Dallas Fort Worth Car Accident Lawyer Blog

If you or someone you love have been injured in a Dallas-Fort Worth car wreck caused by a drunk driver, it might seem obvious to you who was to blame, but that doesn’t mean that the insurance company will play fair.

Under Texas law, if you are hurt in a traffic crash caused by someone else, you have the right to pursue a claim against the negligent driver’s insurance policy to recover your medical expenses, lost income and other costs associated with the accident. As you might expect, this usually means a lot of money on the link. For an innocent accident victim such as yourself, it is not fair that you have to pay all those bills out of your own pocket and likely go in debt. If the collision was not your fault, there is no reason why you should have to pay.

Unfortunately, giant insurance companies often care more about their profits than innocent, hardworking Texans, so they will do everything they can to avoid paying you the full and fair compensation that you deserve. Even in cases where the at-fault motorist was clearly intoxicated at the time of the wreck, you will have a hard time recovering the money you need without the aid of a board certified personal injury lawyer.

To help you better understand your legal rights and options before you speak to an attorney, I’ve put together some of the key information that you need to know in one convenient place: Drunk Driving Accidents 101. I hope that you find it beneficial. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call me 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.

Some of the most devastating personal injury and wrongful death cases I have handed as Fort Worth trial attorney are auto accidents caused by drunk drivers. Alcohol-related car wrecks typically result in catastrophic property damage and life-threatening injuries because the intoxicated driver is nowhere near capable of safe driving. Drunk drivers speed, they get too close to other vehicles and their reaction time is severely impaired. They are among the most dangers drivers on DFW roads. According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), more than one third of all traffic fatalities in Texas last year were the result of drunk drivers.

Despite constant reminders of how much damage you might cause both to yourself, your loved ones and complete strangers anytime that you get behind the wheel after drinking, people continue to do it. You can’t tell yourself that you’ll be fine, that you won’t cause a crash, that you won’t hurt anyone. If you’re attempting to drive drunk, then there is a very high probability that you will kill someone.

A Texas woman who got in the driver’s seat with a blood alcohol level of .11 percent (above the legal limit of .08 percent) has been sentenced to 55 years in prison by a judge in San Antonio. Valeri Andrews was charged with four counts of murder after running a red light while drunk, killing Maria Aguilar de Perez, her two daughters and her grandson. As harsh a sentence as this might seem, it’s worth noting that Ms. Andrews could have received a life sentence were it not for the fact she had pleaded guilty to the charges, receiving a reduced sentence as a result.

Please think before you drink and drive. It’s never worth it. Ever.

If you or a loved one is hurt in a collision caused by an intoxicated driver, it is important that you consult with a board certified personal injury and wrongful death lawyer who is experienced in handling cases against drunk drivers. For a free consultation on your case, call toll free at 800-354-6275 or locally in Ft. Worth at 817-294-1900.

As a Fort Worth personal injury and wrongful death attorney, I often hear stories of pedestrian who have either been serious wounded or otherwise outright killed after being struck by a hit-and-run driver on DFW roads. Whenever a local police force appeals for information from the public in an attempt to identify and located a hit and run motorist, I try to help out by spreading the word on my blogs as well as on my Facebook and Twitter accounts. The point is that hit-and-run drivers might flee the crash scene, but they will be tracked down and brought to justice. If they have insurance then their victim (or the victim’s family) is able to make a claim for compensation to cover the medical bills and other costs related to the wreck.

I wanted to share good news of a successful Texas hit and run investigation which was recently concluded in Houston. Last Monday night, a bicycle rider was hit by a drunk van driver who sped away from the scene. The cyclist died at the scene. Fortunately, however, the investigating offer recovered the van’s license plate which fell off in the collision. Police tracked the vehicle to its registered owner, who told them a friend had borrowed it. Officers found the suspect at his home with the keys to the vehicle on his person. He was arrested on charges of driving while intoxicated and failing to stop and render aid after an accident.

If you or a loved one have been injured due to the negligent actions of a hit and run driver, it is important that you are aware that you do have legal rights. Even if the police are unable to find the guilty party, you may still be able to recover compensation. To find out more, call our auto accident attorneys today. Call toll free at 800-354-6275 or 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.

Driving while intoxicated is a crime. As a Fort Worth area personal injury lawyer, I have handled my share of auto accident cases caused by drunk drivers over the past 20 years. Such wrecks always anger me because I know they could easily have been avoided. Everyone knows that you should never get behind the wheel after drinking, but still many do so on a regular basis. As a result, innocent victims are badly injured. Many victims lose their lives.

Traditionally, the period surrounding Christmas and the New Year is one of the worst times of year for alcohol-related car crashes in DFW. It’s a time of year when local police forces step up their focus on drink-drivers in an attempt to minimize the pointless deaths which are caused by these reckless idiots who break the law and put lives in jeopardy.

This year, the Tarrant County District Attorney vowed to take things one step further in an effort to further dissuade motorists from getting behind the wheel when they were overly merry. Yesterday, Assistant District Attorney Richard Alpert made good on this promise by publicly naming and shaming all drivers who have so far been charged with a DWI over the New Year’s weekend. According to the website, at least 107 individuals were arrested in Tarrant County for alcohol-related driving offenses over the past weekend and at least 39 of those have been formally charged as of today.

If you or someone you love has been injured due to the negligent actions of a drunk driver, you may be entitled to compensation. To find out more about your legal rights as the victim of a intoxicated motorist in North Texas, please call 817-294-1900 for a free, no obligation consultation on your situation.

Christmas is often considered the most wonderful time of the year, but it can often be stressful too. There are a lot of decisions to make: Should I attend the office party or the family function? Do I get a real tree or fake? Would Uncle Jack prefer slippers or cologne? The most important decision you make this festive season has an easy answer: Take a cab.

Seriously. If you've had a drink, then leave your car or truck where it is and let someone else drive. 'Tis the season for over indulging after all, and while we're not looking to stop you enjoying yourself, it is important to realize that this is when more people than any other time of the year get behind the wheel when they're way too merry.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has found that deadly collisions involving intoxicated drivers increase from a daily average of 36 fatalities nationwide to 45 per day over the Christmas period. Throughout the closing days of December into early January each year the figure further increases to 54 a day. Happy New Year indeed.

And yet, people just don't get it. Driving while impaired is illegal. Everybody knows this and yet everyday lives continue to be wrecked as the result of drunk driving-related accidents. Accidents which could have been avoided.

As a Fort Worth personal injury and wrongful death lawyer, I would like to ask you all to make a particular effort this Holiday Season to make a firm promise that you will not get behind the wheel after having a drink. Don’t let your friends do it either. Be safe and be sensible – you could save someone’s life. You might even save your own.

As a DFW car wreck injury lawyer, I know that accidents caused by intoxicated motorists often result in some of the most catastrophic bodily injuries. Frequently, drink-driving collisions in Dallas-Fort Worth result in a fatality. Unfortunately, just because it’s Christmas, it doesn’t mean these very serious problem goes away. In fact, it gets even more serious. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) fatal crashes caused by drunk drivers increase by 50 percent between Christmas and the new year.

In an attempt to reduce the number of deaths on Dallas roads this holiday season, the Dallas Police Department is adding an additional 12 new officers to their DWI squad through the first week of 2012. As a Texas wrongful death lawyer, news of the increased police presence will hopefully result in fewer people getting behind the wheel inebriated this holiday season, but of course there are always some idiots. My hope is that criminals (because that’s what they are) who do get into the driver’s seat drunk are caught and prosecuted. Hopefully the DPD will catch these negligent drivers and as a result fewer people will be killed this December.

If you or a loved one has been hurt by a drunk driver or any negligent motorist, I’d like to invite you to call the Anderson Law Firm for a completely free, no obligation consolation on your case. I’d be happy to explain your legal rights and help you understand whether you might be entitled to compensation. Call me at any time, toll free at 800-354-6275 or locally at 214-327-8000.

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).

On Monday, I wrote about the devastation caused by a reckless drunk driver, Brittany Dawn Burton, 25, of Arlington, which played out on I-35W in Fort Worth late on Saturday night. Ms. Burton was arrested after she drove the wrong way down the interstate, causing a fatal multi-vehicle collision which resulted in the death of one man. To make matters even worse, he dangerous and intoxicated actions were all performed while her six-month-old daughter was in the back seat!

Jeffery Lee Hogan, 47, has been identified as the man killed due to Burton’s hazardous conduct. He had swerved to avoid a head-on collision with Burton’s car, resulting in a fender bender with another motorist who had similarly taken evasive action to avoid a crash with the intoxicated driver. As Hogan and the other driver examined the damage to their vehicles on the side of the road, a third driver was forced to make a sudden turn to avoid hitting Burton’s car, and it was this van which ultimately mortally wounded Hogan, who was pronounced deceased at the accident scene.

Burton was initially arrested on charges of intoxication manslaughter and endangering a child, but prosecutors made the admirable decision to increase those yesterday, upping the charge to murder. As a result, Burton faces a possible life sentence in prison because of her drunken actions. She is currently being held at Mansfield Detention Center. Tarrant County Public Prosecutor Richard Alpert said “People [need to] understand that when they commit this kind of act the highest charge possible will be brought against them, and they’ll be held accountable for it.”

As a Fort Worth personal injury and wrongful death lawyer, I couldn’t agree more. Since I first started helping the victims of alcohol-related auto wrecks in 1991, I have seen firsthand the devastation which can result from accidents caused by DUI drivers. That’s why I always take the harshest stance possible against drunk drivers. There is never any excuse to get behind the wheel after you’ve been drinking. The fact that this woman did so with her infant child in the car – and that a man is now dead because of her stupid actions – is a prime example of the reckless behavior of drunk drivers.

Yet while this one story is getting a lot of attention in the local media this week, the fact remains that drunk driving crashes occur throughout the DFW metroplex almost every single day. If you or a loved one has been hurt because of the actions of an intoxicated motorist, I’d like to offer you a complimentary copy of my book which is designed to help you understand your civil rights to compensation, prior to consulting with an attorney. To request a free copy, please call my office at 817-294-1900.

A suspected drunk driver caused a fatal multi-vehicle wreck on Saturday by driving the wrong way down I-35W – all the while with her six-month-old baby in the back of the car!

Brittany Burton, 25, has been charged with intoxication manslaughter and endangering a child after her suspected drunken exploits led to the death of a man over Thanksgiving weekend. The epic disaster began at approximately 11:30 pm on Saturday night when Burton drove her Jeep Liberty north in the southbound lanes of Interstate 35W in Fort Worth. The driver of a Honda Civic swerved to avoid a head-on collision with Burton’s vehicle, resulting in a collision with another car.

Burton continued to travel in the wrong direction, narrowly avoiding a collision with a Ford work van only because the van managed to swerve out of her path at the last moment. Unfortunately, the driver of the van was unable to miss the two stalled car up ahead and crashed into them, killing the as yet unidentified driver of the second car.

After police responded to a 911 call, Burton was eventually chased down and arrested in the 2300 block of I35W. It was then that police discovered the infant in her car’s backseat.

I am both horrified and disgusted at this reckless woman’s behavior. Getting behind the wheel while drunk is one thing, but to do so with your own child in the car is another matter entirely. The mere fact that she was apparently either indifferent or oblivious to the pile-up she has caused goes to demonstrate just how intoxicated she must have been. An innocent victim is now dead because of her. A family has lost someone dear to them, ruining not just their holiday season, but gravely impacting the rest of their lives.

As a Fort Worth personal injury lawyer and wrongful death attorney, I have a passionate dislike of drunk drivers and have fought on behalf of their victims for more than 21 years. Brittany Burton is without a doubt one of the most irresponsible and dangerous that I have ever encountered. I hope that people hear this story and understand just how serious the results of drunk driving can be. Thanksgiving and Christmas is a time to be merry, but that does not absolve anyone of their responsibilities. There is never any excuse to drive after you’ve been drinking. Bad stuff happens when you do.

In this particular horrific accident, a man’s life has been forever lost, a young child’s life was put in jeopardy by her own mother and tens of thousands of dollars in property damage have been caused. Brittany Burton is currently being held at Mansfield Detention Facility on a $200,000 bond. I hope they make an example of her and deter any other would-be drunk drivers this holiday season and beyond.

As a Dallas-Fort Worth personal injury and wrongful death lawyer, I have a big problem with drunk drivers. I’ve seen firsthand the devastating damages these idiots have caused not just in terms of property damage which is itself expensive, but also the bodily injuries they cause their victims. Some are left with crippling wounds which they will suffer with the rest of their lives. Some require extensive surgery involving amputations. Some are killed outright, leaving their families left to mourn for that person they loved who died simply because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I have no respect for those people who ruin lives through the utterly selfish act of getting behind the wheel after indulging in alcohol. There is no excuse. Ever.

