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.
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 — 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.
Unfortunately, these events are all too common, and as a Dallas personal injury lawyer, I am all too often asked to help family members who suffer these types of tragedies deal with the aftermath. Due to the lack of enforcement, text messaging while driving has become the biggest safety concern on our roads. It is the cause of countless serious car accidents in our communities like Dallas, Garland, Plano, and Mesquite, Texas.
If you have been involved in an auto accident in Dallas, Garland, Plano, or Mesquite, Texas, or the surrounding areas, an experienced-local personal injury attorney can help you and your family. Our car accident attorneys offer free consultations on personal injury cases. If you or someone you know has been injured or killed, you should contact a Dallas, TX personal injury lawyer immediately so that you will know your legal rights and can determine what insurance coverage may be in place to cover damages. Call our office at (972) 231-5800 for more information or click here to contact us by email.
A new study of drivers who text message while driving shows that the risk greatly exceeds previous estimates and far surpasses the dangers of other driving distractions.
The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute outfitted the cabs of long-haul trucks with video cameras for 18 months. They measured the amount of time drivers took their eyes from the road to send or receive text messages and found that when the drivers were text messaging, their collision risk was 23 times greater than when not texting.
Compared with other sources of driver distraction, “texting is in its own universe of risk,” said Rich Hanowski, who oversaw the study.
This new study only comfirms what common-sense dictates: texting and driving is extremely dangerous. Sadly, these blatant distractions frequently lead to major car accidents and serious personal injuries in our local communities such as Plano, Allen, and Wylie, TX.
If you have been involved in an auto accident in Wylie, Texas, or the surrounding areas, an experienced-local Texas car accident attorney can help you. Our car accident lawyers offer free consultations on personal injury cases. If you or someone you know has been injured in a collision, you should contact a Wylie, TX personal injury lawyer immediately so that you will know your legal rights and can seek compensation from the negligent party. Call our office at (972) 231-5800 for more information and a free consultation.
Part 3 of CNN’s report concludes their investigation of the insurance industry’s practices and poor treatment of auto accident victims.
If you wish to discuss an accident with a personal injury attorney, click here. The initial consultation is always free and if our law firm agrees to handle your case, we will normally work on a contingent fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary recovery for you.
Millions of Americans suffer brain injuries each year and thousands are left permanently disabled. The disabilities can range from physical, to cognitive, behavioral, and/or emotional in nature.
There are two primary categories of brain injuries. Both can have permanent and devastating affects, and they can even lead to death.
When there is an external blow to the head, traumatic brain injury (TBI) can result. These injuries are sometimes also referred to as “closed head injuries.” A few of the common causes of TBIs are: auto accidents; explosions; defective product accidents; firearm accidents; premises liability accidents; and on-the-job accidents.
There are three levels of TBIs: mild, moderate, and severe. A mild traumatic brain injury is a brief loss of consciousness with little or no consequences. A moderate traumatic brain injury involves loss of consciousness that lasts from a few minutes to a few hours, with the resulting impairment of motor skills ranging from several weeks to permanent. A severe traumatic brain injury is characterized by an extended unconscious state or coma (this may range from days to years) and significant impairment.
When an injury to the brain occurs from a disruption in oxygen flow, it is referred to as an acquired brain injury (ABI). ABIs often result from: stroke; aneurysm; heart attack; blood clot; tumors; infectious disease; airway obstruction; crushing injuries to the chest; and meningitis. Additionally, reckless conduct on the part of another party, including medical malpractice and medical negligence, can cause ABIs. ABIs can affect reasoning skills and cognitive thought, may cause lapses in memory and reduced physical and mental abilities, and may impair significant body functions.
