Fort Worth Injury Lawyer Blog

As a Dallas-Fort Worth motorcycle accident lawyer, I’ve noticed many biker-oriented websites declare that now is the perfect time to buy a second-hand motorcycle as the prices have never been lower – not even Harley Davidsons. However, while it might be tempting to splash some cash on a great used bike, it is important that you do your due diligence to make sure the bike you’re purchasing is top quality and free from any manufacturing defects.

Before you go shopping, do your research. Most motorcyclists are familiar with different types of bikes already, but it’s always worth researching other enthusiasts’ recommendations online before settling on any particular make or model. It also allows you to try and find the best possible price. When you do go to look at a used vehicle, take a mechanic friend if you yourself are not an expert. Look for any clues that there might be something wrong with the bike: does it appear clean and in generally good condition; are the wheels properly aligned; is there any evidence that it may have been involved in a wreck in the past? There are a number of resources online which will allow you to check a motorcycle’s history by searching its VIN number (DWV.org, CycleVIN.com, Cyclechex.com). Good luck!

Since you’re saving money on a new (to you) bike, now is the perfect time to invest in a new DOT-certified helmet. Never buy a used helmet, for the most part they are worthless. Remember that the NHTSA recommends you replace your helmet every 2 to 4 years, so if yours is getting old, now might be the perfect time to upgrade. Trust me, as a DFW personal injury and wrongful death lawyer, I know for a fact that motorcycle helmets save lives. If you don’t have one, you need one.

Like many other North Texas residents, one of my ambitions for the new year was to lose weight and improve my overall level of fitness. I’m a keen runner, but I know many other people in DFW enjoy cycling. Plano is the latest city in the area to encourage more people to turn to healthier and more environmentally-friendly forms of commuting to and from work, with the completion of their massive network of park-and-highway trails designed for cyclists and runner, linking residential areas to each of Plano’s 50 largest employers. City officials that it will not only prompt more residents to exercise on their way to and from work, but that it will also reduce the overall amount of traffic in the city, making it a more pleasant commute for those who must drive.

I think that this is a great initiative, and I’m looking forward to seeing the proposed bike lanes in Fort Worth and Arlington become similarly advanced. However, regardless of whether you ride a bicycle, run or walk, you need to be careful whenever you share the road with motorized vehicles. As a Dallas-Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, I know that in the event of an auto collision, the chance of fatal injuries is extremely high. In 2010 alone, 354 pedestrians and 42 pedalcyclists were killed in Texas car wrecks, according to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).

It is important that you understand the risks associated with running or cycling whenever you are on a public roadway. Always stop at stop signs and red lights, and follow all traffic laws that you would normally obey if you were driving a car, truck or motorcycle.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a bike or pedestrian accident, it is important that you speak to a board certified personal injury and wrongful death attorney as soon as possible to discuss your legal rights. You may be entitled to compensation. Call the Anderson Law Firm’s Dallas office at 214-327-8000 or in Ft. Worth at 817-294-1900.

Being injured in a Fort Worth traffic accident is never a pleasant matter, but if you were walking, running or riding a bicycle at the time you were hit by a car or other motor vehicle, it’s highly likely that you will have suffered some extremely serious injuries. As a DFW personal injury lawyer, I know that the injuries suffered by many pedestrians and cyclists in such situations are frequently life-threatening.

If you or a loved one have been injured in a bicyclist or pedestrian collision, it is important that you are fully aware of your legal rights. You may be entitled to considerable financial compensation.

To help you better understand your legal rights and options I have put together some key information which any innocent wreck victim needs to be aware of: Pedestrian and Cyclist Accidents 101. I hope that you find it very informative and will help you understand why it is so important that you take your claim to a board certified Fort Worth personal injury attorney as soon as possible.

If you have any questions or wish to schedule a completely free, no obligation consultation with a lawyer, please call me toll free at 800-354-6275 or locally at 817-294-1900.

Any time that you are involved in a traffic accident involving a large truck, it’s usually a necessity that you seek good, trusted legal advice. Of course, if you’ve been badly injured, you’re probably unable to get to a lawyer’s office because you’re stuck in the hospital. That doesn’t mean that you can’t learn about your legal rights, so that you are aware of your options before you start looking for legal representation.

I’ve been a Fort Worth personal injury and wrongful death lawyer for 21 years. In that time I’ve handled a lot of cases where my client suffered terrible injuries due to a negligent 18 wheeler driver. The fact of the matter is, commercial trucks cause a lot of damage due to their size and weight. The medical bills alone are often in the tens of thousands at minimum. It is vital that you are fully informed before you start attempting to deal with the insurance company.

To try to make life easier for accident victims who have not yet hired an attorney, I have put together an online resource which I hope you will find helpful. It’s called “Truck Accidents 101” and gives you a brief oversight of the key bits of information you need to know to protect yourself and your legal rights, before you hire qualified legal representation.

If you have any further questions or would like to discuss your personal claim in detail, please call me at any time for a completely free, no obligation consultation. You can call me toll free at 800-354-6275 or locally in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900.

According to numerous citizen complaints, your dishwasher might be a hazard in your own home. Residents throughout Dallas-Fort Worth and across the US have complained that their dishwashers started smoking and caught fire. Fortunately, those affected were at home at the time of the incidents and were able to prevent a house fire, but their complaints to the dishwashing machine manufacturers have been largely ignored. The Consumer Product Safety Commission is now investigating the charges, which have been leveled against KitchenAid, Kenmore and Whirlpool. It is alleged that the three manufactures all use a defective design in the control panel of their appliances.

As a DFW personal injury lawyer with experience in dangerous and defective devices cases, I am shocked at the serious nature of this problem. I know that many people choose to switch their dishwasher on either just before heading out or going to bed, so it is a wonder that no one has been killed yet. Fortunately, Whirlpool (which owns KichenAid and Kenmore) has initiated an internal investigation into the complaints although they are dragging their feet on issuing a caution to registered customers regarding a possible recall.

If you have a Whirlpool, KitchenAid or Kenmore dishwasher which has exhibited any signs of malfunction which might be liked to this fire risk, you are encouraged to call Whirlpool’s consumer hotline at 800-422-1230.

If you or someone you love has been seriously hurt by a hazardous dishwasher or any other defective device or household appliance, you should speak to an attorney in order to determine your legal rights and responsibilities. You may be entitled to compensation. To speak with a board certified personal injury and wrongful death lawyer, call the Anderson Law Firm, toll free at 800-354-6275 or locally in Ft. Worth at 817-294-1900.

By now we have all heard about the tragic cruise ship accident which occurred off the coast of Italy on Friday the 13th. The luxury liner Costa Concordia hit a rock off the Tuscan island of Gigilo. 4,200 passengers and crew members were aboard when the ship began to sink. So far six people are confirmed dead, while many others remain unaccounted for. Survivors have described the dramatic incident as similar to the movie depiction of the infamous Titanic wreck.

The captain of the ship, Francesco Schettino, was arrested shortly after the accident on charges of manslaughter and abandoning ship. His employers and owners of the Costa Concordia, Costa Cruises of Genoa (itself owned by Carnival), have since accused him to making an "unapproved, unauthorized maneuver" which is being blamed for the ship running aground. None the less, it is the company which will remain financially responsible for the disaster.

As a board certified personal injury and wrongful death lawyer it is hard not to draw parallels between this disaster and other accidents even in the landlocked Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Whenever we get on a bus, train or airplane, we likewise put our lives in the hands of the crew. As a passenger, we have no control over the bus, so we trust that the driver will get us to our destination safety. If they then are responsible for a crash which causes injuries, we can make a claim against their insurance under Texas law, because it was their negligence which ultimately caused us to be injured. Even if you are injured as a passenger in a car wreck, you are still eligible to recover compensation to pay for your medical expenses from the insurance company – even if the at-fault driver was your spouse or other family member.

Regardless of the circumstances which caused you to suffer your injuries, if you yourself were not at fault, it is always worth consulting with an attorney in order to properly determine your legal rights and whether you might be entitled to compensation.

As far as the Costa Concordia shipwreck goes, I am relieved that most people onboard have either escaped or been retrieved alive. My thoughts are with those who have lost someone they love or whose loved ones still remain missing.

I don’t condone violence under any circumstances, but as a Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, I still wanted to share this video of a man “sedating” his friend in order to prevent him getting behind the wheel when he was clearly intoxicated. (Beware, the video does contain some bad language). Kudos to the potential drunk driver’s friends who prevented him from becoming another statistic. There is little doubt in my mind he would either have been arrested for a DWI or worse caused a car crash killing either himself or countless other innocent motorists.

If you look through the comments on the video, you’ll see that (like me) there are other people who think that the extreme measures portrayed in the video weren’t wholly necessary and offered alternatives methods of preventing someone who has had too much to drink from getting behind the wheel such as simply take their car keys.

Regardless, this video further highlight just how big a problem drunk driving is in our society. People need to get in the habit of planning ahead if they know they’re going to be drinking, so that the thought of driving home while obviously incapable doesn’t even cross their mind. The simplest solutions are to either designate a sober driver from your group of friends or make sure that you have cash set aside for a taxi. Remember: even though people seem to do it in Dallas-Fort Worth every day, driving while intoxicated is illegal.

If you or a loved one have been injured in an auto accident caused by a drunk driver, it is important that you consult with a personal injury and wrongful death attorney as soon as possible. You may be entitled to compensation. To learn about your legal rights, please call the Anderson Law Firm toll free at 800-354-6275 or locally in Ft. Worth at 817-294-1900. We offer completely free, no obligation consultations to drunk driver’s victims.

2012 is already off to a good start with the news that as of today, interstates and city streets alike will be far safer than they’ve ever been in the past. The reason is because a new law comes into effect today courtesy of the US Department of Transportation (DOT) which prohibits commercial truck and bus drivers from using a hand-held cellphone while operating their vehicle.

As a Fort Worth auto accident injury lawyer, I welcome this ban which was championed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). Distracted driving is the cause of far too many car wrecks in DFW and throughout Texas – and given the unique threat posed by commercial delivery vehicles I think this ban has come not a moment too soon.

Truckers and coach drivers are professional drivers. It’s their job to transport their cargo or their passengers to their destination safely. If they’re texting or talking on their cellphone then they do not have their full attention on the road ahead. Since the average 18-wheeler weight in at around the 80,000 pound range it takes long enough to come to a complete stop in the event of an emergency. Every second counts. If the driver is focused on their phone call instead of the road ahead, the result could be – and often is – disastrous.

From today onwards, any CDL driver caught using a handheld phone from behind the wheel will be faced with an automatic fine of $2,700 which is strongly hoped will be enough to deter all drivers from the habit. Drivers are not permitted to hold, operate or reach for a phone while driving; however cellphones which are completely hands-free are still permitted.

Although this ban only affects CDL drivers, there could be similar restrictions facing all motorists in time. Just two weeks ago, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSA) announced that they would begin urging both federal and individual state legislatures to introduce blanket bans on cellphone use for all motorists. As a personal injury and wrongful death attorney who has seen far too many pointless tragedies caused by distracted driving, I truly hope that the rules governing cellphone use while driving become increasingly strict for all drivers.

The antiepileptic medicine Dilantin (Phenytonin) has been connected to the life-threatening skin reactions Steven Johnson Syndrome and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (also known as Leyll’s Syndrome). Steven Johnson Syndrome (SJS) causes rashes, blisters and bleeding to appear across the patient’s body, face and genital areas but becomes increasingly serious as it evolves into skin lesions and inflammation of the mouth, throat, nasal passages, genital tract and intestinal tract. Dilantin patients who develop Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) have a fatality rate of approximately 25 percent.

The dangerous drug lawyers at the Anderson Law Firm are outraged at the suffering of patients who have been prescribed Dilantin and its generic forms and are currently accepting cases against the pharmaceutical companies who manufacture this potentially deadly drug.

If you have been affected by Dilantin (Phenytonin) you deserve justice for the pain and bodily injuries you have suffered. If someone you love has died as a result of taking Dilantin, you are entitled to bring a wrongful death case against the medication’s manufacturer.

For more information on your legal right to compensation, please call the Anderson Law Firm today to speak to a medical attorney. Call us toll free at 800-354-6275 or locally in Ft. Worth at 817-294-1900 or in Dallas at 214-327-8000.

As a DFW personal injury lawyer, I’ve seen distracted driving become a growing problem in Fort Worth and Arlington. Whenever you text while driving, you are taking your attention off the road and risking the safety of yourself, your passengers and all other road users. Make no mistake: using a cellphone while behind the wheel can and does result in fatal auto accidents.

Despite Republican candidate Texas Gov. Rick Perry vetoing a distracted driving ban earlier this year, there are other people who fortunately do recognize the very real hazard posed by using a cellphone or other electronic device while in the driving seat. The FMCSA and PHMSA recently announced that they are updating both the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and the Hazardous Materials Regulations to prohibit truckers from using hand-held cellphones.

The greatest news for those of us who recognize the dangers of distracted driving came this week when the National Transportation Safety Board urged Federal and State lawmakers to introduce blanket bans of cellphone use among drivers. It’s a move that would make many motorists unhappy, but would undoubtedly improve public safety. As NTSB chairman Deborah Hersman said “We’re not here to win a popularity contest. No email, no text, no update, no call is worth a human life.”

Many people oppose such restrictive laws claiming that they are inconvenient and that whatever someone does in their own vehicle should be their own business. I’m not sure I agree with that; after all driving while intoxicated is illegal for similarly good reason. I think as the public becomes increasingly aware of the many wrecks caused by cellphone use – and the many lives lost as a result – we will start to see these restrictions come into place. From my perspective as a wrongful death attorney; the sooner, the better!

Traffic wreck fatalities might have declined in 2010, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) but auto accident injuries actually increased by 40,000 throughout the USA. According to the NHTSA’s annual Motor Vehicle Crashes report, the greatest increase in car, motorcycle and truck collision fatalities are among passenger vehicle occupants and pedestrians. Furthermore, while the number of road deaths actually fell overall, the number of pedestrians killed in 2010 actually rose by 4.2 percent with the number injured rising by 19 percent – the greatest increase of all categories.

As a Dallas-Fort Worth personal injury lawyer and wrongful death attorney, the news that both injuries and deaths among non-motorists is on the increase is gravely concerning. This means that more pedestrians are being hit by drivers. Pedestrians do not have any form of protection to reduce the severity of being struck by a heavy, speeding vehicle.

According to the NHTSA, a total of 121,000 pedestrians and pedalcyclists were injured in traffic accidents nationwide in 2010. This is a huge problem, particularly when you consider that almost all of these crashes are not the fault of the pedestrian or bike rider, but rather the fault of a negligent motorist.

If you or a loved one have been injured while walking, jogging or cycling, then it is important that you understand your legal rights and responsibilities. You may very well be entitled to compensation. To discuss your case with a DFW lawyer today, please call the Anderson Law Firm toll free at 800-354-6275 or call locally in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or in Dallas at 214-327-800.

Last week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released their comprehensive report analyzing the causes of auto accident injuries and fatalities throughout the USA in 2010. At first glance the news is good; 2010 saw the lowest number of traffic deaths since 1949. However, as a DFW personal injury lawyer, there are a number of details within the overall report which has me extremely concerned.

One of the areas which has me particularly worried is the increase in alcohol-related crashes involving large trucks (such as commercial 18-wheelers, semis, flatbeds and tanker trucks). Overall, drunk driving fatalities declined by 2.9 percent in 2010, yet the number of people killed in wrecks caused by intoxicated truckers actually increased by 13 percent compared in 2009. In addition, the total number of fatalities in large truck wrecks increased by 6 percent in 2010 and the total number of injuries in commercial truck accidents increased by 12 percent overall.

This is hugely concerning, particularly as commercial motor vehicle drivers are supposed to fulfill much more stringent safety measures than average motorists in Texas. Put a drunk driver behind the wheel and of course they are going to pose a public safety hazard – but when the vehicle in question weighs several tons, the potential for severe bodily injuries and property damage is enormous.

Unfortunately for personal injury victims and the relatives of those who have lost their life due to the actions of a negligent truck driver, the odds are stacked against you. National trucking companies have crash scene investigators throughout the USA whose job it is to respond immediately whenever one of their drivers in involved in a collision. Their goal is to ensure that you – the victim – are paid as little compensation money as possible. That’s not fair, because Texas law entitles you to recover all past and future medical expenses related to the crash, any loss of income due to injury or death and other damages.

If you or someone you love has been hurt in a commercial truck wreck it is important that you consult with a board certified Fort Worth personal injury attorney as soon as possible. To schedule a free, no obligation consultation today please call me toll free at 800-354-MARK (6275) or call locally at 817-294-1900.

As a Dallas-Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, I view consider the cause of most traffic collisions throughout DFW to be the result of a reckless motorist. Any negligent activity behind the wheel, whether it’s texting on your cellphone, speeding or tailgating is reckless. Driving while intoxicated is perhaps the most reckless thing any driver could do.

Unfortunately, however, there are some car, motorcycle and truck drivers on North Texas who seem especially reckless. We’ve all seen them. More than likely you’ve had the same thought I have: how has your stupidity not resulted in a fatal crash already?

I’m talking about dangerous drivers who realize they’re about to miss their freeway exit and so cut across several lanes of traffic at the last second, brazenly risking a multi-vehicle wreck and putting countless lives at risk. I’m talking about those idiots who fail to turn on their lights even though the Sun has firmly set for the evening. I’m talking about those anti-social motorists who arrogantly seem to believe that stop sights and red lights aren’t meant for them.

