Fort Worth Injury Attorney Blog

A 21-year-old DeSoto woman tragically died last night after her car collided with a Chevy Tahoe driven by a man who was fleeing a police attempting a traffic stop. The woman, Gladys Barrientos, was rushed to Charlton Methodist Hospital after the crash, but died hours later due to the extent of her injuries.

Late Thursday night, an officer tried to pull over the Tahoe in for a defective headlight.

The driver instead took off, driving south on Duncanville Road, with the officer in pursuit.

Just as he crossed into the Cedar Hill city limits, the driver passed another car, and smashed into Barrientos's Honda Civic that was turning left in front of him.

Police do not think the Tahoe driver was intoxicated, but did find an empty beer can outside his car, so they're doing toxicology tests. His identity has not been released, but he has been arrested and charged with evading arrest. Additional charges will likely follow as a result of the crash.

I am currently representing a woman who was hit while stopped at a red light. A woman fleeing police spun out while turning left at the intersection and crashed head-on into my client. I am currently negotiating her settlement and investigating additional sources of money for her including a fund set up to compensate people injured as a result of police pursuits. One of the advantages of hiring a board certified personal injury lawyer is that I may be able to find sources of money you otherwise wouldn't have known were available.

If you or a loved one have been involved in a crash, please contact my office for a free case analysis and to discuss all the ways I can help you.

Police are saying that a Fort Worth firefighter was drunk when he crashed his Dodge Ram pickup truck into a stopped Volkswagen Jetta on Airport Freeway on Tuesday.

Police identified the man as Shea Oneill, 37, of Benbrook. He was released from a Bedford jail Wednesday morning after posting $1,500 bail.

According to reports, an officer smelled alcohol on Oneill after the accident. The firefighter refused a breath test and a field sobriety test, and was then arrested.

Drunk drivers are a threat to all innocent drivers on our roads. Intoxicated drivers often drive faster and without regard for other drivers around them. That combined with the significantly slowed reaction time makes them very dangerous for other motorists.

I have successfully sued many drunk drivers to recover money for my clients they hurt. If you have been involved in a crash with a drunk driver, I want to help you. Please Call or E-mail me today to discuss your case.

Three people were injured in Mineral Wells yesterday when a teenage driver drifted into oncoming traffic.

According to Department of Public Safety Trooper Travis Alewine, 18-year-old Meagin Reaves, of Mineral Wells, was driving northbound on 281 when she veered left into oncoming southbound traffic, failing to yield and causing Wednesday morning's wreck.

Reaves' vehicle collided with a pickup truck driven by Bob Dempsey, 61, of Mineral Wells. Dempsey's brother, Bill Dempsey, 63, of Huckabay, Texas, was a passenger in his truck. His injuries included a severe head laceration from the rearview mirror mount, according to Alewine. Bob said "looked like she was turning left onto Turkey Creek Road," Bob Dempsey said, adding that the driver came into his lane. "I tried to get over into the bar ditch."

All Reaves and Bill Dempsey were taken by helicopter to John Peter Smith Hospital for treatment of their serious injuries. Reaves reportedly sustained a broken leg, according to Alewine.

I handled a similar case last year where my client was driving during a rain storm and another driver moved into her lane causing a massive crash. She broke her leg and was bed ridden for several weeks. I was able to fight and get her a huge settlement.

If you have been hurt in a wreck caused by the negligent driving of another driver, please contact my office at 817-885-8000 for a free no-obligation consultation to discuss your case.

The best way to know would be to ask my previous clients if they have been pleased, right? I just got these three e-mails from my clients and got the idea to share them with you:

• "Thank you, you are a great lawyer." Donnie B. January 19, 2010


• "That offer sounds good to me! Thank you so much for everything! I really do appreciate all your help!" Nicole W. January 17, 2010


• "I was extremely pleased with how you handled my case and for how much money you got for me!" Kristi M. January 15, 2010

I am delighted that 100% of our clients answered YES to these questions:

For other comments from my clients, please read the Testimonials page on my website

The first meeting with me is free. If you have an injury case that you would like to discuss, please call me and I will be happy to meet you with absolutely no obligation.