And while DWI wrecks are never a laughing matter, I can’t help but find some amusement in the case of the New York drunk driver who not only managed to collide with a Police Officer’s vehicle while intoxicated, but who also happened to be wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the phrase “I’m a drunk” at the time. Here’s a photo of him. His name is Kevin Daly, 23. He’s currently held on a $10,000 bail facing charges of DWI.

According to reports, the police office whose car he hit suffered only minor injuries. He’s lucky. I’ve seen many drunk driving cases where the results have been far worse. Let’s hope they make an example of this complete and utter idiot.

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.

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 Weatherford personal injury lawyer, it never ceases to amaze me how often celebrities, athletes and other public figures are busted for drunk driving. I’m sure they realize how dangerous it is, so do they think that just because they’re rich and famous the law doesn’t apply to them? The latest person of interest to be arrested for driving while intoxicated is Walmart Heiress Alice Walton, 62, Parker County.

According to the Texas Highway Patrol, Walton was pulled over on I-20 in a construction zone near South Main Street in Weatherford shortly after 10pm last night. She was initially stopped for a traffic violation but when the arresting officer suspected that she might be over the legal alcohol limit, he administered a field sobriety test. She failed.

This is not the first time that Walton has been in trouble for her hazardous driving. In April 1989, she killed a pedestrian, Oleta Hardin, 50, although no charges were ultimately filed. In 1998, she was again driving under the influence of alcohol when she crashed her car into a gas meter. She is alleged to have told the responding officer, “I’m Alice Walton, bitch!” She got off with a fine.

Seeing people like this – regardless of who they are - who have repeatedly gotten behind the wheel when they know full well they are not capable of safely operating a vehicle should be penalized to the fullest extent of the law possible. Walton has already gotten off easy on two prior dangerous driving incidents, this is strike three. It should not be tolerated.

There is never any excuse for drunk driving. It doesn’t matter who you are. If you want to put your own life at risk, fine. But by getting in the driving seat after drinking you are jeopardizing other people’s safety too. That is inexcusable. Whenever someone hires me as their attorney after being injured by a drunk driver I do not hesitate to pursue their claim for compensation as aggressively possible. Drunk drivers need to be taught a lesson.

Speed and alcohol don’t go together and unfortunately one group of friends is learning that in the worst way possible. According to police in Garland, an accident involving an SUV carrying five passengers was caused due to a combination of alcohol and car speed. Just before dawn on Wednesday morning, the SUV crashed head-on to a utility pole on the LBJ Freeway (I-635).

A woman died in the wreck and police said the four other passengers were rushed to either Parkland Hospital or Baylor Medical Center. The male driver of the SUV is in critical condition – all of the riders in the car were in their 20s.

It’s like oil and water – drinking and driving just don’t mix. This is such a tragedy for such a young group of friends. Sometimes young people believe they are invincible and drunk driving accidents like this prove that it could happen to you. Please don’t drink and drive – one doesn’t suit the other.

The Anderson Law Firm in Fort Worth is a personal injury law firm that holds drunk drivers accountable. If you have been hurt because of a drunk driver, contact one of our accident attorneys today and learn what your legal options are.

Three of the victims of yesterday’s fatal car wreck in Arlington have been identified as twin brothers Michael and Stephen Eckles, 21 (one of whom was driving), and Danielle Ruthstrom, 19. It is believed all three attended Seguin High School in Arlington. Two other victims who are still in critical condition at JPS Hospital in Fort Worth have not yet been publically identified.

Police still do not know what exactly caused the car in which the group was riding to go off the road and crash into a tree, splitting it in half before becoming engulfed in flames. There was speculation that alcohol was a factor as a liquor bottle was found at the accident scene, although a close friend of the Eckles brothers whose home they had left just prior to the collision reported that he noticed nothing unusual about either of them.

The deadly accident happened at approximately 3:00 am yesterday morning at the intersection of Southeast Green Oaks Boulevard and Yaupon Drive, close to Ferguson Junior High School.

I wish to offer my most heartfelt condolences to the families of Michael, Stephen and Danielle. I cannot even imagine the grief you must be experiencing right now. What happened with a tragedy. On behalf of everyone here at the Anderson Law Firm, and I’m sure across the Dallas-Fort Worth area, I want you to know that our thoughts are with you.

To the loved ones of those still in hospital: I wish your children as full and speedy recovery as possible. Our thoughts are with you also.

It’s only Monday morning, and already a disastrous single-car accident which occurred in Arlington in the early hours has cost three people their lives and left another two hospitalized in critical condition. At approximately 3:00am this morning, an Arlington patrol officer witnessed a flash of light on Southeast Green Oaks Boulevard between Cravens Park Drive and Yaupon Drive. A Honda Accord carrying four passengers in addition to the driver crashed into a tree. No other vehicles were involved in the collision.

According to the police, the driver and a passenger identified as his brother were pronounced deceased at the wreck scene. A third person, a female, died shortly thereafter at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth. Another two individuals, both passengers in the car, remain in critical condition and are being treated for serious injuries. No names of the accident victims have been released, although police have confirmed the ages of all five individuals range from 17 to 21.

At this stage, a police investigation has not determined what caused the driver of the Honda to lose control, although it is believed that speeding was a factor. Given the rain we’ve had over the weekend after a month-long drought, the roads around DFW are particularly slippery right now, causing hazards for all motorists. Police also reported that a liquor bottle was recovered from the destroyed vehicle, and have noted that alcohol could possibly have been a factor although they cannot confirm whether the driver had indeed been drinking.

Regardless of the causes of this crash, the fact that it is a tragedy is undeniable. I would like to offer my most sincere and heartfelt sympathies to the families and loved ones of those whose lives were lost in the accident. I am very sorry for your loss. I would also like to offer my thoughts and hopes for a full recovery to those who remain under the doctors’ care.

Yesterday I wrote about a city of Irving worker getting hit by a suspected drunk driver while picking up highway cones and it seems another accident just like it happened in Dallas early this morning. A Dallas road construction worker was seriously hurt after a motorist hit him.

Dallas highway crews had the two right lanes of I-30 near St. Francis Avenue coned off when a Honda drifted into the construction zone and hit the worker. When police got to the scene of the accident they performed a field sobriety test on the Honda’s driver and what did they find? Well for one, that the guy was intoxicated and also a little white powdery substance in his pocket. Now the impaired driver faces an Intoxication Assault charge and possible more charges as authorities test the white powder in his pocket to see if it’s illegal drugs. (My guess is yes.)

Drunk or drugged drivers don’t only face criminal legal action against them for their crimes; their victims can take civil action against them, too. At the Anderson Law Firm in Fort Worth, we sue drunk drivers for hurting our clients. Many people don’t understand that the civil case is very different from the criminal case the drunk driver faces. Although the criminal case will get the drunk driver punished either by paying a fine, serving time or restricting a driver’s license – it will do nothing to pay back those that were innocent victims in the accident. Only in a civil case can you ever win money for the injuries the drunk driver forced you to have.

Learn about your legal rights after a drunk driving accident in DFW – you have a lot more options than you think.

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.

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.

So many auto accidents occur throughout the North Texas region that’s it’s easy to become somewhat complacent about them. For most people, the worst you are ever affected by a rollover wreck is that it causes you to take twice as long to get home as usual. As a Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, however, I see things rather differently. Every day I work for those people who have been seriously injured in such collisions. I also work for the families of those whose loved ones were not lucky enough to survive.

Fatal traffic accidents are on the rise. It doesn’t matter if you ride a motorcycle or drive a truck. Statistically, getting in your vehicle and setting out on the road is the most dangerous thing you will do today.

I was upset to hear of two tragic crashes which occurred yesterday:

In Weatherford, three people died in a head-on collision on Farm Road 2421. Police believe that Jorge Flores, 16, lost control of his car, which veered into the oncoming lane of traffic, hitting a pickup driven by William H. Morris, 53. Both drivers, along with Flores’ passenger, Alexandra Hernandez, 13, were pronounced dead at the crash scene.

In Arlington, police believe alcohol was a factor in an intersection wreck caused by Walter Tendi Chiyausiku, 29. Chiyausiku failed to stop at the four-way intersection, causing his SUV to strike a car driven by a mother and her child. Chiyausiku was arrested at the scene. The mother and son were taken to Cook’s Medical Center in Fort Worth. The boy died this morning.

If someone you loved has been taken from you by a negligent motorist, it’s important to understand your legal rights and to consult with a wrongful death attorney. I offer no fee, no obligation consultations. Call toll free at 800-354-6275 or locally at 817-294-1900.

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.

A family in Dallas has a tree to thank for keeping them safe from a drunk driver. Around 2:30 am on Sunday morning, a speeding car on the 12400 block of Jupiter Road in Dallas ran a red light and lost control. The vehicle crashed through a fence then slid off a tree before hitting the garage of the house.

One of the three men in the car accident, 19-year-old Humberto Najera of Dallas, was killed and another man fled the scene of the wreck on foot before being caught up with by authorities. According to him, the three men had been drinking before the accident.
The homeowners said they were grateful the tree deflected the car into their garage, rather than in the master bedroom where their mother was sleeping. Thankfully, nobody inside the home was hurt.

It seems like these days there’s not much you can do to protect yourself from drunk drivers. Even if you’re at home, some drunk person can crash their car into your house! It’s terrible to see a life end so young because of the dumb decision to drink and drive. Unfortunately, his friends have learned in the worst way that our actions have consequences.

If you have been hurt by a drunk driver in DFW, you can also pursue a civil claim against them your for injuries, besides the criminal case. You can read about this on my accident and injury law firm’s website, or contact me directly at 817-294-1900.

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.

At my personal injury law firm in Fort Worth, we hear about the same kinds of car accidents caused by drunk drivers over and over. The worst thing about them is that they are completely preventable!

Early Sunday morning, Michael Garza, stepped out of the Honda he was riding after it crashed into a barrier on Interstate 20 in Grand Prairie. While checking the damage to his car, another vehicle slammed into him and his Honda ending his life.

What caused the car Garza was riding in to hit the barrier? The answer could lie in what the driver, Taja Deweese, was drinking that night. According to police, Deweese hit the barrier near an exit because she was intoxicated.

The driver of the Jeep that hit the Honda was taken to Methodist Dallas Medical Center with serious injuries. His son who was also a passenger only suffered minor injuries.

In science class, you always hear every action has a reaction. Look at this car wreck for example. One little thing can cause a chain reaction around you. We can’t control the actions of others, but we can control our own. Don’t drink and drive and especially don’t get into a car with someone you know has been drinking – even if you are too incapacitated to drive yourself. We represent far too many clients who have been injured by drunk drivers at my personal injury law firm in Fort Worth. There is always another alternative to drinking and driving – don’t risk it or your life could change forever.

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.

I’ve said it hundreds of times before, and it seems that certain idiot drivers are determined for me to say it several hundred more times: don’t drink and drive. There is never an excuse. Since I first started helping personal injury victims throughout Dallas-Fort Worth 20 years ago, alcohol-related traffic accidents have caused far too many pointless injuries and fatalities throughout the metroplex. I have helped many of those people who have been injured by a drunk driver as a Texas car crash lawyer.

Yet people continue to wreck both their lives and the lives of others by making to inexcusable decision to get behind the wheel after having a drink. At approximately 1:45 this morning, for example, a woman suspected of drink-driving drove the wrong way down I-20 in Arlington and sideswiped an 18-wheeler. Both drivers were transported to John Peter Smith Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. As a result of the collision, police were forced to close the westbound lanes of I-20 near Green Oaks Boulevard for several hours, interfering with the morning drive for thousands of commuters.

As if that wasn’t enough, Arlington emergency services were already busy dealing with the aftermath of two other fatal accidents which occurred within the previous few hours:

At 10.30pm yesterday a lone driver was speeding down Eden Road near Kennedale when he lost control of his vehicle and flipped off the road. The deceased was a 30-year-old male. His name has not yet been released by authorities.

Later, at approximately 1.30am, a passenger riding in pickup was ejected and killed after the pickup was struck from behind by a hit and run driver. Police are still searching for the driver responsible for the collision, whom they believe was driving a white Nissan truck. Anyone who may have any information is asked to contact Arlington Police Department at 817-459-5635.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a crash caused by a negligent motorist, regardless of whether alcohol was a factor, you are invited to call the personal injury and wrongful death attorneys at the Anderson Law Firm by calling toll free at 800-354-6275.

“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 all heard the PSA “Drink, Drive, Go To Jail” from Texas law enforcement agencies, but for people in San Antonio, it’s not just jail time that will get you. Digital billboards in the San Antonio area will now feature the names and photos of suspected drunken drivers who are sought.

It’s a new effort by police and Bexar County authorities to get felony offenders and people sought for charges like intoxication assault or vehicular manslaughter to surrender. The program is supported by Mothers Against Drunk Driving and use of about a dozen electronic billboards has been donated by Clear Channel Outdoor.

