Fort Worth Injury Lawyer Blog

The Texas Department of Public Safety said that a mini-van heading East on Highway 290 near Bastrop, Texas collided with a pickup truck, when the driver of the mini-van did not yield the right of way to the pickup truck.

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.

Yesterday, a FWISD school bus veered off of Cooks Lane in east Fort Worth, TX and hit a tree. The cause of the bus accident was not readily apparent and is being investigated by the Fort Worth Police Department. The driver, whose name was not released, was transported from the scene and taken to a local hospital with complaints of back pain. There were nine students aboard who had just been picked up from Lowery Elementary School. Luckily, none had injuries which required medical transport to a hospital.

When you see pictures like this one, the thoughts are that this could have really been a horrible bus wreck. I am sure glad that none of the kiddos appear to be seriously injured. I wonder what could have caused the wreck. It is unusual to just leave the roadway without some reason, like driver distraction or even avoidance of another car or object.

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

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.

Parents in the Fort Worth Dallas area beware. In its second big recall of the year, Stork Craft Manufacturing of Canada has recalled 1.2 million cribs in the United States and nearly 1 million in Canada, where the company is based. The cribs involved in the recall have drop-down sides and have been sold since 1993. According to the head of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, this type of crib will probably be completely eliminated due to its danger to children. Stork Craft has received 4 reports of infant suffocation due to this type of crib.

The problem with the drop-down side crib is that the drop-side can detach and create a space between the drop-side and the crib mattress where children can become trapped and suffocate. The hardware holding these sides in place can break or become damaged over the years creating the suffocation danger. In January, Stork Craft recalled about 500,000 cribs because of problems with the metal brackets that support the mattress.

For years advocates have complained about drop-side cribs, and more than 5 million have been recalled over the past two years for contributing to the deaths of a dozen young children. ASTM, an organization that sets voluntary safety standards for all sorts of consumer products, approved a new standard recently for fixed sides for full-size cribs. Toys “R” Us started phasing out drop-side cribs earlier this year and after next month will no longer carry them.

So why has it taken the CPSC so long to recall these dangerous cribs? According to CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum, “We have just not been acting as quickly as we should have…on these types of incidents.” CPSC is now considering adopting ASTM’s voluntary standard, banning drop-side cribs completely.

If you have a drop-side Stork Craft crib, the CPSC recommends getting rid of it completely, or at least ordering the repair kit to immobilize the drop-side. You can obtain a free repair kit at www.storkcraft.com, or call the company at 877-274-0277. Some of the Stork Craft cribs have the Fisher Price logo, and some have “storkcraft baby” or “storkling” on the drop-side. For the full report at CPSC, click here.

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

Popular British baby stroller and accessory company Maclaren, which promotes itself as being stylish, innovative, and safe, issued a huge voluntary recall yesterday of close to one million folding strollers.

The stroller involved in the recall is the single and double umbrella style stroller, which includes models Volo, Triumph, Quest Sport, Quest Mod, Techno XT, TechnoXLR, Twin Triumph, Twin Techno, and Easy Traveller. The stroller poses a danger to children because the folding hinge can cut or even amputate children’s fingers. The recall comes after 12 reports of fingertip amputation in the U.S.

According to Maclaren’s website, owners of these strollers can obtain a free repair kit to cover the stroller’s hinge mechanism. To find out more from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, click here.

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

Who can resist a good deal? Buying refurbished products can help you save hundreds of dollars over buying products new (or maybe even more). However, buying refurbished can also cost you a lot in the long run, so think twice before you jump on that good deal when it could affect your safety.

Don’t buy refurbished when your safety is at risk.
Saving $50 could make a product a great deal, and help you decide to make a purchase when you’re considering refurbished products. However, buying refurb when your safety is at risk is a bad idea.

