Even though I generally handle far more car and truck accident cases than product liability claims as a Dallas-Fort Worth personal injury and wrongful death lawyer, I feel that a recently announced recall of climbing ropes is potentially so important that it demands to be shared with as many people as possible.

The product in questions are Porter Athletic Climbing Ropes models numbers 00118 and 00119. The recall has been issued following three separate reports of the rope slipping through the clamp at the end (pictured below). One of the reported incidents apparently resulted in back and wrist injuries to the victim. If you have purchased one of these defective pieces of equipment, you should stop using them immediately and contact Porter Athletic immediately.

Sometimes people are hurt or killed as the result of a defective product, for example a bicycle or trampoline. In these situations, you might be able to pursue a product liability case against the manufacturer of the hazardous item. Today, I was deeply saddened to learn that a child’s water slide intended to bring happiness to families has been recalled by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) after dangerous problems with the product have resulted in both bodily injuries and at least one fatality.

The recalled product is the Banzai Splash in-ground pool water slide manufactured by Manley Toys, Ltd. in China and sold throughout Texas at both Walmart and Toys R Us stores. The CPSC describes several hazards with the slides including the risk of them deflating during use as well as their poor stability, which can cause them to topple over without warning. A 29-year-old woman died when using the slide while playing with her children at the pool. According to the CPSC, the slide partially deflated, causing her to slip and bang her head, breaking her neck. There have also been other reports of individuals suffering similar neck injuries, as well as one man who suffered quadriplegic injuries as a result of this dangerous slide.

This recall affects approximately 21,000 units sold throughout the USA. Consumers should stop using the slide immediately and return the product to any Walmart or Toys R Us store.

The recall was prompted by 17 separate reports of the trampoline’s net breaking during use. So far, it appears that 11 individuals have suffered injuries caused by this defect. Injuries reported include broken bones, back and neck injuries and contusions.

Consumers are instructed to stop using the trampolines immediately and contact Sportspower directly for more information. Their hotline is 888-965-0565.

As a Dallas-Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, I know that trampolines have the potential to cause accidental injuries even if they are free of defects. If your child has been injured while playing on a trampoline at a friend’s house, for example, it is a good idea to consult with a board certified personal injury lawyer as you may be entitled to compensation.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a traffic collision which was someone else’s fault, you cannot expect their insurance company to treat you fairly. They have absolutely no obligation to do so – and they certainly don’t have motivation to do so. In fact, many insurance adjustors not only get bonuses for swindling innocent victims out of the fair compensation they deserve, they are also assigned targets concerning the percentage of cases they are required to close down within 48 hours of the accident happening. This is a disgusting and incredibly unfair practice – but unless you contact a board certified personal injury lawyer as soon as possible following your accident you could fall victim to these dirty tricks. It happens every day.

Auto accident lawyers have the negative stereotype of being ambulance chasers. In reality, there are very strict laws which prohibit attorneys from initiating unsolicited contact with accident victims within 30 days of their car crash. However, it is worth noting that there are no such rules to prevent the at-fault driver’s insurance company from harassing you. And believe me, they will.

I recently heard about an accident victim on pain medication who received a phone call from the insurance adjustor while she was still in hospital. The adjustor recorded their conversation and got her to agree to accept a measly $250 for her accident. That’s it. That won’t even cover her ambulance ride to the ER. Unfortunately, without knowing it, this innocent victim has waived her right to the fair damages she desperately needs – and deserves.

If you or a loved one has been involved in any kind of accident and suffered an injury, it is critical that you consult with an experienced personal injury or wrongful death lawyer as soon as possible – ideally, before you ever speak to the negligent motorist’s insurance company. You may not need legal representation in your case, but it is always far better to be safe, rather than sorry. For a free, no obligation consultation on your accident case, please call the Anderson Law Firm toll free at 800-354-6275 or locally in Fort Worth at 817-294-1900.

The police report for the auto accident says that two pedestrians were waiting at a crosswalk outside the home of Mark Choo. A car stopped to allow them to cross the road. However, a second car failed to stop and crashed into the back of the shopped vehicle, which was then knocked forward hitting the two pedestrians who were crossing the street. Both suffered what are being described as permanent and progressive in nature. This is not uncommon in traffic collisions which involve pedestrians. As a Fort Worth personal injury attorney I know that blunt force trauma, loss of limbs, traumatic brain injuries and paralysis are all common in pedestrian-car accidents.

While Texas law does allow for injury victims to make a claim against the local authority if it is determined that unsafe roads could have contributed to a multi-vehicle collision, it is not common for such a claim to be leveled against an individual homeowner. In this particular case, it appears the plaintiff’s lawyer actually blamed the Los Altos city management, who in turn decided to pass the buck to Choo despite the fact the tree is not actually on his property. Choo says that he has never maintained the tree because power lines run between the branches. “PG&E comes out every 18 months or so and trims the tree. They told us not to touch it,” he said.

