Dallas Personal Injury Lawyer - Automobile Accidents - Most Commented

Family of Police Officer Dwayne Freeto Suing Ford Motor Company

Jeff Rasansky — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 14:57:21 GMT

The family of a police officer who was killed in a car crash is filing a lawsuit against the man who killed him, as well as Ford Motor Company. They claim that the Crown Victoria that Freeto was driving was unsafe and that faulty designs in its manufacturing process led to his death.

Dwayne Freeto was killed two years ago after another driver slammed into his car on Interstate 35W. He was attempting to help a stranded motorist when Samuel Lee Hilburn, drunk, crashed his car into Freeto's. Hillburn was convicted of intoxication manslaughter and is currently serving 13 years in prison.

The family attorney for Freeto's family, Mark Haney, said that Crown Victorias are a deathtrap and have a poorly designed gas tank.

A simple google search reveals that there is indeed quite a bit of press about the faulty design of the Crown Victoria gas tank.

Visit here for more information about the design flaws.

This website gives a timeline of several deaths that have occurred as a result of the flawed design. The numbers are astonishing! According to the website, Ford quit selling these cars to the public in 2007, however, they still sell the cars to police organizations and cab companies around the country.

Source: Wfaa.com

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jeff Rasansky

Grapevine Police Investigating Fatal Crash

Jeff Rasansky — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 16:39:31 GMT

A woman as released from police custody earlier this week despite the fact that police plan on re-arresting her (huh?) in connection with a wreck that killed a Denton County man. The 32 year old woman is facing charges of intoxication manslaughter.

The woman was in police custody at Baylor Medical Center where she was taken after her car was involved in TWO wrecks, beginning at around 1:23 on 121 near D/FW airport. In the first wreck, her car hit a highway divider and which left it in the lane without its lights on. A Yamaha motorcycle ridden by Mark Askew of Justin then collided with the car and flipped it over onto its roof. Askew was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.

The woman was not in the car when it was struck by the motorcycle. According to her report, a second motorcycle was ahead of Askew and somehow managed to avoid the car. Although she was not inside the car when Askew was killed, officers can still legally charge her for intoxication manslaughter. The officers believe that she was impaired when her car initially crashed. Investigators will be spending the next few days examining the details of this sad event.

The highway was closed for several hours until clean up crews were finished at the scene. Police closed the road down again on Monday to continue investigations, after which it was later reopened.

Source: www.star-telegram.com

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jeff Rasansky

Drunken Driver Crashes Into Girl's Apartment

Jeff Rasansky — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:15:09 GMT

SMU Sophomore Chynna Stone didn't think that her safety was at risk as she sat on the couch of her University Park apartment Friday afternoon. Stone is now in critical condition at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. The cause? A GMC Yukon sport utility vehicle crashing through her apartment wall and pinning Stone to the wall at about 3:30 p.m.

The driver, 24-year-old Brian Adams, has been charged with intoxication assault, according to the Dallas Morning News report. Adams was not injured.

We talk about motor vehicle accidents involving pedestrians - but what about the unsuspecting victim enjoying a peaceful afternoon in the comfort of her own home? It's ridiculous to think of what can happen when someone chooses to drive while intoxicated or is simply driving carelessly. If you or a loved one has experienced physical or emotional injuries or property damage as a result of someone else's carelessness and neglect, contact a personal injury attorney to discuss your legal rights.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jeff Rasansky

How Damaging Can Social Networks Be?

Jeff Rasansky — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 11:15:43 GMT

Today it’s not so much about what we say but when and how we say it. People who are posting on social networks need to realize it has repercussions across all aspects of their life. They can’t just post a personal message without a business colleague finding it and reading it. They can’t go out and party it up for the weekend without a friend posting pictures online and who wants to see that! Here are 5 ways to keep your online persona clean, honest and undamaging (as best possible).