Reckless driving costs lives. Hazardous driving habits such as those I’ve referenced about will inevitably lead to critical injuries and possibly even death. It’s not just your own life you’re putting in jeopardy – it’s the lives of any passengers (family members and friends) who happen to be riding with you at the time – and anyone else who is unfortunate enough to be sharing the road with you at the time.

If you or someone you love has been hurt due to the negligent actions of an irresponsible driver, it’s important that you consult with a board certified personal injury and wrongful death attorney. To schedule your free, no obligation appointment with a lawyer today, please call me toll free at 800-354-MARK (6275) or call locally in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900.

Christian Hernandez, 17, of Fort Worth, was killed on Saturday morning when the car he was riding in crashed into a house on Loving Avenue in north Fort Worth. Hernandez was a passenger in a Chevrolet Cobalt driven by an unidentified 19-year-old male. Neither he, nor two other passengers (a 12-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy) were injured in the wreck.

Inside the house, a female in the room hit by the car suffered minor injuries and a baby sleeping on a bed was thrown to the floor but was not hurt.

Hernandez was pronounced deceased at John Peter Smith Hospital after sustaining critical injuries when the roof of the house collapsed on to him.

As a Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, I would first like to offer my sympathies to the family and friends of Mr. Hernandez. As a passenger in an auto accident, he had absolutely no control over the vehicle and the events which led to his death.

Police have yet to determine whether alcohol was a factor in this collision which occurred at approximately 1:00 am on Saturday morning, however investigators have determined that the driver of the Cobalt clipped a minivan parked outside the residence, jumped the curb and subsequently drive through the front yard and crashing through the corner of the house’s garage which had been converted into a bedroom.

Two contributing factors in the crash are believed to be a combination of excessive speed and hydroplaning caused by rain on the road.

As a Dallas-Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, I know that traffic accidents involving commercial good vehicles such as 18 wheelers and other large trucks often result in some of the most devastating collisions. Wrecks caused by drunk drivers are awful because those motorists have absolutely no business being behind the wheel, but at least in those cases they are not pulling several hundred tons of cargo behind them. Semi-trucks are; which is why when they crash the result is often devastating bodily injury and property damage often costing the victim thousands of dollars in medical expenses.

The true extent of the danger posed by dangerous tractor trailers, flatbeds and other motor carriers is quite alarming. In 2011, Texas inspectors from the Department of Public Safety cracked down on unsafe trucks and buses resulting in one in five vehicles being taken off the road for safety violations. That’s 20 percent of trucks and buses: an insanely huge figure. The most common problems involved brakes, tires and lights malfunctions, which are critical to the safe operating of a big rig. In total, 66,189 vehicles were ordered off the road from a total of 331,505 that were inspected.

In addition to the vehicles themselves, DPS officials removed 12,301 drivers from the road for safety violations. This is hardly surprising as it has been widely experienced by auto accident attorneys throughout Texas that commercial truckers regularly keep two sets of log books in order to hide the fact that they are in breach of hours of service rules designed to protect public safety on our roads. This is a growing trend and one which is likely related to the increase in truck wreck fatalities. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety (TxDOT) fatal crashes involving trucks and buses has roughly doubled in just four years: from 8.92 percent in 2006 up to 15.96 percent in 2010 (based on preliminary data).

The report of this year’s inspections are important because millions of trucks pass through DFW every year. According to the Federal Highway Administration, commercial vehicles travel 20.86 billion miles throughout Texas every year. Being involved in any kind of freeway collision is serious, but when the negligent driver is a professional truck or bus operator, then it is critical that you consult with a board certified personal injury and wrongful death lawyer to make sure your legal rights are preserved and that you recover the full and fair compensation you deserve.

To arrange a free, no obligation consultation with an attorney, please call us toll free at 800-354-6275 or locally at either 817-294-1900 in Fort Worth or 214-327-8000 in Dallas.

A Denton County Transportation Authority A-Train crashed into an automobile in Lake Dallas yesterday evening. An older model pickup truck apparently did not completely clear the Hundley Drive crossing, meaning the commuter train was unable to avoid a collision. Fortunately, no injuries are believed to have occurred in the wreck. Police have yet to disclose the cause of the accident. There are two sets of red warning lights either side of the crossing where the accident took place so it is unclear whether the driver was tailgating another vehicle over the crossing or if there was a technical malfunction with the crossing signs.

This is the fifth serious accident involving the Denton County rail line since the passenger train began to run in June this year. Just last Friday, a pedestrian was killed in a fatal collision with a train in Carrollton. Dustin Odell, 23, of Garland, was apparently walking along a secluded section of railway when he was hit and killed.

As a Dallas-Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, my thoughts are with Mr. Odell’s loved ones and those of other recent train victims in the North Texas area.

I don’t know the details of each of the individual accidents involving the A-train, nor do I know the extent of the injuries in each case. It may well be that victims and their families are entitled to compensation. However, the fact that there have been five accidents in fewer than six months suggests to me that DFW motorists need a reminder to be cautious when driving near railroads. Trains cannot avoid cars or motorcycles; they are on a fixed path and take a considerable time to stop. It’s up to you to stay out of their way. In a train-versus-car wreck, the train will win every time.

The global recession and rising fuel costs have had a number of implications for people all over the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. One of the most striking trends I’ve witnessed as a personal injury lawyer is the number of people who have traded in their car or pickup truck for a more fuel-efficient and cheaper vehicle such as a motorcycle, scooter or moped.

However, while these motorists might be saving money, they are also increasing their risk of being involved in a serious accident. Not because scooters are dangerous themselves, or that those who choose to ride them are bad drivers – but because other motorists are dangerously prone to ignore any vehicle which is smaller than their own.

As a DFW attorney, I’ve heard negligent drivers say time and time again that they “just didn’t see” the scooter rider until they crashed into them. There’s a reason for that: they weren’t looking out for them in the first place.

Scooter and moped riders have just as much right to be on Texas roads as any other motorist. Unfortunately, they are rarely given the respect they deserve by other road users. Often this means a horrible collision resulting in devastating injuries which are frequently life-threatening.

It’s important that you understand that you have rights under Texas law. If you were not responsible for causing the wreck, then you are entitled to make a claim for compensation against the negligent driver who was at fault.

For more information, or to discuss your case with an experienced scooter accident attorney, please contact the Anderson Law Firm toll free at 800-354-6275 or call locally at 817-294-1900.

What would you do if you were driving and hit a pedestrian? Would you stop?

Unfortunately, there are a number of motorists in Fort Worth who didn’t even slow down after hitting a man on South Freeway last night. An approximately 50-year-old male who has not yet been identified by police, was attempting to cross I-35W when he was struck by a red or maroon car and knocked to the ground. He was subsequently hit by several other vehicles as he lay in the roadway, only one of whom stopped in an attempt to render aid to the stricken individual who was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police have asked for any witnesses to the accident or anyone who believes they might be able to identify any of the drivers who failed to stop to please come forward. Anyone with any information is asked to call the Ft. Worth Traffic Investigation Unit at 817-392-4850.

Another pedestrian was also fatally wounded in Fort Worth on Monday evening in an accident at Garden Acres Drive and Dear Creek Drive. Floyd Jones, 60, was hit by a motorist who did not notice him until it was too late, reporting to police that she heard something hit her wing mirror and saw a flash of color as the man fell into a roadside ditch. Mr. Jones died at the wreck site.

As a Fort Worth personal injury lawyer I know just how dangerous an auto-versus-pedestrian collision can be. To have two such tragedies with 24 hours of each other speaks volumes for the need to take extra care both when driving and when walking near roads.

My thoughts are with both the family of Mr. Jones and those of the as-yet-unidentified victim of last night’s hit-and-run.

Given the severity of more news-worthy accidents in Dallas-Fort Worth, such as 18 wheeler wrecks or multi-vehicle collisions, one might suspect that injuries suffered in a dog attack might be relatively minor. As a personal injury lawyer, I know that couldn’t be further from the truth.

In my 20 years as a dog attack lawyer, I have handled a variety of different dog attack cases throughout the North Texas region. Yet while it’s true that every case is different, in all cases the victim is left with both physical and emotional scars. These can range from punctures, lacerations and abrasions to tissue loss, avulsions and fractured bones. As if that wasn’t bad enough, in animal attacks (even with domesticated pets) there is a chance of contracting a serious disease, with rabies being the most notorious.

Unfortunately, not all victims survive their attack. The Center for Disease Control estimates that more than 5 percent of all dog attacks result in fatalities. In 2010 alone, there were a reported 34 canine fatalities. The vicious dog breeds which are most likely to attack a human resulting in their death are pit bull terriers and rottweilers, but they are by no means the only breeds to cause a fatality.

Make no mistake, dog attacks are extremely serious. If you or someone you care for has been attacked by a violent dog, then you need to consult with an experienced personal injury and wrongful death attorney to discuss your personal situation and understand your legal rights and responsibilities. Call me for a completely free no obligation consultation today. Call toll free at 800-354-MARK (6275) or call locally at 817-294-1900.

The recent spate of hit and run accidents in Dallas over the past decade have taken a particular toll on one DFW family. Andrew Green Sr. lost his father due to a hit-and-run accident in 2003 and his son, Andrew Green Jr., 14, was also killed by a negligent driver who failed to stop to render aid this week.

Green Jr. was run over by an SUV while crossing Skillman Street and Church Road in Northeast Dallas on Saturday morning. The car allegedly dragged the boy 20 feet before the driver disappeared from the scene. The teenager’s cousin, Jordan Green, was a witness to the collision and he has told police that the dangerous driver didn’t even stop to check Green Jr. was okay. Instead, he sped away from the scene, leaving the boy dead in the road.

As a North Texas personal injury and wrongful death lawyer, I have handled many hit-and-run accident cases for clients and their families over the past 20 years. There are generally two courses of action:

The first course of action is to find the guilty driver who committed the crime. In addition to taking criminal action against them, you are also entitled to make a civil claim for compensation against their insurance company. Obviously, no amount of money can relieve the grief of losing a loved one, but it can at least repay the financial costs you may have endured because of their death and offer some sense of justice. Finding a hit-and-run driver isn’t always easy, but by hiring an experienced attorney their in-house investigator will continue to pursue the at-fault driver in addition to the police department’s investigation.

The second course of action is to make a claim against your uninsured motorists insurance coverage if you have it. This is optional coverage you might have in addition to your basic auto insurance and it even covers you as a pedestrian if you are hurt by a hit-and-run driver. For more information on making this kind of claim, feel free to give me a call at 214-327-8000.

My thoughts are with Andrew’s family and loves ones at this most difficult time. I am incredibly sorry for your loss. I sincerely hope that the driver who hit your son is found and brought to justice.

If you believe you may have any information which might be helpful identifying this driver, please call the Dallas Police Department at 214-671-3661.

As a Tarrant County personal injury and wrongful death lawyer I represent victims that have been hurt in all kinds of traffic accidents; this doesn’t just mean car wrecks or collisions involving motorcycles or 18 wheeler trucks, but pedestrians and bicyclists too. My book, 15 Mistakes That Will Wreck Your Texas Accident Claim – which I offer for free to crash victims – is designed to help injured people no matter what kind of accident they were involved in.

Cyclists are particularly prone to suffer terrible injuries if they are ever involved in an auto collision because they have virtually no protection whatsoever. Hopefully, they are wearing a bike helmet, but other than that they have nothing. Even motorcyclists often wear boots and leathers which could at least prevent road rash. Cyclists don’t. If a car or truck was to crash into a bicycle, the cyclist is probably going to be facing life-threatening injuries or permanent disability.

A Fort Worth cyclist was killed on Sunday evening. Police report that Steven Wayne Johnson, 52, was attempting to cross Interstate 30 between Forest Park Boulevard and Summit Avenue at approximately 6:30pm. He was struck by a vehicle in the inside lane and died of blunt force trauma. There are no reports of anyone else being injured.

My thoughts go out to Mr. Johnson’s family. I am deeply sorry for your loss.

Students and faculty at Hebron High School in Carrollton got a scare yesterday when a small plane crashed next to the school building, narrowly missing some power lines. Fire crews from Carrollton, Addison and Lewisville worked together to rescue one passenger from the aircraft, while the other occupant was pronounced dead at the wreckage scene. The deceased was later identified as Richard Goodrum, 47, of Flower Mound. The injured passenger has not yet been named publicly. It is also believed that there was a third person on board the airplane, although their condition is currently unknown.

Police say that the pilot had reported engine problems to air traffic control at Addison Airport and that he intended to return to make an emergency landing. The pilot apparently made one failed attempt to land just prior to the accident. The plane crashed at approximately 11:30 yesterday morning.

My thoughts are with the family and loved ones of Mr. Goodrum and the other victims of this devastating accident. I hope those still in hospital make a full recovery as soon as possible

While plane crashes are statistically far rarer than car wrecks, as a Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, I know that aviation accidents often result in far more serious and life-threatening injuries. No doubt there will be a thorough investigation into the cause of yesterday’s wreck to determine what cause the plane to malfunction and for the accident to ultimately occur.

Travel and Leisure Magazine has ranked Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport as the tenth most dangerous airport in the US. Naturally, as a North Texas personal injury lawyer, I find this gravely concerning. While it’s a well-known fact that statistically, you are far more likely to be injured in a car wreck than in an airplane accident, when the latter does occur there is obviously a far higher potential for serious injuries and fatalities.

A large part of the reason DFW ranks so poorly is due to errors made with air traffic control. The study looked at both serious incidents where an airplane crash was narrowly avoided as well as slightly less serious incidents where there was a significant potential for a mid-air collision.

Dallas/Fort Worth also has a history of very serious runway accidents too, according to the Federal Aviation Administration’s latest Runway Safety Report. Within the past five years alone, DFW Airport has had 61 separate runway incidents, ten of which occurred within a single 30 day period in 2008.

Although aviation accidents are not every day occurrences, they unfortunately not the rarity you might expect. If you or a loved one is ever injured in a plane crash it is important that you consult with an airline accident attorney who can investigate the cause of the accident and ensure that the negligent party at fault is held responsible.

Do you have any information who could help Dallas police find the driver who killed a mother in hit-and-run accident in Southeast Dallas on Saturday night? Sue Burks, 54, was struck by a car as she crossed Great Trinity Parkeway near the Murdeaux intersection. She was pronounced dead at the crash scene. The motorist who hit her is believed to have been driving either a Ford Crown Victoria or a Mercury Grand Marquis when they mortally wounded Ms. Burks and failed to stop to render aid. Anyone with any information related to the deadly accident is asked to pleased contact Dallas Crime Stoppers at 214-373-8477.

My thoughts are with the family of Sue Burks. I am very sorry for your loss. While I know that finding the responsible driver or recovering any wrongful death compensation will do nothing to bring back your loved one, I understand the valuable closure that such justice can achieve for bereaved families. I hope that someone with knowledge of what happened in this case does indeed come forward.

As a Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, I am acutely aware of the high number of traffic accident fatalities throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. The large numbers of 18 wheelers which pass through the region and frequent drunk driving wrecks are perhaps the most significant contributors to DFW’s high death rate in auto collisions. However, a new study by the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention has shown that for the first time ever, car crash death are outnumbered by drug-related fatalities based on nationwide figures.

This is not entirely surprising. Over just the past few months, there are several drugs whose hazardous side-effects have become public knowledge. For example: the popular diabetes medication Actos has recently been linked to increased likelihood of bladder cancer; Propecia, designed to reduce hairloss has the rather undesired side-effects of impotence, infertility and erectile dysfunction; and the birth control pill Yaz has been found to cause blood clots, strokes and heart attacks.

Aside from these very dangerous drugs, while other preventable illnesses have decreased, so prescription drug addiction has been on the rise. Some of the more potent and dangerous medications often abused by patients which the CDC singled out include Fentanyl, OxyContin, Vicodin, Soma and Xanax.

If you suspect either yourself or someone you care about is struggling with prescription drug addiction, you should contact your family doctor immediately to discuss your options. If you or a loved one has suffered illness or injury due to a known dangerous drug, please contact the board certified medical malpractice and wrongful death attorneys at the Anderson Law Firm for a free no obligation consultation on your personal situation. We can be reached toll free at 800-354-6275.

A Texas soldier was killed by a truck driver in a fatal South Carolina auto accident on Friday night. Sergeant First Class Maurice Collier, 48, of Killeen, was attending a motorcycle rally in Aiken, near Eureka when the accident occurred. Witnesses reported that Collier, who was stationed at Fort Hood, was helping to direct traffic leaving after the motorcycle event, when he was hit and killed by a Ford 350. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

The truck driver, identified as Glenn Otts, of Trenton, was then allegedly attacked by other bikers and reportedly stabbed and beat in retaliation for the deadly accident. He was subsequently treated for non-life threatening injuries.

As a Dallas-Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, I know that pedestrian accidents are highly likely to result in a death such as this, as the human body offers no protection against the blunt force of a heavy vehicle.

I would like to offer my sympathies to Sergeant Collier’s family and loved ones. I am deeply sorry for your loss.

I would also like to wish Mr. Otts a full and speedy recovery. Even though it does appear that his negligence as a motorist was responsible for causing Sergeant Collier’s death, there is no excuse for the violence perpetrated against him. Justice for wrongful deaths should be sought through the legal system, not through a mindless vigilante assault.

