The truck driver was not inside of the truck at the time, so he was not injured. However, one passenger in the train was injured, but is considered to have non-life threatening injuries. The name of the passenger has not been released.
The Fort Worth Police Department stated that when the train hit the 18 wheeler, it split the trailer in half, and dispersed the insulation it was carrying on the roadway.
In Texas, tractor-trailer accidents are a major problem. Last year, 10% of all fatal accidents involved semi-trucks. Nationwide, almost 5,000 people are killed each year in accidents that involve trucks. In this particular case, it is very fortunate no one was more seriously injured. I wonder why the truck got stuck? Is it something the truck driver did wrong? Was there something wrong with the tracks or the crossing? Could a passenger car have also got stuck? It is still scary to think how much worse the accident could have been if the train had been moving faster, or if more passengers would have been on board.
This information and commentary is provided by Fort Worth Car Accident Lawyer Mark Anderson. Mr. Anderson can be reached in Dallas at 214-327-8000, in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or online by clicking here.
]]>If you are traveling internationally here a few important tips to remember:
-Register Your Trip: In the case that you are a victim of crime while abroad, you should register your trip before you leave so the US Embassy knows where you are and who to contact in the case of an emergency. Registration is voluntary and free, and will only promote safety for your trip.
- Avoid excessive alcohol consumption: It is important to always be aware of your surrounding when you are abroad, and unfortunately excessive alcohol consumption can hinder your ability to make wise decisions. Alcohol is one of the leading causes of arrests and accidents for Americans while they are abroad.
-Obey Local Laws: This should be a no brainer. However, local laws in foreign countries may be very different to what you are accustomed to. Refrain from doing anything you even think may be illegal.
-Only use licensed or registered taxis: Using a licensed taxi is one way to avoid becoming the victim of crime while you are abroad. If you are at a hotel or resort, ask the front desk to phone a local taxi service to ensure they are licensed.
-Be conscientious: Being aware of what is going on around you is probably the most important thing you can do while abroad. Always notice who and what are around you, and remove yourself if something looks suspicious
If you are traveling domestically many of these same rules apply, but there are a few other tips to take into consideration:
-Take Warning Flags on Beaches Seriously
-Do not think that just because you are on vacation you can drive while impaired
-Listen to boating and water sport safety tips from operators to avoid personal injury
I hope this helps you to be more prepared for any number of situations while on Spring Break. When you are prepared and aware, you do not have to worry about as many things, and can have a more fun and much deserved break!
This information and commentary is provided by Fort Worth Personal Injury Attorney Mark Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or online by clicking here.
At about 2:25 a.m. Cisneros left the bar after reportedly having four beers and four shots of alcohol. He then proceeded to drive his city vehicle and then crashed into Sonia Baker’s PT Cruiser.
Baker had been driving to a fast-food restaurant to pick up breakfast for her family before work when the wreck occurred. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Cisneros was taken to the hospital where his blood tests showed that he had a .17 BAC, which is more than twice the legal limit. Cisneros has been charged with intoxication manslaughter, and also quit his job with the Fort Worth Police Department on December 21.
The issue is that the Pour House should be held accountable for “over-serving” Cisneros, and letting him leave the bar and drive. The family’s lawyer, Jeff Rasansky said that the Baker family wants The Pour House to be held accountable for their actions. I applaud Jeff for his efforts to hold the bar responsible. Jeff is a very good lawyer who will make sure that the true story is out in the open.
Besides the bar’s responsibility not to serve an obviously intoxicated individual, I think the other police officers celebrating with Cisneros have a moral and ethical duty to stop him from getting into his car. The entire wreck and the life of Sonia Baker could have been spared if the officers would have been responsible enough to stop their friend and colleague from leaving the bar.
To read more about the accident please click here.
This information and commentary is provided by Board Certified Personal Injury Lawyer Mark Anderson. Mr. Anderson can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900, in Dallas at 214-327-8000, or online by clicking here.
]]>A Dannon spokesman stated that they are not exactly sure what happened at this time, and are still investigating the situation. Mr. Tran died from head and chest injuries related to the accident. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is also conducting an investigation.
