Tragically, a two year old Dallas boy suffered an accidental gunshot wound to the abdomen late last week. This week, he was upgraded to good condition. According to police, the shooting was an accident that also involved the boy’s three year old brother. The boys were in a room together at the time of the accident. The parents were home at the time. Investigators have not determined how the boy got the .380 semi automatic or who fired it. It’s unknown whether criminal charges will be filed.

This story illustrates the importance of keeping guns properly secured. The Dallas Police Department offers free gun locks to the public. The NRA also offers gun safety programs in schools, which teaches children what to do if they find a gun. However, we cannot be with our children every second, and despite our best efforts, some children may not know what to do if they come into contact with a gun. Tragically, guns account for one in every 10 deaths of children between the ages of 5 and 14.

If you own guns, there are important steps to take to keep them safe from children. First, they should be stored unloaded in a locked cabinet, safe, or vault. The containers that store the guns should be kept out of the reach of children. Ammunition should be stored in a locked container and kept separate from the guns. When the guns are taken out of storage, keep them pointed away from other people, even if unloaded. Also, keep your finger off the trigger.

Talk to any adults in whose homes or vehicles your children spend time. Ask them if they have guns and if so, how they are stored. In addition, teach your children about gun safety, even if you don’t think they will ever encounter a gun. If they do encounter a gun and aren’t aware of gun safety, it may be too late to prevent an accident.

Have you been injured on another person’s property by a dangerous condition, such as a firearm? If so, you may be entitled to compensation for those injuries. Contact Kris Barber, Dallas premises liability attorney today at 817-329-5095 to learn more.

Early this morning, a driver going the wrong direction on a divided six-lane street crashed into a motorcycle. The accident occurred on Robert B. Cullum Boulevard, north of Grand Avenue. The motorcyclist was taken by ambulance to the hospital. The driver was given a field sobriety test and failed and is expected to face criminal charges later today. The driver may have also been involved in another recent crash, because his vehicle had damage not related to the accident with the motorcycle.

Drunk drivers are a danger to everyone on the roads. This tragic accident could most likely have been avoided if the vehicle’s driver had chosen to call a cab, used a designated driver, or waited until sober to drive. Now, the driver faces criminal charges and the motorcyclist is recovering in the hospital. If you have been injured by a drunk driver in the Dallas area, contact Dallas automobile accident attorney Kris Barber at 972-231-5800.

The Texas Department of Transportation recently released the 2011 list of the 100 most congested roads in Texas, and not surprisingly, the top three are in Dallas. In addition, over a quarter of the roads on the list are in Dallas County.

The 2011 list did not vary much from the 2010 list. Any differences are most likely the result of reduced traffic speeds because of weather or construction projects. In order to gather the data, the state contracted with a company that provides real time travel information in the U.S. for use by smart phones and GPS devices.

So how can you avoid the inevitable problems that come with driving in a county with some of the most congested roads in Texas? First, before you take a trip, determine whether the route you are taking is congested. For certain roads at certain times of the day, it’s most likely inevitable. If possible, adjust your schedule so that you are not always on the most crowded Dallas roads at the peak of rush hour. Second, leave yourself plenty of time to get to your destination. If you have a long trip ahead of you, make sure you are well rested – sleep deprivation on top of heavy traffic can make the situation seem even worse.

It’s important to keep your cool while dealing with congestion. If other drivers are frustrated, don’t engage with them and provoke a potential road rage situation. Instead, keep your distance and avoid interaction with a driver who appears to not be handling the congestion very well.

Have you been involved in a traffic accident on Dallas’s congested roads? If so, contact Kris Barber, Dallas automobile accident attorney at 817-329-5095. He will advise you on your potential case and what your best options are.

If you have been involved in an automobile accident, move safely to the side of the road and steer clear of oncoming traffic, if possible. Turn your hazard lights on, and call 911 to report the accident. Wait a safe distance from the road, if possible, for help to arrive.

It’s important following an accident to get as much information as possible from the other driver(s) involved in the accident and witnesses to the accident. Write down the driver’s address, phone number, license plate number and other vehicle information, and insurance information. You should also get contact information for any witnesses to the accident.

