Published: August 17, 2007 12:08 pm         

City manager files suit for April accident

Special to the Democrat

FORT WORTH — Weatherford City Manager Bill Davis and his wife, Jackie, have filed a lawsuit against the owner and driver of a tractor trailer and the owner of the farm vehicles involved in an April vehicle crash that left Bill seriously injured.

“Bill Davis suffered severe injuries simply because commercial and farm vehicle operators failed to do their jobs safely,” said attorney John David Hart in Fort Worth, who represents the Davis family along with Mac Smith of Vick, Carney & Smith in Weatherford.

Named as defendants in the lawsuit filed in Tarrant County District Court are the tractor driver and the owners of his truck, 3E Ranch and Gerald Edwards of Atoka County, Okla., and Tarrant County resident Clarence O. Turner. Also named is Lester A. Alberthal, owner of the Buzzard Hollow Ranch in Granbury. Mr. Alberthal owns the farm equipment and pickup truck involved in the accident.

On April 24, the Davises were driving north on Highway 144 near Granbury, returning from their retirement home in Bandera. A farm tractor and pickup truck traveling in the opposite direction pulled into traffic, causing other traffic to slow down. The driver of the tractor then hit the back of a car before his trailer jackknifed and skidded into oncoming traffic, striking the car driven by Bill Davis.

Davis was transported to Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth with what emergency personnel called “life-threatening injuries.”

Davis suffered a broken arm and numerous pelvic fractures in the accident. He was released from the hospital June 6, but was re-admitted for surgery as a result of a staph infection in his broken arm.

Four surgeries were required to quell the infection. An additional operation was performed when Davis’ “pelvis shifted” according to doctors in a July 2 report. Doctors had surgically reconstructed the left side of his pelvis immediately following the accident.

     

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.