Not all personal injury cases are created equally. Clients frequently are curious about what kind of settlement or verdict they could get for their injuries. However, it can be very difficult to determine what the amount of a personal injury verdict or settlement could be. Following are some factors that are frequently taken into consideration when determining the value of a personal injury case:

• The severity of the injury.  Obviously,an accident in which a bone was broken would be worth less than one with a serious spinal cord injury that resulted in paralysis.
• The age of the plaintiff. An accident that seriously injured a person who was 90 years old would probably be worth less than an accident that seriously injured a 30 year old.
• Expenses incurred by the plaintiff. This includes medical expenses, lost wages, physical therapy, etc.
• Loss of income. If a man who’s 40 years old and is making $125,000 per year is injured in an automobile accident and is unable to work for the remainder of his life, there may be a much larger award than if the plaintiff is retired or is working in a low-income job.
• Change in lifestyle or relationships.  If an accident resulted in a change in a plaintiff’s lifestyle, or took a serious burden on the plaintiff’s marriage or other relationships, the award could be increased.
• The experience and skills of the attorney working on behalf of the plaintiff.
• Whether the accident will have lifelong medical consequences, or is only temporary in nature.

There are many, many factors to be considered in evaluating the worth of a personal injury case. This is an incomplete list, but could help you determine whether you think your personal injury case is valuable or not. If you are in the Dallas area, and you have been injured in an accident due to the fault of another party, contact the Dallas personal injury attorneys at the Barber Law Firm at 866-986-1529.

In Texas, drivers are required to carry insurance on their vehicles, or to otherwise prove they can be financially responsible in the event of a crash. Texas law requires that evidence of financial responsibility be available to show to a police officer if asked, or if you are involved in an accident. Most drivers decide to purchase insurance in order to fulfill that requirement.

In Texas, minimum liability insurance requirements for vehicles are $30,000 in coverage for injury or death to one person, $60,000 in coverage for injury or death to more than one person, and $25,000 for damage to property. That minimum liability insurance will compensate a person other than the driver for personal injury or property damage.

Unfortunately, not everyone chooses to obey the law in Texas by purchasing insurance. By some estimates, between 20 and 30 percent of the drivers on Texas’s roads don’t have insurance. Those individuals without insurance are also involved in a lot ofTexas’s automobile accidents.

Fortunately, automobile policies offered for sale inTexasmust offer uninsured motorist coverage. That coverage is designed to pay for a loss that you incur that’s caused by a driver without adequate liability insurance. This could include any medical expenses, property damage, loss of income, or other expenses. The coverage is also extended to all members of your family who live in your household.

Have you been injured in a Texas automobile accident by a driver who did not have automobile insurance? Are you covered by uninsured motorist coverage? Call the Dallas personal injury attorneys at the Barber Law Firm at 866-986-1529. They will help you sort through which insurance company is responsible for your accident. Call them today.

A motorcyclist was killed after he tried to speed past traffic that had slowed down on Northwest Highway. The accident occurred shortly before 3 a.m. on June 21.

Minutes before the accident occurred, there was a prior accident on East Northwest Highway near Buckner Boulevard. That accident occurred when a right lane was closed for road work and another driver collided with one of the work vehicles, which knocked a large flashing arrow board into a middle lane of the highway.

Because of the accident, traffic was slowed, and the motorcycle driver accelerated through the stalled traffic that had piled up because of the accident. Tragically, the motorcyclist hit the back of the arrow board, and the board tore off his helmet. He was transported to the hospital but was pronounced dead from blunt force trauma to the head.

This accident is a tragic reminder that although it can be tempting to find a way to get through stalled traffic, possibly by speeding around it, that can be dangerous and can lead to another accident. Instead, it’s better to try to find a way to be patient until the accident has cleared. This problem is especially prevalent with motorcycles, who can zip between stopped cars to get past an accident much easier than other drivers.

Unfortunately, often one accident that stalls traffic on a busy road can often lead to more accidents. If you’ve been injured in a Dallas collision, contact the personal injury attorneys at the Barber Law Firm at 866-986-1529. Our Dallas automobile accident attorneys have significant experience with helping accident victims recover for their injuries. Call us today.

A tragic accident claimed the life of one teen and left another teen in critical condition early Saturday morning. The accident occurred at 5:40 a.m. Saturday, when a Lexus sedan that was traveling west on Interstate 20 drifted off the road. The vehicle then crashed into Fish Creek under the interstate.

An 18 year old high school senior was airlifted to Parkland Memorial Hospital, where he died. Another 19 year old high school senior was transporter in critical condition to Baylor University. The driver, who is 19, was treated for non-life threatening injuries.

This tragic accident altered the lives of two families forever. What’s especially tragic is that the accident could have been avoided. Although it’s not clear what caused the accident, there were likely several factors at play. First, statistics show that teen drivers are much more likely to be involved in an accident when there are other teens in the car. Other teens can be extremely distracting to inexperienced teen drivers. In addition, the accident occurred when it was still dark outside – poor visibility often contributes to serious accidents. Finally, fatigue also can play a huge role in serious accidents – the accident occurred at 5:40 a.m., and the teens may have been up most of the night.

It’s important to warn teen drivers in your family of the hazards of inexperienced drivers riding with other teens. If you are the parent of a new teen driver, you may want to set strict limits about who the teen can drive with, and what times the teen is allowed to be on the road.

Have you been involved in a serious accident involving a teen? Do you believe you may be entitled to compensation as a result of the accident? If so, contact the Barber Law Firm at 866-986-1529. We will analyze your case to determine whether you may have a claim for damages. Call us today.

