Dallas Fort Worth Car Accident Lawyer Blog

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.

Tim Hay, a drag racer from Burleson, TX died Saturday night after a car accident at a racetrack in Iowa, where he was competing in an event he had won last year. Hay, 49 years of age, lost control of his car, on the 1/8th-mile dragway during the finals of the World Fuel Altered Nationals at Eddyville Raceway Park in Eddyville, Iowa. Track co-owner Scott Gardner said Monday. The vehicle hit the safety wall and rolled. Rescue personnel pulled Hay out of the car and stabilized him at the track medical center, but the wreck resulted in his death Hay is survived by his wife of 23 years, Candy, three grown children and two grandchildren. Gardner said Hay's wife and one of their sons were at the track when the crash happened.

Hay had competed at Eddyville the past four years and was a well-known veteran of the sport. Tim Hay been racing since the late '70s or early '80s. The nitro methane altered car is one of the toughest to drive in the sport of drag racing. It's sort of a blend between a top fuel dragster and a nitro funny car. It's similar to a funny car, but it's not a full body.

This sport is pretty safe, but there are occasional accidents that unfourantely happen. This is a tragic circumstance for the Hay family and I send my condolences to their family and friends. I assume that an investigation will follow of what went wrong with the car.

Information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Car 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 questions about a car accident resulting in injuries, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

A Louisiana man will face a jury on manslaughter charges after more than two years after a horrific car crash in Plano killed a family of five.

David Calhoun Jones was driving in a rented Pontiac when he ran a red light on Legacy Drive on June 22, 2008. His car was going nearly 100 mph when he struck a curb and fire hydrant before going airborne. He collided with a Ford Winstar minivan carrying the Hart family and their two foster children.

Geoffrey Hart, 41 and his wife, Laura Christine Hart, 41 were killed instantly, along with their 12-year-old daughter, Rebekah. Two foster children in the family's care died later at area hospitals. Raven Lucas was 5; and her sister, Kevinnesha Palmer, was 6.

A criminal trial has been delayed several times because of Jones' extensive injuries. The crash left him a paraplegic. If convicted of the second-degree felony, Jones' punishment ranges from probation to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000 for wrongful death.

The trial is set to begin this morning in Collin County before Senior District Judge Quay Parker.
Our sympathies go out to the friends and relatives of the Hart family for this tragic accident that could have been prevented. If Jones had obeyed the posted speed limit or made sure to stop at the red light, these lives could have been saved.

On an average each year, there were 5,589 fatalities to occupants of vehicles and 794 fatalities to nonoccupants in intersections controlled by traffic signals and stop signs. It is unclear as to whether he was driving while intoxicated, but either way his exessive speed was inexcusable. Hopefully, this trial will bring justice to the Hart family.

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

As a Texas personal injury attorney, I am frequently exposed to severe motorcycle collisions and faced with the vast injuries of their victims. The injuries are usually quite traumatic and victims are often unable to ever fully recover from the motorcycle collision. The motorcycle means freedom and fuel efficiency to over 4 million riders throughout the United States, but without the security of airbags, and thousands of pounds of metal protecting the occupant, motorcyclists increase their risk of death by 16 times.

Motorcycle collisions and injuries are triggered by several common factors, the use of drugs or alcohol, excessive speed, improper helmet usage, weather conditions and road conditions can all play a significant role in a motorcycle accident. A lot of incidents, however, can be attributed to a fellow motorist’s inattention. Though the fault in these incidents has nothing to do with the motorcyclists driving there are ways to protect yourself on a bike. Studies suggest that 92% of accidents involving a motorcycle were with informally trained riders. These riders were either self-taught or trained from friends or family and did not undergo defensive driving training. Through formal training riders not only dramatically reduce their likelihood of instigating an accident- they also reduce their chances of falling victim to another motorist as they are trained to navigate through all types of difficult situations. Formal motorcycle training also reduces the occurrence of injuries as the bikers learn how to pay attention and navigate through rough driving scenarios and fall with a little more finesse.

Though training may reduce the chance of being involved in a motorcycle collision – accidents are always a possibility. In the case of an accident Seattle motorcycle accident lawyer, Jason Epstein, has written a book: The Truth About Washington Motorcycle Accidents. This book addresses all of the common questions associated with a motorcycle collision- what information you need to collect of other drivers, what steps you need to take in filing a claim and whether or not you need an aggressive Seattle motorcycle attorney to defend you. This book is FREE to Washington State residence through the link above.

If you do require legal representation for your motorcycle accident and are in the Texas area, the Anderson Law Firm can help you. We can be reached at 877-294-1115. If you are in the Seattle area, contact Jason Epstein with the Bellevue Law Firm, Premier Law Group.

Last week I blogged about a fatal hit and run accident that killed a motorcyclist in Lewisville, Texas. While police have impounded a late-model SUV with front end damage, no arrests have been made yet. This was the second hit-and-run accident the late Ray Torres, 42, according to local news reports.

Ray Torres was struck by a hit-and-run driver a little over a year before this crash, on August 1, 2009. At that time, he was left lying on a street in Arlington with an injured leg that required six months of rehabilitation. Tragically, Mr. Torres did not survive the second hit-and-run crash. He died at the scene, becoming one of nearly 500 people who die every year in Texas in motorcycle accidents.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, in 2008, 480 motorcycle riders were killed. 62% of those riders weren’t wearing a helmet. Mr. Torres usually didn’t wear a helmet, and he wasn’t wearing one when he died, according to news reports. In 2007, the NHTSA determined that a motorcycle rider was 37 times more likely to die in a crash and nine times more likely to be injured than someone inside a vehicle.

This is such a sad story, and really shows the dangers that motorcycle riders face on our roads. I always emphasize the importance of wearing a helmet, as it is often truly the difference between life and death. The NHTSA statistic that 62% of those riders killed in 2008 doesn’t surprise me at all.

Information provided by Texas Motorcycle Accident Attorney Mark A. Anderson, who can be reached in Dallas at 214-327-8000, in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900, and across Texas at 877-294-1115. Click here to contact a Board Certified Personal Injury Attorney today.

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 Monday morning one person died in a Fort Worth automobile wreck, according to the Tarrant County medical examiner’s office.

Initial reports showed that a major crash happened 2:31 a.m. and that a vehicle had hit a pole and overturned.

Additional details on the crash were unavailable at 9 a.m. Monday morning, but KDFW Fox 4 has reported that the wreck took place in the 2400 block of Joel Road.

A spokeswoman for MedStar stated that an ambulance was sent to the location, but no one was transported from the scene.

Hopefully throughout the next couple days we will receive more information on this fatal car accident. Accident investigation plays a very important role when trying to find answers to why and how the accident happened. In cases where the cause of the wreck is disputable or the injuries are going to be disputed, it is absolutely imperative that a complete and thorough investigation be conducted. Our deepest sympathies for the family and friends of the victim.

Information and Commentary is provided by Car Accident Attorney Mark Anderson. If you or a loved has been in a car accident, call the Anderson Law Firm for a free consultation. We can be reached toll free at 877.294.1115 or you can contact us online.

The woman killed in the fiery crash on I-20 yesterday morning in Arlington, Texas has been identified.

Lauren Price, 21, was identified by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s office after her car crashed into a pole off the highway. There is no information on where she resided or what she was doing on the road at 3:30 in the morning.

Our deepest sympathies go out to Lauren’s family and friends. This type of tragedy is a hard obstacle to overcome, and we hope that they eventually find peace after mourning. I assume an investigation is to follow as to what caused the accident.

Information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Car 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. For more information about car accidents, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

A motorist was killed early Thursday morning on Interstate 20 near the Collins Street exit.

Witnesses told police that the car was westbound on I-20 at about 3:30 a.m. when the vehicle drove off the highway and struck a pole of a message board on the shoulder. According to police, the vehicle then caught fire, killing the driver at the scene.

It is unclear whether drugs, alcohol or speed played a role in the wreck. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s office has yet to release the name of the driver.

What saddens me the most about this is that this is the 10th traffic fatality in Arlington this year. No matter what the cause of the accident was, I’m sure it could have been prevented. I see the results of automobile accidents every single day, and I always analyze them on how they could have been prevented. Hopeful a full investigation will reveal how this wreck could have been avoided.

Information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Car Accident Lawyer Mark Anderson. If you have questions about a particular car accident case, the Anderson Law Firm can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or in Dallas at 214-327-8000. Fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

A Plano teen, 16-year-old Nicole LeGrow, was killed in an afternoon accident Thursday on Highway 121 in The Colony.

LeGrow, a student at Jasper High School in Plano, died in the collision. She was a passenger in a sedan that lost control and crashed in the northbound lanes of hwy 121 near Plano Parkway.

The driver, 16-year-old Alexandra Hays, was airlifted to a Dallas hospital. She remains in critical condition.

The cause of the accident is currently under investigation.

Our deepest sympathies and prayers go out to Nicole LeGrow and Alexandra Hays’s friends and family. We wish a speedy and healthy recovery for Hays. Accidents involving loved ones are always a tragic situation. Hopefully the accident investigation will show more insight into what happened Thursday afternoon.

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 about a car accident, please fill our out contact from online for a free consultation.

A Fort Worth police officer, critically injured Thursday afternoon when his patrol car slammed into a tree during a pursuit, remained in a hospital intensive care unit Friday morning, but medical evaluations overnight showed some "positive results," police officials said.

The injured officer, Richard Lambing, 37, is a 15-year veteran of the department. He was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth with life-threatening injuries. The officials noted that the officer was stabilized and moved to a private room in the ICU.

The wreck occurred about 1:50 p.m. as Lambing joined in the high-speed pursuit of a motorcyclist whom Tarrant County sheriff's officers had tried to pull over as he left a suspected drug house in Mansfield.

The officer had just taken an exit ramp from East Loop 820 to eastbound Interstate 30 when he lost control of his car, which hit the tree in a grassy area beside the freeway.

Police said they will investigate the cause of the crash, road conditions and whether policies and procedures were followed.

Investigators would also look into the origin of the chase and the involvement of Fort Worth police.

Our prayers go out to Officer Lambing who was just doing his job. We hope he will be able to stabilize so he can get out of ICU. Remember, high speeds are dangerous and can cause accidents. He had a reason for doing so, but the motorcyclist did not which was irresponsible and hazardous. High speed chases may seem like a thrilling idea, but in reality, someone usually gets hurt.

Information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Car 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. For questions regarding car accidents, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

Deion Jackson-Houston, rated as one of the top basketball recruits in the Class of 2012, died over the Fourth of July holiday weekend when a train crashed into a car he was driving in Duncan, Okla. Jackson-Houston, a talented point guard from Duncanville, Texas, was the leader of Texas Bluechips-Navy, an elite Amateur Athletic Union 17-and-under basketball team. He was considered the main attraction for college scouts at this week's summer showcase tournament that will start play Friday in Duncanville.

Duncanville boys basketball coach Eric McDade says he is still in shock. “You don't think about this kind of thing happening and when it does, you just realize how precious life really is,” McDade said.

Jackson-Houston was on a trip to a local Family Dollar store while visiting relatives when a train hit the back passenger side door of the automobile he was driving at about 7 p.m. on July 3rd. According to reports, he was driving up onto the tracks and slowed down before he proceeded on. I guess he just didn’t see the train. I wonder whether the intersection had lights and gates? Was a horn blown? The news reports did not mention this, but it makes me wonder if this death could have been prevented.

The train reportedly dragged Jackson-Houston's car almost two blocks before it pushed the automobile off the tracks. Jackson-Houston did not have a pulse when he was placed in an ambulance but later regained one at Duncan Regional Hospital.

Two hours later, Jackson-Houston was flown to OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City where he died after 11 p.m. His father says that while he looked fine from the outside, his internal injuries were just too severe.

Last season, Jackson-Houston was a starter for Duncanville and played next to three highly-regarded players in Perry Jones, an All-American forward/center, Julian Washburn and Luke Mergerson. According to his father, Jackson-Houston had scholarship offers from Southern Methodist, Florida International, Baylor, Old Dominion, San Jose State, North Texas, San Diego State and Bradley.

These types of accidents are always tragic, but this is especially hard to write about because he was a young kid with a bright future. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Jackson-Houston family. There are over 6 million auto wrecks each year, with almost 3 million resulting personal injuries and approximately 42,000 crash related deaths.

Information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Car 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. For questions concerning a car accident, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

The Interstate 35 corridor runs from Laredo through North Texas to Gainesville, and it is known as one of the most important links for business in the state.

But state and local leaders agree that the highway is not ready for what the future holds: More traffic and more commerce. The city is designing a new approach to develop plans for improvements called My 35.

The idea behind it is to involve local leaders and citizens at every segment of the interstate across Texas. I-35 is more than just a highway; it's one of the state's primary routes for freight and passenger cars and trucks. Improving it is a huge issue.

Segment committees are meeting across Texas. One of those panels will gather in Arlington Wednesday morning to discuss Segment One of the highway, which runs through 11 North Texas counties.

Those counties and seven local cities — including Dallas, Fort Worth, Denton, McKinney, Rockwall and Weatherford — will all be represented.

Everyone seems to agree that I-35 needs more room for traffic and improved safety. The challenge is coming up with a plan that does exactly that — from South Texas to the Oklahoma border.

Keeping roadways as safe and traffic-free as possible is important, especially in an area as busy as the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. I think it’s great that the city is willing to include its’ citizens in this planning, because they are the people who utilize the highway most frequently. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were over 37,000 deaths in the United States this year from fatal car crashes. A roadway that is more open and less congested might prevent some of these accidents from happening.

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, fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

A wrong-way accident on I-30 at Ferguson Road Sunday morning left one person dead and three injured. The Sheriff’s Department said that a woman driving a pickup truck with two passengers was traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes and crashed head on with another vehicle.

The female passenger in the front seat, identified as Ana Tello, was pronounced dead at the scene. The pickup driver and the male passenger who was in the backseat were taken to Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas in serious condition. The driver of the Tahoe was taken to a local hospital in good condition.

The names of the injured victims have not been made public, pending notification of family members.

