Dallas Fort Worth Car Accident Lawyer Blog

As a Fort Worth personal injury lawyer who has handled a lot of car accident cases, I’m generally nervous whenever now technology is introduced into passenger vehicles as it usually seems that it will only increase the very real problem of distracted driving on our roads.

Yesterday, Google’s self-driving car became the first ever car to receive a license to drive on US roads. The modified Toyota Prius is an autonomous vehicle which depends on a combination of technologies including GPS and artificial intelligence which effectively allows blind people to sit in the driver’s seat as the car does the driving for them.

Needless to say, I have mixed thoughts about this… I can certainly see the potential of this technology. I’m sure that as it advances, it might well become widespread and there is a possibility that it could actually cut down on auto collisions as AI-operated vehicles takes human error out of the equation.

On the other hand, will this computer-based technology make motorists even more complacent that they already are. If people believe they are safe to read or watch movies on an iPad while behind the wheel, will they completely neglect to watch out for potential hazards on the roadways around them?

It will be interesting to see how this emerging technology affects the driving experience in the future, but for now I think it’s wise to remain optimistically cautious at best. Check out this video of Google’s self-driven car below:

Until this technology does indeed become the norm, most car wrecks are going to be the result of driver negligence to some degree. If you or someone you love has been hurt in a Texas traffic crash which was not your fault, please call the Dallas-Fort Worth personal injury and wrongful death attorneys at the Anderson Law Firm for a free, no obligation consultation on your case. Call toll free at 800-354-6275 or locally at 817-294-1900.

As a Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, I know that texting while driving is incredibly dangerous. Yet people do it every day – creating a hazard for all other road users as well as putting their own lives in danger.

It is impossible to write and send a text message while behind the wheel of a car. It requires you to take your eyes of the road and at least one hand off the wheel. You’re not thinking about potential hazards up ahead and so you miss the car in front slowing down or the child who runs into the street to collect his soccer ball. Distracted driving is a very real problem.

To drive home just how dangerous texting while driving is, check out this video created by Responsible Young Drivers which seeks to prove to people that texting while driving is incredibly dangerous – by making people text while drive. Of course, it’s worth noting that although this video shows novice drivers, it doesn’t matter how experienced a motorist you might be: texting while driving kills.

Here in North Texas, we have a number of universities including TCU, UNT, UTA and SMU. A lot of times students allow their friends to borrow their cars for various reasons; maybe their roommate wants to drive to the grocery store while the owner of the vehicle has classes, or perhaps the owner of the vehicle is going to be out of town for the weekend and figures that their friend might as well make use of their car while they’re away. It happens all the time, and it’s not just college students who routinely allow other people to drive their vehicle.

However, as a Dallas-Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, I think it’s important that owners of cars, trucks and motorcycle realize the potential danger they are putting themselves in. If the person driving your vehicle gets into a wreck, it is you who could be held legally and financially responsible for any property damage or bodily injuries which occur.

If a motor vehicle owner gives permission to an unlicensed, incompetent or reckless driver to use their vehicle, then an accident victim could make a negligent entrustment claim against you and your insurance policy either instead of or in addition to the actual driver’s insurance policy.

Negligent entrustment law is not just restricted to cars and pickup trucks either; such claims have also been brought against the owners of boats, ATVs and even golf carts who unwisely made the decision to loan their vehicles to people they really shouldn’t have.

Think before you hand over the keys. You don’t want to be held responsible for someone else’s negligence on the road.

Women drivers have long been a target of sexist comedians, but they may actually have a legitimate gripe according to the AAA Foundation for Safety. A recent study focusing on the driving habits of newly licensed, unsupervised drivers has found an alarming discrepancy between the sexes when it comes to distracted driving. According to AAA, girls are twice as likely as boys to take their attention off the road to use their cellphone or engage in other distracting activities.

As a Dallas-Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, I understand better than anyone the very real danger that distracted driver pose both to themselves and to the safety of all other road users. According to the NHTSA, distracted driving played a central role in more than 3,000 traffic fatalities last year.

Within the past year, the subject has become a political hot potato, both locally and on a national level. Last year, the Texas senate approved legislation which would restrict cell phone use by motorists, only for Governor Rick Perry to veto it at the last moment. That didn’t stop Arlington city council for stepping up with their own city-wide ban on sending and receiving text messages while driving. Earlier this week, Chapell Hill in North Carolina became the first city in America to introduce a complete ban on using cell phones while in the driver’s seat.

Cellphone use is far from the only cause of distracted driving of course. The AAA study also highlighted such distractions as adjusting controls, personal grooming and eating and drinking. In North Texas, I know other common forms of distracted driving also include smoking, riding with a loose animal and even reading.

If you have been injured in a car wreck caused by a distracted driver, it’s a good idea to speak with a Fort Worth personal injury attorney as soon as possible. For a free, no obligation consultation, call me today at 817-294-1900.

On Monday, the town of Chapell Hill in North Carolina became the first city in America to introduce a complete ban on cell phone use by drivers – including hands free cell phones. As a Dallas-Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, I applaud Chapell Hill’s city council members for making this brave decision, and I am sure that many other cities across America will be eagerly watching the positive impact this ban will have on public safety in the city once the new law goes into effect on June 1 this year.

Distracted driving is a major problem here in North Texas, and it is an issue which demands greater regulation in order to keep our roads safe. Although distracted drivers pose the greatest threat to themselves (a large proportion of distracted driving fatalities are single vehicle accidents), people who text from behind the wheel are also a very real danger to all other road users. Travelling at 55 miles per hour, a driver will travel the length of a football field in the amount of time it takes to read a standard text message. Within that distance there are any number of potential hazards they might miss: the car in front of them stopping, a traffic light turning red, a child running out into the road.

Unfortunately, despite the clear and obvious danger distracted drivers pose to all North Texas road users, Arlington remains the only city to have an outright ban on sending and receiving text messages while in the driving seat, and even that law still allows for people to have phone conversations while driving. I hope that the Chapell Hill law proves once and for all that bans of distracted driving can work and are for the greater good. Hopefully then other cities in DFW take notice and greater restrictions on cell phone use while driving will come into force.

Remember that even though using a cellphone while driving is not currently illegal in Texas (other than in school zones) it is still regarded as negligence on peace officers crash scene reports. If you or someone you love was injured in a multi-vehicle wreck caused by a distracted driver, it is important that you speak to a board certified personal injury lawyer regarding your case as you may be entitled to compensation.

Today is Brain Injury Awareness Day. As a Dallas-Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, I know that traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are both one of the most significant and yet one of the most common injuries sustained by someone in a DFW traffic wreck, whether they were driving a car or pickup truck, or riding a motorcycle of pushbike. However, all too often, accident victims do not seek out the medical treatment necessary to determine whether or not they have sustained a brain injury. Mild brain injuries, for example, involve no loss of consciousness. If you have been in a multi-vehicle collision, seeking a thorough medical assessment of your wellbeing is always a must.

The Brain Injury Association of Texas estimates that there are more than 144,000 people who suffer a traumatic brain injury each year. Of that figure, 5,700 Texans are permanently disabled as a result of their head injury, which can mean a huge financial and personal cost for their family. Seeking financial compensation with the aid of a board certified personal injury lawyer, it often the only way to afford the expensive medical care necessary. Currently, it is estimated that roughly 2 percent of the Texas population (approximately 440,000 individuals) are living with a disability caused by a traumatic brain injury.

In addition to raising awareness of the huge danger that traumatic brain injuries pose, I think it is also important that today we recognize those individuals who sustained a terrible injury but who fought to overcome it. Brain injury survivors have overcome many arduous difficulties in order to be treated as equals. They have enormous human spirit and should not be pitied.

Unfortunately, the cost for medical care and rehabilitation therapy necessary to treat traumatic brain injury victims is prohibitively expensive. If you or someone you love has suffered a head injury in any kind of accident, you should first get yourself examined by a doctor, followed by consulting with an experienced personal injury attorney who can inform you of your legal rights and your right to compensation.

To schedule a free, no obligation consultation with a Texas board certified personal injury and wrongful death lawyer, please call toll free at 800-354-6275 or locally in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900.

As a Dallas-Fort Worth personal injury and wrongful death attorney, I know that despite teenage drivers making up just seven percent of all Texas motorists, they are actually responsible for 20 percent of all fatal auto accidents. One of the leading causes of car crashes caused by teen drivers is distracted driving. Many times, this is because of the negligent driver using their cellphone while behind the wheel to either call, text, update their Facebook or Twitter status, or even to surf the web. Cellphone use is never a good idea when you’re driving as it takes your attention away from the road ahead, severely impairing your ability to notice and react to potential hazards such as red lights or the car in front slowing down. Distracted driving is a leading cause of single-car wrecks among teenage drivers.

In addition to the dangers of texting while driving, Triple A reports that other teenage passengers in the vehicle also significantly increase a teenage driver’s likelihood of being involved in a traffic collision. According to AAA, a teenage driver with one peer in the car faces double the risk of crashing than if they were driving alone. With two teenage passengers in their car, a teenage driver is five time more likely to cause a wreck.

Distractions come in all shapes and sizes. If your teenage son or daughter has qualified to drive unsupervised by an adult, it is important they are aware of the many different risks which could jeopardize their safety. These include cellphone use, applying makeup, eating and drinking, talking with passengers, and tuning the radio. Since intermediate drivers are still regarded as on probation, it is important that their attention is always fully on the road ahead to ensure that they arrive at their destination safely. If they do choose to accept passengers, then it is their responsibility to make sure that they do not put them in danger of suffering any injuries.

If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of the negligent actions of a teenage driver, you may be entitled to compensation. Call the Anderson Law Firm for a free, no obligation consultation on your case. Call toll free at 800-354-6275 or locally at 817-294-1900.

Despite the fact that it is widely known that seatbelts save lives, many car drivers and passengers in North Texas still choose not to wear them. As a Dallas-Fort Worth personal injury and wrongful death lawyer, I urge you: please buckle up every single time. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that seatbelt use could double your chance of surviving a catastrophic wreck and half your overall medical bills.

Seat belt use can also help reduce the impact of whiplash injuries, which are perhaps the most common form of auto crash injuries suffered in DFW wrecks. Whiplash injuries occur most frequently in rear-end collisions as a sudden impact at the back of the vehicle can cause the victim’s head to violently move back and forth in relation to their body, resulting in an injury to the vertebrae of the back and neck, resulting in muscle and ligament damage.

If you or someone you love has suffered whiplash or any other injuries as a result of a DFW traffic accident where someone else was at fault, please call the Anderson Law Firm for a no fee, no obligation consultation on your legal rights. You may be entitled to compensation.

