Most of us have driven while we were sleepy at one time or another. However, recent studies show that driving while drowsy is much more common and dangerous than previously thought.

A 2010 study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that drowsy driving was a factor in one in six deadly crashes. Drowsy driving was also a factor in one in eight crashes in which a vehicle occupant was hospitalized. These numbers are much higher than previous estimates.

According to the study, sleepiness can cause drivers to have slower reaction times, impaired vision, and delays in processing information. Previous studies have found that being awake for more than 20 hours can cause an impairment equal to a blood alcohol level of .08 percent, or the equivalent of being legally drunk.

About one-third of Americans have admitted they have fallen asleep behind the wheel in the last year. Over half have said they have driven while drowsy. Shockingly, over a quarter of adults have admitted to driving despite being so tired they had trouble keeping their eyes open in the previous month.

Experts recommend that you quit driving if you have trouble focusing, keeping your head up, an inability to remember the last few miles driven, if you are yawning repeatedly or are missing exits or traffic signs. If you are exhibiting those behaviors, stop driving and if possible, take a short nap. Drinking caffeinated beverages can also help.

Have you been involved in a Dallas accident that was caused by a sleepy driver? If so, contact Dallas automobile accident attorney Kris Barber at the Barber Law Firm at 817-329-5095 to explore your legal rights.

On April 1^st at about 1:00 a.m., two people were killed in an overnight motor vehicle collision located off Interstate 20 in Dallas TX.

Officials from the Sheriff’s Dept. stated that the driver was travelling at a high rate of speed while attempting to exit from eastbound I-20 at Lancaster Road. He subsequently lost control of the car and crashed into a fence, knocking down a 20-foot tree. He and his passenger, James Funaro, 28 were killed almost instantly.

Car accidents that occur as a result of speeding are a serious threat to motorists in Dallas, and its surrounding areas like Garland, Plano, and Mesquite TX. If you’ve received an injury or experienced property damage as a result of a DFW or surrounding area auto accident, then you may wish to consult with an experienced local personal injury lawyer.

A free initial legal consultation will be provided by our personal injury law firm regarding your potential injury case. If you, or someone you know, has been injured you should contact a Dallas, Texas personal injury lawyer to understand your legal rights regarding potential compensation for your medical expenses and lost wages. Call Texas Personal Injury Lawyer Kristopher Barber at (972) 231-5800 for more information or you can click here to contact him by email.

Early Sunday morning, a man who already had three prior DWI convictions crashed into the rear of a sedan, killing the driver of the other vehicle and her 13-year-old daughter, police authorities reported. The incident occurred on Lewisville, Texas Interstate 35E near Vista Ridge Mall.

The driver, 30-year old John Patrick Barton of Lewisville, will be officially charged with two counts of murder and is currently being treated for injuries sustained in the vehicle crash. Although hospitalized for internal bodily injuries, police say that Barton will be immediately escorted to jail upon his medical discharge. The driver of the other vehicle, identified as Kandace Hull 33, of Argyle, died at the scene. Her daughter, Autumn 13, died eight hours later at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas TX police stated.

Hull’s husband and two other children remained hospitalized with Hull’s husband suffering serious head trauma.

Research has indicated that Barton has a long criminal record that dates back to his teenage years, with convictions including burglary and speeding charges.

He was first convicted of DWI in 2001 and placed on parole for his third DWI conviction in January 2009 for an incident occurring in June, 2006.

Unfortunately, drunk driving accidents such as these are not uncommon in our local cities such as Lewisville, Plano and Frisco, TX. Many lead to devastating consequences such as serious personal injury or wrongful death. If you’ve suffered a loss or injury due to a Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex auto accident, you may wish to consult with a knowledgeable, experienced local personal injury lawyer.

