Dallas Fort Worth Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Joseph Sean Rodriguez was speeding at nearly 100 miles per hour when he slammed his pickup truck into the rear of a semi-truck early Tuesday morning. The car wreck occurred on Walnut Hill Lane in Dallas around 2 a.m.

Rodriguez was pronounced dead at the scene shortly before 4 a.m. The driver of the semi truck was not injured. The Dallas Police Department said that there was no sign that Rodriquez tried to stop before the collision.

There is question whether alcohol was involved in the car accident. The Dallas Police Department is still waiting for blood test results from the medical examiner’s office.
In cases like these, you do have to question whether drunk driving was the cause of the car accident. The time of the crash, paired with the excessive speed of the pickup coincides with the statistics of many drunk driving related crashes. MADD suggests avoiding driving altogether between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. to increase your safety while on the road. It is also possible that excessive speeding and loss of control caused the accident.

Information and Commentary 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 additional information on car accident and personal injury questions please contact us on our website.

Raziel Aguilar, who was just 16 months old, was hit by a car near a Southeast Dallas mobile home park on Friday evening. A family member found Aguilar and waved down a nearby police officer. He was taken to the Children’s Medical Center of Dallas, and was pronounced dead Saturday morning. The Dallas Police Department is unsure who was involved in the accident, and also noted that everyone in the family is being very cooperative with the investigation. As of right now, police are hoping that someone will come forward and take responsibility for the accident. However, there is also a possibility that whoever did run over the child may not have been aware that they did it. My sincere condolences go out to the family of Raziel Aguilar. I can only hope that the responsible party will come forward and hold themselves accountable for their actions. Children are often the victims of so many preventable incidents just like this one. This information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Personal Injury Lawyer Mark Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm can be reached in Dallas at 214-327-8000 or in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900. In addition, our contact page will give you option to contact us about your car wreck or personal injury however is best for you.

A 16 year veteran of the Fort Worth Police Department was injured when a van collided with his motorcycle last Friday in downtown Fort Worth, Texas.

According to a police spokesperson, the officer was traveling east in left lane of East Fifth Street when a van attempted to make an illegal left turn onto Commerce Street and struck the officer on his motorcycle.

The officer was taken to the hospital and treated for injuries that were reportedly non-life threatening. The occupants of the van, a 44-year-old woman and two children ages 6 and 7, were not injured. The driver of the van was issued tickets for making an illegal left turn and for driving without a driver’s license.

I am sorry to hear about the officer’s injuries and wish him a speedy recovery. When our police force is out there protecting us, they are subject to the same dangers we all face as drivers. I have represented a lot of motorcycle riders and the story is always the same—the car driver just never sees the motorcycle rider. I assume that is the case here.

Information provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Accident Injury Lawyer Mark A. Anderson, who can be reached in Dallas at 214-327-8000, in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900, and online by clicking here.

A tragic car accident last night killed two people when the Dodge Neon they were traveling in struck the back of a 20-foot trailer. The accident occurred around 10:45 p.m. Friday night on LBJ Freeway at Webb Chapel Road in Dallas, Texas.

Pronounced dead at the scene were Tracie Yepez, 26 and Jaime Santibanez, 24. Dallas police department officials who investigated the accident at the scene said the truck pulling the 20-foot trailer may have stalled in the HOV lane, where the accident occurred. If the preliminary results of the accident show that the truck/trailer was indeed stalled, then additional questions will arrive as to why the truck was stalled out and whether the hazard lights or any other identifying cones or flashers were used to alert traffic of the stalled vehicle.

My sincere condolences go out to the families of the two victims. Clearly, they appear to be innocent victims in this motor vehicle accident. When you are travelling in the HOV lane, you do no expect to have stalled vehicles occupying the lane. Hopefully the Dallas Police Department will be able to figure out exactly what happened and what could have been done, if anything, to prevent this accident.

Information and commentary provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Personal Injury Attorney Mark A. Anderson, who can be contacted online by clicking here or calling the Anderson Law Firm at 214-327-8000.

