Fort Worth Injury Lawyer Blog

Early Friday afternoon an 18-wheeler struck a pedestrian on northbound US 75 in Plano. Police say a young woman parked her car on the highway shoulder and began walking up the road.

She stepped into the right lane of traffic just feet from her car. An Atlas moving van hit her, killing her instantly.

The police are unsure whether this is a suicide or accident. The woman was driving alone and she did not appear to have a flat tire.

Stories like this are hard to write about. It was tragic for both the pedestrian and the truck driver. No one can expect an 18-wheeler to be able to stop when a pedestrian walks out on to a highway. Hopefully the police can figure out the details of this unfortunate accident. 4,654 pedestrians were killed in traffic accidents in the U.S. in 2007; an average of one fatality every two hours. It is important to remember that highways are a dangerous place to try and cross.

Information and commentary are provided by Dallas/ Fort Worth Truck Accident Lawyer Mark Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm can be reached in Fort Worth at 817.294. 1900 or in Dallas at 214.327.8000. If you have questions about a truck accident, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

Around 10:50 this morning two semi-trucks collided head on while driving on U.S. 67 around Cleburne, Texas. One of the drivers died at the scene. The other driver was taken to the hospital. Their condition has not been released.

A pickup truck also had to veer off of the road in order to avoid becoming part of the wreck.

Traffic was not a problem in the area at the time of the wreck. Drivers have been driving on the service road in the immediate area where the tractor-trailer wreck occurred.

Unfortunately, this is the kind of tragedy that occurs when two such enormous vehicles collide with one another. I hope that the second driver is not in critical condition. Semi-truck wrecks account for almost 8% of fatal car wrecks that occur nationwide. This particular car accident is very unusual, because 88% of semi-truck wrecks involve the semi-truck crashing with a non-semi truck. To read more about tractor-trailer accident statistics refer to the statistics page on our website.

This information and commentary is provided by Texas Board Certified Attorney Mark Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or in Dallas at 214-327-8000. If you have been involved in an 18-wheeler accident and have questions about your case, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

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.

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.

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

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

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

A 68-year-old woman, whose name has not yet been released, died at the hospital after she was involved in a head-on collision with a tractor-trailer in Cleburne, TX.

The accident occurred on U.S. 67, a two-lane highway with no divider, near Farm Road 4. She was driving her 2001 Honda southbound when she unexpectedly veered into northbound traffic. She was flown to a hospital after the crash with the big rig but tragically did not survive. The driver of the truck, a 50-year-old man from Cleburne, was treated at the hospital for injuries that were not life-threatening.

I am sorry to hear about this tragic accident. There are many reasons for cars to veer in another lane (fatigue, distractions, cell phones…). The police investigators will probably never be able to figure this one out. My condolences to her family. And I hope for a speedy recovery for the truck driver.

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

A wreck last Monday afternoon on U.S. 67 in Cleburne involving two trucks sent three people to the hospital.

20-year-old James Hall of Godley was driving a pickup hauling a flatbed trailer carrying a washer and dryer when he made an illegal left turn from the access road onto U.S. 67. Diana Dillard was driving her truck on U.S. 67 and Mr. Hall struck her vehicle, his truck sliding on its side then eventually landing upright.

Mr. Hall and Ms. Dillard were immediately taken by CareFlite into Fort Worth hospitals. 19-year-old James Peabody of Burleson was transported by CareFlite to Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth after being pulled from the truck when witnesses thought it was on fire. According to police, no one suffered life threatening injuries.

I am glad to read that no one suffered life threatening injuries. But that certainly does not mean that none of the occupants suffered injuries. A wreck of this magnitude certainly can result in severe and permanent injuries. I know from experience that the CareFlite bills are astronomical. Also, depending on the number of scans and type of treatment rendered, the hospital bills could also be staggering. I obviously don’t know the amount of insurance available, but I sure hope the driver not at fault, Ms. Dillard, carries under-insured motorist protection. In my opinion this is the best type of insurance to carry as it protects you, the policy holder, in case someone else causes an accident and does not have enough insurance.

Information provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Car Accident Attorney Mark A. Anderson, who can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900, in Dallas at 214-327-8000, or toll free at 877-294-1115. He can also be contacted by clicking here.