What would it take to get these billboards in North Texas? I think this is a great idea, and not just because I work as a personal injury attorney who handles drunk driving accident cases. To me, anyone who would drive drunk and completely disrespect the law should be publicly humiliated. Not only would more of these criminals get caught, but I think it would also deter people from drinking and driving. Whatever works to make our streets safer is ok with me – and I never mind a really funny mug shot either.

What do you think? Would you like to see these types of billboards in Fort Worth? Do you think it would help make people smarter drivers?

Tonight, HBO premiers a controversial documentary on the horrifying car accident in New York caused by Diane Schuler. The car accident was one of them most upsetting crashes in recent memory. Two years ago this Tuesday, Diane Schuler drove two miles in the wrong direction on the Taconic State Parkway, ultimately killing eight people including herself, her daughter and three nieces. At first there was confusion as to how an accident of this magnitude could have happened, but after toxicology report was released the cause of the accident was clear. Diane was drunk and high at the time of the accident with a blood alcohol level of .19 percent –what equals about 10 shots of liquor.

It’s kind of disturbing to admit, but because of my job as a personal injury attorney in Fort Worth, hearing about car accidents is just an everyday thing for me. But accidents like this one will shake you to the core. Apparently, some of Diane’s family members cannot believe she would have driven drunk with her kids. Instead they think somehow there must have been a mistake with the reports or that Diane had a medical emergency that caused the accident. This documentary is part of their attempt to answer their lingering questions about what caused such a terrible thing to happen.

Since I haven’t seen the film, I can’t say what the movie discovers. I do know it’s hard to argue with toxicology reports. But still, it’s very hard to believe that someone everyone described as a loving and devoted mother could endanger the lives of their children by driving drunk. I guess sometimes you never truly know people. Whatever the cause of this accident, it is a reminder to all parents to never drink and drive, especially if your kids are in the car. Even a couple margaritas at dinner can be too many. Drunk driving accidents can happen to anyone and just because you think you can handle your liquor doesn’t mean you can.

“There’s Something Wrong With Aunt Diane” premieres tonight on HBO at 8 o’clock.

Maybe if we had more Amish in Texas there would be less fatal drunk driving accidents. At least in Cattaraugus County in New York, some of the driver’s boozing on the road are riding dirty in a horse and buggy, not cars and trucks. Yes, today’s weird legal news comes right out of the Old Country where a 17-year-old Amish boy has been charged with resisting arrest and unlawful possession of an alcoholic beverage by a person under 21 after police saw him with an open container of beer in his buggy.

The young man took police on a short chase when they attempted to pull him over and ask about the open container of alcohol. Not to self: when evading arrest, horse and buggy is not the best option. Eventually police caught up with the teen and arrested him for driving under the influence.

As a personal injury attorney in Fort Worth, if there had to be drunk drivers I’d much rather them be driving horses than cars with horse power, but the law is the law. It’s illegal to operate any motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol – including horse and buggy.

As a Dallas-Fort Worth motorcycle accident & injury attorney, I know that motorcyclists are the most vulnerable motorists on our road, and the most likely to suffer life-threatening injuries in the event of a highway collision. Such accidents are rarely the fault of the bike rider. Rather, it is the fault of truck and car drivers who fail to give motorcyclists the respect they deserve to the point of negligence.

I am greatly saddened to hear that Jason Wakeford (30), a motorcyclist from Keller, Texas, was killed in a traffic wreck in far north Tarrant County in the early hours of yesterday morning. A Jeep being driven by a suspected drunk driver, Cristan Jerri Melancon (18), also from Keller, turned on to Wall Price Road and crashed into Mr. Wakeford’s bike. Mr. Wakeford was transported to John Peter Smith Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries shortly afterwards. Ms. Melancon is being held at Tarrant County Jail on suspicion of intoxication manslaughter. She was uninjured in the crash.

The poor judgment – or rather, inexcusably bad decisions – by drivers who decide to get behind the wheel after drinking causes a great many deaths in the DFW metroplex each year. It seems that not a week goes by without another fatal alcohol-related car wreck. It genuinely makes me angry. There is no excuse to attempt to drive if you’ve been drinking. I hope that Ms. Melancon receives the harshest punishment for her crime and the devastation she is responsible for in causing this fatal accident.

My thoughts go out to the friends and family of Mr. Wakeford. I am deeply sorry for your loss.

Some of the very worst auto accidents I have encountered in my 20 years as a Dallas-Fort Worth personal injury lawyer have been caused by drunk drivers. According to MADD, more than 11,000 people die in alcohol-related traffic collisions each year, and many thousands more are injured. Fort Worth drunk-driving wrecks cause devastating injuries, which is why I support the use of a new technology called the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS) which aims to prevent such tragedies by automatically detecting whether the driver is intoxicated when they get behind the wheel. If the driver’s alcohol limit exceeds the legal limit of .08, then their vehicle becomes inoperable – forcing them to take a cab home and potentially save someone’s life.

Congress is currently considering the Roads Safe Act which would make the DADSS technology mandatory in every new vehicle. I believe this technology could really make a difference and make our roads safer for everyone. I’ve seen accidents caused by a drunk driver who was driving on the wrong side of the road, who ran a red light, or dozens of other idiotic scenarios. Driving while intoxicated is a crime – it is deadly. To make sure your voice is heard on this subject, you can email your Representative and Senators in support of the Roads Safe Act.

Mark Anderson is a board certified Tarrant County personal injury and wrongful death attorney. If you or a loved one have been injured in an auto accident caused by a drunk driver, we would like to offer you a complimentary consultation on your personal situation to discuss your legal right to compensation. We can help you get the compensation you deserve and can also help you cooperate with the criminal justice system to make sure the drunk driver is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

For a free consultation call today at 817-294-1900.

As a Tarrant County personal injury lawyer, one of my greatest hates is reserved for drunk drivers. There is no excuse to drive drunk. Never. Regardless of whether you’re merry, tipsy, buzzed or smashed, there is no distinction. You’re not fit to drive. Period. Plan ahead: either arrange a designated driver for the evening, or make alternative plans to get home, either a cab or a ride from a friend. If you’re going to be drinking you should know that you shouldn’t be driving home. Fatal traffic accidents involving alcohol are far too common in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex as it is. Please don’t add to the death toll.

Watauga police are awaiting the results of a blood-alcohol test performed on suspected drunk driver Billie J. Miller (27) who is responsible for a fatal car wreck which occurred on US 377 early Sunday morning. Miller is expected to have been over the legal limit for operating a motor vehicle when he crashed his pickup truck into a car being driven by Amanda Beasley (25) of Fort Worth. Ms. Beasley was transported to John Peter Smith Hospital where she dies several hours later. Miller was not injured in the collision. He is currently being held in the city and will likely be charged with intoxication manslaughter.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a car, truck or motorcycle accident caused by a drunk driver, it is important that you consult with a board certified personal injury and wrongful death attorney to be informed of your legal right to seek compensation for your medical bills, loss of income and any pain you have suffered. I have been fighting for the rights of drunk drivers’ victims across North Texas since 1991. I despise drunk drivers and I will fight aggressively to make sure you receive the damages you deserve. Call me today for a free no obligation consultation at 817-294-1900 or toll free at 800-354-MARK (6275)

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.

Every car crash I’ve seen in the past 20 years as a Fort Worth personal injury lawyer has been preventable. They might be accidents, but someone is always at fault. People don’t intentionally get into a wreck, but through some act of negligence – no matter how small – someone is responsible. The five most common causes of wrecks in Texas include speeding, right-of-way violations, driving while intoxicated, disregarding traffic signals and tailgating. In each and every one of these cases the negligent driver should know better and realize the danger that they pose both to themselves and anyone else who is unfortunate enough to be on the road at the same time as them.

However, a special category of hate is reserved for those idiots who make the incredibly poor decision to get behind the wheel after they’ve been drinking. I’d wonder what on Earth they were thinking, but that’s the whole problem: they weren’t thinking at all. Some good news has (finally) come out of the recent Texas legislative session; drivers guilty of intoxication assault now will face harsher punishments. Good enough for them.

The Abdallah Khader Law (House Bill 1109) is named after a five year-old child left severely brain damaged after a repeat drunk driving offender, Stewart Richardson of Arlington, collided with the Khader family’s car. The law means that for certain offenses the prison time will double. The maximum penalty for drivers who have left their victim in a vegetative state will jump up from 10 years imprisonment to 20 years.

This is great news. While, as a personal injury attorney, I am able to help auto accident victims recover the costs of their medical bills and other crash-related costs from the insurance company, I think it is incredibly important that the criminal law system suitably punishes those who caused the wreck in the first place. I hope that these stricter penalties will send a strong message to anyone contemplating making the worst mistake of their life.

It’s just a shame Rick Perry doesn’t see the very real hazard that texting while driving poses also.

A very sad day for the MTV family and “Jackass” lovers everywhere as one of the founding members of the popular stunt show, Ryan Dunn, was killed early this morning in a Pennsylvania car accident.

According to CNN, Dunn and another passenger in his 2007 Porsche 911 GT3 were killed in the fiery crash on State Route 322 in West Goshen, Pennsylvania. At this time, authorities say speed may have been a factor in the car accident, although they are still investigating the cause of the wreck at this time.

Unfortunately, there could be another reason Dunn crashed his car. Just hours before the accident, Dunn posted a photo of himself and two friends drinking at a local bar. It’s unclear yet whether alcohol played a role in the car accident, but witnesses at the bar said Dunn seemed to be intoxicated when he left.

Only time will tell if Dunn’s car wreck was caused because he was drunk driving, speeding or if it was just an absolute accident. But what is important to remember from this story is that car accidents can happen to anyone. It’s crazy to think that after all the dangerous acts Dunn attempted on Jackass, that he would lose his life in a car wreck.

Car accidents can happen to anyone at any time. Don’t take your life for granted and always be cautious when you get behind the wheel. Our hearts go out to Ryan’s family. We will surely miss laughing at his insane stunts on Jackass.
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This commentary was provided by Texas Board Certified personal injury attorney, Mark Anderson. If you have been hurt in a car accident in Fort Worth, call our DFW car accident lawyers at 817-294-1900.

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.

As a Fort Worth personal injury lawyer I’ve seen all sorts of unusual auto accident cases over the past 20 years. A fatal collision which occurred in Grand Prairie last week is proving to be one such case which has no shortage of twists. The wreck occurred on Friday night on I-30 near Highway 161. Gustavo Camacho (31, of Arlington) crashed his truck into the back of a car, starting a multi-vehicle pileup. Shun Jerome Williams (32) was in the car rear-ended by Camacho and was killed in the accident. Several others were injured including members of the Lara family who were riding in the third vehicle.

Camacho was charged with Intoxication Manslaughter and Intoxication Assault. Police report that he was also driving without a valid license and that he had two prior drunk driving convictions. Now it turns out that he might have been in the country illegally. Camacho is currently being held at Dallas County Jail under a federal hold order from customs and immigration officials.

I have helped clients before who have been injured by illegal aliens and who are rightly concerned whether they can still pursue a personal injury claim for compensation even though the negligent driver was not lawfully in the USA. The answer is that if they have an American insurance policy, then of course you can. Insurance providers are not required to obtain proof of citizenship or even legal residency in order to insure someone.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a traffic accident and you believe the at fault driver is in Texas illegally, then it is critical that you contact an experienced car wreck attorney as soon as possible as in these cases time is often of the essence. Call me toll free at 800-354-MARK (6275) or locally at 817-294-1900 and I’ll be happy to discuss your personal situation and explain your legal rights.

Speeding led to a fiery car crash on Katy Road in Keller early Sunday morning.

Witnesses heard 40-year-old, Robert Lopez plow through a field and crush through two fences before hitting the foundation of a small house. Police said Lopez was driving more than 90 mph in a 30 mph zone when his Mercedes CLS550.

The car burst into flames on impact with the house. Witnesses freed Lopez from the car, but his injuries were too great. He was pronounced dead at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth. Luckily, the family inside the home was able to get out unharmed.

Keller police said speed was definitely a factor in the car accident. Katy Road is very narrow due to construction for a Fort Worth sewer line project, but police also think alcohol could have played a part in the accident. Authorities are waiting on toxicology tests to see if any dangerous substances were in Lopez’s system.

What a terrifying ordeal for the family whose home was hit in this car accident. I can’t imagine waking up to find a flaming car in my living room! I’m so happy that the family escaped the fire and that nobody inside was hurt by the car.

We see this way too often in Dallas and Fort Worth—speeding drivers that cause car accidents. Now whether or not Lopez was drinking and driving; only time will tell. But why on earth was he going 90 mph in a 30 mph zone if he wasn’t?

Fortunately in this story, only the driver was injured. In my line of work as a Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, it’s usually just the opposite. My clients are usually the ones most hurt after accidents – just because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

If you were in the wrong place at the wrong time and were hurt in a car accident because of a drunk driver or some other negligence, call the Anderson Law Firm in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900.