A bus crash Tuesday that killed two people and injured many more was likely caused by a broken drive shaft, according to investigators. The bus, on its way to Matamoros, Mexico, underwent its regularly scheduled maintenance the day before the crash.

The crash killed Christina Lozano Campos 62, of Lewisville, and Efrain Dominguez-Valenzuela, 27, of Brownsville. Two other people were hospitalized and in critical condition Wednesday. Many of the other passengers were treated at the hospital for minor injuries.

The Americanos USA bus was carrying 42 people and driving along I-37 through Campbellton, about 45 miles from San Antonio, when it went from the right lane toward the median, spun out of control, and turned over on its side. Investigators think the drive shaft, which transfers power from the engine to the wheels, fell off causing the accident. Newer buses are equipped with safety devices to catch a broken drive shaft, but even these can fail, said Motorcoach Training & Development Inc., a company that trains and certified bus mechanics.

Americanos USA is operated by Greyhound Lines Inc. According to Grayhound’s parent company, FirstGroup America, the 15-year-old bus had undergone its scheduled maintenance the day before the accident, which included routine inspection of the engine, tires, brakes and wheels. The National Transportation Safety Board is not planning to investigate because its initial assessment turned up no new potential safety issues involving the company or crash, according to an NTSB spokesperson. According to the Department of Public Safety, these finding are preliminary and they are still investigating the crash.

Americanos USA has a good safety record. It has been involved in one accident for every 13 buses. By comparison, Grayhound has been involved in one accident for every eight buses. Over the last two years, investigators placed Americanos USA buses out of service following 11.2 % of inspections. 22.3 % of inspections lead to buses being placed out of service nationally.

Information provided by Texas Board Certified Accident 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.

A Dallas Area Rapid Transit, or DART bus, was involved in a collision that ultimately caused it to crash into the side of a building in Dallas Monday afternoon.

According to local news reports, the bus wreck was caused when the bus was struck by a car that apparently ran a red light. The bus hit a light pole then crashed into the side of a building near the intersection of Olive Street and Woodall Rogers Freeway frontage road.

Two passengers on the bus were taken to Baylor Hospital with non life-threatening injuries. A third person was treated at the scene for minor injuries, and the driver of the bus and the car were reportedly unhurt.

Running a red light is the most obvious form of motor vehicle negligence. Hopefully, the at fault driver carries enough liability insurance to compensate for all of the property damage and personal injury damages caused by the accident.

Information provided by Dallas Injury Attorney Mark A. Anderson, who can be reached at 214-327-8000, or contacted by clicking here.

A Union Pacific freight train collided with a military truck in Saginaw, northwest of Fort Worth, causing a fire that injured an engineer and damaged a locomotive. The cause of the train crash is being investigated.

According to a Union Pacific spokesperson, the lights and gate at the railroad crossing were operating when the collision occurred. The locomotive damaged was one of three in a wheat-hauling 100-car train. The engineer was treated for injuries and released from the hospital.

The military truck involved in the crash was hauling a trailer with another military vehicle on top of it. That driver reportedly sustained no injuries.

Even though local authorities are still investigating the cause of the accident, it looks like to me the driver of the military truck is probably at fault. Unless there is some sort of defect in the lights and gate, then the presumption is that the truck driver should have noticed the train and given the train the right of way.

Information provided by Fort Worth/Dallas Injury Lawyer Mark A. Anderson, who can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900, in Dallas at 214-327-8000, and toll free at 877-291-1115. He can also be contacted by clicking here.

A man who had been reported missing since yesterday evening was found dead this morning by a wrecked vehicle under a bridge in South Dallas. 43-year-old David Johnson lived with his family only a few miles from the scene of the crash near 1-45 and 1-20.

The car, a 1996 Ford Mustang GT, was found by City of Dallas workers under a bridge at J.J. Lemon Road in Dallas near Cedardale Drive. The car was upside down and Mr. Johnson’s lifeless body was found beside it. Police say speed was definitely a factor in the single-vehicle crash, and the medical examiner will conduct an autopsy to see if anything else contributed to the wreck.