Call us in Dallas at 214-327-800 or in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900. We are always available to help you.

As a Fort Worth personal injury attorney, I know that drivers and passengers should take every precaution in order to stay safe when on DFW. Catastrophic wrecks happen all the time, and even if you are a cautious motorist, it doesn’t mean that every driver around you is. There are plenty of hazards out there on North Texas roads such as drivers texting behind the wheel, sleepy truckers who’ve been driving all night, and drunk drivers on the way home from a bar.

One of the simplest things you can do to protect yourself each time you get into a vehicle is to make sure that you’re wearing your seatbelt. According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), seat belts saved an estimated 1,425 lives in 2010. That’s a significant number, especially considering that there were a total of 3,023 traffic fatalities throughout Texas that same year.

TxDOT is currently running a campaign aimed at educating drivers and passengers – specifically teenagers – as to why it is so important that you always wear your seatbelt. "A few seconds – that's all it takes to buckle up. In that same amount of time, you can lose your life in an accident because you weren't wearing your seat belt," said Carol T. Rawson, TxDOT's Traffic Operations Division director. "TxDOT is committed to educating teens about the deadly effects of not wearing a seat belt, and this campaign says to every teen: ‘If you love your life, buckle up.'"

Of course, even if you are wearing your seatbelt, you might still suffer serious bodily injuries at the hands of a negligent driver. If you or someone you love has been hurt in a crash which was not your fault, call the Anderson Law Firm today for a free consultation. Call toll free at 800-354-6275 or locally at 817-294-1900.

It is a well-known fact that smoking is bad for your health as well as those around you, but as a Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, I know that the potential danger is far more immediate whenever someone decides to light up behind the wheel.

A report published by the National Institute of Health pointed out a number of hazards caused by smoking while driving such as the cigarette reducing the amount of oxygen within the vehicle while at the same time increasing the carbon monoxide (lessening the brain’s ability to function) and that used cigarettes tossed out of car windows are a leading cause of roadside grass fires – a topic particularly sensitive to Texans given the catastrophic wildfire which ravages Bastrop and Possum Kingdom Lake last year. Most significantly, however, is the study’s findings that motorists who light and smoke a cigarette while driving are even more distracted than those who use a cellphone. On average, drivers who participated in the study traveled an average of 525 feet over 12.0 seconds without looking at the road when smoking, compared to an average of 492 feet over 10.6 seconds when using a cellphone.

Smoking while driving is an extremely hazardous hazard – it’s dangerous to you, your passengers and any other road users. Don’t believe me? Check out this video clip from the movie The Big Lebowski. The Dude is exhibiting several dangerous driving habits in this clip, but it’s the smoking while driving which causes him to crash:

If you or someone you love has been injured in a Texas car wreck caused by a negligent driver, call the Dallas-Fort Worth personal injury and wrongful death lawyers at the Anderson Law Firm for a no fee, no obligation consultation on your situation. Call toll free at 800-354-6275 or locally at 817-294-1900.

As a Fort Worth personal injury attorney, I know that the cars of today are simply amazing. Some of them have cameras that can tell you when you’re about to hit something, warning lights when there is a car in your blind spot and, of course, GPS and telematics systems, like On Star. The modern car has computers scattered throughout it that control the vehicles engine, windows, transmissions and radio. These computers don’t have the ability to store data, but the airbag control module (ACM) in most modern cars does.

Inside the ACM is something called the event data recorder (EDR) and it has the ability to record driving conditions at the time of an airbag’s deployment. When an airbag is deployed in most modern cars, the EDR will be able to tell you the steering wheel position, engine throttle, seatbelt usage, brake usage, change in velocity and warning light status. Event data recorders are already in some cars, but have recently been standardized by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and will be required in all new vehicles beginning in 2013.

What This Means to You
The goal of the required EDRs in vehicles is to make it easier to obtain data for crash investigations. As a personal injury attorney, I can use the data stored by the EDR to demonstrate driver behavior during an accident to prove negligence. To access the information, a technician can go through the OBD-II port using specialized equipment and get the data that is permanently stored by the EDR after an airbag deployment.

Who Has Access To This Information?
As of now, you do not have to surrender the EDR data to the police without probable cause, a warrant or a subpoena – the data is yours. Some insurance companies like Progressive and State Farm are giving their policy holders the opportunity to install tracking systems in their car's OBD-II port. The system records data on driver habits and in exchange, customers can potentially get lower insurance premiums. However, any data collected by these systems – including crash data – belongs to the insurance company.

With EDRs, knowing your rights is simply enough. If you’re involved in a wreck, the data stored inside it can give you an advantage in your car accident claim or case.

Although we only deal with personal injury and wrongful death claims at the Anderson Law Firm, over the years I have also learned a lot about how to successfully resolve property damage claims. Many of my clients' vehicles require significant repairs or are declared totaled by the insurance company, so I often help them handle the separate property damage claim, too.

Of course, if you've just been in a fender bender, it's unlikely that you've suffered serious enough injuries to hire an attorney, but you still have to deal with the insurance company in order to get your car repaired or replaced, depending on the extent of the damage. Since I have so much experience in handling these claims, I thought I'd write an easy-to-use guide which will take you
step-by-step through the claims process and explain your legal rights, how to make sure you gather the evidence to back up your claim and also what things like "diminished value" and "total loss" involve.

You can download a copy of this free guide through our website, or call 817-294-1900 and we'll mail you a copy.

Here’s a fact that very few Dallas-Fort Worth personal injury attorneys will share: you may not need a lawyer to help you with your claim for compensation against the at-fault driver’s insurance company. Depending on your personal situation, you might well be able to handle your claim without any legal help whatsoever. That’s clearly not always the case, of course, but it is certainly true in some circumstances. However, it would be incredibly foolish to go into battle against the insurance company without a good understanding of what the personal injury claims process involves.

To help arm accident victims with this vital knowledge, I have written a book titled 15 Mistakes Which Will Wreck Your Texas Accident Case to help you understand and avoid some of the more common mistakes which the insurance adjustor will trick you into making. You can order the book through Amazon if you wish, or you can request a complimentary copy by calling 817-294-1900.

You should also know that I offer completely free, no obligation consultations to DFW accident victims, so if you still have some questions after reading my book, please feel free to call me so we can discuss your personal situation. I’ll give you my honest appraisal of your case and let you know truthfully whether or not I thing you can handle your claim successfully by yourself.

I have also written a similar book specifically aimed at helping injured motorcyclists, called Roadmap to Winning Your Texas Motorcycle Accident Case, and another which deals with non-injury accident claims; Texas Property Damage Guide. You can order a free copy of either of these books by calling the Anderson Law Firm toll free at 800-354-6275.

As a Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, I know that the sooner you hire an attorney to get working on your car or truck wreck case, the better your chance of recovering the full and fair compensation you deserve from the negligent party’s insurance company. This is especially true in traffic accidents involving 18 wheeler trucks and other commercial vehicles. Most motor carrier companies have crash scene investigators on retainer in towns throughout Texas, so that if one of their truckers ever causes a wreck, they can have their own people on the ground almost immediately, pointing out things the police might have missed to try and reduce the impression that it was their driver who was completely at fault.

Another worrying trend I’ve noticed as a Fort Worth personal injury attorney is that when an accident victim is still recovering in hospital, a representative from the liable insurance company will arrive unannounced and attempt to get you to provide a statement and sign some paperwork. They might even offer to cut you a check right then and there for “your inconvenience.” This is particularly common in cases where they know you are due a large settlement because of expensive medical bills. Please understand that you have absolutely no obligation to give the insurance adjuster a recorded statement or to provide them with access to your medical records. Definitely don’t sign anything or accept the money they’re offering – if you do, you’re effectively waiving your rights to any further compensation. That is a huge mistake.

Since time is often of the essence in successfully resolving a personal injury or wrongful death claim, my law firm offers a free service to all accident victims in the Fort Worth area: if you have been hurt in a car wreck, we will get your police report for you. You don’t have to pay any of the fees, and you don’t have to go down to FWPD. We’ll take care of it on your behalf. To request this complimentary service or to schedule a no obligation consultation with a lawyer, please call me toll free at 800-354-6275 or locally at 817-294-1900.

As a Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, I am acutely aware of the dangers posed by distracted drivers. While the rise of cellphones and smart phones in particular has seen an increase in the number of people talking and texting while behind the wheel, the fact is that distracted driving has been a big problem for a long time. As the cars we drive have gotten bigger and bigger over the past couple of decades, drivers have become accustomed to treating their vehicle like their living room. The seats are big and comfortable; there are plenty of cup holders available; good quality audio systems, etc… Unfortunately, all this extra comfort allows the person in the driver’s seat to forget that they should be concentrating on the task in hand: focusing on the road ahead and avoiding a crash with another motorist or pedestrian.

Now it seems that auto manufacturers are trying to make the problem even worse. Ford, Mercedes Benz and other car makers have either already launched or are gearing up to launch a range of in-car accessories which allow people to send tweets, interact with friends on Facebook and even surf the web – while driving. Even though many of these systems allow steering wheel controls or voice-automated controls, they still pose a very serious threat to public safety. Use of these devices compromises the operator’s visual, auditory and cognitive functions at a minimum – meaning a very real threat to the safety of anyone else who is unfortunate enough to sharing the road with them.

Sadly, while road safety advocated such as myself might complain about the new hazards caused by this new technology, it does to be inevitability. I expect over the coming years, I’ll be seeing far more distracted driving accident cases as a Fort Worth personal injury attorney. We should not become complacent about this rise in such accidents. We must all take responsibility for our own safety, as well as that of our passengers and of other road users. Just because this technology is available, does not mean that you should use it. Please, keep your attention on the road. The life you save could be your own.

If you’ve been injured in a car crash caused by an uninsured motorist, you might be worried that you have no options. Faced with mounting medical expenses not to mention forced time off work, the whole situation can see extremely daunting. How are you going to pay off all this debt? If the collision wasn’t even your fault it can seem incredibly frustrating and unfair. Fortunately, you might have more options than you realize.

As a Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, I know that injury victims who have been in a wreck caused by either a hit and run driver or an uninsured motorist may still be able to recover compensation which can help pay off their accident-related debts. To help you understand the key issues you need to be aware of, I’ve assembled the most important information here: Uninsured Motorist Accidents 101.

Of course, every situation is different, so it is always worth speaking directly with an experienced Fort Worth attorney who will be able to explain your legal rights and options as they relate to your personal situation. For a free, no obligation consultation on your case, please call the Anderson Law Firm toll free at 800-354-6275 or locally at 817-294-1900.