An as yet unidentified man was killed by a pickup driver in Fort Worth early on Sunday morning. A witness told police that the male victim was attempting to cross the road at the 3600 block of North Main Street at approximately 2:30 am yesterday. A pickup truck believed to be driven by another male hit the pedestrian in the roadway, knocking him to the ground. The witness reported that the pickup driver stopped his vehicle and backed up to get a closer look at his victim before speeding off into the night. The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the crash scene, although the Tarrant County medical examiner’s office has not yet been able to identify the hit-and-run victim.

Police believe the driver was driving a tan Chevrolet pickup truck. If you believe that you may have any information which could assist the Fort Worth Police Department in their investigation of this deadly hit-and-run accident, please contact the Crime Stopper Hotline at 817-469-8477.

It’s always nice to know that as a Dallas-Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, I’m not alone in understanding the very real danger of distracted driving. That’s why I was pleased to find myself behind a four-wheel drive this morning heading into work, where the owner had installed a custom spare-tire cover loudly proclaiming their belief that texting while driving should be made illegal throughout the United States. I wholeheartedly agree.

According to the US Department of Transportation, 20 percent of all traffic accidents are directly caused by one or more drivers being distracted. The Center for Disease Control estimates that 15 people are killed nationwide every day because of distracted drivers.

The big local news this week is that Arlington City Council officially approved a proposal to outlaw texting behind the wheel. This is a fantastic decision that will save countless lives, and prevent many more injuries.

So why are so many people against it?

That’s a psychology I cannot comprehend. Distracted driving is just as deadly as drunk driving, so it makes sense that neither should be allowed. Unfortunately, many people have become accustomed to using their cellphone while simultaneously operating their cars, trucks and motorcycles so it’s natural they should bristle when told they can’t do it anymore. But trust me; your life is far more important that any text, tweet or email you might feel compelled to read. It can wait until you’ve arrived at your destination.

Others complain that the ban is going to be difficult to enforce. That’s an unfortunate truth. Not every person who decides to drive while intoxicated gets pulled over by police. Not every cellphone user will either. But many will. It may not be a perfect solution, but for many people simple knowing that they are breaking the law by checking their phone while in control of a vehicle should hopefully be enough to prevent a significant number of injuries and deaths.

As a wrongful death attorney, I hope that other North Texas cities follow Arlington’s example.

As a Grand Prairie motorcycle wreck and personal injury lawyer, I know that in an auto accident between a motorcycle and a car, van or truck, the motorcyclist is going to come away with the most serious injuries every single time. Even if the motorcycle rider is wearing a helmet, their unprotected bodies are no match for the blunt force of a large vehicle, which is why there are so many fatal motorcycle crashes throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex every year.

A multi-vehicle wreck which took place in Grand Prairie last Tuesday caused the death of a local motorcyclist. Michael Maruska, 52, of Midlothian, was riding his three-wheel bike along Lake Ridge Parkway when a van pulled entered the road in front of him. Mr. Maruska’s motorcycle crashed into the van, which subsequently also collided with a pickup truck. Mr. Maruska was immediately flown to Methodist Dallas Medical Center by helicopter ambulance. The driver of the van, Khoa Nguyen, 20, of Grand Prairie was treated for minor injuries. The driver of the pickup was not identified and their condition is unknown.

According to Grand Prairie police, their investigation into the cause of this deadly accident remains unresolved. Unfortunately, as an attorney, I have seen far too many similar fatalities caused by motorists who simply failed to watch out for motorcyclists or who decided to just pull out in front of them anyway. Since the collision took place at approximately 4.40 pm, there should have been sufficient daylight that visibility was not a problem. It will be interesting to learn of the investigating officers’ conclusion in this wrongful death case as if it is determined that Mr. Maruska was killed due to the fault of a negligent driver, his family are entitled to make a legal claim for compensation to cover his medical bills, funeral costs and other expenses related to the accident and the time he spent suffering.

I’d like to offer my thoughts and condolences to Mr. Maruska’s family and friends at this most difficult time. I am sorry for your loss.

How many times have you been driving around your neighborhood and had to slow down because of a pedestrian taking their sweet time to cross the road? Often, I think it’s simply a matter of the person being both oblivious to other road users and so wrapped up in themselves that they don’t care about causing an inconvenience to others. Surely they realize, though, that by not exiting the street as quickly as possible they are putting themselves in danger. As a Dallas-Fort Worth personal injury lawyer I certainly hope so!

A recent study published by Transportation for America puts the Dallas, Fort Worth and Arlington region of Texas as the 10th most dangerous metropolitan area in the US for pedestrians. This doesn’t really surprise me, seeing as here in DFW we are dependent on our cars to get from A to B.

So how can pedestrians reduce their risk of being injured in an auto accident?

The simple answer would be to pay attention. Just as motorists are guilty of creating a hazard by texting while driving, so pedestrians are putting themselves in grave peril by texting while walking. If you’re crossing the road you need to a) be aware of any oncoming vehicles and b) reach the sidewalk on the other side as quickly as possible. By law, motorists must yield to pedestrians even when they are jaywalking, but given the distracted driving epidemic we currently face in DFW, you can never guarantee that the car or truck heading towards you has actually noticed you.

If you are a pedestrian, don’t act like you own the road. You don’t stand a chance against an SUV. Don’t dawdle. Get across. Think self-preservation.

PI attorney Mark Anderson has been helping injured pedestrians and their families since 1991. For a free consultation on your personal injury or wrongful death case call Fort Worth 817-294-1900.

This summer has been hot even by Texas standards. It seems like almost every day for the past couple of months, there’s been some new record set by the temperature. The extreme heat brings numerous hazards for us here in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, but they are not all as obvious as you might think.

As a personal injury and wrongful death attorney, I know that one of the biggest dangers actually is actually to kids. While no-one every thinks it could happen to them, the truth is that many children suffer sickness or even die as a result of being left in hot cars every year. Just within the past couple of weeks an Irving toddler died after he was locking in his mother’s SUV in their own driveway.

I know it sounds like such a simple thing, you would never think you’d let it happen to your child, but the truth is that it happens to good parents all the time. I know that when I became a father, it was something that I became paranoid about.

Baylor Medical Center has actually founded a program called Backseat Buddies for new parents, to help them avoid the danger of potentially leaving their infants trapped in their vehicle. Each of the parents is given a small teddy bear which they keep on their keychain. Whenever they take their baby out of their car seat, they put the bear in their place. Then whenever they strap their newborn in, they clip the bear back onto their keychain as a visual reminder that their child is in the backseat. I think it’s a fantastic idea; not only is it incredibly simple but it reduces the worry that one day you might make that fatal mistake.

As a Dallas-Fort Worth personal injury and wrongful death lawyer, some of the more upsetting cases I handle involve the unintentional discharge of a firearm. Most of these gunshot wound accidents involve someone inadvertently firing at either a friend or a relative. Sometimes alcohol is involved; sometimes it’s just bad luck. Whatever the case, there is usually an insurance policy involved that the victim’s attorney can claim against to recover any medical expenses or other costs related to the shooting.

Danny White of Plano has been charged with manslaughter after fatally wounding an employee, Dean Grimes (45, of Frisco), in what White claims was an accident. White reportedly told police that he and White were playing with the gun at the Northwest Dallas warehouse of White’s printing company when it unexpectedly discharged. Grimes died at the scene as White held his head. There were no witnesses to the tragedy.

This incident further underscores the need for greater common sense when handling a firearm. While Texans have a right to bear arms, playing with a gun is an act of grave carelessness. Grimes’ family is understandably keen for criminal justice to be sought in this case, but I hope they are equally aware of their right to pursue a civil claim to help compensate them for their loss of a loved one, and all the financial consequences that brings.

As a Dallas-Fort Worth personal injury lawyer I know that life just isn’t fair sometime. If it was, then no-one would be injured in a car wreck or other traffic accident. No one wants to be in a crash. No one wants to suffer broken bones, head injuries or amputation. Unfortunately, highway collisions are a fact of life in North Texas. No matter how much care we take, there is always that one idiot driver you just can’t avoid.

My job as an accident and injury attorney is to go to that negligent driver’s insurance company, and make them pay you the full and fair compensation you deserve – to cover your hospital bills, loss of income and any other costs you may have incurred.

But what if you in a wreck caused by an uninsured driver, or were injured in a hit-and-run accident? In those cases there is no insurance policy to make a claim against, which is why I strongly encourage everyone to make the small investment of adding uninsured motorist coverage to your insurance policy. Most likely it will only increase your monthly premiums slightly, but in the event that you are hit by a negligent driver who doesn’t have insurance, it can really help you out.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a car crash, motorcycle collision or truck wreck anywhere in Texas, call an experienced personal injury lawyer today for a free, no obligation consultation on your personal injury case. Call toll free at 800-354-6275.

Dallas-Fort Worth may have been teased with a few drops of rain this week and the talking heads on TV might be incessantly chattering about Hurricane Irene battering the East Coast throughout the weekend, but the fact remains that here in North Texas it continues to be hot. Despite the few drops of precipitation we got yesterday morning, the high was still 103 degrees.

As a DFW personal injury lawyer, I’d like to stress the need to continue to be careful about the heat until it really does start to cool down. If you’re running, cycling or playing sports outside, please make sure that you drink plenty of water. Make sure that you continue to regularly maintain your car, truck or motorcycle by making sure you’ve got air in the tires, water in the radiator and Freon in the air conditioning. Always be especially vigilant that you do not leave your children locked in your vehicle.

I was saddened to learn of one such heat-related death which occurred yesterday. A two-year-old boy died in his mother’s SUV in Irving in what local police have termed “a very tragic accident.” The single mother had just relocated from California with her nine children. Apparently she believed all of her children were in the house when she locked her car. It was only later in the evening that she realized one of her kids was missing and contacted the Irving Police Department. Officers quickly found the boy inside the SUV, but he was already dead.

It is a horrible story, and my thoughts are with the boy’s mother, the family and their friends. As a parent myself, I can’t even imagine what they must all be going through right now. Please continue to be vigilant and take care. You never think that you might leave your child locked in a hot car, but the truth is these accidents happen with scary regularity.

Most people in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex know how popular 15 passenger vans are with local churches and other community organizations in the area. But did you know that the vehicles are so dangerous that Texas schools are actually prohibited from using them to transport children? The reason for this is that in the event of a crash, these vans have an extremely high likelihood of rolling over, which can cause devastating injuries and fatalities. In fact, 80% of the deaths which have occurred in van accidents involved a rollover.

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a church van rollover accident, it’s important to know that you do have rights. If you were a passenger in the van, it doesn’t matter whether another motorist was at fault for causing the collision, or if it was the driver of the van you were riding in who was negligent. You still have rights. You are still entitled to make a claim for compensation to cover your medical expenses and any other costs related to being injured in an accident.

For a no obligation consolation on your van accident claim, contact an experienced personal injury lawyer at the Anderson Law Firm to understand your legal rights and responsibilities and the opportunities available to you. Call toll free at 800-354-6275 or contact us online and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

As a Fort Worth truck accident lawyer, I know that it’s important for drivers and passengers who have been hurt in a collision involving a commercial truck to contact an experienced accident and injury attorney as soon as possible following the crash. Many individuals decide not to, however, and that decision usually ends up costing them in the long run. It’s true that there are certainly some personal injury claims that can be handled just fine without the aid of an attorney, but wrecks involving 18-wheelers, big rigs or other large trucks are rarely situations where I would recommend this.

The main reason why you should never attempt to recover compensation from the trucking company or their insurance adjusters alone is simply because there is so much at stake. A regular car does not stand a chance versus a large flatbed trailer. Substantial property damage and severe injuries are extremely likely to occur. The law in Texas does of course give you the right to seek full and fair compensation for any damages you’ve suffered in such a wreck there the trucker was at fault. However, the insurance company for the truck driver is going to do their best to minimize their losses. They will try to get you to accept the smallest settlement possible.

This happens all the time, and I’ve had many individuals come to me in tears because they took an early settlement offer that just wasn’t enough to cover all the medical bills they’ve since accumulated in the years following the accident. Unfortunately, I have to tell these people that there is absolutely nothing I can do to help them. They tried to go it alone and they accepted what the insurance company offered them. They’ve forfeited their right to the compensation they deserve.

Please don’t make the same mistake. I’ve been practicing personal injury law throughout Tarrant County and across Dallas-Fort Worth for over 20 years. Give me a call and I’ll give you a free no obligation consultation on your personal situation. It might well be that in your case you truly don’t need an attorney, but in my experience, it is always far better to be safe than sorry. Call toll free at 800-354-6275 or locally at 817-294-1900.

A deadly commercial truck wreck in Fort Worth caused police to shut down I-30 eastbound this morning, causing significant traffic delays for commuters. TxDOT officials expect the interstate to remain closed to vehicles until Friday night while a thorough investigation is conducted prior to the crash scene clean up.

As a Texas personal injury lawyer, I have helped many big rig collision victims over the past 20 years. I know that accidents involving commercial trucks are frequently responsible for life-threatening injuries and fatalities. This particular wreck is unusual, however, as the deceased was actually riding in the 18-wheeler at the time of the crash. Police have confirmed that the fatality was a 14-year-old boy, the son of the truck driver. Apparently the boy was asleep in the sleeping area of the truck cabin while his father drove. Neither the trucker of the child has been named by authorities at this time. The truck driver has been transported to hospital to be treated for his injuries. His condition is unknown. No other injuries related to the collision have yet been reported.

In any traffic accident caused by a delivery vehicle, a thorough police investigation is essential. This wreck deserves an especially detailed analysis not just because a death occurred, but also because the truck also broke a bridge support, possibly causing damage to the infrastructure of the roadway. The reason behind the collision remains unclear at present. It does not appear that any other automobile was involved in the collision. As a commercial truck wreck attorney is certainly seems that there are a great many questions which require answers. Hopefully these are all questions which authorities can resolve within the coming hours and days.

Anybody else think meteorologists in Texas have the easiest job in the summer? The forecast is always hot, hot, and HOTTER. This week we could reach highs all the way up into 108 degrees! Wow. So far this summer, we’ve had 30 consecutive days of temperatures in the 100s and we are well on our way to having the hottest summer on record. At the Anderson Law Firm, we’ve written before about how the heat can affect your car and the people in it. This week, lookout for buckling roads caused by the heat and whatever you do, don’t leave your kids or pets in the car without air conditioning! Everyone should know by now that it doesn’t take long for kids left in hot cars to die due to the heat, but just this week some idiot parents in Dallas left their four young children in a hot car for two hours! Thank goodness for the good Samaritans that rescued those kids and called the police – otherwise who knows what could have happened. As a child injury attorney, I’ve taken legal action against negligent daycares, but for a parent to willingly be so careless with their child’s well-being is unfathomable to me. We shouldn’t have to remind people to take their children and pets with them when they go into places, yet Texas has the highest number of child deaths due to hot vehicles in the nation. Sad.

Some other common sense advice would be to pack a gallon or two of water in your car. It may seem like a lot, but if your car breaks down or overheats, you can use the water to cool your vehicle down or yourself. We don’t get to choose when our cars stop running and you never know how far you could have to walk to get help, or how long you’ll be waiting before someone can come get you. With temperatures like these, you’re better safe than sorry.
Stay cool out there folks.

- The Anderson Law Firm is located in Fort Worth, Texas and takes a variety of accident and injury cases like dog bites, wrongful death and motor vehicle accident claims. If you need an experienced PI lawyer, call 817-294-1900.

Distracted driving is a big problem in Dallas-Fort Worth. As a personal injury attorney, I’ve seen far too many traffic collisions caused by people texting, eating and even reading behind the wheel. What most people don’t seem to realize, however, is that driving with a pet in the car can also be a serious distraction too.

This week, AAA and Kurgo announced the results of a joint study of various dog owners’ driving habits. Almost 60% said they’ve driven with their dog in the vehicle at least once in the past year, with 52% admitting to petting their dog while driving. 23% said they regularly drive with their pet on their lap. All of these things are incredibly dangerous. If you’re sitting in the driving seat, you need to be focused on the road ahead and the other drivers around you. As a dog lover myself, I know it’s tempting to always want to have your best friend with you and to shower them with affection, but doing so while you’re driving only puts you both in danger.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a crash caused by a negligent driver you may be entitled to compensation to cover all past and future medical expenses, any loss of income as well as any pain and suffering you have endured. To speak to a board certified accident and injury lawyer, call 817-294-1900.

As a Cleburne truck wreck lawyer, I know that a big rig crash usually means fatalities. Commercial trucks are heavy vehicles, which means they can’t break as quickly as other vehicles. It also means that in the event of a collision there will be significant property damage and personal injuries suffered by all drivers and passengers for any cars and motorcycles involved in the accident. Likewise, even smaller pickup trucks pose a greater threat than other passenger vehicles on the roads around Dallas-Fort Worth.

Pedestrians are particularly at risk since they have absolutely no protection whatsoever to protect themselves against the blunt force of a truck. I was saddened to learn this weekend of the death of Kelly Lassley (36, of Cleburne) who was struck by a truck towing a flatbed trailer. Kelly Lassley was apparently standing in the roadway when the collision occurred, according to police. The truck was being driven by an as yet unnamed Alvarado woman (52).

Cleburne police are still investigating the accident. A thorough crash scene investigation is vital, especially whenever a commercial truck is involved in a fatal wreck because there is so much at stake. The police will interview witnesses and do other types of scene investigation to make sure that they understand the positioning of the pedestrian and the speed of the truck.

Friends of Fallen Riders gathered for the funeral of a Texas motorcycle rider, Robert Walker, Sr., who was killed last week when he was accidentally shot while trying to protect his family from a violent animal attack. The tragedy unfolded when a neighbor’s pit bull jumped over the fence and into Mr. Walker’s son’s back yard where his young granddaughter and her cousins were playing. The dog tried to attack Mr. Walker when he defended the children, so his wife, Betty Walker, attempted to shoot the dog and accidentally mortally wounded her husband in the process.