When you think of drunk driving accidents happening, you generally think of them happening at night. But even in the light of day, all drivers in the Fort Worth, Dallas area need to be aware of drunk drivers sharing the road.

The terrible actions of a reckless drunk driver took the life of a Granbury man in the middle of the day on Saturday.Rescue workers declared Robert Siever dead at the scene after his Harley-Davidson motorcycle collided with a Honda CRV.The driver of the Honda, Korby Shipley, was arrested on a charge of intoxication manslaughter.

At my personal injury law firm in Fort Worth, we’ve represented many victims of drunk driving and the aftermath from their accident is usually devastating. Through the years of representing these clients, I’ve learned that drunk drivers are around us all the time.

Even in the middle of the day we need to drive defensively and stay aware of people driving who look like they’ve been boozing. But sometimes, unfortunately, all the defensive driving in the world isn't going to help. We are often left to suffer the consequences of someone else's reckless decision to drink and drive.

If you’ve been injured because of a drunk driver, you have legal options. To learn more about your legal options after a drunk driving accident, give my law firm a call at 817-294-1900 and set up a free, no obligation case consultation with us.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There have been several serious drunk driving traffic wrecks in and around Fort Worth over the past few weeks, which is particularly worrisome to me as a Tarrant County personal injury lawyer. Getting in the driver’s seat after drinking is incredibly dangerous – if you’re not sober enough to calculate your bar tip or walk to the door in a straight line, then what on Earth makes you think you’re capable of operating a 3+ ton vehicle at 60 mph?

One drunken idiot showed just how stupid drinking and driving was on Saturday night. At about 7pm, a drunken motorist crashed into two parked police cars on I-20 near the Highway 360 exit in Arlington. Police officers were investigating an earlier collision when the drunk’s car smashed into two unoccupied squad cars and flipped upside-down. The driver of the car was rushed to hospital although his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. Fortunately, no police officers were injured in the wreck. Reports state that the driver was driving while intoxicated and was speeding.

Texas has more alcohol-related auto accident fatalities than any other state. I’m a proud Texan, but that’s one honor I think we can all agree to be ashamed of. Based on statistics, four people die every single day as a result of drink driving crashes. That is simply not acceptable, and that’s why I continue working for the rights of those people who suffer as a result of other’s negligence and recklessness. As a board-certified personal injury and wrongful death attorney I offer free, no obligation consultations of accident victims and their family members, so give me a call toll free at 800-354-MARK (6275) or locally at 817-294-1900.

Alcohol related car accidents are a part of my job as a personal injury lawyer in Fort Worth. I’ve practiced PI law for more than 20 years and during that time some of the most devastating cases I’ve taken have been caused by a drunk driver.

April is National Alcohol Awareness Month. I know, I know – there’s a “National Awareness Month” for everything. But take a look at the havoc alcohol has caused on our North Texas roads in the last few weeks:

• March 24, 2011 – a drunk driver pulled out in front of an 18-wheeler on an Interstate 20 ramp in Fort Worth. The truck careened over the retainer wall and dangled at 100 feet for an hour until crews could rig a harness to rescue the truck driver. Luckily everyone survived the accident, but morning traffic was piled up for hours because of the shutdown ramp.

• March 28, 2011 – a drunk driver headed the wrong way on Interstate 30 in east Fort Worth slammed into a full tanker truck, causing a huge explosion that shut down I30 for hours and killed the innocent truck driver. Due to the damage caused by the explosion, parts of I30 will be shut down for repairs until at least July and traffic continues to be a problem near the accident scene. Did I mention the repairs to the bridge will cost $700,000? Louis Nieves, the drunk driver that caused the wreck, walked away from the accident with just a few scratches.

• April 10, 2011 – Fort Worth Stockyard legend, Randy Rostetter, was killed by a suspected drunk driver. Randy had been a fixture in the Stockyards greeting guests and taking pictures with his steer, Lone Star, for more than 20 years.

People die in alcohol related car accidents every week in Fort Worth, this is just a small sampling of that. Drunk drivers affect us all – don’t be one of them.

The drunk driver who slammed into a Dallas police officer’s car!

Luckily no one was injured last night when the drunk driver hit the officer’s car. The police officer was out of his vehicle directing traffic around another accident when his car was hit by the intoxicated driver.

Now how dumb is this guy? Probably the last thing you want to do is hit a police car, but to be intoxicated when you crash into it…wow. Another example of just how easy it is for drunk drivers to cause accidents.

Many thanks to WFAA for bringing us this story of sheer stupidity. Thankfully everyone in this situation is ok, but as I know from my career as a personal injury lawyer in Fort Worth, drunk driving accidents usually don’t end with everybody unscathed.

Drunk drivers really get my blood boiling. If you ever get hit by a drunk driver, call my law firm at 817-293-1900 or contact us here. We’ll do everything we can to get you the justice you deserve.

I hope this idiot of the day gets his reality check and doesn’t drive drunk in Dallas again.

As a Fort Worth personal injury attorney, I know that drunk driving is always incredibly dangerous, but it is rare that one drunk driver brings upon himself the wrath of an entire city… Following the fiery wreck in the early hours of yesterday morning, more details have emerged about the pickup driving the wrong way down I-30 which collided with a fuel-carrying tanker truck, causing a massive explosion which killed the driver of the 18-wheeler and shut down the westbound lanes of the interstate for the entire day. The driver of the pickup has been named as Louis Nieves, 23, who has been arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated and intoxicated manslaughter.

I’ll come back to Mr. Nieves in a moment, but first an update on how this crash continues to affect Fort Worth commuters: it’s not good – and it doesn’t look like it’s going to get any better any time soon. TxDot has announced that two of the westbound lanes will be shut down “indefinitely” while essential repairs are made to the bridge where the big rig burnt out. As the semi was transporting a large amount of gasoline at the time of the accident, much of the fuel ran down the interior of the bridge where it continued to burn causing massive structural damage which could take several months to repair.

The death of the truck driver, who has still not been named by authorities, is enough to condemn Louis Nieves; but due to the severity of the wreck he caused, Nieves has inconveniences thousands of people due to the increased congestion on all routes heading westbound into downtown Fort Worth. Already this morning, commuters experienced sever delays on I-20, East Loop 820, Texas 287 and Texas 121. But while the traffic mayhem will surely become the eventual focus of the local media as the chaos continues, let us not forget that this whole mess is because one idiot decided to get behind the wheel after drinking. Many people are experiencing inconvenience due to his actions, but one family is mourning the loss of a loved one. Most drunk driving accidents do not get this much attention, but they always end in serious injury or death. Driving while intoxicated is inexcusable, and given the attention he is getting, I hope that Nieves is made an example of.

Mark Anderson is a Tarrant County auto accident and wrongful death lawyer, and author of the book 15 Mistakes To Winning Your Texas Accident Case. He is board certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and has been helping injury victims across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex since 1991. To arrange a free, no obligation consultation on your case, call 817-294-1900.

Local news stations were buzzing yesterday with the dramatic rescue of three people in a two car crash that left an 18-wheeler dangling over a guardrail on the southbound ramp connecting westbound Interstate 20 and I-35W and a red car pinned underneath it.

It was a dramatic rescue, the likes usually seen only in Hollywood. It took Fort Worth emergency responders three hours to clear the scene, but in the end everyone escaped with only minimal injuries.

But today, new details on the cause of that accident lead investigators to believe alcohol may have been a factor. Police are accusing Nicholas Colon, the driver of the red Honda, of causing the crash by pulling in front of the tanker truck. Colon was taken into custody at JPS Hospital after being freed by the Jaws of Life for suspicion of DWI and unlawfully carrying a weapon. According to Fort Worth police, Colon had stopped against the left retaining wall on the ramp, but then pulled out abruptly and was hit by the truck.

We look at a lot of terrible car accident pictures at my personal injury law firm in Fort Worth, but after looking at the pictures of this wreck I am so surprised everyone is alive and without any serious injuries! All of the emergency responders, especially the Fort Worth Fire Department, should be commended for their incredible ability to pull off an amazing rescue.

This morning when I learned the driver of the car might have been drunk it really irritated me. It especially bugged me when I read this guy’s already been busted for a DWI before! When will people learn that driving drunk causes car accidents? If any of you have ever been on the ramp where this accident happened, you know that nobody in their right mind would ever pull over there—unless their car just quit on them. It seems to me that this guy may not have learned his lesson from his first DWI offense.

Drunk drivers are a major problem in Texas, but there are ways to avoid costly and damaging drunk driving accidents. Protect yourself against drunk drivers by driving defensively. If you have been hit by a drunk driver, call my law firm at 817-294-1900. We can go over your options and talk about how you can recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering that are directly related to the drunk driving accident.

I’m so glad this accident didn’t involve any fatalities and again, great job to the Fort Worth Fire Department. You guys are awesome.

Drunk driving accidents are no joke. Of all the personal injury victims that I’ve met over the years, those who have been hurt in a traffic collision where the driver at fault was driving while intoxicated often suffer most needlessly. Alcohol-related car crashes are 100% preventable. Fortunately, Fort Worth’s Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee endorsed a bill this week to introduce sobriety checkpoints throughout the city and state.

If the bill passes, then Texas will become the 40th state to implement DWI checkpoints since the US Supreme Court ruled them constitutional more than 20 years ago. While the exact details are still being worked out, Ft. Worth Police are already emphasizing that the traffic stops are not intended to produce more arrests, but rather to act as a deterrent to those considering driving home when they know better.

I think that this proposal is a great idea - as anything that is able to reduce the number of drink driving deaths in Tarrant County truly benefits us all. There were a total of 90 alcohol-related fatalities in Fort Worth alone from 2008-2010, not to mention countless other injuries as a result of someone getting behind the wheel after an evening at the bar. In 2008, Texas had more DWI deaths than any other state.

Mark Anderson is a board certified PI and Wrongful Death Attorney who has served the people of Fort Worth, Arlington and the surrounding areas since 1991. If you or a loved one have been injured in a wreck that wasn’t your fault, call the Anderson Law Firm for a complimentary evaluation of your case. Our number is 817-294-1900. There is no obligation, and unless we win, you don’t owe us a penny.

A woman is in critical condition and a motorist in custody after a hit-and-run crash this morning in Plano that shut down the northbound lanes of U.S. Highway 75. Police said the woman was struck by a pickup shortly after 9 a.m. as she tried to cross the highway just north of Park Boulevard. The pickup didn't stop.

The overpass was just a couple hundred yards away, and it's pedestrian-friendly, She could have crossed there. That's the sad part about it. The hit-and-run suspect was taken into custody on suspicion of leaving the scene of an accident. The suspect's truck was located near southbound Central and Spring Creek Parkway. Neither the suspect nor the victim was identified.

Hit and runs usually never have good outcomes. I am glad that the driver was caught, but my thoughts and prayers go out to the woman who is in critical condition. Hit and run accidents account for 12% of fatalities involving car accidents and studies show that the numbers have increased every year since 2000.

Information and commentary provided by Car Accident Lawyer Mark A. Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or in Dallas at 214-327-8000. If you or a loved one has been injured in a car crash, please fill out our contact form for a free consultation.

Garland Police Officer Jason Voelz was involved in a drunk driving accident when an intoxicated driver crashed into him shortly after 1 a.m. on Sunday morning on the George Bush Tollway at Holford Road. Voelz, a five year veteran, had arrested a female prisoner for outstanding warrants. After he placed the woman in the back seat of his squad car he was standing on the side of his car when another driver veered onto the shoulder of the road and hit the squad car and the officer.

Voelz was flown to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas in serious condition. He has several broken bones and serious surgery will be needed. The female prisoner and the suspected drunken driver were taken to Baylor Medical Center of Garland with less serious injuries.

Statistics show that in between Thanksgiving and the New Year, alcohol related accidents increase. My thoughts and prayers go out to the Garland officer and his family. It is very unfortunate that this drunk driving idiot didn't make the decision to call a taxi, call a friend or just sleep it off. This intoxicated driver will defiantly be spending some time behind bars. 

Information and commentary provided by Fort Worth Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Mark A. Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm can be reached at 1-800-354-MARK. If you or a loved one has been injured from the negligence of another, please fill out our contact card for a free consultation.

I can’t believe we have now have another wrong way driver incident. And it is also another drunk driving case. There seems to be an epidemic of these cases lately.

A drunken driving suspect traveling the wrong way on Interstate 35E caused a head-on collision that killed his passenger and snarled downtown traffic this morning. The crash happened about 4:45 a.m. when a southbound sedan trying to get onto Interstate 30 slammed into a northbound car and then collided with a third vehicle near the Houston Street viaduct. Both the wrong-way driver and his passenger were transported to Parkland Memorial Hospital, where the passenger died. The driver is currently in critical condition.