Texting, eating, applying makeup or shaving, disciplining kids, and reading are all average everyday activities for most Texans living in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Doing any of them while you’re driving, however, and you’re putting multiple lives at risk: your own, your passengers, and every other person who is unfortunate enough to be on the road near you at that time.

As a DFW personal injury lawyer, I know just how serious a problem distracted driving is in all its forms. The amount of property damage and bodily injuries which can be caused in a multi-vehicle wreck caused by a distracted driver can be catastrophic. If you or someone you love has been injured in such an accident, it is critical that you are aware of your legal rights. Texas law gives distracted driver crash victims the legal right to make an insurance claim to pay for your medical bills, loss of income and other costs associated with the collision. This even applies if you were a passenger in a car being driven by a negligent driver.

In order to help victims such as yourself understand the key information you need to know, I have put together a resource called Distracted Driving 101. It highlights the main issues you need to know and will hopefully answer a lot of the questions you have at this stage. It is no replacement for personalized legal service, however, and I strongly encourage you to call an attorney to discuss your cases one-on-one as soon as possible.

To speak to a board certified personal injury attorney immediately, please call the Anderson Law Firm toll free at 800-354-2675 or call locally in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900.

If you’ve been involved in a serious car wreck, it’s normal for you to have a lot of questions. How can you get your car repaired? Do I need to hire a lawyer? What insurance companies do I need to deal with? What are my legal rights and obligations?

As a Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, I have been helping accident victims throughout the DFW metroplex for 21 years, so I have a lot of knowledge when it comes to dealing with the aftermath of a multi-vehicle collision. You might not need an attorney to help you with your situation, although if you have medical bills totaling more than $5,000 I would certainly recommend that you call me for a free, no obligation consultation.

Regardless of whether or not you are seriously hurt, you could certainly benefit from some useful information. To help you out, I have compiled some of the key things you need to know if you have been involved in a crash which wasn’t your fault. I've called it "Car Accidents 101." I hope that it helps.

If you need to speak to an attorney, please call the Anderson Law Firm toll free at 800-354-6275 or call locally in Ft. Worth at 817-294-1900.

An 18 wheeler truck crash shut down all westbound lanes of I-30 in Garland this morning after it overturned blocking the roadway. The accident happened at 3:30 am near the Zion Road exit, but it was more than three hours later before emergency responders were able to upright the big rig and reopen the highway to traffic. The wreck is believed to have an issue of negligence on behalf of the truck driver. Authorities reported that it appears the semi drifted across lanes of the interstate, eventually colliding with the guardrail which resulting in the truck flipping on to its side.

Fortunately, there have been no reports of injuries sustained in this accident and it does not appear that any cars or other vehicles were involved in the collision. As a DFW personal injury lawyer, I know that large truck wreck typically involve massive property damage and severe bodily injuries, so we should all be thankful that this morning’s crash in Garland merely inconvenienced commuters.

Trucker negligence is a very serious matter, particularly when you consider that truck operators are professionals. I understand that they are often hard workers under a lot of stress to meet time and distance deadlines, but there is never any excuse for jeopardizing the safety of other road users. To illustrate just how serious this problem is, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently revealed that the number of fatalities caused by truck drivers getting behind the wheel drunk increased by 13 percent in 2010 and that the number of injuries caused by tractor trailer accidents rose by 12 percent overall.

If you or someone you loved has been injured in a multi-vehicle accident involving a commercial truck, it is important that you speak with an attorney to make sure you are fully informed of your legal rights. You may be entitled to significant compensation. To talk to a local lawyer today, please call toll free at 800-354-6275 or Dallas 214-327-8000.

Yesterday, Arlington Police Department announced that just four people have been cited for texting while driving since the city’s introduced a ban last November to make the hazardous habit illegal. As a Tarrant County personal injury lawyer, I expect that there are countless other motorists who have similarly broken the law without being caught. Arlington PD need to step up their enforcement of this ban in order to make people realize just how dangerous distracted driving really is.

Also yesterday, Facebook announced that 2013 Mercedes-Benz vehicles will come preloaded with an app for the popular social media site. According to their press release the app will be accessible form the car’s dashboard color screen and will be GPS-enabled to allow drivers to find nearby attractions and friends. As if there weren’t enough distractions for motorists already! This is just too much. When you’re sitting in the driver’s seat, your entire focus should be on operating your vehicle safely. If you’re using Facebook or any other app, that means you are taking your attention off the road ahead and are seriously jeopardizing the safety of everyone else who is driving around you.

I’ve been a personal injury and wrongful death attorney for over 20 years now. I’ve seen firsthand the incredibly serious car wrecks which have been caused by people who talk or text behind from the wheel. Unfortunately, it seems that when it comes to society at large realizing just how fatal distracted driving can be, it’s a matter of one step forward, two steps back.

Since it’s a new year, I’d like to ask you all who haven’t already to sign the pledge that you will not text while driving in 2012 or ever again. Help me spread the word and I’ll help you keep this resolution by sending you a bracelet to wear so you can constantly be reminded of the promise you made. By giving up texting while driving you could well save someone’s life – it could be your own.

Take the pledge here.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a traffic crash caused by a distracted driver or any negligent motorist, call the Anderson Law Firm for a no fee, no obligation consultation on your case. Call toll free at 800-354-6275 or locally in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900.

As a Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, I know that some of the most serious auto accidents in DFW actually occur in parking lots. The reason is for this is because parking lot collisions aren’t necessarily multi-vehicle crashes, but more often car-versus-pedestrian wrecks. Pedestrians, of course, don’t have any form of protection, so when they’re hit by a sedan or SUV even at very low speeds, they are inevitably going to suffer extremely severe injuries.

Yesterday morning, a bizarre parking lot wreck occurred in Wellesley, Massachusetts. An unnamed driver was pulling into his parking space outside his workplace when he accidently pressed down on the gas pedal instead of the brake. The sudden acceleration launches his car over the curb and into an adjacent parking structure – landing on top of another vehicle. Check out this video of emergency responders examining the aftermath of this wreck:



Wellesley Police cited the at-fault motorist for failure to use care when stopping. Fortunately, the other vehicle was already unoccupied and the negligent driver was not injured in the most unusual crash, however there will still be a property damage claim against the insurance company of the driver responsible for this wreck.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a Texas traffic accident which was not your fault, it is important that you consult with a board certified personal injury or wrongful death attorney to make sure that your legal rights are protected. Failure to recover the full and fair compensation you deserve, could have disastrous financial consequences for you in the future.

To speak to a lawyer today, please call the Anderson Law Firm toll free at 800-354-6275 or locally in Ft. Worth at 817-294-1900.

As a DFW personal injury lawyer, I have been helping accident victims pick up the pieces and get their lives back together since 1991. I am well aware that the aftermath of being seriously hurt in an auto accident does not just mean suffering physical and mental scars but also having to deal with a number of financial concerns often involving expensive medical bills at a time when you’re incapable of returning to work and thus losing out on your usual wages.

Even if you haven’t been injured, you still have the headache of dealing with making a property damage claim against the negligent driver’s insurance company. To make matters worse, you might even receive a bill in the mail from the local fire department who responded to your wreck. As a North Texas attorney, I’ve seen these first responders service charge bills become increasingly common throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. However, if you were not the at-fault motorist whose negligent caused the crash in question, then it is not your responsibility to pay.

In order to stop getting bills, however, it's always worth notifying both the person who sent the bill and the person responsible for paying it (the at-fault party’s insurance company). I suggest writing a letter to both of them explaining the situation as soon as possible.

For more helpful tips on dealing with unexpected tasks following an auto collision, you might be interested in a free copy of my book 15 Mistakes That Will Wreck Your Texas Accident Case. To request your complimentary copy, please call my office in Ft. Worth at 817-294-1900.

As a DFW personal injury lawyer, I have helped the victims of car, motorcycle and truck collisions throughout Dallas-Fort Worth and the North Texas region since 1991. In that time, I’ve seen some utterly terrible accidents which have caused hundreds of thousands in property damage and medical costs for those drivers and passengers who have suffered terrible bodily injuries. The financial cost of being hurt in a traffic crash means it is critical that you consult with a board certified PI and wrongful death attorney to make sure you are fully aware of your legal right to compensation before it is too late.

Some of the worst car crash injuries are the result of side-impact collisions. These accidents frequently occur at intersections when one driver (often drunk or on a cellphone) ignores a red light or stop sign and plows straight into the side of another vehicle who actually had the right of way.

The reason that such accidents cause such severe injuries or even death is because cars are simply not engineered to absorb side-impact crashes to the same extent that they can absorb head-on or rear-end collisions. Even if you have a SUV or other large vehicle, there is still a risk of suffering awful injuries as SUV are extremely prone to rollover in broadside wrecks. According to the NHTSA, accidents resulting in a vehicle rollover are at increased risk of resulting in a fatality.

If you or someone you love has been hurt in a side-impact crash or any other traffic accident, it is important that you are fully informed of your legal rights and obligations. Too many accident victims make critical mistakes before they understand the law, which is why I wrote my book 15 Mistakes That Will Wreck Your Texas Accident Case to help the public understand their rights. To order your free copy, please call me toll free at 800-354-MARK (6275).

Have you noticed a change while driving around in Arlington? I can’t say I have, but we should all know that the ban on texting and driving in Agg town went into effect last Friday, November 25. Back in September, the Arlington City Council adopted the ban on texting and driving to prevent distracted driving related accidents in Arlington. Now, it is a Class C misdemeanor for drivers to use their cell phones for anything other than calling in Arlington. Drivers messing with their cell phones for an extended period of time could be pulled over if caught and potentially fined $200.

Signs around Arlington tell drivers: "Don't Text and Drive. In Arlington, it's the law."

As a personal injury attorney in DFW, I’m extremely pleased to see the progress the city of Arlington has made to keep our streets safe. I know that many people oppose bans on texting and driving because it’s too hard to tell if someone is texting and because they see it as an over-reach of government. If you’re one of these people, I invite you to talk to any one of my clients who have been seriously injured by someone who was texting and driving.

Texting and driving is an epidemic in our country. It’s common sense not to be on your phone while you drive, but everybody still does it. Probably the best thing about this law is that it gets people talking and thinking about their safety behind the wheel. Laws like this are worth it, even if it saves just one person from having a distracted driving related car wreck.

Nodding off behind the wheel can be one of the most unnerving things you'll ever experience, but it happens more than you might think.

Here at the Anderson Law Firm we won't judge you if you over-indulge this holiday season. After all, aside from counting our blessings and spending time with loved ones, Thanksgiving is all about eating and drinking far too much! But getting behind the wheel of your car afterward could be a fatal mistake. We all know that you should never drive after you've been drinking alcohol, but if you're as stuffed as a turkey, chances are you'll be feeling sleepy which has its own hazards.

