Fort Worth Injury Lawyer Blog

If a motorcycle is hit by a car or truck in a Dallas-Fort Worth traffic collision, it usually means catastrophic injuries for the motorcycle operator and any passengers they might have. As a DFW personal injury lawyer, I handle these cases all the time. Typical injuries often include traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, paralysis and even death. Given the extremely serious nature of motorcycle wrecks, it might surprise you to learn there are very few laws concerning children as motorcycle passengers – particularly since there are so many rules and guidelines concerning child car seats.

Texas is actually only one of five US states which specifies a minimum age for motorcycle passengers (the others are Arkansas, Hawaii, Louisiana and Washington). In Texas, it is illegal for children younger than five to ride pillion apart from emergency situations. The minimum penalty for breaking this law is a $100. It should be noted that children younger than five are permitted to ride in a motorcycle’s sidecar in Texas. Children aged nine or older can legally ride a motorcycle in all 50 states.

I urge all parents to use their common sense. I know that all motorcyclists are passionate about their chosen mode of transportation, but please bear in mind the risks associated with motorcycles when it comes to your children riding as passengers. Just because it might be legal, does not necessarily mean it is safe.

Passengers injured in motorcycle wrecks have a legal right to pursue compensation against the at fault party – even if it was the operator of the bike they were riding on whose negligence caused the crash. For a no fee, no obligation consultation on your Dallas-Fort Worth motorcycle accident, please contact the Anderson Law Firm toll free at 800-354-6275 or locally at 817-294-1900.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control, more than 37 percent of all dog attack victims are children aged 10 or younger. This is a staggering figure. What’s worse, is that kids that age are often defenseless against a vicious animal, which means the injuries they would likely sustain in such an attack are often going to be extremely serious. Laceration, abrasions and infections are common in any dog bite or mauling, but with animal attacks involving small children, there is also a very high risk of serious head or brain injuries. The CDC reports that over 75 percent of young children suffer bites to the face and neck, making fractured skull injuries extremely common in youngsters who have suffered a violent dog attack.

However, despite the extremely serious nature of the injuries their children have suffered – not to mention the inevitably expensive medical bills – many parents choose not to make a claim for compensation on behalf of their son or daughter. The most common reason for this is that the attacking dog is the pet of a relative or a neighbor, and so the parents are afraid to make a claim for the sake of maintaining peace. As a Fort Worth personal injury attorney, I can assure you that there is absolutely no reason not to make a claim. A personal injury claim for compensation is much the same as any other insurance claim – it is against the dog owner’s home insurance – not against the individual directly.

Consider as well the lifelong effects the dog attack will have on your child. Even if they have not suffered traumatic brain injuries which can result in lifelong disability, they will still be faced with permanent facial scarring and considerable mental anguish including an understandable fear of canines. Fortunately for children, even if their parents did not make a claim on their behalf, Texas law allows them to pursue a legal claim themselves up to two years from the date of their 18th birthday, so they may still hire a personal injury attorney themselves before their turn 20.

To find out more about your legal rights if your child was attacked by a vicious dog, please call me for a free, no obligation consultation on your legal rights. Call toll free at 800-354-6275 or locally in Ft. Worth at 817-294-1900.

As a Dallas-Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, I have handled a variety of traffic wrecks, dog attacks, dangerous drugs and other injury-causing cases throughout Texas. While each different accident type can have devastating physical, psychological and financial consequences for the accident victim and their family, one of the most life-changing scenarios is a commercial truck crash which results in the paralysis of the victim.

Depending on the extent of the paralysis, the victim might still be able to live independently with some expensive modifications to their home and car; but in many cases the victim will require full-time assistance from a professional care giver. Attendant care is not cheap, so it is important that the victim (and their family) hire an experienced, board certified personal injury attorney to ensure their legal rights are protected, and so that they have the best possible chance of recovering the fullest amount of compensation available to them.

At the Anderson Law Firm, our experienced Texas injury attorneys have considerable experience in successfully resolving large commercial truck collision cases to the benefit of our clients. If you or someone you care for has been seriously hurt in a multi-vehicle accident involving a CDL truck driver, we invite you to contact us for a completely free, no obligation consultation on your unique situation. Call us toll free from anywhere at 800-354-6275, or call locally in Ft. Worth at 817-294-1900.