A woman in one of the other cars was taken to Methodist Dallas Medical Center in stable condition. The driver of the third vehicle was not injured. None of the victims were identified. Alcohol may have played a role in the crash and that the driver of the wrong-way vehicle could face intoxication manslaughter charges.

Sixty one percent of wrong way drivers who caused a car crash were under the influence of alcohol. Additionally 79 percent of drunk driving accidents happen in between the hours of one and five in the morning. Unfortunately, the Dallas and Fort Worth area has recently had many accidents from wrong-way drivers around these hours. I hope that justice is served on this drunk driver. Some possible penalties for intoxication manslaughter are:

• Jail time of up to 20 years
• Fines of up to $10,000
• Probation and random alcohol testing
• Interlock device on vehicle
• Alcohol classes
• Community service hours typically starting at a minimum of 200
• Revocation or suspension of drivers license

Information and commentary provided by Dallas and Fort Worth Drunk Driving Lawyer Mark A. Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or in Dallas at 214-327-8000. If you have questions about a drunk driving accident, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

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A drunken driving suspect was arrested Sunday evening after she crashed into a concrete pillar Sunday evening in South Dallas, injuring four children in the vehicle. Shirley Ann Alfaro, 27, of Dallas was being held in the Dallas County Jail on four counts of intoxication assault. She also lacked a driver's license. Her bail has not been set. The crash happened around 6 p.m. as the 1999 Chevrolet Suburban sped north on César Chávez Boulevard near Grand Avenue. There were five children, ages 3 to 11, in the back of the SUV and a man in the front passenger seat. It's unclear still how the children were related to the suspect.

Four of the children were taken to Children's Medical Center Dallas; two were in critical condition and two were in serious condition Sunday night. The fifth child, age 3, wasn't hurt. The woman's 33-year-old boyfriend was taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital with unknown injuries.

I hope these innocent children are able to heal quickly 100 percent. This is the second wreck within a week that an irresponsible adult was driving and injured children in Dallas. Here is some advice I have if anyone is unclear about drinking and driving. DON’T DO IT! There are more than 12,000 fatalities annually due to drunk driving, and many more accidents and injuries. Additionally 50 percent of accidents that happen during the weekend are alcohol related. If you are going to drink, please do not drive.

Information and commentary provided by Dallas Fort Worth Drunk Driving Accident Attorney Mark A. Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm can be contacted in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or in Dallas at 214-327-8000. If you have any questions about a drunk driving collision, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

On Saturday night, two men outside of Fort Worth were involved in a head on collision, killing a Carrollton man. The van driver, Eric Supe, 22, of Crowley was arrested shortly after the accident and accused of intoxication assault. Hurst police said Monday that he now would be facing an intoxication manslaughter charge. Supe was released from the Hurst Jail during the weekend after posting a $5,000 bond. The man killed was identified as Ricardo Magallon, 32, who died at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth shortly after the wreck. Magallon was listed as being from Dallas on the Tarrant County medical examiner's website, but family members said Monday that he and his family had recently moved to Carrollton.

The two-car accident occurred shortly after 5 a.m. Saturday in the 400 block of Texas 121 in the westbound lanes, near the Hurstview Drive Bridge. Supe was driving a 1999 Ford Windstar eastbound in the westbound lanes of Airport Freeway. Hurst police had not determined where Supe had entered the freeway or how long he had been driving the wrong way. At some point, Supe's van collided with a 2004 Kia Spectra driven by Magallon. Magallon was taken by air ambulance to the Fort Worth hospital where he was pronounced dead at early that morning. Magallon was driving to his construction job in Bridgeport.

I hate to hear about this tragic accident. It seems we hear about drunk driving wrecks all the time and some of them involve driving the wrong way on a highway. Here is a list of Five Statistics about Wrong-Way Drivers in Texas:

•61 percent of wrong way drivers who caused a car accident were under the influence of drugs or alcohol
•Wrong way accidents are more prevalent during non-daylight hours, particularly early morning hours before sunlight
•Approximately 50 percent of crashes caused by wrong way drivers resulted in an incapacitating injury or fatality, which is significantly higher than other states.
•Males account for slightly over two-thirds of the wrong way drivers in Texas, and almost half of wrong way drivers were under the age of 34.

Ricardo Megallon was a hard working citizen that was on his way to work to support his wife and two children. Two months ago a similar case went through the court system and the wrong way/intoxicated driver received a slap on the wrist. My thoughts and prayers go out to the Megallon family and I hope that justice is served to Eric Supe.

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

A Dallas police officer was hurt Thursday morning when his squad car was hit by a drunk driver in far North Dallas. The officer was southbound on Montfort Drive shortly after 1 a.m. when a woman driving east on Belt Line Road ran a red light and struck him. The impact spun the officer's squad car into a pickup and another vehicle stopped at the intersection. Neither those drivers nor the woman were hurt. The officer, who was not identified, suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to a hospital for treatment. His condition is still unknown. The woman, identified as 29-year-old Melinda Barbara Rodriguez, faces a charge of driving while intoxicated (DWI), which could be upgraded depending on the officer’s injuries.

I’m very glad to hear that they’re was non life-threatening injuries to the police officer and hopefully he has a swift recovery that will allow him to get back to work. About 21 percent of driving-age Americans reported they had driven after drinking in the past year, making about 950 million drinking-driver trips. In about 9 percent of these trips, or about 80 million, the driver’s blood alcohol content (BAC) was 0.08 or above. With this statistic your chances of getting involved in an accident are high even if you have not been drinking. An important tip is to try minimizing your driving late at night when many drunk drivers are out.

Information and commentary is provided by Dallas and Fort Worth Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Mark A. Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm can be reached in Dallas at 214-327-8000 or in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900. If you have any questions about a drunk driving accident, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

Dr. Gary Purdue, chief of the burn section at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas and co-director of the Parkland Memorial Hospital burn unit in Dallas for 22 years, has died in a motorcycle crash. Police said he was riding north in the 10400 block of Webb Chapel Road at 7:20 a.m. when the driver of an SUV ran a stop sign, hit him and knocked him through a backyard fence. Even though Purdue was wearing a helmet, he was pronounced dead at Parkland Memorial Hospital this morning. Police arrested the SUV's driver, Justin Heaton, and charged him with intoxication manslaughter.

Purdue was a past president of the American Burn Association and a burn specialist who was instrumental in leading the Parkland burn unit to national prominence. The unit is one of the nation's largest and treats almost 1,000 burn patients a year. Purdue is survived by his wife, daughter, three sons and a grandson.

This is truly a tragic, senseless loss for his family, friends, and citizens that he has touched the past 22 years. Wearing a helmet, not riding when roads are slick, and making yourself visible to other cars, is all good advice when riding a motorcycle. However, even though Purdue was abiding every rule in the book, there was nothing he could do to stop an intoxicated, reckless driver from slamming into him. Justin Heaton’s myspace page says he likes to “party, party, party,….and that I am reckless.” Justice will be served on Justin, but I am sad that North Texas lost Purdue, such an outstanding citizen.

Information and commentary is provided by Texas Motorcycle Accident Attorney Mark A. Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm can be reached in Dallas at 214-327-8000 or in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900. If you have any questions about a motorcycle accident or a drunk driving accident, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

A Fort Worth man was killed this morning when his motorcycle collided with a drunken driving suspect, police said. Luis Ruiz, 34, died at the scene of the accident in the 1300 block of North Main Street, south of the Fort Worth Stockyards. The crash happened shortly before 2:30 a.m. when a driver headed south on main street turned in front of the biker at Northside Drive. The driver has not been identified yet but cowardly fled the scene. He was caught across the Trinity River in the 1100 block of Locust Street. He was arrested on a charge of intoxication manslaughter.

This weekend if you are going out to drink, please be smart about it. Call a taxi, have a designated driver, or don’t plan on driving. Most of the time when one mixes drinking, driving, and 2:30 a.m. they are not going to like the outcome. It is sad to read another story about one’s life being taken from a careless drunk driver. My condolences go out the innocent victim and his family.

Information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Mark Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or in Dallas at 214-327-8000. If you have questions about drunk driving accidents, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

A wrong-way driver drove eight miles down northbound Stemmons Freeway in Dallas and crashed head-on into another motorist. He was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving earlier this morning. Jose Chavez, 38, faces a charge of driving while intoxicated after he drove his Nissan south onto the northbound lanes of Stemmons at Northwest Highway.

It's a miracle that both these drivers survived this accident. An onlooker reported the incident shortly before 2:45 a.m. after watching Chavez hit a 26-year-old woman driver near Market Center Boulevard. Both drivers were taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital for treatment. The woman has already been released. Police officers talked with Chavez at the hospital and then delivered him to the Dallas County Jail.

Drunken driving continues to be a major problem in today’s world. There are approximately 12,000 fatalities annually due to drunk driving, and many more accidents and injuries. Fortunately no one was fatally injured in this car crash. To avoid being another statistic you can take a few simple driving safety precautions to drastically reduce your chances of being involved in a drunken driving accident.

Reading articles like this really concern me. It’s hard for me to imagine what was going through Jose Chavez’s mind when he entered the wrong-way entrance onto the freeway. Luckily, there was a witness to describe to the police what happened. I wish a speedy recovery for the other driver. Hopefully stories like this will deter other drivers from driving drunk. When you drink and drive, you will go to jail.

Information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Mark Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or in Dallas at 214-327-8000. If you have questions about drunk driving accidents, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

Every day in the Dallas/ Fort Worth area someone will decide to drink and drive. About a year ago, Mariza Rodriguez Martinez decided to drink and drive with a Blood Alcohol Content of 0.13 percent, above the 0.08 legal limit. Martinez left Gleneagles Country Club in Plano and drove the wrong direction on the freeway, which ended tragically killing Kara Taylor, 16, of Little Elm. Martinez reached speeds of 95 mph as she weaved from one side of the road to the other. Collin County jury found Martinez guilty of intoxication, manslaughter, and intoxication assault. The punishment phase of the trial is scheduled to start this morning, which could face up to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

I have no sympathy for Martinez. She made choices to drink, she made choices to get intoxicated, and she made choices to get behind the wheel of a car. If you drink and drive, there is a strong chance something bad will happen. In 2007, there were 1,292 fatalities, solely due to drinking and driving. I can’t help, but feel sorry for Kara Taylor, her friends, and her family.

Information and commentary is provided by Dallas/ Fort Worth Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Mark Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or in Dallas at 214-327-8000. If you have questions about drunk driving accidents, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

In the past doing something about drunken driving mostly meant imposing more prison time and higher fines. But Texas still leads the nation in alcohol-related fatalities with 1,269 in 2008, the latest year for complete data. Legislators will reconvene in January and several ideas already have been bandied about, from sobriety checkpoints to requiring more use of restrictive car devices.

Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Lewisville believes in the 2 strikes, you’re out rule. Her goal is to help repeated violators to stay out of trouble. She is proposing to automatically revoke the license of anyone convicted of a second DWI offense-permanently. Currently under Texas law, licenses are suspended for various time periods typically one year for your first conviction and two years for your second conviction.

Hypothetically, if Sen. Nelson’s proposal were taken into effect, it would lead the defendant or drunk driver to drive without a license or insurance. Many uninsured and unlicensed drivers do not think about driving from one point to another, they just simply do it. Sen. Nelson would need to tighten restrictions on drunken drivers by having sobriety checkpoints and mandatory interlock devices for first time offenders.

In 2007 nearly 13,000 people were killed in drunk driving related crashes. Drunken Driving collisions are the cause of 50% of the fatal wrecks that occur on the weekends. Remember that even if you are not drinking and driving you can still be affected by it. Dallas and Fort Worth are taking many steps in order to get drunk drivers off the road. Please think about the consequences before you drink and drive.

Information and commentary is provided by Dallas/ Fort Worth Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Mark Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm can be reached in Dallas at 214-327-8000 or in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900. For more information about drunk driving accidents, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

Tammy Sue Stegall was sentenced to 30 years in prison yesterday for the death of 57-year-old Billy Stroud. Stroud died tragically on August 11, 2009 when Stegall, driving drunk, struck his motorcycle with her Nissan Maxima. Stegall ran over Stroud and pushed his motorcycle along the ground. He later died at John Peter Smith hospital from his injuries.

Stegall was convicted of murder because she had two previous charges of driving while intoxicated. The last, in August 2008, caused her to lose her driver’s license. She was driving illegally when she struck Stroud.

According to news reports, Stroud had recently purchased a motorcycle with the intention of joining the Patriot Guard motorcycle riders. The Patriot Guard participates in military funerals and protects the grieving family from protestors. Stroud’s son, Marine Lance Cpl. Jonathan Stroud, 20, died in July 2009 in Afghanistan. He was buried three days before his father’s death. Stroud had been so impressed with the Patriot Guard at his son’s funeral that he wanted to join the group.

