Over 100 people a day are killed in automobile accidents in the U.S., amounting to over 40,000 lives lost
every year. Of those traffic fatalities, almost a third occur on U.S. highways and interstates. Recently, a
company analyzed fatality data gathered for highways and interstates in the U.S. from 2011 to 2015 in
order to determine which interstates and highways were the deadliest.

According to the study, I-45 between Dallas and Galveston is the second deadliest stretch of road in the
U.S., with 1.02 deaths per mile. I-45 is second only behind I-4 between Tampa and Daytona Beach,
Florida. In general, the deadliest highways were in the southeast. On the I-45, the most common
harmful event is two motor vehicles colliding. Pedestrians are the second most common cause of a fatal
accident, and overturned vehicles are third.

Automobile accidents are the most common cause of accidental death in the U.S. A serious injury in an
automobile accident can change a person’s life forever. Although there are a number of safety
technologies now that are designed to reduce crashes, the person behind the wheel is ultimately in
charge of the safe operation of the vehicle. When a person is driving, they have a duty to operate their
vehicle safely. If they fail to do so and their negligence results in a crash in which people are injured, that
driver has a responsibility to pay for the damages.

Negligent drivers are more prevalent today than ever before. Drivers are more rushed and distracted
than in years past, which can result in more accidents. If you have been injured in an automobile
accident that was caused by a negligent driver, you have the right to compensation for your injuries,
including for your medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more. Call the Dallas-Fort Worth
vehicle wreck attorneys at the Barber Law Firm if you have been injured in an
automobile accident. We can help. Call to learn more or to schedule a free consultation on your case.

One obligation of automobile insurance companies is to negotiate and settle claims “in good faith”. If an insurance company denies a claim in bad faith, they may be breaking their contract with you. Settling
claims in bad faith typically means offering a very low settlement or denying a claim altogether
without a reasonable basis to do so.

If that has happened to you, you may wish to hire a personal injury attorney. An attorney may be
able to help you sue the insurance company for additional damages. It can be hard to prove that
an insurance company acted in bad faith, but under certain circumstances it is possible.
Normally, in a bad faith lawsuit, if the plaintiff is able to prove that bad faith occurred, he or she
can recover compensation for any damages that occurred as a result of the bad faith denial of the
claim. Damages may include the cost of defending any injury lawsuit, the cost of suing the
insurance company to prove that the claim should have been approved, and damages for
emotional distress.

If your insurance company is denying they acted in bad faith, they may try to poke holes in your
case. The insurance company may claim that you lied during the claims process. They may say
that they were reasonable in their negotiations during the claims process, or that they made an
innocent mistake.

If you believe that your insurance company is acting in bad faith, you may wish to let them know
that by using that term during your interactions with them. If nothing improves, it may be time to
speak with an attorney. Talk to our auto insurance attorneys at the Barber Law
Firm. We can help. Call us today to learn more or to schedule a free
consultation.

Your car could very well be on a list of cars that have been recalled but not repaired. Nationwide, an estimated 46 million vehicles have an open recall, or about one in six vehicles that are on the roads. Many of the vehicles that have been recalled but not repaired are from the largest recall in U.S. history, involving Takata airbags. Those airbags were discovered to be prone to exploding upon inflation, which can send shrapnel flying around the vehicle, in addition to failing to protect the vehicle’s occupant in the event of an accident. There have been 10 known fatalities in connection with the recall.

Used car buyers are particularly at risk of being uninformed about recalls. Car manufacturers often do not know how to contact a vehicle’s second or third owner to tell them about the car’s problems. If you have purchased a used car, be sure to inform your car’s manufacturer of your address and other contact information. If you bought your car new but have since moved, update your address with the car’s manufacturer so that you can be informed of any recalls.

It’s also important that you check on your own to see if your vehicle has been recalled. You can do that by locating your car’s vehicle identification number, which is on the corner of the dashboard, and is also in the door jam. You can then visit safercar.gov, type in the VIN, and the website will let you know if there are any open recalls. You can also use a free app from Carfax which will let you scan your VIN.

If you have been involved in an accident that you believe was caused by a vehicle defect, call the Dallas-Fort Worth vehicle attorneys at the Barber Law Firm. We can help. You may be entitled to compensation for your injuries from the automobile’s manufacturer. Call today to learn more or to schedule a free consultation.

Texas leads the U.S. nationally in drunk driving deaths, and among cities, Dallas leads the country in drunk driving deaths. A study found that Dallas has over 10 deaths related to drunk driving per 100,000 residents per year. About 40 percent of the driving deaths that occur in Texas annually are related to alcohol impairment.

There are a number of causes for this. Perhaps the biggest reason is the sheer volume of driving on roads in Dallas and Texas. All of the top cities in the study were in areas where cars are heavily used and public transportation is used less often.  Another huge factor is the Texas criminal justice system, which often allows drivers who are convicted of driving under the influence return to the roads. Also, Texas’s sheer size means there is a lot more driving than in other, smaller states.

