Recent Blog Posts

Bicyclists' Safety Called Into Question Following Serious Accident

Jennifer Williams — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:05:00 GMT

Last weekend a Dallas-area cyclist was put in the ICU following a serious accident. The biker suffered three fractures in his neck that required surgery and a legnthy hospital stay. Fortunately, the doctors believe he will make a full recovery.

This latest accident highlights the current problems for cyclists on Dallas' roads. The roadways are completely devoid of bike lanes, a safety concern the city had planned to address. The city had planned to add hundreds of miles of bike lanes across Dallas. However, Dallas planners discovered in December 2011 that the city did not have the funds, some $16 million, to complete the project.

With these safety measures on hold, bikers are growing increasingly concerned for their safety. Some activitists wonder if it will take a cycling fatality for the city to stand up and take notice.

In the meantime, independent groups are trying to raise some of the money to make our city's streets safer for bicyclists. You can find out more by contacting community groups like Bike Friendly Oak Cliff for additional information.

Bicyclist Hospitalized Following Collision

Jennifer Williams — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 05:35:00 GMT

Dallas Torres, a 32 year old resident of the Oak Cliff area of Dallas, was hospitalized today after being struck by a car. Mr. Torres was riding his bicycle on the Jefferson Boulevard viaduct south of downtown Dallas when the accident occurred. This bridge is a key link between Oak Cliff and downtown.

Torres' bike was struck from behind by a car and was thrown into the windshield. Torres was taken to Baylor hospital for treatment following the accident. He sustained three fractures in his necek, a pinched nerve and a broken clavicle. According to reports, Torres was wearing a bike helmet at the time of collision. The bike helmet likely saved his life.

Dallas streets have been slated for re-striping to include bicycle lanes, but most of those improvements have not been completed and may be put on hold indefinitely.

Hundreds of bicyclists are killed and thousands more are injured every year on the American roadways nationwide.

Consumer Complaints Against Insurance Companies On The Rise

Jackson Allen Williams, LLP — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:44:00 GMT

The Dallas Morning News has published results of its investigation into consumer complaints against auto insurance companies. According to the DMN article, Insurance Department consumer complaint figures showed that 11 of the 25 largest auto insurers in Texas had higher compaint indexes than they did last year. Consumer complaints included insurance company practices of delaying payment/processing of claims, "low-ball" offers and settlements, denial of claims and liability disputes.

House Insurance Committee Chariman John Smithee, R-Amarillo, told the Dallas Morning News that he has growing concerns about certain insurers who regularly refuse to pay auto accident claims in which their policyholders are at fault. He went on to say, "I get calls about this all the time. There are a few companies that have been a source of continuing problems, as far as paying claims where there is no issue of who's at fault. There is not a whole lot the average person can do." According to Smithee, an insurance adjuster typically tells the injured party that if the claim isn't paid, the person will have to hire a lawyer and will probably wind up with little money. At that point, many individuals feel like they have no choice but to take 50 percent or less of their claim for damages.

According to the Dallas Morning News, of the more than 6,600 complaints lodged against auto insurers in Texas last year, more than half were filed by drivers who were not at fault, but had trouble getting insurers to pay their claims for damages from a car wreck.

Texas Watch, a consumer group active in insurance issues, has concerns that certain unethical companies have an advantage because they undercut regular insurers on premium prices largley because of claims payment practices that include delaying payment and making it diffuclt for claimants to collect. Often times the delay and or difficulty in securing compensation causes claimants to take "low-ball" offers or give up all together. Texas Watch spokesman, Alex Winslow, says the group is concerned that the Texas Insurance Department isn't being agressive enough in policing insurance companies. "They should be exercising more authority over these companies that are using questionable practices," he told the Dallas Morning News.

Fatal Motorcycle Collision in Grand Prairie Claims One Life

Jennifer Williams — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 17:10:00 GMT

A woman was killed in a motorcycle accident in Grand Prairie on Thursday. According to news reports, Modena Dollison of Waxahachie, Texas was killed when the driver of a pick up truck turned left in front of her causing the vehicles to collide. The collision occurred at the intersection of Highway 161 and the Interstate 20 frontage road.

The motorcyclist was taken by helicopter to Methodist Dallas Medical Center. Unfortunately, Ms. Dollison died from the injuries sustained in the accident. According to local police, she was not wearing a helmet when the wreck happened.

Alejandro Pardo, the driver of the Dodge pick-up truck that struck the motorcycle was not injured, but he has been arrested and charged with manslaughter. A passenger in Pardo's truck was not injured in the accident.

The collision is still under investigation.

According to the Fort Worth Star Telegram, this is the 13th traffic fatality in Grand Prairie this year. According to National studies, almost 50% of motorcycle riders are killed when involed in an accident if they are not wearing a helmet.

Mesquite School Bus Rolls in Wreck on 635

Jennifer Williams — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 20:20:00 GMT

July 25, 2011 - A school bus from Mesquite Independent School District was involved in a roll over accident. The bus, carrying a special needs child and an aide in addition to the driver, was clipped by an 18-wheeler and rolled down the embankment on 635. Mesquite police said the bus overturned several times.

Three people on board including one student, the aide and the driver were taken to a local hospitals to be checked for injuries. The child was taken to Children's Medical Center and the adults were transported to Baylor Hospital in Dallas. No detailed reports of the injuries are available. The truck driver was did not suffer any serious injuries.

The accident occurred just before 9 a.m. on the northbound lane of Interstate 635, a quarter mile north of Oates. According to Mesquite ISD spokeswoman, Laura Jobe, the accident happened when the bus was in en route to an education facility in Garland.

Welcome To Our Dallas Personal Injury Blog

Dallas Personal Injury Attorney — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 21:03:00 GMT

Welcome To Our Dallas Personal Injury Blog

Healthcare Agencies Investigating DePuy Pinnacle Hip Implants

Jennifer Williams — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 18:45:00 GMT

DePuy Orthopaedics, the company that recalled 93,000 ASR hip replacements last August, is now under scrutiny from the FDA, Britain's Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency ("MHRA") and even the Alaska Department of Health. These agencies, based on numerous adverse event reports, are investing DePuy's hip replacement systems.

The hip replacement systems under review include DePuy's ASR and Pinnacle Systems among others. The implants are being studied to track metallosis and biologic toxicity. The implants made with parts that connect metal-on-metal appear to be releasing dangerous levels of cobalt and chromium into patients' bloodstreams leading to severe inflammation, severe pain, lack of mobility, tissue death, bone erosion and development of tumors.

Both Britain's MHRA and Alaska's Department of Health are calling on doctors to close monitor their patients with metal-on-metal hip implants by monitoring the boalt and chromium ion levels in their blood.

The FDA is conducting ongoing studies on the relative safety and effectiveness of the metal-on-metal hip implant devices.

More than 1,000 cases are on file in an MDL in Ohio regarding injuries to patients with faulty DePuy ASR implants and a new MDL was recently created in the Northern District of Texas for the DePuy Pinnacle hip implant lawsuits.