This is a serious accident that could have been prevented, and The Anderson Law Firm sends their sympathy to Ana Tello and the other victims. As drivers, please remember to follow all roadway signs, because the driver would have likely been able to see that she was going the wrong way. The public almost becomes numb to the fact that traffic wrecks happen to other people. But the national statistics show that we are all likely going to become involved in a traffic incident at some time or another—there are over 6 million auto wrecks each year, with almost 3 million resulting personal injuries and approximately 42,000 crash related deaths. Make sure to pay attention while driving to prevent accidents like these.

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 about a car accident, please fill our out contact from online for a free consultation.

A man died Friday afternoon after his motorcycle collided with a Nissan Cube on Blue Mound Road in north Fort Worth. The motorcyclist has been identified as William Copeland, 51, of Haslet.

Police have said the driver of the Cube was pulling away from a stop sign on the northbound access road to U.S. 287 about 2:30 p.m. Friday when the collision occurred. Copeland was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said that after the collision, the motorcycle continued on Blue Mound Road about 120 feet and then burst into flames. The driver of the Cube was not injured.

The Anderson Law Firm sends out condolences to the Copeland family. Hopefully, the police will be able to find out who was at fault in this fatal car crash. It is important for motorcyclists to remember either way that the most common cause of wrecks involving motorcycles is inattention of the other driver. Many times, drivers just don’t see the motorcycle. This accounts for about 70 percent of all wrecks. On the other hand though, motorcyclists need to be extra cautious when riding because they don't have the protection that cars, trucks and other vehicles have while on the road.

Information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth motorcycle and 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 questions regarding a motorcycle accident or questions about a car accident, please fill out our contact from online for a free consultation.

Two Fort Worth residents were transported to Texas Health Harris Fort Worth hospital on Wednesday after they crashed their Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

According to the Cleburne police the driver lost control in wet sand and gravel. The man claims he lost control of the motorcycle while trying to avoid a pot hole. The accident occurred around 8:45 a.m. near U.S. 67 and Nolan River Road.

Reports indicated that the 46-year-old woman was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. Reports are unclear whether the 46-year-old male driver was wearing a helmet. A Harris spokeswoman confirmed that the couple’s injuries were nonlife-threatening. The couple was treated and released by Thursday.

Unfortunately when an accident involving a motorcycle occurs, the results are usually not good for the rider as they just don't have the protection that cars, trucks and other vehicles have. Many of the accidents involving motorcycles result in very serious injuries and even death. Fortunately in this case, the couples’ injuries were not life threatening.

In Texas, 346 motorcycle riders died in 2006 and only one-third of those riders were wearing helmets. The benefits from wearing a helmet are so numerous that there is no reason a rider shouldn’t wear one. Finding the right type of helmet can be hard, but in the end it could save your life.

This information and commentary is provided by Texas Board Certified Personal Injury Attorney Mark 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 questions about a motorcycle accident please fill out our contact form for a free consultation.

Last weekend the Republic of Texas Biker Rally took place in Austin, TX. Officials said there were at least two biker deaths over the weekend, and at least three more serious accidents involving motorcycles. Police and Rally officials are not sure if all of the accidents were connected to the event, which draws tens of thousands of visitors each year.

Police say they do not have the total number of motorcycle wrecks for this past weekend because not all of the officers have turned in reports. In Austin, during the 2009 and 2008 ROT biker rally weekends, there were 22 and 16 motorcycle crashes respectively. 2009 also included one fatality.

ROT 2010 rally weekend already has two fatal motorcycle crashes documented. One fatal crash early Sunday morning killed 36-year-old motorcycle passenger, Barbara Ann Garza. The driver, Daniel Rios Ortega, 28, crashed his bike in Northeast Austin and fled the scene. He was arrested and charged with failure to stop and render aid in the incident.

The second fatality happened in western Travis County early Monday; when El Paso resident, David Torres, 44, crashed into a median.

My condolences go out to the families of the two victims, Barbara Ann Graza and David Torres. Crashes like this can be prevented by paying more attention to the road. By being aware and by adhering to road safety rules many accidents can be avoided. These rules really need to be followed when attending biker rallies like this on. A motorcycle rider is 37 times more likely to die in a crash than automobile driver. So please pay attention while driving and follow the road safety rules, doing so can save lives.

This information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Personal Injury 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 been involved in a motorcycle accident and have questions please fill out our contact form for a free consultation.

In the south side of Fort Worth, a fatal wreck on Interstate 35 W backed up traffic for miles.

The accident happened on Wednesday night around 8:20 p.m. in the southbound lanes near Garden Acres Boulevard.

At least one person is believed to be dead. There has been no further information on how many other vehicles were involved.

Southbound traffic on I-35W was still being shuffled to service roads more than two hours after the crash.

So far there is no evidence to explain why and how this crash occurred, but hopefully after a thorough investigation those questions will be answered. Through reconstruction of the accident, police may be able to tell what happened. Our sincere condolences go out to the victim’s family.

National statistics show that we are all likely going to become involved in a traffic incident at some time or another—there are over 6 million auto wrecks each year, with almost 3 million resulting personal injuries and approximately 42,000 crash related deaths. By following road safety rules the probability of a being in a car accident is greatly reduced.

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 about a car accident, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

Loya Insurance is one of two large auto insurers that had a complaint record well above the state average in 2009, according to a new listing of “justified” complaints handled by the state Insurance Department.

One driver, Larry Randall, was sideswiped in May 2009, and the driver who was at fault had an insurance policy with Loya Insurance.

““They tried to ignore me from day one, and then they finally sent me a check covering a fraction of my claim. When’s the last time you heard of major damage to the side of a car being fixed for $300?” Randall said, noting he has not cashed the company’s check.

An analysis of the Insurance Department figures by The Dallas Morning News showed that 10 of the 25 largest auto insurers in the state, which are those with more than 100,000 policies, had below average customer service records.

Loya, one of the top companies at the top of the list, is now being investigated by the Insurance Department for violations of state regulations. Loya Insurance is countering back though, arguing that their company serves a unique customer base, typically lower-income drivers who have trouble obtaining insurance.

The Insurance Department Agency is limited in how it can respond to consumer complaints because the department cannot force a company to pay a disputed claim if there is no violation of the law. The agency can also not determine who was at fault in the specific accident. However, the customer complaints do help the Insurance Department Agency with identifying issue of concerns that would otherwise be neglected.

You cannot trust insurance companies—don’t be fooled. The truth is all they really want is for you to sign up with them and make your premium payments on time. When it actually comes time to paying money out on a claim, you can forget all of those friendly slogans. These self-proclaimed “good neighbors” can quickly become your worst nightmare. These insurance companies will not pay you a single dime more than they want to and they don’t pay until it benefits them. They are not looking out for the policyholder’s best interest; they are looking out for their best interest.

Because it’s an adversarial process, the at-fault person’s insurance company has no duty to treat you fairly. So what should a person do if they are injured in an accident? They should at least speak to a Board Certified Personal Injury Attorney about their case. Not all cases need lawyers, but we think all serious injury cases sure do, and the victims need a good lawyer who will fight for their needs so they get proper compensation.

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 about a car accident or questions about an insurance claim, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

Jadarion Montez Taylor, a Texas truck driver, died in Converse, Louisiana early Saturday morning. He was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.

According to the Times of Shreveport, the native of Longview, Texas entered a slight left hand curve in the highway, ran off the road to the right and began traveling in the ditch. Montez, 26, was ejected from his diesel fuel 2010 International truck when it flipped several times.

The crash was reported about 7:40 a.m. Saturday morning. The tragedy forced closure of one of the lanes of the highway for several hours as cleanup crews tried to clean the spilled diesel fuel. Taylor was hauling 5,000 gallons of fuel.

I am very saddened to hear of this tragic crash. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Jadarion Montez Taylor. In wrecks involving 18-wheelers, 44% of people injured in a truck accident suffer incapacitating injuries. Tragically, approximately 9% die. This means that 53% of people driving other vehicles in truck-related accidents suffer an incapacitating injury or death as a result of a truck accident. This is an absolutely staggering number, and is exponentially higher than all other types of motor vehicle injury statistics. Fortunately, in this case, there were no other cars involved in this accident.

Information and commentary are provided by Dallas/ Fort Worth Truck 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 truck accident, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

A new traffic signal at Interstate 35W and the Basswood Boulevard overpass is confusing motorists, some of whom wonder why lights are pointing in both directions of a frontage road that they think is one-way. Apparently there is a not very well-marked stretch of two-way frontage road at that intersection. This could potentially cause serious car accidents.

Texas Transportation Department officials, who installed the signals late last month, said that they will take a look at the intersection to see whether there are safety concerns. They have received no complaints, and no major accidents because of the configuration have been reported, although drivers who use the area regularly see the danger.

Many northbound motorists, preparing to enter I-35W, mistakenly use the southbound side of the two-way frontage road, not realizing they're on the wrong side of the road. This is probably because the only warning of this two way frontage road is an orange highway sign on the frontage road north of Basswood about 30 feet after the two-way traffic begins.

Hopefully, the Texas Transportation Department can fix this minor problem before it becomes a major problem. Luckily, there have been no major accidents, but it is still something that needs to be fixed, especially if it’s confusing motorists. Drivers could potentially get distracted by the idea of a two-way frontage road, which could indirectly cause an accident. The most common cause of car accidents is not paying attention. And the problem here is that drivers might be paying attention, and that could get them further confused because the roadway signs are confusing.

Information and commentary is provided by the 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 about a car accident, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

Two children were hurt in a wreck involving ejected people on U.S. 287 Thursday morning in northwest Fort Worth. The children went to Cook’s Children Medical Center and two adults were also taken to other area hospitals.

Police and ambulance crews responded at about 8:35 a.m. to the wreck in the 12100 block of U.S. 287. The area is a short distance northwest of the highway's intersection with Blue Mound Road. There have been no further reports about the extent of injuries.

It is important to remember that most of these motor vehicle accidents happen because a driver make reckless mistakes, like not paying attention. I also hope that everyone was wearing a seatbelt, because that could make the injuries far less severe. Among fatally injured passenger vehicle occupants, more than half (55%) of those killed in 2008 were unrestrained. I hope everyone involved in this accident is okay, and I hope that they can figure out what the cause was.

Information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Car 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 concerning a car accident, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

Late Thursday, in Pleasant Grove, TX three children were hospitalized after a hit-and-run.
The children were riding in a white Plymouth minivan. The minivan was traveling south on Masters Drive a little after 11p.m. when a silver Lincoln Navigator ran a stop sign at Muskogee Drive and hit them.

The driver on the minivan was unharmed, but four members of his family were taken to various hospitals. The victims include: his wife, an 8-year-old boy, a 3-year-old girl and an 11-year-old girl. His youngest daughter, 3-years-old, suffered the most serious injuries out of the group and was taken to Children’s Medical Center in Dallas. None of their injuries are thought to be life threatening.

The driver of the Lincoln Navigator fled the scene after the accident. He still remains at large. Police later found the vehicle abandoned in a backyard of a house nearby. Anyone with information can call Dallas Police at 214-670-5817

Hit-and-runs are one of the worst types of accidents to hear about. In this case, a driver of a sports utility vehicle made a mistake by running a stop sign. Mistakes happen, but running away from accident you caused, especially when there are multiple children involved, is despicable. Hopefully the police will be able to track down this reckless driver and bring him to justice.

Most motor vehicle accidents, including this one, happen because driver's make reckless mistakes, like running a stop sign. They can either be simply not paying attention, or it could be the driver was talking on a cell phone, texting, or eating. By following road safety rules the probability of a being in a car accident is greatly reduced. If you have any information about this accident please call the Dallas Police at 214-670-5817. Making a mistake is one thing, running from it is another.

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 about a hit-and-run accident, 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.

Under a measure approved by a Senate Committee Wednesday, States would be rewarded for cracking down on distracted drivers.

The bill will now head to full Senate. If passed the bill would create a $94 million program to give out grants to states that prohibit texting and talking on the phone while driving.

This measure is different from competing bill because it would not punish states for failing to enact distracted driving laws.

Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson agrees that distracted driving poses a serious threat to all drivers, passengers, and pedestrians on the road. Hutchinson favors this new piece of legislation over the competing bill because it respects state rights.

This bill would set a high standard for receiving federal dollars. States would have pass a laws against texting and using phones while driving. The federal dollars would come from surplus cash flow in another highway bill.

Under the bill, law enforcement can pull over drivers for not following the measures. A corresponding house bill has not made it out of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee subpanel

After reading in the paper yesterday that Arlington stopped a bill that would prohibit texting while behind the wheel, I find this national news very uplifting. The nation is seeing distracted driving as a problem and is finely taking a stand against it. The giving of federal dollars is a great way to get states to create these laws.

One question I’ve heard is: Is the spending of federal dollars on this program really worth it? Twenty-eight states plus the District of Columbia have laws against texting while driving. Seven States and D.C. also prohibit using phones on the road. Clearly States have already seen the importance of prohibiting distracted driving, is the money worth it? Whatever happens, money or no money, it’s great to see the nation take a stand and something as dangerous as distracted driving. The teens of Fort Worth took take a stand in my Teens Against Distracted Driving program, it will be interesting to see what the Capital does.

Information and Commentary are 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 about car accidents or distracted driving please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

Yesterday the Arlington City Council shut down the proposal that would have banned texting while driving.

Robert Rivera, The Southeast Arlington representative, recommended the ban. Rivera states that reports show that texting while driving is more dangerous that drunken driving. Unfortunately most of the Council refused to discuss it.

Other Texas Cities, such as Austin and Galveston, have banned texting while driving. Even though the motion came to a halt, Rivera insists that just having the conversation was beneficial. It has heightened awareness even if Arlington doesn’t move forward with the ordinance.

If you support this ban, Rivera encourages all residents to contact their council representatives.
Arlington recently prohibited drivers from talking on cell phones in active school areas. That was a step in the right direction. I hope Arlington can go back and look over the ban to try and get it to pass. It is great to see councilmen like Rivera try and take a stand against distracted driving. Through my program, Teens Against Distracted Driving, I was able to see just how many teens were willing to take a stand against texting and driving and I hope Arlington City Council can represent their wants. Great job Rivera, at least there is more awareness now, and hopefully in the near future the idea will be revisited.

