Dallas Fort Worth Car Accident Lawyer Blog

There has been a lot of high-stakes drama surrounding the final weeks of the current legislative session in Austin, and while I am a strong opponent of some of the new laws, as a Texas personal injury lawyer I am very happy that tighter restrictions on distracted driving are now just waiting Governor Rick Perry’s signature.

In its original incarnation, House Bill 243 would prohibit texting while driving, while still permitting drivers to read text message while operating their vehicle. Fortunately, that ridiculousness has been erased from the new version of the bill which passed the Senate on Sunday. Distracted driving is a serious hazard to all road users now more than ever. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2005 distracted driving accounted for 10 percent of all traffic wreck deaths nationwide in 2005. By 2009, that figure had doubled to 20 percent. It is a major cause of fatal collisions and tighter laws such as this are a big step forwards.

The new bill would mean a statewide ban on sending and reading texts, emails and other instant messages while behind the wheel of a car. This is great news. As a Fort Worth auto accident attorney, I have long supported tighter restrictions on texting while driving. The problem is that most people are so used to using their cellphones and other electronic devices while driving, that it has become a hard habit to break. Hopefully a $200 fine will deter those who continue such dangerous habits.

If you have been hurt in a car wreck involving a distracted driver, it is very important that you consult with a board certified car crash and wrongful death lawyer to understand your legal rights to seek compensation for you medical bills and other damages. Please call us toll free at 800-354-6275 or locally at 817-294-1900.

If you have been involved in an auto accident in Tarrant County then most likely the responding police officer will have completed a collision report (officially called a Texas Peace Officers Crash Report). As a Fort Worth and Arlington personal injury lawyer, I find these reports extremely useful while investigating the situation surrounding my clients’ injuries. Not only does it collect together a load of important information regarding all parties involved in the car wreck (such as traffic conditions, vehicles involved, insurance policies of the various drivers) but it also includes a section titled Contributing Factors (Investigator’s Opinion). This is the section where the attendant officer will assign fault regarding what – and perhaps most importantly WHO – caused the crash to occur.

In order to interpret the crash report, you need this code sheet which lists the any different factors which a police officer could decide contributed to the wreck. Reasons include driver inattention, failure to yield, followed too closely and road rage – among many others. For a motor injury lawyer, this is extremely valuable information as it quickly allows us to identify who the at-alt driver was. What is also good is that most of the time the insurance adjustor will accept the report’s findings, which can really help when I’m trying to reach a settlement to get you the most damages available to cover the cost of your medical bills, loss of income, as well as compensation for your pain and suffering.

Of course, there are occasions when a police report does not get completed. That’s not a problem. Just because there is no report, it does not mean that you lose the right to pursue a claim.

If you or a loved one have been hurt in an accident that was not your fault, give me a call for a free, no obligation consultation on your personal situation. I’ll be able to explain your legal rights in detail and tell you whether you have a claim. Call me toll free at 800-354-MARK (6275) or locally in Ft. Worth at 817-294-1900 or in Dallas at 214-327-8000. Alternatively, you can contact me online.

Today marks the beginning of the 10th annual Texas "Click It or Ticket" seat belt enforcement campaign. Now until June 5, Texas law enforcement officers will increase the enforcement of seatbelt and booster seat laws.

Since “Click It or Ticket” started in 2002, the Texas Department of Public Safety says that seat belt usage in Texas has increase from 76 percent to 94 percent and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that there have been 2,800 fewer traffic fatalities and 48,000 fewer severe injuries in Texas since 2002.

At the Anderson Law Firm in Fort Worth, we greatly commend the combined law enforcement efforts behind the “Click It or Ticket” campaign.

Our personal injury lawyers see far too many car accidents result in serious injuries because people aren’t wearing seatbelts or are doing something else careless behind the wheel, like texting and driving.

To all the Fort Worth or Dallas drivers out there, remember to buckle up – or be prepared to open your wallet.

We hope “Click It or Ticket” has even more success this year and hope even more lives are saved by this fantastic initiative.

Although no terms have been released, a lawsuit against former Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Tom Phillips has been settled.

An alcohol-related lawsuit accused Phillips and his wife of allowing minors to drink alcohol at their home, thus causing the car accident that killed 17-year-old passenger Audrey King. The young girl had been at a party at the ex-judge's residence that was allegedly hosted by his son before the accident. Phillips and his wife said that they had no idea King was at their home, nor that any minors were drinking.

Last summer, a wrongful death lawsuit was filed by the girl's parents, Cheryl and Bobby King.