Stemmons Freeway in northwest Dallas was shut down Sunday morning following a major accident. The accident occurred around 7:30 a.m. on I-35 east, in the northbound lanes near Commonwealth Drive.

The accident was caused by a driver who was driving the wrong way on the freeway. Three other vehicles, in addition to the one that was driving the wrong way, were involved in the crash. Firefighters and paramedics worked for an hour to free one woman who was trapped, but she died later at the hospital. Fortunately, no one else was injured. As a result of the accident, all five northbound lanes of I-35 were closed for three hours.

The driver who caused the accident is in custody. He has been charged with intoxicated assault and intoxicated manslaughter. He is in the U.S. illegally, so he is being held for U.S. Immigration.

This accident illustrates how dangerous it is to drink and drive. Over 10,000 people are killed each year in theUnited Statesbecause of drunk drivers, which is almost a third of all traffic-related deaths. Drugs other than alcohol, such as marijuana and cocaine, are responsible for about 18 percent of motor vehicle deaths. Drunk driving is a big problem in particular for younger drivers and motorcyclists, who are more likely to be killed in a drunk driving accident than the rest of the population.

Have you or a loved one been injured in an accident involving a drunk driver? Call theDallas automobile accident attorneys at the Barber Law Firm at 866-986-1529. Our attorneys will offer you a free consultation on your case. Call us today.

Summer has begun and for many teens that means no school and the joys of freedom. However, summer is a particularly dangerous season for teenagers and car accidents. Surveys show that teens engage in more risky driving behaviors during the summer than during the school year. These risky behaviors lead to more teens being killed in car accidents during summer months than other times of the year.

During the summer, teens do almost 50 percent more driving, on average, than during the school year, which of course can lead to more accidents. Teens are also more likely to stay out later and to drive late at night than during the school year. About a quarter of teen deaths in car accidents occur between the hours of 9 p.m. and 2 a.m.

Teenage drivers typically drive more with other teens in their vehicles during the summer, which has been proven to be much more risky than driving alone or with another adult. Teens can be a huge distraction for one another while driving, which is why many states have changed their laws regarding who can be in the car with teens while they are driving.

Unfortunately, more teens are killed in car crashes, on average, in July than in any other month of the year. June, September and August are also months in which more teens are typically killed in car accidents than others. If you are the parent of a teen driver, take action. Set limits about the hours in which your teen is allowed to drive and who’s allowed to ride with your teen. Talk to teens about the dangers of drug or alcohol use while driving.

If your teen’s been injured in an accident, or if you have been injured in an automobile accident with a teen driver, contact the Dallas personal injury attorneys at the Barber Law Firm at 866-986-1529. Our attorneys will work hard for a fair outcome for your case. Call us today.

Earlier this week, Dallas police told the Dallas Public Safety Committee that they are intent on getting freeways opened more quickly in the Dallas area after an accident. In addition to making that a priority, they are also figuring out how to do it in a way that keeps workers safe. Another important part of the Rapid Response program will involve getting tow trucks to the scene of an accident more quickly.

As part of the new program, called “Rapid Response”, first responders are changing the set-up of equipment at wreck sites. They will be parking fire engines over several lanes to make safe working areas they call shadows. One reason for taking this approach is that in 2007 a fire truck blocked a semi-truck that was skidding from sliding into people trying to rescue a trapped driver.

During the meeting, Assistant Police Chief Tom Lawrence warned drivers to pay attention and lower speeds around accidents, which can help prevent the situation from turning worse. He said that often inattention while driving through an accident zone can cause secondary accidents, such as when people are talking on the phone or texting instead of paying attention to the flow of traffic around the accidents.

Anyone who’s been stuck on a Dallas freeway because of an accident knows how frustrating it can be and how tempting it may be to whip out the cell phone and check your email or catch up on calls. However, that can exacerbate the problem. With the new Rapid Response program, hopefully accidents will be cleared more quickly, which will lead to less frustration and wasted time by other drivers.

Have you been injured in an accident in the Dallas area? If so, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Call the Dallas accident attorneys at the Barber Law Firm at 866-986-1529 to learn more.

The quick actions of a teacher may have saved the life of a Dallas-area fourth grader who suffered a traumatic brain injury in a playground accident.

The teacher, who teaches fourth grade atMerrimanParkElementary SchoolinDallas, was on the playground when she saw two of her students slam into each other. One of the students got up and the other, a 10 year old boy, lay on the ground unconscious. The teacher tried to get him to respond, but he wouldn’t. She quickly called both 911 and the child’s father. The paramedics kept the teacher on the line until they arrived, and he was quickly taken to Children’sMedicalCenter.

The student suffered a skull fracture that lacerated an artery. He was hit on the side of the head by the other student’s knee, which caused his brain and the area surrounding the brain to fill with blood. Fortunately, the student is expected to make a full recovery and has been released from the hospital.

However, if it had not been for the quick actions of the teacher, the outcome might not have been so happy. Traumatic brain injuries in children are common each year. About 564,000 children a year are treated nationwide for traumatic brain injuries. Many of them don’t recover or are left with lifelong health problems. If your child ever suffers a head injury, it’s important to watch for unconsciousness or any unusual behavior, which could be a sign of a serious injury.

Many traumatic brain injuries occur as a result of an accident caused by another party. If that happened to you or a loved one, you may be able to recover monetary damages from the other party for your medical expenses, lost wages, and more. If you are in theDallasarea, call the traumatic brain injury attorneys at the Barber Law Firm at 866-986-1529 to learn more.