Information and commentary are 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 about car accidents or distracted driving please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

Police say that wearing seat belts may have prevented serious injury in a van wreck involving children. The Children’s Academy Daycare van was on Highway 360 Monday morning when the brakes locked.

The van tumbled down an embankment on Highway 360 and hit a sign. The six kids and the driver suffered cuts and bruises and were taken to the hospital to be checked out, but wearing a seat belt likely protected them from any severe injury.

These are the blogs I love writing about because it shows the good that can happen when you follow the rules of the road. Wearing a seat belt is important, especially since, among fatally injured passenger vehicle occupants, more than half of those killed in 2008 were unrestrained. Putting on a safety belt is a simple action that could save your life, so suck it up and buckle up. You won’t regret it.

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 about a car 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.

With the enactment of the new booster seat law, many low-income parents are worried about how they can afford booster seats in their cars for kids up to 8 years old. These booster seats will help prevent injury in the case of a car accident. For parents who can't afford a booster seat, the Texas Department of Health Services gives away free car seats to low-income families through its Safe Riders program.

In the past four months, Safe Riders has given away 540 booster seats and 2,613 car seats to parents across the state. The program has distributed an additional 5,000 car seats to be given out at events around the state.

This is such a great way to ensure that all kids ride safe while in a motor vehicle. It would be hard for all families to obey the law, because some families are unable to purchase a car or booster seat with the income they make. It is estimated that approximately 47 percent of the fatally injured children in the 0 through 9 years old are generally unrestrained. I think it is a great program that is watching out for the safety of children from all types of families, which is always important. Not only will these families follow the law, they will help protect their kids from serious injury.

Information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Car 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 about a car accident, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

A Pepsi products 18-wheeler overturned going southbound on the Dallas Tollway at Beltline yesterday morning.

The tractor trailer truck was traveling southbound when another vehicle cut him off. When he over-corrected, he crossed the median and ended up in the northbound lane of the Tollway. Six vehicles were involved in the accident, and at least two have been towed.

While it was not reported that anyone was hurt, it is important to remember to be cautious when driving next to a large vehicle, like an 18-wheeler. You're looking at a vehicle weighing more than 10,000 pounds; the injuries sustained in a semi-truck wreck are far more severe than a regular car accident. One out of every nine traffic fatalities in 2007 was caused by a tractor-trailer or other large truck. Following the rules of the road could have prevented this accident, so make sure to be attentive and courteous while driving.

Information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Truck 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 involving a truck accident or a car accident, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

Authorities were forced to shut down LBJ freeways southbound lanes for hours after a tractor-trailer crushed another vehicle earlier this morning.

One victim died at the scene and the other two members in the wreck were sent to the hospital. Their names and conditions have not been released.

Authorities reopened the freeway about 6 a.m. Authorities are still trying to identify what caused the accident. More details will be released later.

In wrecks involving tractor-trailers, 44% of people injured in a truck wreck suffer devastating injuries. Tragically, around 9% die. This means that 53% of people driving other vehicles in truck-related accidents suffer an incapacitating injury or death as a result of a tractor-trailer crash.

At The Anderson Law Firm we want to help those who have been injured in a truck accident. With investigating and reconstructing the accident, we work to immediately uncover and collect all the facts pertinent to your case. We do this to help those injured get the best possible compensation for their injuries.

So far there is no evidence to explain why and how this crash occurred, but hopefully there will be a thorough investigation. Through reconstruction of the accident, police may be able to tell what happened. Our condolences go out to the family of the deceased victim. We wish for a speedy recovery to the two injured still in the hospital.

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 about a truck accident, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

An on-duty Dallas police officer, driving a marked squad car, was the victim of a hit-and-run accident Sunday morning while traveling westbound on C.F. Hawn Freeway. Matje collided with a vehicle after the driver of another vehicle sideswiped the police car and then took off.

Police said they have no description of the driver, but said that the hit-and-run vehicle should have heavy front-end damage. Matje was taken to Baylor Medical Center Dallas by ambulance and is in fair condition. Police are asking people to call Dallas Police Traffic Unit at 214-670-5816 with any information regarding the incident.

We hope the police are able to find the driver of the other vehicle, because hit-and-runs are a serious issue, especially when it involves a police officer. We also trust that the police department will do all that they can to solve this investigation, to give justice to the innocent officer. Hit-and runs is a traffic accident that can cause injury, so it is important to try and get the license number or make and model of the car if it’s possible.

It is also likely that an injured person might want to make a claim even if he or she gets hit by a driver that flees the scene.

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

Late Wednesday afternoon four people were injured in a head-on collision on C.F. Hawn Freeway in South Dallas. The Eastbound lanes of the freeway were close for three hours after the wreck. Kim Leach, a Dallas County Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman, said one of the two automobiles was traveling westbound in the eastbound lanes at around 5:15 p.m.

The four injured partiers were taken to Baylor University Medical Center for treatment. No further details have been released.

Several wrecks occur in the Dallas/Fort Worth area each year from wrong way driving crashes, only a small, but preventable, percentage of the total amount of automobile accidents. There were 6 million reported car accidents in the United States last year. It is vital to always follow road safety rules to avoid injury while driving. My hope is that by informing people about easy tips to stay safe while driving, there will be less preventable traffic accidents in our area.

This information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Car Accident Attorney Mark Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm can be reached in Dallas at 214-327-8000 or in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900. If you have questions about a car crash, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

Streets will be filled with dozens of bicyclists around North Texas and throughout the nation on Wednesday in support for the ‘Ride of Silence’. The Ride of Silence is a silent, slow procession to honor cyclists who have been killed or injured on roadways.

A local event will be held in Willow Park County this Wednesday starting at 7 p.m. The ride will begin at Ranch House Road and Interstate 20, in remembrance of where bikers Larry McQuien and Thomas Hollrith Jr. were killed. McQuien and Hollrith were killed in separate accidents in the same place in the past two years.

Other rides will take place in Fort Worth, and in Arlington, Coppell, and Dallas.
According to local organizers, the ‘Ride of Silence’ is being held during National Bike Safety Month to raise awareness to motorists, police, and city officials that bicyclists have a legal right to the roadways. Every year, over 600 cyclists die on American roadways.

Cyclists have always had a legal right to share the roads, but automobile drivers aren’t always aware of the rights. Hopefully this ride, along with the publicity of National Bike Safety Month will help inform motorists of biker’s rights and increase their knowledge of what to do when encountering a bicyclist.

Come out and join north Texas cyclists in remembering Larry McQuien and Thomas Hollrith Jr. and other riders who have been hurt or killed on American roads. It will be a memorable ride for a great cause.

This information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Personal Injury Attorney Mark 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 been involved in a bicycle accident and have questions please fill out our contact form 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.

Fred Krusemark of Dallas, an 87-year old World War II Navy veteran, was given a drive around the Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday when the car crashed. He was being honored by Carter BloodCare for years of making blood donations.

After the accident occurred, Krusemark died of blunt force trauma to the head and neck, the Denton County Medical Examiner's Office said Tuesday. Texas Driving Experience was renting the track, and the company offers what it describes as safe, educational, and fun programs and extreme racecar rides and drives for individuals and corporate groups.

Krusemark was the passenger in a Corvette that hit the wall during a turn on one of the laps and ended up on the infield. Krusemark was taken to a hospital by helicopter and was taken off life support Monday morning. The driver of the car, Andre Vandenberg, 53, is said to be in critical condition.

Krusemark's parents both lived to be 100, and he had been heard saying that he planned to have the same luck. He was not only a doting husband, but also a father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.

This is a tragic accident that is hard to write about because what was supposed to be a joy ride turned into a devastating loss for a family. Our hearts go out to both the victim and the victim’s family, especially since he was known to be such a giving person. It is important to remember that any car is dangerous when it drives at high speeds, even the professional race cars that ride around the Texas Motor Speedway Track.

Information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Car 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 about a car accident, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

On Tuesday afternoon, five people were injured in a two-car crash in west Arlington. The accident took place at the intersection of Pioneer Parkway and South Davis Street. The intersection was close shortly after the crash around 12:00 p.m. and was not reopened until 3:15 p.m.

Four of the injured victims were taken to local hospitals, while the fifth victim was taken by helicopter ambulance to a further hospital. An Arlington Police spokeswoman, Tiara Ellis Richard, said none of the injuries seemed to be life threatening.

There is no current information on how the automobile accident happened. Luckily no one was killed; hopefully all injured parties will have a speedy recovery.

There are more than six million car accidents each year in the United States. Most of these motor vehicle accidents happen because driver's make reckless mistakes. They can either be simply not paying attention, or it could be the driver was talking on a cell phone, texting, or eating. By following road safety rules the probability of a being in a car accident is greatly reduced.

Information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Personal injury 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 car accident, please fill out a contact form online for a free consultation.

The Arlington School District is taking a harsh reality approach in showing students the dangers of texting and driving. District officials are requiring that all nine schools watch a video of an explicit, staged car accident caused by texting and driving.

After seeing the three-minute video, which is a localized version of the popular YouTube video, students are asked to sign a pledge that promises to refrain from texting while driving. The campaign is called, "txtN n drivN. it cn w8." This is texting shorthand for “texting and driving, it can wait.”

The video depicts a teenage girl who causes a three-car wreck that involves more than one fatality. Arlington officials downloaded the video and added statements from state and local elected officials, a Dallas Cowboys player and others who have taken similar anti-texting pledges.

Government agencies and advocacy groups are turning up the heat on drivers who text, citing studies that show that cell phone distractions are as detrimental as driving under the influence of alcohol.

I have been working on a similar campaign called TADD, which stands for Teens Against Distracted Driving. I go to local schools and ask them to sign a pledge card that’s says that will not text and drive. If they sign these cards, then they get an orange bracelet to remind them of the oath they took.

It is important to educate children, teens, and adults alike about the dangers of texting and driving. And while the video may be graphic, it gets the message across. Any distraction from driving can cause accidents, and often times those accidents can prove fatal. I want to encourage the Dallas/Fort Worth area to start being more attentive, and wait until after they get out of a car to write a text. In 2008, 11% of fatal crashes involved a distracted driver.

Information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Car 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 about a car accident or about the TADD campaign, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

On Monday morning, a jailer with the Dallas Sheriff’s Office was involved in a motorcycle accident on his way to work. The crash happened shortly before 6 a.m. under Interstate 30 on South Riverfront
Boulevard.

The unidentified motorcyclist suffered multiple broken bones, but none of the injuries were thought to be life threatening. The news reports do not say how the accident occurred.
In the past I have represented many motorcycle riders and based on experience, my guess is that a driver of a car did not see the biker and either pulled in front of him or turned into him. Failing to see a motorcyclist is the number one cause of wrecks involving bikes. That does not mean that motorcyclists are never in the wrong, as sometimes they are, but the odds are that the automobile driver didn’t see the motorcycle.

This information and commentary is provided by Texas Board Certified Personal Injury Attorney Mark 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 questions about a motorcycle accident please fill out our contact form for a free consultation.

On Sunday Evening a Seminole man was rushed to the hospital after his motorcycle accident in Midland, TX. The 41-year-old man was admitted to Midland Memorial Hospital with serious injuries at around 6:30 p.m.

According to police he was traveling east on Hwy 191 at high speeds when he hit a curb, causing him to lose control of his bike. This caused him to roll several times before finally coming to a crash.

The biker was not wearing a helmet, causing him to sustain more serious injuries that he would have, had he been wearing the proper equipment. The injuries and fatalities of motorcycle riders are unfortunately, on the rise. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics, in 2008, there were over 5,290 deaths and over 96,000injuries involving motorcycle riders. These injuries and deaths are even more likely when one does not wear a helmet.

Our firm is a friend and advocate of motorcycle enthusiasts, having successfully represented many injured riders in the past. We encourage all riders to wear helmets, so please choose the right gear to protect you in an accident. A helmet can never hurt.

Information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Car Accident Lawyer Mark Anderson. If you or someone you love has suffered personal injuries or been killed as the result of a motorcycle accident, please contact Texas Board Certified Personal Injury Attorney 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 motorcycle crashes, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

A Fort Worth man died on Sunday after being involved in a traffic accident in Fort Worth. The victim, Sri Vempati, died at Texas Health Fort Worth hospital at around 4 in the afternoon, shortly after the car crash.

The wreck happened at Forest Park Boulevard, around the intersection where Forest Park meets West Rosedale Street. Fort Worth police did not release details on the accident, but confirmed that Vempati was the driver.

My condolences go out to the family and friends of Mr. Vempati. Hopefully, the accident investigation by the Fort Worth Police Department will reveal the cause of this tragic wreck.

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 about a car accident, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

On the morning of May 9th a tragic car accident occurred in Fort Worth. The driver, Livita Simms, was driving north on the I-35 service road when her car went over the curb, hit a medium and burst into flames. Four members in the six person car were killed. The wrecked killed Simms, her five year old daughter, and two thirteen year old boys identified Elijah Drisdle and Deguone Matlock Jr.

There is confusion as to whether a seventh person was in the car when the automobile crashed at 1:30 a.m. Simms was said to have dropped off Jamie Muriel at her house minutes before the wreck took place. One of the two boys who survived said there was a seventh person who grabbed the steering wheel during an argument and fled the scene after the accident. Muriel however denies being in the car at the time of the incident.

Our hearts go out to those involved in the accident. It’s unfortunate to hear of an accident of this severity. Our condolences to those families involved. We hope the police will be able to sort through the facts to find the missing pieces in this case.

This information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Personal Injury Attorney Mark 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 questions about car accidents, please fill out our contact form for a free consultation.

The City of Dallas will soon enact the 2011 Bike Plan to increase the amount of people riding bikes but reduce the number of bicycle accidents. Other parts of the plan will focus on education, culture, signage, funding, connectivity and routes.

The plan hopes to ensure safety on the main roads so more people will use their bikes as a source of transportation.The plan will include the 450 miles of roads in the Dallas area.

As always, it is important to be aware of the bicycle safety concerns in the Dallas and Fort Worth area. The U.S. Department of Transportation has a policy on bicycle accommodations to make certain that the public is aware of the danger that comes with riding on a main street. 44,000 cyclists are hurt annually in traffic crashes, and Dallas is doing a fine job in attempting to lessen the chances of these accidents.

