Fort Worth Injury Lawyer Blog

On Sunday afternoon, an Amtrak train was in a collision with a semi-truck due to the truck being stuck on a railroad crossing. The truck accident occurred in the 1000 block of Erie Street in Fort Worth, Texas around 3 p.m.

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.

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.

The family of Fort Worth, Texas resident, Sonia Baker, who was killed in a car accident in December, filed suit against The Pour House, where Officer Jesus Cisneros was drinking. Cisneros drove his unmarked city vehicle to the Pour House when he was off-duty. He was meeting other officers for a birthday celebration.

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.

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.

Seattle accident attorney, Jason Epstein founded TADD (Teens Against Distracted Driving) to educate teens of the dangers of texting and driving, and hopefully put an end to the problem all together. Click here for a link to the TADD website. Teens are invited to sign their name on the pledge online, and in return receive a free wrist bracelet. Jason had no idea how much energy and enthusiasm would be generated by this program, but he has seen the commitment teens have to making a change.

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.

A car wreck involving 77-year-old Waynoka Ricord happened right before 1:30 a.m. on Sunday morning. The accident occurred near the 1800 block of Shady Oaks Drive in Southlake, Texas. Ricord was on her way home from work at the DFW Airport hotel.

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.

It may be interesting to find out that teenagers are actually less likely to drive after drinking than adults are. I think a major reason why teens are less likely to drive under the influence is that they are aware that it is first, illegal for them to be driving, and second, have been educated relentlessly over the consequences of drinking while driving.

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.

A high speed police chase started in Arlington and ended in a car crash in Ft. Worth, Texas late Tuesday afternoon. The chase started in Arlington on I-20 near the Parks at Arlington shopping center.

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.

66 year old Juan Martinez died last Friday morning at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth. Martinez received severe injuries by being hit by a school bus while riding his bicycle on the Northwest side of Fort Worth.

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.

There is a campaign going on today through Sunday focusing on enforcing Texas’ seat belt laws with young drivers. The Texas Department of Transportation’s “Click it or Ticket” campaign has decided to quite literally “buckle down” on making sure new drivers are following the seat belt laws.

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.

The Look, Learn, Live campaign was launched last year to help improve motor vehicle driver’s awareness of motor cycle safety for both themselves and for the motor cycle rider.

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.

Four people died in a car wreck the day after Christmas in Southlake due to alleged acceleration problems with a Toyota Avalon. A lawsuit was filed on Thursday against the Japanese automaker for the death of one of the four passengers of the car. I blogged about this accident 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.

Around 8 am Wednesday morning a 14 year old girl was struck by a pickup truck in North Fort Worth while skating. The pedestrian accident occurred at the intersection of Basswood Boulevard and Buttonwood Drive.

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.

There is now a possibility that Toyota will be recalling its popular Corolla due to growing power steering complaints. This is now the third car on the list of safety recalls for the Japanese based automaker.

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.

In my book 15 Mistakes that Will Wreck your Texas Accident Case, I address some of the most important issues I have observed over the years while helping thousands of injury victims. I believe that with this information, you can take control of your unfortunate situation.

Mistake No. 2: Failing to promptly obtain medical treatment

If you are hurt in an accident, it’s absolutely crucial that you seek medical attention immediately. If you do not seek medical treatment soon after an accident you probably will not have a viable injury claim. Insurance companies and juries assume that if you are hurt you would have gone to the doctor.

It is vital that you do not try to “tough it out” or “hope it gets better” because it not only delays your recovery from the injuries but it negatively affects the success of your personal injury claim. Depending on the extent of your injuries, your initial treatment might very well be taking an ambulance ride to the hospital or visiting the emergency room on your own.

Do not let a lack of health insurance stand in your way to cause you to endure pain unnecessarily. A good place to start is by visiting an urgent treatment car facility near you. You can also rely on the local public health system.

Another option is to contact an attorney who specializes in injury cases. When requested, I will happily provide the names of various doctors who will provide proper treatment and delay billing patients until their case is resolved.

No matter which option you choose, it is extremely important that you seek medical attention promptly. Failing to do so will almost certainly “wreck” your case.

Hopefully, this helps to educate and inform you about how and when to seek medical treatment after an injury. I hope this makes you more aware of how important it is to not make a mistake that can “wreck” your case!

Information provided by Dallas/Fort Worth 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, or toll free across Texas at 877-294-1115. He can also be contacted by clicking here.

In the spirit of the snow day in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, I thought it might be useful to share a few tips for avoiding car accidents in the snow. The best advice is to avoid driving all together, but if you must face the weather, it is important to have some basic knowledge about how to alter your driving habits for the winter weather.

Here are some winter driving tips from AAA:

Accelerate and decelerate slowly. Applying the gas slowly to accelerate is the best method for regaining traction and avoiding skids. Don't try to get moving in a hurry. And take time to slow down for a stoplight. Remember: It takes longer to slow down on icy roads.

Drive slowly. Everything takes longer on snow-covered roads. Accelerating, stopping, and turning - nothing happens as quickly as on dry pavement. Give yourself time to maneuver by driving slowly.

Know your brakes. Whether you have antilock brakes or not, the best way to stop is threshold breaking. Keep the heel of your foot on the floor and use the ball of your foot to apply firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal.

Don't stop if you can avoid it. There's a big difference in the amount of inertia it takes to start moving from a full stop versus how much it takes to get moving while still rolling. If you can slow down enough to keep rolling until a traffic light changes, do it.

Don't power up hills. Applying extra gas on snow-covered roads just starts your wheels spinning. Try to get a little inertia going before you reach the hill and let that inertia carry you to the top. As you reach the crest of the hill, reduce your speed and proceed downhill as slowly as possible.

Don't stop going up a hill. There's nothing worse than trying to get moving up a hill on an icy road. Get some inertia going on a flat roadway before you take on the hill.

Stay home. If you really don't have to go out, don't. Even if you can drive well in the snow, not everyone else can. Don't tempt fate: If you don't have somewhere you have to be, watch the snow from indoors.

I hope everyone is enjoying the break from the typical North Texas weather pattern. I think snow days bring back many great memories. Stay warm and stay safe!

Information provided by Texas Board Certified Personal Injury Lawyer Mark A. Anderson, who can be contacted in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or online by clicking here.

Street racing is the culprit of a deadly car accident in Fort Worth, TX. Two maroon Chevrolet Avalanches were racing when one suddenly lost control and swerved into the retaining wall on the service road killing one man and severely injuring the other. Carlos Jimenez-Cano, 20, was pronounced dead at 10:41 p.m. Tuesday night by the Fort Worth Medical Examiner. The driver of the Avalanche, who has not been identified, remains in critical condition at John Peter Smith hospital.

Alcohol use is suspected in the cause of the accident; however, no further information is available at this time. The other Avalanche fled the scene and turned west back onto Bolt Street near the access road. Fort Worth police are still looking for the second maroon Avalanche.

Street racing is an increasing problem in our communities. With celebrities and Hollywood endorsing this illegal activity, it is no wonder that more often than not the younger generations are the ones becoming victims of the consequences of street racing. It is unfortunate that the media makes such a dangerous activity look so appealing.

Information and commentary provided by Texas Car Accident Lawyer Mark A. Anderson of the Anderson Law Firm. The firm specializes in representing those seriously injured as a result of the negligence of others. Mark Anderson can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or online by clicking here.

Police have determined that suspect Jeffery Drew Lamar, 34, is believed to be responsible for causing a car wreck around 10:30 pm on Saturday night. The crash occurred on the 6900 block of Robertson Road, in Northwest Tarrant County. Witnesses say that Lamar lost control of his BMW and collided head on with Fort Worth resident Larry Thompson. According to Fort Worth Police, Lamar is believed to have been driving while intoxicated.

Thompson, 63, was the Executive Director of the Northwest Tarrant County Chamber of Commerce and also worked in hospital administration for 35 years. He was pronounced dead at the scene according to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner and police reports. Lamar, the alleged drunk driver, still remains at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth.

Drunk driving still remains a huge problem. Despite all the awareness of its dangers, it seems that we see weekly reports of another senseless death as a result of someone’s reckless decision to get behind the wheel of a car after they have had too much to drink. According to MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), someone is killed by a drunk driver every 45 minutes here in the US. In 2008, 11,773 people died from drunk driving related crashes, a decline of 9.8% from 2007.

My sincere condolences go out to the Thompson family. When you hear of tragedies such as this one, we must be reminded to be responsible before we get in our cars.

Information and commentary provided by Tarrant County DWI Accident Victim Lawyer Mark A. Anderson, who can be reached at 817-294-1900 or by clicking here.

On Monday night, we received another call to take an intoxicated motorcycle rider home. And we happily got the rider and his bike home safely. This time, it was the actual motorcycle rider who gave us a call. He had got our information from a local motorcycle dealer. We are excited, as this means the word is getting out about our program.

Here is some info about the Ride Safe Ride Sober free motorcycle towing program. If anyone sees a motorcycle rider who is impaired/intoxicated, all they have to do is call Terry Purdom at 817-319-2222. Terry will make sure the rider and his motorcycle get home safely. It sure beats driving while drunk and possibly being involved in a motorcycle wreck. The best part: the tow is free to the rider, as it is being paid for by the Anderson Law Firm. This free service is only available in Tarrant County, Texas.

About the Anderson Law Firm: We specialize in helping those injured as a result of the negligence of others. We routinely handle accident cases involving motorcycle riders, as well as other motor vehicles. We offer free consultations by phone or in person. To see if we can help you, just call Board Certified Personal Injury Lawyer Mark Anderson at 817-294-1900 or contact Fort Worth's Motorcycle Lawyer online.

Additionally, all accident victims should read Mark's book 15 Mistakes That Will Wreck Your Texas Accident Case. It is free to all Texas residents. To order, just click here.

I recently blogged about Toyota’s 4.2 million vehicle recall after concerns that the floor mats were getting caught up beneath the accelerator pedal; this defect causes uncontrollable acceleration which caused several wrecks and killed four people in San Diego. Now, they are recalling 2.3 million vehicles due to a similar problem; however, this time, the defect is in the pedal itself, not the floor mat.

The cars affected in the recall:

2009-2010 RAV4
2009-2010 Corolla
2009-2010 Matrix
2005-2010 Avalon
2007-2010 Camry
2010 Highlander
2007-2010 Tundra
2008-2010 Sequoia

The cars affected by this recall AND the floor mat recall:

2005-2010 Avalon
2007-2010 Camry
2007-2010 Tundra

According to Toyota, these vehicles are at risk for the accelerator pedal to become stuck even without a floor mat present. The problem is that the pedal mechanism can wear down and in some cases causing the accelerator to become harder to press, slower to return, or even stuck. Toyota thinks the problem is caused by build-up of condensation on sliding surfaces in the accelerator system.

Unfortunately, the company does not yet have an actual fix for the problem, although they say they are working on one. The company will be contacting drivers affected by the recall immediately.

According to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, problem is "a serious safety issue and we are pleased Toyota is taking immediate action to address it."

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, or toll fee anywhere in the state at 877-294-1115. He can also be contacted by clicking here.

I was in Court yesterday in Tarrant County, Texas and the hearing before mine was about a lady who wanted to sell her structured annuity to one of those companies you see on TV, JG Wentworth. I don’t know the full history, but what I gathered is that she had been injured on the job with the railroad and had received a structured annuity as part of her personal injury lawsuit settlement. The lady was there alone and the only lawyer present was representing JG Wentworth. I learned that the lady received around $500 a month from the settlement (tax free) and that she was due to receive a lump sum payment of around $30,000 in 2017. Including that lump sum payment, she would receive a total of $72,000 over the next seven years. But in all her wisdom she had decided to sell her annuity for the whopping sum of $29,000. Wow, that was less than 50% of its present value.

The Judge quizzed her on her needs and it was not very clear why she needed the money. She had a job, had a car and had a house. The Judge made it very clear to her that he thought she was making a huge mistake. And he was absolutely right. She was truly making a horrible mistake and just giving away half her money. But ultimately, the judge approved it as she was an adult and if she wanted to make huge mistake, then that is her right.

My advice is to stay away from these type of companies. If you own a settlement and also need more money than the settlement stream provides, then do everything in your power to not sell the annuity—as you will lose over half its value in a sell. What can you do? Borrow money from others. Put a second lien on your house. Just don’t sell the annuity.

