Law & Information

City engineers have named the intersection of Main Street and State Highway 121 as the most dangerous intersection in The Colony, a suburb of Dallas, according to a recent report by NBC Dallas-Fort Worth. The second most dangerous intersection in the area is the crossing of Paige Road and Highway 121, just half a mile away.

Nearly 200 car crashes have occurred in these two intersections in the past two years.

According to city engineers, both intersections allow drivers to turn left on a green light, as long as they yield to oncoming traffic. However, these engineers note that drivers are failing to yield, which results in collisions. Although city engineers would like to install left turn lights with green arrows and a dedicated left-turn lane, the city is not permitted to change the intersections on its own. Rather, it must convince the North Texas Transit Authority and the Texas Department of Transportation to change the lanes and the signals.

To speed up the process, city engineers began officially documenting the crashes, discovering that 68 percent of the Paige Road intersection’s collisions occurred on a left turn, and 72 percent of the Main Street collisions involved a left turn. The city hopes that transportation officials will move quickly now that there is documented evidence of the dangers of the intersections.

Dallas car accident attorneys are concerned about the dangerous intersections in Texas that present a particular risk to drivers, even when they are driving carefully. Stay safe everyone!

Most motorcyclists try to drive safely in order to protect themselves and any passenger from a Texas motorcycle accident. Motorcycles are less stable than cars, especially in the rain, and leave the driver far less protected than drivers in cars or trucks. Motorists sharing the roadway with motorcycles can also help prevent motorcycle accidents by following a few simple tips:

Watch carefully for motorcycles. Motorcycles can be difficult to see, even in bright, sunny weather. While some motorcyclists keep the bike’s headlight on to make themselves easier to see, not all bikes are equipped with a light. Check your blind spots carefully when changing lanes or turning to ensure no motorcyclist has slid into one by mistake.

Leave a safe stopping distance. The small size of motorcycles makes it easy to get too close to one without realizing it. In fact, most motorcyclists prefer drivers to leave two to three times more space between the motorcyclist and the car than the driver would between himself and another car. The extra space allows motorcyclists to see behind them more easily and gives both them and the driver more time to stop safely. When in doubt, it’s always better to leave too much room between yourself and a biker than not enough.

Pay attention at railroad crossings. In order to cross railroad tracks safely, motorcycles should cross with the wheels at a right angle to the track. To set up this angle, a motorcyclist may swing to one side or the other before crossing the track. Pay especially close attention to motorcyclists at railroad tracks so that you do not accidentally hit one while he or she is attempting to cross the track.

Staying safe on a motorcycle requires a joint effort between the motorcyclist and motorists. Unfortunately, motorcycle accidents can and do occur. An experienced Dallas motorcycle accident attorney can help injured motorcyclists understand their rights after an accident and seek help.

A recent gas leak in east Fort Worth led employees and patrons of a local business to evacuate while utility crews worked to stop the leak, according to a recent article in The Star-Telegram.

The gas leak occurred on Martin Street in Fort Worth, where multiple utility crews were working on a project. Fire department officials described the gas leak as quite large. The fire department helped the business closest to the site, located at Village Creek Road and U.S. 287, evacuate. The business was the only building that needed to be evacuated due to the leak.

Natural gas and water utility workers from Atmos Energy and the Fort Worth municipal water service managed to plug the leak approximately two hours after it began. The Fort Worth Fire Department credited the high winds brought in by a passing storm system with helping prevent further evacuations or damage. The winds dissipated the natural gas, preventing any major injury or property damage.

Broken or damaged natural gas lines may leak, and the buildup of natural gas in a building or outdoors in calm weather can cause illness, injury, and property damage. Natural gas is highly flammable and is also toxic to breathe. Regularly checking gas valves and gas-using appliances for leaks is one way to help prevent damage from occurring.

In its natural state, natural gas has no odor. The odor is added by utility companies to help warn home and business owners of the presence of the gas. If you smell natural gas in your home or business, help protect yourself and others by evacuating to a safe distance and calling 911 or the local fire department immediately.