Falling asleep while driving is a very real hazard, particularly after a huge Thanksgiving meal. I know firsthand just how serious an accident caused by a sleepy driver can be - many of the commerical truck wrecks I've handled over the years are the result of overworked drivers trying to operate on far too little rest. Even with Federal restrictions in place to avoid such disasters, many 18 wheeler drivers are forced to brake the rules by their greedy employers who value profits over people.

But of course tired truckers aren't the only motorists who could cause a terrible traffic collision if they fall asleep at the wheel. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) says that every year approximately 100,000 car crashes are the result of drowsy drivers.

So if you know that you're going to have to drive home after your Thanksgiving dinner, please make sure that you plan ahead.

Obviously you need to stay away from any alcoholic beverages. Ideally, allow plenty of time to digest your meal before heading off. If you're able to take a nap before you have to drive, then that's even better. Having a coffee or other high-caffiene drink can temporarily relieve any drowsiness, but this is just a short term fix.

Remember that if you are involved in a wreck which has been caused by a tired driver, you have legal rights just as with any other auto wreck or other kind of accident. If ever you need us, we're here to help you.

If you have been unlucky enough to be involved in a Dallas-Fort Worth car wreck – even just a minor fender bender – then you will learn firsthand just how stressful the post-crash experience can be. Even if you’re not seriously injured, you still have the headache of dealing with a property damage claim and other issues which arise because of your collision. It may well be that later in the day after your accident occurred, you start experiencing some muscle aches or other pain. As a personal injury lawyer, I know that not all injuries are immediately apparent after a car crash, but that it is important that you visit a doctor and get yourself checked out anyway – ideally, the same day if possible.

However, it might be that your doctor will refuse to see you if you tell them that you were potentially hurt in an accident. Yes, it does happen; primary care physicians decline to help accident injury victims on a regular basis in North Texas.

Can they do this? Yes. Unless you require emergency medical treatment, your doctor has no legal obligation to help you. Why do they do it? They’re afraid that they won’t get paid. Even if you have health insurance, these doctors are afraid that the insurance company won’t pay them. It is silly that they think this, as they will get paid. I think these doctors are doing their clients a great disservice by mot treating their patients.

So what should you do?

Give me a call. Not only do I know of doctors throughout the DFW Metroplex who are experienced in treating car wreck victims, but I am able to offer them a letter of protection which assures them I will make sure that they get paid as soon as your case against the negligent motorist is settled. For a no obligation, no fee consultation on your situation today, give me a call toll free at 800-354-6275 or call locally at 817-294-1900.

If you have to deal with the nightmare traffic in and around DFW on a daily basis, then it might not surprise you to learn that a recent study has declared Texas motorists as the third worst drivers in the country. Only Louisiana and Missouri drivers are more dangerous than Texans, according to the study conducted by Car Insurance Companion.

One of the main reasons why Texan drivers are considered particularly dangerous is the frequent distracted driving habits of Texas drivers. “Inattentive driving, texting while driving [and] cell phone use” are all major factors, according to Jerry Johns of the Southwestern Insurance Information Service.

As a Dallas-Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, I have seen firsthand the devastating bodily injury that distracted drivers can cause. The problem is that while most of us understand why it’s so hazardous to use your cellphone or other electronic device while behind the wheel (or eat, or apply your makeup – or whatever), we continue to do it regardless. This is crazy. We know that we’re not just putting other people’s safety in jeopardy – we’re risking our own lives as well!

Distracted driving is dangerous. We all know that. Now we need to actually stop doing it.

I would like to invite you to take a pledge to promise that you will give up texting while driving. Just click this link, take the pledge, and I’ll mail you a free bracelet to wear to remind yourself of the promise you made.

Maybe if we all vow to stop using our cellphone while on the road, Texan drivers can move closer to the safer end of the list the next time around.

A multi-vehicle crash in England on Friday was so large that it has made international headlines. 34 cars and trucks were involved in the collision which killed seven and injured 51 others. The devastating accident is being blamed on a combination of factors including wet roads, excessive speed and poor visibility.

As a Dallas-Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, I know that the magnitude of this wreck cannot be underestimated. The section of road where the pile-up occurred has never been an accident black spot and it seems that it was simply a deadly combination of environmental factors which caused the crash to occur.

The accident took place short after dusk, so the roads were dark. Suddenly, a dark fog descended over the freeway reportedly reducing visibility to just 100 feet. Crash scene experts believe that some 18 wheeler drivers instinctively began to brake because of the potential hazard. Unfortunately, since the speed limit was 70 mph and the roads were slick with recent rain, many other vehicles behind the trucks were unable to slow in time, setting off a chain reaction of deadly crashes. Many of the semi-trailers and passenger cars burned literally to the ground.

This is an absolutely terrible accident and the pictures of the crash scene are utterly horrific. It should go without saying that my thoughts are with the families and loves ones of those who were killed or hurt in this massive tragedy.

At the same time, however, it is entirely possible that a similar wreck could happen in the DFW metroplex. Speeding is certainly a problem here too, and as the weather turns gradually colder and wetter, our roads are prone to similar conditions which are being attributed to causing the England wreck. Let’s all drive carefully out there. Keep your distance between the car in front of you and be particularly cautious of driving in bad weather or after dark.

Now that the cooler weather is upon us, the Dallas Cowboys are starting to play better and the Texas Rangers are in the World Series, tailgating is once again incredibly popular across in and around Arlington.

Unfortunately, another kind of tailgating – a much more dangerous kind – is also happening. Tailgating is the name given to the practice of driving dangerously close to another vehicle. As a Dallas-Fort Worth personal injury lawyer I’ve handled a number of cases where a car wreck was caused by a tailgater. Sometimes they are motorcyclists, sometimes they are 18 wheeler truck drivers – but they are all extremely serious.

As stressful and annoying as it is to find another car riding your tail, it’s important to remember not to respond angrily. Do not “brake check” them as you’re almost certainly going to cause a potentially fatal accident. Whether they are deliberately tailgating or not, the best course of action is to just try to get out of their way. Let them pass you and get out of your way. Get yourself out of danger.

If you have been in a collision caused by an aggressive driver, then it’s important that you hire a board certified personal injury attorney as soon as possible who can build a case against this dangerous driver to make sure their insurance company pays you the full and fair compensation you deserve to cover any medical expenses you’ve incurred as well as recover any property damage costs. To talk to a lawyer today call toll free at 800-354-6275 or locally at 817-294-1900.

Teen drivers are approximately 50 percent more likely to crash in the first month of driving than they are after a full year of experience driving on their own, according to a new study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Car accidents have long-time been one of the leading causes of teen deaths in America, but this new study found that three common mistakes - failure to reduce speed, , failure to yield and inattention– made up for 57 percent of all crashes where teens were partially responsible and within their first month of driving
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Researchers conducting the study found that specific types of accidents sometimes occurred at high rates at first for new drivers and declined particularly quickly with experience, like crashes involving left hand turns. In a related AAA Foundation study, in-vehicle cameras were used in cars with teens learning to drive with parents and then the first 6 months of licensed driving without parents in the car. The research found that teens drove much different than when their parents were in the car and the number of close-call car accidents went up significantly.

At my personal injury law firm in Fort Worth, we’ve represented so many teens that have been hurt in car wrecks and so many adults who have been injured by teen drivers. When letting your teen drive on their own, don’t push them right into the deep in. Give them increased driving freedom only when they’ve proved they can be a safe driver over a specific amount of time. Just putting extra attention into monitoring when, where and with who your teen driver is riding around with can significantly decrease their risk of a car wreck.

As a Dallas-Fort Worth auto wreck personal injury lawyer, I have long campaigned North Texas motorists to switch off their cellphone before getting behind the wheel of their car, truck or motorcycle. Distracted driving is a potentially fatal hazard. If you’re not paying attention to the road ahead – to driving safely – then you are risking your own life, the life of your passengers and anyone else who is unfortunate enough to be on the road near you at that time.

Think about how long it takes you to look down and read or send a text message. Now think about what potential danger you might miss or fail to notice in time: the 18 wheeler ahead of you breaking, for example; or a child running across the street. If you’re not paying attention, the results can be devastating. I know because I’ve helped the personal victims of people injured in such accidents, and the relatives of those who’ve lost someone to a distracted driving wrongful death collision too.

A new study by the Texas Transport Institute (TTI) has found that distracted driving is even more dangerous than previously thought. In fact, a distracted driver’s response time is double the reaction time of a focused, concentrated driver; taking up to five seconds longer. To put this in context, at 30 mph a vehicle will travel 220 feet in five seconds. At 60 mph, it will travel 440 feet. That means a huge risk for a major crash.

In 2009, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that 5,500 people were killed in wrecks attributed to a distracted driver. A further half a million were injured. Remember too, that a large proportion of distracted driving victims are actually the distracted drivers themselves.

If you or a loved one has been hurt in accident caused by a distracted driver, it’s important that you consult with an experienced trial attorney to make sure you are fully aware of your legal responsibilities and your right to compensation to cover any medical expenses or other costs which you have incurred following your run-in with the negligent driver. For a free, no obligation consultation, please call me toll free at 800-354-MARK (6275) or call locally at 817-294-1900.

Once upon a time a young lady (let’s call her Alison) got in a nasty car wreck. She was driving west on I-20, heading from her home in Arlington to work in downtown Fort Worth. At the same time a negligent driver (let’s call her Rachel) was speeding down the highway in the same direction. Aside from speeding, Rachel was attempting to demonstrate that gift of womanhood: the ability to multitask.

Now, ladies, please don’t take this the wrong way, but no matter how much girl power you possess, multitasking while driving is a bad idea. I don’t care whether you’re texting with friends, munching on a croissant or applying lip gloss. Don’t do it while you’re in control of a moving vehicle. Please.

Anyway, long story short; Rachel’s car drifted into Alison’s lane, sending them both spinning out of control across the road and earning them both the week off work to recover in hospital. While Alison was lying there in her hospital bed she got a visit from a man in a suit, who was doing his best act as a fairy godmother. He offered Alison a check for $5,000, no questions asked so she can could get her car repaired, move on with her life "put this whole mess behind you.”

What did Alison do? She took the money and ran. Unfortunately, she didn’t take into consideration the fact that it would cost $7,000 not $5,000 to fix her car. Let alone the fact that she had a huge hospital bill arriving in the mail a month later. Before she knew it, Alison was swimming in debt all thanks to Rachel’s reckless actions.