What a terrible tragedy. I am sorry for those who lost a family member and friend. As the police continue to investigate the causes of the crash hopefully they will be able to shed light on what happened in this horrible accident.

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

A Blue Ford Mustang collided with a tractor-trailer around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday morning. The fatal car accident occurred on an exit ramp off of I-30 at Westmoreland Road in Dallas, TX.

The exact cause of the crash remains unknown. The driver of the blue Mustang was declared dead at the scene. The Dallas Police Department stated that the female passenger in the Mustang was rushed to Methodist Charlton Medical Center. Her condition is currently unknown.

The semi-truck collision occurred in the middle of Dallas rush hour traffic, causing the entire surrounding area to be at a standstill for several hours.

The information does not conclude whether both vehicles were on the exit ramp or not. Could the accident have occurred because either the Mustang or the semi did not yield to whoever was exiting the freeway? Approximately 9% of all wrecks with semi-trucks end with fatalities. It is very unfortunate that this statistic holds true with this accident. I am interested to see if further information is released about the cause of this accident.

This information and commentary is provided by Board Certified Personal Injury Attorney Mark A. Anderson. Mark can be reached in Dallas at 214-327-8000 or online by clicking here.

The Mesquite Police Department reported that a two-car collision occurred early this morning when a driver crashed into a pickup when driving the wrong way. The car accident was located off of I-30 in between Big Town and Marley roads.

According to the Mesquite Police Department, a Black Ford Pickup that was on the wrong side of the road ran into another pickup truck. The driver of the Black Ford Pickup was taken to the hospital and is listed in critical condition.

The driver and passenger of the other pickup truck suffered broken bones, and have non- life threatening injuries.

Whenever you read about anyone driving the wrong way, you always have to question whether drunk driving could be involved. It is possible that the driver of the Black Ford Pickup was just unaware of the roadway. However, I am interested to see what new information is released with this accident, to see if further explanation as to what happened is disclosed.

Information and commentary provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Personal Injury Attorney Mark Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm can be reached in Dallas at 214-327-8000, in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or online by clicking here.

Car wrecks happen every single day here in the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex. And days like today cause even more where the wet roads create dangerous conditions. After the motor vehicle accident, many people will end up needing an injury lawyer to represent them when they seek fair compensation for their accident related injuries to their bodies.

There are a million ways that people find their injury lawyer to represent them after they have been injured in a car accident. Some injury victims ask their friends and families for a referral to a personal injury lawyer, but this oftentimes ends up a dead end as either they have never had a reason to hire an injury attorney before or they didn't like the one they did indeed hire.

Another common way that people who have been hurt in accidents find a lawyer is through some sort of advertising. It is just easy to call the lawyer they see on TV or in the yellow pages. But I think you have to beware of attorneys who advertise on television as they usually run what is called personal injury mills and the clients are totally devoid of any personal attention from real lawyer.

A good way to find a lawyer, in my opinion, is to gather a list of potential lawyers from an internet search and then do your research to check out the prospective lawyers’ credentials. One way to look into the background and experience of an injury attorney is to look at the lawyers own website and read all about him or her. Another thing to do is to look up the rating received by the lawyer. Two popular rating services are Martindale Hubble and AVVO. You should also check out the State Bar of Texas Website, as it has important information on lawyers such as license status and Board Certifications.

Click here for some more information about Finding The Right Lawyer For You.

If you have been injured in a car accident in the Fort Worth Dallas Arlington area, you deserve the best representation you can find. The Anderson Law Firm will be happy to discuss the facts of your specific case and will give you a quick and confidential evaluation of your rights to recover. We have convenient offices in Dallas and Fort Worth. To speak with the Board Certified Personal Injury Lawyer Mark Anderson, call us in Dallas at 214-327-8000, in FW at 817-294-1900 or in Texas toll free at 1-877-294-1115.