This is an absolute tragedy. My heart goes out to Mrs. Walker and entire family. As a Dallas-Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, I know that dog bites can happen unexpectedly. All Mr. and Mrs. Walker were trying to was protect their grandchildren from the dangerous animal. Sadly, this story also goes to show that in moments of panic, terrible gun accidents can also occur. It is a terrible thing that has occurred. My thoughts are with the extended Walker family and their friends.

Mr. and Mrs. Walker are residents of Houston, Texas, but the accident occurred in Jackson, Mississippi. Mark Anderson is a Texas personal injury and wrongful death attorney based in Dallas-Fort Worth.

After two years of uncertainty, due to a legal challenge and a subsequent appeal, Texas House Bill 148 has finally become law. The legislation, which was signed by Gov. Rick Perry in 2009, makes it illegal for lawyers or medical professionals (such as chiropractors) to solicit car wreck victims within the first 30 days following their accident. As a Dallas-Fort Worth personal injury attorney with 20 years’ experience, I wholeheartedly support this law. The so-called “ambulance chasers” that this law targets are fortunately few and far between, but they give my industry as a whole a bad name. I do not sue negligent drivers for the sake of winning a windfall payout for my clients; I help people that have been injured through no fault of their own make a successful claim against the at-fault party’s insurance company. The victim of a drunk driver should not have to ruin their credit or put themselves at risk of bankruptcy due to the medical expenses incurred simply because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time – the negligent motorist’s insurance company should.

While I welcome this legislation into law, however, I feel there is still work to be done. Traffic collision victims and their family members need time to comprehend the often life-changing event which has unexpectedly taken place. The injured person needs time to both mentally and physically recuperate. So why are insurance adjustors allowed to visit them in their hospital room? It’s true and it happens every day. Why do they do this? They can exploit the patient’s vulnerable state and get them to sign a release accepting an offensively low settlement figure, which will not even come close to covering the debt they will incur as a result of being in an accident. This is all about the insurance company minimizing their losses. I think it is a most unethical practice. Texas law gives accident victims the right to a fair settlement which compensated them for all medical costs and any loss of income caused by being involved in a crash.

It is a great thing that Texas accident victims are now protected from unscrupulous lawyers and medical professionals, but they also need protection from the equally bad insurance adjustors.

Mark Anderson is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and is the author of the books 15 Mistakes That Will Wreck Your Texas Accident Case and Roadmap To Winning Your Texas Motorcycle Accident Case.

Almost every single traffic collision involving a bicyclist that I have encountered in my 20 years as a Tarrant County personal injury lawyer has resulted in serious, life-threatening injuries. Fatal Dallas-Fort Worth bicycle accidents occur due to a number of factors, not least of which is the amount of cars and trucks on the road – but far too often motorists fail to give cyclists the respect they deserve. Bicycles have just as much right to be on the road as other vehicles. As the number of bicycles increases in urban areas, it is more important than ever that all road users are educated on their rights and responsibilities in order to avoid deadly crashes.

The Fort Worth Transportation Authority is planning on introducing a new bicycle sharing program for local residents and those who work throughout the city. Bike racks would be spread throughout the city and people can borrow a bicycle as and when they need it. The initiative is based on successful programs from other Texas cities such as San Antonio. I think this is a great idea which fits in well with the proposed growth of new bike lanes throughout downtown. The additional benefits of course are that it promotes healthy exercise while allowing people to reduce both their gas bill and their carbon footprint. As a Fort Worth bicycle wreck attorney, I hope that there will be some accompanying publicity campaign to remind drivers of proper safety rules when driving around bicycles.

Mark Anderson has represented injured cyclists and their families throughout North Texas since 1991. If you or a loved one has been injured while riding in or around the DFW Metorplex, call the Anderson Law Firm for a free consultation to understand your legal right to claim compensation. Call toll free at 800-354-MARK (6275) or locally at 817-294-1900.

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the answer to that question is fireworks. As a Fort Worth personal injury lawyer I am utterly astounded at the bad decision the FMCSA has made to abandon the hour-of-service rule for commercial truckers shipping fireworks over the Fourth of July weekend. Big rig wrecks are dangerous enough as it is. I have seen first-hand the life threatening injuries that a Texas 18-wheeler collision can cause. Granting an exemption to this rule (which is designed to make our roads safer by eliminating sleep-deprived truckers) to those hauling explosive cargo seems incredibly shortsighted and dangerous.

Under the current federal guidelines, commercial truck drivers are not permitted to work longer than 14-hour days. This includes off-duty and rest periods. The exemption means they don’t have to count their non-driving time as part of their workday, which in reality means we could have drivers on I-35 and other major roads around the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex who’ve actually been on-the-job for 16 hours or more!

Tarrant County truck accidents are always extremely serious. They cause massive amounts of personal injuries and property damages. If you or a loved one are ever involved in a pile-up or other auto accident involving a commercial truck, I advised you to contact a board certified personal injury attorney as soon as possible. We offer free no obligation consultations to Fort Worth commercial truck wreck victims, so call us now toll free at 800-354-6275 or locally at 817-294-1900.

As a North Texas personal injury lawyer, I know there are some reckless drivers out there – and some who are downright reckless. What is particularly concerning, however, is the fact that there have been three fatal hit-and-run collisions with the past few days: in Fort Worth, in Dallas and also in Denton County. In each of these cases, the police have been forced to solicit the public for anyone who might have any information to identify these deadly motorists and bring them to justice.

21-year-old Joshua Adam Gatlin was killed in a residential area of Ponder on Saturday morning. Ponder Police Department say the pedestrian was struck by an unidentified motor vehicle and left to die at the side of the road. The Tarrant County medical examiner’s office identified the cause of death as blunt force trauma, but was unable to estimate the time of the accident.

If you believe you might have any information which could help bring this young man’s killer to justice, please contact Denton County Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-388-TIPS (8477). A reward of $1,000 has been offered for any information which leads to an arrest.

Mark Anderson is a board certified personal injury and wrongful death attorney, who has been serving the car crash victims of Dallas-Fort Worth since 1991. He is also the author of the book 15 Mistakes That Will Wreck Your Texas Accident Case. If you or a loved one has been injured in a collision which was not your fault, call for a free consultation toll free at 800-354-MARK (6275).

In my spare time I enjoy going for a run along the Trinity River trails, as do many other runners and cyclists. Unfortunately, as a Tarrant County personal injury lawyer I know that bicycle accidents can cause severe injuries. Fortunately, the city of Fort Worth has a plan to make downtown more accessible – and safer for local bike riders. You may have already noticed the bicycle lanes on West Seventh and near south side, but more than 1,000 miles of additional bike lanes are planned. The next phase of roads to have new bike lanes constructed is along 10th and Texas streets.

I think this is a great idea – and a wonderful addition to our city. It will allow commuters to get in some extra exercise while heading to work each morning; and if more people start cycling, it could mean less cars and motorcycles on the road which decreases the potential for fewer fatal auto collisions.

If you or loved one have been injured in a bicycle crash caused by someone else’s negligence, it is important that you consult with an experienced traffic wreck attorney. For a free no obligation consultation on your personal situation, call Fort Worth 817-294-1900 or toll free at 800-354-MARK (6275). We will explain your legal rights and help you evaluate what compensation you might be entitled to.

Ever heard of the “July Effect”? I hadn’t either until just a few days ago. Apparently, the July Effect refers to the spike of deaths in teaching hospitals in July and according to a recent study by the Journal of General Internal Medicine, it’s actually true. In the report, they recorded a 10 percent spike in teaching hospital deaths during the month of July due to medical errors. They call this spike “The July Effect” and they attribute it to the influx of new interns and residents in teaching hospitals.

Even though I’ve been a Fort Worth personal injury and medical malpractice attorney for the last 20 years, this was news to me.

Why do so many more medical errors happen in July? The answer is quite simple: medical students graduate in June, start their residency or internship at the hospital in July and make mistakes because---they don’t know what they’re doing!

No matter what you do, when you start a new job you are bound to make mistakes. The only difference is that when you are responsible for the medical care of a patient those mistakes can be deadly.

It’s good to know this information, especially if you have to be admitted to a teaching hospital in July.

The laws concerning medical malpractice and error are extremely complicated and different in every state, but if you think you’ve been a victim of medical malpractice or error in Dallas or Fort Worth, give my law firm a call at 817-294-1900. At the Anderson Law Firm, we can explore your legal options during our free, no obligation case review and see if we can help you in your injury claim.

As a Tarrant County personal injury lawyer I have seen some catastrophic wrecks involving commercial 18-wheeler trucks and yesterday’s collision on South Freeway was nothing short of dramatic. According to police reports a diesel service truck rear ended a pickup truck which was propelled forward into another big rig. The driver of the pickup was tragically trapped inside his vehicle which was engulfed in flames from two explosions. He did not survive. No-one else was significantly injured to be taken to hospital, authorities say. Firefighters extinguished the fire a little under an hour after the crash occurred, although all lanes of southbound I-35W were closed for more than four hours in total.

My thoughts are with the family and friends of the individual who sadly lost their life in this horrific accident. I am sorry for your loss. Although no charges have been brought against anyone involved in this particular collision, it important that a thorough investigation is pursued after any commercial truck wreck as soon as possible. The trucking companies usually get their own teams of investigators examining the evidence almost immediately. It’s important that the victim’s find a truck wreck attorney to make sure their legal rights are protected too.

Back in 2005, Michael Miles of Arlington got behind the wheel of his car after a massive drinking session, drove five miles down US 287 and E Loop 820 S on the wrong side of the road, and smashed into another vehicle; killing the four teenagers inside. On Monday, a Fort Worth jury awarded damages to the families of the deceased teens who had attended Dunbar and Wyatt high schools. But the decision wasn’t simply against Miles’ insurance company (Miles himself died in hospital following the collision) but also the topless bar where he was drinking. Under Texas’ Dram Shop Law, wrongful death lawyers can seek compensation from the proprietors of establishments that over serve alcohol to their customers. In this particular case, the liable bar owners named as Harry Floyd Freeman and John David Faltynski of Harlem Nites Cabaret were found to be 35% responsible for the fatal crash, and Miles 65% responsible. I’m sure that the families of those that lost their lives in this tragic wreck which could so easily have been prevented are glad that justice has been done.

Congratulations to attorneys Bob Haslam and Kevin Byrne for the outstanding job these gentlemen did for their clients. I know how hard these cases are to pursue and my hat is off to them for fighting the fight and achieving justice for their clients.

Sure you might have all the right car and booster seats for your kids, but are they installed the correct way?

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, seven out of ten kids in child safety seats aren’t properly buckled in.

As a Fort Worth child injury and car accident lawyer, it’s no surprise to me that car crashes are the number one killer of children. But what is truly upsetting is that parents can help prevent child injuries from car accidents just by following the rules, regulations and recommendations for installing and restraining their kids in child safety seats.

As a parent, I couldn’t imagine the guilt I would feel if my child was injured because I had made a mistake buckling them up. Read about the most common mistakes parent’s make when installing their child’s safety harness on my accident and injury law firm’s website.

If anyone in your family has been hurt in a car accident caused by a negligent driver, call my law firm at 817-294-1900 today. We specialize in car accidents and child injuries and will make sure that justice is done for your accident injuries.

Working more than 20 years as a Fort Worth accident and injury attorney, I’m always happy to hear about city initiatives to make drivers, pedestrians and cyclists safer in DFW. My injury law firm is located in downtown Fort Worth and we’ve started to notice the new bike lane striping on our city streets. These bike lanes will undoubtedly keep cyclists safer from car accidents and injuries and we are very happy to see the city take the charge to make complete streets happen in downtown.

But to go along with the news that bike lanes are finally coming to Downtown Fort Worth, here’s a video of what I hope doesn’t happen to our cities bike lanes.

In New York City, Casey Neistat was ticketed for not riding in the bike lane in and had to pay a $50 fine. This brings up an important issue about how cities like Fort Worth must keep bike lanes safe and free of debris if they expect cyclists to ride within them. In the video, Casey gets a ticket for not riding in the bike lane. He tries to explain to the police officer why he can’t always ride in a bike lane, but sometimes words just aren’t enough. Casey thought it would be better to make a video to show why sometimes riding in the bike lane is just plain unsafe. Watch the video and see whose side you’re on.

Hopefully the city of Fort Worth can do a better job than New York in keeping our new bike lanes clear. I still think cyclists are safer riding in the bike lane and abiding by the law, but really only a combined effort will keep pedestrians, cyclists and drivers safe. We’ve all got to do our part and look out for the other guy.

If you’ve been hurt in a bicycle accident because of a negligent automobile driver, call my law firm at 817-294-1900. We can set up a free consultation to go over your case and see how our bicycle accident lawyers can help you get on the road to recovery.

In my 20 years of experience as a Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, I’ve been asked this question hundreds of times. My short answer is that yes, you probably will receive more compensation for your injuries by hiring a personal injury lawyer for your accident claim.

You can read a more detailed explanation of why you most likely will receive more money by hiring a lawyer on my website, but the bare bones of it is this:

•Hiring a Board Certified personal injury attorney gives your case more leverage.
•An experienced Fort Worth accident lawyer will track down all the available insurance policies to maximize the amount you are able to recover.
•A good personal injury trial lawyer knows the difference between good and bad offers.

It is true that you do not need to hire an attorney for every personal injury claim; there are plenty that you could settle just fine on your own. But in my law firm’s experience, we recommend that if you have been seriously injured or have medical bills that amount to more than $5,000, you should take advantage of our free case consultation and meet with us. At the Anderson Law Firm, we can guide you to the right course of action and make sure that you receive justice for what wrongfully happened to you.

So, if you’ve been hurt in a car accident, truck wreck, motorcycle accident or have been injured in any other incident due to the negligence of another person, give my law firm a call at 817-294-1900. We’d be happy to meet with you and see what we can do to help you get on the road to recovery.

With the temperature in Dallas-Fort Worth expected to hit 100 degrees this week, I think it’s safe to say that summer is officially here. As the schools shut down, I’m sure that most kids are looking forward to getting outside to play with their friends. I think it’s great that children enjoy physical activities outdoors, but as an experienced child injury lawyer, I know that it can also mean an increased risk of injury-causing accidents both out and about and around the home. The most common summertime accidents are usually swimming pool or trampoline injuries.

Every year I get contacted by parents whose child has been seriously injured while playing at a friend or a neighbor’s house and they want to know whether they are able to make a claim for compensation. The simple answer is yes, of course you are. So long as your neighbor has insurance, we can make a claim. It won’t cost your neighbor a penny – the full settlement will be paid by their insurance company.

Many people are still reluctant to pursue a claim even after I reassure them of that fact. The truth is, I don't pursue claims against an individual. I look for insurance. But if your child was hurt as a result of something which was preventable you absolutely have the right to pursue a claim against your neighbor’s insurance company. That’s why they (and you) pay your premiums each month – in case something happens and someone gets hurt. You buy insurance to help pay the medical bills when someone is injured in an accident.

Yet people still worry that making a claim against the insurance company will hurt their neighbor in some way. I promise it won’t affect them at all. It won’t even make a difference to their monthly premiums because home insurance costs are determined primarily by where their house is located and it's value.

If you or your child has been injured in an accident, it is important that you consult with a board certified personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. Give us a call on 817-294-1900 and we can explain your legal rights and help you determine the best course of action in your personal situation.

As a Tarrant County personal injury lawyer I know that some of the most devastating auto accidents are those which involve 18-wheelers. Due to the sheer size and weight of commercial trucks, if they are involved in a traffic collision the damage to property and the injuries suffered by those involved are going to be very serious indeed. Nationwide, 4,000 people are killed and 100,000 more are injured in big rig crashes each year.

One of the biggest problems facing the trucking industry is driver fatigue. There are government rules in places for the purpose of limiting the number of sequential hours a truck driver can be behind the wheel, but many operators keep two separate logs – one real, one fake – so that they can continue to work long hours and cover vast differences, whilst still appearing as though they are operating within the law. While some truckers may be motivated simply by the additional profit of working extra hours, it seems most feel they are given no choice by an industry which places profit before people and pressures drivers to meet unreasonable delivery deadlines.

The Truck Safety Coalition, in association with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Union, met in Washington to push for greater safety laws for tractor trailer drivers. Many public citizens who had lost loved ones in truck wrecks were also present to tell lawmakers their deceased loved ones’ stories. Among them were Ron Wood, whose mother, sister and three nephews were killed in a Sherman, TX accident caused by a sleepy trucker. Fort Worth Police Officer Robert Mills was also present to call for a switch from paper truck logs to computerized logs which he believed could dramatically cut down on truck companies pressurizing drivers to break the law. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is currently in the final stage of implementing electronic on-board recorders and also limiting the amount of time a truck driver can work to 10 consecutive hours in a single shift.

As an Arlington car wreck and wrongful death attorney, I welcome any new initiatives which both enforce laws already in place and also make both truck drivers and other motorists safer on Texas roads. If you or a loved one have been injured in a traffic accident which was not your fault, call now for a no fee, no obligation consultation on your case. Call toll free at 800-354-MARK (6275) or locally at either Ft. Worth 817-294-190 or Dallas 214-327-8000.