A 34-year-old Arlingto PD officer trying pull over a speeding vehicle on South Cooper Street was killed early Wednesday in a collision with a school bus, police said. Witnesses said he was running his lights and siren prior to the crash.

The impact happened as the bus travelling southbound on Cooper, heading toward the officer when he attempted to turn left onto Lynda Lane in front of the officer. Police have not stated whether the bus driver or the officer would have had the right-of-way at the time, but because the officer was in pursuit and had his lights and siren on, the bus driver was legally required to stop and grant access to the intersection at that time.

Tragically, Officer Craig Gordon Story was pronounced dead at the scene.

Witnesses stated that the motorcycle caught fire after the impact, and that they heard what sounded like an explosion.

The driver of the bus and 9 school-aged passengers were not injured.

Failure to yield the right-of-way is a leading cause of traffic accidents, and we've handled numerous cases where a driver makes an unsafe turn in front of one of our clients. We sue bad drivers and get money for our clients. If you or a loved one has been injured because of the negligent driving of another, please contact my office by e-mail or by phone at 817-885-8000

NBC News has released a video of the tanker truck that caught fire after it crashed into a barrier on the Dallas North Tollway early on December 18, 2009.

The Department of Public Safety has not publicly released a report with its findings about the crash. Sadly, we do know that the 18 wheeler driver died in the crash. Fortunately, no other vehicles were involved in this accident.

This incident shows how the public's safety needs to be considered when dealing with the hazardous materials that so many 18 wheelers transport through the Metroplex and across the State of Texas every day.

Texas leads the nation in accidents involving 18 wheelers. According to a study by the National Transportation Safety Board study, 90% of the crashes involving 18 wheelers were attributed to driver error. In addition, a Texas Department of Transportation study showed that barring 18 wheelers from driving in the left lane resulted in a sharp reduction in the number of crashes involving 18 wheelers.

I have handled many cases involving 18 wheelers and fuel trucks. I recently represented a man and his wife who were driving in a ting Ford Mustang when it was rear-ended by a fuel truck on I-35. Fortunately, the tank was empty, but the impact still nearly killed my both people. I was able to get them a combined settlement of $5.5 Million dollars.

If you or your loved one are injured or killed in an accident involving an 18 wheeler or other commercial truck, contact Board Certified Personal Injury Attorney William Berenson. Call us day or night at (817) 885-8000 for a free consultation and case evaluation. Visit our website at http://www.berensonlaw.com/ for more information.

Good news for those seriously injured in the Fort Worth area: John Peter Smith Hospital has just received official approval to be a Level 1 trauma center, the highest level possible.

Previously, since JPS was only a Level 2 center, critically injured victims, including people with severed digits, had to be transferred to other hospitals, including Harris Methodist or Parkland Hospital in Dallas (nationally known for its burns unit).

I have handled serious personal injury cases where urgent medical care was delayed when JPS was not able to treat my injured client.

On at least two ocasions, the patient died as a result One young man had been tragically struck by an 18 wheeler as he stood on the inside median of Interstate 35 helping his driver change his flat tire but died the next day at a different hospital, when JPS was only a few minutes from the scene.

Another problem I have heard about from my clients on numerous occasions is the lengthy wait times to see doctors in the ER. I have heard that people have to wait five or six hours in the waiting room, and even longer.

JPS has promised to work on this situation by increasing the hours available at its urgent care clinic in the neighborhood.

According to its Chief Operating Officer, the percentage of ER patients who left without being treated by a physician had decreased from 20 percent in 2008 to 2 percent last year.

Especially since Fort Worth's population is now 720,000, it is hard to believe that it took so long for our county hospital to become a Level 1 trauma center.

