Staying Safe On Winter Roads

Ice covered highway in cold weather.

This winter, we’ve had our fair share of icy weather! Although North Texas doesn’t often seem prolonged periods of snow, it’s important to remember that even one day of hazardous weather and freezing temperatures can dramatically increase the dangers of driving. If you absolutely must go out on the roads, staying safe is key. Here are a few tips that can help you keep you, your loved ones and other drivers safe during your commute.

Tip #1: Reduce Your Speed

This may seem like common sense, but believe it or not, it’s quite possibly the BEST strategy for staying safe during freezing road conditions. Driving at reduced speeds will not only help ensure that your vehicle can maintain better traction and control, but it will also allow you to improve your awareness of events going on around you. You will also have time to react in the event that a car accident or other dangerous event occurs nearby.

Tip #2: Avoid Bridges

As you can see in this article from WFAA 8, car accidents are happening frequently in icy conditions. Bridges definitely contribute to an increased level of danger and risk due to the fact that they are more likely to freeze and become slippery than normal roads. If you can find a back route on your commute which doesn’t require driving on bridges, it will be worth the extra minutes it takes!

Tip #3: Allow Yourself Extra Time

No matter how careful you plan on being, you’ll find yourself taking extra risks if you are running behind and trying to beat the clock. If possible, give yourself an extra 30 minutes when you’re planning on driving so that you don’t have to rush and you won’t be come stressed if traffic is worse than expected. Increased stress can quickly impair your judgment and result in unnecessary risk taking. Scheduling ahead could very well save your life!

Even though these three tips are relatively simple and straightforward, we guarantee you will be amazed at how quickly they can be forgotten when you head out to the car. Even repeating these quick strategies before you get behind the wheel can help you remember how to stay safe in the ice and help keep you and others in your vehicle stay safe!

Three Questions To Ask Your Lawyer (Part II)

Courtroom gavel.

If you’ve followed our first blog in this series, you’ll know that we are serious about helping individuals know how to get the information they need to make smart decisions when they hire an injury lawyer. Finding legal representation when you are hurt or afraid can be difficult. With that in mind, we’re taking the time to break down and analyze some of the important questions you should be asking accident lawyers when you discuss your case with them.

Will I Owe My Lawyer Money If I Lose My Case?

We discussed the concept of contingency fees in our previous blog post, but what we’ll discuss now is what are commonly called “out-of-pocket” costs. These expenses commonly accrue when injury attorneys are advancing case-related expenses during the preparation for trial. If you win your case, it is quite likely that the contingency fees will cover these expenses. However, it is incredibly important for you to ask your accident attorney who is responsible for paying any out-of-pocket costs if a settlement cannot be reached and trial jury does not rule in your favor.

Which Injury Attorney Will Handle My Case?

If you are planning on working with a law firm that has multiple attorneys, it may be up to you to press the law firm on who will actually be representing you during the legal proceedings. It’s a common marketing tactic for law firms to bring out their highly experienced senior-level attorneys to discuss a client’s case with them, at which point the client signs up and they are assigned a junior-level attorney. Make sure you know exactly who you will be working with, and be certain that you are comfortable with them and that you trust them!

Do You Have References?

An experienced personal injury attorney should have many references and various forms of feedback from previous clients. If an attorney is unwilling or unable to provide you with testimonials from previous clients, this could be a red flag. At Montes Law Group, you can find many client reviews at our website

Three Questions To Ask Your Lawyer (Part III)

Scales of justice.

Hopefully you have had a chance to review Part 1 and Part 2 of our series! If not, we strongly recommend you take the time to explore this content. We’ve included several very important and frequently asked questions that can help clients better understand how to move forward confidently with their case. In Part 3, we’ll take a look at three more very important and relevant questions. With these three blog posts, you should have a great toolkit that will help you tremendously while you research your legal options.

Will I Have To Go To Trial?

This is easily one of the most popular questions that clients ask attorneys. The reason for that is simple: the process of completing a trial can be nerve-wracking and exhausting, and many individuals simply do not want to sit in front of a jury. This can be an emotionally draining experience, which is why so many attorneys work as hard as they can to reach settlements for their clients before a trial even begins. Statistically, only a small percentage of personal injury claims go to trial. That being said, you’ll want to make sure that your attorney is equipped to handle a courtroom case, which brings us to our next question.

Are You A Skilled Trial Lawyer?

Believe it or not, not all personal injury lawyers are skilled trial lawyers. You may discover that a law firm excels at research and pursuing settlement, but is simply not prepared at all to represent you in court. At Montes Law Group, you can rest assured that your legal team is prepared for courtroom activity. In fact, Rachel Montes is a board-certified trial lawyer!

How Much Compensation Can I Expect?