So Alison visited a local personal injury attorney, begging him to take on her case and get her the money she needed – the money she was entitled to under Texas law. The problem was, there was nothing that lawyer could do for her. There was nothing any lawyer could do for her. When Alison accepted the insurance adjuster’s measly offer, she forfeited her legal rights to make a claim for compensation. There was no fairy tale ending. Alison was forced borrow money from her parents and take out a loan which she’ll still be paying off several years from now. She was lucky to avoid bankruptcy.

The moral of the story is this: don’t fall for any easy resolution – especially when it’s offered to you on a silver plate from the negligent driver’s insurance company. Don’t rush to make a settlement. And don’t sign anything until you’ve consulted with a lawyer first. Alison’s story is a work of fiction, but there are hundreds of real life versions every year. As a Tarrant County personal injury lawyer, explaining to these victims that they’ve wrecked their own claim is the toughest part of my job. If you’re ever in an auto accident, don’t do anything until you hire a lawyer to protect your interests.

It comes to no surprise to my employees at the Anderson Law Firm and anyone else who works in the Metroplex that DFW has the fifth worst traffic congestion in the United States, just look at the roads every morning! In terms of fuel waste and time lost by commuters, North Texas has the fifth worst traffic congestion in the country as calculated by the 2011 Urban Mobility Report.

What makes traffic in DFW so annoying is that it’s not just during rush hour anymore – it feels like it’s all the time! If you drive north on Interstate 35 around Western Center Blvd there is always some delay. In fact, this new study noted that 40 percent of all traffic congestion happens during midday and at night.

We all know that traffic increases road rage and the possibility of a car accident. It’s a no brainer – people are agitated, their running late and they forget to pay attention or they make sudden movements that hurt others around them. Just remember, the next time you’re in traffic in DFW to stay calm and avoid making the mistakes that could cause you to wreck. It will only hold you up even more.

So what cities beat out DFW as having the most traffic congestion? I’ll bet you can guess.
Metro areas that wasted the most fuel in traffic, 2010:

City, million gallons

1. Los Angeles, 278
2. New York, 190
3. Chicago, 184
4. Washington, 95
5. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, 81

Need a car accident lawyer in Fort Worth? Contact the Anderson Law Firm to get in touch with a top-rated personal injury attorney.

Most of us don’t even think about how dangerous it is to get in the car and head out somewhere. We just don’t think about it. We do it every day, and yet we rarely stop to think that we’re really putting our lives at risk every time we are either a passenger or a driver on the roads of Dallas-Fort Worth. As a North Texas personal injury lawyer, I know that deadly wrecks happen throughout DFW on a daily basis. Some are caused by drunk drivers, but not every crash is the cause of such gross negligence.

On Saturday afternoon, for example, Juana Mancilla, 71, of Grand Prairie, was killed in a fatal two-vehicle accident at the intersection of Dickey Road and Texas 161 in Grand Prairie. Mancilla was a passenger in an SUV which allegedly ran a stop sign putting in the path of a van which hit its side. According to police, Mancilla was ejected from the SUV which then rolled over, landing on top of her. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Both the driver of the SUV, Jose Cruz Mancilla, 41, and the driver of the van, Billy Bannister, 71, as well with four additional passengers in the SUV were taken to hospital by ambulance to be treated with what were described as non-life threatening injuries.

I don’t want to speculate on the cause of this terrible accident, since clearly as a passenger in the SUV, Mrs. Mancilla had no control over the vehicle she was riding in at the time of the collision. Naturally, my thoughts and sympathies go out to all those who were hurt in the wreck, as well as their loved ones.

Unfortunately, while it does not appear that there was any significant negligence prior to this accident taking place, it goes to show just how suddenly and without warning an auto accident can occur. We should all realize that getting behind the wheel is the most dangerous thing we do every single day. And we should all resolve to take much greater care while driving around DFW.

WAZE, a new smartphone app that combines social media with traffic updates in map form can help you avoid car accidents and construction zones in DFW, but does it also aid to distracted driving? Besides getting automatic feeds from news stations like WFAA Channel 8, the whole point of the app is to drive with it open and add your own contributions when and where you see road obstacles.

The creators of WAZE have done their part to deter the apps users from being distracted while driving. If the app is open and the vehicle is going more than 5mph, the texting functions for the phone will be disabled, although user will still be able to tap the screen to look on the map.
While our personal injury attorneys at the Anderson Law Firm know distracted driving causes car accidents, we also know that traffic and road construction do too. This app, just like any GPS or other traffic tracker is a useful tool – when used correctly.

If you’ve been hurt in a distracted driving accident, give one of our attorneys in Fort Worth a call. One of our specialties is representing the victims of car accidents caused by distracted drivers – we’ve even created our own distracted driving initiative, Teens Against Distracted Driving, to grow awareness of this problem. When you need help after your car wreck, contact us for all the answers.

Surprise, surprise: Interstate 35W, north of downtown Fort Worth during rush hour is the most stressful road to travel on in Texas, according to the Texas Department of Transportation’s 2011 edition of the 100 most congested roadways. This comes as no surprise to everyone at my personal injury law firm in Fort Worth, or the thousands of other Texans that drive this highway every day.

With constant construction, distracted drivers, truckers and more cars that can seem to fit – it’s no wonder car accidents are a daily occurrence on I35. It seems I35W isn’t just stressful; it also ranked as the 5th most congested road in the state according the calculations by the Texas Transportation Institute. What are the most congested roadways in Texas? Look at the list here - the top three are all in North Texas.

Have you been in a car accident on one of these busy roadways? If so, call one of the accident and injury attorneys at the Anderson Law Firm – we’re here to help.

Despite numerous protests and evidence presented to lawmakers in Austin that distracted driving is an incredibly dangerous epidemic that is rapidly growing out of control, Governor Rick Perry vetoed House Bill 242 that would have made texting while driving illegal in Texas. In his official response, Perry said, “Texting while driving is reckless and irresponsible. I support measures that make our roads safer for everyone, but House Bill 242 is a government effort to micromanage the behavior of adults.”

Perry claims that HB 242 would have been an overreach of government, but it confuses me as to how he got to this conclusion. How does a law that would protect the well-being of the public equal tyranny of the state? If Governor Perry is against laws like HB 242 that “micromanage” us, then he must also be against DWI laws, drug laws and driving without insurance laws. We shouldn’t need laws to tell us not to drink and drive or text and drive but we do.

It seems to me that Governor Perry is out of touch with the state of Texas. There was little opposition to this law in its required committee hearings; in fact, telecommunications giants, such as AT&T, actually support a ban on texting while driving. Not only did this bill have both Democrat and Republican support, but the majority of Texas drivers polled in a survey by the Texas Transportation Institute last year favor a cellphone ban while driving.

Politics aside, anti-texting laws don’t burden you unless you’re texting and driving and if they can save one life, they are worth it. If I was grading Rick Perry on his decision to veto this much needed anti-texting and driving bill, we would give him an F.

Since students across Dallas-Fort Worth have recently gone back to school, I thought it would be a good time to remind teen drivers everywhere of specific laws for learner drivers. As a Texas personal injury lawyer, I know that teen drivers are the group of motorist most at risk from suffering serious injuries in a car wreck, so it is vital that teenagers always focus on safety each time they get behind the wheel.

Since distracted driving is such a major cause of fatal auto accidents in Texas, drivers aged under 18 years old are prohibited from using any electronic devices while driving. That means no phone calls even if your cellphone can be operated hands free. Since texting while driving is so dangerous, it’s good to get into the habit now – and try to abstain from distracted driving as you get older as well.

Just as driving while distracted is so perilous, so is driving while intoxicated. Since the legal drinking limit in Texas is 21, the state has a zero tolerance approach to any teenage drivers who drink and drive – regardless of how little alcohol you may have in your system.

If you’ve been through the Graduated Driver’s Licensing program, you know how much work you’ve put in to get where you are today. Don’t throw it all away by making a stupid mistake. Most importantly, as a qualified driver you have a responsibility to both your safety and your passengers’ – as well as to every other road user. Traffic can be chaotic in DFW at the best of times, so it’s vital to always concentrate on getting where you’re going as safety as possible.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a traffic accident which wasn’t your fault, call a personal injury and wrongful death attorney for a free, no obligation consultation on your personal situation. Call the Anderson Law Firm toll free at 800-354-6275 today.

Despite Gov. Rick Perry’s inexcusable vetoing of a bill which would have outlawed texting while driving in Texas, some good did come out of the most recent state legislative session - at least as far as traffic safety is concerned.

As a Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, I have a big problem with drunk drivers, so I’m glad to see there are two new laws aimed squarely at those irresponsible idiots who put the lives of others at risk by getting behind the wheel intoxicated. One law makes it easier for local police to obtain a warrant to perform a mandatory urine analysis on suspected drunk drivers if they’ve already refused a voluntary breathalyzer test. Another increases a drunk driving charge from misdemeanor to felony if the injuries resulting from the accident involve traumatic brain injuries (TBI).

I truly hope that these new laws will act as a strong deterrent to anyone who is considering driving home after a night out at the bar. By doing so you are jeopardizing not only your own safety, but also the wellbeing of anyone else who is unfortunate enough to share the road with you. Even if you’re fortunate enough not to cause a wreck, if you get caught these new measures mean you will seriously be damaging your future.

Don’t drink or drive. Arrange a designated driver beforehand, or plan ahead to take a taxi home.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a car crash caused by a drunk driver, it’s important that you consult with an experienced accident and injury attorney with a record of taking a firm stance against intoxicated drivers and their insurance companies. Call the Anderson Law Firm for a free, no obligation consultation on your case today. Call toll free at 800-354-6275 or locally at 817-294-1900.

Over the years I’ve heard every excuse possible from distracted drivers who’ve crashed into my personal injury clients. Usually it’s something along the lines of “I had an important work email” or “I didn’t want my friend to think I was rude by not picking up.” My answer to those pleas is that a) no email is more important that the safety of you, your passengers and other road users, and b) I’m sure if you called your friend back later and explained that you’d been driving, there would be no problem.

As a Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, I firmly believe that there is never an excuse to use your cellphone while driving: not to text, not to call someone, not to email. Fortunately, as the dangers of distracted driving become more prolific, more cities (such as Arlington) are cracking down on drivers who use their cellphone while behind the wheel.

Simultaneously, new technology is helping to put an end to the distracted driving epidemic as well. One new app which could really help those people who don’t want to miss a thing, is Text ’n Drive which was even featured on CNN. It’s a voice-operated app, which means you can use it hands free, and it will read you your emails and your text messages while you’re on the go. Even better, it will send an email or SMS to your contact to let them know you’re driving but that you’ll respond to their message as soon as you’ve reached your destination! How good is that? Not only does it keep you from appearing rude, but it also reminds others that using a cellphone while driving is dangerous. Fantastic!