These statistics are truly sobering. Every driver has the responsibility to others on the roads to make a plan for getting home before drinking. If you plan on going out, have a plan to get home safely. If you have to drive, either avoid alcohol, or take along a designated driver. Finally, you should consider taking a taxi or an Uber to your destination. In addition, if you are hosting a party at which alcohol is consumed, you have a responsibility to your guests to prevent them from drinking and driving. Ask them in advance if they have a plan for getting home. Do not force drinks on your guests, and provide plenty of food. If someone does become intoxicated, take their keys and help them find a way home or allow them to stay at your house.

Drunk driving deaths are so tragic because they can be so easily prevented with proper planning. If you have been the victim of a drunk driver, you should speak with an attorney. If you are in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, call the Plano personal injury attorneys at the Barber Law Firm. We can help.

There are a huge number of large commercial trucks on the roads in Dallas, transporting goods for consumers. Truck drivers may suffer from tight schedules, exhaustion, increasing amounts of pressure, and traffic snags, all of which can cause them to attempt to get their loads to the destination more quickly, which can lead to accidents.

Truck drivers who are injured in an accident in Dallas are entitled to compensation, regardless of whether or not the accident was their fault. Most injured truck drivers qualify for workers’ compensation, which will pay damages even if they are at fault for the accident. Workers’ compensation will provide money for medical expenses and a portion of lost wages.

If a third party, such as another driver on the roads, was the one responsible for the accident, the injured truck driver can sue that individual or business for damages as well. The negligent driver can be forced to pay for other damages that are not covered under workers’ compensation, such as pain and suffering.

The process of making a claim with either workers’ compensation or against a third party can be complex, and typically requires knowledge from an experienced attorney so that the claims are not denied. A qualified Dallas truck accident attorney can help ensure that the injured truck driver receives the benefits to which he or she is entitled. If you are a commercial truck driver and you have been injured in an accident in Dallas, call the big-rig attorneys at the Barber Law Firm. We can help. Call today to learn more or to schedule a free consultation.

Even if you are the safest driver in the entire Dallas-Fort Worth area, you run the risk of being involved in an accident simply because you share the roads with other drivers. Normally, if you are involved in an automobile accident and you sustain a personal injury, you are entitled to pursue a claim for your entire amount of damages against the other driver. However, if the person has inadequate insurance or personal assets to compensate you, you may be out of luck.

Under Texas law, drivers are only required to have a minimum amount of automobile insurance coverage, which includes $30,000 for bodily injuries per person (with a maximum of $60,000 per accident), and $25,000 for property damage. Therefore, if a driver causes a serious accident and only has the minimum insurance required under Texas law, a seriously injured accident victim can only recover $30,000 for his or her injuries, unless the driver has other significant assets that could be collected. In addition, many drivers simply ignore the insurance requirements and do not carry coverage at all.

In that situation, you may be able to receive compensation under your own insurance policy. Your policy may contain coverage accidents caused by uninsured or underinsured motorists. In that case, you will make a claim with your insurance company for damage. However, your insurance company has an interest in paying out as little as possible in damages, which may mean that you need to speak with an attorney.

If you have been involved in an accident in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and you believe you need to speak with an attorney to ensure you are fairly compensated, call the Dallas automobile accident attorneys at The Barber Law Firm. We will provide you with a free consultation on your case, and if we choose to accept it, you pay us nothing until we obtain damages for you.

It’s obvious to anyone who drives, that the faster a vehicle travels, the harder it is to control and the longer it takes to stop.  So it should come as no surprise to learn that roughly one-third of fatal automobile accidents are attributable to excessive speed.  There is also, not surprisingly, a correlation between using alcohol and speeding. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety or  iihs website, younger drivers, particularly men, are most likely to speed while driving. Men between the ages of 15 and 24 are typically speeding in over 35 percent of driving fatalities. As they age, the number declines dramatically.

It stands to reason then that in Texas’ college towns like Richardson where young drivers are daily commuting to campus, hitting up bars and parties, and traveling to friends homes, that drivers would do well to be particularly watchful of other drivers. It’s not uncommon for a speeder to cause an accident and then speed off, leaving the victim with no recourse but to call their own insurance company. Better to avoid the issue all together by driving defensively and not assuming that other drivers will be adhering to the speed limits and stop signs.

If you have been involved in an accident involving speeding however, you deserve to be compensated for your damages. You could be entitled to compensation for the damage to your car, your medical expenses, your time off work, and your pain and suffering. The personal injury attorneys at the Barber Law Firm understand Texas law and how speeding can injure our clients in a collision.

Call attorneys at The Barber Law Firm at 972-231-5800 if you have been involved in an accident caused by a speeding driver. We will help you obtain compensation for your injuries. Call us to learn more or to schedule your free consultation.

Allstate infographic based on national driver safety statistics.

Allstate Insurance recently issued a “Best Drivers Report” that ranked 200 cities in terms of their average driver safety stats. North Texas cities scored very poorly. The local city with the highest ranking was Frisco, which was ranked 146 out of 200.

