Fort Worth Injury Lawyer Blog

Officers at Lake Grapevine were searching for a missing swimmer on Memorial Day when they were suddenly distracted with another emergency just yards away. A pleasure boat with at least five on board began sinking about 50 yards off shore.

Those rescuing the boat said none of the children aboard the boat had been wearing life jackets. Once all returned to shore safely, the owner blamed a powerful wave for swamping his boat.

A short time later, rescue teams returned to their original task of finding the body of a 22-year-old swimmer who disappeared on Sunday evening. Her name was not released. The search was scheduled to continue through Monday evening.

Luckily those in the sinking ship made it out safe, but unfortunately the missing swimmer was not found. The swimmer at Grapevine Lake was one of four killed at three North Texas lakes this weekend- a bleak way to start the summer.

Memorial Day weekend is one of the most dangerous times to participate in water-related activities. Each person riding on or being towed behind a personal watercraft must wear a U.S. Coast Guard Approved personal flotation device, which includes a life jacket. It could save your life, and if those rescue teams had not already been out there that day, it could have been an even more tragic outcome. We send our condolences out to the missing swimmer’s family and hopes that everyone can learn from this. It is important to remember to swim with others, never alone, and make sure you are aware of your surroundings when out in water.

Information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Personal injury Lawyer Mark Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or in Dallas at 214-327-8000. If you have questions about a water-related accident, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

Department of Public Safety Authorities are investigating an off-duty trooper reported missing in Burnet County Monday following a boating accident.

The trooper, Wesley Chenault, was a resident of Lakeside Beach, a waterfront community 30 miles northwest of Austin. His wife reported him missing Monday afternoon when she discovered that his boat had drifted ashore on a far northwestern part of Lake Travis. Chenault was heading out around 5 p.m. Monday to check and bait his trot lines. Chenault’s wife found the empty boat at 6:30 p.m. and immediately called 9-1-1.

DPS aircrafts and rescue boats, a DPS dive team, Lower Colorado River Authority Rangers, and a Texas Game Warden water rescue team have joined the search for Chenault. He was off-duty at the time of his accident.

Our hearts go out to Chenault and his family in this time of distress. It is hard to imagine the emotions felt when a loved one goes missing, and we hope that authorities have him home safe sooner rather than later. It is important to remember that boats are just as dangerous as automobiles, but Chenault was well-trained as a DPS, so it’s easy to assume that he knew the ins and outs of boating safety.

Each year at least 5000 people are injured in the United States due to boating accidents. There are many distractions available to a person operating a boat, so it is important to be attentive and focused while operating a watercraft. It is also good to review the Texas Boating Laws.

Information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Personal injury Attorney Mark Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or in Dallas at 214-327-8000. If you have questions about a boating accident, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

The US State Department has created a website called Students Abroad that goes over general safety tips to help keep you safe while on spring break. Whether you are staying in the United States, or traveling internationally, it is important to take precaution in order to avoid injury and have the most enjoyable vacation possible.

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.

Searchers found the body of 20-year-old Morgan Clark on Saturday at Canyon Lake near San Antonio, Texas. She had been thrown from a 22-foot Blue Wave motorboat when it turned sharply and ran onto the shoreline.

68-year-old Robert Gilson was driving the boat and he and Clark were thrown into the water when it suddenly turned. Gilson was hurt in the accident and Clark was last seen sinking below the surface of the lake. No one was wearing a lifejacket.

According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, there were 61 boating accident deaths in 2008, and most boating deaths are caused by falling overboard. Nearly 85% of drowning victims are not wearing life jackets, as in this case. Life jackets are so important when you’re out on the lake. Many people may think they’re good swimmers, but being thrown suddenly into a large body of water can leave anyone vulnerable.

Information provided by Texas Board Certified Accident Injury Attorney Mark A. Anderson, who can be contacted at 817-294-1900 or by clicking here.

In a second tragic water-related accident death over the weekend, a 16-year-old Carroll Senior High School junior died after drowning in the pool at the Omni Hotel in downtown Fort Worth.

Winston Ward of Southlake went to the Omni Hotel Saturday night to eat dinner and swim with his friends. Around 7:20 p.m. he did a somersault and hit his head before an adult saw him at the bottom of the pool. No one knows how long he was in the pool before he was found, but witnesses said it wasn’t long.

There were no lifeguards on duty but the pool depth was only 4-foot-6-inches deep. Ward was 6-feet tall. Attempts to resuscitate him failed and he died at the scene.

The pool is on the third floor of the new Omni Hotel and is closed until further notice while an accident investigation is conducted.

Sadly, already 50 children have drowned in Texas and summer only officially started this past weekend. That’s more than half of the total number of child deaths from drowning in 2008. Last year, 89 children died by drowning in Texas.

If one of your loved ones was wrongfully killed in an accident that was the fault of another person, please contact Board Certified Accident Lawyer Mark A. Anderson to learn your rights by calling 817-294-1900.