As a Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, I sometimes get nostalgic for happier, simpler times when an amber traffic light used to mean slow down, not speed up. Nowadays it seems everyone is always in a hurry, and it seems the worst drivers aren’t even concerned about beating the red light because they simply don’t stop at all. It sounds ridiculous, as all motorists know that a red light means stop, but drivers ignoring red lights is a huge problem – particularly to the innocent victims who suffer because of these reckless idiots’ negligence.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety estimates that 6% of intersection accident fatalities are the result of a car or truck running a red light. The reason that these wrecks are so serious is that at an intersection you inevitably have cars coming from multiple directions. This creates a tremendous potential for head-on and side-on collisions if one driver decides to ignore the stop light. But it’s not just drivers and passengers who are victims; pedestrians and bicyclists are also highly vulnerable. Remember that by law you must always make a complete stop at a red light, even when turning right.

So what’s the solution? Well, given that some people apparently struggle to grasp the concept that red means stop, enforcement is needed. That means red light cameras. I’ve said before that I am in favor of red light cameras as I really do believe that they can save lives. The Insurance Institute’s report states that from 2004-2008 red light cameras help prevent 159 intersection deaths in the 14 biggest cities which use the technology. They estimate that more than 800 lives could have been saved if every large city used them.

Mark Anderson is a board certified traffic wreck injury attorney and author of the book 15 Mistakes That Will Wreck Your Texas Accident Case. If you or a loved one have been hurt in a car crash which wasn’t your fault, you are entitled to a free, no obligation consultation on your case. We will explain your legal rights and evaluate your personal situation to let you know whether you have a potential claim. Call us toll free at 800-354-6275 or locally at 817-294-1900. You can also contact us online here.

As a Dallas-Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, I know that dog bites and other animal attacks can cause serious injuries to their victims. I am a dog owner myself, so I have nothing against people who own dogs, as a citizen of Texas it is your right. But I am also a father, and I certainly don’t want my daughter to encounter a violent animal – regardless of the breed. If you choose to own a pet, you must make sure that it does not attack anyone. It is your responsibility.

A new bill was passed in the Texas House yesterday which brings even greater responsibility to dog owners. Authored by state Representative Chuck Hopson (Republican, Jacksonville), the bill means that if a dog kills a child or a senior citizen, the dog’s owner could face life in prison. Effectively, they would be charged with a first degree felony. The bill will now go on to the Senate before it becomes law.

Already, the new bill is stirring up debate. Why the age exclusions? Why not the same penalty if the dog attack results in deaths of those not infants or elderly? On the other hand, people argue that the bill seems excessive – there are already penalties in place for negligent dog owners. This is true, if you have been bitten by a dog, you are able to seek damages to help pay for your medical bills and compensate you for your physical and emotional pain and suffering.

It will be interesting to see whether this bill does indeed become law. At the very least, I hope it gives dog owners pause for thought and recognize the responsibilities they have to make sure their pets do not hurt anyone.

Mark Anderson is a board certified personal injury lawyer who has helped dog bite and child injury victims across the DFW area since 1991. For a free consultation on your case, call 817-294-1900 or 214-327-8000.

Thursday, April 28, the House Transportation Committee voted yes on HB 1105, otherwise known as the Complete Streets Bill.

The Senate Transportation Committee has heard the Complete Streets Bill (SB 513), but they have not yet scheduled a vote. The bill must be passed out of this committee in order to be voted on the Senate floor.

Because I deal with pedestrian accidents and bicycle accidents regularly in my personal injury law practice in Fort Worth, I think the Complete Streets Bill is a great idea.

If approved, Complete Streets would encourage agencies constructing or renovating streets with State or Federal funding to include accommodations for bicycles, buses and pedestrians. Things like sidewalks, crosswalks, pedestrian signals, bike lanes, traffic islands and transit waiting area improvements are all a part of Complete Streets.

A lot of the pedestrian and bicycle accidents in Dallas and Fort Worth are caused because drivers aren’t paying enough attention and because there aren’t enough sidewalks and bike lanes. With Complete Streets, I think our roads will be safer and there will be a lot less accidents for bikers, walkers and drivers alike.

If you were hit by a car while walking or riding your bike, you should call my accident and injury law firm at 817-294-1900. We’ve represented many bike and pedestrian accident victims and are ready to get you the compensation you deserve for your injuries. Call us today to set up a free case consultation with one of our top-rated personal injury attorneys.

It’s the perfect weather to be outside in Fort Worth, Texas and although it’s still too cool to swim, it’s just the right temperature to go jumping on a trampoline. But before you let the kids jump on somebody else’s trampoline, take the advice of a Fort Worth personal injury attorney and know the facts on trampoline injuries.

In 2009, trampoline injuries were the reason for more than 98,000 ER visits. The American Academy of Pediatrics stance on trampolines is that they are so dangerous; children should never jump on them.

With as many trampolines as there are in Fort Worth, it’s unlikely that your kids won’t ever jump on a trampoline. But what will keep them safe from a child injury if they do?

Number one, only children 6 and over should jump on trampolines. There should only be one person jumping at a time and that person should only jump in the middle. Look to see that there is padding covering the trampolines springs and that a net encloses the jumping area.

Of course it goes without saying that a parent or adult must supervise any child jumping on a trampoline.

For more information on how to prevent trampoline accidents and what to do when they happen, read the article “Children and Trampoline Injuries.”

If your child has been injured on someone else’s trampoline, it’s a good idea to talk to a Board Certified personal injury attorney. It is very likely you could pursue an injury claim against the trampoline owner’s insurance company if your child’s injuries were caused by the negligence of the trampoline owner. Call the Anderson Law Firm in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 to set up a free, no obligation case review. Our accident attorneys will have the answers to your questions.

As a North Texas personal injury attorney I am always upset to learn of unnecessary deaths as a result of accidents which could so easily have been prevented. One such sad incident occurred in Kaufman, Texas on Saturday. Jose Martinez-Hernandez (37) was enjoying his apartment’s balcony when it collapsed beneath him. Investigators say that Mr. Martinez-Hernandez fell almost 12 feet and died at the scene. An engineer is now going to examine all balconies at the complex.

This tragedy is a classic case of a dangerous property condition. Mr. Martinez-Hernandez paid rent at his apartment and shouldn’t have to worry about his own safety while enjoying the outside portion of his own home. The apartment manager is responsible for ensuring that all units are free of any construction defects and that they are regularly maintained to ensure safety for residents. While my thoughts are certainly with Mr. Martinez-Hernandez’s family at this awful time, I certainly hope the news of this accident prompts other apartments across Dallas-Fort Worth to review their balconies and stairways to make sure no one else suffers a similar tragedy.

Mark Anderson is a board certified trial lawyer who has helped personal injury and wrongful death victims across the DFW area since 1991. The Anderson offers a free, no obligation consultation service to hurt individuals and their families. Contact Mark online or call toll free at 800-354-6275.

March 20-26, 2011 is National Poison Prevention Week. In my experience as a child injury lawyer, I have learnt that there are many dangers to children easily accessible around the average home. As adults we know that household cleaning products are dangerous to consume, but kids are not - so I think this year’s campaign tagline “Children Act Fast… So Do Poisons!” should cause us all to put safety first as we tackle the annual ritual of spring cleaning.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) says to store all cleaning products securely where children cannot access them. If you are using a lower cupboard then make sure you install childproof latches so your kids can’t get in. Always keep chemicals in the containers they came in. By law, poisons must displays warning on their labels and you should always follow the instructions for use carefully. It also helps you easily differentiate between cleaners and other products – and can help your children learn that certain household items are dangerous and that they should not touch them. For your own safety, always make sure that you use chemicals such as cleaning supplies and pesticides in a well-ventilated area and thoroughly wash your hands afterwards.

In the event of a poison emergency, call the Texas Poison Center Network on 1-800-222-1222. Trained professionals such as nurses and pharmacists are available to talk you through the immediate steps to take and help you decide whether or not you need to go to a hospital. As with anything which presents potential for a personal injury, however, I think it is important to be proactive. In ensuring a safe environment within the home we can eliminate the dangers of poisoning, and keep our kids safe and healthy.

Fort Worth PI and wrongful death attorney Mark Anderson has helped local families cope with the aftermath of child injuries since 1991. If you or a loved one has been hurt in an accident which was not your fault, call the Anderson Law Firm for a free consultation on your situation so that you can be advised of your legal rights and learn whether you might be entitled to any consultation. Call toll free on 800-354-6275 or locally on 817-294-1900.

As a Fort Worth Personal Injury Attorney I always welcome the opportunity to help people live safer lives and avoid accidents which might cause injuries or worse. This week happens to be National Burn Awareness Week, a country-wide endeavor to educate the public in fire prevention strategies. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency 3,500 people die in fires and a further 18,300 are injured. Children aged 14 and under make up 10-15% of those fire-related deaths on average.

Winter is traditionally the worst season for house and apartment fires as the temperatures cool - as we saw last week and again today - so more people are heating their homes either by enjoying their fireplace or utilizing a space heater which then cause fires to start. FEMA suggests inspecting chimney and flue for leakages or blockage and disposing of ashes carefully when using a fuel-burning fire place. Space heaters should be positioned on a flat and level floor, but never on a rug or carpet. They should be placed out of the way of foot traffic and at least 3 feet away from bedding, drapes, furniture and other flammable materials.

Smoke alarms are also essential in the effort to ensure the safety of you and your family in the event of a fire and can provide vital extra seconds to get out of danger. Smoke alarms should be placed strategically on every level of your home. It is particularly important that you install them inside and outside sleeping areas in the event a fire starts in the middle of the night when everyone is asleep. You should test each alarm on a monthly basis and should replace batteries once a year.

Many fires are the result of someone’s negligence. Sometimes fires start due to defective products. Mark Anderson has 20 years experience helping clients with personal injury and wrongful death claims across the DFW Metroplex. If you or a loved one have suffered due to another’s negligence, contact Anderson Law Firm for a free consultation on your case toll free at 800-354-MARK, in Ft. Worth at 817-294-1900, or in Dallas at 214-327-8000.

A Fort Worth man died Friday night from injuries he suffered when he was hit by a vehicle on a street in east Fort Worthhttp://www.maafirm.com/library/accident-investigations.cfm, according to the Tarrant County medical examiner's website on Sunday. The victim was identified as James Doty, 24. He died at 9:30 p.m. at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, the website stated. Doty died from trauma to his head and his death in the 6500 block of Meadowbrook Drive was ruled an accident.

There are no other details thus far as to who hit James Doty. I am assuming that the driver who hit him stopped and didn’t flee or else the police would have provided more information. This is a tragedy situation for such a young man and my thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends. The accident happened at 9:30 p.m. which means it was dark outside. In 2009, there 4,092 lives in pedestrian/motor vehicle crashes were lost in the United States, which equals out to about 11 people a day. Hopefully, a thorough accident scene investigation by the Fort Worth Police Department will uncover the reason for this tragic pedestrian/car collision.

Information and commentary provided by Fort Worth Pedestrian Accident Lawyer Mark A. Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900. Please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

Updates for Hurst Wrong-Way/Intoxicated Crash Kills Innocent Carrolton Man

Intoxication manslaughter charges are expected to be filed against a Crowley man in the death of a Carrolton man. The Crowley man was driving a minivan the wrong way on Airport Freeway on October 16, when it crashed into a car. Blood test results completed a couple days ago showed that the driver was above the .08 blood alcohol level. In Texas it is a class C misdemeanor to have an alcohol level above .08 and one can be charged with a felony when a fatal accident with alcohol occurs. The police department declines to say what his BAC was. The van driver, Eric Supe, 22 was initiall arrested at the scene and charged with intoxication assault as Ricardo Magallon, 32, of Carrolton, was being treated at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth. Magallon, a husband of two children, died a few hours after the crash. The collision occurred shortly after 5 a.m. in the 400 block of Airport Freeway, near Hurstview Drive.

This horrific story is not one I like to read, but hopefully someone that reads it will learn something. About 61 percent of drivers who cause a car accident were under the influence of drugs or alcohol, so it is no surprise to me that Eric Supe was intoxicated when the accident happened. My thoughts and prayers go out to the Magallon family and friends through this difficult time.

Information and commentary provided by Dallas Fort Worth Drunk Driving Attorney Mark Anderson. If you have any questions regarding a wrong way or drunk driver, go online or give us a call for a free consultation.

Fort Worth teenager Brooke Franklin, 14, died from a head injury he suffered after being thrown from a friend's All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV). The accident happened at The Hill Apartments complex in the 3100 Block of Normandale Street in west Fort Worth. Franklin lived at the complex while his mother is a managed the complex. Some youngsters including Kainen Hadnot, Franklin's best friend, say Franklin was riding on the vehicle in the parking lot going about 20 miles per hour when he ran into a curb. The 4 wheeler hit a curb and sent him flying into a wall. Franklin, an eighth grader at Leonard Middle School, died at the scene.

A young girl knocked on a door and got someone to perform CPR while another person was trying to apply pressure to Franklin's head, however his injuries were too severe. Joseph Sport, Franklin's step-father, says the 14-year old was mature for his age and was not acting recklessly. His step-father told him not to ride the 4-wheeler. Franklin told his step-father he was putting the ATV up before the accident happened.

ATV’s are a raising epidemic with children and adults. They are a blast to ride, but are very dangerous no matter the age of the driver. In 2006, there were 555 deaths and over 146,000 hospital injuries caused by 4-wheelers. The number continues to rise as does the number of ATV’s sold annually. The most important thing to remember is to always wear a helmet, no matter where or when you are on an ATV.

Information and commentary is provided by Fort Worth Accident Attorney Mark A. Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900. If you have any questions involving an injury claim, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

Yesterday I received a call from a person regarding a tainted oyster eaten by his brother at a seafood restaurant in Arlington. The tainted oyster contained bacteria which caused this person's brother to be hospitalized with a serious medical condition. He went to Harris Hospital, where he stayed over a week until he was stabilized (and incurred over $100,000.00 in medical bills) and then transferred to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth. This man is hanging on for his life. Approximately 80% of the people who are exposed to this bacteria end up dying.

I did some quick research to try to determine what his potential cause of action would be against the restaurant for serving him a tainted oyster. Amazingly, I found out that in 2007 our Republican dominated Texas legislature and our Republican governor passed a law protecting the manufacturers and sellers of bad oysters. I couldn't believe it, tort reform had even reached out to protect the oyster lobby! This horrible law is found at Civil Practices and Remedies Code Section 82.004.

I am continually amazed at how far the tort reformers will reach to protect all business interests. If I were to ask ten people on the street if they lost a loved one due to a bacteria tainted oyster, would they think it would be right to pursue a claim against the sellers of this tainted oyster. I feel like 10 out of 10 of these people would be mad as hell and desire to bring a claim. Unfortunately, every single one of these claims would be thrown out of court due to this horrible law.

Information and commentary provided by Texas Board Certified Personal Injury Lawyer Mark A. Anderson, who can be contacted in Fort Worth, Texas at (817) 294 1900 or contacted online for a free consultation.

All across Tarrant County people lose their lives at the hand of distracted driving. Working as a Fort Worth wrongful death attorney, I have seen the devastation these horrible distracted driving accidents can bring to both the victim and the at fault driver. Phones ringing, texting, Twitter updates, blaring radios, drinking sodas, and even women doing their makeup are all common sights while driving down the road. Distracted driving has become quite an epidemic. Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration were released Monday showing that 16 percent of the fatalities and one-fourth of all driving accidents are due to driving distracted.

There is no doubt that driving distracted is innately dangerous and has serious consequences.
People need to limit their cell phone usage while driving and people need to limit their distractions or face possible grim consequences for themselves and everyone on the road. In January, federal safety regulators proposed a set of guidelines for states to create laws restricting texting while driving. Under these guidelines, officers would be allowed to stop a vehicle and issue a citation with a minimum fine of $75.

Nineteen states and the District of Columbia have outlawed texting while driving and seven states have outlawed the usage of cell phones while operating a motor vehicle altogether. In Texas, it is illegal for any driver under the age of 18 to operate a cell phone, and it is illegal for a cell phone to be used in an active school zone, potentially opening the door for more legislation restricting usage.

It will be a challenge to regulate laws permitting distracted driving. Despite what the legislature has tried to pass, it is not plausible to expect every driver not to be somewhat distracted while they are driving. The easiest and smartest thing to do is plan ahead. Set your GPS, insert your cd, and eat your McMuffin before you start driving.

This information is provided by Ft. Worth wrongful death attorney Mark A. Anderson. If you have questions about car accidents or wrongful death, please fill out our contact form online or get your free copy of my book 15 Mistakes That Will Wreck Your Texas Accident Case.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Information provided by Texas Board Certified Personal Injury Lawyer Mark A. Anderson, who can be reached in Dallas at 214-327-8000, in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900, and toll free at 877-294-1115. You can contact a Board Certified Personal Injury Lawyer now.

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

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

Information provided by Texas Board Certified Personal Injury Attorney Mark A. Anderson, who can be reached in Dallas at 214-327-8000, in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900, and toll free across the state at 877-294-1115. You can click here to contact a Board Certified Personal Injury Attorney immediately.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

An East Texas father and mother tried to rescue their 7-year-old girl from drowning Monday afternoon in the Trinity River. A passing bicyclist pulled out the girl and her mother, who also was trying to save the girl. Unfortunately, the father was unable to survive.

Richard Walker, 47, of Winnsboro, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Tarrant County medical examiner's office. The names of other family members have not yet been released.

The drowning occurred at a low-water dam between the Interstate 30 and West Lancaster Avenue bridges.

Fort Worth Fire spokesman Tim Hardeman said that the family had been walking across the rocky crossing when the little girl fell in the water. The parents jumped in after her.