Consider the example of a refurbished car seat for your child. I hear that many refurbished car seats come back to the manufacturer after a car accident and are‘re-certified’ and then sold again. There is no legislation in place governing how refurbished car seats are inspected or tested to determine their safety. After the stresses of a car accident, you could buy a refurbished car seat on the verge of failure and you’d have no way to know it.

Follow safety checklists to determine whether a product is safe.
In many cases, there’s nothing you can do to determine whether or not a refurbished product is safe. In the car seat example, though, you do have a few options to check for safety before you use it.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has guidelines for when car seats need to be replaced, and when it’s safe to continue to use them after an accident. CPSafety has a checklist you can use to look for common issues and determine whether or not the car seat is safe for reuse. Neither of these can tell you for sure that the car seat is safe, but they can help you make an informed decision about whether or not to buy a product that has been refurbished for resale.

Information provided by Tarrant County Personal Injury Lawyer Mark A. Anderson, who practices injury law throughout Tarrant County, and can be reached at 817-294-1900.

A portable storage closet fell on a kindergarten student in the gym at G.L. Wiley Middle School in Waco when she and two other children were playing on top of it. They were reportedly chasing a lizard.

The children were attending classes at the middle school while J.H. Hines Elementary is closed for repairs. Princanna Strain, who died en route to the hospital, would have been six-years-old on October 20.

What a devastating accident. My heart goes out to this child’s parents and family. From the picture, the storage unit looks very large and heavy. What was it doing in an area where children would be playing? Perhaps it should have been moved as part of the effort to make a middle school building safer for younger children. Were the children properly supervised? Were there enough teachers to keep an eye on all the children in the gym? These questions and more will have to be answered during the course of this wrongful death investigation.

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

Photo from KWTX.com

A student at Blalack Middle School in Carrollton was left with devastating injuries after being hit by a car on Wednesday. The absence of school zone signs or crossing guards in the area may have contributed to the accident.

13-year-old Caitlyn Self was walking home from school and attempted to cross Rosemeade Parkway at Standridge Drive when she was struck by a vehicle. The impact broke an elbow and leg, fractured her hand, and cracked her pelvis in two places. Luckily as she fell her backpack slipped up and protected her head from even worse injury.

The intersection where the accident occurred is about half a mile away from the school. There are no school zone signs or crossing guards at Rosemeade Parkway, which is a big street with fairly heavy traffic in this mainly residential area. I hate to hear about an injury to a teenager like this, and hopefully after this terrible accident the city will take greater precautions in protecting the students who walk home from school.

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

A three-year-old boy died on Saturday afternoon as the result of a tragic accident in Dallas, Texas.

Jacob Vega was riding his bike when he was struck by his mother’s vehicle. She didn’t see him as she drove forward from her parking spot in front of their home. Jacob later died at the hospital. The police are not pressing charges on his mother as they have ruled the incident an accident.

I can’t even imagine the grief this family must be going through. Unfortunately, children are injured in horrible accidents such as this one every day. According to www.kidsandcars.org, 95 children in the United States have died since late June of this year in this type of accident. That’s why it is so important that parents don’t let small children play unattended where they might be in danger of getting hit by a car.

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

The Consumer Product Safety Committee recalled millions of window blinds and shades Wednesday because of their danger to children. The recall includes blinds and shades sold at Pottery Barn Kids and IKEA as well as many brands sold at retailers like Target.

Three children have died as a result of becoming caught and strangled in the exposed cords that move the blinds up and down. Two of the blinds that caused deaths were the Lewis Hyman roll-up blind, sold at retail stores from 1999-2003, and the Woolrich roman shade, sold at Target from 2006-2008. Customers should contact the company for a free repair kit. A Vertical Land blind, sold in Florida from 1992-2006, caused the third death. Customers of this product should contact the company for a free retrofit kit.

Roman shades were recalled from Pottery Barn Kids and William Sonoma after six children were found with cords wrapped around their necks. Fortunately, none of these children died. Roman Melina blinds were also recalled from IKEA after a child was found hanging from the cord nearly strangled to death. Customers of these blinds should return them to Pottery Barn Kids, Williams Sonoma, and IKEA for a refund.