Stegall must serve 15 years of her 30 year sentence before she will be eligible for parole. According to prosecutor Richard Alpert, “our two goals were to obtain a murder conviction and a sentence that would keep her in prison for the rest of her life. Given her long history of drug abuse and the fact that she is 51, we think the 30 years and her guilty plea to the murder charge achieve both goals."

What a terrible tragedy for the Stroud family to suffer. I think this person deserves to remain behind bars for the rest of her life, but that must offer little solace to the family and friends of Mr. Stroud. Unfortunately, drunk driving is an epidemic in Texas. Drunk driving causes over 1,500 deaths each year in Texas; this makes up 45% of all traffic fatalities. I hope that Stegall does not receive parole. With her history, I don’t think she should ever be allowed on the road again.

Information provided by Texas Board Certified Personal Injury Lawyer Mark A. Anderson, who fights every day for the rights of those injured in drunk driving accidents. He can be contacted in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900, in Dallas at 214-327-8000, and toll free across Texas at 877-294-1115. He can also be reached by clicking here.

After being thrown from his car after it rolled several times on Texas 183, a Farmers Branch man was killed early Sunday.According to police, his vehicle failed to negotiate a curve on the highway and crashed.

The Dallas County medical examiner’s office identified the victim as Bipin Thapa, 26, who was pronounced dead at the scene. His passenger was in good condition Sunday. Police still have yet to identify the man, who was taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas.

The accident was reported about 1 a.m. Sunday in the westbound lanes of Texas 183 in Irving. Thapa was driving a gold 2000 Honda Civic at a high-rate of speed when he attempted to exit the highway. He lost control of the car, and it slid off the highway. His vehicle rolled several times.

Thapa did not appear to be wearing a seat belt even though his passenger was.

It is always a tragic circumstance when these kinds of accidents happen, especially when the accident may have been prevented. There is the issue of not wearing a seat belt. In 2008 alone, the nighttime period with the highest percentage of unrestrained fatalities (72 percent) was midnight to 3 a.m. Wearing a seat belt while driving is still the single most effective thing drivers and passengers can do to save lives. There is no debatable reason why a person shouldn’t be wearing a seat belt so suck it up and buckle up.

Information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Car Accident Lawyer Mark Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or in Dallas at 214-327-8000. If you have questions regarding a car accident of any kind, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

Early Thursday a Dallas teen drove the wrong way on Airport Freeway and collided with a vehicle. The teen is suspected of drunken driving. After the crash the teen fled on foot before he was caught by the Irving police.

Irving patrol officers responded to the accident around 2:30 a.m. in the 2200 block of Texas 183. Witnesses informed police that the 2002 Land Rover was heading east in westbound lanes when the collision happened.

The 16-year-old was taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas due to minor injuries. The driver of the other automobile was also taken to Parkland with foot and arm injuries. The current condition of the victim are unavailable.

It’s hard to hear about a 16-year-old boy being suspected of drunk driving. Not only has he just gotten his license, but he is also 5 years shy of legally being able to drink alcohol. Luckily no one was seriously hurt in this unfortunate crash. Hopefully this crash will be a teaching tool for all young drivers on Texas roads.

Drunk Driving is a factor in over 45% of the car accidents that occur on Texas roads. To help ensure your safety on the road, The Anderson Law Firm has traffic safety and preventative tips to make sure you are not a victim of a drunk driving accident.

Information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Mark Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or in Dallas at 214-327-8000. If you have questions about a drunk driving accident, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

The ever-present ankle monitors will make people and violators think twice about drinking and driving. The SCRAM committee- Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor- has been used in Texas since 2003, and it measures alcohol consumption by reading vapors given off in perspiration. And since you can never take it off, it’s a constant reminder that you are not supposed to be consuming alcohol.

The bracelets cost almost $400 a month, not including the counseling fees, court costs fees, and fines that have to be paid after a DWI conviction. Many people simply cannot afford the bracelet. However, judges agree that it is the most efficient method, but sometimes judges will also make the convicted put an interlock device on their car to prevent drinking and driving and sometimes even order the use of a drug that will make the person sick if he or she drinks alcohol.

I agree that more needs to be done to both educate and prevent drinking and driving in Texas. While the ankle monitor is a step in the right direction, it is not the final solution. People need to learn to be more responsible when consuming alcoholic beverages, especially if they are not of the drinking age and considering driving. There are approximately 12,000 fatalities annually due to drunk driving in the United States. Those 12,000 deaths could have easily been prevented. Drinking and driving will get you a DWI, but even worse you could injure or kill someone else or yourself.

Information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Mark Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or in Dallas at 214-327-8000. If you have questions about a drunk driving accident, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

Two Dallas police officers are on administrative leave today after they were arrested of driving while intoxicated last week. The two will be on leave pending administrative and criminal investigations.

The officers and are involved in two different units of the Dallas Police Force, and were at two different locations when they were found drinking and driving. The officers were identified as Patrol Officer Manuel Romani and Sr. Cpl. James Rucker of the department's helicopter unit. Romani, a four-year-veteran, was arrested in Forney on Saturday, and Rucker, who has been on the force for 26 years, was arrested in Rockwall on Sunday.

Drinking and driving is inexcusable under any circumstance, and the fact that two people who are supposed to enforce this law were caught doing so makes the offense even more disappointing. By learning how to avoid drunk driving risks in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, we can make the community roads much safer to drive on. And with about three in every ten Americans assumed to be involved in alcohol-related crashes in their lifetime, police officers need to be more responsible in practicing what they preach and following the laws they themselves insist upon.

Information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Car Accident Lawyer Mark Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or in Dallas at 214-327-8000. If you have questions concerning a drunk driving incident, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

It’s time again for the Mothers Against Drunk Driving, or MADD, Walk Like Madd fundraising event. MADD provides a great public service to the community, educating people about the dangers of drinking and driving as well as offering support to families of drunk driving victims. As a car accident attorney I see firsthand the devastating effects of drunk driving every day, so I wholly support MADD and the Walk Like Madd event. The event will be held at 1800 N. Pearl Street in Dallas, and will start at 8:30 a.m.

This year’s Fort Worth walk on April 5 was a huge success, raising over $48,000! The walk in Dallas will take place this Saturday, April 24, and I hope it will be as successful as the walk in Fort Worth. I’ve recently supported Dallas Assistant District Attorney Jamie Bagnall who is half-way to his goal of $5,000.00. Please consider supporting a walker, or Walk Like Madd yourself this weekend!

Information provided by Dallas Fort Worth Personal Injury Lawyer Mark A. Anderson, who can be contacted in Dallas at 214-327-8000 or in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900. He can also be reached by clicking here.

Senator Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, wants to change Texas legislation so that DWI offenders with 2 or more convictions will lose their driver’s license forever.

The current law states that a license may be suspended for a maximum of two years.

Nelson was motivated by the John Patrick Barton case, which took place Easter Sunday. To read about Barton’s DWI conviction please read our blog from last week.

The law she wishes to create would implement a “two strikes and you’re out” policy that would also make a DWI conviction a first degree felony. First degree felonies carry a 5-99 year sentence and a fine up to $10,000.

Nelson believes that the penalties for driving while intoxicated are not great enough to influence DWI offenders to change their behavior.

I applaud Nelson for wanting to make a major change in the penalties for drunk driving. With all of the recent wrecks involving drunk driving in the Fort Worth community, something has to be done to get DWI offenders off the road. I don’t know if the loss of a driver’s license will motivate all DWI offenders to stop driving under the influence completely, but it is at least a step in the right direction.

Information and commentary provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Car Accident Lawyer Mark Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm can be reached in Dallas at 214-327-8000 or in Fort Worth at 817-327-1900. If you are the victim of a drunk driver and have questions about your case please fill out of contact form online for a free consultation.

It has only been two weeks since John Patrick Barton ran into the Hull family and killed Candace and Autumn Hull. A grand jury indicted Barton with 2 counts of murder on Thursday. The jury also charged him with 3 counts of intoxication assault.

This particular DWI car wreck as caused a lot of media attention as Barton had 3 previous DWI convictions. To read about the details of the drunk driving wreck read our blog from a few weeks ago.

The Denton Country First District Attorney Jamie Beck stated that “This is as serious as a DWI conviction can get.” Barton remains jail in lieu of $1 million bail and is being held without bond because of a parole violation.

I think that the jury made the right decision to indict Barton with both the murder and intoxication assault charges. I sincerely hope that this case makes other DWI offenders aware of the extreme consequences of getting behind the wheel after drinking any alcohol. The Hull family had no choice in the actions Barton made.

The Anderson Law Firm has resources to help keep you and your family safe from drunk drivers. With all of the drunk driving crashes that have occurred in the past few weeks, you can never be too safe before heading out on the road.

This information and commentary is provided by DWI Accident Victim Lawyer Mark Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or in Dallas at 214-327-8000. If you have been a victim of a drunk driver and have questions about your wreck please fill out our contact form for a free consultation.

Brianna Munez, age 4, and her sister, Deanna Mata, age 2 are the latest victims of drunk driving in our community. The accident happened early Saturday morning in Southeast Fort Worth at Mitchell Blvd.

The Fort Worth Police Department reported that a red Dodge pickup crashed with a Ford Taurus in an intersection. It is unclear whether the pickup ran a stop sign, as the Taurus had the right of way.

The driver of the Taurus was 18-year-old David Whitworth, who was charged with DWI with a child. The driver of the pickup, David Clark, was also driving under the influence and was charged with 2 accounts of intoxication manslaughter and 3 charges of intoxication assault.

It is absolutely horrible to hear about 2 young children being the victims of drunk driving. How irresponsible to endanger the lives of two innocent children who had no say in whether or not they were going to be passengers in the car. It is very unusual to hear about both drivers involved in the car accident being under the influence.

To help ensure your safety on the road, The Anderson Law Firm has traffic safety and preventative tips to make sure you are not a victim of a drunk driving accident. Drunk Driving is a factor in over 45% of the car accidents that occur on Texas roads.

Information and commentary provided by DFW Car Accident Lawyer Mark Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or in Dallas at 214-327-8000. For a free consultation with the Anderson Law Firm please fill out our contact form online.

The month of April is Alcohol Awareness month, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving wants to make the public aware of the alcohol dependence and abuse problems in the United States. MADD is all about awareness and understanding of the horrific statistics surrounding alcohol abuse and drunk driving related fatalities.
Here are a few key points MADD would like to educate America on this month:

•A drunk driving traffic fatality occurs every 30 minutes in the United States.
•Every month, more than 1,000 families have a loved one killed by drunk driving, and even more have someone injured.
•One out of three Americans will be impacted by a drunk driving crash in their lifetime.
•At any given moment, American families share the roads with an estimated 3 million drivers who have been convicted of drunk driving at least three times – and with 600,000 drivers with five or more convictions.
•As many as 75% of drunk drivers continue to drink and drive even when their licenses have been revoked.

The Anderson Law Firm also has many resources related to staying safe on the road and avoiding drunk driving related car accidents. Education is often the key to prevent tragedies involving drunk driving in our communities. The Anderson Law Firm also sponsors a Ride Safe, Ride Sober towing service that will tow impaired motorcycle riders free of charge.

This information is provided by Drunk Driving Accident Attorney Mark Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or in Dallas at 214-327-8000. If you have questions related to a drunk driving accident you can fill out a contact form on our website for a free consultation.

John Patrick Barton, who was on probation for three DWI convictions, now faces two counts of murder after slamming into the back of a sedan in Lewisville early Sunday morning.

There were five passengers in the red Nissan Sentra that Barton ran into around 2:17 a.m. on I-35. Kandace Hull, and her 13 year old daughter, Autumn, were both killed in the accident.

The Lewisville Police Department stated that Barton was traveling at a high rate of speed and struck the rear of the Nissan when changing lanes, which caused both vehicles to spin.

Hull’s two other children and husband were still hospitalized on Sunday from injuries sustained in the fatal car crash.

Barton has a long history of criminal charges dating back to his teenage years. He turned 30 years old today. Barton was taken to a hospital for a mandatory blood test and was then taken to jail. He was arrested for intoxication manslaughter.

It makes me so angry to hear about a repeat offender like Barton continuing to violate his parole and cause a tragedy such as this one. My sincere condolences go out to the Hull family. Unfortunately, statistics show that it is often the passengers in vehicles hit by drunk drivers that are injured or killed more often than the drunk driver themselves. There are many driving safety tips that you can follow in order to avoid being the victim of a drunk driver.

This information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Personal Injury Attorney Mark Anderson. You may contact the Anderson Law Firm in Dallas at 214-327-8000 or in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900. For a free consultation about your personal injury or car wreck please fill out our contact form.

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

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

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

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

To see the press release please click here.

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

Last December I blogged about a Fort Worth police officer who was twice over the legal limit when he crashed a city truck and killed a Fort Worth mother. Later it was determined that he was drinking with other police officers before the crash. Now an investigation reveals that Jesus Cisneros had started drinking while still on duty.