Hiring a lawyer to take care of your Texas accident case does not mean you have to file a lawsuit. At the Anderson Law Firm, our Fort Worth personal injury lawyers settle many truck accident or car wreck cases without the need to file a lawsuit. This means you don’t have to go to court or testify and that a jury won’t decide your case.

TV and movies will make it seem like every time you require the assistance on an attorney, you will have to go to court but that just isn’t true. Sure, there are definitely cases that cannot be settled out of court, or where we find that it’s in our client’s best interest to file a lawsuit. But no matter the circumstance, your injury lawyer should make you feel prepared and explain every step of the litigation process in detail.

At the Anderson Law Firm, our personal injury lawyers think that the more knowledgeable our clients are of the claims process, the better off they will be. This is why our attorneys offer free legal guides, articles and legal blogs on our website. Our attorneys understand the legal world is intimidating from the outside, which is why we do everything in our power to explain the claims process and laws regarding personal injury claims in terms you can understand. One of the best resources of information for claimants is our book 15 Mistakes That Will Wreck You Texas Accident Case. You can order if free on our website or download it today to learn what will ruin your Texas personal injury claim.

Coming back to the topic question, no; hiring an attorney does not mean you will have to sue anyone. But if you think you might need to, or have other personal injury claim questions, schedule a free case review with the Anderson Law Firm today and call 817-294-1900.

After any car accident in Texas, one of the first things you will want to do after getting proper medical attention for your injuries will be to pick up the crash report written by the officer who responded to the scene of your car wreck. The accident report has things that will be most useful to you when talking to insurance adjusters or starting a persona injury claim.

The crash report will contain:

• names of those involved
• insurance information
• initial assessment of what or who caused the accident
• road or weather conditions
• basic diagram of the accident
• and lots of other useful information

At the Anderson Law Firm, our Fort Worth personal injury attorneys find that it will generally take between 2 and 5 days from the time of the accident. However, weekends and holiday times can really delay the availability of the report. Also, we have seen times where the investigating officer is off of work for a couple or three days after the day of the wreck thus delaying publication of the report.

When there is some sort of illegal activity charged in the report, such as driving while intoxicated, the report can be delayed. Many times a basic crash report will be delayed while the investigating officers and the district attorneys are working towards the charges that they are bringing against the intoxicated individuals.

Don’t get too frustrated or stressed about getting your accident report. Most cities offer their accident reports online, or if your wreck happened in Tarrant County, the Anderson Law firm can get your crash report and send it to you, free of charge. Just contact us at 817-294-1900 if you are having any troubles getting your Tarrant County accident report or if you want us to get it for you.

Is your dashboard too distracting? The federal government seems to think so, which is why last week the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration proposed voluntary guidelines for car manufacturers with a recommendation that they design dashboards in a way that automatically disables distracting devices when the car is in motion. High-end car manufacturers have been fully-loading the dashboards of new models with GPS, web surfing, texting and all kinds of crazy bells and whistles that could potentially distract drivers.

“We recognize that vehicle manufacturers want to build vehicles that include tools and conveniences expected by today’s American drivers,” NHTSA administrator, David Strickland, said. “The guidelines we’re proposing would offer real-world guidance to automakers to help them develop electronic devices that provide features consumers want without disrupting a driver’s attention or sacrificing safety.”

As a personal injury lawyer in Fort Worth, I’m for almost anything that will force drivers to focus on the road instead of their cellphones and other devices, because I know that distracted drivers are dangerous drivers. The proposed guidelines make sense to me – just don’t take away my ability to use a GPS and we’re good.

What do you think – are dashboards becoming overloaded with too many gadgets? Do you think anything in your car could distract you enough to cause a car accident? It’s definitely possible. I’ll be curious to see whether auto makers take the new suggestions into account when building new cars.