The bicyclist, Jeff Harrison, said he was on the 37th mile of a ride that had begun more than two hours earlier at his home in north Fort Worth. Harrison was cycling back home through Trinity Park about 3:30 p.m. when he saw the girl floating with the current and an older woman and man swimming after her.

A teenage boy, Walker's son, was standing on the rocks and appeared frantic, Harrison said. The boy told him that he couldn't swim. There were adult onlookers nearby that didn’t even bother to help.

Harrison saw that the man was caught in a strong current and the mother and daughter had floated farther away. Harrison said he ran along the bank toward them, and he could see the mother's body beneath the water's surface.

He jumped in and pulled them both out of the river. The girl appeared fine, he said, but the mother's body had turned blue.

Harrison did CPR, even though he had not been trained to do so. Luckily it saved the mother’s life. Emergency workers then arrived and revived the woman.

Harrison said the satisfaction of saving the mother and daughter was tempered by sadness and frustration over the father's death. He was still stunned that no one else tried to help.

This heroic effort was shadowed by the fact that a father died trying to save his daughter. The fact that only one man who saw them that day tried to help is somewhat disturbing. We need to celebrate this bicyclist’s bravery in saving a mother and child when everyone else watching seemed to think it was impossible.

Remember that drowning is the second leading cause of death of children ages 1-14. Steering clear of dangerous water, or dangerous pathways over bodies of water, could save your child’s life. And in this case, the poor father was just trying to save his little girl when he was overcome with the strong current and suffered the injury that he thought he was preventing. Our hearts go out to this family and we also want to acknowledge the courage of the bicyclist for risking his own life to save a stranger’s life.

Information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Personal Injury Mark Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm specializes in personal injury matter. We can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or in Dallas at 214-327-8000. If you have any questions, feel free to fill out the contact form online for a free consultation.

7-month-old Brianna Jones died on Thursday after being left alone in a car for over four hours in the Red Bird area of Dallas, TX. The girl’s caregiver forgot she was in the vehicle, according to news reports.

Brianna’s caretaker was supposed to drop her off at daycare, but forgot, and parked the car in her driveway at 9am. Someone saw Brianna in the car around 1:30pm. Paramedics took her from the house in the 1900 block of Sedona Lane to Methodist Charlton Medical Center. She later died at the hospital.

Leaving children in a car is so dangerous because the car heats up more than the temperature of the air outside. A car in direct sunlight for an hour can reach over 120 degrees when it’s 80 degrees outside. In the tragic case of Brianna Jones, the temperature rose throughout the morning reaching 78 degrees by the time she was found. Once a person’s core body temperature reaches 104 degrees, heatstroke occurs. Organs began to shut down when the core body temperature reaches 107 degrees.

Brianna is thought to be the third child this year who died after being left in a hot car. Last year, 33 children died after being left in vehicles. More than half of children who die this way are under the age of 2. 15 states have laws prohibiting leaving children in vehicles, and Texas is one of those states. According to police, it is unknown whether or not charges will be filed in this instance.

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

Another horrible drunk driving wreck occurred last night in Fort Worth. This one involved TWO drunk drivers, which is very unusual. A Dodge pickup truck was on the northbound service road on MLK Freeway (Highway 287) when it collided with a Ford Taurus at the Mitchell Boulevard intersection. The collision killed two kids in the Taurus, one a four year old girl who was thrown from the car and a two year old girl who was not properly restrained. Four adults, including three from the Taurus and the driver of the pickup, were taken to Fort Worth area hospitals. The driver of the pickup is reportedly in critical condition.

Since this is a fatality DWI wreck, there will definitely be charges filed. It is expected that the driver of the pickup will face intoxication manslaughter charges and the driver of the Taurus will face a charge of DWI with a minor.

This is such a horrible wreck. My hearts go out to the families of the young kids killed in this accident. We have a huge drunk driving problem in Texas, with over 1,400 fatalities annually. As I mentioned, it is unusual for both drivers in a wreck to be intoxicated. Who knows if the wreck would have been preventable if just one of the drivers would have obeyed the law and not driven drunk.

The Anderson Law Firm is a huge proponent of keeping our streets safe. We sponsor an initiative to help get intoxicated or impaired motorcycle riders off the road, a program called RIDE SAFE RIDE SOBER. For questions relating to drunk driving accidents or victims rights, please contact the Anderson Law Firm at 817-294-1900 or click here to contact Fort Worth Accident Attorney Mark A. Anderson.

Click this link for a video of Mark Anderson on Drunk Driving Accidents in Texas.

On Sunday morning, Patricia Godwin, a 45-year-old woman from Weatherford, Texas, died in a car wreck which occurred on Texas 171, nine miles south of Weatherford. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, Ms. Godwin was southbound on Texas 171 in a 2008 Jeep Patriot when she was hit by a pick-up truck heading southbound which veered out of its lane. The collision caused Godwin’s Patriot to roll over and come to rest on its roof. The driver of the Ford pick-up truck is from Cresson, Texas. He was taken to a hospital in Fort Worth.

My sincere condolences go out to Patricia Godwin’s friends and family. It does not appear that she did anything wrong and instead, she lost her life prematurely. This type of accident is very common where one vehicle veers, sometimes only slightly, outside of its lane causing a head-on collision. Oftentimes, the reason for veering is driver distraction, such as cell phone usage. I have also seen cases of vehicle malfunction and of the driver. Hopefully, a complete investigation will determine the cause of the wreck.

Information and commentary provided by Fort Worth Auto Accident Lawyer Mark Anderson. For information regarding the legal process, please visit Mark’s Injury Lawyer Website or call 817-294-1900.

Hung Nguyen, 22, died tragically Sunday as the result of a multi-vehicle car accident in Fort Worth, TX, after a car struck him and knocked him off a bridge onto the highway below.

The wreck occurred on the bridge from southbound Loop 820 to eastbound East Freeway (I-30). Initially two vehicles had collided on the bridge due to icy conditions. A tow truck had stopped to help, and Mr. Nguyen crashed into the back of the tow truck. Another vehicle then hit Mr. Nguyen’s 2001 Honda. When Mr. Nguyen walked to the back of his vehicle to inspect the damage, a sixth car hit him and knocked him off the bridge. A seventh car then hit the sixth car involved in the accident.

According to police investigators, Mr. Nguyen fell several hundred feet to the highway below, where he was pronounced dead. My condolences go out to Mr. Nguyen’s family. This winter we have had an inordinate amount of wet and icy weather and it has caused more fatal accidents than normal.

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

Paul Smith, 36, of Haltom City, Texas died in a motor vehicle accident Sunday morning around 6:30 a.m. on I-30 in Arlington, Texas.

Two other cars were involved in an initial wreck when, according to the Arlington Police Department, subsequent crashes occurred because of slick conditions on the westbound side of I-30. In all, the accident involved five cars, two 18-wheelers, and two pickup trucks. The westbound lanes of Interstate 30 were closed for several hours while authorities investigated the cause of the multi-vehicle crash.

My sincere condolences go out to Mr. Smith’s family. Undoubtedly, they are going through an extremely difficult time now as Mr. Smith was a young man who apparently fell victim to a weather-related accident. This winter we have had an incredible amount of rain, snow and ice. It appeared to the Arlington Police Department investigators that ice on a highway was a factor in causing the accident. It is the sixth traffic fatality in Arlington this year.

Information provided by Tarrant County Accident Attorney Mark A. Anderson, who can be contacted at 817-294-1900 or by clicking here.

Tri Tran, a 52-year-old Fort Worth, Texas resident, died from work related injuries on February 19th. He was injured on February 13th from being pinned near the ceiling by a scissor lift, which is typically used for changing light bulbs at the Dannon Yogurt Plant in Fort Worth, TX.

A Dannon spokesman stated that they are not exactly sure what happened at this time, and are still investigating the situation. Mr. Tran died from head and chest injuries related to the accident. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is also conducting an investigation.

The possible options for the accident include equipment malfunction or Mr. Tran falling on the controls of the machinery.

Mr. Tran moved to the United States from his native country of Vietnam as a young boy. He leaves behind a wife and three children.

My sincere condolences go out to the family and friends of Mr. Tran. The unexpected and tragic loss of a loved one is something we all wish no one had to go through. There are so many awful injuries that I hear about each and every day. Hopefully, OSHA will be able to uncover the true cause of this death and precautions can be taken to ensure that nothing like this ever happens again at the plant.

This information is provided by Fort Worth Accident Attorney Mark Anderson, who can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or online by clicking here.

A woman was killed in a tragic automobile accident early Monday morning in far northwest Tarrant County when her car collided head-on with a pickup truck.

The car crash occurred at about 2:30 a.m. 32-year-old Ung Phimmasone was pronounced dead at the scene on Farm Road 718, about two miles east of Eagle Mountain Lake. According to police, Ms. Phimmasone was driving her car eastbound when she crossed the center stripe and collided with a Ford F-250 pickup.

46-year-old Jose Tovar-Ortiz was driving the pickup and taken by ambulance to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth with non-life threatening injuries. The wreck is still under investigation as police are still unsure why Ms. Phimmasone’s car veered into oncoming traffic.

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

46-year-old Bobby Gaddy of Saginaw, TX was tragically killed on the job yesterday morning when a tree he was removing fell on him. The accident occurred on Oak Court, a cul-de-sac off of Davis Blvd.

Mr. Gaddy was hired to remove a tree in the front yard about 30-40 feet high and about 30 inches around at the base. According to new reports, Mr. Gaddy and three other workers began to make cuts at the bottom of the tree when they realized some of the higher branches could hit the house. The tree snapped when Mr. Gaddy was up 15 feet on the ladder, and he fell and was pinned beneath the tree. He did not survive his injuries.

What a terrible accident. My heart goes out to the family and friends of Mr. Gaddy.

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

A bizarre and fatal car accident occurred in Southlake, Texas at the intersection of Lonesome Dove and Burney Lane yesterday morning. It is not known what caused the Toyota Avalon to leave the road, smash through a metal fence, run into a tree and flip over into a private pond. The two people pronounced dead at Baylor Regional Medical Center in Grapevine were Monty Hardy, 56, of Southlake and Hadassah Vance, 35, of Euless. Then, today the two other occupants of the car, Wendy Akion, 38, of Irving, and Sharon Ransom, 56, of Grapevine, also died at Baylor Grapevine.

The cause of the horrible accident is still being investigated. According to the Southlake Police Department; there were no skid marks on the road. Was it a defect or malfunction of the Toyota? Those cars have been subject to a massive recall for floor mats which cause the accelerator to stick. (see my prior blog here for info on the recall). With there being no skid marks, you have to first think that the accelerator must have been stuck. If so, the families of these four innocent victims might very well have a major products liability case to pursue.

I feel very sorry for the families of these four victims. For them, I hope answers come fast.

Information and legal commentary provided by Texas Injury Lawyer Mark A. Anderson, phone 817-294-1900, contact online.

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

A man was hit by a Burlington Northern Sante Fe train early Monday morning and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The accident happened at East Avenue and Grafton, east of downtown. The train was pulling three engines and 19 cars. The identity of the man has not yet been released. Also, the initial news reports did not explain how the accident occurred.

In 2008, there were 286 fatalities and 935 injuries at railroad crossings in the United States. In Texas alone there were 17 fatalities; Texas is one of fourteen other states whose combined fatality and injury rates make up 74% of railroad injuries and deaths. In fact, Texas leads every other state in train collisions, with 228 in 2008.

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

Jesus Cisneros, the Fort Worth police officer involved in the fatal drunk driving accident I blogged about here and here, was released on bail Monday. He has been charged with intoxication manslaughter in connection with the crash that killed a mother of two.

As conditions of his $25,000.00 bail, Cisneros is required to install a Breathalyzer in his car which he cannot drive without. He is also prohibited from drinking any alcoholic beverages.

According to Fort Worth police, Cisneros has submitted his resignation. The police have not released the findings of an internal affairs investigation regarding what Cisneros was doing before the crash, and they have not said whether speed was a factor in the accident. If convicted of intoxication manslaughter, Cisneros could spend up to 20 years in prison.

As I have previously written about, this is such a tragic case. The fact he was driving an unmarked FWPD vehicle is horrible and embarrassment for the FWPD and the City of Fort Worth. I am glad he submitted his resignation so the city will not have to go through a costly and lengthy process to terminate him.

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

The Fort Worth Police Department announced yesterday that the blood alcohol content of Officer Jesus Cisneros was over twice the legal limit when the car he was driving crashed into the car driven by Sonia Baker, killing her. In Texas, the legal limit is .08 BAC, but Officer Cisneros’ blood alcohol limit was measured at .17 BAC. Because he was legally drunk when he caused the fatal crash, Officer Cisneros might be charged with the crime of intoxication manslaughter.

Mrs. Baker was married and had two young boys. She, and her family, are nothing but innocent victims in this terrible tragedy. What makes things worse is the Officer, even though off duty at the time, was driving an unmarked police vehicle. A million questions need to be asked and must absolutely be answered by our city officials:
• What was he doing in the city vehicle?
• Why does our city allow its employees to drive city on vehicles for personal time?
• Who authorized him to drive it?
• How long had he been drinking?
• Was he drinking while on duty?
• Who had knowledge of his drinking and driving a city vehicle?
• Why was this man even allowed to be a FW a police officer? (the Star Telegram lists out his previous infractions, including shooting a gun out the sun roof f his car while intoxicated).

This entire situation is appalling. There is no excuse for his actions and he deserves serious punishment, including jail time.

And someone needs to take a look at the FWPD policies and actions and determine if this could have been prevented if a little common sense had been used in dealing with this particular cop, considering is less than stellar past. And having a group of police officers look into this doesn’t exactly cut it. The City of Fort Worth needs to bring in impartial outsiders to look into how the city deals with bad cops and also its policies of allowing cops to drive city vehicles while off duty. And this analysis needs to happen immediately before another senseless act kills one of our innocent citizens.

Commentary provided by Fort Worth Accident Attorney Mark A. Anderson, 817-294-1900.

Early Friday, Fort Worth resident Sonia Baker was tragically killed in an auto accident when the PT cruiser she was driving was hit by un unmarked FW Police vehicle driven by off-duty FWPD Officer Jesus Cisneros. Mrs. Baker was pronounced dead at the scene and Mr. Cisneros was taken to JPS Hospital. At the Hospital, according to a FWPD statement released yesterday, it was determined that alcohol may have played a role in the accident.

This is absolutely a horrible story. My sincere condolences go out to the friends and family of this lady. Mrs. Baker was the married mother of two young boys, age four and five. Now, during the Christmas season of all times, Mrs. Baker’s husband must tell the young boys that their mother has died. And it very much appears that the Officer was drinking and driving. Come on, of all people a FWPD Officer should know better than to drink and driver. Each year over 1,400 people die in Texas due to drunk driving. It is a senseless act to get behind the wheel after you have had too much to drink. And for a cop to do this is even more senseless. It is an incredible act of negligence.

It will be interesting to learn the results of the official accident investigation. Was Officer Cisneros legally drunk? How did the accident occur? If he was drunk, will he be charged with Intoxication Manslaughter? Will the City of Fort Worth be held liable for the death? Should the cop have been allowed to drive a city vehicle? That is just the tip of the iceberg as far as unanswered questions. For the sake of Mrs. Baker’s husband and young boys, I hope answers come fast.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Police found three vehicles at the scene of a car accident Sunday night in the eastbound lanes of I-20 near Green Oaks Blvd. in Arlington.

Investigators aren’t sure what caused the crash. They found one person dead at the scene and another person injured. The injured person was taken to John Peter Smith hospital in Fort Worth. So far, police have not released the names of the victims.

These are the types of situations where accident investigations are the key to finding out what happened. Through witness reports and physical evidence, hopefully the Arlington police Department will be able to reconstruct exactly what happened.

Information provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Accident Injury Lawyer 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.

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.

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.

Two lawsuits have been recently filed in federal court in San Antonio, Texas against Dyn Corp’s Forth Worth based aviation services division as a result of the 2007 army helicopter crash that killed six military members. The helicopter crash occurred near an airbase in Aviano, Italy. The helicopter was one of Army’s H–60 Black Hawk helicopters and Dyn Corp was in charge of maintenance for the helicopter.

The lawsuits were filed by lawyers based in Michigan, New York, California and San Antonio. That group of lawyers represents the survivors of five of the six victims killed in the crash. The lawsuits will be defended on behalf of Dyn Corp by the Fort Worth law firm of Brown, Dean, Wiseman, Proctor, Hart & Howell.

The wrongful death lawsuits allege that Dyn Corp, through its employees, improperly removed, serviced and reinstalled critical flight-controlled components of the helicopter in early 2007. The lawsuit alleges that Dyn Corp knew of problems with the components based upon prior complaints, but did nothing to remedy the situation.

Dyn Corp employs about 800 full and part-time employees at its Aviation Services Division at Alliance Airport in North Fort Worth.

This 2007 crash was a tragic accident which gained international attention. It will be interesting to see what develops in the course of the litigation. I have no idea if the allegations against Dyn Corp are true. However, if they are true, it is a real tragedy that this helicopter crash could have been prevented.

Information and commentary provided by Dallas Fort Worth Injury Attorney Mark A. Anderson, who can be contacted at 817 294 1900 or at www.maafirm.com.