The scores for other local cities were even worse. Fort Worth ranked 153, McKinney 154, Mesquite 162, Plano 163, Grand Prairies 171, Arlington 175, Dallas 177, Garland 181, and Irving 182. The report was based on the number of accidents in each area. It considered factors like precipitation and population density.

Local experts say that drivers should not be discouraged by their city’s ranking. Instead, it’s important to focus on behaviors that you can control while driving, like slowing down, leaving plenty of room between your car and others, and minimizing distractions.

If you are involved in an accident in the area with a negligent driver, you may need to contact an attorney. Depending on the severity of the accident, you may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, damage to your vehicle, pain and suffering, and more. It’s important not to wait too long after the accident before seeking legal advice – time is not on your side after an automobile accident.

Call the Dallas-Fort Worth personal injury attorneys at the Barber Law Firm at 972-231-5800 if you have been in an automobile accident. We have offices in Plano, Grapevine, Dallas, Irving and Fort Worth. Call today to schedule your free consultation.

Rideshare companies like Uber are just as ubiquitous as taxis these days in most cities including Dallas. Uber connects people needing a ride with drivers of private vehicles who have been vested and provide taxi services under the Uber brand.

The concept has exploded and competitors like Lyft and Sidecar have followed suit with their own variations. But what happens when there is an accident?

In the past couple of years, ridesharing companies have been publicly criticized for failing to provide sufficient insurance coverage in the event one of their vehicles is involved in an accident. Under current law and pursuant to the policies of the ridesharing company, the available insurance coverage depends on whether or not a driver has been matched with a passenger. If a ridesharing driver is waiting to be matched and gets into a serious accident, it’s likely that the ridesharing company will not provide coverage, and instead rely on the driver’s personal policy. If the accident occurs while a paid ride is being provided, the ridesharing company’s insurance policy most likely will apply to cover the accident.

Uber infographic illustrating coverage triggers for drivers.

(Image source: Uber Blog, February 2014)

An interesting scenario was raised on this topic at policygenius.com/blog from the perspective of the Uber driver:

Consider this insurance horror story:

Someone pulls up an app on their phone, types in the address of where they need to go, and orders your car. You turn around and drive to pick them up.

While you’re driving, you look over to your phone to make sure you’re still heading in the right direction. While you’re looking the other way, you hit a car. It’s not a big accident (luckily), but it’s bad enough that the other driver calls the police (and you have to cancel your pick-up).

The police get there, they take down all of your info, including the fact that you were driving for a company called “Uber.” You submit your claim to your auto insurance company and go about your life.

A few days later, your insurance company calls you. Unfortunately, your claim has been denied because you were performing a business activity. You’re now on the hook not only for your own car repairs, but the other driver’s, too. Oh, and by the way: your car insurance policy has been canceled.

You contact Uber to see if their insurance policy is going to cover the damages. Nope, says the woman on the other end of the phone. Since you didn’t have a passenger in the car, they’re not liable. Consider yourself lucky you didn’t hurt anyone.

– Adam Cecil, The insurance secret that Uber doesn’t want you to know, policygenious.com blog

Some states are starting to pass legislation that requires insurance coverage in certain situations involving ridesharing companies. However, the legal issues are far from settled. Currently in Texas, accidents involving ridesharing companies are evaluated on a case-by-case basis and coverage depends on the circumstances.

If you are a driver with a rideshare company or a passenger who’s been hurt in an accident involving a car in the service of a rideshare company, call us to talk about your options. The Barber Law Firm has experience representing cases with specialized circumstances like these.

Most people who think of tractor trailer accidents think about the occupants of the vehicle that was involved in the wreck with the truck. However, hundreds of truck drivers are killed each year in accidents.

The most dangerous accidents to truck drivers are rollover crashes. Rollovers only account for about 3.3 percent of all large truck crashes, but they are responsible for over half of the deaths of truck drivers and the occupants of tractor trailers. About 300 truck drivers are killed each year in rollover crashes, and 3,000 more are injured. Crashes are the leading cause of on-the-job death among truck drivers.

Many rollover crashes are the fault of the truck drivers, many of whom are driving while they are distracted, or who are working more hours than allowed by law and are exhausted. Not all rollover crashes are the fault of truck drivers – most of the highways on which the trucks are driving were not designed to handle modern trucks. The curves in most roads were made decades ago, and they do not have the banking needed for today’s trucks. Most of the dangerous areas for trucks are not marked with any types of signs indicating there could be the risk of a rollover accident. Another danger is gridlock – truck tonnage is at an all-time high, and gridlock makes the risk of a rollover accident worse.

If a driver is not wearing a seat belt, the odds of being seriously hurt in a rollover are much higher. Over a third of truck drivers who die in crashes are not wearing seat belts. Most rollovers eject or partially eject the driver from the cab if he or she is not belted. Ejection from the cab is the highest cause of death in a rollover accident.

If you are a truck driver who has been injured in a crash, you may have the legal right to compensation. Call the trucking attorneys at the Barber Law Firm at 972-231-5800. We provide free consultations, and you pay us nothing unless we obtain a recovery for you. Call to learn more about your options.