Fort Worth Injury Lawyer Blog

This past summer and into the fall there has been what seems like a story a week in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram about a tragic motorcycle accident in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex? Well, the Arlington Police Department and other DFW-area law enforcement agencies teamed up this week to teach these riders the “SMART” way to ride. I think this is a great idea.

SMART is one of the courses developed from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) which was founded in 1974 to educate riders about safe driving and proper licensing. S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym for: Smart Motorcyclists Attend Rider Training. The course was developed for riders specifically in Topeka, Kansas, however its message is the same one DFW law enforcement is trying to relay here.

Apparently, since 2006, the number of motorcycle-related fatalities in Arlington has tripled. And as early as two months ago, a study was done on the sport bike trend and how racing such bikes is compromising the safety of riders and fellow motorists. That study came just one month after the Irving accident that killed two young men when they lost control of their bikes and were flung off a ramp on the George Bush Turnpike.

It’s time something be done and I’m glad our area is taking steps to educate inexperienced riders on sport bike and motorcycle safety. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot more programs and classes like the one they put on in Arlington this week.

Of course, motorcycle accidents are not always the fault of the riders, but instead, accidents are caused by other car and truck drivers. Another good thing about these motorcycle safety courses is that they teach riders how to be defensive and watch out for mistakes made by other motorists.

If you have suffered bodily injuries as a result of a motorcycle-related accident, please call injury attorney Mark A. Anderson for a free consultation at 817-294-1900 or Contact Me Online.

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Posted In: Auto Accidents , Motorcycle Accidents , News to Use , Personal Injuries , Wrongful Death

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Texas Highway 121, just west of DFW Airport in Grapevine, was shut down until about noon today due to a tragic motorcycle accident involving an already crashed car.

Early this morning, a woman suspected of drunk driving wrecked her car on 121 and then got out. She was standing next to it as a 32-year-old man on a sport bike motorcycle slammed into her crashed car. The man died at the scene from his injuries. His impact was so hard that it flipped the woman’s Honda Civic over onto its roof.

The man had been riding with another guy who was also on a motorcycle. Luckily, the other rider was able to avoid the accident and is unharmed. Coincidentally, just last week I wrote about the dangers of riding sport bike motorcycles, but in this particular scenario, the biker wasn’t the one guilty of dangerous behavior. It’s tragic that the man came up on the scene at precisely the wrong time.

An investigation is still pending, but if it is determined that she was intoxicated when she crashed, causing a dangerous road-block for other drivers and killing one, then she will be facing charges for intoxication manslaughter.

Drunk driving is a serious problem. As I mentioned in a recent blog about drunk driving accidents, every five hours someone is killed in Texas in a drunk-driving wreck. That is just ridiculous.

If one of your loved ones has suffered injuries or a wrongful death due to a motorcycle collision, please give me a call to discuss your rights. I can be reached at 817-294-1900 or Contact Me Online.

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Posted In: Accident Investigation , Auto Accidents , Motorcycle Accidents , News to Use , Personal Injuries , Wrongful Death

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Not long ago, I wrote about about a motorcycle accident that killed two teenagers. Now, just a few weeks later, a story has turned up in the Dallas Morning News about the culture surrounding sport bikes—riding them and showing off tricks.

Sport bikes are different than “cruiser” bikes like Harleys in that their low weight allows them to reach speeds up to 185 miles per hour. They are also capable of going from zero to 60 miles per hour in just three seconds.

Another problem with the sport bikes is that they are very affordable. This means teens and young twenty-somethings are able to purchase racing bikes a lot easier. Some of the riders of these bikes do it for the thrill; many popping “wheelies” and racing on interstates and highways all around Dallas-Fort Worth. Not only does going double (or more) the speed limit on Airport Freeway, for example, greatly endanger the driver of a speedy sport bike, but just think of all the other vehicles on the roadways who aren’t looking to get into a deadly collision with a motorcycle. Statistics show those who ride sport bikes are far more likely to be killed than those riding cruiser motorcycles.