After you’ve gotten contact information, make as many notes about the accident as possible. Write down a detailed description of exactly what happened, including each car involved in the accident, the locations of the vehicles before and after the collision, where the collision occurred, and what caused the collision. If your cell phone has a camera, take pictures from as many angles as possible of the damage to the vehicles involved.

Following the accident, you should file an accident report with your DMV or the police station if police did not come to the scene of the accident. You should also contact your insurance company to report the accident.  However, you should refrain from giving too many details about the accident or your injuries until you have consulted with a personal injury lawyer.  It is important to know your rights and know what to expect before speaking with either insurance company.  If you decide to hire a lawyer, they will make contact with the insurance companies for you and handle all of the negotiations.

If you are in the Dallas area, contact accident attorney Kris Barber from The Barber Law Firm for a free consultation and to learn more about your options following the accident. Call today at 972-231-5800.

Tragically, a man from Midlothian died from injuries he suffered last week in a crash at an intersection in Grand Prairie. The man was riding on a motorcycle when a van pulled into his path. After colliding with the motorcycle, the van collided with a Chevrolet pickup. The motorcyclist was transported by helicopter to a Dallas hospital after the accident. Police are still investigating the accident.

Unfortunately, accidents that may not be all that serious if involving automobiles can be deadly when a motorcycle is involved. If you or a loved one has suffered injuries because of a motorcycle accident, call Kris Barber, Dallas motorcycle accident attorney to learn more about your legal options. Contact him today at 817-329-5095.

If the defendant in your personal injury case has insurance, prior to any offer of settlement, an insurance adjuster will want to evaluate all documentation regarding the accident and the expenses incurred. Those records could include things like medical records, records of lost wages, out-of-pocket expenses, and other types of medical documentation regarding any permanent injuries that were caused by the accident.

The insurance company may make an initial offer to settle after receiving all required documentation.  If after negotiations, the insurance company offers a fair settlement that you agree to, then the case is over. You sign a Release and receive a check from the insurance company.  This process generally takes 6 – 8 months from the date of the accident, but can vary depending on the length of medical treatment you receive.

However, if the settlement offer is inadequate and the insurance company won’t budge, you may choose to pursue the case further, such as by filing a lawsuit.  Once a lawsuit is filed, it could take a significantly larger amount of time.  Due to the busy schedule of most courts, trials usually occur between 1 and 2 years after the lawsuit is filed.

Once the suit is filed, both parties will investigate the claims in a process called discovery. Discovery could include taking depositions from the parties involved, or seeking additional documentation on the accident. After discovery is completed, both sides may begin settlement negotiations or enter into mediation prior to trial. Most personal injury cases settle prior to trial.

Have you been involved in an accident caused by another party’s negligence in the Dallas area? If so, you could have a potential case. To learn more, contact Kris Barber, Dallas personal injury attorney at the Barber Law Firm. He has experience both with case settlement and with trials. Call him today at 817-329-5095.

When individuals visit a doctor or a hospital, they expect a very high standard of care. In some cases, patients leave a doctor’s office or a hospital with more problems than they had when they arrived. In other cases, the individuals may have been the victims of medical malpractice but they are unaware that malpractice actually occurred.

Hospital malpractice can include any type of negligence that may occur in a hospital or outpatient setting, and it can be committed by any hospital employee but is usually committed by a health care professional. There are a variety of types of hospital malpractice. Some include errors during surgery, medication errors, a failure to prevent infections, and health care professionals failing to do what they are supposed to, such as the failure to monitor a patient, the failure to diagnose a condition, or the failure to order tests.

Malpractice by a doctor usually occurs either when the doctor failed to do something (such as order extra tests), or made an outright error (such as prescribing the wrong medication). Doctor malpractice can occur in addition to hospital malpractice, or can be a separate issue.

Doctor malpractice and hospital malpractice issues can be complex to sort out. Do you suspect your doctor or hospital committed malpractice? If so, contact Dallas medical malpractice attorney Kris Barber at 817-329-5095. He will provide you with a free consultation and will help give you peace of mind about your legal situation. Contact him today to learn more.