The problem with these types of shades is the exposed cord that moves the blinds up and down. A child playing with or near the blinds can easily become entangled in this cord and die of strangulation if not found and disentangled immediately.

For a complete list of the recalls and more details about the types of blinds involved, click here.

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

An 11-year-old boy is in "very critical condition" this morning after he was struck by a car in east Fort Worth around 5:30 a.m.

The boy and three other children were playing with shopping carts on the access road of East Loop 820 in between Ellis Road and Meadowbrook Drive when the pedestrian-auto accident happened.

A 31-year-old woman in a Dodge Stratus said the boy ran out in front of her and she was unable to stop in time before hitting him. He was rushed to Cook Children's Hospital where he is currently being treated for his serious injuries.

Investigators said they were called to the area because they had gotten reports of children out past curfew. They also said the day before, the boy who was hit and another kid who was out were reported as runaways.

This is a sad story--especially if the child is a runaway. I can only imagine a parent's worry over their child missing, let alone finding out from authorities that their child has been critically injured. I hope FWPD will be able to locate the boy's family and that he is able to recover from his injuries.

Pedestrian accdidents can have devastating effects since people have no protection against the force of a car hitting them. If you or a loved one has been hurt by a vehicle, please contact Board Certified Pedestrian Accident Lawyer Mark Anderson by calling 817-294-1900.

June and July are officially designated National Fireworks Safety Months. Each state has differerent laws regarding the use of fireworks based on factors determined by the state fire marshalls. Texas, like most Midwestern states, allows the use of all consumer fireworks and requires those who operate special effects to have a permit and be at least 21 years of age. You must be at least 12 years old to purchase consumer fireworks.

Here are some safety tips to keep in mind as the 4th of July holiday weekend approaches. Information provided by the National Council on Fireworks Safety:

* Use ALL fireworks and sparklers outside
* All users should be at least 12 years old
* Obey all local laws and bans
* Do not alter fireworks--use them only as intended
* Designate a "shooter" as you would a designated driver--alcohol and fireworks do not mix
* Use common sense and always use extreme caution when lighting fireworks

The Anderson Law Firm wishes everyone a fun and safe Independence Day!

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.

A general rule is that all injury claims must either be resolved or a lawsuit filed at the Courthouse within two years of the date of the accident or the claim is forever barred. This is the Statute of Limitations in Texas. An exception to this rule is in the cases of minors. If a child is injured as the result of the negligence of another person or company, then the minor has up until two years after the time the child turns "majority" (or, 18-years-old) to bring a claim. Basically, the child has up until he or she turns 20 to bring a claim.

But parents must be aware that the medical bills incurred by a child are the parents' legal responsibility. As such, the parents must make sure they bring the initital claim within required two-year period to recover compensation for medical bills. The parents' right to recover damages for the medical bills they have to pay is still governed by the two-year Statue of Limitation deadline.

Board Certified Injury Lawyer Mark A. Anderson discusses all the typcial mistakes made by injury claimants and how to avoid them in his new book, 15 Mistakes That Will Wreck Your Texas Accident Case. This book is free to Texas residents and can be ordered by calling the Anderson Law Firm at 817-294-1900 or visiting www.DontWreckYourCase.com.

The National Safety Council has declared this week (April 5 through April 11) National Window Safety Week. The purpose of of this week is to promote safety as it applies to windows, drawing attention to the many hazards which arise from somthing as normal as household windows. The main issues the council wants to focus on are preventing falls by children out open windows and keeping windows accessible for exits in case of fire. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, falls are the No. 1 cause of all non-fatal injuries to children.

In an effort to help the NCS out in drawing attention to these issues, I'd like to provide the following things to consider:

Falling Hazards
*Keep windows closed and locked when children are around to prevent them from falling out a window.