Information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Car 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 about a bike accident, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

The Food and Drug Administration has recalled over 40 medications for children earlier this week. The list includes Children’s Zyrtec, Benadryl, Motrin, and Tylenol. The FDA said that they are not too concerned with serious side effects occurring from the recall; however, they do recommend that any medication that is on the recalled list be stopped immediately.

The FDA also said that there are generics for almost all of the medications, so children will not have to go without their meds. The issue with the medications is that they may contain too much of an active ingredient, or may not meet quality control standards.

As always, it is important for parents to stay up to date with children’s products that are being recalled. Just last week hundreds of thousands of Graco and Simplicity cribs were recalled for children. It is important when picking out toys or other equipment for your child that you always research toys before you buy.

This information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Personal Injury 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 about a personal injury or car accident case, please fill out our contact form for a free consultation.

With the recent flooding problems in Nashville, Tennessee, and tornadoes already affecting many areas of the country, I thought it would be good to review some basic driving safety tips in the case that you are in the car during a flash flood or tornado.

The following are safety tips from The Weather Channel’s Weather Ready Checklist to help prevent you from being in a car accident:

Flash Floods:
•Turnaround –If you don’t know the depth of water before crossing.
•Abandon stalled vehicles immediately and seek higher ground.

Tornadoes:
•Never try and out drive a Tornado.
•Leave your vehicle, and go to a concrete shelter.
•If there is no shelter nearby, lie flat in the nearest ditch with your hands shielding your head.
•Be alert for rapidly rising waters in the ditch.
•Do NOT seek refuge in an overpass where winds can be magnified.

The Weather Channel also recommends keeping the following items in your car at all times in case there is an emergency:

•First aid kit
•Fire extinguisher
•Matches
•Compass
•Jumper Cables
•Properly inflated spare tire, wheel wrench and tripod-type jack
•Bottled water
•Critical Prescription Medicine
•Blanket/sleeping bag
•Non-perishable, high-energy foods
•Flashlight with extra batteries
•Cell phone charger
•Reflective triangles and brightly-colored cloth

I hope this helps you prevent having a car accident in the situation that you are driving during severe or hazardous weather. This information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Personal Injury Attorney Mark Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or in Dallas at 214-327-8000.

A man in a wheelchair was hit and killed by an SUV on Sunday at the intersection of Pemberton Hill Road and Loop 12. The fatal pedestrian accident occurred around 10:30 p.m. The man was in a motorized wheelchair and thought to be homeless.

The man was pronounced dead at Baylor Medical Center. His name has not been released. The Dallas Police Department said that no charges are expected to be filed.

The SUV was driven by a 21-year-old, whose name has not been released. He did stop after the accident occurred.

It is unfortunate to hear about a disabled man being killed in this kind of accident. Almost 70,000 pedestrian accidents occur in the United States every year. Of these accidents, 73% of them happen in urban downtown areas, like this fatal accident did. The Anderson Law Firm has several resources about pedestrian safety and pedestrian accident prevention.

This information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Personal Injury Attorney Mark 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 questions about your personal injury case, please fill out our contact form for a free consultation.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a recall on Simplicity and Graco cribs saying that there is a risk that infants could suffocate or be strangled while in the cribs. The CPSC released the recall this morning.

The Graco recall is for approximately 217,000 cribs. The recall is associated with a “drop side” that can break or detach, causing a dangerous gap between the mattress and crib. There have been 99 complaints about problems with the “drop side” portion of the cribs.

The Simplicity recall is for all full sized cribs with tubular metal mattress support frames. There is a problem with the frame that can cause the mattress to collapse, and the baby could end up being trapped or suffocate in the mattress. There has been one death from this issue with the Simplicity cribs.

It is very important that parents stay up to date with the latest list of safety recalls released by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The Anderson Law Firm has several resources on what to look for when purchasing toys for your child and child injuries that can be attributed to recalls.

This information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Personal Injury Attorney Mark Anderson. Mark can be reached in Dallas at 214-327-8000 or in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900. If your child has been injured and you have questions about their injury please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

A car wreck involving four vehicles and a horse happened around 5:30 a.m. this morning on I-20 near St. Augustine Road in Dallas. A horse had walked onto the highway and caused the accident between the four cars.

The horse was killed in the accident. No one knows who the horse belongs to or where it came from.

One of the four cars had to be towed, and a passenger from one of the cars had to be taken to the hospital. The man is said to be injured, but in stable condition. Several lanes of the highway were closed after the accident.

I can’t imagine seeing a horse on the highway at 5:30 in the morning. That must have been quite a shocker for the driver’s of the four cars involved in the wreck. Though I do not know if a wreck could have been avoided in this case, following road safety rules and regulations is the key to avoid being involved in a car accident. I am sorry to hear that an animal has been killed this morning, but glad that no one was more seriously injured in the wreck.

This information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Personal Injury Attorney Mark 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 questions about a car accident, please fill out our contact form for a free consultation.

The U.S. Coast Guard has a Boating Safety Center that has all kinds of helpful tips on how to stay safe on the lake or ocean this spring and summer.

Many of the tips cover always wearing your life jacket while boating. Here are their tips on life jacket use:

•Certain life jackets are designed to keep your head above water and help you remain in a position which permits proper breathing.
•To meet U.S. Coast Guard requirements, a boat must have a U.S. Coast Guard-approved Type I, II, III, or V life jacket for each person aboard. Boats 16 feet and over must have at least one Type IV throwable device as well.
•All states have regulations regarding life jacket wear by children.
•Adult-sized life jackets will not work for children. Special life jackets are available. To work correctly, a life jacket must be worn, fit snugly, and not allow the child’s chin or ears to slip through.
•Life jackets should be tested for wear and buoyancy at least once each year. Waterlogged, faded, or leaky jackets should be discarded.

The boating safety center also covers why boaters should not “BUI” (Boat Under the Influence).

Here are a few statistics and safety tips about alcohol use while on the water:
•A boat operator is likely to become impaired more quickly than a driver, drink for drink
•The penalties for BUI can include large fines, revocation of operator privileges and serious jail terms
•The use of alcohol is involved in about a third of all recreational boating fatalities

I know summer is one of my favorite times of the year. It is important to always be aware of how to avoid boating injuries while on the water. I hope these tips help you and your family to have an enjoyable time while at the lake! This information and commentary is provided by Texas Board Certified Personal Injury Attorney Mark Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm can be reached in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or in Dallas at 214-327-8000.

Eastbound I-30 was completely shut down after a tractor-trailer collided with a Dodge Durango around 6 a.m. The Durango was initially caught underneath the semi-truck and the passengers were rescued around 7:15 a.m.

The trailer of the 18-wheeler was completely blocking all eastbound lanes of traffic because it was lying across the entire highway. The truck driver and two passengers of the Dodge Durango were taken to the hospital.

Details on what caused the accident and the current condition of the passengers and truck driver has not been released.

It will be interesting to see if further details of this 18-wheeler wreck will be released. The Dallas Morning News reported that the details of the cause of the accident are “sketchy.” Any car accident involving an 18-wheeler is usually a pretty serious one. Almost 500 tractor-trailer accidents happen in Texas each year. Of all fatal car accidents, 18-wheelers are involved in 8% of the wrecks. I am glad to hear no one was killed in this particular accident. My thoughts are with the two passengers and truck driver while they are in the hospital.

This information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Car 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 questions about your car accident case, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

A Ford F-150 ran into a home on Thursday morning in Hurst. The car accident occurred on Brown Trail near Shady Lake Drive.

The Hurst Police Department said that no one was injured inside of the house. However, there were three passengers in the pickup truck; two were injured, and one was killed.

There is currently an accident investigation taking place surrounding the cause of the car wreck.

The man who died was identified as Steve Manisela.

I am curious to see what the finding is on the cause of the car crash. The police will look into all aspects, as it is unusual for a truck to run off of the road. I did see that another wreck occurred in Fort Worth yesterday involving an off duty FWPD officer running off a road and into a house. In that case, it appears that drinking was involved.

This information and commentary is provided by Fort Worth Personal Injury 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 about a car accident investigation and would like a free consultation please fill out our contact form.

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.

A North Texas man died on Thursday on North Stemmons Freeway when he slammed his motorcycle into a guard rail. He was riding alongside another motorcyclist when the wreck occurred.

The Dallas Police Department identified excessive speeding as the cause of the wreck. The motorcycle flew over a guard rail and flipped several times.

The motorcyclist, who was identified as Brian Ballew, was declared dead at the scene. He was riding a 2003 Suzuki Hayabusa.

My sincere condolences go out to the family and friends of Brian Ballew. Motorcycle accidents often have some of the most serious outcomes from even the most minor driving error. There are many things that motorcyclists can do to increase safety by following a few motorcycle riding tips and using protective motorcycle gear.

This information and commentary is provided by Texas Board Certified Personal Injury Attorney Mark 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 questions about a motorcycle accident please fill out our contact form for a free consultation.

Everyone has heard the phrase: “accidents happen.” Unfortunately, what many people fail to realize is that car crashes do not “just happen.” Every Dallas/Fort Worth car wreck has a cause, and that cause can typically be traced back to someone failing to follow highway laws or operate their vehicle properly.

Car Accidents Have Causes
Car accidents don’t “just happen.” In the vast majority of motor vehicle collisions, either you or the other driver is at fault. Not paying attention is one of the leading causes for car wrecks; people texting, or eating, or talking on the phone, or fiddling with the radio often are not looking at a key moment and run into someone.

In other cases, people look the wrong way when accidents happen – a driver paying attention to the left, for example, when someone comes from the right. Either way, someone is at fault for those accidents, and the at-fault party is responsible for the accident.

I hope that you see the point that someone is always at fault in any kind of accident. It is important if you are involved in some sort of accident that you investigate the scene of the accident so that the cause of the wreck can be determined.

This information and commentary is provided by Texas Board Certified Attorney Mark Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm can be reached in Dallas at 214-327-1900 or in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900. If you have questions about your car wreck case, please fill out our contact form online for a free consultation.

As the weather gets warmer in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, it is important to take note of several simple safety tips surrounding your car tires. Though it is important to check your tires regularly, the warmer weather puts extra pressure on your tires throughout the spring and summer months.

Here are some tips from weather.com to ensure that your tires are not the cause of a car accident:

•Check your tires regularly to be sure there are no visible signs of wear or damage.
•Be sure your tires are properly inflated. Check your tire pressure often with a gauge, especially on long trips. Measure when the tires are cold, before you drive on them. You can find the recommended inflation pressure in your owner's manual, on a label frequently found in the glove box, near the door latch on the driver's side, or other locations on your vehicle. The recommended inflation pressure is not to be confused with the maximum inflation pressure shown on the side of the tire. At the recommended inflation pressure, tires will last longer and be less likely to fail, and the car will use less fuel. Serious injury can result from tire failure because of under inflation or overloading.
•Never overload your vehicle. Your car and tires are designed to operate safely only up to their load limits. These limits are shown in your owner's manual and on the certification plate on the edge of the driver's door.
•Make sure there is enough tread on the tire to operate safely, and make sure the tires are wearing normally. All grooves should be visible and deep enough to at least touch the top of Lincoln's head on a penny inserted head first in the tread. Low tread or bald tires are unsafe and need to be replaced.
•If some spots on the tire seem to be wearing faster than others, see your service station or mechanic. You could have misaligned wheels, worn shock absorbers, or other potential problems. Make sure your tires are aligned and balanced properly.
•Don't drive at a high rate of speed for a long time, particularly in hot weather. Obey posted speed limits. Lower speeds also mean better gas mileage.

I hope this helps inform you on a few important things surrounding the safety of your vehicle’s tires. I know I hadn’t thought of a few of these things until reading them. The Anderson Law Firm also has safety tips to help you avoid car accidents and keep your family safe on the road.

Information and commentary provided by Dallas Area Personal Injury Lawyer Mark Anderson. The Anderson Law Firm can be reached in Dallas at 214-327-8000 or in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900. For a free consultation with the Anderson Law Firm regarding your personal injury or car accident case, please fill out our contact form online.

If you have hurt in an automobile accident in or around Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas and are trying to handle your case on your own with the responsible party's car insurance company, you might find yourself in a very common predicament. Many car insurance companies, such as USAA, Geico, Allstate, State Farm and Farmers, like to offer very low and insulting "nuisance" value offers upfront. Sometimes these offers are as low as $500 but they are more common around the $1,000 level. The offer comes from a message from the insurance company adjuster that your case has low or little value due to (insert your own crazy excuse here) and that you're lucky to be receiving this offer. Car insurance companies just don't treat injury victims right! At that point, an injured person has two options: They can either accept this low offer and be stuck paying the medical bills on their own or they can fight for what is right.

The only way to fight for fair compensation is to file a lawsuit. A lawsuit is the great equalizer. No longer does the big 800 pound gorilla (i.e. the insurance company) have the upper hand. They have to play fair as in the end of a lawsuit there is a jury trial facing them where someone else determines the value of the case, but not them.

Just last week I resolved a motor vehicle collision case where my client had received a very low-and insulting- offer prior to me filing a lawsuit on his behalf. After the attorney hired by the insurance company deposed (a formal interview) my client, he was able to realize that my client would make a very credible witness and would present well in front of a jury. By that, I think the jury would believe him when he relates the medical treatment he received directly to the accident. Ultimately, the automobile insurance company paid what was fair. But what was fair was much, much more than the initial crappy offer they sent to him. Last week's case was just another reminder about how bad and unfair insurance companies can be. After all, they care about their profits, not about the wellbeing of the people who are injured as a result of their own insured's reckless driving.

If you have been injured in a car, truck or motorcycle wreck, sometimes you just got to fight for what you believe is fair. The Anderson Law Firm specializes in helping those individuals who have been injured in motor vehicle accidents. We also work on other types of personal injury claims. Mark Anderson is Board-Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law and has been helping the injured his entire career. To discuss your situation confidentially, please contact the Anderson Law Firm at 1-877-294-1115. You can submit your question online by clicking here to reach Personal Injury Lawyer Mark A. Anderson.

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.

A motor vehicle crash that included an 18 wheeler, a work truck, and a pick-up completely shut down Highway 121 in Lewisville Thursday afternoon. The wreck occurred when an 18-wheeler slid about 50 feet running into a NTTA dump truck and causing 3 vehicles to catch fire.