If you’ve been injured in an auto accident in Dallas-Fort Worth, chances are that you’ve asked yourself this question. Particularly if the insurance adjuster assigned to your car wreck case was able to help you get your vehicle repaired without much hassle, you might wonder whether it’s even worth paying an attorney to handle your personal injury claim.

The honest truth is that sometimes it might not be worth it. In my 20 years of experience, I’ve found that generally if the total amount of medical expenses and loss of income is less than $5,000, you can probably handle your claim without an attorney and still expect to receive the full and fair settlement you deserve. However, once you start taking into account all past and future doctor bills, hospital visits, lost wages and reduction in quality of life, the dollar amount goes up. The higher the amount of money you think you deserve, the more likely it is that you need a lawyer to fight the insurance company for you.

Not convinced? Then consider this study funded by the United Sates insurance industry that found that personal injury victims who hired a lawyer, netted on average 3½ times more money that people with identical injuries who decided to go it alone. Do the math: even if your lawyer’s fee was a third of the total settlement, that means you’d still come out with more than double if you’d tried to take on the insurance company alone.

For an honest and fair assessment of what your Texas personal injury case is really worth, give me a call toll free at 800-354-MARK (6275). There is no obligation to hire me as your attorney, and there is absolutely no fee unless I win your case.

No-one ever wants to be involved in a car crash, let alone seriously injured. Unfortunately, however, serious traffic collisions happen throughout Dallas-Fort Worth on a daily basis. If you or a loved one has been injured in a wreck which wasn’t your fault it is wise to contact an experienced personal injury lawyer who can explain your rights and responsibilities as a Texas accident victim.

When a new client hires me as their attorney, I handle everything on their behalf. I deal with the insurance company. I can make sure that they get the medical treatment they need. I pay for all case expenses upfront; this includes obtaining medical records, filing the lawsuit, depositions and hiring experts to help explain the evidence. Only when a successful settlement is achieved do I take my payment. My clients do not have to cut me a check every month, or each time I get a bill related to their case. I handle it all, allowing my clients to focus on recovering from their injuries and getting better.

For a free, no obligation consultation on your personal injury claim, call the Anderson Law Firm at either 817-294-1900 or 214-327-8000.

School’s around the corner for kids in Fort Worth and Dallas and for parents that means preparing our children for the new school year. We get them ready with new school supplies and clothes, but if you have a teen driver – you may want to put them through a refresher course on how to be a safe driver. You see, even though teen drivers only represent 7 percent of the licensed population, they are involved in 20 percent of all fatal car accidents.

Car accidents are the leading killer of teenagers in America, and as personal injury attorney in Fort Worth, I can tell you that almost all of these accidents in DFW could have been avoided. If your teen is preparing to drive to school for the first time this year, or even if they drove last year, take the time to go over some basics of the road and set down some ground rules that could potentially save their life.

Teen drivers in Texas have a high rate of car crashes because they simple don’t have that much driving experience. They get distracted easily, have trouble spotting driving risks and fail to choose the appropriate speed. Here are some easy ways to protect your teen driver:

•Limit or restrict completely the number of friends they are allowed to drive: studies show that by just adding 1 teen passenger, the fatal crash risk nearly doubles.
•Limit their driving at night and on the weekends
•Remind them to always where a seatbelt and put down their cell phone: Distracted driving and not wearing a seat belt are some of the leading killers of teens. As a parent you are part of the solution! Lead by example: put your seat belt on and don’t mess with your phone while you drive. Also, don’t add to the problem by calling your teen while you know they’re driving. Set up a plan with your teenager to have them call you as they about to drive to and from places – not while they are in the act.

Car accidents are avoidable when you follow the basic safety rules, even for teens. Use this time to remind your teen about safe driving habits and also what to do if they get in an accident. As always, you’re better safe than sorry.

“I know it’s not smart,” my client explained “but I don’t do well with stress.”

My client had called to tell me that he had decided to throw in the towel. “I’m willing to accept whatever the insurance adjuster is willing to offer,” he clarified.

He sounded like his mind was made up, but I really hoped that it wasn’t. I understood his concerns, they were perfectly natural. I’d had this exact same conversation with countless other personal injury victims before. Usually I was able to make them understand that deciding to go it alone without a lawyer up against the bullying might of the insurance company is rarely a wise move.

In this particular instance, my client was afraid of the stress of pursuing a claim. Yet he was ironically attempting to handle the claim process alone – without an attorney. I explained to him that many clients actually hired me simply to take the stress off them. When you hire a personal injury attorney, we deal with the stress for you. We’ll file the paper work, negotiate with the insurance adjuster and handle everything. You can just focus on getting better and putting your life back together.

To make matters worse, by deciding to pursue his claim for compensation alone, and by willingly accepting an insufficient low settlement, my client could look forward to plenty of future stress trying to cover the cost of his medical treatment for his injuries. Bare in mind, of course, that unpaid hospital bills are the leading cause of bankruptcy in America, and that accident injury victims who hire a lawyer typically recover 3.5 times as much than those who don’t.

Just because Texas law entitles you to full and fair compensation for your injuries, it doesn’t necessarily mean the insurance company will willingly give it to you. Hiring a board certified trial lawyer is the best way to simultaneously reduce your personal stress during the claim process while maximizing the compensation you may receive.

For a free, no obligation consultation on your personal situation, please call me in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or in Dallas at 214-327-8000.

We’ve written several times throughout the year our personal injury law firm’s stance on red light cameras at Texas intersections, but now a new study really proves what we thought all along. In the first statewide study of its kind, the Texas Transportation Institute found a 25 percent drop in crashes at intersections with red-light cameras.

Critics of the cameras say they are an unjust way for the city to make money and discount the cameras accuracy; however our Fort Worth car accident attorneys say numbers don’t lie. In the report released Monday, Dallas had a 38 percent drop in red-light crashes at intersections where cameras had been up and running for two years and Fort Worth saw a 24 percent drop in collisions where cameras had been installed for one year.

Sure, nothing is perfect. These cameras can make mistakes, but you can always contest your red-light camera violation. In our opinion, anything that deters red-light violators from cause accidents is a good thing. We are glad to see that this program is working and hope that it continues to deter people from speeding through intersections when they shouldn’t.

Although the Anderson Law Firm doesn’t handle traffic tickets, we can help you in other areas of personal injury law like car accidents, truck wrecks and child injury cases.

Even though Governor Rick Perry didn’t seem to think that texting and driving was a safety concern in Texas, the city of Arlington does. This Tuesday, the Arlington City Council will discuss a proposal that would ban using a hand-held cell phone to talk, text or send emails while driving in Arlington. Although nothing is not on the agenda to be voted on at this week’s city council meeting, it’s a step in the right direction.

"Ultimately what we are trying to do is create a safer city, an environment where the road is used for driving -- not gaming, texting and looking at videos and messing with the phone,” said District 3 Councilman Robert Rivera, who is a main supporter of the new ordinance.

Every day car accident victims call my personal injury law firm in Fort Worthhttp://www.maafirm.com for help. And every day more and of those car wrecks are caused by distracted drivers. From May 2010 and May 2011, 824 of the 6,094 traffic wrecks reported in Arlington were caused by distracted drivers. These accidents are completely avoidable and I’m glad the city of Arlington is prepared to do something about it.

Texting or talking on your hand-held cell phone is so dangerous. Is it really worth your life or someone else’s to take the call or reply to a text? If you have to get a blue tooth device—they aren’t that expensive and much more comfortable to talk on anyway. If you have teenagers, urge them to put the phone down. There are iPhone apps designed to help them do this or tell them to take my Teens Against Distracted Driving Pledge. It’s just not worth your life to mess on your cell phone.

As a Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, one of my greatest concerns for public safety is the distracted driving epidemic. I am far from alone in my concern as celebrities such as Justin Bieber and the Texas Rangers’ Derek Holland have also spoken out against texting while driving. You may have seen the results of a survey published this week by GMAC Insurance which suggest that the number of people using a cellphone while behind the wheel is on the decline. As fantastic as this news is, however, I am skeptical of the study’s findings.

From a total of 5,130 drivers surveyed nationwide, 75% of drivers aged 16 and 17 claim they never use their smart phones while driving. GMAC attributes this apparent result to increasing parental pressure not to use handheld devices while driving. I certainly agree that family and social pressure not to use a phone can help reduce the number of young drivers, but I think GMAC’s assertion that distracted driving is declining is more than a little optimistic.

According to the same survey, nearly 66% of all age groups said they regularly make phone calls while driving and 80% admit to reading and sending text messages while stopped at traffic lights. In my book, that’s still considered distracted driving. Any time you take your attention off the road you are impairing your ability to safely operate your vehicle.

I’m glad that the dangers of distracted driving are getting more publicity, but it is still a big problem. If you or a loved one have been injured in a car accident caused by a distracted driver, give me a call for a no fee, no obligation consultation on your personal injury claim: call toll free at 800-354-MARK (6275) or call locally at 817-294-1900.

If you have been injured in a car wreck, motorcycle crash or any other traffic collision you will need to go to the doctor for the appropriate medical treatment. Whiplash, broken bones and traumatic brain injuries are common accident injuries, with the most severe requiring an extended hospital stay and life-long consequences. It’s not always obvious, however, just how much of an impact your injuries might have at first which is why it’s so important that you don’t accept the insurance adjustor’s initial settlement offer.

Very serious injuries often require extended periods of hospitalization, coupled with forced leave from work. Such a combination of expensive medical bills and loss of income can be catastrophic. Especially if your injuries mean you won’t ever me able to return to work, it means life-long financial consequences from the accident. The good news is that Texas law gives you the right to seek compensation for both past and future medical expenses, as well as recovering any and all lost wages because of the tragedy.

Consulting with an experienced personal injury lawyer is essential. At the Anderson Law Firm in Fort Worth, our two attorneys have over 40 years of combined success in winning their PI clients the full and fair compensation they deserve. Give us a call today to schedule your free no obligation consultation. We can be reached at toll free 800-354-6275 or locally at 817-294-1900.

As a Richardson personal injury lawyer, I know that distracted driving accidents are on the rise. Although texting while driving is by far the highest contributing factor, other common examples include eating while driving or having a loose pet in the vehicle with you, as is the case in a tragic hit and run accident which occurred in Richardson yesterday, seriously injuring a child pedestrian.

