Forney Personal Injury

Published on: March 24, 2017

Rollover Crash Injures One Overnight in Forney

One person was injured in an overnight rollover crash in Forney. The crash was reported at approximately 11:50 p.m. on Thursday, March 24, 2017, on the south service road of U.S. Highway 80 just east of Cedar Street.

A pickup truck overturned and came to a rest on its roof in the Steve Silver Company parking lot. The driver was reportedly still inside the vehicle when several other motorists stopped to render aid. The driver was transported by CareFlite ambulance to Baylor Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, with unknown injuries.

The Forney Fire Department and Forney Fire Department responded to the scene of the crash. The Forney Police Department is investigating the cause.

Published on: March 21, 2017

Commercial Traffic Accidents Increase by 34.5% in Rockwall County, 20% in Kaufman County in Just One Year

by Guest and Gray Law Firm

According to recently released crash data from TXDot, both Rockwall and Kaufman counties are experiencing significant increases in commercial traffic accidents. The data just released is from 2015, so 2016 statistics are not known. However, the number of commercial vehicle accidents increased by 34.5% year-over-year from 2014 to 2015 for Rockwall and Kaufman county increased by 20.3% over the same time period.

We know that Rockwall and Kaufman counties are experiencing extreme growth, with cities like Rockwall, Royse City, McClendon-Chisholm, and Heath as well as parts of Dallas, Garland, and Rowlett located in Rockwall county, it is no wonder that Rockwall county has experienced large year-over-year growth in commercial vehicle accidents. But over 34%? That is a crazy statistic.

In Kaufman county, what is really the most surprising is that it had more commercial vehicle accidents that Rockwall county in 2014 (113 in Kaufman county and 107 in Rockwall county). What may be surprising to hear is that Kaufman county has a larger population that Rockwall county, thanks to large growth in cities like Forney, Terrell, and Kaufman. That may partly explain the higher number of accidents, but Rockwall county is smaller in geographic size and is more densely populated, so the statistic is still a little surprising. Forney’s population alone grew by over 25% from the 2010 census to the last released data in July 2015, and Kaufman county’s growth over that same period is at exactly 11.0%.

Published on: March 8, 2017

Increased Traffic and Increased risk of accidents: the Unintended Consequences of Forney’s Rapid Growth

by Guest and Gray Law Firm

Ask anyone who has lived in Forney for a while and they will tell you how much Forney has changed. It doesn’t matter if you have lived here one year, five years, or your whole life. Forney is not a little town anymore. Some places, like old downtown, still retain that small-town feel, but the modernization of Forney is well under way. Take a drive down 741, 548, Broad Street, 1641, or if you dare, highway 80, and you will see new houses, new businesses, and new faces.

Let’s face it, Forney is growing. Growth is great. It is good for local businesses and residents alike. It seems like once a week we hear about another press release from the City Council approving a new business or development coming into Forney. Just yesterday, the Forney City Council approved a waiver for Eno’s Pizza Tavern, a local restaurant chain with its original hangout spot in Dallas’ Bishop Arts District. Pretty excited about that.

However, as a personal injury attorney, I have a different outlook on growth and how it impacts local residents. The first thing I think about when I hear about new business or development projects, is the impact it will have on traffic, and more specifically, the increased risk of accidents. Let’s just face it, Forney’s roads were not made for the amount of use they currently receive. If you do not believe me, try driving down FM 548 at 6:30 p.m, or 3:30 p.m, or between 7:30 and 9:00 am. Lets just say, your gas mileage will suffer if you go that way during those times of day. They just will.

Published on: February 3, 2017

Maximizing Personal Injury Settlements: The Stowers Doctrine

by Guest and Gray Law Firm

Sounds cool, doesn’t it? Stower’s Doctrine. Its got moxy. The Stowers Doctrine is as Texan as they come. From the Stowers Doctrine flows the Stowers Demand, a powerful settlement tool in personal injury practice.

But what is a Stowers Demand, exactly? Where does it come from? What does it do? Well, ask any attorney who deals with insurance companies on a regular basis and they will tell you it is a lifeblood of a personal injury practice. In our practice here in the Forney, Rockwall and Dallas area, once damages have been reasonably calculated, we always send a Stowers Demand to the insurance company. It is quite possibly the single most powerful pre-trial tool a personal injury attorney has to maximize settlement dollars for their client.

What is a Stowers Demand?

Published on: January 29, 2017

Why Do I Need A Personal Injury Attorney?

by Guest and Gray Law Firm

The answer is simple, but to understand importance of the work they do, and the value they bring to their clients, you must understand a little more about the process of handling personal injury claims. It is no cake walk, even for experienced personal injury attorneys.

Notifying Insurance Companies and Establishing Communications Between the Parties

A personal injury attorney will notify the insurance providers of the claim for injuries and that the injured party is represented by counsel. This is true whether it is a motor vehicle accident, boating accident, commercial vehicle accident, or even slip-and-fall. These providers must be provided “notice” of the claims being made by the injured parties that were caused by their insured. In addition to notifying the at-fault parties insurer, the injured party will need to notify their own insurer of the possibility of any claims under their own UM/UIM in the event that the other party has no insurance or carries insufficient coverage to pay for the damages that have been suffered.