The National Transportation Safety Board completed its investigation into the tragic bus crash in Sherman, Texas last year. I had previously blogged about this tragic—and avoidable—bus wreck (see here and here). The NTSB determined that a punctured retread tire was the probable cause of the crash. The bus driver tested positive for alcohol and cocaine after the accident, but the board did not cite driver impairment as the cause.

The retread tire was on the front steering axle, which is in violation of federal rules. According to the NTSB, it was a slow leak that caused the retreaded tire to blow. If the tires had been properly checked and inflated, investigators said the accident could have been avoided all together. The bus had been inspected eight days prior to the crash, but the Texas Department of Public Safety was cited in the investigation for poor oversight of the contractors who performed the inspection and for limiting inspection costs.

The tire itself wasn’t the only problem. The bus company, Iguala BusMex, was previously operating as Angel Tours until the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration pulled its certification for having an unsatisfactory record. Its owner, Angel de la Torre of Houston, simply applied for a new certification under a different company name. The administration has now stopped granting licenses for new applicants until it checks its system for this type of attempt.

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

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.

A National Guard Humvee caused a tragic crash Wednesday when it somehow went airborne, over the center barrier on I-35, and into oncoming traffic. Authorities are unsure what caused the Humvee to go airborne as it traveled south on 1-35 in Troy, a small town near Temple, Texas. After going onto the other side of the highway, the Humvee struck an oncoming car and an 18-wheeler. The big rig then crashed into a truck towing a trailer, then into a garbage truck. A soldier driving the Humvee, the tractor-trailer driver, and the driver of the car were all killed.

This is a very bizarre accident. I have never heard of a car or truck just going airborne. So I wonder what caused the Humvee to go airborne and over the highway divider. Was it speed? Was there contact with another vehicle before the Humvee went airborne? I am sure the Texas Department of Public Safety is investigating this wreck. To investigate a large wreck like this takes a lot of work and a lot of luck. The Humvee should be equipped with a data box which will yield some information. There is the analysis of the scene, the wrecked vehicles and witness statements. Sometimes in complicated accident cases, I hire an accident reconstruction expert to recreate the accident and help explain to me what really happened.

I feel very sorry for the families of the three individuals killed, as well as those who were hurt in this accident. We all take traveling on our interstate highways for granted and don’t seem to think that accidents like this can happen to us.

Information and commentary 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.

For the second time in a month, a horrible crash has claimed the lives of innocent victims near a construction site on I-35 south of Gainesville. And just like the previous wreck, a tractor-trailer was not paying attention and slammed into the back of a vehicle, causing a terrible chain reaction. The wreck happened just before noon on Monday north of FM 1306. A tractor-trailer driven by 59-year-old James Creighton of Dallas came barreling into backed-up construction traffic where two lanes were merging into one, causing a Chevrolet car to burst into flames. Anthony Brandon, 48, and his wife, Kimberly, 47, both of Bedford, died instantly, leaving 3 teenage daughters and members of Harwood Terrace Church in Bedford in shock. The 18-wheeler, registered to Bradco Supply in Irving, then struck a small Honda sedan, injuring Carroll Whaley, 63, and his wife Linda, 61, who were treated and released at an area hospital. The truck next hit a Nissan and killed the driver, 55-year-old Darryl Hoosier of Lafayette, La. Finally, the rig hit another truck driven by Charles Haney, 53, who suffered only minor injuries. The driver of the tractor-trailer was only slightly injured. Officials blame the dangerous construction zone on KKM Construction, which has failed to meet its deadline on repairs of the 70 year old Elm Fork bridge over the Trinity River. Although warning signs begin 7 miles before the lanes merge, and again posted at one mile intervals before the construction zone, the site remains a mess that has lingered far too long and has now been blamed for 5 wrongful deaths. Driver inattention is also a huge contributing factor in these tragic trucking accidents. Big rigs are dangerous vehicles that are operated many times by drivers who have had too little sleep, are under deadlines, or simply zone out from boredom on the road. When drivers are negligent and unaware of approaching traffic conditions, consequences are often on a large scale. The amount of time it takes for the driver to react and slow an 18-wheeler to a stop from 70 mph is too great to allow for driver inattention. In this instance, before the truck could come to a stop, he ran over 4 other vehicles causing a path of death and destruction that even seasoned officials couldn’t believe. Mark A. Anderson of Fort Worth is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law. He focuses his practice on helping those seriously injured or killed by the wrongful acts of others. He can be reached online by clicking here or by phone at 817-294-1900.