As an aside, I think structured annuities are great as they help make sure that the settlement money will still be there later. I encourage my clients that are receiving large settlement to at least consider the benefits of annuities. I refer them to Dirk Weeks at Structured Annuities, Inc. Dirk is extremely knowledgeable on these products and can provide lots of options depending on the future financial needs of the injury victim.

On a related topic, click here for my thoughts on Lawsuit Loan Companies.

Information provided by Texas Board Certified Injury Lawyer Mark A. Anderson, who can be contacted at 817-294-1900 in Fort Worth, at 214-327-8000 in Dallas and at 1-877-294-1115 across Texas. Also, please click here to contact online.

New Year’s resolutions are oftern focused on improving one's health through exercise. And riding a bike is a fantastic form of exercise. I personally love riding one of my bikes, even though I enjoy riding on a trail as opposed to a road for safety reasons. I do this as I know that bicycle accidents happen on a regular basis. While many people choose bicycles as an eco-friendly means of transportation over short distances, and a wonderful form of relaxation and exercise, riding a bicycle isn’t all nice views and good exercise. What’s the biggest danger to bicycle riders? Other vehicles sharing the road.

Bike statistics reveal dangers.
A motor vehicle accident involving a bike can be deadly. These accidents injure 52,000 people every year, and kill 700 bikers annually. Urban areas are particularly hazardous for bike riders, but bicycle-car accidents happen practically anywhere. As a bicyclist, you must be extra vigilant in order to effectively protect yourself.

How to protect yourself while biking.
Helmets exist for a reason. They’re not particularly glamorous, but helmets can save your life and help prevent extremely dangerous brain injuries. Make sure you always wear a properly fitted helmet for your own protection.

The biggest cause of vehicle-bicycle accidents is drivers not seeing a biker. You must be extremely vigilant and defensive when you’re biking around cars. Never assume that a vehicle can see you while you’re out biking. Signal properly before turning, and make sure vehicles are responding to your signals before you turn. Even if you do everything right; if a motor vehicle driver isn’t paying attention, it’ll be you suffering the injuries. You have to pay enough attention for everyone.

When riding at night, always wear reflective gear on both you and the bike. Having reflective gear only on your bike can expose you to a potentially dangerous situation; most drivers are accustomed to looking at eye-height for obstacles, and may not look carefully enough to notice your bike’s reflective gear before they encounter you. Also, a flashing red light affixed to your bike is a great safety item. These are relatively inexpensive and can be purchased at your local bike store.

At the Anderson Law Firm, we represent bicycle accident victims and always offer free consultations. So if you have been injured in a bike accident and you want to know your legal rights, feel free to contact us at 1-877-294-1115. With offices in Dallas and Fort Worth, we represent bicycle wreck victims all over the North Texas area. Click here to contact us online.

This is an off topic post for me, but I thought that this is a story worth sharing. I had a most disturbing encounter the other night. I was at a local Black Eyed Pea restaurant for dinner with my wife and daughter when we were approached by a very gentle, unassuming older man who had the booth next to us. He complimented my nine year old daughter then complimented my wife. He then began to charm us with stories of when he was a pediatric neurosurgeon here in Fort Worth. The conversation continued, the stories were engaging and it all seemed normal, even though as I type this I wonder why I thought it was normal as we had never seen this man before. On the way home, it started to click—why was this nice older man so interested in us? Or, upon reflection, so interested in my daughter.

Within a minute of getting home, I had googled him and found out I had just introduced my innocent daughter to a convicted child molester. His last (known) victim was a nine year old girl. He had lost his medical license when he received two convictions years ago. My wife called the molester (he had given us his number) and gave him an earful. The Fort Worth Police were sympathetic, but he had broken no laws.

Our kids are great at following the rule of not talking to strangers. I know my daughter is. But now I am acutely aware of how I need to do a better job of screening who enters my daughter’s life through me. I am telling you, this guy was smooth. The internet is such a great resource for quick investigations. The Texas Department of Public Safety’s Sex Offender Registry can be searched many ways, including by name or zip code. The DPS’s site can be found at https://records.txdps.state.tx.us. This site has all sorts of information, including name, address, current picture and basis for sexual conviction. I was surprised to learn that there are 82 registered sex offenders in my home zip code and 98 such perverts in my work zip code.

This world has all kinds of people. These bad guys use the internet to their advantage. Believe me, I am going to use the internet to my advantage as well and know who I meet from now on, and be much more careful about to whom I introduce my daughter. I encourage all parents to become familiar with this site.

Information provided by Fort Worth Injury Lawyer Mark A. Anderson.

Recently I’ve blogged about Jesus Cisneros, the off-duty Fort Worth police officer who drove drunk in an unmarked police vehicle and caused a car accident that killed Sonia Baker, a mother of two. [see here, here and here] New details continue to be released from the ongoing investigation. Now, 20 other FWPD officers are being investigated after reports indicate they were drinking with Cisneros prior to the accident. It’s also been reported that Cisneros was driving at twice the posted speed limit of 35 mph.

The investigation is looking into 20 other officers who were apparently drinking with Cisneros at The Pour House on West 7th Street. Three off duty officers who were working security at the bar, including two sergeants, are included in the investigation.

According to police, Mrs. Baker was not at fault in the crash. Cisneros was traveling at such a high rate of speed that Mrs. Baker wouldn’t have even seen him as she tried to turn her vehicle onto Columbus Trail from Evening Star Drive.

Cisneros is not the first FWPD officer to drive drunk; this year three other officers were suspended and later fired after being arrested on DWI charges.

As the FWPD is releasing results of their investigation, it seems to answer some questions but raises many others. So how many other officers were driving drunk that night? How many were driving city vehicles? I would find it unusual that Cisneros was the only one out of 20 that had drank too much. And unrelated to the city, what about the Pour House? At some point the cops need to be cut off and not served anymore.

I agree with our Police Chief Jeff Halstead when he says that officers have a duty to step in and help out another officer that might have had too much to drink

I look forward to hearing more about this from our city’s investigation and am glad that the city and the FWPD are releasing information they way they are. This investigation must reveal what really happened and serious changes need to be made to make sure nothing like this happens again. This whole thing makes me sick. And embarrassed for our city and its police force.

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

Sonia Baker

Jesus Cisneros

Photos from The Fort Worth Star Telegram

As an accident and injury lawyer, I see all the time the unfortunate results of someone driving while talking on the cell phone. We all know we aren’t as attentive when we have that ever-present cell phone up to our ears. Well, for those of you who want to do something about it but just don’t have the self discipline to turn off your phone, I now have a solution for you. I read about an interesting new technology yesterday in the New York Times: You can subscribe (for a cost) to a service which monitors your GPS signal on you cell phone and if it shows you are moving at driving speeds—it shuts your phone off. So it takes the decision away from you—if you are driving, you won’t be talking on your cell phone! And there is less of a chance you will cause a car wreck.

So who is using this new technology? The Times reported that some businesses with delivery drivers put the service in place on all of their phones. One such company, Community Coffee out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has implemented this service after its “no talk” policy was not really being followed by its 400 drivers. They have seen their accident rates drop by about 30%.

So are car insurance companies taking notice? Sure, as anything that decreases accidents is good for their business. Nationwide Insurance Company offers a 5% discount to drivers who sign up for this service with Aegis Mobility, which is one of the companies offering this new technology. State Farm Insurance Company is looking into this and considering offering discounts. I am sure other insurance carriers will soon follow and offer discounts.

I think this service is a good thing. I don’t really see individuals forking out money for the service (it costs about $85 to set up, then $5 a month). Most people just are too attached to their cell phones and want to be accessible. But for those companies that have delivery drivers, this service makes a lot of sense. Having a corporate policy about talking on the cell phone while driving just doesn’t quite do the trick. I see all the time cases where there is a company policy that isn’t followed.

Mark A. Anderson is a Board Certified Injury Attorney who handles Texas Accident Cases. He can be contacted at 877-294-1115 or online by clicking here.

Easton Sports recalled all of their EA30 bicycle stems last week because the stem can crack and cause the rider to lose control of the bike and fall. Already one cyclist has been injured as a result of these faulty stems.

Bikes with this stem were sold from August 2007 through August 2009. Aftermarket stems were sold through September 2009. The EA30 is black with white and gray graphics and a four-bolt stem face cap. “EA30” is printed on the stem.

Easton Sports is providing a free replacement stem for the EA30’s involved in the recall. For more details, call Easton Sports toll free at 1-866-892-6059, or click here to read their recall notice. Click here to read the entire notice on the Consumer Product Safety Commission website.

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.

Here in the Dallas Fort Worth area, you hear about it in the news every now and then: a drug is recalled because of potentially dangerous or fatal side effects. What they typically don’t tell you about is how the FDA comes to the conclusion that a drug is dangerous enough to call for it to be “pulled off of the shelves.” It usually isn’t because of theoretical case studies. Drug recalls are usually a result of a pattern of injuries, sometimes fatalities, which are reported to the federal database. Unfortunately, those people who suffered the consequences wrongly, but justifiably, believed they were taking a safe drug.

Legal remedies for drug-related injuries
If you follow my blog, you’ll notice that I’ve posted a couple of articles about the Vermont woman who sued Wyeth over a drug injected for anti-nausea that ultimately led to losing her arm. Wyeth appealed her lawsuit all the way to the United States Supreme Court, citing a federal preemption that could potentially ban patients from suing pharmaceutical companies at all. Fortunately, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the patient’s right to sue, overturning the ban and making it possible for patients to seek legal remedies in the event of a drug injury.

Thanks in part to that federal ruling, patients have the right to pursue legal remedies in the event of a botched or dangerous drug case. As information about dangerous drugs becomes more publicly available, patients may find that even though they didn’t think they had a case, they can pursue legal action against a drug company for their injuries.

Don’t let a drug company get away with putting potentially dangerous drugs on the market. If you’ve suffered a drug-related injury, contact a personal injury attorney to find out whether you’re eligible to pursue a legal case against the drug company. You’re not only advocating for yourself; you’re potentially protecting anyone else who might ever use the drug and find themselves injured or killed.

Currently, the Anderson Law Firm is reviewing cases involving the dangerous drugs Reglan (or Metoclopramide), Avandia and Chantix. If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of taking these drugs, contact us online or at 877-294-1115.

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.

Motor vehicle accidents range from minor to severe. If another car taps your car at a stop sign going five miles per hour, and doesn’t leave a scratch on either vehicle, you probably aren’t hurt and, therefore, don’t need to seek medical treatment. But if you’re involved in a more serious accident with injuries, don’t try to ignore them; get medical treatment as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, it’s a fact that many people refuse medical treatment after an auto accident. Sometimes they think that they pain will go away. Sometimes they are worried about the huge hospital bill that they would incur. The bottom line is that your health is extremely important and should be a top priority.

Seeking medical treatment right away isn’t just a matter of taking care of your health, although that’s certainly the most important thing to consider after a car accident. It’s also about documenting your medical problems in the event that you need to prove they’re related to the car accident. If you have back problems after a car accident but wait two weeks to go to the doctor, it’s much more difficult to prove that it’s related to the car wreck than if you go the next day.

I have seen it time and again when folks tried to “tough it out” and they accomplish nothing. They endure pain unnecessarily and they “wreck” their potential insurance claim. Bottom line: seek medical treatment ASAP after a car accident. Not just for your case, but for your health.

Information provided by Fort Worth Texas Injury Attorney Mark A. Anderson, who discusses this topic and many others in his book, 15 Mistakes That Will Wreck Your Texas Accident Case. This book is available for free to Texas Residents at www.DontWreckYourCase.com.

About 300,000 robes have been recalled, including full length robes, jackets, lounge jackets and tops. The chenille items were sold in Blair stores in Pennsylvania and Delaware and nationally in Blair catalogs from 2000-2007.

Most of the deaths linked to the robes occurred when the victims were cooking; the chenille proved highly flammable when it came into contact with the cooking flame. Most of the victims were in their 70s and 80s.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission and Blair LLC initiated the recall of the items that were made by A-One Textile & Towel, of Karachi, and were manufactured in Pakistan.

For more information, visit the Blair recall website.

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

This is a question I get from some of my new clients after they have been in some sort of an auto accident somewhere here in the Fort Worth Arlington area. The short answer to that is: yes, you absolutely should. PIP insurance is No-Fault insurance which you carry on your own automobile policy and it provides reimbursement to you (and any passenger in your car), for medical expenses and for documented wages up to the amount of the PIP coverage. In Texas, each insurance company must offer at least $2,500.00 in PIP coverage, but you can buy more. In order to turn down this coverage, you must reject it in writing.