On Tuesday morning at 8:00 o'clock a.m., tour teenagers, an adult, and an 11 year old were involved in a three car collision on West Bailey Boswell Road in Fort Worth near Boswell High School.

One teen had to be CareFlighted to Harris Hospital. Another teen in that vehicle was rushed to John Peter Smith by MedStar ambulance.

The driver of a second car, a 16 year old male and his 17 year old male passenger suffered minor injuries.

The adult female driver of the third vehicle and her 11-year-old daughter were taken to a local hospital.

It is unknown what the extent of the injuries are and who is at fault.

Three teenagers died and three others were injured when their vehicle slammed into a guard rail just before midnight on New Year's Day, police said.

The car they were travelling in was clocked by a patrolman at 78mph prior to the crash, and skid mark calculations have led to estimates of over 100mph immediately before the impact.

Adding to the danger of the speed, alcohol may have played a role as well. Official reports about the driver have not been released but alcohol was found in the car. Texas takes underage drinking and driving very seriously. If a driver is under the age of 21 and are caught driving with any detectable amount of alcohol, they can be charged with Driving Under the Influence (DUI). If the blood-alcohol level was above .08, the more serious Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) charge could also be filed.

This crash is an horrible tragedy. Slowing down and paying attention would have easily prevented these three innocent people from losing their lives.

If you or a loved one has been involved in a car wreck that lead to injury or death, you need an experienced attorney fighting for you. I am Board Certified in personal injury law and I can get you the best settlement possible. Call today for a free consultation.

About 11:15 a.m. Saturday, a Toyota Avalon ran a stop sign, crashed through a fence and bounced off a tree before landing upside down in a pond outside a Southlake home. Two people were pronounced dead while being transported to hospitals, and the two other passengers died early Sunday morning.

Monty Hardy, 56, of Southlake and Hadassah Vance, 35, of Euless both died shortly after the crash. Then on Sunday, Wendy Akion, 38, of Irving was pronounced dead at 12:50 a.m. Sunday at the Baylor Regional Medical Center in Grapevine. Sharon Ransom, 56, of Grapevine was pronounced dead at 4:15 a.m.

Investigators said that they did not see any skid marks around the sight of the crash leading them to suspect vehicle malfunction may have been to blame. Earlier this year, Toyota recalled over 4 million vehicles, including Avalons, to correct a problem with the shape of the accelerator that could cause it to become stuck in the floor mat causing the driver to lose control.

A Los Angeles Times investigation, said problems with Toyota's electronic throttle may be responsible for many vehicles suddenly accelerating uncontrollably.

For the safety of yourself and your passengers, please find out if your car was one those recalled. If it was, please contact Toyota to fix the problems, and immediately remove the driver's floor mat.

Continue reading "Faulty Accelerator may have caused Southlake wreck that killed 4" »

Three Watauga motorcycle officers are now equipped with clip-on video cameras to record traffic stops. For years, officers in cars have had dash-mounted cameras to record stops, but until recently, officers on motorcycles did not.

In Texas, 45 to 50 law enforcement agencies use the cameras, according to Heidi Traverso, a spokeswoman for Vievu, the Seattle company that designs and manufactures the cameras.

The city paid $800.00 for each of the cameras plus $500.00 more for additional hard drives to store the recordings.

The cameras are an important tool for showing driver or officer misconduct. The footage they record is often brought in as evidence at trial. On a DWI case a few months ago, my office was able to get a copy of the footage from the arresting officer which showed that the defendant was hardly able to walk when he crashed into my client. After showing the insurance company the footage and threatening a lawsuit, their offer increased 10-fold.

New reports released today by the Fort Worth Police Department, say that Jesus Cisneros, the FWPD officer accused of killing a mother of two in a car crash while he was drunk, was speeding at over twice the posted 35mph speed limit before the crash.

Originally, there was talk that the accident could have been Sonia Baker's fault for failing to yield the right of way while turning, but preliminary investigation has found no evidence to suggest that Baker ran a stop sign or had any fault in the collision.