*Use higher windows if you must open one for temperature control or fresh air.

*Do not keep furniture near windows, as children can climb on it and use as access to open windows.

*Keep in mind that insect screens do not prevent children from falling out an open window.

*There is no substitute for adult supervision when children are playing at home.

Fire Safety
*Windows serve as the best secondary escape in a fire. Remember to teach children how to safely open and exit a window in case of a fire.

*Do not nail or paint your windows shut--check periodically to make sure they open properly.

*Do not install window air-conditioning units in windows that might be needed for escape in case of a fire.

Keeping children safe is every parent's top priority. That's why knowing how to make your windows safe is so important!

This announcement provided by the Anderson Law Firm--a personal injury law firm based in Fort Worth, Texas. We handle all types of personal injury claims, including those involving injuries to children. Please contact our office for a free consultation at 817-294-1900.

Police had to shoot and kill two pit-bulls in San Antonio, Texas Tuesday after they mauled an infant to death before attacking their owner. A woman left her 7-month-old grandson, Izaiah Gregory Cox alone for a minute while she went to retrieve him a bottle from her kitchen. When she walked away, the dogs attacked the baby and killed him. When the woman tried to free the baby, the dogs attacked her also.

It always amazes me when people keep dangerous dogs in their homes with young children. It's one thing when a dog injures a child after jumping a fence or getting loose from its leash, but it's another to own and keep threatening dogs--like Rotweillers and Pit Bulls, in your home with kids around. This was just an accident waiting to happen. And now that poor woman has to live with the guilt from her grandson's tragic and untimely death.

If you or someone you know has suffered severe injuries or has died as the result of a dog bite or some other type of personal injury accident, please contact the Anderson Law Firm at 817-294-1900 for a free consultation on your rights.

Wednesday around 4:30 p.m. a 10-year-old boy was impaled by a crowbar after the pickup truck he was riding in was rear-ended in Ennis, Texas. The car accident—which happened at the intersection of Highway 287 and Highway 34, caused an inch-in-diameter crowbar from the bed of the truck to be thrust into the cab. It impaled the boy’s lower back and leg and continued on to pierce his 38-year-old mother’s back, who was seated in front of him in the front passenger seat.

It took fire and rescue crews almost two hours to cut the boy out of the truck; rescuers said he was alert, oriented and talking throughout the process. He was taken to Medical City Children’s Hospital in Dallas and his mother was taken to Parkland Hospital. Miraculously, neither suffered life-threatening injuries.

The woman who hit the Ford Ranger pickup truck, causing the accident will not be charged. The wreck happened yesterday during the severe thunderstorm weather that hit North Texas.

If you or your child has suffered bodily injuries as the result of someone else's negligence, in a car wreck--or any other type of personal injury accident, please contact the Anderson Law Firm for a free consultation on how to recover damages.

Photo courtesy of NBC-Dallas.

Yesterday evening, in the 3000 block of Las Vegas Trail, a toddler was injured when a group of teenagers threw rocks at the car she was riding in. The two-year old had a contusion and swelling to her right cheek, but did not suffer any life-threatening injuries. The girl’s mother was driving and noticed a group of teens throwing rocks from the sidewalk as her car approached them. One of the teens then threw a rock which flew through an open window and struck the girl as she drove by. The culprit was a 15-year-old girl who admitted fault and was taken to the Tarrant County Juvenile Detention Facility. This personal injury accident happened around 6 p.m.

The Anderson Law Firm handles all types of injury accidents, and most times, they result from vehicle accidents like car, truck and motorcycle wrecks. Occasionally, we get calls about dog bites and other common accidents. But there are so many ways a person can be injured as the result of someone else’s negligence that it’s too hard to categorize them all. This is the perfect example of a freak accident which cannot be categorized, but it’s also a case I might be able to take after some investigation.