At the end of February, MADD released a statement of their support for new legislation introduced by Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) and Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) called the ROADS SAFE Act. It stands for Research of Alcohol Detection Systems for Stopping Alcohol-related Fatalities Everywhere.

The legislation supports research for technology that would prevent motor vehicles from being able to operate if a driver tries to operate the car while under the influence of alcohol. The bill would provide funding of $12M a year for 5 years to make technology that would accomplish this goal.

The technology would have to be reliable, non-intrusive, and be able to unobtrusively detect if the driver had a BAC of .08 or greater. The technology would hopefully be so non-intrusive that a sober driver would be completely unaware of the device’s existence.

This sounds like really awesome research and a step in the right direction to end drunk driving altogether. It is amazing to me the kind of technology that is possible to help make our roads safer. If this bill is passed, MADD and the US government would be making gigantic strides to show the American public the importance and attention this issue should receive.

To see the press release please click here.

Information and Commentary provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Car Accident Lawyer Mark Anderson. Mark can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900, Toll Free at 1-877-294-1115, or online by clicking here.

The Texas Department of Transportation recently released new data supporting evidence that cell phone usage while driving is increasing the number of car accidents on our roads and highways.

In the last five years in Texas, over 1,700 wrecks have been caused by drivers who are on their cell phones. Before the release of this data, it was almost impossible to tell the impact of distracted driving on our roads.

AAA is pushing for legislation that bans texting nationwide for the next 3 years. In addition, the study also shows that any kind of cell phone usage, not just texting diverts the attention of the driver from the road.

If you think about how much is already going on in the car while you’re driving, the addition of looking down at a key board for extended periods of time does not make logical sense. It seems that we continue to text and drive even though we know it is not safe. We need to stand up for what we know is right to promote safety in our communities.

I have recently partnered with 10 other attorneys from around the country to help educated and make middle and high school aged students aware of the dangers of texting and driving. The campaign is called TADD (Teens Against Distracted Driving), and encourages students to sign a pledge to not text and drive. In gratitude for signing the pledge, we are giving each student who signs a free wrist bracelet.

It is my hope that new statistics such as these and awareness programs like TADD will help end the problem of car wrecks associated with being distracted with your cell phone while driving. There are so many new technologies to help aide this problem so that your cell phone is “hands-free” every time you are in your car.

This information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Personal Injury Attorney Mark A. Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm can be reached in Dallas at 214-327-800, in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or online by clicking here.

On Sunday afternoon, Wesley Paul Hahs, was test driving a 2007 Honda Shadow when he crashed head on with a Chevy Tahoe. The motorcycle crash occurred when Hahs passed over a blind hill in a no passing zone and then ran into the Tahoe in front of Pollok Baptist Church. The Lufkin, Texas Police Department said that Hahs died upon impact with the SUV.

The owner of the motorcycle, Marion Webb, was also present during the motorcycle wreck. The Tahoe was driven by Jane Chambers of Nacogdoches. Chambers and her husband, who was also in the Tahoe, were not physically injured.

Webb contacted Hahs’ parents after the wreck. Hahs’ father said that he leaves behind a 7-year-old son, and was going to turn 28 in late April.

This is truly a tragedy. I do not think anyone ever goes to test drive a motorcycle thinking that they will be in a wreck before they ever purchase their new ride. My sincere condolences go out to the family and friends of Paul Hahs.

I think this accident shows the true importance of making sure every single motorcycle driver has proper motorcycle safety training and understanding of the rules of the road. There are several programs in Texas that provide motorcyclists of all levels with fun and easy courses to keep them up to date with the latest safety precautions.

This information is provided by Texas Personal Injury Attorney Mark A. Anderson. Mr. Anderson can be reached Toll Free at 1-877-294-1115 across Texas or online by clicking here.

I’m sure you have noticed the increase in cameras at stoplights in and around the Fort Worth area. I think many of us are unaware exactly what the automated enforcement laws are in Texas, and how they can impact you.