1. Consider your medium. It might sound simple but don’t mix business with pleasure. Don’t post personal information on your business sites and try to keep your personal postings private.
2. Control your friends. Be careful who you let into your ‘friends’ circle in on your personal and business networks. Avoid guilt by association and be ready to reject or remove friends to preserve your image.
3. Monitor your state. Don’t post when you have been drinking, don’t post when you are angry. Always give yourself time to come down before you let the world know something you shouldn’t.
4. Be true to yourself. Always be who you are online. Fakes, when found out, will be driven out of the village never to be heard from again.
5. Know your tools. There are ways to track when your photos or postings are being use. Use those tools so you can be sure your information isn’t showing up in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Don’t miss this interview with the Legal Broadcast Network about an attorney’s client posting damaging info on his Facebook and MySpace pages that cost him at least $20,000! It really does pay to keep your social networking, well, undamaged.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jeff Rasansky

Texas Drivers, Meet Big Brother and Big Insurance

Jeff Rasansky — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 11:13:51 GMT

Rarely drive your car?

Rarely drive your car at night, during rush hour, or in major cities?

Do you always accelerate and deccelerate smoothly?

Do you live in a state that would guarantee a discount for providing your insurance company information about your driving habits?

Have no privacy concerns about your personal driving habits?

You must not live in Texas.

Progressive Insurance has recently introduced a technologically advanced method to record driving statistics called MyRate. This device is a chip that is placed inside the car and records driving information and, after a couple months, the information is sent to Progressive. This device may lead to discounted insurance rates, but many across Texas view the technology as unnecessarily intrusive.

MyRate tracks several different driving variables including what time of day the car is being driven, how far it travels, and how smoothly the driver starts and stops. This data is used by Progressive to determine the liability involved to insure the driver.

In most cases, MyRate claims to lower insurance costs for safe drivers who tend to not drive many miles or at night. Drivers who drive fast, too many miles, at night, or repeatedly step on the brakes might not receive a discount - but see an increase in insurance costs!

Progressive provides plenty of evidence pointing to discounted insurance rates - yet this data comes from states where insurance companies are required to provide these discounts in exchange for driving data.

The information tracked by MyRate might be used in a different manner. This device might be used to help distinguish how accidents are caused and who is to blame. As stated above, this system tracks how smoothly a driver starts and stops. In most accidents, drivers slam on their brakes as they react to a possibly collision. Sudden braking will appear on the MyRate and will raise cause for concern. Speed is also a variable tracked by MyRate, another variable in car accidents.

This new technology may allow Progressive to bully consumers and policyholders into unfairly low car accident settlements using MyRate data as evidence. Drivers locked in a dispute regarding whether one was speeding, hit the brakes, time of day, length of trip, miles driven that day can now use the MyRate as evidence to deny various claims.

Stephen McKay, a products manager at Progressive, states that information gathered by the MyRate chip cannot be used in an accident investigation without the driver's permission. At-fault drivers who are involved in a legal case with another driver might not want these statistics released to the jury.

Yet how many consumers unknowingly provide ammunition to the insurance company? The privacy policy for the use of the device leaves this little tidbit out.

Deeia Beck, public counsel for the state Office of Public Insurance Counsel, does not believe at-fault drivers will be allowed to keep these driving statistics - some might be forced into giving this data to a judge. "They may not use it against their own insured," she said. "But let's say you're a Progressive customer, you're the at-fault driver, and these records are available. I'm sorry, but the opposing attorney is going to subpoena records, and it's not necessarily a done deal whether that's going to be admissible."

Ready to hand over all your driving information?

We're not either.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jeff Rasansky

A contract with my new teen driver.

Jeff Rasansky — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:17:05 GMT

When your sixteen year old start to drive, it opens up all kinds of new worlds! Each of us has a different perspective on what it means for our teenager to start driving but at the same time we are all in agreement – we want them to be safe. I did what I do best to make sure my teenager is safe…I drew up a contract. A contract that shares my concern with my sixteen year old and puts my teenager in the safest and best position possible as a new driver.

Here is the ‘Safe Driving Contract’ you can use as a resource with your new teenage driver. Pass it around and make sure any teenager takes the safest route home.