An 11 year old boy was hit by a vehicle while playing on the sidewalk near his home in Richardson, Texas yesterday. The boy was riding a go-cart near the intersection of Twilight Trail and Floyd Road when a dark-colored sports utility vehicle mounted the curb and struck him. According to witnesses, the SUV (possibly a Toyota 4Runner) was either black or dark blue and was driven by a woman who had a small white dog on her lap. The boy, who has not been named, was rushed to Children’s Medical Center in Dallas where he received surgery for his serious head injuries suffered in the collision.

The distracted driver apparently fled the scene in her vehicle, leaving the injured child lying at the side of the road, witnesses said. Police are now looking for her as she could face hit and run charges for failing to stop and render aid. I sure hope the police are able to find this woman is caught and prosecuted for her crime.

If you or a loved one has been injured in any kind of traffic accident, whether you were a driver, passenger or pedestrian, you may be entitled to compensation to cover your medical costs and other expenses related to the crash. For a free consultation on your personal situation call a DFW personal injury attorney toll free at 800-354-MARK (6275) or locally at 214-327-800 in Dallas or 817-294-1900 in Fort Worth.

In Texas, most people over the age of 18 probably get behind the wheel of a car every day and over time, driving to and from places feels like second nature. If you’ve driven a number of years in Dallas or Fort Worth and haven’t gotten into an accident, you may take more risks while driving like talking or texting on your cell phone, eating, putting on makeup or messing with your iPod. As a personal injury lawyer in Fort Worth, I know that no matter how many years you’ve been driving in Texas, failing to give your full attention to the road can be deadly for yourself and the other drivers around you.

Just last week, a Burleson car accident caused by driver inattention killed a newborn baby boy. Kayla Roberts of Cleburne was driving along FM 1902 in Burleson when Daniel McWhorter crossed into oncoming traffic and collided with Roberts’ truck. Roberts’ was air lifted to a hospital in Fort Worth where she delivered her baby, Adam Roberts. The baby was pronounced dead the next day.

This accident is truly upsetting because it has affected the lives of such young people -not only the baby boy, but also 18-year-old Daniel, who caused the accident. Police said alcohol, drugs or cell phones weren’t the cause of the accident, just a driver not paying attention. Now Daniel must live with this on his conscious for the rest of his life.

If we’re being honest, I’m sure everyone can admit that they’ve been a distracted driver at some time or another in their life. But when I read about accidents like this, it reminds me that my full attention always needs to be on the road. Preventing distracted driving is a cause me and my personal injury law firm are very serious about. We especially want to stop young distracted drivers the most, so we’ve created a program called Teens Against Distracted Driving. Too many young people have been taken from this world in distracted driving car accidents. These car wrecks don’t have to happen – take our pledge to become a safer driver.

A charter bus owned by Dallas-based Mares Bus Lines swerved off the road and flipped in San Marcos early Friday morning, sending all 21 passengers and the driver to the hospital. Although there were no fatalities in the charter bus crash, the severest injury belonged to a 4-year-old girl who had to have her leg amputated. Other injuries from the bus wreck ranged from head trauma and broken bones to cuts and bruises; one woman even had to be put on life support.

The bus was heading to Dallas from Laredo on I-35, when investigators said the driver over-corrected and flipped the bus. The bus wreck blocked the highway on both the north and southbound lanes near San Marcos for several hours.

Investigators don’t believe there were any mechanical issues that led to the accident. The Dallas company who owns the charter bus, Mares Bus Lines, has had five violations for unsafe driving and 12 violations for driver fatigue in the past two years according to the Department of Transportation. Six months ago, another bus in the company’s fleet was involved in a wreck that injured three people.

My background as a Fort Worth personal injury attorney and bus accident lawyer tells me that bus wrecks like this usually don’t end well. When I read this headline I was actually surprised and thankful that more people weren’t seriously injured. I’m left wondering, what happened to cause the accident? The spokesperson for the Dallas bus company said that although they have had minor incidents in the past, they’ve received favorable ratings and the bus driver involved in this wreck has not every had any problems. But I did a little digging on this charter bus company in records from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and in the last two years, their bus drivers have received five violations for unsafe driving and 12 violations for driver fatigue. Was this accident caused by a bus driver falling asleep at the wheel? All the signs are there that it could’ve been: it was 4 a.m. and the driver veered off the road although there was no obstruction that would have made him do that.

If the bus accident was caused by driver fatigue, these bus passengers could file a personal injury claim for their damages. Bus companies and their drivers must adhere to certain driving rules and are held to a higher standard than regular motorists. Driving more than the mandated hours allowed is a clear sign of negligence and if investigators find that this bus driver did violate those driving rules, the passengers injured in this wreck would definitely have a right to pursue a claim against the bus line. For more information on how to get a personal injury claim started, visit my website where you can learn all you need to know on the ins and outs of making a claim.
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This commentary was provided by accident and injury attorney, Mark Anderson. If you’ve been injured in a car, truck or bus accident in the Dallas Fort Worth area, call the Anderson Law Firm at 817-294-1900 for a free case review. Our injury lawyers can help get you the compensation you deserve for you accident injuries.

You read that right. According to a new survey by GMAC Insurance, almost a third of all Texas drivers and one in five Americans would fail if they took a national driving test today. One in three Texans would fail a driver’s test? Crazy—maybe that’s why there are so many car accidents in Fort Worth and Dallas.

Even though I see the stupidity of driver’s every day in my line of work as a Fort Worth car wreck and personal injury lawyer, it’s shocking to me that these numbers are so high. Do you realize that if this study is truly accurate that means 18 percent of people would not meet the basic requirements to get a driver's license?

This news is especially terrifying considering the amount of distracted drivers who cause car wrecks because they text and talk on their cell phones on the roads in Fort Worth and Dallas. Think of just how terrible they are behind the wheel just by messing with their phone and driving. Then add the fact that one in three of them can’t pass a simple driver’s test? It’s almost too scary to think about.

Fortunately, the survey found that Texans weren’t the worst drivers in America at passing the test—that honor goes to the northeast region of the country.

Do you think you can pass the driver’s test? Visit nationaldriverstest.com to find out.

And if you’ve been the unfortunate victim of a car accident in Fort Worth or Dallas caused by a negligent driver, give my law firm a call at 817-294-1900. At the Anderson Law Firm, our accident and injury attorneys handle all kinds of car accident and other injury claims and are ready to set up a free case review with you to go over your legal options.

It’s a good day for America, everybody! The US House of Representatives has introduced a bill designed to prohibit texting while driving nationwide. This is especially good for Texans as it means distracted driving could be outlawed despite Rick Perry’s backwards philosophy. As a Fort Worth accident and injury lawyer, I think this is great news. Car wrecks caused by drivers who were using a handheld cellphone are on the rise and studies have proven the bad habit is just as dangerous as drunk driving.

According to the Transportation department, more than 5,400 fatalities were attributed to traffic collisions where distracted driving was a factor, so it is extremely encouraging to see that some lawmakers are taking the epidemic as seriously as it deserves. The so-called Safe Drivers Act of 2011 will enforce the ban thanks to an inspiring clause which threatens to withhold 25 percent of a state’s federal highway funding if the state does not enforce the law. I think that demonstrates loud and clear just how serious distracted driving is and that it is unfortunately a much-needed law which has the very real potential to save lives.

Mark Anderson is a board certified personal injury and wrongful death attorney who has been helping car crash victims throughout Tarrant County and across the DFW Metroplex since 1991. The Anderson Law Firm is the proud sponsor of Teens Against Distracted Driving (TADD); an organization which educates high school aged student of the dangers of texting while behind the wheel.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident caused by a distracted driver, call for a free consultation at 817-294-1900.

As we all know, Governor Rick Perry is growing increasingly out of touch with average Texans’ wants and needs. Another example of this is his veto of House Bill 242 which would prohibit texting while driving. This is despite numerous protests and evidence presented to lawmakers in Austin that distracted driving is an incredibly dangerous epidemic which is rapidly growing out of control.

In his official veto statement Governor Perry states that while “texting while driving is reckless and irresponsible” he believes the proposed law is a step to far as it could be seen as “a government effort to micromanage the behavior of adults.” Well, yes, that’s the point of laws isn’t it? Driving while intoxicated is illegal too. Drunk drivers might be in the privacy of their personal vehicles, but while they’re on public highways they are a danger to everyone. I believe that distracted driving should viewed similarly.

The irony of Perry’s statement is that rather that outlawing texting while driving, those who recognize the practice is dangerous should focus instead on educating the public rather than lobbying lawmakers. I think the general public is mostly already aware of how dangerous using the cellphone can be while behind the wheel. In fact, by rejecting this bill, Perry has sent a blatant signal which undermines all those efforts.

What do you think? Let me know on my Facebook page or on Twitter.

Coming from a Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, this may come as a shock to you but I want to put this piece of advice out there: you don’t need to hire a lawyer for all DFW car accidents. In fact, most car wreck insurance claims can be handled completely on your own. In minor car accidents and fender-benders, it’s perfectly fine to exchange insurance information and go through the claims process without hiring an accident attorney.

But when the car accidents is more serious in nature, say with thousands of dollars in medical bills things get tricky, especially if multiple insurance policies are involved. Oh yes, in Texas you can make a claim against multiple insurance policies if they are available, but you will probably be in need of a Board Certified personal injury attorney to help you.

At the Anderson Law Firm in Fort Worth, we handle claims against multiple insurance policies most commonly in the following scenarios:

• If you were injured at work by someone other than your employer or a colleague
• If you were hurt in a car accident and make a claim against the other driver’s auto liability insurance, but you also have personal injury protection (PIP) and/or uninsured motorist coverage
• Or if you were a passenger of a vehicle involved in a car accident where you can make a claim against the other driver’s insurance, your PIP/uninsured motorist protection and if you could also use the PIP of the driver of the vehicle in

Dealing with multiple insurance policies can become confusing quickly. It’s important that you have an accident attorney on your side that knows how to go after the right policies to ensure that you get fair compensation for your injuries.

If you think multiple insurance policies could come into play in your car accident claim, give the personal injury lawyers at the Anderson Law Firm a call at 817-294-1900. We’ll set up a free case consultation to go over all the facts of your accident and see what we can do to help.