All three vehicles were completely decimated, and miraculously all of the passengers escaped their vehicles and were not injured.

The actual accident happened when the three vehicles collided and slammed into a guardrail on an overpass. Four northbound and two southbound lanes were shutdown for most of Thursday afternoon.

Engineers will have to inspect the overpass for structural integrity before the toll road can reopen.

It is so fortunate that no one was injured or killed in a wreck such as this one. Usually, when you hear or read about such a massive wreck involving fire, someone is always injured to some degree. Texas leads the nation in tractor-trailer accidents that result in fatalities. Luckily, in this case, no one has become a part of that horrific statistic. The pictures really speak for themselves on this particular tractor-trailer wreck. It is important as a driver to be aware of semi-truck wreck statistics and know what you can do to avoid being in a wreck with an 18-wheeler.

Information and commentary provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Car 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 questions about a trailer-truck or car accident the Anderson Law Firm has free consultations by filling out a contact form on our website.

Courtney Moss, 17, of Joshua, Texas, died on Tuesday when her Mazda Miata crashed into a Dr. Pepper truck on Farm Road 917 west of Joshua. After discovering a suicide note left at her house, authorities believe Mrs. Moss intended to kill herself.

At 12:56pm one of Mrs. Moss’s friends notified the police that she had received messages indicating Mrs. Moss wanted to take her own life. Five minutes after receiving the call, police were notified about the collision on FM 917. When police arrived at Mrs. Moss’s home they found her suicide note. Mrs. Moss was married with a 3 month old baby.

Ron Lane II, 26, of Watauga was driving the big rig that the Miata crashed into. He was travelling eastbound on FM 917 and had just topped a rise when the crash occurred, according to police. According to local news reports, he did not sustain serious injuries but was taken to the hospital to be evaluated.

This sure is a sad situation. I feel bad for Mrs. Moss’s family and friends. I wonder if she intentionally ran into the 18 wheeler or if she was just despondent and suicidal and was driving recklessly. If she did intend to drive into the 18 wheeler (thereby putting Mr. Lane in danger), it clearly is an intentional act and legally, Mr. Lane might have issues recovering from any car liability insurance as these insurance policies typically exclude intentional acts. I have represented people before in these types of situations and know from experience how difficult—and terribly sad—these cases are.

This information and commentary is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Personal Injury Attorney Mark Anderson. You can reach the Anderson Law Firm in Dallas at 214-327-8000 and in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900. If you have questions concerning any type of personal injury case you may also fill out our contact form on our website.

The United States Transportation Department is pursuing a $16.4 million dollar fine against the Toyota Corporation for not properly notifying the government about problems with accelerator pedals. This is the maximum fine allowed.

Transportation Secretary, Ray LaHood, stated that “We now have proof that Toyota did not live up to its legal obligations.” The Transportation Department released that Toyota knew about the potential problems with accelerator pedals as early as September 29.

The only recall that was issued in the fall pertained to floor mats, not accelerator pedals. A recall was not issued for accelerator pedals until the end of January.

Toyota has two weeks to contest, and if they do, it will be the largest fine the government has ever issued to a car manufacturer.

The Toyota Motor Corporation has issued many apologies about the recalls and safety problems.

The $16.4 million is the largest fine the US government can pursue per recall under the Tread Act. The Tread Act was created as a result of problems with Firestone Tires.

I am personally very happy to hear that something as serious as this fine has resulted from the safety problems with Toyota vehicles. Every time I read or blog about a wreck involving a Toyota, I have to wonder whether there was some kind of malfunction with the car that caused the accident. Hopefully this fine will warn all automakers that safety and quality should be there number one priority, and realize that there are large repercussions for not following the law.

This information and commentary is provided by Texas Board Certified Personal Injury Lawyer Mark A. Anderson. Contact the Anderson Law Firm in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or in Dallas at 214-327-8000. For a free consultation with the Anderson Law Firm about a personal injury case please fill out our contact form online.

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.

The car wreck happens and then you report the claim to the insurance company for the driver who caused the auto accident. Often times, the adjuster for the bad driver’s insurance company will request a recorded statement. The reason given is usually that they need to “investigate” the accident. However, my experience says that most of the time there is really no need to investigate the accident, as the insurance company adjuster knows what caused the accident. Instead, the adjuster uses the information as a “fishing expedition” to find out more about the injured party.

Questions asked sometimes relate to prior medical history, which obviously has nothing to do with what caused the motor vehicle accident. This is just one example of the ways the insurance company adjusters use the recorded statement to gain information which can possibly help them – and hurt the injury victim’s case.

It is my experience that recorded statements are rarely used for what the insurance company says they are to be used for. Accordingly, I do not believe it is in the best interest of the injured party to give a recorded statement. Why there are exceptions to that general rule, most of the time I do not feel that a recorded statement is necessary. And why give a recorded statement when it can't help your case, it can only hurt it.

If you have been involved in a motor vehicle accident and are concerned about giving a recorded statement, it is probably a good idea to contact an experienced injury attorney to help you with the decision of whether to give a recorded statement. If the decision is made to indeed give or provide a recorded statement, then the scope and detail of the recorded statement should be limited to what is in dispute, the liability (or cause) of the car crash.

This information is provided by Fort Worth Accident Attorney Mark A. Anderson, who can be contacted online at MAAfirm.com or by phone at (817) 294-1900. All initial consultations are free, and it costs nothing to give The Anderson Law Firm a call to discuss your personal injury legal matter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

To see the press release please click here.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

An 18-wheeler was involved in a fatal car accident with a pickup truck early this morning in Denton County. A 25-year-old Bridgeport man, whose name has not been released, was killed when his pickup crashed into the 18 wheeler head on.

The driver of the 18 wheeler was not injured. The Bridgeport man was westbound on 380 around 3:30 a.m. when his truck crossed the center line and made contact with the 18 wheeler.
The entire highway has been shutdown since the accident, and is expected to have heavy traffic being diverted to other access and side roads until late Friday morning.

My condolences go out to the Bridgeport man’s friends and family. The results of many semi accidents are absolutely devastating. Unfortunately, the great state of Texas leads the nation in semi-truck accidents. 10% of the nation’s fatal wrecks occur in Texas, which is double or triple the rate of most states. When a motor vehicle is involved in a wreck with a semi weighing in excess of 10,000 pounds, the injuries sustained are much more severe.

This information and commentary is provided by Board Certified Personal Injury Lawyer Mark Anderson. Mr. Anderson has successfully helped with many semi accident victims and their families in the past. Mark can be reached in Dallas at 214-327-8000 in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 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 Dallas veteran police officer died 2 years ago while escorting a motorcade for then presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton. The family of police officer, Victor Lozada, filed suit this week indicating that the city of Dallas failed to train him properly for this kind of high stress assignment.

The City of Dallas, Clinton, Clinton’s campaign, and the Super Seer Corporation (who manufactured Lozada’s helmet), are all named as defendants in the case.

The deadly motorcycle accident occurred when Lozada failed to negotiate a curve on Houston Street and slammed into a guardrail, flinging his body onto the roadway, and forcing his helmet off. The motorcade was headed towards a rally for Clinton in Oak Cliff.

Lozada was a 20 year veteran of the Dallas Police Department.

This is not your typical motorcycle wreck. It is way more than that. With the named defendants, it will be a hotly contested lawsuit focused on who was at fault. Plus, the addition of the helmet manufacturer throws a product liability case right in the middle of the “negligence” lawsuit. This will be very interesting to see how this lawsuit plays out over the next year or two.

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

In my book, 15 Mistakes That Will Wreck Your Texas Accident Case, I spend some time going over many reasons why you can’t trust the at fault party's insurance company. One of them is that insurance companies like to delay your claim as long as possible because they are in no hurry to resolve it.

There is truly only one way to fix this problem, and that is to have a lawyer on your side that can aggressively approach the insurance company to resolve your claim. When a jury is close to awarding you compensation for your injury, the insurance company feels pressure to resolve your problem. Which brings up the point that sometimes the only way to get your claim resolved is to bring the case in front of a jury. Often times even the threat of a trial will help the insurance company to pay you the money that you deserve.

My hope is that by educating people about problems you may encounter with insurance companies, you will be better prepared if you have to file a claim. This is just one of many helpful pointers that are highlighted throughout my book. To obtain your free copy of 15 Mistakes That Will Wreck Your Texas Accident Case please click here.

This information is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Personal Injury Lawyer Mark A. Anderson. Mr. Anderson can be reached in Dallas at 214-327-8000, in Fort Worth at 814-294-1900 or by clicking here.

There are many different types of programs available to the public involving motor cycle safety and accident prevention. In Texas, several government agencies have put a lot of effort into making our highways safer for motorcyclists to enjoy their preferred choice of transportation.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motorcyclist fatalities have increased for the 10th year in a row. Mr. Ken Copeland, Regional Program Manager with the NHTSA stated that now is the time more than ever to increase motorcycle safety because motorcycles are becoming an increasingly popular form of transportation. Registration has gone up 141% in the past 8 years.

There are several programs in place that riders can take advantage of in Texas in order to further their personal safety while riding. One program is called the Motorcycle Operator Training and Safety Program. It started in 1983 and has trained 317,160 students as of February 2009. The program involves a rider/coach segment where an instructor helps to instigate up to date safety advice and requirements to the students. It is available through the Texas Department of Public Safety’s website.

There are also non-government sponsored programs that help improve safety. One is called “A Crash Course for the Motorcyclist” sponsored by Accident Scene Management. It is available in 26 states and has trained 12,000 students. The program involves teaching people what to do before help arrives at an accident, what to do to help prevent further injury, and also instructs what to do if you are a bystander of a motorcycle accident.

I hope if you or someone that is close to you drives a motorcycle, you will encourage them to take advantage of one of these programs to help make their ride safer. Whether riding a motorcycle is something you just do for fun, or it is your transportation every day, it is important that safety be your number one priority.

This information is provided by Dallas/Fort Worth Board Certified Injury Attorney Mark Anderson. Mark has represented many motorcycle riders in the past and is an advocate for motorcycle safety. He can be reached in Dallas at 214-327-8000 in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or online by clicking 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 my book, 15 Mistakes that will Wreck Your Texas Accident Case, I highlight 15 different mistakes that are of the utmost importance to be aware of in the case that you are in a car crash. If someone's carelessness causes you to be seriously injured, you must make sure you don't make mistakes that could wreck your own claim.

Mistake No. 1 is: Failing to call the police and failing to document everything you observe at the scene

If you have been in an automobile accident, there are several things which absolutely need to be taken care of with regard to your potential claim.

1) Immediately following the accident, your first priority is getting yourself out of harm’s way and then calling 9-1-1 to ask a police officer to be sent to the scene of the accident so the officer can assess fault and write a report.

2) If your injuries are such that you need to go to the hospital, make sure to ask for an ambulance when you call 9-1-1. If you are physically able, try and collect the name, phone numbers, and insurance information of all the drivers involved in the crash.

3) It is also extremely important to collect the names and numbers of all witnesses. Witnesses do not usually stay at the scene for very long, so it is vital that you get their information quickly.

4) Document the scene by writing down all relevant information. This could include the street names, weather, the time of day, lighting, and the types of cars involved.

5) Finally, if possible, take pictures of the damaged vehicles and the accident scene with your cell phone or camera.

I hope this gives you a better idea of the procedure you should go through if you are involved in a car wreck. It is my hope that by informing people of the proper steps to take, their claims can be resolved as efficiently and effectively as possible.

Please click here to get your free copy of the 15 Mistakes that will Wreck Your Texas Accident Case.

This information is provided by Dallas Injury Lawyer Mark A. Anderson, who can be reached at 214-327-8000 or contacted by clicking here.

To celebrate the record breaking snowfall in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, I thought it would be appropriate to go over some basic winter driving tips for the current road conditions. I know sometimes we all need a refresher on how to avoid a car crash in winter weather, since we are not used to having snow in North Texas.

Here are some Winter Weather driving tips from the Texas Department of Public Safety:

•Remember that ice forms first on bridges, overpasses and shady areas. If you hit a patch of ice, stay off your brakes and decelerate slowly, holding the car steady as you go over the ice.

•Speed is the main problem with driving on ice. Adjust your speed to fit the weather conditions. Keep a safe distance from the car in front of you.

•If your car goes into a skid, take your foot off the gas pedal but don’t hit the brake. Steer gently in the direction you want the front of the car to go. As the car straightens out, you will be able to regain traction and control.

•Check your car battery before cold weather sets in. Battery power dips in cold weather.

•Keep the gasoline level as high as possible to prevent water condensation in the tank.

It is also important to stay updated with your local news station about changing road conditions. I hope everyone is having fun and taking advantage of the winter wonderland around the DFW metroplex. Be sure to stay warm and follow these tips to avoid a car accident while driving on the snowy roads.

This information is provided by Fort Worth, TX Injury Lawyer Mark Anderson, who can be reached in Dallas at 214-327-8000, in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900, or by clicking here.

On Tuesday, Toyota added yet another recall to what seems to be an advancing list of complaints of safety issues for the car manufacturer. Now, in addition to the Corolla, Toyota has recalled 400,000 Priuses. This puts the number of recalled vehicles to over 7 million globally.

This new recall is happening at the same time the U.S. Transportation Department is investigating hard-to-handle steering complaints on the 2010 Toyota Corolla. The Prius recall is due to braking problems which cause both brief and prolonged delays when braking.

Most hybrids, like the Prius, use regenerative braking that uses wasted energy from braking to help recharge the car batteries. In heavy braking situations the vehicle switches from regenerative to standard hydraulic braking, which is when the delay in braking occurs.

Toyota is making significant efforts to make sure that the braking problems are fixed and that no more recalls occur in the future. However, the question remains whether or not this really is the last recall for Toyota, and if the company is committed to renewing their reputation of safety and quality in the future.

I wonder how many motor vehicle accidents have been caused by the floormat and braking problems? I own a Toyota and had at one time felt I owned a safe car, but not anymore.

This information is provided by Fort Worth Injury Lawyer Mark 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. To contact Mark Anderson online, please click here.