The possible options for the accident include equipment malfunction or Mr. Tran falling on the controls of the machinery.
Mr. Tran moved to the United States from his native country of Vietnam as a young boy. He leaves behind a wife and three children.
My sincere condolences go out to the family and friends of Mr. Tran. The unexpected and tragic loss of a loved one is something we all wish no one had to go through. There are so many awful injuries that I hear about each and every day. Hopefully, OSHA will be able to uncover the true cause of this death and precautions can be taken to ensure that nothing like this ever happens again at the plant.
This information is provided by Fort Worth Accident Attorney Mark Anderson, who can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or online by clicking here.
Three children, all under the age of 9 were killed in the accident. None of them were wearing seatbelts. Two other children were also injured. The two adults in the van have non-life threatening injuries.
The van flipped whenever the pickup hit them. Paul (9), Noel (8), and Leah (5) Gonzalez were all killed in the car crash and were declared dead at the scene. Angie Gonzalez, who is 6-years-old, is listed in critical condition at a local hospital.
A 19-year-old, Texas A&M student was the driver of the pickup truck. Bastrop area police officials say he is not at fault for the accident because he had the right of way.
Any accident involving children is absolutely heartbreaking to hear about. My heart goes out to the families of the children killed and injured in this tragic accident. The other true tragedy in this case is that the children could have possibly been saved if they had been wearing their seatbelts. It is imperative that we make sure everyone is buckled up in the car before you even put the car in reverse. For a list of driving safety tips please click here.
Information and commentary provided by Texas Car Accident Lawyer Mark Anderson. Mark can be reached Toll Free across Texas at 1-877-294-1115 or online by clicking here.
I have teamed with Jason, along with ten other attorneys from around the country, to build awareness of the problem of teens texting and driving in our communities. Jason has been asked to speak at schools in his community and has encouraged me to do the same.
The program is in its critical growth stage and is expected to continue to grow exponentially and gain more support in the next few months. The idea is that if you can educate teens and stop the habit early, we can help save many young lives.
I will do my share in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Please call my office if you or someone you know would be interested in arranging a speaking engagement anywhere in the DFW metroplex. After being a personal injury lawyer for 18 years, I have seen my fair share of tragedies caused by things just like texting and driving.
Take a stand and pledge not to text and drive!
Mark Anderson is a Personal Injury Attorney in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. He can be reached in Dallas at 214-327-8000, in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or online by clicking here.
Police are still investigating the cause of the wreck. Ricord’s car, a Toyota Corolla, is on the list of over 8.5 million recalled in the past month. It is possible that the car wreck is related with the accelerator pedal problems associated with Corollas; however it could also have been a driver error.
What is apparent is that something happened to make her lose control. When her car veered off the road it hit a tree, then repelled off and hit another tree. The cause of death was from blunt-force trauma to her chest.
This is not the first car accident in Southlake involving a Toyota. A driver and three passengers were killed in December when driving their Toyota Avalon on Lonesome Dove Road. I blogged about this in February and in December, to read more please click here or here.
My sincere condolences go out to Ms. Ricord’s family and friends. The Toyota recall has turned into a giant question mark of the safety of the vehicles, and the car manufacturer’s promise of quality. It seems like every couple of days there is another wreck involving a question about the malfunction of a Toyota or another investigation of a possible new recall.
This information is provided by Board Certified Personal Injury Lawyer Mark A. Anderson. Mark can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or online by clicking here.
]]>However, if a teen does decide to drive under the influence, they are at a much higher risk to crash than adults are. According to research done by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, it is the combination of teens’ inexperience of driving, paired with alcohol use that makes driving under the influence so dangerous for teenagers. Interestingly, males are 17 times more likely to crash if they have a BAC between .05-.08 than if they were driving sober and females are 7 times more likely to get in a car accident than if they were driving sober.
Fortunately, all of the drunk driving awareness programs have made progress in lowering drinking related accidents among our youngest group of drivers. I think it is so important to continue to educate middle school and high school aged students on not only drunk driving safety, but general driving safety tips as well.