As the law stands in Texas currently, violations are only issued for red light violations. However, the use of automated enforcement for speeding and other citations are increasing. It may be only a matter of time before this becomes permitted in certain communities around North Texas.
I know the first thing every person thinks when they get a ticket is, “How much is this going to cost me?” For a red light violation in Texas the ticket can cost up to $200 if traditional enforcement is used, and is a standard $75 if auto enforcement is used.

Red light camera systems are triggered when a vehicle enters an intersection after the light has been red for a predetermined period of time. The citation is issued to the registered owner of the car after 2 or more pictures are taken of the vehicle and license plate. The purpose of these cameras is to prevent car accidents in intersections, though some people question whether it is solely a revenue generator.

It was surprising for me to learn that the majority of the US public supports the use of red light cameras, even with the speculation of the true purpose of the cameras. The National Highway Safety Administration found that 75% of drivers support camera enforcement. The highest support comes from residents of large cities, with a much lower percentage of support from suburban areas. I hope this helps clear up any questions about what the cameras are at many intersections, as well as the consequences of running a red light.

Information and commentary provided by Fort Worth Car Accident Attorney Mark Anderson. Mark can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or online by clicking here.

With all of the rainy weather we have had in North Texas, I thought it might be appropriate to list a few tips to help you avoid a car accident in the bad weather. Though rain is something we deal with frequently, there are several ways to help avoid skidding or hydroplaning while driving.

The Weather Channel has a list of driving safety tips on their website ranging for what to do in a bad thunderstorm, to what to do in a tornado. Here are a few of their tips to help you avoid getting into a wreck on the wet roads:

-To prevent skidding, never brake hard. It is important to keep a light foot on your brake pedal. The same goes with steering, do everything lightly and do not make any swerving movements if at all possible.

- If you do find yourself hydroplaning, it is important not to brake. Instead, you should “steer into the skid” to get the front of your car aligned with the back of your car.

-Hydroplaning often occurs from something being wrong with your tires. Make sure your tires are inflated correctly and have good tire tread

-Drive Defensively. Adjust your speed to the road conditions and the other drivers around you.

Hopefully, the rain will eventually let up. I feel like we may live in Seattle instead of Dallas. I know I felt a shimmer of hope when we finally had a sunny day this past Saturday, but it seems that the rain has come back for today. I hope that if these safety tips weren’t new to you, that they at least reminded you of what to do if you have a problem with hydroplaning or skidding while driving in the rain.

Information and Commentary provided by Fort Worth Personal Injury Attorney Mark Anderson, who can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900, in Dallas at 214-327-8000, Toll Free at 877-294-1115 or online by clicking here.

A new Texas law is in effect today requiring new drivers between the ages of 18 and 24 to take a driver education course before receiving their license. Though most young drivers register for their license before they are 18, there is an increasing number of people who are waiting to get their license in order to avoid the costs of the courses and training required for new drivers under 18.

That option will no longer be the case. The course is now required for anyone between 18 and 24 applying for a license for the first time. Based on a check of several driving school websites, the course will cost anywhere from $35 to $100.

The topics are similar to the ones covered in the course for drivers under 18. They include things like drunk driving, rules of the road, insurance issues and defensive driving. There is also a written test that must be passed to complete the course and receive your license.

Target areas for the new course include areas with large immigrant populations. Over 150 driving schools have already signed up to have the program as part of the curriculum.

In 2008, 20% of car accidents involved 18 to 24 year olds. Perhaps targeting this age group will decrease the number of motor vehicle accidents on our roadways. We are so focused on making sure first time drivers under 18 are educated, but we often forget that there are other new, young drivers as well. I think this is a great step to help educate another age group on safety precautions to take while driving. However, you have to wonder why the course is not required for all new drivers regardless of their age.

Information and commentary provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Personal Injury Lawyer Mark Anderson. Mr. Anderson can be reached in Dallas at 214-327-8000 in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or online by clicking here.