If you or someone you know has been injured as the result of another person’s negligence, please contact the Anderson Law Firm to discuss your rights at 817-294-1900.

2-year-old Abdallah Khader remains on life support at Cook Children’s hospital in Fort Worth after his car was hit by an alleged drunk driver. Stewart Richardson is in jail on $100,000 bond. He has been charged with intoxication with serious bodily injury and DWI felony repetition. Richardson has outstanding drunk-driving charges in Iowa, Colorado and Utah.

The car crash happened in Arlington. Richardson rear-ended the Khadar family after he’d been drinking at two bars—Applebee’s and Mr. B’s, both in Mansfield. His blood alcohol level was more than three times the legal limit at the time of the wreck at .25. Witnesses say he showed no remorse and when he heard of Abdallah’s condition, he said, “that sucks.”

Since Abdallah is Muslim, religious beliefs are preventing his family from taking him off life support even though 80 percent of his brain is damaged. If he lives, he will have severe brain injuries and if he dies, it will be unfacilitated. The family has filed a civil action suit as well and investigators are looking into the two bars which served Richardson the night of the wreck.

If you’ve been injured in an accident as the result of someone else’s negligence, please contact the Anderson Law Firm for a free consultation on your rights at 817-294-1900.

Over the weekend a tragic one-car accident in Bowie, Texas killed young Allison Hammer on her sixth birthday. The wreck occurred when the van she was riding in veered off the road, and rolled after the driver tried to over-correct. The van was driven by her aunt and unfortunately, Allison was not wearing a seatbelt.

Texas law requires the use of child safety seats if the child is less than five years old and less than 36 inches in height. But those are the minimum standards, and it is recommended that all children be in child safety or boosters seats, or at the very least, have seat belts on. Since it was Allison’s sixth birthday, no law was broken by her not being in a car seat. But it is illegal to not wear a seat belt. Seatbelts do save lives.

According to the National Center for Statistics and Analysis, the leading cause of death or injuries to children is auto accidents. Approximately seven children are killed and 700 are injured every day in the United States in car crashes.

Information provided by Texas Accident Attorney Mark A. Anderson.

Last Wednesday, 16-year-old Chelsea Lunt was texting on her way to Decatur High School just before losing control of her pickup truck. The truck flipped five times after she tried to overcorrect it before landing in the ditch on U.S. 81/287, just short of the FM 730 exit. Lunt was killed instantly in the car accident. Although she was wearing a seat belt, her body was partially ejected and she suffered major head injuries.

Lunt was on her way to track practice and had been texting a boy during the drive. 11 messages had been sent to the boy on her drive to school—the last was at 6:51 a.m.—the time of the accident, which was called in two minutes later.

Witness statements revealed that the sophomore had been swerving in her lane, an indication that she might have been distracted by something. An accident investigation, which will continue for weeks as police await test results, revealed that texting was the absolute cause of the tragic wreck.

According to an article published a year ago in U.S. News and World Report, approximately 20 percent of people on the roads were texting while driving. I’m sure that number has increased in the last year. Already, texting and driving has been banned in New Jersey and Washington, and 16 other states were considering legislation that would ban the distracting activity. Most of these states are in the Midwest and on the East Coast, but unfortunately, Texas is not among them.

The good news is Texas does recognize texting—and using a cell phone in general, while driving as dangerous. Already, several cities in North Texas ban the use of cell phones, including texting, in school zones. Hopefully, our state will jump on board soon as far as extending the ban to major roads and highways.

Funeral services for Lunt—a star athlete in volleyball and track, were Saturday in Decatur, Texas.

Information provided by Fort Worth Personal Injury Attorney Mark A. Anderson.