This information is provided by Fort Worth Personal Injury Attorney Mark Anderson. Mr. Anderson can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or online by clicking here.
The chase started because the suspect ran into another vehicle with their pickup truck, and fled the scene when police were investigating that incident. In the process of fleeing the scene, the suspect ran over a police officer’s foot. The suspect’s name has not been released.
The chase was very brief, and concluded when the pickup truck climbed an embankment on the service road, hit a utility pole, and then flipped on its side. After the car flipped, the driver tried to escape on foot but was apprehended by police officials and taken to John Peter Smith Hospital for treatment.
The Arlington Police Department found open containers of alcohol in the vehicle.
According the Mothers Against Drunk Driving, about 3 in every 10 Americans will be involved in an alcohol related crash at some time in their lives. It is so important to educate drivers of all ages about the dangers and the consequences of driving under the influence.
I assume that various criminal charges will be brought against the suspect, including some sort of assault case as he ran over the police officer’s foot. I have a similar case pending now where I represent a local police officer. In my case, the “suspect” is charged with an intentional act of running into my client, and this affects the officer’s ability to recover compensation from the suspect’s liability insurance company (as the insurance policy does not cover “intentional” acts). My case has a ways to go, so we will see how it plays out.
Information and Commentary provided by Fort Worth Personal Injury Attorney Mark Anderson. Mark can be reach in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or online by clicking here.
]]>The bicycle accident occurred on January 19 at 2:33 p.m. on the 800 block of West Northside Drive. Martinez and the school bus were driving parallel when Martinez suddenly turned in front of the bus.
The school bus was operated by the Fort Worth Independent School District. No students were riding in the bus at the time of the wreck.
My condolences go out to the family and friends of Mr. Martinez. It is always hard to hear about a tragic accident such as this one happening in our community. 72% of bicycle accidents occur in urban areas like Fort Worth. Pedestrians and bicyclists are particularly vulnerable to traffic accidents, with over 44,000 reported in 2008. The unfortunate reality is that bicyclists, like Mr. Martinez, have to share the road with all kinds of motor vehicles. Perhaps if bike lanes would be instated in the US like other parts of the world, we would see a change in the amount of bicycle accidents.
This information is provided by DFW Personal Injury Attorney Mark Anderson. Mr. Anderson can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or online by clicking here.
Though the campaign focuses on young drivers, police officers will be looking for anyone not wearing their seat belt. In Tarrant County, the cities of Fort Worth, Arlington, and North Richland Hills are participating in the campaign.
In Texas, it is required that all drivers and passengers wear their seat belts at all times or risk a fine up to $200. TxDot has recently been to high schools with materials to help teens be motivated to buckle up when driving or riding in a car. The incentives have included everything from Valentine’s Cards to Whataburger coupons.
With February’s theme of “Love,” the campaign is being nationally marketed by the saying “When you love somebody, everything clicks.” In Texas, 47% of young drivers killed in motor vehicle accidents did not have seat belts on. Many of these deaths could have been prevented had a seat belt been used.
I sincerely hope that this will help make teens, and everyone for that matter, more aware of the importance of wearing a seat belt. Even in the most minor collision, a seat belt can make the difference between minor and serious injuries. In serious wrecks, seat belts can make the difference between life and death.
This information is provided by Fort Worth Personal Injury Attorney Mark Anderson. Mr. Anderson can be reached at 817-294-1900 or online by clicking here.
]]>According to TxDot, Texas has over 431,000 motor cycle riders. Unfortunately as the amount of motorcycle riders increase, so do crashes. The message of Look, Learn, Live is to make both motorcycle riders and vehicle drivers aware that 50% of motorcycle wrecks involve a motor cycle and a vehicle.
The “Look” portion of Look, Learn, Live is for motorists who share the road with motorcyclists. There are several key safety tips TxDot emphasizes for motorists:
-Look twice for motorcyclists —at intersections, entering
highways and whenever turning or changing lanes. The small size
of motorcycles often makes them hard to see, and motorcyclists can
get lost in blind spots.