Although the city of Los Altos is making an indemnity claim against Mr. Choo they do not believe that the location of the crash is a dangerous intersection and report that there have been no previous collisions at that particular intersection.

Sadly, this is yet another one of those cases which gives car accident attorneys a bad name, despite the fact that it is the city of Los Altos who has brought Mr. Choo into the legal proceedings. It will be interesting to learn whether a jury ultimately places the blame solely with the driver of the second vehicle for failing to stop. One wonders if the reason why she didn’t brake is because she was texting while driving. In my experience, distracted driving is frequently the reason for such wrecks.

Naturally, my sympathies lie most of all with the victims of this terrible accident and their families. It sounds like their lives will be permanently changed by this crash and I hope that their attorney is able to recover the full and fair compensation that they deserve so that the rest of their lives can be made as comfortable as possible.

The Gerber® Instant™ Knife might be a knife that even Crocodile Dundee would be proud of, but the US Consumer Product Safety Commission last week declared a recall of the spring-loaded retractable blade after it was discovered that the locking mechanism can fail to properly engage. This can cause the blade to unexpectedly fold during use, posing a serious laceration or even amputation hazard to the user.

This recall affects approximately 3,000 knives with the model numbers 30-000435 and 31-001101. The knives retailed for $50 each and were sold in sporting goods stores throughout Texas from February 2012. Owners of these defective products are instructed to stop using the knives immediately and to contact Gerber Legendary Blades at 877-314-9130 to receive a free replacement.

Please remember that it is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

As a Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, I know that it is possible to recover compensation if you or a loved one has suffered serious injuries as a result of using a faulty or malfunctioning product. If you believe you have a legitimate product liability case, please contact the Anderson Law Firm for a free consultation.

Many times, ATV accidents are the result of either design or manufacturing defects which caused the vehicles to malfunction, rendering them faulty and unsafe. One such off-road vehicle was this week recalled by its manufacturer, Kawasaki Motor Corp., USA.

The Teryx Recreational Off-Highway Vehicles were voluntarily recalled after it was learned that the 2012 model of the four-wheel vehicle was incorrectly labeled as having a higher occupant capacity that is actually safe. In actual fact, seating more occupants in the vehicle poses a serious risk of severe injury or even death. Fortunately, there are no reports of any such tragedy prior to the recall announcement.

The affected ATVs retailed for between $10,500 and $12,000 at Kawasaki dealerships throughout Texas since August 2011. Affected consumers are asked to please contact their local Kawasaki dealership for more information.

If you or a member of your family has been injured in an ATV, golf cart or off-road recreational vehicle accident, it is important that you are informed of your legal rights. Regardless of whether the accident was a result of product liability or driver negligence, you may be entitled to compensation. Please call the Anderson Law Firm for a free, no obligation consultation on your case. Call toll free at 800-354-6275 or locally at 817-294-1900. The Anderson Law Firm handles cases on a no win, no fee basis.

As a Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, I know that texting from behind the wheel of your car is a very dangerous activity. According the the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were 5,474 fatalities blamed on distracted driving in 2009 and a further 448,000 people injured. This means distracted driving was responsible for roughly 15 percent of all fatal auto accidents in 2009, and 20% of all traffic wreck injuries.

Of course, texting on your cellphone can make you less aware of your surrounding even if you're not driving. There are plenty of cases of pedestrians seriously injuring themselves because they are absorbed in the small screen of their cellphone while walking down the street. The video below shows the latest victim of distracted walking to have unfortunately found internet fame, a teenage girl in China accidentally fell into a sink hole after failing to spot caution signs along the sidewalk because she was texting on her cell phone. (It should be noted that no hazard warnings are visible in the video, but that Chinese media reports there were orange cones or yellow security tape blocking off the area around the sinkhole). Fortunately – as the video shows – the girl is doing okay, although she was understandably a little shaken up.

As a Tarrant County personal injury and wrongful death attorney, I cannot understate the value of having an outdoor exercise environment on our doorstep. The proposed network of bicycle lanes which will be located throughout the downtown area will also provide Fort Worth cyclists with safer routes and hopefully prevent serious collisions with motor vehicles.

Whenever a pedestrian or bicyclist is involved in an accident with a car, truck or other vehicle, it is always the pedestrian or bicyclist who will suffer the worst injury. In many cases, the injuries will be fatal. Just because you yourself were not driving an automobile does not mean that you have no legal rights. If you have been hurt as a result of someone else’s negligence, Texas law gives you every right to make a legitimate claim for compensation to cover your medical expenses, lost income and other crash-related costs.

For a free consultation if you or a member of your family has been injured in a Fort Worth pedestrian or bicycle accident, please call the Anderson Law Firm toll free at 800-354-6275 or locally at 817-294-1900.

Traumatic brain injuries can be extremely serious and have lifelong consequences for the victim. In the worst cases, the victim might suffer severe physical, cognitive and behavioral impairments which could be permanent.