If you have been injured in a car accident, truck wreck or motorcycle accident in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas area, you might be considering making a personal injury claim against the person responsible for your injuries. If so, you have probably noticed that all injury lawyers offer free initial consultations. If you decide to take advantage of those free meetings, you should be prepared when you attend the meeting. I think it is a great idea to bring with you ALL (and I mean ALL) documents you have regarding your accident, your injury and your medical treatment. This includes the following:

*Any notes from the accident scene
*Any medical bills (ambulance, hospital, doctors…)
*Any medical records or discharge papers
*Any receipts from pharmacies
*Any notes regarding insurance (your policy as well as info on the other person’s insurance)
*The police accident report

And most importantly, any pictures you have regarding the claim (this means the accident scene, the injuries, the vehicles…). Even if you do not have the pictures printed out yet, bring your cell phone or camera so the pictures can be downloaded onto the attorney’s computer. If you have not taken photos of the damage to the vehicles, then take those photos before the first meeting.

Stated simply, if you have something that is related to your car, truck or motorcycle accident or injury in any way, make sure you bring it to the first attorney meeting.

Sometimes the injury victim deals with the insurance company on their own and then gets frustrated with the way they are being treated and calls an injury attorney. (Click here on information on why you can't trust insurance companies). If that is the case with you, then you need to bring all documents related to your communications with the insurance company. This includes all letters, e-mails and notes regarding telephone conversations.

The more documents you bring to the initial meeting, the more productive the meeting will be. The attorney will be better able to evaluate your claim and offer you advice on how it is best to proceed.

Dallas Fort Worth Board Certified Injury Lawyer Mark A. Anderson offers free consultations. To set up a meeting regarding your injury claim, please call us in Dallas at 214-327-8000, in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 or toll free in Texas at 1-877-294-1115. Or please click here to schedule an appointment online.

An article in the New York Times today explores the dangers of highway construction zones due to unregulated safety standards. Focusing on pavement edge drop-offs, the un-smoothed edge that occurs when only one side of the road is paved at a time, the article mentions dozens of deaths in Texas due to negligently managed work zones.

Seven people were killed when a car slipped off the edge of one of the pavement drop-offs on 1-20 near Dallas and over-corrected into an oncoming car. In 1998, six people died in nine separate drop-off accidents in Tarrant County due to the repaving of a five mile stretch of 1-35. Justifiably, there were lawsuits filed for these wrongful deaths and court records show that contractors and safety officials knew these pavement drop-offs were dangerous but arguments over the cost of fixing them inhibited any real action being taken. These lawsuits eventually settled for $25 million. In 2005, a motorcycle slipped off the edge of a drop-off along Highway 51 in North Texas and the rider fell off of the bike and was killed by an oncoming car.

These construction zones are dangerous because while the federal government provides safety guidelines, there are few laws and regulations, and these guidelines are enforced differently in different states. Now, with the government’s new stimulus package giving $27 billion in federal funding for statewide highway projects, construction zone accidents may greatly increase.

If you have been injured or lost a loved one as a result of an injury in an accident which occurred in a construction zone and you think that the area was unsafe in any way, you need to contact an experienced injury lawyer as soon as possible. It is important to make sure that the area is properly investigated, photographed, measured and documented. These zones change very quickly after an accident, as the general contractor sometimes sees the faulty design only after a wreck has occurred.

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

Every year, I get a lot of calls from people who have been hurt in a car wreck but have waited too late to make claim. Sometimes the calls come to me right before the deadline and the caller thinks all they have to do is let the insurance company know about the claim and that by doing so all deadlines are complied with. However, that is wrong. The law in Texas is that you must either resolve the car accident claim or file a lawsuit within two years of the wreck. This is called the Statute of Limitations and it is very strict. Even if you have been talking to the insurance adjuster, thinking everything will work out, and you let the two year anniversary pass you by, you are out of luck. If you, or your attorney, actually files the lawsuit two years and a day after the accident, that is too long and you have lost your right to seek any compensation for your medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering.

But even though you have two years to file the lawsuit, that does not mean you should put off making a claim or hiring an attorney. Most attorneys, including myself, are hesitant to make a claim unless we can have time to investigate whether the claim will ultimately be successful. I usually need to see the police officer’s accident report and evaluate the medical records, which is impossible to do prior to filing a suit if I am contacted right before the two year deadline. So do yourself a favor and contact an attorney as soon as you have decided to make a claim. Or if you are going at it alone, make sure to save some time to find an attorney in case your attempt to settle your claim pre-suit is unsuccessful.

Information provide by Dallas Fort Worth Car Accident Lawyer Mark A. Anderson, who can be contacted in Dallas at 214-327-8000, in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900 and toll free in Texas at 877-294-1115.

Contact the Anderson Law Firm Online by clicking here.

Dallas Fort Worth injury lawyer Mark A. Anderson has recently authored a book on the injury claims process in Texas. The book, 15 Mistakes That Will Wreck Your Texas Accident Case, addresses all parts of the injury claim process. The consumer guide provides information such as whether an accident victim even has a viable injury claim, whether they should make that claim, why the injured party cannot trust insurance companies. A detailed explanation is provided as to the legal process, written in plain words.

A large part of the 15 Mistakes book is a listing of all the things that an injury victim must watch out for in order that they don’t wreck their own injury case.Additional information provided in the book is some of the basics on insurance policies and how an injured party might go about selecting the right attorney for their injury case.

Another chapter is devoted to how an injured party can go about to try to determine the value of their accident case, with an explanation of the real factors looked at by lawyers, judges, juries and insurance companies. The book, 127 pages in length, is designed for the accident victim who has not yet made a decision on whether to make a claim or which attorneys to hire.

The 15 Mistakes book is offered free to Texas residents as a public service. Out of state individuals interested in the book can order it for $16.95 at www.amazon.com. Those in Texas who are interested in the book can order a copy or a downloadable version for immediate review at www.dontwreckyourcase.com.

About the author: The 15 Mistakes book is written by Dallas Fort Worth injury lawyer Mark A. Anderson, who has been practicing injury law in the State of Texas since 1991. Mr. Anderson is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and devotes his entire practice to representing those who’ve been injured by the result of someone else’s negligence. A large part of the Anderson Law Firm’s practice is devoted to helping those injured in motor vehicle accidents of one kind or another, including car accidents, bus and truck wrecks and motorcycle accidents.

Mark A. Anderson can be contacted at 817-294-1900 in Tarrant County, 214-327-8000 in Dallas County and 1-877-294-1115 across Texas.

Recently I wrote about the investigation into the causes of at 2008 deadly bus wreck in Sherman that left 17 dead, which I blogged about here and here. Now, three employees of the inspection company that looked at the bus prior to the deadly accident are being charged with tampering with a government document.

The inspection company, 5 Minute Inspections in Houston, was allegedly issuing hundreds of stickers a month to vehicles that had not been properly inspected, according to investigators. The Texas Department of Public Safety, who filed the charges, did not provide information on whether or not the bus involved in the crash was properly inspected, as the investigation is still ongoing.

This type of conduct is horrible. It puts all of us at risk each time we get in our cars. Without proper inspections, certain companies are going to use trucks and buses that have bad tires, bad brakes….Allowing these dangerous buses on the roads is criminal and I am glad to see that charges have been pursued.

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

In what would have to be considered good news, according to the Texas Department of Insurance, the workplace incidence rate of nonfatal illness and injury dropped in 2008 for the sixth consecutive year.

For private industry workplaces in 2007 the incidence rate was 3.4 cases per 100 workers; in 2008 the incidence rate was 3.1. This is below the national rate of 3.8 for 2008. For public sector workplaces, the incidence rate was 5.8 cases per 100 workers, lower than the national rate of 6.3. This is the first year the public sector data has been collected and released.

Click here to go to the Texas Department of Insurance website to see the specific incident rates by industry.

It is interesting to see of all the various private sector industries, that the highest incident rate of injuries is for courier and messengers. Maybe these folks are always in a hurry and that is when accidents happen. Or maybe it’s just because they are on our roads more than other people and are more likely to be involved in car accidents.

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

Car and truck accidents happen every day here in the Fort Worth Dallas area. When you’re injured in an accident, the goal is always recovery. You want to get back to the point you were at before the accident happened, or as close to that as possible. Unfortunately, in some cases, it’s not possible to fully recover from an injury. Some injuries leave permanent scars or long-term repercussions that will affect you for the rest of your life. How do you live with a long-term injury?

Provide for ongoing medical care
If your injury is a result of someone else’s negligence, that person should be responsible for providing for ongoing medical care. If you’re injured in a car accident, for example, you can make a claim for not only the existing injury and medical bills to date, but also future medical care expenses.

In the event of a serious, long-term injury, you’ll potentially need intermittent medical care for the rest of your life. Your injury case should include this “element of damages.”

Seek counseling for a change in the quality of life
Sometimes it can be hard to adjust to a change in your quality of life. Say you’re an avid runner prior to an accident, but a knee injury changes that forever. It’s natural to feel angry, resentful or unhappy about the change in your circumstances. Depression is a very real possibility in these circumstances.

Seek counseling if you’re having trouble to adjusting to a long-term injury. There’s nothing unusual in having these feelings, and outside help can give you the tools you need to deal with them constructively. Don’t let a physical injury stunt you emotionally. Find ways to deal with the repercussions, and that may mean getting help from a professional.

Get an advocate on your side
Finally, having a strong advocate on your side can help you pursue your personal injury case and let that aspect of your life take a backseat to learning to live with your life changes. An experienced personal injury attorney understands that these changes affect you for life, and know how to make arrangements for long-term care as a part of the case.

Mark A. Anderson is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law and has successfully represented many injury victims over the past 18 years. For a free, no obligation consultation with Mark, just call 817-294-1900 in Fort Worth, 214-327-8000 in Dallas or toll free 877-294-1115, or contact us online.

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.

Lerado is issuing a recall of certain Mia Moda child restraint seats. The Viva and Viva Supreme models are affected in the recall. Lerado will notify registered owners of the seats and is offering a full refund.

There are a couple of problems with the seats. The harness splitter plate, located on the rear of the seat, has sharp edges that can cut the harness and leave the child unrestrained. Also, the base of the seat could crack in a crash.

We all know how important it is to secure young children in safety seats. In fact, the Texas Legislature just tightened up on the child safety seat laws, which I blogged about here. That is why it’s so important to make sure the seats we do use are working correctly.

For more detailed information about the seats affected in the recall, click here.

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

Over 100 bicyclists gathered outside of Dallas City Hall on Wednesday to push for safer and more accessible roadways for cyclists and pedestrians.

The event was organized by Bike Friendly Oak Cliff, and supported the decision of the city council to endorse the policies of the National Complete Streets Coalition. The Coalition supports city planning with bicycle and pedestrian safety in mind, such as creating or enlarging bicycle lanes, making physical barriers between bicycle and car lanes, and adding signals and signs to improve traffic control. Although Dallas has not yet created a specific policy, the city supports making changes in line with the Complete Streets initiative.

I really do hope the city can make some of these changes. I have written several times about tragic bicycle accidents that could have been prevented by things just like this. It’s good to hear that Dallas recognizes the need for bike safety measures.

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.

When people hear of ambulance chasers, they usually think of those unscrupulous injury lawyers who track down injury victims after a car accident and offer their services. Such conduct is against the law and I applaud any effort to prevent this practice from happening. And it’s not just the lawyers who do the ambulance chasing—but also body shops and medical facilities like chiropractors.

The most common way the “chasers” get their information is through police generated “crash reports” which are filled out after most automobile accidents. The “chasers” buy the crash reports from the police department (sometimes out the back door) for $6 and call the injury victim directly. So last year the Texas Department of Transportation removed the phone numbers of the parties from the reports. This made it much harder for the chasers, as many people either have unlisted phone numbers or they only have cell phones, and those numbers are not publicly available. But the Texas Department of Transportation wanted the phone numbers put back on the reports to help with their investigations, so they were put back on this March—so the calling and chasing resumed.

This summer, our Texas Legislature passed a law making it illegal to directly contact a person involved in a wreck in the first thirty days after a wreck. That law supposedly had already applied to lawyers, but now it applies to everyone. Unfortunately, a lawyer and a chiropractor have filed a lawsuit challenging that constitutionality of that new law. Who knows what the outcome will be—but I hope the law will be upheld. And more importantly, I hope the law will be enforced.

But I think the best way to stop the chasing is to stop the access to the information. I understand that both the Dallas and Fort Worth Police Departments have now restricted the availability of reports to those that either (1) know the actual report number (which is given to the parties involved in the accident at the scene) or (2) know the date of the accident and one of the names of the drivers involved in the crash. This restriction is a good idea and I hope it keeps the reports out of the hands of the chasers—whether they are lawyers, chiropractors or auto body repair shops. And for those who ge the info somehow and still chase, let’s hope the law enforcement officials are willing to prosecute those who violate the law.

Commentary provided by Dallas Fort Worth Accident and Injury Lawyer Mark A. Anderson, who can be contacted online or at 877-294-1115, in Dallas at 214-327-8000 and in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900.

With all the rain we’ve been getting lately, it’s no surprise that Dallas/Fort Worth area firefighters have had to make some daring rescues in deep, fast moving water.

Sunday morning, firefighters rescued Marie and Joann Reynolds from their car on Oak Grove Road. The women were going to church when they drove through some unexpected water than swept them into the trees. Firefighters had to use a boat to rescue the women as freezing floodwater washed through their car.

Burleson has had several floodwater rescues as well. Firefighters rescued a person stranded in a car at Lakewood Drive and Wilshire Boulevard early Sunday morning, and two people were rescued from vehicles in high water at Wicker Hill and Wilshire Boulevard. Some residents on Bowden Circle even had to be evacuated. The city put up barricades at some crossings to prevent further accidents.

Thank goodness nobody has been hurt. Several days of heavy rain like this can be dangerous because people mistakenly think water isn’t very deep, or in some cases they don’t see the water at all, and drive into it and get stranded or washed away. If it looks like you’re about to drive through deep water, turn around and take another route. Even if it takes you a few extra minutes, it will be worth it in the long run to avoid getting washed away and stranded by floodwater.

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

Photo from The Fort Worth Star Telegram

Various cities in North Texas are introducing a flashing yellow arrow signal for unprotected left turns.