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

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

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

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

Photo from KWTX.com

A 20 year old man from Fort Worth died yesterday from injuries he received last week in a car accident which happened in the 2900 block of East Loop 820 in Fort Worth. The man, Arialdo Hernandez, was a back seat passenger in a Ford Explorer which was reportedly traveling at a high rate of speed when the driver lost control. The vehicle then hit a curb and started rolling over, and Mr. Hernandez and another passenger were ejected from the SUV. Mr. Hernandez was transported to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth where he remained until his death yesterday.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the Hernandez family. Twenty years old is way too young to die. This accident brings to light the danger of speeding. Nothing good happens and bad accidents are the frequent consequence of highway speeding. In the eyes of the law, this is a wrongful death.

Also, I don’t know if Mr. Hernandez was wearing his seatbelt, but seatbelts do normally help prevent passengers from being ejected. They really help reduce injuries in rollover accidents.

Information provided by Dallas Fort Worth Accident Lawyer Mark Anderson.

In a terrible tragedy that happened early in the morning of September 20, a man who was trying to help accident victims on 1-20 in Arlington was struck by a passing car and killed.

Two people involved in the initial multiple car crash were injured and taken to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth. The accident occurred on westbound 1-20 between Collins Street and Matlock Road. According to police, the driver who hit and killed the man was not speeding or driving while intoxicated.

I hate hearing about things like this. This man was concerned with the safety of those involved in the wreck, and died as a result of his good intentions. Since police said this driver wasn’t speeding or drunk, it seems like just a terrible accident. Always stay alert while driving and keep a look out for any accidents or vehicles by the side of the road, because as this case shows, it is not only the car crash itself than can be deadly, but simply being out of your car in the vicinity of the accident.

Information provided by Personal Injury Lawyer Mark A. Anderson, who can be 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

A 55 year old man from Aledo was killed Saturday when he was hit while riding his bicycle on the west bound service road between Ranch House Road and Farm Road 5. The man, Larry McQuien, was a Vice President for Lockheed Martin. On Monday, the texas department of Public Safety reported that the the fatal accident happended when a Chevrolet Cobalt "veered into" Mr. McQuien as they were both traveling westbound on the service road at mile marker 417. The Cobalt was driven by Casey Tyson, age 20. The DPS has said the investigation is continuing

I feel very sorry for Mr. McQuien’s family and friends for their loss. While bicycling should be a safe outing with friends, it often can be very dangerous. According to the NHTSA, there are around 700 deaths each year from vehicle-bicycle accidents and approximately 52,000 injuries from these types of accidents.

Hopefully this investigation will reveal what caused the accidident. Was the Cobalt driver not paying attention? I recall an accident involving a bicycle which occurred in about the same general area last year where the sun was in the driver's eyes. I have no idea what happened here, but hopefully the family can know soon.

Two men died Friday in a terrible rollover accident in western Tarrant County, Texas. Both were ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene.

30-year-old John Farris of Fort Worth died in the accident, as well as a 29-year-old man whose name has not yet been released. The accident occurred at 10203 Confederate Park Road, also known as Farm Road 1886.

Authorities do not know what caused the crash.

This is a tragic wreck. I feel sorry for the families and friends of these two young men. With the cause of the accident unknown, it is hard to figure out if this accident could have been prevented. Were seat belts used? And if not, would these two men have survived the rollover if they had not been ejected? I recently read that seat belt use is up to 84% of vehicle occupants, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Information provided by Tarrant County Personal Injury Lawyer Mark A. Anderson, who can be contacted at 817-294-1900, or 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.

Early last Monday morning a man fell onto the tracks near the W. Kellis Street crossing in Fort Worth. Union Pacific crews saw him fall and tried to make an emergency stop, but could not stop in time.

Witnesses saw the man stagger before he fell onto the tracks. Even though the crew blew the horn, he was unable to get off of the tracks in time. Police suspect he might have been impaired in some way.

There is no word whether alcohol or drugs were involved, but I agree with the police assessment that this man must have been impaired in some way to fall on the tracks then be unable to get off of them before the train arrived.

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

83-year-old Ruth Miller died Wednesday morning at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth after she was injured in an auto accident on Tuesday. The passenger in Miller’s car, 89-year-old Leota Hopkins, went to the hospital as well and was later released.

The accident occurred when Miller was driving westbound on East Henderson Street and 55-year-old Alejandrina Cardona turned her SUV left onto Washington Street in front of Miller’s car. The SUV rolled over and stopped upside down. The passengers of the SUV, which included four children, were treated at a hospital and released. Miller was being treated in intensive care until she passed away.

The fault for the accident of course falls on the driver turning left. Turning left on an unprotected green light is always dangerous, and can lead to bad wrecks-in this case, a woman lost her life. Some cities are experimenting with flashing yellow arrows to alert drivers that they must yield the right-of-way to oncoming traffic, which I blogged about today.

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

Ana-Maria Landa, 53, died at the scene of a tragic auto accident early Friday morning after a drunk driver rear-ended her and forced her car into the underside of a bridge.

31-year-old Lawrence Carter was arrested for intoxication manslaughter after causing the fatal accident at the 800 block of I-35 E near Fox Avenue in Lewisville. Carter was driving a Chevrolet Avalanche pickup truck when he struck the back of Landa’s Isuza SUV. The impact of the crash sent the SUV off the highway, across the service road, up the embankment of the Fox Avenue overpass, and into the underside of the bridge.

Carter received only minor injuries. According to police, it was raining heavily at the time of the accident. This probably contributed to the seriousness of the crash. Harsh weather conditions require even more caution while driving, and drunk driving in the rain causes an even more dangerous situation. This car wreck is so tragic because it could have been prevented if only Mr. Carter hadn’t gotten behind the wheel of his truck after drinking.

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

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

Last week I blogged about a terrible accident in Bridgeport, Texas. The city released a preliminary engineering report last Friday after an investigation into the awning fall that killed Leslie Denison and injured her classmate Rebekah Logan. The report concluded that inefficient structural supports connecting the awning to the building, combined with weather factors, caused the awning to unexpectedly collapse.

The Bridgeport High School students were crushed by the falling awning last Tuesday when they were running as part of their cross country training.

According to the report, the city was unable to find records indicating the age of the building or how long the awning has been attached to Club Barbell and the neighboring businesses. The awning was attached to the top of the building on a grouted stone block wall, which can wear down over time, according to the report. The report also noted that there was no evidence of proper structural supports such as braces or bolts attaching the awning to the building. Weather may have played a part in the tragedy as well; the awning had a wood rather than metal frame, and wood can shrink, swell, or even warp from humidity over time.

There are two more awnings, located on either side of Club Barbell, addressed in the report. While one was determined to be fine, the other has structural problems and is considered dangerous.

This report is not that surprising. Something had to have caused this awning to fall. In this case, it just sounds like poor workmanship by the installer and poor maintenance by the building owner. It would be interesting to know how long the awning had been there.

Information provided by Texas Board Certified Attorney Mark A. Anderson who can be reached at 817-294-1900 or contacted by clicking here.

A seventeen year old senior at Bridgeport High School was tragically killed today when a storefront awning fell on her as she was running through downtown Bridgeport with a classmate. The girl, Leslie Denison, was pronounced dead at the scene. Her friend and felllow BHS cross country runner, Becca Logan, also 17, was transported to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth where she was listed in stable condition.

This tragedy happened in front of Club Barbell on Halsell Street about 4 p.m. The girls were merely running down the sidewalk when the awning and connected bricks and mortar came crashing down. This is an absolutely incredible case of bad timing. I have heard of tree limbs falling and injuring runners, but this is unimaginable. How does a store awning just come crashing down?

This wrongful death certainly will be investigated, but for now one must wonder and speculate how it happened. Was the awning recently attached? Were there recent modifications to the awning or any part of the front of the building? Were there any signs of stress? Who installed the awning? Hopefully these questions and many more will be answered. Sometimes it takes extensive civil litigation to find out all of the real answers.

Information and commentary provided by Texas Injury Lawyer Mark A. Anderson. Phone 817-294-1900 and www.maafirm.com.

SCENE OF TRAGEDY

In a tragic weekend in Texas, three riders were killed in separate motorcycle accidents in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

In perhaps the most avoidable accident this weekend, 53 year-old Constante DeCastro died Sunday afternoon as the result of negligence in Haltom City, Texas. DeCastro was pronounced dead at the scene after hitting the passenger side of a vehicle driven by an 88-year-old woman who pulled out in front of him and attempted to turn.

Earlier that morning, 33-year-old Deangelo Rountree was killed after striking the rear of a semi-truck tractor on 1-20 near Collins Street in Arlington, Texas. Roundree was thrown from his motorcycle over the median and across the highway.

The previous day, 35-year-old Montrell Asher was thrown from his motorcycle and killed after striking the rear of a vehicle on I-20 in Fort Worth, Texas. Asher was driving east and struck the car while attempting to exit Wichita Street.

Riding motorcycles can be dangerous, as we all know. The Haltom City wreck looks like pure negligence on the part of the car driver. That is something that all bikers fear: the turning car that doesn't see the motorcycle. But it looks like speed (by the motorcycle) was the reason for the other two fatal wrecks.

Information provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Injury Lawyer 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.

What started as a daily bicycle ride for 59-year-old Ronnie Monroe Keller ended in his tragic death on Saturday night when drunk driver Vincent Paul Riojas struck him with his car and left Keller in the backseat to die.

Police say Riojas hit Keller on his bike on the 3400 block of East Main Street in Fort Worth, Texas-less than a mile from Riojas’s house, which is where he fled with Keller still in his car. Damage to Riojas’s auto indicates that when he hit Keller, the cyclist flew into the front windshield, over the roof, and partway through the back window. Since Riojas was covered in blood when they found him, police believe he may have removed the injured Keller from the back window and placed him in the backseat. Police found Keller in the car after Riojas’s family called 911 when they saw their bloodied son and his visibly damaged Chevrolet Cavalier hidden around the side of the house.

This bicycle accident is horrific for so many reasons. If Riojas hadn’t been driving drunk, he surely would have noticed Keller and avoided the accident in the first place. If he had called police immediately after the accident occurred, police believe it may have saved Keller’s life-he was pronounced dead after being taken to a local hospital, and had lain helplessly injured in Riojas’s car for about 20 minutes.

Of course Riojas was taken to jail; he was arrested on charges of intoxicated manslaughter and failure to stop and render aid, as well as resisting arrest and charges of an existing unrelated felony warrant. Unfortunately this will provide little comfort to those who lost a friend and family member in a tragic drunk driving accident that could have been avoided.

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

A speeding drunk driver caused a fatal accident early this morning on University Drive in Fort Worth, Texas. Police had just clocked the drunk driver going 53 m.p.h. in the 1600 block of University, but the FWPD officer lost sight of the vehicle. Soon thereafter, the drunk driver slammed into a silver car which had stopped at the light at University and 7th Street. Renee Horton, a 24 year old from Wichita Falls, Texas was a passenger in the silver car and was pronounced dead at the scene. The drunk driver, who was not identified by the police, was arrested on suspicion of intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault.

This is a tragic and obviously preventable accident. Texas has a real problem with drunk driving. Each year we lead the national statistics on number of alcohol related deaths. And we average over 1500 deaths each year as a result of drunk drivers. While each accident is different, the criminal case will hopefully result in substantial punishment for this one reckless but irreversible act of negligence. Any civil claim based on liability insurance policies or uninsured motorists policies will never truly compensate the family of the young girl.

Fort Worth Accident and Injury Attorney Mark A. Anderson can be contacted at 817-294-1900 or 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.

Another drunk driving accident here in the Metroplex. In the early morning hours of July 31, 2009, Karla Rivers, 45, was killed when her Jeep SUV was hit head-on by a black Infiniti driven by Ramiro Moreno. Rivers was on her way home from work at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas at the time of the accident which occurred around 12:30 a.m. on Interstate 20 near Polk Street. Moreno, 29, and his passenger, Ian Edward Pierson, 21, were also killed in the accident.

Investigators found evidence of alcohol in Moreno’s vehicle. Rivers was only a few miles from her home when Moreno crashed into her as he drove eastbound in a westbound lane of I-20. Another vehicle narrowly avoided being hit when the driver saw the oncoming lights of the Infiniti coming at him. As that driver’s wife attempted to call 911, she saw “a burst of dark, black smoke” as the vehicles crashed behind them.

These types of accidents have been in the news earlier this year when multiple crashes occurred on the Dallas North Tollway due to drivers going the wrong-way resulting in the deaths of four people. Reflective buttons and “Wrong Way” and “Do Not Enter” signs have been installed by the North Texas Tollway Authority in hopes of decreasing these types of deadly incidents.

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

Toxicology results have revealed that Diane Schuler, 36, was under the influence of alcohol and marijuana at the time of a horrific crash on the Taconic State Parkway in Briarcliff Manor, New York on July 26, 2009. Schuler was returning home from a camping trip when she drove her Ford Windstar minivan on the wrong side of the road and smashed head-on into a Chevrolet Trail Blazer. Among the dead were Schuler, her 2-year-old daughter and her three nieces ages 5, 7 and 8. The driver of the Trail Blazer, Guy Bastardi, his father and a family friend were also killed. The only survivor from the fiery crash was Schuler’s 5-year-old son who is hospitalized in stable condition.

An accident investigator indicated that at approximately 1 p.m. Schuler phoned her brother stating that she did not feel well and was “disoriented and had trouble seeing.” Her brother told her to pull to the side of the road and wait for him to come to her aid. Unfortunately, Schuler did not wait for her brother and drove directly into the unsuspecting oncoming traffic at about 1:35 p.m.

Come on, drinking and smoking with kids in the car? Drinking and driving is a huge problem. In Texas, about half of the vehicle fatalities are related to alcohol.

Information and commentary provided by Mark A. Anderson, Texas Injury Attorney. Please contact the Anderson Law Firm at 817-294-1900 for any questions.

Marion Linville of Weatherford died last night when the Ford truck he was driving crossed into oncoming traffic in the 500 block of W. 4th Street in Weatherford. According to the Weatherford Police Department, Mr. Linville was westbound and for some unknown reason veered into the eastbound lanes and struck a Toyota Minivan occupied by two women. One of the ladies, Sandra Whittlesey of Arlington, was care-flighted to Harris Hospital (Texas Heath) in downtown Fort Worth. She was listed in good condition today. The other occupant of the minivan was Phyllis Whittlesey, age 22, who was taken by ground ambulance to Harris Hospital, where she was treated and released. The truck Mr. Linville was driving also hit a third vehicle, but no one was injured in that vehicle.

This is a strange motor vehicle accident (MVA), as there is no apparent reason for it. Even though no criminal charges are expected, hopefully the cause of the accident will be investigated. I have handled some cases where a medical condition caused someone to drive erratically. Could that be the case here? Or was it a distraction like a ringing cell phone? Maybe the cause will never be known.

Information and commentary provided by Fort Worth Accident Lawyer Mark A. Anderson, who can be reached at 817-294-1900 or ONLINE.

In a tragic accident which may have been alcohol related, two women in their 20’s were ejected from a black Honda sedan about three a.m. on Friday morning. It happened when the driver struck the guardrail on the ramp from Airport Freeway (Highway 121) as it merges onto I-35W Southbound. The driver then lost control of the Honda and it rolled over Both ladies were ejected, causing the Fort Worth Police to assume that they were not wearing their seatbelts. The FWPD also reported that several alcoholic beverages containers were found at the scene.

I am making some assumptions here, but judging by the alcoholic containers and the time of the accident, I would assume that alcohol probably played a role in this accident. Each year in Texas, there are over 1,500 fatalities on Texas roads that are attributed to alcohol. While the legal limit is .08 BAC (Blood Alcohol Content), any amount of alcohol that impairs ones ability to judge and react is dangerous.

Plus, it appears that the ladies were not wearing their seatbelts. It is the law that all front seat passengers wear their seatbelts (and it will be the law in Texas effective September 1, 2009 that ALL passengers must wear seatbelts). It almost goes without saying that it is proven that wearing seatbelts saves lives.

This Information provided by Fort Worth Auto Accident and DWI Accident Attorney Mark A. Anderson, who can by reached ONLINE or at 817-294-1900.

A 19 year old woman from Grand Prairie, Amanda Marie Ray, has turned herself in to Arlington, Texas Police after she fled the scene of a fatal accident. The wreck occurred on Interstate 20 in Arlington near the Little Road/U.S. 287 Exit. Her car hit a van being driven by John Price, a 75 year old man from Arlington, causing the van to hit the median and then rollover. Mr. Price was transported to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, where he died. Two other people who were in the van were also transported to JPS for injuries.

The vehicle being driven by Ms. Ray fled, taking the upcoming exit. Police were provided information which led them to Ms. Ray by several witnesses. She is now in jail.

This is a tragic car accident. I do not know the facts of what caused the car to hit the van, but I am confident that speed and reckless driving had something to do with it. The young lady should face criminal charges for not only her (presumed) reckless driving, but also her spineless act of leaving the scene of an accident. We all know that you just don’t do that—you must stop and render aid.

For the sake of the family of Mr. Price and the other victims that were injured in the accident, I hope Ms. Ray carried enough liability insurance. While money will never makes things right, it might help with the financial difficulties caused by losing a loved one. But many drivers do not carry insurance or only carry the state minimum of $25,000 in liability insurance. Hopefully. Mr. Price carried uninsured motorist’s protection on the van which will compensate his family even if the lady had no insurance or only the minimum insurance.