A horrible wreck occurred Friday during afternoon rush hour on the eastbound lanes on Northwest Loop 820 in Fort Worth, Texas. The wreck started when a pickup rear ended a Chrysler. Then a Chevy Trailblazer rear ended the pickup, and a Grand Cherokee ran into the back of the Trailblazer. The bus operated by the Fort Worth Transportation Authority ran into the Grand Cherokee, which caught fire. The fire killed the driver of the Cherokee. The fire also spread to the T bus and the Trailblazer.

Besides the death, this chain-reaction accident caused other injuries. Two of the drivers were transported to Parkland Hospital’s burn unit. Two others with lesser injuries went to local Fort Worth hospitals.

The driver of the T bus, Ronnie Ware, was able to assist the sole passenger off the bus, and the passenger was not injured.

This horrible wreck surely could have been prevented. Driving in rush hour where the cars are more apt to slow and stop on the freeway takes extra precaution. Here, the drivers were approaching Interstate 35 and the traffic is usually bad there at that time of day. I am sure the investigation will focus on what caused the initial accident and why the T bus was unable to come to a stop. Bus and Truck accidents usually have serious, often fatal results.

Fort Worth Accident Lawyer Mark A. Anderson assists those injured or the families of those killed as the result of others negligent acts. Contact us at 817-294-1900 or at www.maafirm.com.

Photo from www.star-telegram.com.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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: 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.

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.

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.

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

A bizarre truck accident in Benbrook, Texas left one man dead when the 18-wheeler he was driving swerved off of Southwest Loop 820 and unded crunched up under a bridge. The truck was carrying water bottles. The accident happened at 7:15 p.m. Thursday evening under the Winscott Road bridge. Three other cars driving the same direction as the semi-truck were involved and one man was taken to the hospital with injuries.

The bridge was closed last night until early this morning so it could be checked for structural damage.

As of now, no facts have been released which would reveal the reason for the accident. A thorough accident investigation might turn up what happened. The best source of facts for this investigation will be witness interviews and collection of the scene evidence, like skid marks, for example. The truck should also be equipped with an Engine Control Module (ECM) which may give useful information such as how fast the truck was going at the time of the crash.

In 2003, five bus passengers were killed when a bus headed to Dallas from Temple crashed on I35. The bus accident occured when the bus driver lost control of the bus in the rain and crossed the median near Hewitt, Texas, slamming into a southbound Chevrolet Suburban. Two passengers of the Suburban were killed and additional passengers of the bus were injured.

A wrongful death lawsuit was brought in Waco against Motor Coach Industries, an Illinois company which assembled the bus. In 2005, the case went to trial and a jury ruled that the crash victims should receive $17.5 million dollars, finding that the bus was defective as it had no seatbelts. Of course, the bus company appealed.

This week the 10th Court of Appeals, based in Waco, overturned the jury’s decision. The main reason for the reversal was that the appellate court believed that the trial judge should have asked the jury whether the bus driver or the charter bus company should share in responsibility. One of the three appellate justices also said the jury’s verdict should have been thrown out as federal law governing seatbelts “preempts” the victim’s ability to pursue that type of claim.

It is a shame that these victims’ claims have to go back and start over. The question of which parties’ conduct the jury considers is an important part of all injury cases where more than one party may be responsible. Who the trial judge ultimately “submits” to the jury depends on many things, including the requests made by the various parties’ attorneys and the type of claims being asserted. What is troubling here is the “preemption” argument asserted by the dissenting justice. It seems like federal preemption arguments are being increasingly relied upon by appellate courts to throw out plaintiffs claims. So much for state rights and the decision of juries.