Currently, if a driver sees a green light at a left turn, it means he or she should yield to oncoming traffic. A green arrow means the driver making the left turn has the right of way. The flashing yellow arrow would replace the green light and city officials think more people would understand that they need to yield to oncoming traffic instead of just driving through.

Richardson has put up several flashing yellow lights, mostly along Coit Road, and one at Renner Road and Routh Creek Parkway (as shown above). Irving has been using the signals for the past three years. The changes were implemented in 2006 after a study indicated that drivers understood the flashing yellow arrow better than the solid green light. For now, instructional signs accompany the flashing yellow arrows.

I’m very curious to see how this turns out. Turning on an unprotected green light directly into oncoming traffic can cause a serious accident. I wonder if people will recognize that they need to stop and yield, or if some will mistake the flashing yellow arrow for the steady yellow arrow, which simply means the light is about to change to red. It will be interesting to monitor the number of left turn car accidents as these lights become more prominent.

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.

Photo from The Dallas Morning News

Dozens of new laws go into effect today across Texas. Please take note of some of the changes and make sure you are still driving safely and in compliance with these new rules.

Starting today, all occupants in a vehicle must wear seat belts, no matter how old they are or where they’re sitting in the car. It is important to take note of this change because adults sitting in the backseat could previously choose not to wear a seat belt. Now, everyone must do so.

Several changes in child safety laws went into effect today as well. A motorcycle rider cannot have a passenger on his or her bike under the age of 5 unless the child is seated in a sidecar attached to the motorcycle. You don’t see many motorcycle sidecars these days; I wonder if this law will change that?

The law has also changed for small children in the car. Now, all children younger than 8 years must sit in an approved child safety seat. Children under age 8 but who are at least 4’9” are exempt from this rule. Although the law goes into effect today, police officers cannot issue citations for violations until June 1, 2010, so you have plenty of time to find the right seat for your child. The law also creates a new court cost for conviction of this offense which will go toward buying safety seats for low income families. Although some parents might see this law as a pain, remember that securing a child in a safety seat can be the difference between life and death in an auto accident.

Information provided by Texas Board Certified Injury Attorney Mark A. Anderson, who can be contacted toll free at 1-877-294-1115 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.

As children across the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex go back to school this week, there are some important safety factors to remember when driving in school zones.

Use of hand-held cell phones is now banned in school zones across Texas. This means no calls and no texting. Texas implemented this ban in the hopes of reducing car accidents and injuries to children. While the ban will not go into effect until September 1, signs displaying the new rule are already appearing in many local school zones. Violators will face a citation with a $50.00 fine.

There are some exceptions to the new ban, however. Hands-free phones are still allowed, and a stopped vehicle may use a hand-held cell phone. Emergency calls are, of course, exempt from the ban.

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

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission released three bicycle recalls this week.

The 2009 d’lite ST and Solo ST Child Trailers, designed to carry children behind an adult bicycle, pose a risk in that one wheel can separate from the trailer and cause a bicycle accident. Owners of models D939 or D948 should contact manufacturer Burley for a free repair. Click here for the complete report including pictures of the trailer.

The 2007/2008 Felt F1X Cyclocross Bicycles have a defective fork steerer tube than can break and cause a rider to lose control of the bicycle. Six bicycle accidents have already been reported. Owners should contact a Felt Bicycle dealer for free inspection and repair. Click here for the complete report including a picture of the bicycle.

The “Chopper” model Cannibal Bicycle has been recalled due to a bicycle stem that can crack and cause the rider to lose control. Owners of the Nirve Sports brand bike should return the bicycle to the place of purchase for a free repair. Click here for the complete report including a picture of the bicycle and detailed views of the flawed bicycle stem.

Information provided by Fort Worth Dallas Injury Lawyer Mark A. Anderson, who can be contacted at 877-294-1115.

I often get asked by injury victims how I am paid. They are very concerned that they cannot afford the high hourly rate they hear that attorneys charge. But they soon learn from me that hiring an injury attorney takes no out of pocket money. That is because I work on (and also all injury attorneys I know also work on) contingent fee contracts. What that means is that no money is paid to me up front or as the case progresses. Instead, the contracts signed by my clients spell out that I am paid a percentage of the recovery once the case is finally resolved, either by settlement or by trial. At that time, I receive a portion of the proceeds. The standard attorney’s fee contract also calls for the injury attorney to be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the attorney in the case.

So basically, the attorney does not get paid until the end of the case, and the client never has to write a check to the attorney, as it is just deducted from the overall settlement proceeds. At my firm, we provide a detailed settlement breakdown so the client can see and understand all fee and the expenses.

So what happens if the case is lost for some reason and no money is ever recovered? In such instance, the attorney is simply not paid anything for his services and the expenses are just written off. Said another way, the client will owe the attorney nothing.

Because it is never guaranteed that the client will be able to win the case, each case must be evaluated closely and the attorney must decide on his own if the case is worth pursuing. I limit my practice to serious injuries where there is a likelihood of success.

Contingent fee contracts are a wonderful way for everyone to access the civil justice system. Without these types of contracts, it would be difficult to retain an attorney to fight for your rights.

If you would like to discuss hiring the Anderson Law Firm on a contingent basis for a serious injury claim, please call the firm at 214-327-8000 in Dallas, at 817-294-1900 in Fort Worth or toll free at 1-877-294-1115.

I often get asked by injury victims how I am paid. They are very concerned that they cannot afford the high hourly rate they hear that attorneys charge. But they soon learn from me that hiring an injury attorney takes no out of pocket money. That is because I work on (and also all injury attorneys I know also work on) contingent fee contracts. What that means is that no money is paid to me up front or as the case progresses. Instead, the contracts signed by my clients spell out that I am paid a percentage of the recovery once the case is finally resolved, either by settlement or by trial. At that time, I receive a portion of the proceeds. The standard attorney’s fee contract also calls for the injury attorney to be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the attorney in the case.

So basically, the attorney does not get paid until the end of the case, and the client never has to write a check to the attorney, as it is just deducted from the overall settlement proceeds. At my firm, we provide a detailed settlement breakdown so the client can see and understand all fee and the expenses.

So what happens if the case is lost for some reason and no money is ever recovered? In such instance, the attorney is simply not paid anything for his services and the expenses are just written off. Said another way, the client will owe the attorney nothing.

Because it is never guaranteed that the client will be able to win the case, each case must be evaluated closely and the attorney must decide on his own if the case is worth pursuing. I limit my practice to serious injuries where there is a likelihood of success.

Contingent fee contracts are a wonderful way for everyone to access the civil justice system. Without these types of contracts, it would be difficult to retain an attorney to fight for your rights.

If you would like to discuss hiring the Anderson Law Firm on a contingent basis for a serious injury claim, please call the firm at 817-294-1900.

Three people were killed and three were injured when a pickup truck hit motorcycle riders head-on during a charity ride in Corsicana Saturday.

The ride was held on a rural highway outside Corsicana, which is 65 miles south of Dallas. Apparently the driver of the pickup truck swerved into the oncoming lane of parading cyclists, striking two motorcycles before it flipped and hit two more.

Among those who died were 34-year-old Leslie McCluney, a teacher at Corsicana High School who was riding on the back of a motorcycle with her father, 61-year-old Terry Nelson, who was also killed. David Coley, 54, was the third motorcyclist who died at the scene. The three were among the first two motorcycles hit by the truck and all were residents of Corsicana.

Two other drivers were taken to Dallas hospitals and were last known to be in fair condition. The driver of the pickup who caused the crash was William Lindsey Jr, 54, who was taken to the hospital, treated and released.

The cause of the motorcycle accident is unkown at this time as an investigation is being conducted.

The ride was a charity event to benefit the Corsicana High School's drill team.

Information provided by Dallas Fort Worth Accident Attorney Mark A. Anderson 817-294-1900.

An accident in South Fort Worth this morning had traffic backed up during the majority of the morning rush-hour.

A garbage truck popped a tire on Interstate 20 and hit the guardrail before flipping over. No word on whether or not anyone was hurt. Traffic was backed up at Grandbury Road and the Grandbury Road exit was closed during the morning commute to clean up the scene.

Dangerous truck accidents like this happen all the time in North Texas due to the high volume of heavy trucks and 18-wheelers passing through the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex. If you have been injured in a wreck involving a tractor-trailer, dump truck, garbage truck, or any other type of large commercial vehicle, usually the injuries are life-altering. Please contact the Anderson Law Firm to learn your rights if you've been affected by an accident like this by calling 817-294-1900 or Contact Us Online.

A 13-year-old boy and his grandfather died Sunday from injuries they received in a multi-vehicle car accident just south of Gainsville, Texas.

Gervious Hinkle and his grandson Casey Hinkle, both of Fort Worth, were traveling northbound on Insterstate 35 around 2:30 p.m. when they were forced to slow for traffic and road construction in front of them. All of a sudden, an 18-wheeler came barreling up at a high rate of speed and crashed into the slowed cars, causing a 9-vehicle chain reaction auto accident.

Hinkle and his grandson were driving a Ford Explorer when they were hit. Hinkle died at the scene. Casey was taken to JPS Hospital in downtown Fort Worth where he was pronounced dead an hour later from his serious injuries.

Casey's mother and sister were also in the SUV and were hospitalized for injuries, but their conditions are unknown at this time.

The driver of the big-rig, Randy Crume, was from Harrah, Oklahoma. He was issued a citation by highway patrol for failing to control his speed.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured or killed in a vehicle crash, please contact the Anderson Law Firm to learn your rights by calling 817-294-1900.

An Oklahoma Turnpike accident has claimed 10 lives--some of which were residents of North Texas. The crash happened Friday and is still under investigation by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

Cars were stopped on the turnpike due to another accident up ahead when an 18-wheeler crashed into the vehicles in front of it, causing a chain-reaction wreck involving several cars.

Among those killed were the Hayes family of Frisco, Texas--Randall Hayes, 38, Ethan Hayes, 7 and the most-recent person to die from her serious head injuries, 35-year-old Shelby Hayes.

Others who died were residents of Oklahoma including: Oklahoma City residents Oral Hooks, 69, Earlene Hooks, 63, Antonio Hooks, 42, and Dione Hooks, 41 and Crossroads Oklahama resident Cynthia Olson, 55.

The driver of the big-rig was 76-year-old Donald Creed of Willard Missouri, who is reportedly in good condition after being treated for head injuries in a Missouri hospital.

Reports say some of the victims were trapped in the accident wreckage for almost 9 hours before they were able to get out.

This tragic case of several wrongful deaths is so devastating because with a little better driver attention, this crash might have been easily preventable. My heart goes out to the families effected by this huge accident.

If one of your loved ones has died due to the negligence of another person or company, please contact Board Certified Texas Wrongful Death Attorney Mark A. Anderson for a free consultation by calling 817-294-1900.

Around 1 p.m. yesterday, police attempted to pull over a man during a routine traffic stop on I-635 and I-35 in Mesquite, Texas. The driver of the pickup truck did not stop, instead, forcing police on an hour and a half chase of the driver from Mesquite, south to downtown Dallas and back up north on the busy Interstate 635.

The chase ended when the pickup T-boned a compact car at a very high rate of speed as police looked on. Watch the crash in the video as recorded by nbcdfw.com. The two-vehicle wreck happened in Garland at the busy intersection of Plano Road and Buckingham Road.

Why did the pickup truck driver flee from police? Apparently he was wanted for drug violations, but thanks to the devastating accident the driver caused, he or she will now face much worse.
The injuries of the T-boned car driver are unknown—that person was taken to a local hospital in unknown condition. The pickup truck driver appeared to be uninjured when he or she emerged from the truck.

If you have been seriously injured as the result of someone’s negligence—and in this case, gross negligence, please contact the Anderson Law Firm to learn your rights by calling 817-294-1900.

Southbound traffic on Interstate 35 in Carrollton, Texas was shut down for the afternoon, continuing through the evening rush hour after a multi-vehicle wreck around 1 p.m. involving a tractor trailer and two cars.

The two cars were parked on the shoulder of the southbound lanes near the George Bush Turnpike when an 18-wheeler crashed into the cars, jackknifed, rolled over and then burst into flames.

A woman in one of the parked cars died from her injuries. She was 52, but her name has not been released.

The cab of the semi-truck immediately caught fire while its 64-year-old male driver was trapped inside. Another motorist stopped and pulled the truck driver out of the burning cab. Both of those men were rushed to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas and the big rig driver was reportedly in critical condition.

Apparently three police officers were treated for heat exhaustion.

If you have suffered serious injuries in a vehicle wreck, please contact Texas 18-Wheeler Accident Attorney Mark Anderson for a free consultation.

Photograph from wfaa.com.

A construction worker died yesterday when he was run over and dragged by the truck he was repairing.

The vehicle accident happened at 9:30 in the morning at a city pump station on 4100 Main Street in The Colony, Texas. The victim, who remains unidentified, was underneath a truck working on it when another worker got in the truck and drove off.

It appears the worker who drove the truck did not know anyone was underneath it and the incident is being investigated as an accident. No charges have been filed and The Colony Police Department does not anticipate filing any.

The worker who was killed was not employed by the city who owned the pumping station, but instead, contracted out by a construction company to add more lines to the pump station.

Many times, when people call my office, they are confused when I tell them I cannot take their “worker’s comp case” because I don’t go after the employer or co-employees who are liable for accidents. In this instance however, the construction worker’s wrongful death was caused by the negligence of another person (employed by the city).

It can seem very complicated, but the point is, this man’s death was caused by the negligence of a third party and therefore his family has the right to bring a claim for damages on his behalf based on the negligence of the driver. As the driver was employed by the city, the doctrine of Sovereign Immunity will come into play, which limits the amount of compensation one can recover against a governmental entity.

If you have questions about wrongful death claims or making a claim for injuries sustained in a car wreck, please contact the Anderson Law Firm by calling 817-294-1900.

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.

The cause of an Arlington vehicle accident is being investigated after a pickup truck collided with an ambulance carrying a patient.

The crash happened at approximately 1:45 this morning at the intersection of South Collins Street and East Arkansas Lane. The ambulance had gone to pick up a female with a pregnancy-related emergency before it wrecked with the pickup truck. The driver of the truck was not injured.