If your accident attorney doesn’t have an understanding of how much your case is worth, how can you expect them to advocate for you? During your case evaluation, your attorney should be collecting the information they need to provide you with an approximation of what you could expect financially pending a favorable settlement or jury decision. This information can help you plan the next several months of your life as you begin to prepare for what comes next. Your lawyer should evaluate various expenditures such as doctor visit, time away from work, physical and mental anguish and other attributes of your personal situation which could impact the level of compensation you can expect.

Three Questions To Ask Your Lawyer

If you have been hurt in an accident that wasn’t your fault, you’re probably going to be stressed, anxious, afraid and confused about what to do next. These are all normal emotions, and it’s certainly not out of the ordinary for individuals quickly become overwhelmed when they are trying to make sense of what they should be doing to best protect themselves, their jobs and their future when they are hurt or unable to work.

Making the decision to hire a lawyer is a big step, and it’s an unfortunate reality that many injured individuals avoid seeking legal representation only because they feel intimidated by the process. Because of this, we’ve created a short blog series to cover some of the most important questions you should ask a potential lawyer.

Can Your Injury Law Firm Represent Me Well?

This may seem like an obvious question, but let’s explore why we have included this. If you’ve been seriously injured in an accident, you’re going to want the best representation possible. If you are speaking to a law firm that primarily focused on other civil cases outside of personal injury, for example, you may find that the legal team will not be able to speak on your behalf as effectively as other personal injury lawyers. Or, if you are speaking to a firm that is trying to take on too many clients and is overwhelmed, you may not get the personal attention you deserve.

What Money Do I Owe You?

If you are speaking with a personal injury lawyer and they are asking for an upfront payment to retain their services, it might be in your best interest to explore your options. It is standard for injury and accident lawyers to operate on a contingency basis, meaning that they only get paid if you win your case in court or reach a settlement. At Montes Law Group, all of our clients are signed to a contingency policy, meaning that they owe us nothing unless we win the case.

When Can We Discuss My Personal Injury Case?

Time is a priority. If you have been hurt and you are unable to work, every day that you haven’t reached a settlement is a day that you are losing valuable funds. At Montes Law Group, we offer everyone a free case consultation, where a member of our team will listen to your story and give their honest assessment of the legal viability of your case. This is a no-risk, no-obligation discussion, meaning individuals can choose to have Montes Law Group represent them if our team is ready to pursue the case, or they can seek representation elsewhere.

Semi Truck Fatality in Royce City

18 Wheeler Accident

A tragic accident occurred this last week in Royce City, Texas which left a semi truck driver dead and several other individuals injured. According to authorities, the semi truck accident occurred at the 75 mile marker in the westbound IH30 slow lane. In total, three vehicles were involved in the accident: two semi trucks and a passenger vehicle.

Understanding the Details of the 18 Wheeler Accident

At the time of the accident, traffic was already moving slower due to a previous accident. One of the two semi trucks involved in the accident was unable to slow down and read ender the other 18 wheeler, causing serious damage to both vehicles. The driver who was unable to slow his vehicle ultimately lost his life.

Of the remaining vehicles, the driver of the rear-ended vehicle was not injured. The individuals in the passenger vehicle which was also damaged were transported to the hospital for injuries. Police are still investing the cause of this particular incident.

18 Wheeler Accident Attorneys Who Stand Up For You

Rachel Montes helps individuals who have been injured in car accidents across Texas and New Mexico. If you have been injured in an accident with an 18 wheeler, contact Rachel Montes today for a FREE CASE EVALUATION.

3 Facts You Should Know About Semi-Trucks

Semi truck on the highway.

18 wheeler accidents and semi-truck accidents can wreak havoc on the lives of drivers and their passengers. Although semi-trucks are all around us on highways across America every day, very few drivers stop to think about practical safety measures they can take to ensure that they don’t increase the risk of injury driving near these large vehicles. Here are a few safety points that everyone should be aware of when they drive near 18 wheelers on the open road.

It Takes Semi Trucks Longer To Slow Down

This may seem like common sense, but it’s essential to remember anytime you are on the road. Cutting off any driver on the highway is bad practice, but cutting off a semi could be devastating, mainly because the large weight of these vehicles means that inertia will carry them farther than other, smaller vehicles after braking. Don’t expect an 18-wheeler to stop quickly if you are driving recklessly in front of them!

Blind Spots Are Real

Blind spots on 18-wheelers are significantly larger than they are on smaller vehicles. Because of this, you always need to be aware of a semi-trucks movements when attempting to pass them in the lane next to them. The truth is this: you may be driving in a semi-truck’s blind spot and not even realize it! Always a keep a close eye on the 18-wheeler and make sure you haven’t inadvertently trapped yourself.

Fatigue is Dangerous

18 wheeler drivers are used to long hours on the road, but this doesn’t mean that they will always be perfectly alert. Any driver can be fatigued and still make the decision to get on the open road, whether they are driving a semi-truck or not! Unfortunately, it just so happens that 18-wheelers are so large that fatigued driving can have even more catastrophic consequences. Stay alert, and make sure you are always monitoring aware of what is going on around you!