The reason that PIP coverage is so good is that you are not penalized in any subsequent claim against the responsive party if you use PIP coverage. In other words, you can recover from the responsible party’s insurance company (if they were indeed at fault) and you can also recover on your own policy. You can also even use health insurance to pay for your bills, therefore utilizing yet a third type of insurance.

Some people are reluctant to make a PIP claim on their own policy, but it is against the law for an insurance company to raise your rates or drop you solely because you make a PIP claim. The reason, this is a no-fault claim. You can make this type of claim regardless of whether you were at fault or somebody else was responsible for your injuries.

So to me, a lawyer who focuses solely on personal injury, this is a no brainer. If you were fortunate enough to pay for the PIP coverage (and it is very cheap), you should definitely use it if you have been in an automobile accident.

Information provided by Fort Worth Arlington, Texas Board Certified Injury Attorney Mark A. Anderson, who can be contacted at 877 294 1115 or by clicking here.

If you have been involved in an automobile, truck or motorcycle accident in Fort Worth, Texas, you must make some decisions to protect your potential insurance claim or you could suffer the consequences of a “wrecked case.” Fort Worth’s Board Certified Injury Attorney Mark A. Anderson has recently authored a book which goes over the many ways an accident victim can destroy their own case, therefore making it harder to recover fair and reasonable compensation. This book, entitled 15 Mistakes That Will Wreck Your Texas Accident Case, is for sale on Amazon.com, but is made available for free to Texas residents at www.DontWreckYourCase.com.

In this book, Mistake No. 2 is the failure to obtain prompt medical treatment. Insurance companies and juries tend to operate under the assumption that if you are hurt, then you need to go to the doctor. And that makes sense. But the problem I see often is most people try to tough out their pain and not go to the hospital or doctor unless it is absolutely necessary. If you have a broken bone or are bleeding excessively, you will go to the hospital. But it is human nature to try to tough it out if you have a less obvious injury. You might take over the counter pain medications and see if the injury will heal on its own. You might wait an entire month before you go to the doctor.

The problem with this approach is that without good medical documentation, it may look to an outsider like you weren’t really hurt. So in order to not hurt your ability to recover fair compensation, you will need to seek medial treatment within the first few days after an accident. This will allow you to get on the road to recovery much faster and will serve as proper documentation of your injury.

Fort Worth Injury Attorney Mark A. Anderson can be contacted at 817-294-1900 or at www.maafirm.com.

It isn’t just Texas lawmakers who are concerned about texting while driving; now, the Obama Administration is taking steps to prevent distracted driving accidents by banning texting while driving for bus drivers and truckers. It will also push states to pass their own laws against distracted driving.

According to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, President Obama recently signed an executive order banning texting while driving for all government workers while on government business, in government vehicles, or using government equipment. The administration is also trying to disqualify for a commercial driver’s license any school bus drivers who are convicted of texting while driving.

Driver distraction, which often involves texting, killed 5,870 people and injured 515,000 last year, according to the Transportation Department. Lawmakers across the country have placed restrictions on texting while driving, including the District of Columbia, where it is illegal to drive and text. Washington D.C. and seven states have even banned handheld cell phone use completely while driving.

One group of people these changes will affect most is truck drivers. Truckers frequently use computers to communicate with their company dispatchers, and often use this technology while driving. The American Trucking Association said they will work with the Transportation Department to reduce driving distractions, although Mississippi personal injury lawyer Robert Kisselburgh wrote an interesting blog recently exploring the Association’s financial interest in keeping these laws from going into effect.

I think this new law is great. Anything to make the roads safer. And if it makes the truckers a little inconvenienced, then so be it. What is more important—saving lives or texting your dispatcher?

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.

Toyota Motor Corp. issued a warning on Tuesday that the floor mats found in many popular models of Toyota and Lexus cars may cause the accelerator to become stuck and could potentially lead to dangerous accidents. The warning came after a crash near San Diego in August which killed four family members when their Lexus ES 350 sped out of control, flew off of an embankment, rolled over several times and burst into flames.

Toyota and government officials recommended owners remove the floor mat from the driver’s side of their vehicles and not replace it. Toyota has not said how many complaints they’ve received about this issue, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it has received reports of 102 incidents where the accelerator may have been stuck on Toyota vehicles.

Toyota advises that if the accelerator appears to be stuck and the driver can’t remove the floor mat, to step on the brake pedal with both feet to slow the vehicle and then try to put the car in neutral and switch the ignition to accessory power.

This can be a huge problem if not fixed, so I encourage all owners affected to make sure they get replacement mats.

The following is a list of vehicles that will be affected in the floor mat recall:
2007-2010 Toyota Camry
2005-2010 Toyota Avalon
2004-2009 Toyota Prius
2005-2010 Toyota Tacoma
2007-2010 Toyota Tundra
2007-2010 Lexus ES 350
2006-2010 Lexus IS 250 and IS 350

For more information consumers can contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at 1-888-327-4236, Toyota at 1-800-331-4331, or Lexus at 1-800-255-3987.

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 NHTSA

The Fort Worth police department will have as many as 16 officers per night looking out for drunk drivers this Labor Day weekend. If you’re going to drink and travel, they recommend getting a cab.

Last Labor Day weekend 196 people died in drunken driving crashes across the country and 27 people were killed in Texas. Fort Worth police hope to prevent any fatalities this year. When they took similar measured during the July 4th weekend, no one died in traffic accidents. Police did arrest 43 people that weekend on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.

A new law that went into effect on Tuesday will make it even easier to make drunk driving arrests. Now mandatory blood tests to determine blood alcohol content can be performed on anyone with felony DWI cases, suspected drunken driving crashes where someone is injured and goes to the hospital, and DWI arrests with a child younger than 15 in the car. Police will get search warrants to perform blood tests on suspected drunk drivers who don’t already fall into those categories.

Drunk driving is always stupid, and your chances of getting caught will increase this weekend.

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

Photo from The Fort Worth Star Telegram

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.

Despite overwhelming support from the House and Senate, Governor Rick Perry vetoed a bicycle-safety measure in the last legislative session that would require motorists to give cyclists and other vulnerable road users at least 3 feet of clearance when passing. The proposed law would have fined drivers $500 if they did not provide runners, motorcyclists, bicyclists and tow truck drivers at least 3 feet of clearance.

Gov. Perry apparently feels that there are already plenty of laws that protect cyclists and other non-motorists on our Texas roadways. This has undoubtedly irked many cyclists and organizations that support the shared use of our roads.

In an incident that occurred June 8, 2008, a young gentleman named Kenneth Bain stands accused of hitting and killing two cyclists in Duncanville. Meredith Hatch, 38, and Michael Alfaro, 36, were hit from behind and killed on Camp Wisdom road when Bain’s Lincoln Navigator struck them.

When a cyclist or pedestrian accident occurs on Texas roadways, liability insurance policies should be in place to punish careless drivers and provide compensation for the victims of such accidents. These accident victims are often left with incredibly high medical bills and are forced to miss work as a result of their injuries.

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

Most injury attorneys use a very similar contingent fee contract. It will call for the attorney to be paid 1/3 of the recovery if the case can be settle prior to litigation and a higher fee of 40% of the recovery if the case has to be litigated in the court system. And all out of pocket expenses are usually reimbursed to the attorney as well.

This fee structure is used by all injury attorneys. Whether the lawyer is just out of law school and couldn’t find the courthouse with a map or whether the attorney is an experienced attorney who is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law—they both charge the same percentage. But it is likely that the inexperienced attorney will not be able to recover as much money for you. Is it better to receive 2/3 of a lower amount or 2/3 of a higher amount? It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out!! So why do injury victims settle for less experienced lawyers when it would cost them no more to high a more experienced lawyer who is Board Certified? I have no earthly idea.

Mark A. Anderson is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and has been since 1999. He is based out of Fort Worth and handles cases all over Texas. He only takes on cases on a contingent basis. To discuss a serious injury claim with him, please call the Anderson Law Firm at 817-294-1900 or Contact the Firm Online.

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.

Yesterday I wrote about the three-vehicle crash which happened Sunday night on the exit ramp of I-30 and Cherry Lane near downtwon Fort Worth. That wreck claimed the life of 78-year-old Floyd Boortz and last night, a second victim died from his critical injuries.

Adrian Boortz, 20, was taken to Texas Health Harris Hospital Sunday night after the 10 p.m. accident and was pronounced dead last night around 7 p.m. from his injuries.

Adrian and Floyd Boortz were putting gas in their van on the access road when a 35-year-old driver of a Kia SUV crashed into them and their van as the motorist was exiting the freeway. A 20-year-old woman in the van was not injured and a 2-year-old toddler was taken to Cook Children's Hospital to be checked out but did not seem to be injured. The Kia went on to slam into a Dodge sedan in front of the parked van whose driver had stop to help the men fill their vehicle with gas.

Neither the driver of the Dodge or the Kia were injured.

An accident investigation has revealed alcohol or drugs were not a factor in this accident. Unfortunately, it has turned into two wrongful death accidents. This family seems to have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. My heart goes out to whom I assume is the wife or girlfriend of the second victim--the 20-year-old woman and the child in the van.

Wrongful death claims can be brought by relatives left behind by victims of tragic accidents like these. If you have questions about wrongful death claims in Texas, please contact the Anderson Law Firm to learn your rights by calling 817-294-1900.

A 78-year-old man died last night and a 20-year-old is in critical condition after the two were involved in a vehicle-accident on an Interstate 30 access road in Fort Worth.

Floyd Boortz and an unidentified 20-year-old were stalled on the Cherry Lane exit ramp filling their van with gas when a Kia SUV hit them as it was exiting the freeway. The auto accident happened around 10 p.m. and Boortz died from his injuries shortly after at Texas Health Harris Hospital in downtown Fort Worth. The 20-year-old man is still being treating at Harris.

A two-year-old toddler and 20-year-old female were in the van when the Kia struck the two men outside, as well as the van, and then went on to hit a Dodge sedan parked in front of the van whose driver had stopped to help put gas in the men's van.

Police did not release the name of the 35-year-old driver who casused the accident, but investigators don't believe alcohol or drugs were factors in the crash. An investigation will further reveal what happened.

This is a devastating wrongful death case because there were so many people involved in the accident who witnessed the Kia striking the two men. Fortunately, the woman and her baby were not injured and I hope the 20-year-old man's injuries heal quickly.

If you or someone you know has been injured or killed as the result of someone else's negligence, please contact Board Certified Fort Worth Accident Lawyer Mark Anderson for a free consultation by calling 817-294-1900.

Litigation is about to begin surrounding the collapse of the Dallas Cowboys practice facility which happened back on May 2. The collapse injured 11 people and permanently paralyzed Cowboys scouting assistant Rich Behm.

Behm has hired Dallas-based injury lawyer Frank Branson who has already deposed the president of the company who built the structure—Summit Structures. Branson has also asked for company records; apparently, the Cowboys were aware of a previous structure failure constructed by Summit Structures, but chose to go with them anyway when building the practice dome.

Behm will not be suing the Cowboys, however, since Behm was covered by worker’s compensation, which bars him from filing suit against the organization.

Instead, Behm will go after Summit Structures for the poor building quality which left Behm with permanent life-changing injuries. According to Irving building code, the practice facility was supposed to have been able to stand wind gusts up to 90 mph. The day of the storm, winds were between 70 and 85 mph according to the National Weather Service.

Apparently, Summit Structures President, Nathan Stobbe is basing his defense on the severe weather and “downdraft” of wind that fateful day. A civil proceeding to allow for pre-lawsuit discovery has been filed. A lawsuit will no doubt follow soon.

Information provided by Fort Worth Board Certified Personal Injury Lawyer Mark A. Anderson 817-294-1900.

One person died and five or six were injured in a crash on the monorail train system in the Magic Kingdom park at Walt Disney World over the weekend.

The accident happened at 2 a.m. early Sunday morning in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. 21-year-old Austin Wuennenberg died at the scene. He was the driver of one of the wrecked trains. The driver of the other train was not injured.

This is the first monorail-related fatality at Walt Disney World in Florida; there has been one at Disneyland in California. The Florida monorail has been in operation for 38 years.

The transit system--which carts thousands of people around the Disney parks each day--was shut down Sunday while an accident investigation was conducted. There's been no word yet on what caused the crash.

