Fort Worth Injury Attorney Blog

Three people were injured in Mineral Wells yesterday when a teenage driver drove into their lane of traffic.

18 year old Meagin Reaves was driving northbound on Highway 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. His injuries included a severe head laceration from the rearview mirror mount.

Reaves and Bill Dempsey were rushed by helicopter to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth due to their serious injuries.

I handled a similar case last year where my client was driving during a rain storm and another driver drove into her lane, causing a massive crash. She broke her leg, was hospitalized, then bed ridden for weeks. I fought to 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.

How do you know if someone you want to hire will do a good job for you?

Probably the best way is by word of mouth -- by asking people who have used him before if they were pleased, right? That's what I do, and I bet you do too.

I just got these three unsolicited e-mails from clients and thought I would share them:

• "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.

The tragic accident happened as the bus, which was travelling southbound on Cooper, attempted to turn left in front of the officer. Police have not yet 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.

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. I have handled numerous cases where a driver makes an unsafe turn in front of one of our clients and causes a needless collision due to his impatience.

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 collision.

This plainly 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 numerous cases involving 18 wheelers. I recently represented a man and his wife who were driving in a 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 negotiated a settlement of $5.5 Million dollars just before the case was set for trial in Johnson County.

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 a flat tire, but he 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 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.