-Always maintain a safe following distance. Motorcycles can stop
more quickly than passenger vehicles.
-When passing a motorcyclist, move to the other lane and allow a
full lane for the motorcycle. After doing so, avoid re-entering the
lane too quickly.
The “Learn” portion of Look, Learn, Live is a course for motorcyclists that goes over everything from the basics to defensive driving skills that can help you in a number of situations. The course is primarily for inexperienced riders who are under 18, riders who have just purchased a motorcycle, or riders who are unaware of new legislation pertaining to motorcycles.
The “Live” segment challenges motorcyclists to “Ride sober, not impaired.” Over half of motorcycle crashes involve alcohol or drugs. Of this 50%, most of the crashes involve impact with an off-road object such as a tree or other roadside hazard. To show its support for the motorcycle riders, the Anderson Law Firm sponsors a free motorcycle towing service for impaired riders called "Ride Safe, Ride Sober."
I applaud TxDot for challenging the entire driving population to increase motorcycle safety. Awareness is often the best form of education. I know after reading this I will think twice before changing lanes, and I will surely “look twice” for motorcyclists.
Information and Commentary provided by Fort Worth Personal Injury Attorney Mark A. Anderson. Mark has represented many motorcycle riders and is an advocate for motorcycle safety. Mark can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or online by clicking here.
This is at least the third law suit filed against Toyota in Texas. All suits involve the vehicle speeding or accelerating out of control. For more information about the recalls specifically please click here or here.
According to the Southlake Police Department’s report, Monty Hardy was driving the car on Lonesome Dove Road and failed to stop at a T intersection with Burney Lane. The vehicle crossed the road, went over an embankment, went through a mental fence, and ended up being up-side-down in a six foot deep pond.
My deepest sympathy goes out to all four lives lost in this tragic accident. I sincerely hope that these recalls are resolved and taken more seriously before there is even more of a problem with fatal accidents around the country. It seems like every day there is a new problem involving Toyota. I hope justice is served in their case, and can help bring the families some closure.
This information is provided by Fort Worth Injury Lawyer Mark Anderson. Mark can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or online by clicking here.
The girl is a student at Fossil Hill Middle School; she was one her way to school when the accident occurred. She was taken to Cook Children’s Hospital with non-life threatening injuries, according to Fort Worth police.
She was hit by a 35 year old man driving a Nissan Frontier. The man said that he could not see her after going through an intersection because the sun was partially blocking his view.
Officers chose not to issue a citation.
According to the Pedestrian Safety Guide, an estimated 70,000 injuries occur to pedestrians in motor vehicle accidents each year. Of these accidents, they typically happen during rush hour traffic periods in the morning and early evening. My thoughts are with the victim and her family, what an unfortunate accident to happen to such a young girl on her way to school. I am glad to hear that her injuries are not too serious.
Commentary provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Area Personal Injury Lawyer Mark A. Anderson. Mark can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or online by clicking here.
President Akio Toyoda has not disclosed which model years would be affected by the recall, but he did say that there have been less than 100 complaints. Toyota sold over 1.3 million Corollas last year.
It is also unclear why drivers felt as though they were losing control of the steering. Mr. Toyoda stated that it could be to underlying break or tire problems.
Toyota’s once flawless reputation has now been damaged, with no sign of returning to its former glory anytime soon. For the first time since 1998, Toyotas total monthly sales plummeted to below 100,000 vehicles.
US Federal Safety officials are currently examining the complaints about the steering in the Toyota Corolla. It remains questionable whether another recall will take place.
I think it is safe to say that if you own a Toyota, you should be very cautious when driving. With the increasing list of recalls and reports of safety problems I not only question Toyota’s promise of high quality automobiles, but their sincerity in fixing these problems as well.
If you would like more information on other Toyota recalls please click here.
Information provided by Texas Board Certified Personal Injury Lawyer Mark A. Anderson, who can be reached in Dallas at 214-327-8000 and in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900. He can also be contacted by clicking here.