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

A car lost control and slid into the side of Brett Michaels' tour bus on Saturday, July 4th.

The VH1 Rock of Love star and his band, Poison, were traveling from Canada to St. Paul, Minnesota for a concert when the bus accident happened in Toronto. Five vehicles were involved in the pile-up, including the band's tour bus, but fortunately, no one suffered serious injuries.

Michaels was able to perform today in Minnesota. He plans on re-joining Poison in Connecticut or a concert Monday.

Information provided by DFW Personal Injury Lawyer Mark A. Anderson. Mark can be reached for a free consultation by calling 817-294-1900.

A University of Texas linebacker suffered a concussion last week after his car crashed into an Austin apartment building on June 24.

Sergio Kindle of Dallas and a senior at UT this year, was either sending or receiving a text-message when he slammed into the building, causing $8,700 in property damage. He was able to get out and pull the car back onto the street and fortunately, no one inside the building was injured.

Kindle was examined by team doctors who diagnosed him with a concussion, however he did not have to go to the hospital. According to his attorney, Kindle plans on paying for the damage himself, or through his car insurance if it will cover the accident.

An accident report was filed through the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), but no charges were filed since no one was injured and it was an accident.

Kindle had a successful season last year, but in 2007, he was forced to miss the first 10 games for suspension relating to a drunk-driving arrest.

Since Kindle was at-fault for this accident and he hit a stationary object, there is no room for him to make a personal injury claim if he suffered long-term injuries. Unfortunately, he will just have to pay the property damage and any medical bills with his own insurance, or out-of-pocket.

If you have questions about personal injury accidents in Texas, contact Board Certified Injury Attorney Mark A. Anderson online, or 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!

Another “celebrity” has died this week. TV pitchman Billy Mays was found unresponsive in his Tampa home this morning by his wife. A fire rescue crew pronounced him dead. Mays was only 50 years old. He is best known for his loud style as he was hawking such products as Orange Glo and OxiClean. He was known as the "Infomercial King."

His wife told investigators that Billy mentioned he didn’t feel well when he went to bed about 10 p.m. Saturday night. He had just returned home on a U.S. Airways flight that had experienced a rough landing Saturday afternoon at Tampa International Airport. The plane left debris on the runway after blowing tires upon landing.

The Fox affiliate in Tampa interviewed Mays after the landing and he told reporters about the hard hit and that things from the ceiling started dropping. He said “It hit me on the head, but I've got a hard head.”

At this point, it is unknown whether the hit on the head caused an injury that lead to his death—like the one recently suffered by Natasha Richardson when she fell on a ski slope and died as a result of her brain injury. Ms. Richardson was not immediately rushed to the hospital, which might have saved her life.

So if the hard landing and hit on the head did indeed cause the untimely death, does that mean U.S. Airways is liable? No, not necessarily, but it probably does mean that there will be some sort of investigation into the cause of the bumpy landing. Was it a hard landing that was due to pilot error? Was it mechanical error? Answers will surface, but it could take a long time.

Information provided by Fort Worth, Texas Wrongful Death Attorney Mark A. Anderson, 817-294-1900.

A 41-year-old Arlington man lost control of his motorcycle and was ejected over an overpass yesterday afternoon.

The motorcycle crash happened around 2 p.m. when Douglas D. Trimm was driving on the Texas 360 overpass from northbound I-20. He suddenly lost control of his bike and was ejected off of it falling off the pass onto the westbound lanes of I-20. Trimm’s bike skidded all the way down the overpass before coming to rest in the median.

Trimm was rushed to Methodist Medical Center in Dallas where he died an hour later.
This is one more of a handful of motorcycle-related accident fatalities this spring and brings Arlington’s traffic fatality count to 18 this year.

If you’ve been injured in a motorcycle wreck, contact Board Certified DFW Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Mark Anderson for a free consultation by calling 817-294-1900.

Photograph from www.star-telegram.com.

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.

It's barely 4 p.m. and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is already reporting two major wrecks which are blocking lanes and backing up traffic.

The first accident is blocking two lanes on Interstate 20 at the Grandbury Road exit. The left southbound lanes are blocked off and the impact is being reported as severe. No details of the crash or those involved has been releasd yet.

An even worse accident is being reported on Westbound Interstate 35 in Fort Worth approaching Airport Freeway/Highway 121 where an 18-wheel tractor trailor crash has left the big rig overturned. All lanes are blocked and only the left shoulder is getting by. There have also been no reports of injuries in that accident.

For the latest traffic reports, visit wfaa.com for a full list. And remember to contact the Anderson Law Firm if you've been injured in an auto accident by calling 817-294-1900.

The city of Fort Worth will be adding 10 more red light cameras around town. Currently, 17 intersections have cameras and 25 cameras are in use. Adding 10 more will make the count 35 total cameras—all of which were added in just the last year.

Nearly half of the people who run red lights and get tickets have not paid them, so the city has hired a collections agency to go after them. Approximately 4,000 people per month are ticketed for running lights with cameras and the fine is $75.

While adding cameras may make some intersections safer, many argue the threat of a ticket increases the chance for car accidents like rear-end collisions when people slam their brakes to prevent running red lights.

Fort Worth isn’t the only Metroplex city installing cameras. Several North Texas cities have joined the trend and turned on cameras to catch bad drivers.

Good or bad, drivers take caution when approaching red lights anywhere in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Here’s a list of the six intersections which will get new cameras:

1) Hulen Street at Loop 820 (north and southbound)
2) Trinity Boulevard at Texas 360 (east and westbound)
3) Altamesa Boulevard at McCart Avenue (south and westbound)
4) Ashland Avenue at Interstate 30
5) Berry Street at Interstate 35 (east and westbound)
6) Belknap at Henderson Street

Information provided by Board Certified DFW Accident Attorney Mark A. Anderson 817-294-1900.

General Motors and Chrysler have thrown in the towel and after taking billions of our tax dollars, they have filed for bankruptcy. This means that the company stockholders and a whole lot of other people are left with nothing. The focus in the news has been on the dealers who have lost their dealerships and on all of the job losses. But there has been little mentioned about the affect the two bankruptcies will have on the victims of defective vehicles that were produced by the two manufacturers.

People are injured all the time by defects in these cars and trucks and I sincerely believe that the past lawsuits against the manufacturers have forced the companies produce safer cars. Sometimes, fear of litigation is not such a bad thing. But those poor folks who have suffered the loss of a loved one or who were seriously hurt because of a defective Chrysler or GM vehicle, have just seen their lawsuit go away. There is virtually zero chance that these victims will ever recover a dime in either of these two very complicated bankruptcies.

It also appears that the bankruptcies will forever extinguish the rights of people who are injured in the future as a result of defective cars which were manufactured before these bankruptcies were filed. Sound crazy? Absolutely! Unfortunately, if you become injured in 2010 as a result of a known defect in your 2008-model GM or Chrysler car that exploded upon impact and paralyzed you, it means you will have no right to sue the maker of the car for the known defect.

It doesn't seem fair at all, but that's exactly what all the smart bankruptcy lawyers are saying. They are aware of this fact and it might have even been one of the multiple reasons for the comanys' decision to file in the first place.

Arguably, there should be a way to set aside some money for the potential future lawsuits, or make Fiat or the New GM somehow responsible when these suits arise. But that's just not going to happen, which is too bad for us consumers.

Mark A. Anderson is an injury attorney based in Fort Worth, Texas and can be reached at 817-294-1900 or contact him online.

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.

In Texas, it’s the law to carry liability insurance on your car. This type of insurance covers (or pays for) the damage you cause to someone else in an accident. In a perfect world, everyone would carry liability insurance as required by law. But this isn’t a perfect world. Here in Texas, it’s estimated that over 20% of the cars on our roads carry no liability insurance at all. So what happens if you get in a wreck with someone who has no insurance? Well, you are probably out of luck and will be stuck with huge car repair and medical bills, unless you carry the right kind of insurance yourself.

I highly recommend to all of my clients that they carry uninsured motorists’ coverage (UIM). This insurance covers YOU if you are injured in an accident that was someone else’s fault and he or she doesn’t have insurance. It also covers you if the other person caused you damage which exceeds the insurance coverage that they had. The way this comes about is if they have only a minimum limits policy (currently $25,000) and your damages exceed that amount. If you have UIM coverage, then your own insurance will pay for all damages that exceed the other persons insurance, up to the amount of insurance you purchased.

This is relatively cheap insurance to purchase, so I strongly recommend it to protect yourself. Just one trip to the hospital can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Whether or not you have health insurance, these bills can cause an incredible strain on your finances. With all of the uninsured drivers, and with all of the ones who only carry the minimum limits, it makes sense to safeguard yourself.

This issue is discussed in depth in Mark A. Anderson’s new book 15 Mistakes That Will Wreck Your Texas Accident Case. This book is available for FREE to Texas residents and can be obtained by calling 817-294-1900 or by filling out an order form at www.maafirm.com.

Dallas resident Neil Russell Murphy, 66, was killed Thursday morning in a bike accident with a car. A 57-year-old Lake Dallas driver in a 1992 Chevrolet was behind Murphy and collided with the back of his vintage Western Flyer Bike (see picture). Murphy was taken to Methodist Dallas Medical Center where he later died.

The bicycle pedestrian accident happened in the 1200 block of North Cockrell Hill Road in Dallas at approximately 9:30 a.m. The driver of the Chevy stopped and charges weren’t filed, however, the case has been referred to a grand jury since it’s being investigated as a criminally negligent homicide.

When vehicles collide with bicyclists or pedestrians, the results are almost always tragic or life-changing. Even though Mr. Murphy was wearing a helmet, it wasn’t enough to protect his body from the force of the car. Drivers need to be extra cautious of pedestrians during these summer months and likewise, pedestrians need to use sidewalks whenever possible.

Wrongful death Attorney Mark A. Anderson is happy to offer free consultations to those who have been hurt in pedestrian accidents or to families who have lost loved ones in such circumstances. Contact the Anderson Law Firm online for further information.

I get this question often, as a lot of injured people don’t want to run out and hire an attorney right after they are hurt. Sometimes, they want to see if their injuries heal on their own and sometimes they want to see if they can handle their claim by themselves. All of that is understandable, but one must be careful not to wait too long, as delaying hiring an experienced injury attorney can end up hurting your own case.

Mark Anderson discusses all the various ways injured parties “wreck” their claims in his new book, 15 Mistakes That Will Wreck Your Texas Accident Case. One sure fire way is if the injured party tries to handle a serious injury claim on their own, without the assistance and guidance from a personal injury attorney. They injury claim process is slanted in favor of the insurance company and hiring a good lawyer is the only way to level the playing field. Knowing how to present a claim and pursue a lawsuit is not something that can be learned overnight.

For a free copy of 15 Mistakes, call the Anderson Law Firm at 817-294-1900 or order it online at www.DontWreckYourCase.com. The book is free only to Texas residents.

Of course, the Anderson Law Firm provides free consultations and a free case analysis for all callers. Check us out online or give us a call.

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.

Utah-based company, Skywalker has recalled 60,000 tramplines due to 250 reports of straps breaking. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported and Skywalker is voluntarily recalling the trampolines, which were made in China. The reportedly broken straps help hold up the top portion of the trampoline enclosure, and broken straps could make it easier for users to fall off the equipment.

The products were sold as Trampoline and Enclosure Combos between January 2007 and February 2009 in stores nationwide for $400-600. They are 13 square feet. Skywalker is advising consumers to stop using the trampolines and to call 866-603-5867 for a repair kit.

If you've been injured by a product which has been recalled, please contact Texas Injury Attorney Mark A. Anderson for a free consultation at 817-294-1900.

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 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.

A family outing to the beach quickly turned tragic Sunday after a car collision struck a family on Galveston’s seawall sidewalk, killing a man and two children.

A sport utility vehicle was speeding and rear-ended a car, coming to rest upside down on the sidewalk next to the beach near 12th Street in Galveston. The crash happened around 10:30 p.m.

25-year-old Tremane Albert, his 10-year-old stepson Alan Meredith and a child from another family, Isaiah Barnett, 3, were all struck by the vehicles and killed. Albert’s wife and another child were close by at the time of the pedestrian accident, but were fortunately, unharmed. The families at the beach were from Houston.

