken by helicopter in serious but stable condition. Both are Boswell students. A 16-year-old driver of the Mercury and his 17-year-old passenger reported injuries as well. The adult driver of the Honda and her 11-year-old daughter also went to the hospital by ambulance.

I went to Boswell High School, so I am very familiar with the area. I don't recall anything particularly dangerous about the road. This appears to be a case of basic driver error of changing lanes when it was not clear to do so. But this is a perfect example of how a simple mistake while driving can lead to serious injuries. I certainly hope all of the injured parties are not seriously hurt.

Information provided by Fort Worth Injury Attorney Mark A. Anderson, who can be reached at 817-294-1900, or contacted by clicking here.

Seven people were injured in a car crash Sunday night at Mitchell Blvd and East Maddox Ave in Fort Worth. Everyone was taken to the hospital, but none of the injuries were life threatening, according to the Fort Worth Police Department.

The accident occurred when a Ford F-150 carrying four adults tried to make a left turn onto Mitchell from Maddox. The truck was traveling west and trying to turn south. Their vehicle hit a Mitsubishi Montero that was traveling east on Maddox. An adult and two children were in the Montero. According to Fort Worth Police, alcohol was not a factor in the wreck.

I sure hope all of those I injured in this wreck recover quickly. Even when the reports come out that the injuries are not life threatening, that certainly does not mean that no injuries occurred. Hopefully, there is enough liability insurance coverage available to fairly compensate the injured parties.

Information provided by Fort Worth Injury Attorney Mark A. Anderson, who can be contacted online by clicking here or by calling 817-294-1900.

New Year’s resolutions are oftern focused on improving one's health through exercise. And riding a bike is a fantastic form of exercise. I personally love riding one of my bikes, even though I enjoy riding on a trail as opposed to a road for safety reasons. I do this as I know that bicycle accidents happen on a regular basis. While many people choose bicycles as an eco-friendly means of transportation over short distances, and a wonderful form of relaxation and exercise, riding a bicycle isn’t all nice views and good exercise. What’s the biggest danger to bicycle riders? Other vehicles sharing the road.

Bike statistics reveal dangers.
A motor vehicle accident involving a bike can be deadly. These accidents injure 52,000 people every year, and kill 700 bikers annually. Urban areas are particularly hazardous for bike riders, but bicycle-car accidents happen practically anywhere. As a bicyclist, you must be extra vigilant in order to effectively protect yourself.

How to protect yourself while biking.
Helmets exist for a reason. They’re not particularly glamorous, but helmets can save your life and help prevent extremely dangerous brain injuries. Make sure you always wear a properly fitted helmet for your own protection.

The biggest cause of vehicle-bicycle accidents is drivers not seeing a biker. You must be extremely vigilant and defensive when you’re biking around cars. Never assume that a vehicle can see you while you’re out biking. Signal properly before turning, and make sure vehicles are responding to your signals before you turn. Even if you do everything right; if a motor vehicle driver isn’t paying attention, it’ll be you suffering the injuries. You have to pay enough attention for everyone.

When riding at night, always wear reflective gear on both you and the bike. Having reflective gear only on your bike can expose you to a potentially dangerous situation; most drivers are accustomed to looking at eye-height for obstacles, and may not look carefully enough to notice your bike’s reflective gear before they encounter you. Also, a flashing red light affixed to your bike is a great safety item. These are relatively inexpensive and can be purchased at your local bike store.

At the Anderson Law Firm, we represent bicycle accident victims and always offer free consultations. So if you have been injured in a bike accident and you want to know your legal rights, feel free to contact us at 1-877-294-1115. With offices in Dallas and Fort Worth, we represent bicycle wreck victims all over the North Texas area. Click here to contact us online.