As a Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, I am often surprised when a client who has been injured in a vicious dog attack tells me that other local attorneys they spoke to told them they did not have a case because they were unable to prove that the dog which mauled them had ever bitten another person before. This is most definitely not the case. Yet for some reason this myth about Texas having a “one bite rule” seems to persist among the majority of DFW personal injury lawyers.

Certainly, it is much more straightforward to pursue a case where the attacking dog had known vicious tendencies, as it means your attorney can pursue a strict liability argument which makes the owners completely liable for their animal. However, it is certainly not the only option.

Dog owners have a responsibility in our society to prevent their pets from harming any individual, whether that means visiting friends or family, neighborhood children, or even postal workers and other individuals who would approach your home as part of their work duties. If your lawyer can determine that the owner of the dog was negligent in their handling of the animal, or did not keep them safely contained in their home or yard, then they can be found in breach of exercising reasonable care to prevent the animal from injuring someone. This rule can be applied to almost every dog attack case which I have handled over the years.

For more information on dog attacks laws in Texas, please review my central resource Dog Attacks 101.

To discuss your personal situation, please call me toll free at 800-354-6275 or locally in Ft. Worth at 817-294-1900.

Dog bites. Swimming pool accident. Trampoline injuries. Car wrecks. Bicycle crashes. Daycare negligence. These are just some of the many threats to the safety of children living in Texas. As a Dallas-Fort Worth personal injury lawyer experienced in handling a variety of child injury cases, I know that children could suffer serious injuries from all sorts of different everyday activities. When that happens, however, it is important that the parents ask themselves how it happened; who is at fault?

Depending on the severity of your son or daughter’s injuries, it may be that the accident will have a negative impact on them for the rest of their lives, whether as a physical disability, a psychological fear, or a visible scarring. As such, it is important that you protect their future well-being by speaking with a board certified Fort Worth personal injury attorney who will be able to explain your legal rights and help you understand the full compensation you may be entitled to under state law.

To help you understand the basics of pursing a child injury case in Texas, I have collected together some of the most useful articles on my website into one central resource called Child Injuries 101.

I hope that you will find this page to be extremely useful, although I must remind you that there is no substitute for speaking directly with an attorney to discuss your personal situation in detail. To arrange a free, no obligation consultation, please call me toll free at 800-354-6275 or call locally in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900.

As a Fort Worth personal injury attorney, I know that motorcyclists are especially prone to suffering life-threatening injuries if they are involved in a DFW traffic accident. Spinal cord injuries, head and brain trauma and paralysis can have enormous life-changing effects on the motorcyclists and their loved ones. Even lesser injuries such as broken bones can have significant financial implications on a bike rider’s family thanks to the combination of expensive medical bills and forced time off work.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a Texas motorcycle crash, it is important that you speak with an experienced Fort Worth personal injury attorney as soon as possible to discuss your legal rights and responsibilities to ensure you give yourself the most possible chance of recovering the full and fair compensation you deserve – and need.

Knowledge is power, particularly when it comes to winning a personal injury or wrongful death claim. To help accident victims such as yourself, I have compiled some of the key information you need to know all in one place: Motorcycle Accidents 101. I hope that you find this to be a useful resource.

To talk with a board certified Fort Worth personal injury attorney regarding your case, please call me toll free at 800-345-6275 or locally in Ft. Worth at 817-294-1900.

If you’ve been hurt in a car wreck in Texas, you might be wondering if it makes sense to hire a personal injury lawyer to handle your claim. Maybe a friend or family member hired an attorney to take their case in the past and you wonder if that is what’s best for your claim or maybe you’ve seen an advertisement on TV.

At the Anderson Law Firm, our Fort Worth personal injury lawyers do not take the case of every injured individual. In fact, our attorneys generally feel that unless you have more than $5,000 in medical bills you are usually best suited handling the claim on your own. The Anderson Law Firm takes the cases of those who have been injured due to the negligence of another. We handle all types of accident claims, including:

• Automobile wrecks
• Dog bites
• Bicycle and pedestrian accidents
• Injuries to children
• Dangerous drugs and devices
• Wrongful death
• And many other injury claims
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To find out if hiring an injury lawyer makes sense in your case, read this article or explore our website for other injury claim information.