Police confirmed that in addition to speed, alcohol was a contributing factor to the crash. The driver of the SUV was taken to a Houston hospital where he was tested for alcohol in his system. No charges have been filed yet.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured or killed as the result of another person’s negligence, contact Texas Board Certified Personal Injury Attorney Mark A. Anderson for a free consultation at 817-294-1900.

A vehicle wreck on Interstate 35 in Lewisville left one dead Sunday night.

Darla Dale, a 39-year-old woman from Lake Dallas died at the scene after she lost control of her Pontiac Sunfire, hit a wall and then spun out, crashing into two more vehicles. This accident occurred on I-35E just after 9 p.m. near the exit for FM 407 in Lewsville.

The occupants of the two other vehicles Dale hit—a Chevy Impala and a Pontiac G6—fortunately did not report any injuries.

An accident investigation is still underway to determine what caused Dale to lose control of her car.

If you have been in a car crash and sustained injuries due to the result of someone else’s negligence, please contact the Anderson Law Firm at 817-294-1900.

A 47-year-old woman was killed early Thursday morning when a car hit her around 12:30 a.m. The pedestrian accident happened when Lora Wallace was crossing the street at 7000 Keller Parkway and a car struck her, causing serious injuries. Wallace was taken to John Peter Smith (JPS) Hospital in Fort Worth where she died shortly thereafter of head trauma. No citations were given to the driver of the car who said he or she didn’t see Wallace in the crosswalk.

If you have been injured in a crosswalk-pedestrian accident, or other accident involving personal injuries, please contact Board Certified Personal Injury Attorney Mark A. Anderson at 817-294-1900 for a free consultation.

Police in Cleburne are still looking for the driver of a dark-colored Dodge pickup truck, who was involved in an accident with a motorcycle early Monday Morning.

According to the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, an 18-year-old man was driving his Kawasaki motorcycle in the 3600 block of Texas 174 when he lost control of his bike while trying to pass an 18-wheeler and crashed into oncoming traffic. He was killed as a result.

It is believed that the Dodge pickup hit the bike at one point and might have damage to its back quarter panel. The truck departed the scene before police or an ambulance arrived around 6:15 a.m.

The motorcycle crash happened just south of Cleburne near County Road 1205. The victim’s name has not been released yet. If anyone has information about the missing truck, please call the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office at 817-556-6060.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a motorcycle crash, contact the Anderson Law Firm for a free consultation on your rights.

80,000 children who attend the 140 schools which make up the Fort Worth Independent School District (FWISD) were told to stay home today to avoid spreading the Swine Flu.

The announcement came last night that FWISD, along with other districts, including private schools like Trinity Valley, will be closed until at least May 8. This is in addition to many other area schools closing, including the entire Cleburne district. This means countless Metroplex parents are scrambling around trying to figure out what to do with their children.

Undoubtably, businesses are suffering today as parents call in to take off work to stay with their children if childcare isn't readily available. It will be interesting to see how businesses are affected by the closings in this upcoming week.

The Swine Flu alert was elevated by the World Health Organization (WHO) to a level five alert, which is just one level away from a full-fledged world pandemic.

Texas already has 16 confirmed cases and the first U.S. death from the flu was a young child in Houston earlier this week.

A man was died yesterday in southeastern Robertson County when the rig he was working on leaked and blew out. The oil field accident occurred just after 3 p.m. off FM 1940, 10 miles east of Franklin, Texas near Camp Creek Lake . This gas well site is 30 miles north of Boston, Texas.

When the blast happened, the man was hit by a piece of pipe. He later died at St. Joseph Regional Health Center in Bryan. He remains unidentified until relatives are notified of his death.
The well is operated by EnCana which is a Canadian company.

WRONGFUL DEATH CLAIMS

In instances like this, there is potential for the family of the man who died to make a wrongful death claim on his behalf. If the man was employed by EnCana (the rig owner), in order for it to be a valid claim, the blow out would have to have been caused by a third party—or another company’s—negligence. Determining fault (or liability) would be the key factor in a case like this. Basically, if the man’s death resulted from the negligence of someone other than his employer or a co-employee (who is not covered by the same Worker’s Compensation as him), then there is the potential to make a valid wrongful death claim.

If you have questions about wrongful death or oil field accident claims, please contact Board Certified Texas Injury Attorney Mark A. Anderson for a free consultation to learn your rights.

A 24-year-old man was killed today around 4 p.m. when his motorcycle ran into a parked car. The motorcycle accident happened in the parking lot of the Pepsi-Cola bottling plant parking lot in Mesquite. Albert Castillo hit the parked car at a high rate of speed. He was taken to Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas where he died shortly after. The company has not released whether or not Castillo was an employee of Pepsi-Cola. It was also unclear if he had been wearing a helmet.

The crash happened in the 4500 block of Interstate 30 in Mesquite.

If you have suffered personal injuries or know someone who has died as the result of someone's negligence, contact the Anderson Law Firm at 817-294-1900 to learn your rights.

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.

If you’ve ever tried to leave Northeast Mall during rush-hour, then you know just how awful the traffic is in Hurst, Texas, right there where the three major North Texas highways interchange. Well it’s official—the interchange where Loop 820, Highway 121 and Airport Freeway (Highway 183) all intersect has been given the title: “Most Congested Area of the Metroplex.”

This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who’s been stuck in traffic in that area—at any time of the day, really—whether driving to or from work, or just taking someone to the airport. The area has been officially rated by a traffic company as the worst bottleneck in North Texas.
I can’t tell you the number of calls we get from those who have been in truck accidents, car wrecks and motorcycle collisions in Hurst and along that whole stretch of Airport Freeway into Euless and Bedford.

Luckily, the $2 billion North Tarrant Express is aimed to alleviate much of the stress on that particular area, however it’s not expected to be completed until 2015. And I don’t even want to think about how much worse traffic will be when the construction begins (it’s projected to take five years). The Texas Department of Transportation is going to have to do something to keep that bottleneck moving or North Texans will have to put up with the ever-growing congestion for six more years until the Express is finally complete.

If you have been involved in a vehicle-related crash on that stretch of road, or any other in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, please call the Anderson Law Firm to learn how you can recover compensation for your injuries.

Many motorcycle riders love it for the inherent risk, and the adrenaline rush of driving fast with nothing between you and the road but the bike between your legs. Unfortunately, because motorcycle riders lack the inherent protection of a ton of steel between themselves and the point of impact in a collision, motorcycle accidents often have tragic endings.

Motorcycle accidents typically result in serious injury
With over 5,000 motorcycle fatalities annually, motorcycle riders are far more likely to experience a serious injury or even death than people involved in an automobile accident.

The instances of motorcycle riders colliding with stationary objects, such as guardrails, trees or walls, is significantly higher than that of automobile accidents, and can cause significantly more damage due to the nature of motorcycle riding. Crushing, throwing or pinning injuries are far more serious than the typical whiplash injuries of a car accident, and motorcycles don’t have a seatbelt to protect you.

The best defense is a good offense
Because motorcycles can be so potentially dangerous, and so many things can cause motorcycle accidents, the best defense is a good offense in a motorcycle accident case. If you’re involved in a motorcycle accident with another vehicle, such as a car or SUV, the vehicle’s insurance company is going to try to find a way to make you responsible for the accident. They may accuse you of driving unsafely or speeding—or whatever excuse they want to make.

In the event that you’re injured in a motorcycle accident, you should consult an experienced personal injury attorney to help you prepare a good offense against the liable party. Don’t give an insurance company the chance to brush you off; you deserve a favorable recovery if you’re injured in a motorcycle accident that was due to the careless actions of another driver.

Free Consultation
Board Certified Injury Lawyer Mark Anderson had represented motorcycle riders for years and is experienced in these types of cases. For a free consultation on your rights, please contact the Anderson Law Firm at 817-294-1900 or Contact Us Online.

LEGISLATURE OPPOSES SPEEDING CAMERAS

About a month ago, the state announced it was changing various Dallas-Fort Worth speed limits on different interstate stretches, effective as soon as new signs were posted. This mostly meant reducing speeds from 65 to 60 miles per hour on roads like Loop 820 and Interstates 30 and 35 in and around the Metroplex. At the same time, state legislators have been discussing a bill which would implement the use of cameras to take pictures of speeders and send them tickets in the mail to enforce local speed limits (much like red-light cameras do for those who run them). Luckily for speeders, Thursday’s legislature opposed the idea presented by the Department of Public Safety and area counties who proposed it.

UPDATE ON MEXICAN TOUR BUS WRECK

The company who owned the Grupo Sendo bus which was demolished Monday after a drunk driver in an 18-wheel tractor trailer crashed into it in Mexico announced it will cover the funeral costs, medical bills and transportation expenses for the 11 victims of the wreck. Seven of the 11 killed were Americans. The Mexican company, based out of Brownsville, Texas has offered to help out—even though it wasn’t at-fault, because the driver of the semi-truck was uninsured.

Uninsured drivers are a huge problem and cases like this prove why. The number of injured and wrongfully killed parties on that tour bus who could make personal injury claims is huge, and there’s no insurance to cover their medical bills and pain and suffering, unless they use their own coverage (assuming they have it).

Please take this tragic situation as a lesson and look into getting yourself uninsured motorist coverage, so that if you’re in an accident with someone who’s uninsured, you’ll have something to fall back on. I think the bus company is extremely generous for helping out.

Please contact the Anderson Law Firm if you have questions about the different types of insurance coverage or if you’ve been injured in a truck/bus accident.

Construction work can be dangerous. Construction work presents many potential causes for injury. Workers are injured in construction accidents every day here in the Dallas Fort Worth area. Construction accidents shouldn’t be a fact of life, but they are. If you have been injured in a construction accident, you might have a personal injury claim on your hands in certain circumstances.

If a construction accident occurs because of negligence, it might warrant a personal injury claim.
Accidents happen. But when accidents happen because someone didn’t do his or her job properly, it can become a personal injury claim. When the negligence of one of your co-workers causes your injury, both that co-worker and your employer may be at fault for your injury. Consider an example where a co-worker fails to assemble a piece of scaffolding correctly. If you’re up on that scaffolding, it falls and you become injured, you might have a personal injury claim against the co-worker who assembled the scaffolding, your employer and even the scaffolding manufacturer.

Construction accident claims can get complicated, so consult a lawyer.
Construction accidents can have their roots in a variety of causes. If you’re using a piece of equipment that fails and injures you, you could have a product liability case contributing to your construction accident. If you’ve got a piece of equipment that someone else failed to operate properly, then that person and his employer could be at fault for your accident.

A personal injury lawyer with experience in construction accidents can help you figure out what caused your accident, and whether it’s a product liability case, a personal liability case or something else entirely. In some cases, a personal injury crosses the boundaries of several types of cases, so an experienced lawyer can help you sort it out and pursue the correct parties to get you a remedy for your injury.

For a free consultation on your rights if you have been injured in a construction accident, please contact the Anderson Law Firm at 817-294-1900 or Contact Us Online.

Area ambulances are trying to fund a new fleet of vehicles to decrease the time the injured have to wait for help. The only problem is, ambulance services like Medstar, are using patients to foot the bill.

Lately, Medstar has made changes to try and get to accident scenes quicker—their goal is to reach 90 percent of patients in less than nine minutes. To do this, they have recently started stationing their ambulances around the mid-cities area near places where personal injury accidents, like car crashes, commonly occur. Medstar services to 15 cities in Tarrant County and wants to add at least five more working ambulances, per day, to the current system.

Right now, Medstar has proposed the cities it serves to foot the bill for new vehicles and if they refuse to pay, the burden will fall onto the citizens. It seems to be putting city council members in tough positions. Some say that they’d be willing to pay for new vans if Medstar can prove its goal of reaching 90 percent of injured people within nine minutes. Those with critical injuries—usually from vehicle accidents, can’t wait much more than that for help.

Helping injured people receive quicker treatment is great, but many are worried about the cost—and for good reason. Currently, for a Medstar ambulance to pick a patient up, it charges about 1,200 dollars. On top of that, the company charges an extra fee for millage. Before a person even gets to a hospital, they’ve already racked up over a thousand-dollar bill. So obviously increasing this amount worries many people.

It will be interesting to see who ends up having to pay for this, and if it ends up being Dallas-Fort Worth Cities, how they’ll prove whether their money is being put to good use or not.
If you or someone you know has suffered bodily injury as the result of another person’s negligence, please call the Anderson Law Firm at 817-294-1900 for a free consultation.