Unfortunately nothing can bring Audrey back to her parents but hopefully with this wrongful death settlement reached, the King family will feel that a little bit of justice has been done.

I’ve been keeping up with this case not only because my practice handles wrongful death claims but also because I can’t believe a former judge would be so careless in his actions. Judge Phillips and his wife said they didn’t know their son was hosting a party, but that excuse really doesn’t fly with me. It’s their house! How do they not know who’s there and what they are doing?!

Nobody is above the law. Not even a judge. If the Phillips really didn’t know who was in their home then they shouldn’t have been so negligent with their front door. To me, the facts are pretty clear in this case: their house, their booze, their fault.

This commentary was provided by Mark Anderson, a personal injury trial lawyer practicing in Fort Worth, Texas. If you think you may have a wrongful death claim on behalf of a loved one, call the Anderson Law Firm at 817-294-1900 today for a free case consultation.

Around 4 am Thursday morning, a chain reaction car accident between the Westlake and Keller border left one Northlake police office and the prisoner in the back of his car injured.

The officer was taking the suspect into custody when a pickup truck rear-ended the cop car at a stop light, pushing the vehicle into the lane of an oncoming 18-wheeler.

After the crash, the officer and the man in custody were flown to Harris Methodist hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Anything seem suspicious here to you? It’s not everyday someone just runs into a police car. But of course, as we see way too often in Fort Worth and Dallas, authorities found alcohol in the car of the person that caused the accident. No word yet on if the person was drunk, but I’ll put my money on the fact that he or she was boozing.

I’m not going to get on my soap box about drunk driving related car accidents. We all know that drinking and driving is basically the dumbest thing you can do. Fortunately for this accident causer (because we can’t call them a drunk driver...yet) the police got them before they could hurt anyone else. Unfortunately for the police officer, it wasn’t your average stop and pull over.

Talk about a bad day for the cop that got hit, but an even worse day for the guy getting arrested! At the Anderson Law Firm in Fort Worth, we sincerely hope everyone recovers from this accident.

Oh, and don’t drink and drive please?

At my personal injury law firm in Dallas, we take a variety of truck and car accident cases. With as many 18-wheelers driving around DFW and Tarrant County, it’s only natural that some accidents occur and when they do, they can have catastrophic consequences.

But today there was a story on the channel 8 News that really caught my attention – for all the wrong reasons.

Truckers carrying dangerous, not to mention illegal chemicals are driving all throughout Texas. It took News 8 only 10 minutes with a Dallas County Sheriff to pull over an 18-wheeler carrying illegal corrosives right through the center of Dallas.

As frequently as truck accidents occur in the Metroplex, it’s absolutely absurd that these trucks are driving through our cities, breaking the law and carrying substances that could harm so many people if they were to wreck!

I’m glad the Dallas Sherriff’s department is on the lookout for truckers driving hazardous material through Dallas.

This commentary was provided by Mark Anderson, a Board Certified Personal Injury Trial Lawyer by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. If you or a family member was injured because of a truck accident or 18-wheeler wreck, give my law firm in Dallas a call at 817-294-1900.We can set up a free meeting to go over the events of your accident and talk about your legal options.

As a Tarrant County personal injury attorney I often speculate that passengers in a bus or train are far more vulnerable in the event of an accident as they have no control over the vehicle and are powerless to avoid any hazard. Their life is entirely in the hands of the driver. Such a situation would be bad enough – but imagine if you were handcuffed at the same time?

That’s exactly what happened to a truckload of paroled inmates from Mineral Wells minimum-security prison as they were traveling along I30 in Fort Worth yesterday. The van they were riding in blew a tire, causing it to roll over and land on its side. Fortunately, passersby took quick and decisive action and rescued the driver, the guard and the parolees from the wreckage. The driver and two of the passengers were treated for minor injuries, but all others are reportedly okay.

I’d like to salute the good Samaritans who stepped in to help out, and I wish those injured speedy recovery from their injuries. From the report it seems this accident could have been much worse than it actually was, and for that we should all be thankful.

Mark Anderson is a board certified Texas traffic collision lawyer and author of the book 15 Mistakes That Could Wreck Your Texas Accident Case. If you or a loved one have been hurt in a car crash which was not your fault, call now for a free, no obligation consultation on your case. Toll free 800-354-6275. Fort Worth 817-294-1900.

Slow your speed or get a ticket is what Grapevine Police are warning drivers along the DFW Connector between sections of Highways 114 and 121.