Our personal injury law firm offers free initial legal consultations regarding potential personal injury cases – at no charge to you. If you, a loved one, or someone you know has been involved in an accident resulting in an injury, you should consult a Lewisville, Texas personal injury lawyer regarding your legal rights to secure compensation for lost wages and medical expenses. Call Texas Personal Injury Lawyer Kristopher Barber at (972) 231-5800 for more information or you can click here to contact him by email.

DALLAS, TX—Police say that a driver who ran a red light this past Sunday was responsible for a serious crash.  Sometime in the early morning hours on Sunday, the driver smashed into a car carrying a teenager and two small children at the intersection of Westmoreland Road and Singleton Boulevard in Dallas, Texas.  The condition of the driver who caused the accident is unknown. All three victims from the other vehicle were immediately transported to Children’s Medical Center with personal injuries.

Unfortunately, serious injury car accidents like these occur frequently in our local communities like Dallas, Garland, and Richardson, TX.  Many cause serious personal injury and even wrongful deaths. If you have been involved in an auto accident in Garland, Richardson, or Dallas, Texas or a nearby area, a local, experienced personal injury lawyer can help you.

If you have been injured in an accident as a result of someone else’s careless driving, you should contact a Dallas, TX injury attorney immediately to help you determine what insurance coverage is in place to cover your medical expenses and lost wages, and so that you can take steps to protect your legal rights.  Our car accident law firm offers free initial legal consultations. Call Dallas Personal Injury Lawyer Kristopher Barber at (972) 231-5800 or click here to contact us by email.

GARLAND, TX—Alcohol was a suspected factor in two recent MVA collisions in Van Alstyne, which is about 18 miles north of McKinney, and borders Collin and Grayson County.

Both auto crashes occurred Monday night, February 1, between 7:00 and 10:00 pm. The first accident happened on US Highway 75 when a Ford Explorer traveling south in a northbound lane slammed into a Toyota Camry.  Although both drivers were sent to Wilson N. Jones Medical Center in Sherman, according to police, their bodily injuries did not appear to be life-threatening.

In a separate motor vehicle accident, Bobbi Lalonde, 44, of Denison, was driving south in the northbound lane of US Highway 75 near Farmington when the second wreck occurred just after 9 p.m.  The victim, a Garland resident, was killed.  A Van Alstyne police spokeswoman said Lalonde was booked into the Grayson County Jail on suspicion of intoxication manslaughter.

Our Garland personal injury law firm offers free initial legal consultations. If you have been injured in a DWI accident, you should contact a Garland personal injury lawyer immediately to help you determine what insurance coverage is in place to cover your medical expenses and lost wages.  We want to help you protect your legal rights.  Call Texas Personal Injury Lawyer Kristopher Barber at (972) 231-5800 or click here to contact us by email.

DALLAS, TX –On the heels of an announcement last week that Toyota would recall approximately 2.3 million vehicles to correct sticking accelerator pedals on specific models, Toyota announced today that it has instructed dealers to temporarily suspend sales of eight models involved in the recall, including the following:

• Avalon (2005-2010)
• Camry (certain 2007-2010 models)
• Corolla (2009-2010)
• Highlander (2010)
• Matrix (2009-2010)
• RAV4 (2009-2010)
• Sequoia (2008–2010)
• Tundra (2007-2010)

Spurring the recall and subsequent halting of sales is the possibility that certain accelerator pedal mechanisms may mechanically stick in a partially depressed position or return slowly to the idle position.

Though the car maker reports that this product defect is quite rare, a local tragic accident proves that ‘rare’ does not mean ‘never.’  In fact, a sticking accelerator is being investigated as one possible cause of the December 26, 2009, crash in Southlake last month that killed four people driving in a 2008 Toyota Avalon. Investigators say that the Toyota Avalon was going 40 mph when it sped through an intersection, smashed into a metal fence, hit a tree and landed in a pond, upside down.  Witnesses reported that the vehicle never slowed down. This is consistent with the fact that there were no signs of braking.