An internal investigation found four violations against Cisneros: 1) he consumed alcohol on duty without necessary supervisor approval; 2) he drove a city vehicle off duty without authorization; 3) he was intoxicated while off duty; and 4) he drove a city vehicle while impaired in such a manner that resulted in a fatal crash. The investigation shows that Cisneros had up to three beers while on duty as part of an unauthorized undercover bar detail. Then off duty, Cisneros attended a birthday party at The Pour House where he consumed about four more beers and four shots of alcohol. He left the bar around 2 a.m. the next morning when he crashed a city vehicle into Sonia Baker’s PT Cruiser, killing her. He was driving at twice the posted speed limit.

Cisneros resigned on December 21 but the FWPD suspended him indefinitely on February 18 to ensure the suspension would appear in his civil service record. Cisneros, who is currently free on bail, was charged with intoxication manslaughter on February 10.

This is not Cisneros’s first alcohol related offense as a Fort Worth police officer. In March 2006, Cisneros fired a single shot from the sunroof of his own car. He was alone and intoxicated. In April 2006 Cisneros allegedly drove a city vehicle to an Arlington pub then drove an unauthorized female passenger to a home in Mansfield. These two incidents culminated in a 20-day suspension in August 2006, where Cisneros promised to undergo counseling and clean himself up.

This tragic story keeps getting worse. It is absolutely unbelievable that he was drinking while on duty. I am glad the Fort Worth police department is continuing to investigate. But the question remains whether this man should have still been an officer? Weren’t the incidents in 2006 enough?

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

A fatal collision occurred yesterday on Westbound I-20 in Arlington, TX, when a passenger vehicle rear-ended a tractor trailer as it moved slowly from the outside shoulder into a lane of traffic. One of the car’s passengers, Natalie Aguilar, of Garland, was pronounced dead at John Peter Smith Hospital yesterday afternoon. Oscar Zapata was also a passenger in the car and died about an hour after the crash. The driver of the car, whose name has not been released, is in critical condition. Arlington Police Department investigators found open beer cans in the vehicle.

The results of this accident investigation may take a few days. Clearly, alcohol may be a potential issue. It is illegal in Texas to have open containers of beer in a moving vehicle. But this alone does not answer the question of whether the driver was intoxicated. The accident occurred around noon, which is a bit early for DWI accident cases. And the investigators will be looking into the speed of the big rig as it entered the highway. It is always dangerous when a large truck has to enter a busy freeway from the shoulder. It just takes them a long time to get up to the minimum speed. So the truck driver has to make sure that the traffic is clear for him to enter. The trucks hazard lights should have been on as it was getting up to speed. All of this will be looked into by the investigating officers as they try to determine the cause of the tractor trailer accident.

Information and commentary provided by DFW Personal Injury Lawyer Mark A. Anderson, who can be reached in Dallas at 214-327-8000, in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 and across the State of Texas at 1-877-294-1115. For a quick nswer to your legal question, click here.

Around 1 a.m. this morning, construction workers were fixing a pothole on Southbound 1-35 E at Royal Lane in Dallas, Texas, when an off-duty police officer offered to block the lane off for them with his truck.

Shortly after, a suspected drunk driver crashed his gold pick-up into the police officer’s truck that was blocking the lane for the construction crew. The officer, who works for the Hubbard Police department suffered only minor injuries. The offending driver was not injured, but was cited for DWI according to Dallas officials. Another passenger in the gold pick up was brought to Parkland hospital for an injured arm.

Drunk Driving accidents are a huge problem here in Texas. Each year, we lose more than 1,400 Texans as a result of DWI crashes. Thankfully, the off-duty officer was not seriously injured. Imagine the catastrophe that could have occurred if the police officer had not blocked the lane for the construction crew. We are so fortunate to have people in our community like this police officer. He went above his call of duty, even when it is not required of him.

Information and commentary provided by Dallas Injury Lawyer Mark Anderson who can be reached in Dallas at 214-327-8000 or online by clicking here.

In October and November 2008 I blogged here and here about a Euless, TX mom who drove drunk and crashed her SUV injuring eight teenagers, including two of her own children. Brenda Rogers was sentenced Friday and taken into custody for the drunk driving car accident that send eight teenagers aged 14 and 15, including her twin daughters.

Rogers pled guilty to charges of driving while intoxicated with a child, endangering a child, and injury to a child. She is now serving a two-year sentence and will have to serve five years probation after she is released from jail. Rogers had been free on $20,000 bail since shortly after her arrest on November 6, 2008. Her blood alcohol level at the time of the crash was 0.13. The legal limit in Texas is 0.08.

I am glad to hear that this mom is getting punished. She put the lives of eight young people at risk. She deserves punishment. Drunk driving is never OK, but when you do it with kids in the car it is especially aggravating.

Information provided by Tarrant County DWI Accident Victim Lawyer Mark A. Anderson, who can be reached at 817-294-1900 or by clicking here.

Recently I blogged about an accident in Plano, TX involving an off-duty police officer’s vehicle colliding with an on-duty police officer’s squad car. Now it has been determined that the off-duty officer, Ray Wilde, 37, was drunk, speeding, and failed to stop at a red light when he crashed into Officer Kenneth Foale, 29.

The crash, which happened at 2:45 a.m. at Legacy Drive and the service road to U.S. 75 in Plano, heavily damaged both Wilde’s Ford F-150 and the squad car, a marked Ford Crown Victoria. Foale was attempting to turn left at a green light onto Legacy Drive from the service road when Wilde ran the light.

A charge of intoxication assault will be filed later against Wilde, who is still in the hospital, according to police. Officer Foale was released Wednesday.

This story is absolutely amazing. How can an officer whose main job is to enforce the law pull off such a crime as drunk driving ? He certainly knows the law. He certainly knows the dangers of drunk driving—yet he does it anyway. This is similar to the case in Fort Worth recently where an off duty cop in an unmarked police car was driving drunk and ran into a lady and killed her (see my blogs here, here and here).

Come on, cops, obey the law you are hired to enforce.

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

A tragic New Year’s Day automobile accident left three teenagers dead and three other teenagers, including the driver, injured and in the hospital. Killed immediately upon impact were Adrian Alvarez, 18, and Fernando Cuevas, 19. Another teen died after being airlifted to Methodist Medical Center of Dallas. Of the injured, a 16 year old girl was ejected from the vehicle and a 17 year old girl suffered a broken leg and is being treated at Denton Regional Medical Center.

According to Denton Police, speed was a major factor in this accident. A policeman had just clocked the car going 78 mph and skid marks indicate the sedan was going close to 100 mph when the driver lost control and hit a barrier on North Loop 288.

To make matters worse, it looks like alcohol may have played a factor, as there were alcoholic beverages in the car and officers noted the smell of alcohol. I don't know if the driver was legally intoxicated but we do know that laws were broken since Texas law requires one to be at least 21 years old to drink alcohol and the driver and all passengers were teenagers. Each year, there are around 1,400 people killed in Texas due to drunk driving.

This is an absolutely horrible wreck. Three teenagers with there entire lives ahead of them--all now victims of another preventable car accident. This wreck had the lethal combination of youth, speed and alcohol. This is a parent’s worst nightmare. My deepest condolences go out to the victims families. I wish them strength during this very trying time.

Information provided by Texas Car Accident Attorney Mark A. Anderson, 1-877-294-1115. With offices in Fort Worth and Dallas, The Anderson Law Firm represents accident victims all over the North Texas area.

At the Anderson Law Firm, we have become very familiar with Texas DWI laws. While we have never represented anyone charged with a DWI, we have been hired many times in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area by victims of DWI car crashes. These are often times very serious accidents, sometimes resulting in the wrongful death of the innocent victim. It’s strange, but the DWI driver always seems to walk (or stumble) away from the car wreck unharmed.

So here are some things to know about Texas DWI law:

• A driver is presumed to be intoxicated if his or her Blood Alcohol Content is .08 or above. For a 130 pound person, that means about 2 drinks over a 1 hour period. And for a 200 pound person, that means approximately 3 drinks over a 1 hour time period. Of course, everyone’s metabolism is different and how much you can drink and still be under the legal limit depends on many factors including weight, sex, and how much a person has had to eat.

• Having an open container in the passenger compartment of a car is illegal.

• A driver can refuse a breathalyzer test, but it will result in a license suspension. If a court order is obtained, a driver cannot refuse a blood test.

• In the last year of statistics available, 2007, there were over 88,000 DWI arrests in Texas. Worse that that, there were almost 1,300 fatalities as a result of drunk driving in our state. But the good news is that the fatality number has been decreasing recently, so hopefully all of the public awareness campaigns have had a positive effect by keeping this important issue front and center.

The Anderson Law Firm vigorously pursues civil claims against the victims of drunk driving accidents. If you would like a free consultation on your legal rights, please give us a call in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900, in Dallas at 214-327-8000 or elsewhere in Texas toll free at 1-877-294-1115, or contact us online.

A Dallas County court sentenced Kenneth Brandon Bain to two years in prison and 10 years of probation for hitting and killing two bicyclists with his car after staying up all night drinking and smoking marijuana. He pleaded guilty to one charge of manslaughter.

Bain struck and killed Michael Alfaro and Meredith Hatch with his Lincoln Navigator on June 8, 2008, at 8:20am. They were riding their bicycles near Joe Pool Lake near Grand Prairie, training for a triathlon. Although his blood alcohol level was 0.05 and the legal limit is 0.08, Bain was tested two hours after the crash and it’s estimated that his blood alcohol level was between 0.07 and 0.11 when the crash occurred. He spent all night drinking and had not slept, and admitted to smoking marijuana in his car when the accident occurred.

In seeing this story, and the video, last night on the news, I could definitely see the pain still felt by the families of these two riders. I feel very sorry for them. I realize that only two years in jail probably seems like a slap on the wrist to those who have lost a loved one due to someone lese’s blatant disregard for the law.

An interesting aspect of the sentencing is that as a condition of his probation, Bain must spend 10 days in jail at Christmas and eight days in jail on each victim’s birthday for eight years after he’s released from prison. I have never heard of this type of sentence, but it sounds like a great idea to me.

Information provided by Dallas, Texas Personal Injury Lawyer Mark A. Anderson, phone 214-327-8000, online contact just click here.

According to a figures released by the Texas Department of Insurance, nearly 270,000 driver in Texas don’t have insurance on their vehicles. This 21% figure for Fort Worth is slightly lower than the statewide average of 22%-but that’s still a lot of uninsured drivers.

The percentage of vehicles believed to be uninsured has dropped, however, from 25% in June 2008. This is when Texas launched the TexasSure database, a way for police officers to verify insurance coverage. With this database, officers can check after an auto accident to see if the driver who claims to have lost or forgotten his or her insurance card is really covered.

The Dallas/Fort Worth area is certainly more insured than some places in Texas. In Kennedy County, south of Corpus Christi, nearly 50% of its residents are believed to be uninsured. Cameron County, near Brownsville, comes in at nearly 38% uninsured.

I have blogged before (and written in my book 15 Mistakes That Will Wreck your Texas Accident Case) about the need to purchase UM insurance. This type of insurance is the best kind to buy. When you are in a car wreck and the other driver had no insurance (or not enough), then UM/UIM is the insurance which will compensate you for your medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering. So don’t delay—pull out your policy now and check to see if you have it. If you don’t, call your insurance agent now.

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

30-year-old Jose Cruz of Fort Worth died at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas on Monday. He was taken to the hospital early Saturday morning after he failed to negotiate a curve near Highway 121 and North West 19th Street in Grand Prairie. Police believe alcohol was a factor in the crash.

This is such a tragic situation that’s seen over and over in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Each year over 1400 people die in alcohol related accidents here in Texas. My heart goes out to Mr. Cruz's family and friends.

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

In a move that I very much agree with, the Texas Transportation Commission voted yesterday in a meeting in Fort Worth to remove phone numbers from the standard form used by police officers after an accident. This change goes into effect January 1, 2010.

I recently blogged about this topic (read it here) and said that removing the numbers is a great move. The way things happen now, if you are in an accident there is a good chance you will get called from a “marketer” offering the services of an attorney or a chiropractor. Sometimes these “marketers” are not so honest and represent themselves as being from an insurance company. This leads to all kinds of confusion and irritation to the car accident victims. By removing the phone numbers, it will make the marketer’s job extremely difficult. The harassing won’t stop, but it will definitely slow down.

I also recently was interviewed by Channel 11 News about this topic. Here is a link to the article from their website.

To contact Mark A. Anderson, call toll free 877-294-1115 or click here.

A man faces charges this morning of driving while intoxicated and reckless driving after traveling north in the southbound lane near the Northwest Highway exit of the Dallas North Tollway. While driving the wrong way, 39-year-old Dick Eastin struck a light pole and his truck stopped near the center median. Mr. Eastin was injured and taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital.