Other resources for teen drivers.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jeff Rasansky

'Technology feeds' about drivers and driver studies

Jeff Rasansky — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:24:44 GMT

Here are some good videos on drivers and driver studies.

Safety belt fetes 50 years

Drivers get virtual "guardian angel"

Crash test warning

Marijuana makes for bad drivers

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jeff Rasansky

What influences whiplash recovery?

Jeff Rasansky — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 13:12:13 GMT

Whiplash is the most common traffic injury and has a lot of side effects and long lasting syptoms. A study by the Arthritis Care & Research Center author states "The results agree with our previous analysis in a cohort of patients compensated under a no-fault insurance scheme and support the hypothesis that the prognosis of whiplash injuries is influenced by the type and intensity of care received within the first month after injury,"

Over the years, evidence has grown that suggests the type and intensity of treatment received shortly after the injury can have long-lasting effects on the results of the care. All the more reason to seek immediate attention and justice for whiplash clients.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jeff Rasansky

What Are Rollover Roof Crush Accidents?

Jeff Rasansky — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 17:40:12 GMT

Rollover roof crush accidents

Roof crush accidents caused by rollover of a car, minivan, truck, or SUV can be life-threatening situations, and they cause injury or death to thousands of Americans every year. The blame for these accidents can often be laid at the feet of automobile manufacturers who, due to overlooked design flaws, subject drivers to catastrophic danger in the utilization of their vehicles. When affected victims attempt to handle their cases after such an accident, they typically find themselves confronted with the estimable might of an automobile manufacturer's legal department, and buried in paperwork, delays, procedural difficulties, and unkept promises.

When the cause of a rollover roof crush accident is poor roof strength integrity or a roof pillar failure, the roof can cave in dramatically and cause spinal cord injuries, head injuries, paralysis, and death. Typically what happens is that a vertebrae will suffer a “bursting fracture” which causes that vertebrae to lose its surrounding space in the spinal column which can lead to loss of use of one or more limbs, death. The danger of roof collapse due to insufficiently-designed vehicle roofs is particularly common in larger SUVs, trucks, and vans. This is because despite federal government regulations which subject many vehicles to stringent roof-strength tests, these regulations do not apply to vehicles over 6,000 pounds in weight. The outcome of this limitation on regulation leaves a situation whereby many operators of larger vehicles face catastrophic injuries in the event of a rollover accident.

Nevertheless in many cases these wrecks are merely the outcome of careless driving, such as swerving or over-correcting when steering. In these cases the driver's insurance company may be the responsible party in providing compensation for lost wages, medical bills, rental cars, pain and suffering, and diminished quality of life issues.

In either case the victim has a real incentive to get help with discovering their legal rights, properly handling their claim paperwork, and negotiating with the insurance company or manufacturer. This is why it is essential for the victim to secure the services of a competent, experienced attorney. Your attorney will be the person who can explain the laws governing your state, help you to avoid costly mistakes, and pursue your claim through a trial or to a settlement.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jeff Rasansky

Dallas Auto accident lawyer: 1 Woman Dies in a Car Crash in Texarkana

Jeff Rasansky — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 12:30:13 GMT

A crash in the early morning on US 59 south of Texarkana at the Sulpher River Bridge has left one person dead. Janette Lawson, from Atlanta, was transported to Wadley Regional Hospital where she was later pronounced dead.

According to Texas DPS, there was a two-car auto accident that occurred as both drivers were heading north on US 59. Lawson was driving across the Sulpher River Bridge when her car slid on a patch of ice, spun around and ended up on US 59.

The driver of the truck, Bryan Fisher, also from Atlanta, Texas slipped on the same patch of ice, slid out of control and spun around, slamming into the driver side door of Lawson's car. Fisher did not sustain any injuries.

Auto accidents like this happen much more often during the winter season. Freezing rain, snow and ice all create hazardous conditions. Extra precautions must be taken when driving under these conditions. For more information about auto accidents and what you should do if you find yourself involved in one, click here

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jeff Rasansky