Published on: December 29, 2016

Negligence and Negligence Per Se: Parking 18-Wheelers and Tractor-Trailers on the Roadway

by Guest and Gray Law Firm

Every now and then you may come across a semi-truck or car-hauler parked on the side of the road, or even partially in the road and think to yourself, “that is so dangerous,” or “they should not be allowed to do that.” Well, technically they aren’t supposed to do that. Section 545.301 of the Texas Transportation Code provides that an operator may not stop, park, or leave standing an attended or unattended vehicle on the main traveled part of a highway outside a business or residence district unless:

(1) stopping, parking, or leaving the vehicle off the main traveled part of the highway is not practicable;

(2) a width of highway beside the vehicle is unobstructed and open for the passage of other vehicles; and

Published on: December 15, 2016

Got Hit By a Delivery Driver?

by Guest and Gray Law Firm

This time of year seeing a UPS or Fed Ex truck on the road is a common occurrence. Driver’s delivering packages this time of year are often under a lot of pressure. In my house, those delivery men and women are called “Santa’s little helpers” because they’re the real heroes of the Christmas package delivery game, not those elves. UPS expects to deliver more than 700 million packages this holiday season, with 13 of 21 holiday shipping day to exceed 30 million packages a day. https://pressroom.ups.com/pressroom/ContentDetailsViewer.page?ConceptType=PressReleases&id=1477506556294-677. Fedex does not expect to be quite as busy as UPS, although they still predict record deliveries of around around 325 million packages this holiday season. http://www.businessinsider.com/ups-fedex-holiday-shipping-plan-new-technology-2016-11. All told, that is around 1 billion packages traveling around the country in large semi-trucks and delivery trucks. That is a lot of packages and a lot of driving.

This time of year it seems like every where you go, you see a Fedex or UPS vehicle delivering package. Those drivers are everywhere. You see them traveling in and around our local highways all day and into the night, often working very long hours and driving in upwards of 50-100 miles per day to drop off their hundreds of shipments. It is a tough job with long hours, lots of driving, and a lot of stress. With such a vast number of drivers on the roads this time of year, that leads to one absolute certainty: accidents.

Accidents with delivery drivers happen for a variety of reasons. It could be human error, or it could be some outside factor. Here is a list of some common causes of accidents with delivery truck during the holiday season:

Published on: December 7, 2016

Yet Another Head On Collision on Kaufman County Roads

by Guest and Gray Law Firm

Anyone driving in and around Kaufman county can tell there is more traffic than their used to be. Forney is growing. Terrell is growing. Talty, Kaufman, Heartland/Crandall, and even little old Combine has seen some growth. For most people in Kaufman county, the growth is a welcome sight.

But the old Farm to Market roads that many of us travel on a daily basis have become a danger zone. Back when these two lane “highways” were built, there were no cellphones, no Facebook. The only reason you got distracted on the road was because you saw a deer or you were changing the radio station. With all the increased traffic and increased distraction, these two lane roads have begun to show their age.

It seems like every day or two Mathew Richards is writing about another head on collision or rollover crash that has happened on those roads. Last night it was another head-on collision near Lake Ray Hubbard drive, which is pretty close to where 740 and 460 meet. Now, I am not calling for an all out upgrade of the roadway system in Kaufman county. For one, I don’t want to pay for it. But as a personal injury attorney, I see people who have had their lives changed forever because of accidents. I meet people who have lost loved ones as a result of these types of accidents. Safe driving is important to me, not just because I don’t want to see anybody get hurt, but because we need to keep our roadways safe for those who may be traveling in those other cars. It may not just be Joe Schmoe in the other car you hit. It may be Joe, Jr., and that is exactly what drives our firm to take each case of unsafe driving so seriously. We want to make an example out of those drivers who do not take the safety of the other drivers on the road seriously. Distracted drivers, unsafe drivers, and anyone in between are driving selfishly. It is important that people understand that it is not “okay” to text and drive. It is not “okay” to watch Youtube videos while driving on Highway 80. Its just not. Your phone, and the entertainment it brings, is not more important than the safety of everyone else on the road. And when one of my clients comes in here and tells us about how they got hurt by some selfish driver who was on their cellphone, then get ready because we are about to make an example out of them.

Published on: February 8, 2016

Statute of Limitations About to Run on Your Kaufman or Rockwall County Personal Injury Claim?

by Guest and Gray Law Firm

Statute of Limitations 101

Good Question. Here at Guest and Gray, we have many potential clients coming into our Forney and Rockwall offices that, without realizing it, find themselves up against the statute of limitations by the time they come speak with an attorney about filing a lawsuit. So, to better inform our clients and the public, here is a Statute of Limitations 101. Class is now in session.

What is the Statute of Limitations in Texas?

Published on: February 2, 2016

A Quick Overview of Personal Injury Cases in Texas

by Guest and Gray Law Firm

Damages: What Kind of Compensation is Available?

Most personal injury cases seek financial damages to compensate for an injury. This will compensate for medical costs, lost wages, future lost pay, and pain and suffering both physically and mentally, disfigurement and disability as a result of the negligence of another, as well as for loss of consortium.

Statutes of Limitations