Fort Worth Injury Lawyer Blog

Many people dread the start of the week in Fort Worth and the only thing that comes to mind is how much longer until Friday? Well folks, Friday is here and with it being a weekend that means more drunk drivers on the road. An estimated 17 million people have driven while drunk at least once on U.S. streets and highways in the course of a year, according to a government study released Wednesday. A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration survey conducted in late 2008 found that 20 percent of those 16 and older reported driving within two hours of drinking alcohol. Estimates show that that 8 percent of all drivers, or 17.2 million people, have driven at least once over the course of a year, even though they thought they were drunk. Additionally, 8 percent said they got a ride from a driver they thought was drunk. This was a particular problem for males between 21 and 24 years old. In this age group, 24 percent reported riding with a driver they thought had consumed too much alcohol.

On the positive side, the message about the dangers of drunken driving is widespread, with 81 percent of those surveyed seeing it as a serious public safety threat. The only problem is the statistics are still high. We have got to do more, as a country, to close the gap between believing that drunk driving is a threat and actively doing something about it, to warn motorists about the dangers of drunken driving, the government is spending about $13 million for an advertising campaign to publicize increased enforcement through Labor Day weekend.

Even if you are being the responsible one to drive your friends around you still have to worry about the idiots roaming the street. The time of the day does not matter for intoxicated drivers and that is the scary part. Enjoy yourself this weekend, but be smart about it!

Information and commentary is provided by Fort Worth DWI Victim Lawyer Mark Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900. . If you have any questions related with injuries from being hit by a drunk driver, please fill contact us or fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

Theresa Gail A Dallas woman was arrested Wednesday after shooting her co-worker to death at a Carrollton pest control business, Robbins, 48, was taken into custody without incident after pulling out a handgun and shooting Greg Brasch, of McKinney, once in the chest at Bizzy Bee pest control. Brasch was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to Carrollton police.

After the shooting, Robbins walked into another co-worker's office, sat down, and waited for police to arrive, according to Carrollton police Officer Dustin Bartram. She was taken into custody without incident.

Robbins told an officer arriving on the scene that Brasch was “her closest friend.” She said she “got signs from God” who told her to “distribute the world order information,” according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

This is a wrongful death in the most drastic form. My heart goes out to the Brasch family and friends who are confused and in shock. I believe that this was not a “sign from God,” more so insanity. Everyone has a bad day, but there is no excuse to kill anyone.

Information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Wrongful Death Attorney Mark Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or in Dallas at 214-327-8000. For more information regarding wrongful death, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

A Haltom City father whose 2-month-old infant died from head injuries was arraigned this morning on a capital murder charge. Alfonso Contreras Jr., 24, and the girl’s mother, 20-year-old Ashley Nicole Massey, were arrested Monday evening, several hours after police and fire officials responded to a report of an unresponsive child at the Ponderosa Mobile Home Park in the 6000 block of East Belknap Street.

When paramedics arrived around 1 a.m., the parents were performing CPR on the infant. The girl was transported to Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth, where she died around 2:30 p.m. Monday. It was unclear how the girl was injured, but police described her injuries as nonaccidental. Massey faces a charge of injury to a child and is being held on $250,000 bail. Contreras’ bail for the murder charge is set at $500,000. Both remain in the Haltom City Jail.

This is a tragic event for family and friends that knew the young infant. My thoughts and prayers go out to them. The 2-month-old baby had a right to live and was helpless in this horrific tragedy. Unexpected acts happen daily and it saddens my heart to hear another story like this. Speaking as a parent I have no insight of how one could do this to anyone, nonetheless, an innocent infant.

Information and commentary is provided by Dallas/ Fort Worth Car Accident Attorney Mark Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm can be reached in Dallas at 214-327-8000 or in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900. For more information regarding wrongful death, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

San Diego injury lawyer Ross Jurewitz filed a claim against the City of San Diego on August 19 on behalf of the family of 29-year-old Virginia Ortega, who was killed when she was struck by a San Diego Seal Tours bus. The accident occurred as she was crossing the street at Pacific Highway and West Harbor Drive near the Seaport Village Shopping Center on March 18, 2010.