A study into traffic accident between 1990 and 2009 by the U.S. Census Bureau has shown that the annual number of auto wrecks has fallen by about 700,000 over the 19 year period. As a Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, this is definitely great news. Multi-vehicle crashes, non-collision car accidents and overall fatalities are all down, but there is a noticeable exception to the trend: the number of motorcycle deaths has actually risen since 1990.

According to the statistical abstract, there were 3,200 motorcyclists killed in wrecks in 1990 whereas in 2009 there were 4,500 lives lost. The highest year for motorcyclist deaths according to the report was 2008, when 5,300 motorcyclists were killed. In 2010, there were 429 motorcyclists killed in Texas alone, according to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).

As a Fort Worth wrongful death attorney, I have handled many wrongful death cases for the relatives of Texas motorcyclists killed as a result of another motorist’s negligence. Such claims are often vital to the deceased’s relatives survival, as the loss of a loved one often has devastating effects on a household’s financial stability. Not have they lost a significant portion of their income, they also have very expensive medical bills and funeral costs to pay for. Making a wrongful death claim is not going to heal any wounds caused by losing someone you care about, but it can help prevent the economic tragedy which can result from losing a member of your family.

To speak with a board certified trial lawyer today regarding a fatal motorcycle case, please call the Anderson Law Firm toll free at 800-354-6275 or locally in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900.

As a Fort Worth personal injury lawyer with significant experience handling dangerous drug cases, I understand only too well the valuable work done by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to protect and promote the health of the American people, using science for regulatory-decision making. Right now, for example, my law firm is accepting clients affected by the hazardous pharmaceuticals Actos, Reglan and Propecia, among others. These drugs cause a range of serious side-effects in the patients who take them. The FDA’s Commissioner, Margaret Hamburg, M.D., yesterday called for stricter regulation to prevent such dangerous medicines getting to market. She said “[Regulation is the] pathway to achieving real and lasting innovation. It prevents recalls that threaten industry reputation and consumer trust.”

I couldn’t agree more. One of the most frequent questions I get asked by clients who have suffered injuries and illness as a result of taking a dangerous drug is “how was this product even allowed to be sold in the first place?” The truth is that often, the pharmaceutical manufacturer will either neglect to complete thorough risk testing of their new drugs and rush them to market in order to make a quick profit, or else they will intentionally hide some of the more serious hazards of their product from the FDA in the hope that it gets approved. Tougher regulation would surely be a very good thing for all of us.

If you or someone you loved has been hurt by a dangerous drug or defective medical product, it is important that you consult with an experienced personal injury and wrongful death attorney to ensure that you are fully aware of your legal rights and options. If you are facing expensive medical bills as a result of the dangerous medicine you’ve been taking, you may be entitled to significant damages. Please don’t jeopardize your chance to get the full and fair compensation you deserve. Speak to a lawyer before you attempt to deal with the pharmaceutical company or their insurance representative alone.

Call the Anderson Law Firm today, toll free at 800-354-6275 or locally at 817-294-1900.

As a Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, I know that anytime a child suffers a serious injury in an accident, there may be lifelong consequences as a result. Injuries sustained in a car wreck or school bus crash could leave them with a disability which affects them forever. A dog attack may scar their appearance with no chance of ever healing. In either case, the chances of the child suffering mental and physiological anguish either now or as an adult is enormous.

Since children are unable to speak for themselves legally in Texas, it is important that you protect their legal rights for them. State law permits you to make a claim for compensation against the negligent party responsible for their injuries. You can seek financial damages to cover all past and future medical expenses, any impact on their ability to work, as well as compensation for the very real pain, suffering and loss of enjoyment of life caused by their injuries. Any potential settlement will undoubtedly have a tremendous impact on the rest of their life, so is incredibly important that you don’t do anything which could jeopardize their ability to recover the full and fair compensation they are entitled to under Texas law.