The news surrounding our charter bus industry here in Texas seems to get worse every day. It all started with the tragic Sherman, Texas bus wreck which killed 17 innocent churchgoers from Houston. Soon thereafter, we started to learn about how the bus was operating illegally and how that horrible accident was easily preventable. Then, this week it came out that over the last 24 months, over 200 motor coach operators have had their authorizations to operate on Texas road revoked, according to the Texas Department of Transportation (“TXDOT”). That is an amazing 40% of all bus companies operating in Texas. Now, there are about 300 companies currently authorized to carry customers in Texas.

But the question remains: How may operators have resurfaced under another name, thereby disregarding the fact that their license has been revoked? That is what happened with the owner of the bus involved in the Sherman wreck. A company called Angel Tours lost its right to operate, so the owner reformed the company and called it Iguala BusMex. As I wrote about in Dallas Bus Company Ordered to Quit Operating, Green River Buses of Dallas was order to quit operating in April, so the owner renamed the company Autobuses Rio Verde, and started operating buses again. I know the government and the several federal and state agencies that deal with road safety are working on this "resurfacing" problem, but it has to be solved, and soon.

For some of my other thoughts on how to make traveling on buses safer, read Predictable News: Tragic Sherman Bus Wreck Easily Preventable.

In the aftermath of the tragic, and preventable, bus accident earlier this month in Sherman, Texas, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has ordered another Texas bus company to immediately cease all operations. The company, called Autobuses Rio Verde, is based in Dallas, Texas. The government has determined that it is in reality the same company as one called Green River Buses—which was ordered to halt operation in April.

The government is getting this part right. Too many companies, after being put out of business by the government, have “resurfaced” without getting caught. Maybe the government is catching up to them now. After the horrible Sherman bus wreck, I wrote about the many ways in which that accident was preventable. This latest news regarding Green River (Spanish translation: Rio Verde—not too original) is encouraging. But let’s do more and step up the monitoring of these charter bus companies. Too many people die each year in bus and truck accidents.

The still developing news surrounding the bus wreck in Sherman, Texas is extremely disturbing. When I first blogged about this accident that killed 17 Vietnamese church-goers, the word of the accident had just reached the news media. At that point, no one knew what caused the wreck to happen. I had a feeling that the investigation would reveal it would be yet another preventable accident involving a charter bus. Well, my suspicions were correct. Here are a few of the many ways this wreck could have been prevented.

Better Driver Screening – the driver had been convicted of DWI and also had convictions for assault, criminal trespass and a felony of unlawful use of human services--not the kind of person you want driving your bus.

Better Company Screening – the owner of the bus company had been shut down in late June due to a poor review by federal regulators. So, the owner simply started a new company and applied for a new license. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has now stopped granting licenses nationwide to new bus companies until it gets it computer system updated to catch these types of name games. Did the federal government not think of this before this wreck?

Mandate Safer Buses – Per the National Transportation Safety Board, the owner put on recapped tires in violation of federal law. That is hard to police, as “bad” bus operator will always try to skirt the law. But the federal government should at least mandate that buses use available safety features and not allow the buses on the road until the buses comply. A good start would be to require lap and shoulder belts and to use laminated glass (to help prevent ejections). Until the government mandates these changes, the bus companies undoubtedly will not step up and do the right thing.

These suggestions are easy to implement. Let’s get them done now before another preventable bus wreck occurs.

A report on CNN just detailed a horrible bus accident which occurred earlier this morning in Sherman, Texas. The bus was carrying passengers of all ages from a church with a large Vietnamese congregation. The scene is currently being treated as a crime scene, but the current speculation is that the bus apparently blew a tire and ran off the road, catching fire. There were eleven passengers who were pronounced dead on the scene. Eighteen medical helicopters transported many injured passengers to hospitals in Dallas, Texas and in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The CNN report also said that two more passengers died in the hospital, bringing the total current death toll to 14. The National Transportation Safety Board is on the scene and conducting its investigation.

While we take the safety of commercial buses for granted, it seems like every year there is a terrible crash in Texas. Oftentimes this is the result of driver error by the bus driver of inadequate maintenance by the bus company. I don’t know what the ultimate cause of this accident was, as it is still too early. A detailed investigation needs to and will occur. But my fear is that we have just witnessed another accident that could have been avoided. Tragic news.