Ms. Ortega, of Glendale, Arizona, was struck by the front of the Seal Tours bus as it made a right turn. The impact caused her to be pulled underneath the bus’s front axle and crushed as the vehicle completed its turn. According to Mr. Jurewitz, this is the third accident at this intersection where a pedestrian has been seriously injured or killed by a vehicle making a right turn onto northland Pacific Highway. A bus from the same Seal Tours also injured a pedestrian just six months prior to Ms. Ortega’s tragic death.

According to Mr. Jurewitz, the city knew this was a dangerous intersection. The only warning sign they placed near the intersection is out of sight of pedestrians. This is a high traffic pedestrian area as many tourists walk to nearby Seaport Village or nearby hotels.

Not only is Ms. Ortega’s family seeking damages of $10,000,000.00 from the city, but they also want the intersection fixed. “They want to make sure that nobody ever again loses a loved one because of this intersection,” said Mr. Jurewitz.

What a terrible tragedy. It is astounding to me that this is the second time in six months a pedestrian was struck by one of these tour buses. It is even the same tour company! The City of San Diego certainly has a responsibility to protect its pedestrians, especially in a high traffic tourist area. I look forward to seeing the city make the necessary changes to make this intersection a safe place for pedestrians.

The attorneys at the Jurewitz Law Group represent people seriously injured as the result of the negligence and carelessness of others in the San Diego area. The Jurewitz Law Group can be reached at 619-233-5020 or www.Jurewitz.com.

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, and toll free at 877-294-1115. You can contact a Board Certified Personal Injury Lawyer now.

Dr. Frank Ryan, a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon most recently known for performing ten procedures on Heidi Montag in one operation, has died at the age of 50. The Jeep Wrangler he was driving plunged off a cliff along the Pacific Coast Highway near his Malibu home. People magazine, among other news sources, reports that he was texting while driving and accidently veered off the road. His Jeep tumbled down a rocky embankment toward the ocean and landed on its roof. He died of blunt force head injuries.

According to People magazine, the Los Angeles police told Dr. Ryan's family that at the time of his death, Dr. Ryan was sending a Tweet about his dog. What was so important about his dog that it couldn’t have waited until he made it back home? The answer is nothing. It has been proven that distracted driving causes thousands of deaths and injuries every year. While more laws and acts are passed to restrict people from texting while driving, it doesn’t seem to deter them, as seen from the numerous deaths caused by driver distraction. Hopefully the senseless death of a famous plastic surgeon will open people’s eyes to the fact that distracted driving can effect anyone, and can have fatal consequences.

Information provided by Texas Board Certified Personal Injury 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 the state at 877-294-1115. You can click here to contact a Board Certified Personal Injury Attorney immediately.

Tina Enis of Krum was killed late Sunday night when the SUV she was driving was rear-ended by a pickup truck. The driver of the truck, Colton Ashcraft, was arrested for driving while intoxicated. Mr. Ashcraft faces intoxication manslaughter charges.

The accident occurred when the vehicle Ms. Enis was driving slowed to turn onto Business U.S. 380 off of Farm Road 2622. The Ford pickup which Ashcraft was driving kit the Kia Sorrento, pushing it off the roadway and making it row. Ms. Enis was pronounced dead at the scene. Ms. Ashcroft is being held in the Denton County Jail.

Driving while intoxicated is deadly. This is just one of the approximately 1,500 examples which occur in Texas every year where driving while intoxicated ends someone's life. There is absolutely no excuse for this reckless conduct. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Ms. Enis.

Information commentary provided by Texas Board Certified Injury Attorney Mark A. Anderson who can be reached in Fort Worth at 817 294 1900 or at Toll Free 877 294 1115, or contacted online by clicking here.

Bobby Joe Stovall of Round Rock was sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday for a 2009 drunk driving accident that injured his passenger. In that DWI crash he had a blood alcohol level of four times the legal limit.

His previous eight DWI convictions were in Collin, Dewitt, Nueces, Galveston, Jackson and Goliad counties. Stovall also has convictions for burglary, credit card abuse, possession of a controlled substance, theft, and making alcohol available to minors, according to authorities. He is 52-years-old.