Southlake, Texas is the latest city in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas area to ban car cell phone use in school zones. The city is just one of many to jump on the bandwagon in the last few months making it illegal to talk or text near schools. The ban will take effect just as soon as signs can be posted. If caught, violators face a $200 fine. The new law, like the ones in nearby Texas cities—Dallas, Denton, Hurst, Flower Mound, University Park, Watauga, Irving, Duncanville and Rowlett, not only bans people from talking on their hand-held devices, but also from sending and receiving text-messages. Drivers are allowed to talk on hands-free devises, however.

I think these bans are great ideas. It is really a minimal intrusion on the rights of people to stop talking on cell phones for a moment. This law can really save lives and prevent injuries to children. The Texas Legislature is currently I session. I’ve heard that a state-wide ban on talking or texting in school zones is up for consideration. I say let’s do it! Protecting our kids has to be a higher priority than that one phone call or text.

For more information on bans, car safety, accident prevention and cell phone statistics while driving, visit the National Highway Safety Web site.

Information provided by Fort Worth Accident Attorney Mark A. Anderson.

In a massive recall which will surely send concerned parents scrambling to see what kind of crib they own, the Canadian company Stork Craft has recalled over a half a million cribs due to defective metal brackets. These brackets are now known to sometimes break, causing the mattress to collapse and possibly cause an injury to a child who might become entrapped and suffocate.

The recall was announced yesterday by the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission. It involves all Stork Craft Baby Cribs with manufacturing and distribution dates between May 2000 and November 2008. The cribs were sold by major retailers including J.C. Penny, Wal-Mart and K-Mart and online at Babiesrus.com, Costco.com, Sears.com and Walmart.com.

The CPSC urges parents to immediately stop using the cribs in the recall. You can contact the company for a replacement kit. Their site is www.storkcraft.com, but I tried and could not log on to the site, presumably due to heavy traffic. Their toll free number is 866-361-3321.

Click here for a copy of the Recall Notice

Information provided by Fort Worth Injury Lawyer Mark A. Anderson

The State of Texas closed a licensed, but severely overcrowded Denton home-based day care center after a four month old girl was found unconscious and later died. According to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s office in Fort Worth, the cause of death is pending.

According to Texas law, day care centers in homes are required to be licensed and can have up to twelve children. The Denton business, called 2 Kool 4 School Kids Club, had 30 kids at the home—more than twice the amount allowed. This business was licensed in August to care for children from infants to school age. No violations had been noted during the time the day care had been in operation.

While this death is under investigation, the State’s investigator did not see any evidence of foul play. But one has to wonder about the over capacity issue. The limits on the number of children allowed are there for a reason. To have over double the state limit, it seems likely that the employees were not in a position to adequately supervise the children.

For questions regarding personal injury claims, including injuries to children, feel free to contact Mark A. Anderson online or by calling toll free 1-877-294-1115.

A 44-year-old woman was killed early this morning on Highway 175 and Malloy Bridge Road in Seagoville, Texas when her car flipped and ejected her. She died at the scene. Fortunately, the passengers in the car accident—the woman’s daughter and two grandchildren, ages 6 and 2, were taken to the hospital with minor injuries and are expected to be released later today.

A Dallas County Sheriff’s spokeswoman said that water from nearby sprinklers may have been the cause for the slick road, which in turn caused the rollover, resulting in death.

So that raises the question of whether or not it is negligent to allow your sprinklers to hit the road when it’s below freezing. In my opinion, I don’t think you should be running your sprinklers in the winter when temperatures might drop below 32 degrees. But what’s potentially negligent is allowing water to fall onto the road. It is my understanding that most cities have ordinances which prevent excess water on the streets. If that’s true, then there is definitely a possibility that someone was negligent in breaking a city ordinance which, not only resulted in an injury to a child, but also in the wrongful death of an innocent person.

If you have questions regarding an injury claim, feel free to contact Fort Worth Injury Attorney Mark A. Anderson online, or by calling 817-294-1900.

Remember when I wrote about the helicopter that crashed into the roof of a residential home in Wisconsin while a family slept inside? Well a similar thing happened yesterday in San Diego, California and unfortunately, some residents were just as unlucky.