The speed limit has decreased from 60 mph to 50 mph as parts of the DFW Connector are under construction. Police are in full force to give speeding tickets to anyone going over the legal limit. They said the reason for the decrease in speed is because too many accidents have been caused in the area by distracted drivers.

I know from my experience as a Fort Worth personal injury lawyer that it doesn’t take much to cause a car accident and speeding, especially in a construction zone can do just that.

It’s tempting to speed on Texas Highways especially during rush hour when everybody else is speeding too. But, for the safety of yourself, other drivers and your pocket book – ease up on the pedal and follow the posted speed limits.

Call the Anderson Law Firm if you were hit by a distracted or speeding driver. You might be able to pursue an insurance claim for lost wages, medical expenses and the pain and suffering caused by preventable collisions. To set up your free consultation, just by call us at 817-294-1900.

Yesterday was an unusually cold and rainy day here in DFW. About the only thing worse than the weather were the roads! It took me a while just to get to work at my personal injury law firm in Fort Worth just because of all the delays from car accidents.

According to police in Tarrant County, hundreds of car wrecks were reported yesterday. On Monday, 166 car accidents had been reported to Fort Worth police from midnight until 3:30 p.m. In Arlington, 32 major accidents were called in and there were 25 minor fender benders reported.

Unfortunately, not all of the auto accidents yesterday and Sunday were minor. One person was killed and five people were seriously injured when a Dodge truck carrying nine passengers hit standing water and spun out of control at I 30 and Rosedale Street in Fort Worth.

The 17-year-old driver has been charged with intoxication manslaughter.

Car accidents are avoidable in the rain if you just take precautions. The casualty in this accident probably could have been avoided if it wasn’t a drunk driver behind the wheel! Also, nine people in one pickup truck seems like way too many to me. Were they all wearing seatbelts? Another way they could’ve avoided injuries.

Nobody likes to drive in the rain and it’s true; rain does cause some car accidents. But if drivers in Fort Worth and Dallas would just go back to the basic rules of driving (don’t speed, drive defensively, put down the cell phone) I think the number of car accidents on rainy days could definitely decrease.

If you were in a car accident because of someone’s negligence on a rainy day, you should give my accident and injury law firm a call at 817-294-1900. Just because it was rainy doesn’t mean you can’t pursue a claim against the other driver for hitting you. Set up your free consultation today.

The AAA recently announced a couple of shocking statistics about drunk driving: Firstly, nearly 11,000 people were killed in the US last year as a result of drunk drivers – that’s almost one third of the total of traffic accident fatalities; Secondly, 1 in 10 drivers surveyed admitted getting behind the wheel when they either knew or suspected they were over the legal limit. As a Watauga personal injury lawyer, these revelations aren’t really shocking. I know that drinking and driving accidents are extremely dangerous. Texans at large seem aware of the problem, but yet people continue to get in the driver’s seat after drinking, and inevitably get in a wreck.

You might have heard about the sentencing of Christopher Elton Campbell in Fort Worth last week. He pleaded guilty to intoxication manslaughter related to a car crash he caused in August 2009, killing Renee Danielle Horton. I did not represent Ms. Horton’s family, but am familiar with the case as I represented her fiancé who was seriously injured in the wreck as well. It was an absolutely horrible wreck.

As part of the plea bargain, approved by Horton’s family, Campbell must wear a bracelet with Horton’s name on it as a constant reminder of the death he caused. He must also spend every Christmas, Thanksgiving, Fourth of July for the next ten years in the Tarrant County Jail – in addition to the anniversary dates of both Horton’s birth and death. This is all in addition to spending the next 30 days in prison and refraining from drinking alcohol. As part of the 10 years’ probation, he is also required to wear an alcohol-detecting ankle monitor and have a Breathalyzer installed in his vehicle.

Certainly, Mr. Campbell will not forget the grief he has caused by his reckless activities almost two years ago. My hope is that this sentencing causes us all to stop and think. Someone lost their life because of this drunk driver. Put yourself in the shoes of Horton’s family – her mother has lost a daughter. My client lost his finance. Now put yourself in the shoes of Campbell – imagine the guilt, imagine having to spend the next ten Christmases away from your own family, explaining to your kids why Daddy can’t be there to open gifts around the tree Christmas morning… Drunk driving ruins many, many lives every single year. It is never worth it. Ever.

Mark Anderson is a board certified auto wreck and wrongful death attorney who has helped the victims of traffic collision accidents across the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex for 20 years. If you or a loved one have been hurt due to the actions of another driver, call Mark for a free consultation on 800-354-MARK (6275).