Not all cases of traumatic brain injury are so pronounced, however, in many cases where a child suffered a significant head injury early on in life, they may develop conduct and behavioral problems later on in life. A decades-long study published by researchers in New Zealand found that children with mild TBI (also known as concussion) continued to display sub-clinical emotional and behavioral symptoms as late as 12 months after the injury occurred. Those children whose injuries were significant enough to require hospitalization also had a higher rate of developing attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In particular, the study noted that the children had decreased attention span, and increased distractibility, hyperactivity and impulsivity.

As any parent of an ADHD-diagnosed child knows, this can have a negative impact on the child’s learning ability in school. According to ADHD experts, this chronic disorder persists into adulthood for approximately 60 percent of all sufferers.

If your child have suffered a head injury or traumatic brain injury, it is important that they receive the very best medical attention in order to reduce the risk of ADHD or other TBI-related symptoms. It is also wise to consult with a board certified child injury attorney as you might be entitled to seek some form of compensation. Although there is generally a two year statute of limitation for Texas accident injury claims, in child injury cases this deadline is extended to the 20th birthday of the child if a settlement has not already been achieved by their parent.

For more information on childhood traumatic brain injuries, please call a Fort Worth injury attorney at the Anderson Law Firm: toll free at 800-354-6275 or locally at 817-294-1900.

However, sometimes an unintentional gun discharge could be the result of a malfunction with the gun itself. In those cases, the injured person is entitled to make a product liability claim against the gun manufacturer according to Texas civil law.

Meca Evanix, makers of the Evanix Speed Air Rifle and Evanix Conquest Air Rifle, this week announced a recall of these two products following discovery of a fault with the rifles which allowed them to be fired even after the safety switch was on. Fortunately, it does not appear that anyone has been accidentally injured so far as a result of this defective product, although there is a high risk of injury or death occurring. Evanix Speed Air Rifles and Evanix Conquest Air Rifles are sold throughout Texas at Air Venturi, Pyramyd Air, Top Airgun and Straight Shooters stores, retailing for approximately $1,800 each.

Owners of the affected rifles are advised to stop using them immediately and contact the store where you purchased the gun for more information.

If you or someone you love has been injured in an accidental gun discharge, it is important that you are aware of your legal rights. You may be entitled to compensation if an appropriate insurance policy exists. To discuss you situation in confidence with a board certified Dallas-Fort Worth personal injury and wrongful death attorney, please call the Anderson Law Firm toll free at 800-354-6275 or locally at 817-294-1900.

This morning, Specialized Bicycle Components, Inc. in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced that they are issuing a voluntary recall of Tektro TL-83 bicycle brake levers due to potential of them failing. This creates an increased hazard of the rider loosing control of their bike and crashing.

The affected brakes are sold as separate aftermarket modifications, as well as original equipment on 2010 and 2011 S-Works Shiv bicycle frame modules and 2012 S-Works Shiv TT bicycle frame modules. Affected consumers are asked to contact authorized Specialized Bicycle Components retailers for free replacement brake levers.

Any time that you or a family member is injured in a bicycle accident, it is important that you consult with a board certified Fort Worth personal injury lawyer who specializes in bicycle wreck injuries. Regardless of whether another road user was at fault or if there was a manufacturer’s defect with your bicycle, you may be entitled to compensation.

The Anderson Law Firm offers injured cyclists completely free, no obligation consultation s on their injury cases. Call us at Fort Worth 817-294-1900.

Unfortunately, not all buses are maintained to a satisfactory standard. Others have hazards which jeopardize the safety and lives of their passengers. Last week, an investigation was announced into buses being used in Maryland. Six buses of the allegedly dangerous used by the company Ride-On in Montgomery County have caught fire within the past few years, and now a union representing the drivers is threatening to sue the county in order to get the hazardous vehicles off the road. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has initiated its own independent investigation into the safety of the buses in question.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a Texas bus accident of any nature, it is a good idea to discuss your case with an experienced Dallas-Fort Worth auto accident lawyer. You may be entitled to significant compensation.

Call the Anderson Law Firm toll free at 800-354-6275 or locally at either 817-294-1900 or 214-327-8000.

Concussions are serious because they are a mild form of traumatic brain injury. Although most concussions don’t have long-lasting effects, when the victim suffers repeat impacts to the head, there is a very real danger of severe damage being done, which could lead to permanent disability or even a fatality.

The danger of concussions is by no means limited to professional athletes. College and high school athletes who participate in heavy contact sports like football, ice hockey, rugby, taekwondo and cheerleading are also prone to suffer head injuries. During the last legislative session, the Texas State Senate introduced two separate laws, each aimed at reducing the number of concussions suffered in Texas schools.

Of course, serious head injuries are by no means limited to those participating in sports. Anyone who gets in a car wreck or other accident could potentially end up with a concussion or traumatic brain injury and not even realize the severity of their situation. That’s why any time that you suffer a blow to the head, it is a good idea to seek expert medical assistance as soon as possible. Head injuries of any kind can seem minor at first, only to get more serious as time goes on.