Several people were injured and three people were killed when a military jet crashed into a home in a residential area of San Diego and at least two homes burnt to the ground. Twenty more homes were evacuated Monday due to the dangerous fumes the explosion emitted. The aircraft was a F/A-18D Hornet fighter jet and it crashed into the University City neighborhood which sits just about two miles from the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.

Early accident investigations have not revealed the cause of the crash but apparently, jets like this one have been recently grounded by the military for repair. The pilot ejected safely before the crash and did not appear to be injured. He was found hanging by his parachute in a tree nearby.

The three people who were killed included a baby, its mother and a grandmother—all of which were in the house the jet crashed into.

Yesterday, when I wrote about a girl killed in a Beaumont, Texas parade over the weekend, I mentioned that the viability of a wrongful death claim in that case will depend on the accident investigation. In this case, however, the people in the home who were innocently killed by the jet crash were most definitely wronged. By no fault of their own, an accident took their lives. Their families will most likely make wrongful death claims against the military or the jet manufacturer for the deaths of their loved ones.

If a loved one has been killed wrongfully or personally injured as the result of someone else’s negligence, please call me to discuss your rights at 817-294-1900 or Contact Me Online.

Just days after a Cub Scout troop was hit by a reckless driver in an Overton, Texas parade, another freak parade accident over the weekend left a 10-year-old girl dead. The girl was riding in the back of a pickup truck and had been hopping on and off the slow-moving vehicle during the parade. At one point, she was scolded and told not to hop around for safety reasons. Then, in front of the Beaumont, Texas crowd of a couple hundred people, the girl jumped off the truck and hit her head just before a trailer full of children ran her over. The girl was taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Ironically, the annual parade was put on to bring the community together in a positive way after the devastation caused by Hurricane Ike in September.

As I view each wrongful death and tragic incident I read about through the eyes of an injury lawyer, I always wonder if a claim will be pursued. While I don’t know many of the facts of this case except what I have written above, I do not know whether an accident investigation will reveal that anyone, other than the young girl, was responsible for her tragic death. That is what investigations are for. I would look at the reasonableness of the actions of the event organizers and whether the adults on the truck in which the girl was riding took reasonable precautions to prevent her from jumping out. I would also look at the distance between the truck and the trailer vehicle that ran over her to make sure that a safe distance was between the two vehicles. And like I have said before, investigations are key and sometimes unveil surprising results in personal injury cases.

At the Anderson Law Firm, we investigate all of our clients’ claims to make sure that all possible evidence is found and used to support each claim. If you have questions regarding a personal injury claim or would like to set up a free consultation with Board Certified Personal Injury Attorney Mark A. Anderson, please call 817-294-1900.

A tragic and bizarre pedestrian-truck accident has spiked my interest. An 82-year-old Troup, Texas man was released on bail from the Rusk County Jail yesterday after he drove his pickup around a barricade and crashed into a Cub Scout troop at a Christmas parade in downtown Overton, Texas Monday night. It’s hard to tell whether the man intended to hit the troop or if the Cub Scouts were just collateral damage. Either way, ten children and two women suffered injuries. The injured scouts were 7 to 11 years old and all but two were treated and released.

Unfortunately, two of the kids were not so lucky. One was taken to the Children’s Medical Center in Dallas and is in good condition while another child—a 7-year-old boy from New London, Texas, is in serious condition and being treated at Mother Frances Hospital.

The 82-year-old, Charles George, lost his license and has been charged with reckless driving. Overton, Texas is located about two hours southeast of Dallas.

As a parent, I would be outraged if this happened to my child. Maybe some sort of injury to a child charge would be more appropriate. The man should have never driven around a barricade. I sure hope this man had sufficient insurance to cover all the medical bills being incurred by these unfortunate families.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, contact me at 817-294-1900 or Contact Me Online to discuss your rights.