Information and commentary provided by Accident and Injury Attorney Mark A. Anderson, who can be reached at 87-294-1900 or who can be Contacted Online.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

If you have been injured in an auto accident, or any other type of accident for that matter, you have a ton of options when it comes down to hiring a lawyer for your Texas accident claim. Hiring an attorney is a very important decision and it's sometimes very difficult to try and weed through all of the attorneys out there who hold themselves out as being “injury attorneys.” So how do you know you're making the right decision? The best thing to do is to limit your search to only attorneys who are Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. This is a designation held by only 2% of the roughly 80,000 lawyers who practice law in Texas.

What does it mean to be Board Certified? It means that the attorney has passed a rigorous test on injury topics, has tried a certain number of cases to a jury, has been recommended by local attorneys and judges and has been practicing a certain number of years. There are plenty of qualified attorneys in Texas who are Board Certified, so there's no reason that an injury victim should settle for a lawyer who is not Board Certified.

The importance of hiring a Board Certified Injury Attorney is discussed in Mark A. Anderson’s new book, 15 Mistakes That Will Wreck your Texas Accident Case. This book is full of information which is helpful to accident victims. The Anderson Law Firm is offering a copy of the book FREE to Texas residents. To order your free copy, please call the firm at 817-294-1900. The book can also be ordered online at www.DontWreckYourCase.com.

A motorcycle wreck claimed the life of Kathleen Spear of Irving, Texas late Thursday night. The 40 year old woman was a passenger on a motorcycle driven by a 38 year old man who slid into the back of a pickup on Texas Highway 183. The man was taken to the hospital where he was arrested on suspicion of intoxication manslaughter. The Fort Worth Police Department will await the toxicology results.

In Texas, it is illegal to operate a motor vehicle of any kind, including a motorcycle, if you are intoxicated. One is intoxicated if his Blood Alcohol Content is.08 or above. The results of this blood test may determine if this man does some jail time for his reckless act. At the least, he is probably liable for her wrongful death from a civil claim perspective.

Information provided by Mark A. Anderson, Fort Worth Injury Attorney specializing in recovering compensation for accident victims. Phone 817-294-1900. Contact Us Online.

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 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.

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.

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.

Imagine that you're crossing a street at a crosswalk and you have the right of way. All of a sudden, a car flies around a corner and crashes into you. Pedestrian accidents like this scenario can be serious and often fatal, and unfortunately there is little you can do to prevent them if you're following the rules.

Most pedestrian accidents restult in serious injuries.

An alarming 64,000 pedestrians are injured each year and over 5,000 of these injuries result in fatalities. That means that a pedestrian is injured almost every eight minutes; someone just walking along, minding their own business and in a second a car strikes them and changes their life. Incredibly, over 85 percent of pedestrian accidents occur in urban areas--where drivers know to look for pedestrians in crosswalks and drives. The fact that the pedestrian accident rate is so high shows that drivers simply don't look before pulling out or turning a corner, and unfortunately, you or a loved one could be seriously injured as a result of another person's carelessness.

Pedestrian accidents fall under the same insurance policy as motor vehicle accidents.

If a person in a vehicle strikes you as a pedestrian, that person's auto insurance policy is just as valid as if he or she had hit the driver of another vehicle. If the negligence falls on the driver--and in many states the driver in a pedestrian accident is always liable, then that driver's auto insurance policy must pay your medical bills and other recoverable damages.

Unfortunately, due to the potentially life-altering nature of pedestrian injuries compared to injuries commonly sustained in car collisions, low auto policy limits may not be enough to cover your medical bills. Medical treatment is almost always more extensive since there is no protection of another vehicle between a pedestrian and the impact from a car or truck.

Hiring an experienced personal injury attorney to pursue an at-fault driver personally, to pay the rest of your medical bills and any other sufferable damages incurred (i.e. time off of work, loss of benefits, etc.) will help you recover the compensation you deserve after such a traumatic incident. Please contact the Anderson Law Firm for a free consultation if you or someone you know has been injured in a pedestrian accident at 817-294-1900.

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.

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.

An on-the-job accident today killed 56 year old crane operator at Delta Steel in South Fort Worth. The man, Johnny Little, was operating an overhead crane to move a 5 ton piece of metal when the metal fell and struck him on the head. Mr. Little was pronounced dead at the scene. Mr. Little was from Joshua and had worked at Delta Steel since 1997. A total of 527 workplace deaths were reported in Texas in 2007, the last year those statistics are available.

If you a loved one has experienced a serious injury of death as the result of the negligence of another person or company, then please call Board Certified Injury Lawyer Mark Anderson for a free consultation at 817-294-1900 or Contact Mark Anderson Online

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.

In May 2007, a huge explosion destroyed David Powlik’s house in Cleburne, Texas. The explosion killed his wife and daughter and injured his son-in-law and his granddaughter.

The explosion at Powlik’s house was caused by trapped natural gas. He did not even have natural gas service at his house, as he had an all electric system. The Cleburne Fire Marshall conducted an investigation. It found out that the main gas line in front of the Powlik’s home had been leaking into the soil. The soil was saturated by heavy rains and the gas was not able to escape; instead, it leaked into the sewer system. From there, a line in the Powlik’s air conditioning unit acted like a pump and drew the gas into the home. From there, the air conditioning system circulated the gas throughout the house. The blast occurred when Hazel Powlik lit a cigarette.

The lawsuit alleged that Atmos did not properly maintain its lines. The terms of the settlement are confidential and are not disclosed to the public.

This is a very tragic and preventable explosion. I am very familiar with this area, as I own a property across the street from the site of the explosion. My property, like the Powlik’s house, is all electric and I would never dream that an explosion caused by a gas leak could occur there. It takes lawsuits like the one here to discover all of the facts and figure out exactly how Atmos Energy could have prevented this tragic occurrence. Clearly, it is their responsibility to inspect and maintain the gas lines. The Powliks have no responsibility in that regard and were nothing more than innocent citizens. Hopefully, Atmos will learn how to put in place a better program to inspect and maintain its gas lines for the safety of Texans everywhere.

Author: Mark A. Anderson, Board Certified Injury Attorney, Fort Worth, Texas

Contact Information: www.maafirm.com or (817) 294 1900.

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.

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.

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 separate news stories, it was reported today that intoxication manslaughter charges have been brought against a Bedford woman and an Arlington woman whose reckless acts of driving while intoxicated resulted in two preventable deaths. First of all, the Dallas Morning News reported that the Arlington woman had almost double the level of allowable alcohol in her blood when she crashed into a guardrail on October 13, 2008. A motorcycle rider from Justin crashed into her wrecked car (which did not have its lights on). The crash killed the motorcycle rider. This lady was just now arrested and faces up to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. I had blogged about this accident back in October.

Today’s Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that late Sunday night a drunk driver of a Chevrolet Blazer ran a red light on Green Oaks Road in Arlington and ran into a Dodge Avenger, killing the driver and critically injuring the passenger. This lady faces both intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault charges.

Unfortunately, Texas has a big problem with drunk drivers. Every five hours someone dies in our state as a result of a drunk driver. We have to do something to get these drunk drivers off the road. And it is not as if all of these accidents occur in the middle of the night. The Arlington accident occurred at 11 p.m. And I have seen plenty of drunk driving accidents occur during the middle of the day. The site Alcohol Alert has some other drunk driving statistics worth reviewing.

If you or a loved one has been injured or suffered a wrongful death as a result of a drunk driver, feel free to contact the Anderson Law Firm if you have questions regarding your legal rights. Call 817-294-1900 or Contact Us Online.

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

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

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

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

A 38 year old driver from Fort Worth died this morning when his pickup rolled over in Arlington on I-20 near highway 287. The Arlington Police spokesman said he was not wearing his seatbelt and was thrown from the truck. He was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital where he died. A passenger was also taken to JPS where he was treated for minor injuries.

This unfortunate wreck highlights the danger of driving without a seatbelt. Airbags do indeed help in certain collisions, but they do nothing for rollover accidents. Who knows, if the driver had been using his seatbelt, he might have been treated for minor injuries.

For questions regarding injuries sustained in a motor vehicle collision, feel free to contact Fort Worth Injury Attorney Mark Anderson online or by calling 817-294-1900

Ice on a bridge may have been the cause of a tragic accident this morning as two people died when a truck and a sport utility vehicle collided on Highway 287 at Lonestar in Mansfield, Texas. Both of the fatalities were passengers of the SUV. There were three other passengers of the SUV who were transported to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth. The accident is still under investigation.

As we all know, icy roads and especially bridges are very dangerous and hard to navigate. It is sometimes even tougher when there is not ice or snow all around, as the ice on the bridge is not expected. I did not encounter any ice today and it was not even on my mind to be careful. After getting to work, I noticed where the news were reporting about all of the iced over bridges. This tragic accident is just one more reminder.

If you have questions about an automobile accident, feel free to contact Tarrant County Injury Attorney Mark A. Anderson online or call him at 817-294-1900.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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.

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.

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

On Saturday, a grandmother and her baby granddaughter were hit by a drunk driver in Dallas when they were walking together on East Overton Road in the Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas, Texas. The 54-year-old man who hit the two is currently in a Dallas jail, facing two counts of intoxication manslaughter. He and his passenger (who was also arrested for public intoxication) hit the woman and her 1-year-old granddaughter, then carried them 20 yards before the two finally fell off the car. Both died of blunt force trauma at the hospital.

Then, just a few hours later, a 12-year-old Dallas, Texas boy was killed when he was riding as a passenger with two teenagers when the car he was riding in hit another car and a utility pole. The car accident happened at the intersection of Lemon Avenue and Lovers Lane. The boy died at the hospital of his injuries and the other two were last heard to be in stable condition. Alcohol is suspected to also be the cause of this accident.

Drunk driving is a huge problem in Texas. According to the Texas Department of Transportation, every five hours, someone is killed in Texas in an alcohol-related traffic crash. Unfortunately, Texas ranks second only behind California in drunk-driving deaths.

If you have been seriously injured or a loved one has died as a result of a drunk-driving collision, you may receive a free consultation from a Board Certified injury attorney by calling Mark Anderson at 817-294-1900.

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

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

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

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

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

Saturday night an Arlington, Texas woman was killed when she was struck by a car on Interstate-20 in Arlington. The woman’s car stalled so she got out to push it to the shoulder when a 21-year-old man driving a Jetta was unable to swerve around the woman and hit her. The woman died at the scene while a young girl who was in the car steering it to the shoulder was taken to Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth with injuries. The driver of the Jetta also suffered some minor injuries.

This extremely tragic accident is a prime example of wrongful death. While the lady was doing what she believed was the right thing to prevent an accident, it turned out to be just too dangerous. If her car was still able to drive on its own power, it would’ve been better to drive it off the roadway before calling 9-1-1. If a car ever stalls and you can’t get it to the shoulder of the road (which was the case here), it’s safer to turn on the hazard lights, exit the car immediately, and head to a safe area to avoid a car accident.

If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of someone else’s negligence, you may have a legal right to compensation. For answers to your questions, you can call Fort Worth, Texas Personal Injury Attorney Mark Anderson at 817-294-1900, or feel free to Contact Me Online.

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.

A 66-year-old Fort Worth, Texas man is dead after injuries he sustained last Friday afternoon when his bike collided with a car. The accident happened at the intersection of South Drive and Inwood Road, near Interstate 20. The man died yesterday at JPS Hospital from his critical injuries. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that this is the 53rd death related to a motor-vehicle accident. Last year at this time, there had been 60 fatalities relating to car and/or bike crashes.

In July, I wrote about a Weatherford, Texas man who was killed riding his bike when a car hit him near Willow Park on an I-20 access road. In that post I discussed the danger most people don’t associate with riding a bike. At that time, I stumbled upon an excellent website on bicycle safety. Check it out before you hit the streets on your bike, and don’t forget your helmet!

Yesterday, I wrote about a Fort Worth, Texas Woman Killed at the Railroad Crossing on Galvez Avenue, where it intersects Riverside Driver near downtown Fort Worth. The 21-year-old woman who died was riding passenger to a 23-year-old man who is expected to survive, but suffered major bodily injuries when he decided to drive around the gates, as the Trinity Railway Express (TRE) came crashing into the passenger side of his car. The woman's two-year-old daughter was also in the car, and suffered injuries.

A similar car/train accident injured another woman at the same crossing just last year.

Now, just two days after the most recent accident, there's already talk of improvements to be made at the crossing as soon as February, 2009. So why wasn't this addressed sooner?

The hold up was due to a battle of control of the project to improve many Tarrant County crossings between TRE officials and the City of Fort Worth, so funds were dispersed between the competing groups. In 2005, government officials put the money together and approved $384,000 for improvements to be made as early as 2009.

Improvements suggested at the particular intersection of Galvez Avenue and Riverside Drive include installing "quad gates" to block access to the tracks completely from the road so impatient drivers won't be able to go around them. There's even been talk of cutting Galvez Avenue off completely just before the tracks and turning it into a cul-de-sac.

No matter what it decides to do, let's hope the city does something sooner, rather than later. But it's important to remember that no matter how many improvements a city can make, nothing beats common sense, and there's a big lesson to be learned from fatal accidents like this one.

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

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

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

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

Early Monday morning a drunk driver killed a newlywed couple and injured four others in a horrific car accident near Interstate 75 and Mockingbird Lane in Dallas, Texas. Prior to the accident, police pulled a man driving with a female passenger over whose vehicle had been weaving in and out of traffic. When the officer started to approach him, the driver sped away with his lights off, eventually running a red light and slamming into a carload of Southern Methodist University (SMU) students. All five of them suffered injuries. The impact from that crash sent the drunk driver’s Tahoe flying into another car—killing a newlywed couple. At the hospital, his passenger was in serious condition while he was upgraded to fair.

If this story isn’t tragic enough, it gets worse. The drunk driver had previously been convicted of DWI twice before and two other DWI charges were pending. He was out on bond, which had been revoked and had four outstanding warrants. He was driving the night of the crash with a suspended license and two empty bottles of Patron tequila.

This is one of those tragic cases of someone slipping through the cracks of the legal system. Why wasn’t he in jail? Who forgot to take his license…and his car for that matter? Apparently on one of his latest DWI charges, the “system” did not catch his prior DWI’s.

I only practice personal injury law—not criminal law, but it just seems to me like the law should mandate that the driver should have already been in jail. This man should have already lost his freedom.

Late Friday night, an 18-year-old passenger in a Chevrolet Suburban was ejected from his vehicle when a Honda CRV ran a red light and hit the Suburban on the rear passenger side. Unfortunately, the passenger was not wearing his seatbelt as is required by Texas law. The tragic accident occurred at Highway 121 and Holfords Prairie Road in Lewisville, Texas.

I just wrote earlier this week about the huge problem we have in Dallas/Fort Worth with people running red lights. The statistics are staggering: The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reported that in 2006, in the United States alone, there were 171,000 crashes, 144,000 injuries and 887 deaths related to red light running. In my opinion, the more red light cameras the better. But we all have to be aware and drive defensively anyway, as some folks are going to run red lights and cause accidents whether they're caught on camera or not. This serves as one more reminder of the importance of always wearing a seatbelt.

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.

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

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

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

There has definitely been an increase in oil and gas drilling rig-related deaths and injuries in our area recently. Offshore drilling accidents have been in the news for years. But now with all the Barnett Shale activity in Tarrant, Wise, Parker and Johnson Counties, the reports of accidents seem to all be local.  I remember two years ago when a gas well explosion in nearby Forest Hill evacuated 500 people and killed a contractor.  And then, just this week, a Runaway Bay man died working on a drilling rig in Burleson when a hoist broke and a piece of pipe fell on his head.  Many other injuries have been reported in the meantime.

Drilling for natural gas is a dangerous job, there’s no doubt about that.  And with nearly 2,000 rigs in the United States and a great number of those here in Texas (Tarrant County, especially), there is a much greater chance for oil field-related accidents, injuries and deaths.  That Forest Hill explosion was investigated because it turned out the operators disregarded safety regulations.  The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Health and Safety Administration Web site on oil and gas well drilling and it is extremely informative on drilling safety.  Everything from maintenance and inspection to prevention practices and emergency training—it’s all very informative and relevant to the area we live in.  For more information on oil and gas drilling safety tips and anything else you might care to know about this industry, I also recommend searching around the American Petroleum Institute (API) Web site. This is the site of the petroleum industry's main trade association.

A tragic Austin, Texas case involving a death from a fraternity hazing recently settled for 4.2 million dollars. Back in 2005, a freshman UT student died of alcohol poisoning when his fraternity brothers hazed him into consuming large amounts of alcohol. The family’s lawyers no doubt did a very good job of piecing together a large puzzle based on the people who witnessed the hazing. With the help of videos, pictures and cell phones from witnesses, the attorneys were able to put together a timeline of events and ultimately won the family of the victim a substantial settlement of recoverable damages.

The key to this case, and all cases really, was the collection of evidence. Whether a person's case is a unique one like this or a more common car accident case, a thorough investigation of any case can often mean the difference between winning and losing. This is why I am constantly reiterating to my accident clients the importance of documenting the accident scene, property damage (if it’s a car wreck) and their injuries with photographs and video, if it’s available. If you been in an accident, stop and think about where it took place. A close-by business like a convenient store or hotel might have surveillance cameras—ask them for their tapes. Or if it was an accident that made the news, call the news station and get a copy of the story that aired. Especially in cases that are hard to prove, every bit of evidence helps, and nothing tells the truth more than a photograph or video.

Witness interviews are also crucial. Not all accidents have witnesses, but if there are witnesses, then they need to be approached in a professional manner. My experience tells me that a witness loses patience if you call them multiple times, so I make sure that a thorough interview (and recorded statement, if necessary) is done the first time.