All of the occupants of the ambulance, including the two paramedics and the woman patient were taken to the hospital to be treated. There is no word on any of their conditions or the severity of their injuries.

An accident investigation is being conducted to determine how the car crash happened.

If you’ve been injured in a car, truck or motorcycle collision, contact the Anderson Law Firm to learn your rights at 817-294-1900.

A new survey out today by AutoVantage ranks Dallas-Fort Worth as the second most “unfriendly” city to drive in. Apparently, North Texans have close to the worst road rage. Not surprisingly, New York takes the top spot, however Miami has claimed the title the past four years. The top five “least courteous” cities according to the study are:

1) New York
2) Dallas-Fort Worth
3) Detroit
4) Atlanta
5) Minneapolis/St. Paul
The “most courteous” cities are:

1) Portland
2) Cleveland
3) Baltimore
4) Sacramento
5) Pittsburgh

The study is used to determine the habits and attitudes of drivers.

Information provided by North Texas Motor-Vehicle Accident Lawyer Mark A. Anderson. Contact the Anderson Law Firm with questions at 817-294-1900.

It’s only 9 a.m. and already there have been two significant Dallas-Fort Worth vehicle wrecks during this morning’s commute, among the usual daily incidences.

In Haltom City, Texas on eastbound Loop 820, traffic is backed up all the way to Interstate-35W because of an overturned car near the center median.

The blue Dodge Neon flipped around 7:30 this morning and it’s unclear what caused this accident or whether anyone was hurt.

And a little earlier, around 7 a.m. an 18-wheeler accident blocked three westbound lanes of Interstate 30 between Westmoreland Road and Cockrell Hill Road/Chalk Hill Road near Grand Prairie, Texas.

Two lanes continue to be blocked and traffic is backed up all the way to downtown Dallas. There’s also no word on whether anyone was injured in this crash, but if it caused three lanes to close during the busiest hour of the day, my gut tells me it was a serious accident. An accident investigation will ultimately determine what happened.

Besides being a nuisance to other drivers, car and truck wrecks are extremely inconvenient for those involved—especially when accident victims suffer serious injuries and incur large medical bills as a result. Board Certified Texas Car Wreck Lawyer Mark A. Anderson knows how frustrating it can be for people after an accident and wants to help take the stress away. For information or a free consultation, please contact the Anderson Law Firm online or by calling 817-294-1900.

Photo courtesy of star-telegram.com.

A 14-year-old boy is in more than a little trouble this morning after taking his mother's car for a joyride late last night and crashing it into a canal in Irving. The car wreck happened at 2:20 a.m. on MacArthur Boulevard North.

After crashing the car, he left the scene and was found a little while later, sopping wet, walking down a street in nearby Coppell, Texas.

When investigators questioned the teen, he initially told them he had been kidnapped, but later told the truth. As of this morning, no charges have been filed.

Since no one was at fault for this crash other than the boy for acting negligent, if he was hurt, he would not be able to make a bodily injury claim for damages. And unfortunately, the teen's mother will not be able to make a claim to get her car fixed since the wreck wasn't caused by anyone other than her own son.

If you have questions about valid injury claims, contact Board Certified Texas Accident Attorney Mark A. Anderson at 817-294-1900.

A motorcycle accident in Wise County Saturday left three people in the hospital with serious injuries. Douglas Curry and Linnette Hinder, both 43, were riding their motorcycle southbound on FM 51 when they crashed into the back of a truck which was stopped to make a left turn.

The crash happened in Slidell, Texas where FM 51 intersects Farm Road 455. The Grandbury bikers were both CareFlighted to John Peter Smith (JPS) hospital in Fort Worth around 13:30 p.m. with severe injuries. It is unknown whether or not either was wearing a helmet.

Matthew Weathers, a resident of Slidell was the driver of the truck which was rear-ended. He was taken in an ambulance to Wise Regional Health System in Decatur for his minor injuries.

If you’ve been injured in a truck accident, car crash or motorcycle wreck, please contact the Anderson Law Firm for a free consultation on your rights by calling 817-294-1900.

Two Fort Worth residents were killed and seven more Fort Worth residents injured early this morning in a southwest Missouri auto accident. The car crash which happened on Interstate 44 in Stotts City (near Springfield) happened around 5:30 a.m. when a driver of an SUV lost control. The vehicle went over the median and overcorrected before flipping several times. Two passengers were ejected.

The two who were killed were 31-year-old Anna Leal and a Jamie Rodriguez, Sr., both of Fort Worth. The seven other victims were all taken to the hospital with moderate injuries. They were: Jamie Rodriguez, Jr., Brian Ramirez, Sandra Lupercio, 26, Luis E. Nunez, 31, Luis R. Nunez, 10, Jacqueline Nunez, 5 and David Nunez, 10.

Since the accident occurred in Missouri, the laws for making claims for personal injuries will be different than those in Texas. For instance, if any of those involved in the wreck decide to make an injury claim, the Statute of Limitations in Missouri is 5 years, unlike Texas, in which they would only have 2 years to assert a claim.

If you have been injured in any kind of vehicle accident which was caused by another person’s negligence, contact Texas Injury Lawyer Mark A. Anderson for a free consultation by calling 817-294-1900.

Four children and an adult were seriously injured in a 3-vehicle crash in Ponder, Texas late last night.

A blue compact car carrying the victims was traveling on Highway 289 when it stopped to make a left turn near Preston Road. It was rearended by a white minivan and the impact pushed the blue car into oncoming traffic where it was slammed into head on by a pickup truck. The five in the blue car were rushed to area hospitals where there conditions are unknown.

The car is hardly recognizable by the picture and if all five people in the blue car live, it will be a miracle. No word on whether or not the drivers of the other vehicles involved were hurt.

An accident investigation is pending. If you have been seriously injured in an auto accident, please call the Anderson Law Firm to discuss your rights at 817-294-1900.

Photo by wfaa.com.

A multi-vehicle wreck on Northeast Loop 820 near Beach Street closed the eastbound lanes of the highway down during rush hour this morning.

The crash happened around 8:50 a.m. in the 3800 block of Loop 820 in Fort Worth. Traffic was re-routed to the access road until the accident scene was cleared at 10:20 a.m.

The accident involved an 18-wheeler and six other vehicles, but fortunately, only one person was transported by Medstar to a local hospital with injuries. There's been no reports of that person's identity or condition.

It will be interesting to see what caused this crash--the police report will ulimately show what happened.

For information on what to do after an accident, contact Board Certified Personal Injury Lawyer Mark A. Anderson for a free consultation or to request his free book at 817-294-1900.

Photo by star-telegram.com.

A new, digitally produced Texas license plate design will start popping up on cars and trucks all over Texas as early as June 12. The Texas Department of Transportation has already begun shipping the first batch of the now, 7-digit plates. TxDOT is calling it "The People's Plate" because half of the people who voted on designs in 2008 chose the new picture as the winner.

Production has also taken a greener turn as the plates will now be made digitally, saving 396 gallons of ink and 484 gallons of paint thinner a year, as well as large amounts of energy which would normally be used by giant ovens to dry the ink on the plates.

The new design is not far from the old one, but now features brushes of blue and red paint with a white Lone Star in the upper left-hand corner to represent the state flag. And the Texas Transportation Commission--which has the final say on the design--decided to add a seventh digit to the plates after realizing the state would most-likely run out of 6-digit combinations.

The license plates are being produced at a factory at the Huntsville state prison. Unfortunately though, if you want a new plate, you might have to wait. The supply of old ones must be used up before new ones are passed out to those with new vehicles or drivers with plates more than seven years old.

Information provided by Tarrant County car wreck Attorney Mark A. Anderson 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.

An Azle man died Tuesday night after his car slid out of control in the rain and into oncoming traffic. 20-year-old Jeffrey Albright had been driving his Honda Sedan in the westbound lanes of Jacksborough Highway in Fort Worth when he lost control and spun out into the eastbound lanes, crashing into Buick in the 7600 block of the highway.

The auto wreck happened around 7:40 p.m. and Albright was pronounced dead at the scene by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office. The driver of the Buick, an unidentified woman, was CareFlighted to a nearby hospital with critical injuries.

Heavy rains and large hail swept through North Texas Tuesday night causing many accidents and lots of damage to trees and properties.

To learn more about your rights when making a personal injury claim, contact the Anderson Law Firm at 817-294-1900 for a free consultation.

A Fort Worth woman was killed this morning when her vehicle was t-boned by a Hummer. Robin Hagen, 50, was driving eastbound in the 7000 block of Lake Country Drive in Northwest Fort Worth when a man in a southbound Hummer ran a red light and struck Hagen's Nissan.

The car accident happened around 8 a.m. and Hagen was pronounced dead at the scene. The man in the Hummer did not suffer any injuries. An accident investigation will determine whether or not charges will be filed.

If you have been injured in a car crash which was caused by another person's negligence, please contact Texas Board Certified Injury Attorney Mark A. Anderson at 817-294-1900.

The House and Senate are working on presenting a bill to Gov. Rick Perry which, if passed, would require children to ride in car-seats until they are at least 4-foot-9 or 8 years old.

Currently, the law requires children to be 5 years old and/or more than 3 feet tall. The number of deaths and injuries to children from car wrecks are a huge problem in Texas. In fact, lawmakers say motor-vehicle accidents are one of the main causes of child fatalities.

At first glance, the bill seems like a no-brainer, but it does present problems for those with many children. People with multiple children under 8-years-old may have to go out and buy more booster seats because their 6 or 7-year-olds have grown out of their chairs and passed them on to younger siblings. This is another expense in a tough economy.

Another problem the potential law presents is in carpooling instances. The new law would require every child in a vehicle under age 8 or under the height requirement to be strapped into a booster chair and circumstances don’t always allow for that—especially in emergency situations or when mothers give other children rides home from school.

Luckily, if the bill passes, there will be a 1-year warning period where tickets will not be administered. Then after June 1, 2010, the fine for violating the law will be 25 dollars.
Seatbelts are made for adults and requiring young children to stay in a car-seat longer is a much safer option. Lap belts ride up and shoulder belts can cut into a child’s neck and face in a car crash. Booster seats elevate small kids so that their stronger bones (like the collarbone and pelvis) are the ones the seatbelt targets in an accident.

If your child has suffered injuries in an auto-accident or other type of injury incident, please contact the Anderson Law Firm to learn how you can act as an advocate for a child.

The Texas House of Representatives has just approved a bill which would ban the use of handheld cell phones in school zones. It would allow the use of hands-free devices such as Bluetooth. The bill now moves to the Texas Senate.

I think this proposed law is great. I have blogged before when local municipalities passed similar laws how I thought it was a terrific idea. Some of the local cities to pass this law are Southlake, Dallas, Denton, Hurst, Flower Mound, University Park, Watauga, Irving, Duncanville and Rowlett. As we drive through school zones, we should not be distracted with a phone held up to our ear. Plus, these Bluetooth devices are very inexpensive and really make driving while you are talking safer. Keeping our kids safe should be our top priority. Let’s hope our Texas Senate and Governor go along with this bill.

For questions about injury law, feel free to contact Fort Worth Board Certified Injury Lawyer Mark Anderson at 817-294-1900. Or Contact Us Online.

To order a free copy of 15 Mistakes That Can Wreck Your Texas Accident Case, click here.

Heavy rain on Monday in Wise County caused a 61-year-old man to fishtail on U.S. 81/287, causing an 18-wheeler to crash into his pickup truck.

Lino Mares was on his lunch break from McMaster New Holland Tractors when he pulled out onto the busy highway and lost control of his vehicle in Decatur, Texas. A big-rig hauling cattle driven by Brandon Rennhack, 18 (of Ashippun, Wisconsin) could not stop in time and crashed his truck into the side of Mares’ pickup.

Mares was taken to Wise Regional Health System where he was pronounced dead from his serious injuries. Rennhack escaped injury.

Apparently, the roads were so slippery from rain that a patrol car heading to the scene slid on the road as well. The truck wreck caused a jam for two hours as traffic was re-routed onto Business 81/287 through the city’s downtown.

The funeral is at 10:30 this morning at Coker-Hawkins Funeral Home.

Crashes involving 18-wheelers almost always involve serious injuries and often result in death. If you or someone you love has died or suffered bodily injuries from a tractor-trailer accident, please contact North Texas Truck Accident Attorney Mark A. Anderson at 817-294-1900.

Michel Cowan, 30, of Fort Worth died yesterday in Arlington after the motorcycle he was driving crashed into a car on Mayfield Road.

A 21-year-old woman pulled out of an apartment complex at Mayfield Avenue, just west of New York Avenue, onto the 1900 block of Mayfield Road, right in the path of Cowan. Cowan’s motorcycle crashed right into the driver side of the woman’s Honda Civic. He had been going eastbound on Mayfield.

Cowan had been wearing a helmet but died at the scene of the accident. The woman was CareFlighted to Dallas Methodist Hospital where she remains being treated for her injuries.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that this is Arlington’s 16th traffic-related fatality already in 2009.

The police report will determine who was liable for this accident—whether Cowan was speeding or the woman failed to yield the right of way by pulling out in front of him. Either way, it was a tragic accident which resulted in a wrongful death.

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a vehicle-related accident, please contact the Anderson Law Firm at 817-294-1900 to learn your rights.

A 16-year-old Little Elm High Schooler was killed early Sunday morning when a woman drove the wrong way on the Dallas North Tollway and crashed into her vehicle. 24-year-old Mariza Martinez of Dallas was driving her pickup truck south in the northbound lanes of the tollway just after midnight when she crashed into Kara Taylor’s SUV by the Main Street exit. Taylor was taken to Frisco’s Centennial Medical Center where she was pronounced dead immediately following the car crash.

A 15-year-old girl who was riding passenger in Taylor’s car was also taken to the hospital, but released with minor injuries. Martinez was taken to the Medical Center of Plano with unknown injuries. She was not killed in the crash, though.

A pending accident investigation will reveal whether or not charges will be filed. Results from toxicology testing and scene investigation will determine whether or not Martinez will be cited.
The lanes on the tollway were closed until 4 a.m. Sunday due to the wreck.

If someone you love suffered a wrongful death in a car wreck, or sustained serious injuries, please contact the Anderson Law Firm for a free consultation at 817-294-1900.