This driver was lucky no one else was involved in the accident. This is certainly not the first wrong-way incident on the Tollway; click here and here to read about some of the other wrong-way crashes I’ve blogged about. Four people have died this year in accidents caused by wrong-way drivers on the Tollway. The North Texas Tollway Authority is trying to come up with ways to prevent these types of crashes, including more “Wrong Way” and “Do Not Enter” signs as well as making these signs more visible to drivers. I applaud these efforts to prevent wrong way accidents, and I hope no more people have to die before these changes go into effect.

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

There has been a rash of wrong-way driving accidents this year on the North Dallas Tollway. I blogged about these terrible accidents several times. Now, the North Texas Tollway Authority is taking steps to reduce wrong-way accidents in Texas.

Several new features will be tested out on the Dallas North Tollway, such as better wrong way signs and sensors that will detect if a car is driving the wrong way and alert a command center. Some confusing intersections may even have to be renovated.

According to the tollway authority, all wrong-way crashes in 2008 and 2009 involved drunk drivers. This doesn’t surprise me a bit. Drunk driving is a big problem in Texas, with 64 drunk driving fatalities in Dallas in 2008, and over 1,500 drunk driving crashes in Dallas that year.

I’m relieved to find out that something is being done to help this problem. I applaud the tollway authority for trying these additional steps. We shouldn’t have to do this but as long as people drive drunk, we will have to keep spending our money to make the streets as safe as possible for the rest of us. It’s obvious that drivers going to wrong way on the highway can have devastating consequences.

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

Early Thursday morning a drunk driver struck another vehicle while driving north in the southbound lanes for a half-mile on the Dallas North Tollway near Loop 12.

47-year-old Isidoro Camacho, who was charged with drunk driving, hit 23-year-old Holly Harding head on. Both were injured and taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital.

Drunk driving is a huge problem in North Texas. I've blogged several times about tragic wrong way accidents. A former FBI employee was even arrested for a wrong way accident on the Tollway. Going the wrong way on a highway can have devastating consequences, and both of these drivers are lucky to be alive.

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

A Dallas court convicted former FBI spokesperson Lori Bailey of driving while intoxicated and sentenced her to a fine and two years probation.

Bailey, 51, pleaded guilty last Friday. She was arrested on February 3, 2008 after she caused an auto accident by driving the wrong way in the southbound lanes of the Dallas North Tollway near the Wycliff exit. The court fined her $900 as well as $344 in court costs.

This just shows that anyone can get into trouble for drunk driving. Driving the wrong way down a highway can cause a serious accident. She is lucky no one lost their life due to her bad judgment.

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

Dallas police arrested a 39-year-old woman Sunday on charges of driving while intoxicated with a child passenger and endangering a child. A DWI with child passenger is always a felony offense.

Maria Elizabeth Rendon was arrested on Webb Chapel Extension near Love Field in Dallas, Texas after repeatedly ramming her car into another vehicle. Although the police did not report why, they did note there was an unused child safety seat in the back of Rendon’s car, and her 11-month-old grandchild was sitting beside her in the front seat. In Texas, it is illegal for a child under age five and less than 36 inches tall to ride in a vehicle without a safety seat. Not only could Rendon have caused a drunk driving accident, but she put a child in danger of injury as well.

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

An off-duty Dallas police officer was arrested early Wednesday morning and charged with driving while intoxicated and failing to stop and render aid. Senior Cpl. David Aguilar hit another car in his Toyota Tacoma pickup truck at Custer Road and Plano Parkway in Plano, Texas, then fled the scene. Police picked Aguilar up about five miles away. The other driver was hurt although his injuries were minor, according to police. As of Wednesday afternoon Aguilar remained in Plano County Jail. Aguilar is now on administrative leave.

It’s chilling to think that a 12 year veteran police officer would drink and drive, let alone leave an injured person at the scene of a car accident. Although drivers who leave the scene are usually trying to dodge responsibility for their part in the accident, consequences always end up being much worse than if they had just stuck around. Thankfully the other driver only suffered minor injuries, but the negligence of the officer in this case is appalling.

Information provided by Dallas Injury Lawyer Mark A. Anderson, who can be contacted at 877-294-1115 or online by clicking here.

In another deadly accident involving alcohol, Fabian Nicholas Perez, 24 years old, was killed in an accident in the 9700 block of Harry Hines Boulevard near Webb Chapel extension. Mr. Perez was a passenger in an Isuzu Rodeo sport utility vehicle driven by 22 year old Aguilar Perez. According to police reports, the Rodeo was driving at a high rate of speed and ran into the back of a flatbed wrecker truck. The driver of the Isuzu Rodeo survived the crash and fled the scene on foot. He was captured a short time later. Police suspect that the driver was intoxicated and he will be charged with intoxication manslaughter.

This is yet another preventable accident. As we all know, drinking and driving is a serious and sometimes deadly offense. In Texas, there are over 1,500 fatalities each year as a result of drunk driving. For additional information on the dangers of driving while intoxicated, please click here.

Information and commentary provided by Texas Board Certified Personal Injury Attorney Mark A. Anderson, who can be contacted at (817) 294 1900 or online.

In another tragic car accident involving a driver going the wrong way on a local highway, three died early this morning when a black Infiniti headed eastbound in the westbound lanes of I-20 and ran head on into a dark colored SUV. The accident occurred about 12:30 am near Polk Street, in the red Bird area of South Dallas. All three occupants of the two vehicles died at the scene.

The Infiniti was being driven by Ramiro Moreno of Dallas, a 29 year old auto technician and the father of two young children. His passenger was 21 year old Ian Edward Pierson. The innocent victim driving her SUV was 45 year old Karla Rivers of Cedar Hill, who was a dispatcher at Baylor university medical center at Dallas.

Was alcohol a factor in this accident? Most likely. The officers found alcohol in the men’s car. As everyone knows, it is illegal to drive a car while intoxicated, but people do it every day. There is no way anyone in their right mind would go the wrong way on the interstate. I am pretty sure we will be hearing later that toxicology tests will come back showing a high Blood Alcohol Content of the driver of the wrong way vehicle.

Alcohol contributes to over 1500 deaths on Texas roads each year. And there have been four deaths alone this year on the Dallas Tollway from two separate wrong way driver accidents. For more information on drunk driving wrecks and the rights of injury victims or their families, please click here.

Information and commentary provided by Mark A. Anderson, Dallas Fort Worth Accident Lawyer, who can be contacted at 877-294-1115 or ONLINE.

Two 23-year-old women were seriously injured when a man who was driving the wrong way on the Dallas North Tollway crashed into their car early Sunday morning.

Ryan Matthew, 27, of Dallas was driving south in the northbound lanes of the Tollway for nearly 10 miles before colliding with the car carrying the two women. He started driving the wrong way at Cotton Gin Road up in Frisco.

Before crashing into the women, Matthew narrowly missed striking a police cruiser head-on. Shortly after, around 1:45 a.m. he slammed into Hannah Jung and Hannah Hong of Plano and Richardson. The car wreck happened near the exit for the George Bush Turnpike.

Matthew, Hong and Jung were all rushed to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas and treated for serious injuries. Hong was released, but Jung remained in the intensive-care unit and Matthew was in fair condition as of yesterday.

What caused Matthew to drive the wrong was is under investigation; it is unknown whether alcohol or drugs were a factor.

Strangely, three people called 9-1-1 between 11:16 and 11:22 p.m. Saturday night to report a separate driver going the wrong way on the Tollway. This motorist was driving the opposite direction as Matthews between Lovers Lane and Wycliff Avenue, but fortunately no accidents were reported and no one was caught.

Alarmingly, four people have been killed since April in wrong-way crashes on the 33-mile Dallas Tollway; I wrote about a man who worked for the Dallas Morning News who died driving the wrong way. Due to the astounding number of wrong-way incidences, there’s been a cry to do more to alert drivers of going the wrong way, instead of just posting signs on entrance and exit ramps. There’s even been talk of adding road spikes by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).

Whether these are drunk-driving related accidents, or due to confusion late at night, something needs to be done to prevent more from dying in these tragic crashes.

If you’ve been seriously injured in a vehicle-related wreck, please call the Anderson Law Firm for a free consultation at 817-294-1900.

A new book has just been released which informs all types of victims in their personal injury claims. The book, 15 Mistakes That Will Wreck Your Texas Accident Case, is written by Mark A. Anderson, a Board Certified Personal Injury Specialist from Fort Worth, Texas.

The book, which focuses largely on car accidents, discusses all the different ways that injury victims can harm their own claims and offers practical pointers on how injured parties can avoid these common pitfalls. But that's not all the book covers. It also discusses what constitutes valid injury claims, what goes into valuing an injury claim, how the injury claims process works (from the accident all the way through trial) and what to look for, as well as what to be wary of when hiring an accident attorney. 15 Mistakes also points out and describes various types of available insurance which come into play during the claims process and common myths about insurance companies and settlements.

15 Mistakes is a must-read for accident victims in Texas. It's written in plain English--not filled with typical legal jargon. The book is most-helpful if it's read after an accident and before a decision is made to hire an attorney, but everyone can benefit from its useful tips.

Mark Anderson's book is available for FREE to Texas residents, who can order the book by visiting www.DontWreckYourCase.com, or by calling the Anderson Law Firm at 817-294-1900. Non-Texas residents can purchase the book online for $16.95 at www.amazon.com.

This week is National Crime Victims Rights Week (April 13 through 19) and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is helping to advocate it. This is because the most frequently committed crime in the U.S. is drunk driving.

The purpose of this week is designed to raise awareness and support for victims of crimes, survivors and their families. And since the most frequently committed crime is drunk driving, that’s where MADD steps in. It is the largest (and arguably most well-known) crime-victim help group in the world and in 2007 alone, served almost 50,000 people, advocating the end of drunk driving altogether.

In the U.S. alone, drunk-driving accidents cause 13,000 deaths annually. Someone is killed approximately every thirty minutes in a drunk-driving wreck. MADD Victim Services can help victims cope, and an experienced injury and wrongful death attorney can help victims and their families obtain compensation for medical bills and the immense pain and suffering resulting from such an accident.

If you or someone you love has been the victim of a drunk-driving crime, please contact the Anderson Law Firm at 817-294-1900 for a free consultation on your rights.

If your spouse or loved one has been killed in a drunk-driving accident, you might be eligible to pursue a wrongful death claim on his or her behalf. A wrongful death claim won’t return your loved one to you, but it can help you receive legal remedy for the careless and thoughtless act which resulted in his or her death.

Drunk-driving accidents as wrongful death claims.
Wrongful death claims result when a person’s negligent actions directly caused a death. In the event of a death resulting from a drunk-driving accident, you’ve got the ultimate culpability. Drunk driving is the height of negligence, and it’s typically very clear that the drunk driver’s actions caused the accident, and therefore the death of your loved one.

Enlist the aid of an injury lawyer to pursue a wrongful death claim against a drunk driver.
With nearly 13,000 deaths annually as a result of alcohol-related accidents, someone is killed approximately every 30 minutes due to a drunk-driving accident. While we all hope this never happens to anyone we know—unfortunately, sometimes it does—and your only recourse is to pursue the responsible driver for some form of recovery.

Drunk-driving deaths are always tragic but, you can get compensation for you and your family for the loss of your loved one, plus the lost wages and other financial damages, like funeral costs. It’s a small comfort in light of such an untimely death, but it can help support your family while you put your life back together. Pursuing a wrongful death claim against a drunk driver also sends the message that drunk driving will not be tolerated and good people everywhere will fight against drunk drivers to the full extent of the law.

Free consultation.
The Anderson Law Firm is based in Fort Worth, Texas. We specialize in helping those who are injured or who have lost a family member due to the negligence of another person. We offer free consultations so if you would like to discuss a possible legal action, please call us at 817-294-1900 or contact us online.

A 71-year-old Oak Cliff crossing guard was killed this morning after a speeding drunk driver crashed into him around 8:30 a.m. 52-year-old Peter Nelson of Dallas had been out of police custody just four days when his Saturn ran into Franklin Delano Lester Tuesday morning.

“Frank” as he was known to the children of Roger Mills Elementary School was helping a woman pushing her granddaughter in a stroller to her car. They had just crossed the street when Nelson lost control and slammed into Lester, narrowly missing the woman with the stroller. After hitting the man, Nelson had been going so fast, he then crashed into Lester’s parked vehicle. Lester was taken to Dallas Medical Center in critical condition and died shortly thereafter.

Nelson, who was recently released from an 18-year prison sentence for drug charges, was immediately charged with intoxication manslaughter. At the scene, investigating officers were seen emptying alcoholic beverage containers which were found in his car.
This tragic accident happened on South Denley Drive where the posted speed limit is 30 miles per hour.

If one of your loved ones has suffered an untimely death from the negligence of another person, please contact the Anderson Law Firm for a free consultation on your rights to making a claim.

Photo courtesy of Dallas Morning News.