Photo courtesy of www.star-telegram.com.

An unidentified 11-year-old boy died Saturday when the inner tube he was being pulled on collided with a personal watercraft (or Jet Ski) on Lake Worth.

The boy was riding on the tube with another boy and they were being pulled by a boat. Coincidentally, the watercraft they ran into was also pulling two boys on a rubber tube.

The 11-year-old was CareFlighted to Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth where he died. The boating accident happened at 3:45 p.m. No one else was hurt and no charges were filed. The accident was still being investigated over the weekend.

This was the first of two water-related accidents which killed kids over the weekend, and unfortunately, they probably won’t be the last. With summer officially underway and temperatures consistently topping 100 degrees, North Texans are heading for water to cool down. Annually, hundreds of Texans are killed in boating-related accidents as the number of boats in Texas waters increases. The good news is, the number of water-related fatalities has consistently decreased over the years, but this isn’t a perfect world and accidents still happen.

To prevent boating and other watercraft-related accidents, Texas Parks and Wildlife recommends following these four principles of safe boating:

1) Wearing life jackets
2) Being educated on boat safety
3) Operating safe boats and equipment
4) Boating sober

Information provided by Texas Boating Accident Attorney Mark A. Anderson: 817-294-1900.

If you have been injured in an automobile wreck, truck collision, motorcycle crash, or any other type of accident which causes personal injuries in Texas, you must be aware of the relevant law called the Statute of Limitations. This law requires you to file a lawsuit at a local Texas Courthouse within two years of the date of the accident. If you have not resolved your injury case before then, it is absolutely imperative that this very strict two-year deadline is complied with. Failing to file a lawsuit within the two-year time frame eliminates your right to pursue a claim forever.

And it's imporatant not to wait until the eve of your two years to think about purusing an injury claim. If you've been injured as the result of another person's negligence, you should consider hiring a Board Certified Injury Attorney as soon as possible after your accident. Sooner is better because crucial evidence must be collected before it disappears. Plus, it's very common for injured parties to make mistakes on their claims if they don't have the guidance of an experienced personal injury lawyer.

The common mistakes injury victims make are discussed in detail in the newly released book by Injury Attorney Mark A. Anderson. It's appropriately titled, 15 Mistakes That Will Wreck Your Texas Accident Case. This informative book is available for FREE to Texas residents who may order it by calling 817-294-1900 or by visiting: www.DontWreckYourCase.com.

If you have been injured in an auto accident, or any other type of accident for that matter, you have a ton of options when it comes down to hiring a lawyer for your Texas accident claim. Hiring an attorney is a very important decision and it's sometimes very difficult to try and weed through all of the attorneys out there who hold themselves out as being “injury attorneys.” So how do you know you're making the right decision? The best thing to do is to limit your search to only attorneys who are Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. This is a designation held by only 2% of the roughly 80,000 lawyers who practice law in Texas.

What does it mean to be Board Certified? It means that the attorney has passed a rigorous test on injury topics, has tried a certain number of cases to a jury, has been recommended by local attorneys and judges and has been practicing a certain number of years. There are plenty of qualified attorneys in Texas who are Board Certified, so there's no reason that an injury victim should settle for a lawyer who is not Board Certified.

The importance of hiring a Board Certified Injury Attorney is discussed in Mark A. Anderson’s new book, 15 Mistakes That Will Wreck your Texas Accident Case. This book is full of information which is helpful to accident victims. The Anderson Law Firm is offering a copy of the book FREE to Texas residents. To order your free copy, please call the firm at 817-294-1900. The book can also be ordered online at www.DontWreckYourCase.com.

The Texas House of Representatives has given preliminary approval to a bill which would enforce harsher penalties to those caught drinking and boating. The Texas Senate has already given its approval to suspend licenses of those who choose to drink and operate boats whether those caught take a breath test or not.

Currently, like driving a car, it’s illegal to operate a boat if a person has a blood alcohol content of .08 or higher. And if caught drinking and boating (as in DWI accident cases), refusal to take a Breathalyzer test results in suspension of an offender’s license. But right now, even if people do take the test and fail, they don’t necessarily lose their license. The new law would change that. It would also create a new offense for minors who drink and boat.

Last year in Texas there were 61 boating-related deaths, and this year is already stacking up to surpass that statistic. Already in 2009, 12 people have died in boating accidents, however, not all have involved alcohol. North Texas is not exempt from this either. There are many lakes around the Dallas-Fort Worth area, one of which—Lake Lewisville—consistently ranks as the state’s most dangerous for boating incidents.

With the holiday weekend approaching and summer just around the corner, legislators feel compelled to take preventative safety measures.

If you or a loved one has been injured as the result of another person’s negligence, contact Fort Worth Boat Accident Attorney Mark A. Anderson for a free consultation at 817-294-1900.