To ensure that you are full informed of your legal rights and responsibilities, you should schedule an appointment with a board certified Fort Worth personal injury attorney to discuss your situation, assess your legal options, and decide the best course of action for your son or daughter’s future. At the Anderson Law Firm we offer completely free, no obligation consultations to parents of children injured because of someone else’s negligence. To speak with a lawyer today, please call us toll free at 800-354-6275 or locally at 817-294-1900.

As a Dallas-Fort Worth motorcycle accident lawyer, I’ve noticed many biker-oriented websites declare that now is the perfect time to buy a second-hand motorcycle as the prices have never been lower – not even Harley Davidsons. However, while it might be tempting to splash some cash on a great used bike, it is important that you do your due diligence to make sure the bike you’re purchasing is top quality and free from any manufacturing defects.

Before you go shopping, do your research. Most motorcyclists are familiar with different types of bikes already, but it’s always worth researching other enthusiasts’ recommendations online before settling on any particular make or model. It also allows you to try and find the best possible price. When you do go to look at a used vehicle, take a mechanic friend if you yourself are not an expert. Look for any clues that there might be something wrong with the bike: does it appear clean and in generally good condition; are the wheels properly aligned; is there any evidence that it may have been involved in a wreck in the past? There are a number of resources online which will allow you to check a motorcycle’s history by searching its VIN number (DWV.org, CycleVIN.com, Cyclechex.com). Good luck!

Since you’re saving money on a new (to you) bike, now is the perfect time to invest in a new DOT-certified helmet. Never buy a used helmet, for the most part they are worthless. Remember that the NHTSA recommends you replace your helmet every 2 to 4 years, so if yours is getting old, now might be the perfect time to upgrade. Trust me, as a DFW personal injury and wrongful death lawyer, I know for a fact that motorcycle helmets save lives. If you don’t have one, you need one.

Like many other North Texas residents, one of my ambitions for the new year was to lose weight and improve my overall level of fitness. I’m a keen runner, but I know many other people in DFW enjoy cycling. Plano is the latest city in the area to encourage more people to turn to healthier and more environmentally-friendly forms of commuting to and from work, with the completion of their massive network of park-and-highway trails designed for cyclists and runner, linking residential areas to each of Plano’s 50 largest employers. City officials that it will not only prompt more residents to exercise on their way to and from work, but that it will also reduce the overall amount of traffic in the city, making it a more pleasant commute for those who must drive.

I think that this is a great initiative, and I’m looking forward to seeing the proposed bike lanes in Fort Worth and Arlington become similarly advanced. However, regardless of whether you ride a bicycle, run or walk, you need to be careful whenever you share the road with motorized vehicles. As a Dallas-Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, I know that in the event of an auto collision, the chance of fatal injuries is extremely high. In 2010 alone, 354 pedestrians and 42 pedalcyclists were killed in Texas car wrecks, according to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).

It is important that you understand the risks associated with running or cycling whenever you are on a public roadway. Always stop at stop signs and red lights, and follow all traffic laws that you would normally obey if you were driving a car, truck or motorcycle.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a bike or pedestrian accident, it is important that you speak to a board certified personal injury and wrongful death attorney as soon as possible to discuss your legal rights. You may be entitled to compensation. Call the Anderson Law Firm’s Dallas office at 214-327-8000 or in Ft. Worth at 817-294-1900.

Being injured in a Fort Worth traffic accident is never a pleasant matter, but if you were walking, running or riding a bicycle at the time you were hit by a car or other motor vehicle, it’s highly likely that you will have suffered some extremely serious injuries. As a DFW personal injury lawyer, I know that the injuries suffered by many pedestrians and cyclists in such situations are frequently life-threatening.

If you or a loved one have been injured in a bicyclist or pedestrian collision, it is important that you are fully aware of your legal rights. You may be entitled to considerable financial compensation.

To help you better understand your legal rights and options I have put together some key information which any innocent wreck victim needs to be aware of: Pedestrian and Cyclist Accidents 101. I hope that you find it very informative and will help you understand why it is so important that you take your claim to a board certified Fort Worth personal injury attorney as soon as possible.

If you have any questions or wish to schedule a completely free, no obligation consultation with a lawyer, please call me toll free at 800-354-6275 or locally at 817-294-1900.