Fort Worth Injury Attorney Blog

Texas legislators meeting in Austin are considering several bills that target unsafeTexas drivers. That's certainly good news. Our roads are extremely deadly and I support efforts to make them safer.

The first new state law would force drivers convicted due to dangerously high blood alcohol contents to have devices installed in their cars to test their breath. However state probation officers say they are already overworked and don't have time to enforce this law if it passes. But as someone who has had to represent far too many people injured in DWI crashes we need to keep these drivers off of our highways.

Continue reading "New Laws Proposed To Make Texas Roads Safer" »

I wanted to wish every one a happy and safe Thanksgiving.

I will pause to thank God for my blessings, be with my wonderful family, see some movies and football games and exercise. And my birthday is Friday (how did I ever get to be 58?).
But unfortunately driving during the holidays can be dangerous.

Continue reading "Happy Thanksgiving And Safe Driving" »

The Dallas Morning News reported today that our Supreme Court justices usually rule in favor of big insurance companies and other major economic concerns and do not give individuals and small businesses a fair hearing. They have already made up their minds ahead of time which side they want to win.

Noone can possibly think this is fair.

So why is this happening?

Here are excerpts from the article:

...What the (nine current appointments to the Supreme Court) have in common, critics say, is a strong enough leaning toward corporate interests that it's nearly impossible for individuals to win cases against large corporations.

Continue reading "Texas Supreme Court Justices Heavily Biased In Favor of Insurance Companies and Big Businesses" »

A Dallas man remained in jail Tuesday on charges that he assaulted another motorist during an alleged road rage incident on Texas 114 in Grapevine in which he reportedly drove away from the scene.

Thankfully, off-duty Grapevine police Officer William Lain was driving in his own car and witnessed the incident.

Alcohol was also listed as a factor in the incident, according to Grapevine police reports.

Grapevine police identified the man as James Darrel Wilson, 42, of Dallas. He was in the Grapevine Jail in lieu of $11,000 bail. He is expected to be charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, endangering a child and criminal mischief.

An unidentified man was driving with his wife, his 9-year-old daughter and their dog in their BMW when he was cut off by Wilson, who was driving his pickup truck. Wilson pulled up beside the other man and cursed at the people in the BMW. The two vehicles stopped on the side of the highway and the pickup driver and his passenger got out of their vehicle and continued to yell at the BMW driver.

Then, Wilson got into his truck, leaving the door open, and backed into the BMW driver with the door and the car!

After being hit, the BMW driver tried to get the pickup driver to stop, and was dragged about 100 feet as he was hanging on the door! The BMW driver eventually let go of the door and rolled onto the roadway. The pickup driver only stopped once he realized that he had left his passenger near the BMW.

Wow, what is going on out there? This frightening episode is an inexcusable offense, not only because of the incredibly idiotic road rage but also because, once again, a motorist was drinking and driving.

I have represented people hurt by road raging/drunk drivers and it infuriates me. In a resent survey, Dallas-Fort Worth was ranked second in cities with the worst road rage and most aggressive drivers, with New York City taking first place. Great.

If you have been hurt by a road raging or drunk driver, please call me. I will fight hard to recover your damages and punish the offending driver.

Officer Clinton Weil and some fellow Arlington officers were getting coffee at a gas station near Cowboys Stadium around 1:15 a.m. Aug. 1 when they heard a car crash. A Chevy Tahoe squealed its tires as it sped away from the accident east on Division Street. When Weil caught up with the fleeing driver, he had already been handcuffed and was sitting by his vehicle, drenched in blood.

Weil ran to another officer's patrol car looking for something to slow the blood and found a yellow ShamWow cloth. He said he propped the man up against his leg and held the cloth tightly to the wound for several minutes until paramedics arrived.

The injured man, Julio Garnica, 27, of Arlington, was taken by ambulance to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth. Arlington police arrested Garnica after he was released from the hospital and charged him with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for striking the man in the parking lot.

Weil, who said Garnica thanked him, received the Arlington Police Department's lifesaving award this month for his action and said he was surprised by the recognition from his department.

Thank you and congratulations to this officer who went above and beyond the call of duty to save a life even though he was a suspect in a hit and run accident.

Hit and run accidents are an outrageous and punishable offense! Defendant drivers are often never found and this is why it is more important than ever to maintain UM/UIM insurance on your policy. For more information about UM/UIM insurance please see my previous blog (click here). If you are injured in a hit and run accident and have UM/UIM insurance please contact my office so I can get you the money you deserve!

More sad news to report: 17-year-old Brandon Simmons was tragically killed Saturday night when he was hit by a drunk driver in Venus. As if this weren't bad enought, the driver then fled the scene.

My deepest sympathies go out to the Simmons family as well as any other family which has lost a loved one due to the actions of a drunk driver. Drunk driving is a huge problem; drunk drivers kill more than 1,500 people each year just here in Texas.

Fortunately, police apprehended the driver and charged him with intoxication manslaughter and failure to stop and render aid. The driver has a prior DWI conviction.

I ride a bicycle to stay in shape and I find it horrendous that innocent people are so senselessly killed by drivers, especially drunk drivers.

National Bike Month is a Reminder to Texas Bicyclists to Practice Safe Riding
I would like to remind bicyclists to exercise these safety precautions when on the road:

• Wear a helmet (this can reduce traumatic brain injury risk by up to 88%)
• Obey traffic laws
• Pay attention to the motorists and pedestrians around you
• Use a bicycle headlight if you are riding at night
• Wear clothing that makes it easy for motorists see you
• When cycling next to parked vehicles watch out for drivers opening their doors to exit
• Ride in the same direction that traffic is headed
• Stay out of driver's blind spots so that they can see you
• Make sure you have a bicycle mirror
• Watch out for vehicles at cross streets, parking places, and driveways
• Don't swerve when looking behind you to check traffic
• Make sure your bicycle is properly maintained

Unfortunately, bicyclists are at high risk of serious injury whenever they are hit by a car, truck, motorcycle, or bus. The medical costs for treating spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, disfigurement, and other catastrophic injuries can be unaffordable unless you receive the bicycle accident compensation that you are owed.

Police say a silver Toyota Camry speeding down Rochelle Road was turning onto Manion Street when the vehicle entered Aguilar's yard, crashed into her, then drove off!

Aguilar's 16-year-old son found her on the ground unconscious and immediately called 911. The driver has yet to be identified.

As I have wondered here before, what is going on out there?

In hit-and-run accidents, the at-fault driver is rarely found. Even worse, even when they are, they often do not carry insurance. If you have been involved in a hit-and-run accident or an accident caused by an uninsured driver, you still have options. If you have uninsured motorist coverage, Personal Injury Protection or Medical Payments benefits, or health insurance, I encourage you to file on those policies.

A lot of people believe that their own insurance companies will be helpful and compensate them fairly. They think they will do better without an attorney. The truth of the matter is that insurance companies will pay you little, if anything, unless they have to. They may pretend to be on your side, but when it comes down to it, they will try to avoid paying you what you deserve.

If you've been in any wreck, you want an experienced board-certified injury lawyer on your side. The insurance companies have lawyers on their side, shouldn't you? Call me at 817-885-8000 for a free case evaluation. I'll explain all the ways I can make you money, including several you probably didn't know were possible.