While I agree that this man deserves life in prison, I am shocked that it took nine DWI’s to make that happen! Why wasn’t he put in jail long before this? How does one even accumulate that many drunk driving convictions? Not to mention his colorful criminal history. While I am relieved that this person is behind bars permanently, I am disappointed he had to cause this much trouble before he was put away.

Information provided by Texas Board Certified Personal Injury Lawyer Mark A. Anderson, who can be reached toll free across Texas at 877-294-1115. He can also be contacted by clicking here.

Peyton Hood of Pflugerville, Texas, who would have been 2-years-old on September 1, died tragically Tuesday after being bitten by a rattle snake near Possum Kindgom Lake. The girl was bitten at the south side of the lake, in northwest Palo Pinto County.

The girl’s grandmother called 9-1-1 and reported that her granddaughter had been bitten on the ankle. A helicopter ambulance took Peyton to Cook Children’s where she died early Wednesday morning in the intensive care unit. Details about how the child came upon the snake are not available yet, according to news reports.

This is such a tragic story. My heart goes out to Peyton’s family. Although we don’t hear about snake bites very often, they can be deadly, especially to small children. Snake bite deaths are not very widespread in Texas, averaging two to three per year, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. In this case, Peyton’s family did exactly what the Parks and Wildlife Department recommends when dealing with a snake bite, which is to call authorities immediately. They say that under no circumstances should one try to cut or suck out the venom.

The Parks and Wildlife Department has several suggestions to keep yourself safe from snakes. Don’t put your hands or feet someplace into which you can’t see. Don’t step over a log without looking on the other side first, and if you have to move a log, do so with a stick or a tool. If you come upon a snake, stand still. Allow the snake to retreat first, and if you must move, back away slowly and carefully.

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

Though it may be because of my career as a injury lawyer, I can’t help but feel defeated every time I see another life torn apart by a drunk driver. Those killed in fatal drunk driving accidents are often commemorated along the road side with a plaque reading “please don’t drink and drive.” Yet, in spite of the dire consequences witnessed through these roadway signs and frequently covering the news headlines, 65% of fatal car accidents every year are at the hands of drunk drivers.

With all of the drunk driving laws and knowledge of the dangers the facts continue to shock me. Though you may feel the percentage of drunk drivers on the road is minimal- in actuality, 80% of alcohol-consuming adults admit that they have drove under the influence before. With these numbers it is safe to say the roads from dusk ‘til dawn are never without drunk drivers. In fact, between the hours of 7 pm and 3 am, an astounding 10% of drivers on the road are over the legal limit of 0.08. That means 1 out of 10 drivers you encounter on the roads are not fit to drive. Out of these intoxicated drivers most of them are driving with a BAC double the legal limit.

Though from 1991 to 2008 drunk driving accidents had decreased by 38%, drunk driving is still the cause of some 12,000 deaths every year. And despite drunk driving laws there is still a 60% chance that any one person will be involved in a drunk driving accident. With these types of numbers- how are you to protect yourself from the careless and irresponsible behavior of others? Seattle car accident attorney, Jason Epstein, has provided some tips in his article: Top Ways to Spot a Drunk Driver. These tips will help you identify drunk drivers and can help you avoid being involved in a potentially fatal accident.

If you have been injured as the result of the reckless behavior of a drunk driver I encourage you to speak with a lawyer. If you are in the Dallas Fort Worth area, feel free to call the Anderson Law Firm at 817-294-1900 or at 214-327-8000 with any questions regarding your case. If you are located in the Seattle area, you can contact Jason Epstein of the Bellevue personal injury law firm, Premier Law Group.

The mother of a 2-year-old Mansfield girl who arrived at an Arlington hospital unconscious earlier this month has been arrested. Ryka Hopper is in the Mansfield Jail where she faces a charge of injury to a child by omission. Her bond had been set at $100,000.

Hopper's live-in boyfriend, Adam Carroll Palmer, 27, was arrested earlier this month. He faces two counts of causing serious bodily injury to a child and an aggravated-assault charge and his bond was set at $450,000. Hopper and her two daughters, ages 5 and 2, arrived at an Arlington hospital on July 12 with bruises and other injuries to their bodies.