And that seems to be what happened with the wreck I previously wrote on. Even though the speed the teens were going when they crashed has not been determined, fellow racers who knew the two who were killed reasoned that they were following each other too closely and maybe going too fast to prevent the deadly wreck. They had been riding on a ramp from the George Bush Turnpike to Highway 161 in Irving, Texas, when one hit a wall, flying over the side of the ramp and falling to his death, and the rider behind him ran into the first bike, also being thrown over the wall of the ramp. The two were both 18-years-old; one was from North Richland Hills and the other was from Bedford, Texas.

If you have been injured riding a motorcycle and someone else caused your injury, you may have a claim for your personal injuries. Please call Fort Worth Motorcycle Accident Attorney Mark A. Anderson at 817-294-1900 of Contact Me Online.

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Posted In: Motorcycle Accidents , News to Use , Personal Injuries , Wrongful Death

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Early this morning, two teenage-boys were killed in a motorcycle wreck on a ramp from the George Bush Turnpike to Highway 161. One was from Bedford, Texas; the other from North Richland Hills, Texas. The details are still unknown, but apparently when one of the riders hit a wall, the other came up behind him and both were flung off the freeway.

Were they racing? Were they wearing helmets? Helmets might not have even mattered if they were racing. When I first heard the story, initially I thought of helmets and then I thought of racing, but my next thought was: what kind of bikes were they on—maybe one of those sport bikes?

Many riders complain that roads are dangerous because of other motorists. This case shows a wreck that was probably not caused by other cars or trucks, but by a combination of too much speed and the vulnerability that goes with riding a motorcycle on an interstate highway. When the boys hit the wall, they flew off their bikes and fell to their death. If they had been encased in a car, the result might have not been deadly. Either way, this unfortunate story just brings to light how dangerous motorcycle-riding can be.

More news to come, I’m sure, as the story develops.

Posted by Mark A. Anderson | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Motorcycle Accidents , Wrongful Death

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Harley-Davidson just announced it is recalling all of its 2008 Touring models due to a finding that the fuel-filter shell may crack. This could cause the motorcycles to slow or stall and could then lead to a motorcycle accident. This is a voluntary recall and affects almost 50,000 of these motorcycles. According to the company, which is based in Milwaukee, no accidents due this defect have been reported.

So if you own a 2008 Harley with a FL designation, call your local dealer or call the company at 1-414-343-4056. This is not something you want to put off. For a copy of the official recall notice from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, click here.

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Posted In: Motorcycle Accidents , News to Use

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There have been several deaths caused by motorcycle accidents in Tarrant County, Texas over the past several weeks. Just this week, a Tarrant County Bailiff died in a wreck in Hurst, Texas on his way home from work when a driver of a car apparently did not see him and turned right into his motorcycle. Also this week, a Colleyville, Texas man died in north Fort Worth in what appears to be a wreck that did not involve any other vehicles. It is believed that he hit a curb on a curve in the roadway.

These motorcylce accidents serve as reminders that riders face many dangers that car drivers do not. Sometimes drivers just simply do not see the motorcycles—which might be the case with the Hurst rider's death. Or a simple mistake like hitting a curb can lead to tragic results, like in the Colleyville man’s death.

The protection for a motorcycle rider is extremely limited. Leather can help reduce certain injuries and helmets can help with head injuries, but besides that there is really no protection. That is why motorcycle riders must be extremely more careful than drivers of cars. It is a matter of self-preservation.

Posted by Mark A. Anderson | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Motorcycle Accidents , Wrongful Death

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This past weekend I drove up Highway 287 northwest of the Fort Worth area. There were far more than the normal amount of motorcycle riders traveling on this road, as many were headed to the famous Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota. Sturgis draws about 500,000 motorcycle enthusiasts each year. I have never been, but I hear it is an unbelievable experience.

I paid attention to the riders and all but one seemed to be excellent drivers. One idiot felt the need to play cat and mouse with me, passing me then slowing down to force me to pass. Of course, this was late at night and he was not wearing a helmet. But he definitely was the exception to the rule. Please, please wear helmets and ride as if you are invisible. Some call it defensive driving, but for motorcycle riders it is called survival.

Posted by Mark A. Anderson | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Motorcycle Accidents

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