On Wednesday, the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals overturned an earlier decision by Austin, Texas US District Judge Lee Yeakel concerning solicitation rules for chiropractors and personal injury lawyers, such as myself. The legal battle goes back to a law which was introduced in September 2009 which made it illegal for medical professionals to contact accident injury victims within the first 30 days following their accident. A Houston-based chiropractor filed a lawsuit to challenge the new regulation and in March 2010 the law was overturned under the ruling that it violated free speech rights. Back then, I said that I thought an appeal by the Texas Attorney General’s office was a necessity. To my mind, this is a reasonable restriction on free speech. Even though the most unethical attorneys and chiropractors engage in such shady habits, they give the wider community of decent professionals a bad reputation. We have all been tarnished by the “ambulance chaser” perception. Now that the earlier decision has been superseded the law is clear: you cannot contact car wreck survivors or relatives of deceased individuals until 30 days after the crash.

I think that is absolutely correct. Injured people need that time to properly recuperate. If you’ve been in a catastrophic accident which has potential life-changing consequences, you need time to get your head straight. The problem is that the law does nothing to prevent the at-fault driver’s insurance company from visiting you in your hospital room and coercing you into signing away your legal rights for a quick $4,000 check when your medical expenses will likely run in excess of $20,000 medical bill (not to mention all those lost wages, a totaled car, etc.) Tighter rules also need to be enforced to protect injured people from these ruthless insurance adjustors who consistently put profits above people.

My hope is that personal injury victims are smart enough to know how to protect themselves. You don’t need to sign anything the insurance adjustor gives you – in fact you’re not obliged to talk to them at all. You can refuse outright if you want. You have no legal right to discuss your case with them whatsoever. Of course, you can hire a PI lawyer to represent you immediately following your accident if you so wish. There are many lawyers situated throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. At the very least, you should get online and do some research into your rights so that you can confront the situation informed. My website is a comprehensive resource for you regardless of whether you’ve been injured in an auto collision, pedestrian accident, animal attack, or any other situation.

Please concentrate on getting well, but don’t be naïve. It’s important that you know your rights. If you decide that you would like to speak to a board certified attorney with 20 years’ experience, then you can give me a call at your convenience. Call toll free at 800-354-6275 or call locally in Fort Worth at 817-29-1900 or Dallas 214-327-8000.

A new study on cell phones is making some major buzz in the news today. According to the World Health Organization, radiation from cell phones can possibly cause cancer.

Of course everyone is up in arms at the idea of cell phones and the big “C” word, but I ask you, aren’t cell phones already killing people?

As a personal injury lawyer in Fort Worth, I know that my biggest worry isn’t whether or not a cell phone is going to give me cancer; it’s that I’m going to get in a car accident because of someone TALKING on a cell phone.

I think that distracted drivers, people talking and texting while operating a vehicle, are much more dangerous than radiation from cell phones that could “possibly cause cancer.” Why is it that this issue gets all the buzz when distracted driving has already killed 5,474 people in 2009 alone?

All I’m saying is that we have a lot more pressing cell phone safety issues to worry about than just the possibility of them causing cancer. But, that’s just my two cents.

If you would like to learn more about my law firms distracted driving initiative for teens, please visit my Teens Against Distracted Driving page and get the teen driver in your house to sign up today.

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.

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.

Just a few short weeks after Texas legislators put ink to paper on a new bill that potentially will outlaw texting while driving, Fort Worth is singled out as a test city for new smartphone apps designed to help drivers find available parking spaces quicker and easier. While I can appreciate the convenience such services would provide Tarrant County motorists, as a personal injury attorney, I am more concerned about how they are likely to increase distracted driving on our streets.

One app, Parking In Motion (PIM) is allows drivers to access up-to-date information such as occupancy, rates and hours of operation for more than 80 parking lots and garages in Fort Worth. The other, an iPhone app called Parker, is oriented towards parking meters. Sensors have been placed at metered parking spots along Fourth Street which can detect whether someone is already parked there, or whether the space is available. That information can then be accessed by people using the app.

The CEO of the company behind Parker, Zia Yusef, defended the app claiming that it could actually help reduce inner-city congestion since 30% of downtown traffic is people looking for parking spaces. It might, but if those who are driving are more focused on tapping their touchscreens than on their surroundings it seems like a bad trade-off to me. Each year in Texas, 3,300 auto wrecks are caused by distracted driving. The average number of annual fatalities from such crashes is 408. Anything that takes a driver’s attention off the road is bad.

Mark Anderson is an experienced car wreck lawyer who has been helping accident injury victims and their families across the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex for 20 years. If you or a loved one have been hurt as a result of someone else’s negligence, call Mark for a free consultation on your personal situation. Call toll free on 800-354-MARK (6275).

Just one day after Texas legislators announced House Bill 243 would prohibit texting while driving (but not reading text messages) one North Texas city has decided that the regulations are not enough. On Tuesday, Arlington City Council took the first steps to implement a blanket ban on using cellphones while driving unless they either can be operated entirely hands-free, or are voice-activated. As a Tarrant County auto accident lawyer, I wholeheartedly support this decision and I’m glad to see Arlington take such a definitive step in outlawing distracted driving.

As cellphones have become prevalent throughout our culture - making it possible to email, tweet, read the latest news headlines and even play games on the move - so more people have been tempted to pick up their cellphone while behind the wheel of their car. Big mistake. In 2009 alone, TxDot attributed 408 traffic wreck fatalities to distracted driving. The problem isn’t going away, and while it’s encouraging to see the city of Arlington take the lead in imposing regulations, we must all take responsibility for our actions. That’s why I’ve visited high schools across DFW, asking students to sign a pledge to not text and drive. In exchange, they get a bracelet to wear and remind them of the promise they made to protect their life and the lives of others. To sign the pledge yourself, click here and I will mail you a bracelet.

Mark Anderson is a board certified personal injury attorney with 20 years of success in protecting the rights of car crash and motorcycle collision victims across Texas. If you or a loved one has been hurt due to someone else’s negligence, call 817-294-1900 to set up a free no obligation to discuss your personal situation and understand your legal rights.

As a Dallas-Fort Worth car wreck injury lawyer, I am amazed at this video of a graphic traffic accident - filmed from inside the damaged car - which has already had more than 800,000 views on YouTube since it was posted over the weekend. It shows a 2x4 plank of wood fly up from the roadway and smash through the windshield, barely missing the driver. It is miracle that she escaped unscathed. Be warned before you watch it: it is not for the faint of heart.

There is already significant controversy surrounding this video online, not least among distracted driving opponents since the driver filmed the incident while the car was in motion - meaning that she was clearly not giving her complete attention to the road ahead. The driver, Wendy Cobb, from Shelby, North Carolina, has defended her actions, saying that she was trying to capture a dangerous game of “cat and mouse” between two trucks, with the intention of turning the tape over to the companies the drivers worked for. Some of this is evident from the first part of the footage, and particularly poignant to truckers in the DFW area following all the 18-wheeler collisions we’ve seen recently.

If you are like me, however, you were probably most startled by the sheer speed and force with which the 2x4 smashed through the windshield. Even though Cobb herself was not injured, it’s incredible that she didn’t lose control of her vehicle. This startling footage should serve as a vivid reminder that cars, trucks and motorcycles alike should all be vigilant and paying attention when out of the roads. You never know what debris or other hazards you might encounter, and not everyone will be as lucky as Ms. Cobb.

Mark Anderson is a board-certified personal injury trial lawyer, and author of the book 15 Mistakes That Could Wreck Your Texas Accident Case. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a car crash that was not your fault, call the Anderson Law Firm for a free consultation on 817-294-1900.

As a Tarrant County personal injury lawyer, I have seen firsthand the horrible injuries suffered by people involved in a distracted driving-related traffic collision. According to the NHTSA, 20% of all auto accidents resulting in injury or death in 2009 involved some form of distracted driving. Far too many lives have been unalterably changed, damaged or lost as a result of this antisocial behavior. So it is no surprise that public awareness has increased and new laws are even being proposed in an aim to reduce the amount of dangerous driving on our roadways.

In Texas, the most prominent speakers are Johnny Mac and Jeanne Brown of the Remember Alex Brown Foundation in Lubbock. You may have seen them featured on TV already, but in case you don’t know the story, please allow me to indulge you…

Johnny Mac and Jeanne’s teenage daughter, Alex, used to text and drive. Her parents knew that it was unsafe to do so, but didn’t realize just how dangerous it was until Alex failed to turn up to school one day. Panicked, they set out to look for her, fearing that something had happened on her way to school. Jeanne found Alex’s car – totaled – having crashed head on into a utility pole on a rural road. There were no other vehicles involved in the wreck. Alex was already dead when Jeanne found her. She had been texting.

Today, Johnny Mac and Jeanne travel to high schools across the state trying to increase awareness of the dangers of texting while driving. They take Alex’s ruined car with them as a poignant visual aid which really makes the message hit home. They have declared March 21 2011 as a National Day of Awareness and will be hosting live presentations on their website throughout the day. Please join the Anderson Law Firm in supporting this important cause and spread the message to make our roads safer for everyone.

Mark Anderson is a board certified PI and wrongful death attorney who has helped many victims of car crashes across the Dallas and Fort Worth metroplex since 1991. If you or a loved one have been hurt in a traffic wreck, call the Anderson Law Firm for a free consultation toll free on 800-354-MARK (6275) or locally on 817-294-1900.

Yesterday, Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief hosted an event at the downtown Convention Centre to officially declare Fort Worth ready for the Super Bowl festivities. The mayor was joined by former NFL players Walt Garrison of the Dallas Cowboys and Fort Worth native Mike Renfro.

Although the big football game between the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers will actually be played in Arlington, Fort Worth will very much play a big part in the action over the next week leading up to kick off. The Steelers will be staying at the Omni Hotel downtown and practicing at TCU’s indoor facility. ESPN will be broadcasting live from Sundance Square. Overall, the city is expected to host hundreds of thousands of people who will generate a huge economic jolt for the local community.

But what does this mean for those of us who live in Fort Worth year round?

Obviously with so many visitors in town, the roads are going to be busier than ever. We all need to remember to be extra cautious and mindful of other road users. More than ever it is important that we aware and focused on the road when driving around town. This means no texting, no talking on the cell phone, and ladies… how about you apply your makeup before you get behind the wheel?

Research has shown that any form of distraction can be critical when it comes to affecting a driver’s ability to safely operate their vehicle. The cognitive distraction whether using a handheld or hand-free device is enough that the driver would miss essential visual and audio cues needed to avoid a collision. At any given moment during the daylight hours, over 800,000 vehicles are being driven in the US by someone using a hand-held cell phone. Other handheld gadgets commonly distracting Texas drivers include music players, GPS and other navigational tools. My advice is to simply switch it off before you get on the road. If you’re driving – drive. Get where you’re going safely.

We Texans are known for our sense of Southern Hospitality and we should exude that same attitude while driving too. Let’s all work together to keep the roads around the DFW metroplex as safe as possible for both our guests and the home fans!