The driver of an 18-Wheel Tractor Trailer faces homicide charges after his semi truck crashed into a Mexican tour bus on Monday, killing 11 and injuring many more. Investigators are still waiting on toxicology results to show the truck driver’s blood alcohol level which many suspect was over the limit. The Grupo Senda bus tour, which was hired out by McAllen, Texas-based Viva Mexico Tours was headed to Zacatecas in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, which was just one stop along the four-day tour of the area.

The semi-driver apparently lost control and swerved to overcompensate before crashing into the driver side of the tour bus. The truck had been traveling in the opposite direction of the bus. One of the bus passengers who escaped death said the first six rows of the tour bus were completely crushed. The driver of the tour bus, Cesar Garcia of Mexico was killed on impact.

Passengers on the bus included Mexicans, Americans and even Canadians. Among them, seven Americans were killed—including two Brownsville, Texas school teachers, as well as three Canadians and the Mexican driver. Sixteen people were injured—many seriously, but all are said to be in stable condition now.

The driver who caused the accident was hurt, but not critically, and now faces potential involuntary homicide charges due to the severity of the wreck and the number of those killed. His name has not been released yet as the accident investigation continues.

If you or someone you know has been injured or wrongfully killed in a truck, bus, car, motorcycle, or other vehicle-related accident, please contact the Anderson Law Firm at 817-294-1900 for a free consultation on your rights.

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.

I came across a story today on the Internet that I found very interesting. As reported in law.com, a California lawyer has been disbarred for his conduct on a jury panel. The lawyer, Francis Fahy, was one of 12 jurors in a medical malpractice case tried in San Francisco in 2004. Medical malpractice cases generally take a long time to try, and this one was going on for nearly a month, including ten days of deliberations, when Fahy changed his vote to break a deadlock. At the time, there was an 8-4 deadlock in favor of the doctor who had been accused of negligence while performing a laser eye surgery. Apparently during the deliberations, Fahy had felt that the doctor had been negligent, but decided to change his vote because the long trial was hurting his law practice. With his changed vote, the jury was finally able to render a verdict in favor of the doctor and the trial was over.

After the trial, one of the jurors brought the vote change to the attention of the judge, who then inquired as to Attorney Fahy. In response, Fahy said that he had only acted within the court’s instructions and trial evidence. When the matter was turned over to the California State Bar, an investigation came to the “inescapable” conclusion that Fahy had violated his duties as a juror. As such, they disbarred him, which means he is no longer eligible to practice law in California. He cannot resume practice in law until he undergoes a formal reinstatement proceeding that proves by clear and convincing evidence that he has been rehabilitated, that he has the appropriate moral fitness and he has retained the ability to practice law.

As a trial lawyer, you always wonder how jurors come to their conclusions. Sometimes I have been very puzzled by a jury’s decision. You always wonder what goes on behind closed doors. Sometimes certain jurors will tell you things after the trial that make you very uneasy. Reading this story, it makes me wonder how many people reach a decision just to hurry the trial process along. I hope this is an isolated incident and it doesn’t happen very much. But you have to wonder.

This information provided by Fort Worth personal injury attorney Mark A. Anderson. Contact information: 817 294 1900 or contact Mark A. Anderson Online. Cases handled include car accidents, construction accidents and defective product claims, and other personal injury actions.

Tractor-trailer accidents are some of the most serious accidents waiting to happen on the roadways. Semi-truck-related deaths are estimated at over 5,000 per year, and 98% of fatalities in tractor-trailer accidents are the drivers of the other vehicles; not the drivers of the 18 wheelers. Defensive driving is vital to keep you out of harm’s way and out of the way of the tractor-trailers with whom you share the road.

Look out for blind spots when driving near tractor-trailers.
18 wheelers have two big blind spots; along the side of the trailer, and very close to the rear of the trailer. If you’re passing an 18 wheeler, you’ll spend much of the trip in its blind spot, which can result in the semi-truck trying to merge and potentially pushing you off the road. If you drive too close to the rear of a semi-truck, it may stop suddenly and you could find yourself under the truck, in a potentially serious or fatal accident. Avoid blind spots when driving near tractor-trailers for your own protection.

Don’t drive right in front of a semi-truck.
Tractor-trailers take a long time to stop. National highway associations estimate that it takes tractor-trailers over 300 feet to go from 55MPH to a complete stop. Because semi-trucks are so large, bulky and difficult to maneuver, it’s vital to stay far ahead and give them plenty of room to stop. If you’re too close to the front of a semi-truck, let it pass you or speed up and pass other traffic to get you out of harm’s way.

Don’t be afraid to drive off the road to drive out of the way of a tractor-trailer accident.
Brakes fail. Semi-trucks jackknife. If you’re driving near a tractor-trailer, always keep one eye on it to make sure it’s driving normally. If an 18 wheeler begins driving erratically, do whatever you have to do to get out of the way. Drive onto the shoulder or off the road entirely to get out of the way of a semi-truck accident. Driving off the road may damage your car, but it’ll be less damage than if you’re involved in a tractor-trailer accident.

Information provided by Fort Worth, Texas based personal injury lawyer Mark A. Anderson.

Free Consultations. Please call at 817-294-1900 or Contact Mark A. Anderson Online.

People panic when they’re in an automobile accident. All the rules you’ve ever heard for what to do in an accident fly right out the window when an accident occurs. To make sure you’re prepared if you’re ever in an accident, make a list of procedures (or print this one out!) and keep it in your glove compartment with your registration so you’re sure to follow the right steps.

Call the police if you’re in an accident.
Call the police – no ifs, ands or buts. Let the police determine whether the accident warrants a written report, and let the police collect insurance information from the other driver. If you’re unable to retain the other driver at the scene of the accident, make sure you get a thorough description of the vehicle, including the license plate number, color make and model of the car. Also get witnesses’ information if they need to leave before the police arrive.

Seek medical treatment sooner rather than later.
Sometimes it’s readily apparent when you’re in an accident that you need medical assistance. Other times, it doesn’t seem obvious until the next day, or even a week later, that something isn’t right because of the accident. Seek medical treatment sooner rather than later. If nothing else, go to the ER and follow up with your doctor a week or two later. If you don’t seek medical treatment right away but develop complications later, it’s more difficult to tie your injuries to the accident if you didn’t seek medical assistance quickly.

Get photos of the scene, if possible.
The best thing you can do for yourself if you’re in an accident is to get photos of the accident scene, if possible. Get photos of your car, the other car and the surrounding area. Take photos from multiple perspectives to capture all the relevant details from the accident. If you can’t get photos at the time of the accident, return as quickly as possible to the scene to get photos of the area.

Consult a personal injury attorney.
Insurance companies can be quite a hassle if you’re involved in an auto accident. If you don’t want the hassle of dealing with the insurance companies, contact a Board certified personal injury lawyer if you’re involved in an accident. Let the lawyer be your advocate and deal with the insurance companies directly.

Information provided by Mark A. Anderson, Fort Worth, Texas
Contact: 817-294-1900 or Contact Mark A. Anderson Online

It seems that I am always reporting about bad news. But today, I have incredibly good news to report about a decision issued by the U.S. Supreme Court. Back in September, I wrote about the Levine vs. Wyeth lawsuit. In that case, a Vermont lady had sued Wyeth and won a $6.7 million jury award based upon her losing her arm because of a botched injection of an anti-nausea medication. The manufacturer of the drug, Wyeth, appealed the jury’s award all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court and relied on a federal governmental ruling which essentially barred any lawsuit against a pharmaceutical company as long as the drug was approved by the Food & Drug Administration. This was just one of the many anti-consumer rulings set forth during the Bush administration.

The U.S. Supreme Court in a 6-3 ruling rejected Wyeth’s interpretation of the Bush administration’s ruling and said that the federal law did not prevent Ms. Levine from suing Wyeth. This is great news for Ms. Levine who has to live with one arm for the rest of her life due to the defective drug manufactured by Wyeth. I am very happy for her. I am also happy for all of America as the threat of litigation keeps these pharmaceutical companies somewhat honest. When they do not have the fear of lawsuits, they are truly able to disregard patient safety and focus only on profit.

See a full copy of the opinion here.

Information provided by Fort Worth Injury Lawyer, Mark Anderson.

Contact number: 817-294-1900

Location: Bowie County, Texarkana

Type: Motorcycle/Car Accident

Outcome: Two Hospitalized

Two people are injured after a motorcycle accident in the Bowie County area of Texarkana, Texas. A 25-year-old man on a motorcycle was hit by a 52-year-old woman who turned in front of him. The motorcycle rider struck her car and flew up over it. He was taken to the hospital with critical injuries. The driver of the car was treated and released with minor injuries however, charges are now being pressed.

These types of accidents occur all too often when drivers don’t see or anticipate the speed of motorcyclists. If you or someone you know has been injured in a motorcycle crash, please contact the Anderson Law Firm to learn 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.

A man killed in a motorcycle accident Sunday night on Airport Freeway in Haltom City, Texas remains unidentified. The driver of the bike had been wearing a helmet when his motorcycle ran into the back of a pickup truck in the 6100 block of Highway 183. He had been riding with at least two other bikers around 7:45 p.m. when the wreck happened. The man died at the scene after his Suzuki GSXR 600 speed bike struck the back of a 1995 Ford F-150. The impact threw the man from his bike and police are saying speed was a factor contributing to the accident.

Sport bike racing and riding has become a popular sport in DFW in recent months, but a handful of young men have died as the result of dangerous riding. If you or someone you know was injured as the result of someone else’s negligence while riding a motorcycle, sport bike, or any other type of vehicle, please contact the Anderson Law Firm at 817-294-1900 to learn your rights.

Personal injury law covers many different practice areas. Basically, a personal injury claim may arise when you are injured as a result of someone else’s negligence. This can take the form of an auto accident, a construction accident, a product liability case or any number of other potential injuries. If you’ve been injured, you may want to seek the assistance of a personal injury attorney to help pursue your personal injury claim.

Personal injuries could be avoided.
One key characteristic that all personal injury claims share is that they could have been avoided. If the liable party had behaved in a responsible manner, most personal injury cases would never happen. Common examples of personal injuries that could be avoided include: auto accidents caused by negligence, an accident at work caused by unsafe work conditions, or a defective product that the manufacturer should have foreseen as a potential issue. In each of these cases, if the liable party had behaved differently, the personal injury would never have occurred.

What should you do if you’re injured?
If you’re involved in an accident, you should consult a personal injury attorney to determine if you’ve got a personal injury claim on your hands. In some cases, injuries are unfortunate but not caused by negligence; accidents do occur. In many cases, however, those accidents could have been prevented with a certain exercise of due care, and a personal injury attorney can help you follow up on your claim and get compensation for your injury.

Should you need a free consultation on your legal rights, feel free to contact Board Certified Injury Lawyer Mark A. Anderson at 817-294-1900 or contact him online.

Date: February 15, 2009

Location: North Park Boulevard in Grapevine

Type: Rollover Wreck

A 21-year-old man was killed after the car he was riding in flipped several times before hitting a 5-foot-10 Grapevine, Texas church sign Sunday night. Michael Bentley was taken to JPS Hospital where he was pronounced dead after the car accident.

Now, the driver of the Ford Focus—a 20-year-old man whose name hasn’t been released yet, has been arrested on suspicion of intoxication manslaughter. He and another passenger, a 19-year-old female, were treated for minor injuries and released. The accident happened at 9 p.m. Sunday night near First Presbyterian Church of Grapevine. Charges have yet to be filed.

Date: February 15, 2009
Location: LBJ Freeway
Type: Car Accident
Outcome: One Dead

A man was killed overnight when his car rolled off of an embankment in Coppell, Texas on LBJ Freeway. His car rolled 40 feet and landed upside down in a creek between Royal Lane and Freeport Parkway. His body was recovered by divers but he has yet to be identified. An accident investigation will hopefully reveal what caused the wreck.

Duncanville, Texas residents are outraged by the red light cameras in their city which capture traffic at four intersections on eight different cameras. People in the town are being ticketed for turning right on red, including council member Paul Ford, who doesn’t think he did anything illegal. Apparently, cameras flash if drivers approach and cross the “white line”—even after making complete stops, to see if it’s clear to make a right turn.

Duncanville isn’t the only North Texas city to install red light cameras. Fort Worth now has over 20 cameras and the city of Garland was the first to implement cameras almost six years ago. They too, have recently started giving citations for turning right on red.