Officer Cisneros is rightfully being charged with homicide in Baker's death. He was released on $25,000.00 bond.
"Right now the preliminary reports are showing that because he was driving twice the speed limit, she did not have a chance to see him," Lt. Paul Henderson said.

The report goes on to say that Cisneros was at a party at The Pour House on West Seventh Street before the crash. Investigators are looking into reports that up to 20 other officers were also at the party. The investigation also involves three off-duty officers, including two sergeants, who were working security at the bar that night. Internal investigators are looking into whether the officers knowingly let Cisneros leave the bar intoxicated.

And on top of the speeding and drunk driving, Officer Cisneros was not authorized to be driving the city-owned vehicle while off-duty. "Preliminary information indicates Cisneros was not authorized to use this vehicle after hours and does not have take-home privileges," Police Chief Jeff Halstead said.

Obviously this terrible tragedy could and should have been avoided. There is no reason anyone, specifically a police officer, should be driving drunk on our city's roads. We eagerly await the court's ruling and punishment for this horrible crime.

Continue reading "Drunk Fort Worth Officer was driving twice the speed limit" »

The family of William Bond, who was killed in a crash on the Dallas North Tollway on December 20, 2007, has filed a lawsuit seeking unspecified damages. Bond died after a piece of cement broke off of the median barrier and flew into the car he was riding in.

The lawsuit blames both the driver, Christopher Spicer for losing control of his vehicle and crashing into the median, as well as the North Texas Tollway Authority and other companies who did engineering, construction or maintenance on the tollway, said the Bond family's attorney, Linda Turley.

The driver, Christopher Spicer, 44, was indicted for criminally negligent homicide, a state jail felony that carries a maximum penalty of two years. But District Attorney Craig Watkins declined to prosecute the case earlier this year, saying no crime other than speeding was committed and it was better handled in civil court.

Obviously this a a terrible tragedy could have been avoided if the other driver had been more careful. Our firm wishes the family the best of luck in their lawsuit.

Continue reading "Dallas crash death blamed on faulty median" »

Officer Jesus Cisneros had a blood alcohol content of more than two times the legal limit of .08% when his vehicle ran into a car driven by Sonia Baker, which tragically killed her.

It is not clear how long Cisneros had been drinking, whether he had been drinking while he was on the job, why he was still driving a City vehicle, and why noone at the Police Department knew that one of its officers was intoxicated while operating a FWPD cruiser.

You would think that of all people, a police officer would know that it is against the law not to drink and drive - especially in a police car.

Poor Ms. Baker was married and had two small children.

This tragic and callous disregard of human life is appalling. I demand that the FWPD appoint an independent OUTSIDE attorney to investigate what happened on the night of December 12th, file vehicular manslaughter charges, and insure that this never happens again here in Tarrant County.

I am also appalled that more than 1,400 people die iin Texas due to DWIs and I call on our police to crack down on drunk drivers before they crash into you and me.

Nearly 30 million Americans travel the highways in this country. New analysis of government data was released showing more nearly 29,000 motor carrier companies with more than 200,000 trucks, operate in violation of federal safety laws. In an original analysis of data, it was revealed that drivers are sharing highways with trucks that have incurred thousands of safety violations. The violations include defective brakes, bad tires, loads that dangerously exceeded weight limits and drivers with little or no training or drug and alcohol addictions.

Data was obtained on the safety performance of U.S. trucking companies through the Motor Carrier Management Information System, which is maintained by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Over a million lines of data were analyzed in an effort to pinpoint just how many unsafe trucks might be on the road. West Virginia, North Dakota, Nebraska, Vermont and Iowa had the highest rate of companies in violation of federal safety requirements. The effects of these violations are deadly. While truck accidents occur for a variety of reasons, many are preventable, and often a direct result of trucking companies violating safety standards to cut corners and maximize profits.