The 2-year-old was unconscious and had injuries to the brain, including blood and contusions. She was later taken by air ambulance to Medical City Hospital in Dallas, where she remains in a coma.

Hopper said she had arrived home and found the 2-year-old unconscious on the floor, according to the affidavit. She said Palmer told her that the toddler had a seizure. She then stated that the child remained on the floor for more than 16 hours before she finally regained consciousness and started crying. Because the crying awakened Palmer, he picked the 2-year-old up "like a rag doll and threw her to the floor and told her to shut up," Hopper told police.

The toddler whimpered on the floor until she went to sleep, according to the affidavit. After the incident, the girl could not walk or use her right hand and had trouble speaking, the affidavit says. According to court records, Palmer was given deferred adjudication on an injury-to-a-child case that occurred in 2003, but that probation was revoked in 2008 and he was sentenced to prison.

The fact that a mother can sit there while her child is unconscious for over 16 hours without getting worried just shows an extreme amount of recklessness and irresponsibility as a parent. This kind of child abuse should not be tolerated. Parent negligence is usually the cause of child injury, and this woman was aiding in this criminal act by not saying anything or reporting the abuse to the police.

I hope this investigation gives justice to a toddler that was critically injured for no apparent reason. As a parent myself, I find this kind of act despicable. It just shows cowardice and ignorance on the guardians’ part.

Information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Child 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. For more information on child injuries, fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

A motorcycle rider, Geoffrey Daily, was fatally injured Wednesday in an early-morning accident on the west side of Fort Worth. Daily, 32, of Fort Worth was identified by the Tarrant County medical examiner.

According to Sgt. Pedro Criado, police spokesman, the wreck happened 7:19 a.m. on the exit ramp leading to eastbound Interstate 30 from southbound West Loop 820. The biker was riding in the right-hand lane, when a red Ford Escape ahead of him changed lanes from left to right, Criado said. The motorcyclist took an evasive action, Criado said, but the bike struck the protective metal railing and crashed. Daily died 12:25 p.m. at the intensive care unit of Texas Health Harris Methodist Fort Worth Hospital, the medical examiner reported. No other information has been released.

Our greatest sympathies go out to the friends and family of the Fort Worth resident Geoffrey Daily. Injuries and fatalities of motorcyclists are, unfortunately, on the rise. There were 4,810 deaths and over 88,000 injuries involving motorcycle riders in 2006 alone. This is more than a 5 percent increase from the previous year.

The most common cause of wrecks involving motorcycles is inattention of the other driver. This accounts for about 70 percent of all crashes. This is the most likely reason for Daily’s death. The driver of the red Ford Escape was probably not paying attention or he “just didn’t see him.” Everyone on the road needs to make sure that they are alert and paying attention to the other drivers. Whether they are in a four-wheeler, 18-wheeler, or a bike they all have rights.

Information and Commentary is provided by Motorcycle Accident Attorney Mark Anderson. If you or a loved has been in a motorcycle accident, call the Anderson Law Firm for a free consultation. We can be reached toll free at 877.294.1115 or you can contact us online.

The worker who was fatally crushed Tuesday afternoon by drilling equipment at a gas well site in Arlington has been identified as 34-year-old Nabor Alvarado of Alvarado.

Alvarado is believed to be an employee of Trinidad Drilling, a Canadian company working for Chesapeake Energy, which owns the pad site in the 5700 block of U.S. 287 near the Kennedale border.

Alan Kassen, Arlington assistant fire chief, said it appeared that a large piece of drilling equipment fell on the worker about 4:15 p.m., killing him instantly, during assembly of the rig.

This is a terrible thing to happen to someone while on the job, and our hearts go out to Alvarado and his family.

Hopefully, an investigation will uncover the reason for this tragic accident. While accidents are common on drill sites, that does not mean they should happen. Something went wrong here—either equipment malfunction or human error. Either way, the accident should not have occurred.

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. For more information regarding construction or oil rig site injuries, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.