But Duncanville’s implementation of excessive ticketing for right-hand red light turns is raising a few eyebrows. Last year, Duncanville issued 44,000 tickets, while the much larger Fort Worth issued less at 42,000.

Duncanville lawmakers say it makes larger intersections safer and prevents car accidents. Concerned citizens think it’s more like a money trap.

We don’t handle traffic tickets, but if you’ve been injured as the result of someone else’s negligence in a car crash or other vehicle-related crash, please contact Fort Worth Injury Lawyer Mark A. Anderson for a free consultation.

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.

An Arlington, Texas man is in the Grand Prairie jail today awaiting potential intoxication manslaughter charges after he killed a 17-year-old Arlington student in a car wreck Friday. 20-year-old Adrian Quezada Jr.’s bail has been set at $30,000 after he was arrested Monday on suspicion of intoxication assault just after he was released from the hospital.

Investigators are awaiting the results of a blood-alcohol test—they suspect alcohol was a factor in the crash, as well as speeding.

The wreck happened Friday in Arlington when Quezada’s GMC pickup truck hit 17-year-old Robert Joslin’s 1977 Chevy Malibu as he sat at a red light. The impact caused Joslin’s car to then crash into an SUV which was also stopped at the light. Joslin and his passenger were taken to Dallas Hospitals; he was taken off life support yesterday. His passenger was treated and released along with two injured people in the SUV.

Joslin was the starting center fielder for Sam Houston High School’s football team.

Ironically, just last week, a plan was announced to try and reduce the number of severe car accidents in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. In just over one month of the New Year, there have already been six accidents in Arlington involving fatalities and two in Grand Prairie.

Information provided by Arlington DWI Car Accident Lawyer Mark A. Anderson. Photo courtesy of star-telegram.com.

Date: February 3, 2009
Location: Airport Freeway and Industrial Road
Type: Truck accident
Outcome: Wrongful Death

A woman is dead after an 18-wheeler big rig rolled onto her car, crushing her. The accident happened late this morning at 11 and police are still investigating the woman’s identity. Her body wasn’t recovered from the wreckage until two hours later. She had been driving on Industrial Boulevard in Euless, Texas (also known as Farm Road 157) when the rig driver—carrying a large load of sand, attempted to turn southbound onto Industrial from the Airport Freeway (Hwy 183) service road. He turned right into her Chevrolet.

Date: February 1, 2009
Location: Cass County, Nebraska
Type: car accident
Outcome: one dead, two critically injured

A Weatherford, Texas woman is in critical condition after a wreck early Sunday morning. 44-year-old Karen M. Frank was ejected from a vehicle in Cass County, Nebraska over the weekend. The driver, from Plattsmouth, Nebraska lost control of the vehicle, rolling it several times. All three occupants, including Frank, were ejected. The driver was killed. Frank was taken by helicopter to the Creighton Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska with critical injuries. None of the three occupants were wearing seatbelts at the time of the wreck and an accident investigation is being conducted to determine whether or not alcohol was a factor.

Date: January 30, 2009
Location: I35E and Saner Ave.
Type: truck and car accident

A man was critically injured Friday after a rock-hauling 18-wheeler crushed his Toyota Corolla on Interstate-35E at Saner Avenue in Dallas, Texas. Somehow, the large truck wound up with its rear wheels on top of his small car and several firefighters had to extricate the man before he was quickly transported to Methodist Hospital in Dallas in critical condition. The man’s passenger, a woman, was able to escape the vehicle and was not injured. The wreck, which happened right around 2 p.m., shut down the interstate until 4:40 p.m. when everything was finally cleared. An accident investigation is being conducted to determine how the wreck occurred. The driver of the rock-hauler was not injured.

Information provided by Texas Board Certified Injury Attorney Mark A. Anderson. Photo courtesy of NBC5.com.

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.

Just after 9 p.m. last night, two motorcyclists on separate bikes were killed in the westbound lanes of Highway 183 just past Loop 12 in Irving, Texas. Apparently road debris caused portions of the busy road to be temporarily closed, resulting in back-ups and heavy traffic. Witnesses said they saw the two cyclists weaving in and out of traffic to avoid the congestion just before the motorcycle crash. The accident facts are still unclear, but the cause of the wreck happened when both bikes collided into the back of a minivan.

The wreck, which happened near Texas Stadium, closed down Highway 183 for hours Sunday night as an accident investigation was conducted. Traffic was diverted off of the westbound lanes onto Loop 12 and a service road.

News reports have not revealed what type of bikes the 21-year-old woman and 42-year-old man were riding at the time of the wreck. Last year, sport bike riding at high speeds was the cause of several Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas deaths. An investigation will further reveal the facts of this tragic accident.

For the full story, watch WFAA Channel 8’s live coverage.

Contact Fort Worth Motorcycle Accident Attorney Mark A. Anderson at 817-294-1900.

Just after 3 p.m. yesterday, U.S. Airways flight 1549 taking off from La Guardia Airport in New York and heading to Charlotte, North Carolina was forced to make a crash landing into the Hudson River. Miraculously, all 150 passengers and five crew members survived and only suffered minor injuries. Shortly after take-off, the plane ran into some birds which got stuck in the engines, causing two of them to fail. The SAS Airbus A320 was brought down so carefully and at such an angle, that pilot, Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger kept the plane from submerging. Nearby ferries in the river were then able to arrive quickly and rescue the passengers from the wings of the plane. The temperature outside was 19 degrees Fahrenheit and the water was 40 degrees. Thanks to a quick rescue, few passengers suffered minor hypothermia and most just walked away with bruises.

Photo courtesy of ABC News

The pilot is now being hailed as the Hudson River Hero because of the incredible way in which he averted crisis and stayed calm while keeping everyone safe. Sullenberger has had many years experience and training in air crisis management and was able to put his skills to good use. Many are saying the plane was extremely lucky to have the pilot it did in that particular situation as he was highly trained and prepared for an accident such as this.

While some might see this as an opportunity to make a claim against U.S. Airways for recovering damages and pain and suffering, it is my opinion that those on board should be grateful to be alive. It appears that the circumstances which caused the engines to fail were completely out of the airline’s control.

In the past, I have written about freak accidents like the military jet that crashed into the San Diego home or the helicopter that fell into a Wisconsin home as the family slept, and in cases like those where people were killed or could have been killed innocently in their homes, a wrongful death claim might be more appropriate. The people on the airbus yesterday are undoubtedly thankful to walk away unharmed and with a heck of a story to tell.

If you have been personally injured as the result of someone else’s negligence, I’d be happy to talk to you about your rights. Contact Fort Worth Personal Injury Attorney Mark A. Anderson at 817-294-1900.

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

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.

Yesterday during the morning rush hour, local news stations were reporting over 200 car accidents which were all causing problems around the DFW Metroplex at the same time. Luckily for me, I don’t have to take an interstate or major highway to get to work, but hundreds of thousands of people were affected by the weather-related wrecks.

Most Texans, including myself, don’t really know how to drive when the roads get icy or snow packs the ground. But with the always unpredictable and ever-changing climate, it seems to me all of us should jump on the bandwagon and learn how to safely maneuver slick roads and poor weather conditions while driving.

On the Fort Worth National Weather Service Forecast Web site, every major snow or ice storm has been documented, amazingly since as far back as 1879. Not only is the site helpful for forecasting inclement weather and offering predictions for the upcoming winter’s climate, but it also gives information on bad weather awareness and how to prepare for when it strikes North Texas.

While searching through the site, I couldn’t help but notice a pattern amongst all the major storms. It seems that every year as far back as anyone can remember, North Texas has experienced a snowfall or poor weather event about twice a winter season. Each winter we have experienced a storm once between late November and December and then another one in either January or February. The record shows at least two storms a year for the last 50 years, so why aren’t we prepared when bad weather hits?

I’m not saying we all need to go out and buy chains to put on our tires, but we could learn not to follow too closely and to pump our brakes instead of slam on them if we need to stop on ice. And maybe stay off the roads completely unless it's absolutely necessary to go somewhere (as all meteorologists tell us).

If you are injured as the result of someone else’s negligence (ice or not), then please call Fort Worth Injury Attorney Mark A. Anderson at 817-294-1900 for a free consultation.

Yesterday, Senator Grassley issues a letter to Wyeth, the large pharmaceutical company, requesting information on its role in ghostwriting articles later published in medical journals supporting the safety of one of its drugs. One of the articles in issue was published in The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology and supported the safety of the best selling drug Prempro. Through litigation, Plaintiffs’ lawyers had discovered the trail of the long suspected ghostwriting theory. What they had found were documents which showed that Wyeth came up with the ideas for the medical articles, drafted outlines (even came up with the titles), recruited authors, picked the eventual publications to use---all without ever disclosing to the public that they had a role in the articles.

Sure does make you wonder about the accuracy of the articles. Clearly the drug companies want favorable articles published so they can sell their drugs. The worst part is the articles are relied on by the prescribing doctors in making their decisions.

I wrote a few months ago about the “seeding” or marketing studies done by Merck with regards to Vioxx. Yesterday’s news is just another example of what can happen when companies put profits first above safety. Stay tuned as for the result of this Congressional inquiry.

If you have a question regarding a dangerous prescription drug, please call Fort Worth, Texas Injury Attorney Mark A. Anderson. His firm is currently accepting cases regarding Heparin, Avandia and Chantix and reviewing the safety of other prescription drugs. Please call the Firm at 817-294-1900 or Contact Mark A. Anderson Online.

This morning in Carrollton, Texas, an elementary school crossing guard was hit by a passing car. The car accident happened around 8 a.m. at L.F. Blanton Elementary School on Scott Mill Road. Since it happened just three hours ago, no more information has been released on the people involved or their injuries.

I recently just settled a pedestrian injury case exactly like this. My client in that case was working as a crossing guard at a local Fort Worth, Texas elementary school. It was a cold morning and there was a small layer of ice on the windshields of the cars. Unfortunately, one idiot didn’t take time to scrape the ice off his windshield and chose to drive with an obscured view. He didn’t see my client and ran him over. We were able to obtain the full insurance policy limits for my client on that case.

Injuries happen every day in Fort Worth and many people don’t immediately think to make personal injury claims on pedestrian accidents or other types of accidents that are not car wrecks, truck accidents or accidents that are work-related like oil field injuries, for example. Sometimes in automobile wrecks or truck accidents, a “he said, she said” debate arises over who was at fault—especially if there is no police report to show who was at fault. But the truth is, accidents like a crossing guard struck by a car make the most compelling cases. A man or woman helping children cross the street at a school is just doing his or her job in a school zone where the speed limit is only 20 miles per hour. There is no disputed liability if they are hit by a car. The driver of the car is clearly at fault.

If you or someone you know has suffered personal bodily injuries as the result of someone else’s negligence, even in the strangest of ways—car accident, pedestrian accident, ATV accident or other type of accident which may not even be classified, please call me to discuss your rights at 817-294-1900 or feel free to Contact Mark Anderson Online.

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.

A teenage boy whose name and age are still unknown is at John Peter Smith Hospital (JPS) this morning after he was hit by a truck last night in east Fort Worth, Texas. Witnesses say the boy appeared to be frightened by some dogs being walked on the same sidewalk he was on and jumped in to the street to avoid them. That’s when a passing truck struck the boy and stopped to help him.

The teen had no form of identification on him but was rushed to JPS with critical injuries. As of this morning, the only clue in his identification is that he may attend Eastern Hills High School. An update on his condition cannot be made without knowing his name.

The accident occurred on Meadowbrook Drive just after sunset.

If you or a loved one has suffered personal injuries from a pedestrian, truck, car or other vehicle-related accident, contact Attorney Mark A. Anderson at 817-294-1900 to learn your rights.

New information has been released regarding the investigation of a Euless, Texas woman who injured eight teenagers in a car accident back on October 25th. I wrote about this accident when it happened—the lady was the mother of twin daughters who were out at the movies with six of their friends. At 10 p.m., the woman was called to go pick the teens up in her 2002 Trailblazer. On the way home she hit a curb and flipped the vehicle several times. All of the kids were taken to hospitals in nearby Irving and Grapevine and luckily none of them suffered life-threatening injuries. On a subsequent blog, I wrote that evidence was released revealing that the woman’s blood-alcohol level was .13, which is .05 over the legal limit.

After having been arrested Nov. 6, the woman has since posted $20,000 bail but is being indicted on charges of driving while intoxicated (DWI) with a child, endangering a child and injury to a child. DWI with a child carries a larger penalty than a normal DWI.