Our Dallas accident law firm offers free initial legal consultations on defective products and personal injury cases. If you have been injured, you should contact a Dallas injury attorney immediately to help you determine what insurance coverage may be in place to cover your medical expenses and lost wages, and so that you can take steps to protect your legal rights. Call our Texas Personal Injury Lawyers at (972) 231-5800 or click here to contact us by email.

December 4, 2009

Dallas, TX — Two or more people were killed this morning in a multiple car collision on westbound LBJ Freeway near the High Five interchange on the border of Richardson and Dallas, Texas.  Several others were injured, including a child, in the car accident, which occurred just east of Central Expressway (Hwy 75).

The crash occurred about 4:40 a.m. this morning when a motor vehicle collided with two other vehicles.  Information on the victims and the cause of the wreck has not yet been released.

Regrettably, fatal accidents like these happen all too often in our local communities like Dallas and Richardson, TX.  Some are the result of DWI or DUI. Many cause serious injuries and even deaths. If you have been involved in an auto accident in Plano, Richardson, or Dallas, Texas or a nearby area, a local, experienced personal injury attorney can help you.

Our personal injury law firm offers free initial legal consultations on personal injury cases. If you have been injured, you should contact a Plano, Texas personal injury lawyer immediately to help you determine what insurance coverage is in place to cover your medical expenses and lost wages, and so that you can take steps to protect your legal rights. Call Plano Personal Injury Lawyer Kristopher Barber at (972) 231-5800 for more information or click here to contact us by email.

All drivers in Texas are required to carry minimum liability coverage of $25,000 per injured person, and up to a total of $50,000 for everyone injured in a motor vehicle accident.  Alarmingly, it’s estimated that up to 20% of drivers in Texas are uninsured at any given time.

Even when the other driver has auto insurance, many times the minimum amounts are not enough to cover all damages.  In addition to the minimum coverage amounts, Texas drivers can purchase additional collision coverage, personal injury protection (PIP), medical payments coverage (MedPay), and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage (UM/UIM).

If you’ve been in a car accident that was not your fault and the driver of the other vehicle has no liability insurance, the only recourse may be to pursue a claim against uninsured motorist coverage (UM) on your own auto insurance policy.  Uninsured motorist coverage is insurance you buy to protect yourself in case you’re in an accident with an uninsured driver.  Texas law requires that every auto insurance policy automatically include UM coverage, unless the buyer (you) rejects that coverage in writing.

If the negligent driver is underinsured, the driver’s automobile insurance policy may not provide enough coverage for your monetary damages.  Similar to uninsured motorist coverage, you may have to pursue an additional legal claim against your own underinsured motorist coverage to pay for injury and property damages that exceed the at-fault driver’s insurance coverage amounts.

If you’ve been in a car accident and find yourself in this situation, but are unsure about whether the other party’s liability coverage is adequate, it’s wise to consult a Dallas personal injury lawyer who can help you sort through the insurance issues and the complex insurance claim filings that follow most wrecks.

Our DFW car accident lawyers offer free initial legal consultations on personal injury cases. If you have been injured, you should contact a Dallas TX personal injury attorney immediately to help you determine what insurance coverage is in place to cover your medical expenses and lost wages, and so that you can take steps to protect your legal rights. Call our law firm at (972) 231-5800 for more information or click here to contact us by email.

Dallas, TX — A new public service announcement airing in Wales is stirring up controversy about whether it is too graphic for television.  Others say it is exactly the message we need to be sending to drivers.

The PSA shows two teen girls distracted over a text message while driving. The driver collides head-on into another car.  While the car is disabled, a third car smashes into the passenger side.

The driver discovers her friend lying dead in the passenger seat. The camera then shows the other vehicle and a young child inside, asking why her parents are not waking up.

The PSA is not being aired on U.S. television.  To even view the ad on YouTube, you must verify that you are at least 18 years old.  More than 1 million people have viewed the hard-hitting PSA on YouTube.

You can view it here, along with some NBC commentary, but WARNING: it is extremely graphic.