A new article out today gives more detail on what happened, including witness accounts. Apparently, the woman told the kids she only had three beers and when the accident occurred, she said she swerved so as not to hit a dog. However, witnesses told police it was a parked car she swerved to miss just before hitting the curb and flipping. Also, a trailblazer has at most, 5 to 8 seats. The woman, plus the eight kids makes nine people riding in that car and none of the kids in the back seat were wearing seatbelts when the car flipped several times.

Apparently, during the drive home, the woman drove up to 95 miles per hour on an interstate.

Reports also allege that the woman asked her daughter to lie to police as well as the passengers and their parents about her drinking and driving. The sad thing about it is that the group of teens had gone to the movies to celebrate the twin daughters’ 15th birthday.

From a legal perspective, this case presents many issues. Clearly, the mother was negligent in driving while intoxicated. Did she have liability insurance? If so, does she have enough insurance to cover all of the teenagers’ personal injuries? In an injury case, the parents of the teenagers can recover for the medical bills and pain and suffering of their children. If the total amount of all those claims exceeds the limits of the mother’s policy, then each person must take a reduced settlement. The parents could then look to their own insurance policies, and if they had underinsured motorists coverage, that could help recover compensation for their children’s injuries.

When an accident occurs, there are many different ways to make a claim. If you were injured in an accident and would like to find out more about your rights, please call me at 817-294-1900 or feel free to Contact Me Online.

Photo courtesy of www.star-telegram.com

Just two months after a fatal car accident, changes have been made and upgrades implemented at a dangerous intersection. River Park Drive off Bryant Irving in Fort Worth, Texas curves just before the entrance to a gated subdivision at River Park Circle. A wall and trees along the street previously made the road difficult to see—especially at night. But now, the far eastbound lane, closest to the wall and trees, has been closed and new signs warn of the poor visibility.

A Fort Worth man, Rick Kubes, owner of Kubes Jewlers, began petitioning for safety upgrades at the neighborhood entrance in August. Ironically and tragically, a month later, his son Jeff, sustained fatal injuries at that exact intersection.

Luckily, Mr. Kube’s efforts continued and now the area is much safer for its residents. This just goes to show that persistence pays off. We should all be thankful for people like Mr. Kube who are helping to improve our city living standards.

If you or a loved one has suffered personal injuries and you have questions regarding your legal rights, please contact me at 817-294-1900 or feel free to Contact Me Online.

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.

A few weeks ago I wrote about a Euless, Texas woman who injured eight kids (including one of her own) when she drove them home from the movies while she was drunk. Here's an update on what’s developed.

Last night, the 37-year-old was arrested and her bail has been set at $75,000. She’s being charged with endangering a child and the obvious DWI. The blood alcohol test showed she had been driving her Trailblazer at .05 over the legal limit of .08 when the car hit a curb and flipped. The car accident sent all eight teens and herself to the hospital. Luckily, no one was killed.

Dog bites are relatively rare personal injury cases. However, when they happen, the damages are usually pretty bad. Not long ago, I wrote about the law regarding dog bite cases, and yesterday, the two came together, literally, when a judicial candidate who was out campaigning was attacked by a pit bull.

Former Dallas Democratic Party head, Ken Molberg, was walking door-to-door Monday on a sidewalk when a pit bull came running up and attacked his leg. The dog bit him near his groin on his upper leg and Molberg sustained 11 puncture wounds, causing him to have 17 stitches.

The dog hadn’t had his rabies shots either. Part of the law surrounding dog bites requires owners of dogs designated as “dangerous” to stay current on vaccinations, including the rabies vaccination. That dog chose the wrong person to attack.

Molberg didn’t give up, though. He will continue campaigning through today by phone and email. He is running for Judge of the 95th Civil District Court. Click here for a link to his Web site, which has a nice video clip explaining his philosophy and credentials.

For information on injury cases or dog bite claims, feel free to call me at 817-294-1900, or Contact Me Online.

**Photo courtesy of kenmolberg.com

A 70-year-old man was tragically killed yesterday near the Stockyards in North Fort Worth. What started out as a pedestrian/car accident, quickly made a turn for the worst in just a matter of minutes. The incident happened on Northwest 25th Street at 7:30 p.m. when a woman driving an Oldsmobile hit the elderly man as he was walking. She pulled over while another car traveling behind her narrowly missed running into the man as he was still in the road. Then, a pickup struck the man and ended up dragging his body for three blocks. The man was pronounced dead at the scene at the intersection of Ross Avenue and Northwest 24th Street.

The driver of the pickup truck drove on and has yet to be caught. He or she was said to have been driving an extended-cab, gray Chevrolet pickup, according to witnesses who saw the elderly man dragged. Reports also said drag marks were visible along the route.

This wrongful death case makes my stomach churn. Certainly the driver of the pickup knew he had hit and dragged the man. The law (not to mention human decency) requires that he stop. Sometimes I just can’t understand the way people act. Hopefully an investigation into the accident will determine who committed this horrible crime.

If someone you know or a loved one has been tragically killed or seriously injured, you may have rights regarding their wrongful death or personal injuries. Please contact me for a free consultation to discuss your rights at 817-294-1900.

I received news of an important recall that I’d like to share because I think it applies to many people. Some 140,000 Bridgestone/Firestone tires are being recalled today. The tires were manufactured between June 4 and September 8, 2007. Another 27,000 larger Lemans Champion tires which were manufactured between June 4 and September 2, 2006 are also being recalled. The reason is the same for both types of tires—they were all produced with insufficient tread base guage.

The cause may sound complicated, but the potential negative effect from these faulty tires is simple: car accidents. Driving with the recalled tires can lead to vibration and groove cracking, which eventually may lead to distortion of the tire tread, resulting in loss of vehicle control. If your tire tread falls apart, you will undoubtedly lose control of your car and wreck. It would be similar to the feeling of popping a tire, but imagine doing that at high speeds on an interstate or in any other dangerous situation.

Bridgestone/Firestone is supposed to be contacting owners of such tires and replacing them free of charge. If you think this may apply to you, call 1-800-465-1904 or visit the Bridgestone/Firestone Web site for more information.

To see the official recall and any other car-related recalls, visit safercar.org. And remember, if you’ve been personally injured in a car accident, feel free to contact me at 817-294-1900 for a free consultation.

Another drunk-driving car accident in the Metroplex injured eight teenagers Saturday night. One of the teen’s mothers picked up her daughter and seven other kids from the movies in Euless, Texas and was driving the kids while under the influence. On the way home, she served because of a dog in the road and hit a curb, causing the SUV to flip. Everyone was transported to hospitals in nearby Grapevine and Irving.

The accident investigation is still pending, but the woman faces several counts of driving while intoxicated, or DWI. A first offense can mean a jail stay, suspension of one’s license and up to a $2,000 fine. After the first time, jail time increases, as well as the length of license suspension and the amount of the fine.

Not long ago I wrote about the unfortunate weekend when two separate drunk-driving related incidences killed three people in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. I just hate to see when intoxication is a cause for a wreck or accident because such incidences are 100 percent preventable.

For more information on the DWI laws in Texas, visit www.texasdwi.org. If you’ve suffered injuries due to someone else’s negligence, please call me to discuss your rights at 817-294-1900 or feel free to Contact Me Online.

Early this morning a car crashed through the home of a Haltom City couple, driving into their bedroom where they were sleeping. Upon impact, the car flipped the mattress they slept on and ran over it as the couple lay beneath. It came to a rest on top of them. Although the 54-year-old husband and 45-year-old wife were treated at Harris Hospital in Fort Worth, both were able to get up and walk around, seemingly unharmed. Miraculously, they were only banged up with scrapes and a few bruises.

The driver on the other hand, ran from the scene. A bloody trail led police to the 30-year-old driver who was then also taken to Harris and treated for head trauma. Oddly, alcohol is not suspected to have been a factor in the car accident.

Posted on the Houston Chronicle’s Web site, this story got so many hits and had people making many light-hearted and often “colorful” remarks about the situation. One commenter writes, “SERTA-fied lucky!” and another, “I bet that’s the most their mattress has moved in years!” Others wrote faux advertisements for life-saving mattresses.

Either way, I don’t doubt that couple knows how lucky they are. And now they have an incredible story to tell. I can’t help but wonder what kind of mattress it was. If the brand name was released, something tells me profits will increase after this incident.

A new Texas dog bite law was put to good use recently when the owners of four dangerous killer dogs were sentenced to seven years in prison. Back in May, their four pit bulls were found surrounding the dead body of a 7-year-old boy in a ditch near the couple’s house. Two of the dogs were killed by police at the scene; the other two were taken away by animal control at the reluctance of the owners.

The new Texas law states that unsecured dogs that attack are the responsibility of their owners, holding the owners liable if the dogs injure or kill a person.

In this case, a Texas jury found the couple guilty of the second-degree felony (a dog attack resulting in a death), which means a maximum of 20 years in jail. Since this sentence was for less than 10 years, the two were each up for $150,000 bail, but neither has posted it yet.

About two weeks ago, a Rotweiller attack in Fort Worth prompted me to examine the law surrounding dangerous dogs. Under the new (and much stronger) dog laws, owners of “dangerous dogs” are required to carry liability insurance for their dogs, keep rabies and other vaccines current, make sure their dogs are secure at all times and pay an annual fee for keeping a dog designated as “dangerous.”

I applaud our state legislature for strengthening these dog laws. The change came at the urging of the family of an elderly lady who was killed in a dog attack as she was gardening over the Thanksgiving holiday back in 2005. The new law has been referenced to as “Lillian’s Law” after this lady.

I represent people who have suffered personal injuries as a result of a dog bite or attack. Should you have any questions about a dog attack, please give me a call at 817-294-1900.
Dog attacks are always preventable, which is what makes the resulting deaths so tragic. So if you’re going to own an aggressive-by-nature dog, please, do everyone else around you a favor and keep it secure.

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.

It seems that the Fort Worth/Dallas newspapers always contain stories about motor vehicle accidents, including car wrecks, 18-wheeler accidents and motorcycle wrecks. It seems like there is at least one tragic story reported a day. I sometimes write about these events, but I think it’s also important to write about what things are being done to prevent accidents.

Have you ever noticed those stretches of highway that have a wire fence barrier down the median? Those barriers are being built all around Texas to prevent drowsy drivers or out-of-control vehicles from crossing the median and hitting on-coming traffic head on. It’s no secret that highway accidents are the most deadly and cause the worst injuries due to high speeds at impact. Even though these new barriers don’t look that sturdy, it has been reported that some 700 miles of the wired median on Texas highways have helped to prevent almost 20 deaths and about 30 serious injuries in the last year.

The barriers are made of cable wire held up by metal poles every few feet and are easily repairable after accidents. The only downside is that they are more expensive than the usual concrete barrier eyesores. I think the injuries and deaths the barriers are preventing, along with their subtle look, makes them a welcome addition to our dangerous roadways.
Unfortunately, these safety nets can’t stop all personal injuries.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a vehicle collision, feel free to contact Mark A. Anderson, Fort Worth Injury Attorney for a consultation at 817-294-1900 anytime.

A charter bus swerved off a rural two-lane highway Saturday night, killing 10 people just 10 miles short of the casino resort it was heading to. The bus, which departed from Sacramento, California flipped at least once, tossing passengers around and crushing some, eventually coming to rest right side up in a ditch.

The injured were taken to many hospitals in the surrounding area, and as of today, 11 were still in the hospital—all with varying conditions ranging from critical to fair. Many of the passengers on the bus were from Laos and did not speak English.

The weird part is that the bus said “Greyhound” on the side, which is a Dallas, Texas-based company. However, spokespeople from Greyhound said the bus had been sold years before. And that was just one of the bizarre factors surrounding the wreck. Among other problems: the bus had an invalid, Texas license plate, the driver was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence of prescription or non-prescription drugs and the driver might not have even had the proper permits to have been driving a charter bus in California.

This entire situation is strange-sounding to me. I feel terrible for the victims and their families and am anxious to find out the story behind who owns the “Greyhound” bus. As I have blogged about several times before, many of the bus accidents are easily preventable. Who knows? A little better screening of bus operators might have saved 10 lives here.

If you or a loved one has suffered bodily injuries in any type of bus or other vehicle-related accident, please call Fort Worth Injury Attorney Mark A. Anderson at 817-294-1900.

Photo by wfaa.com