Since a Jan. 4 accident, investigators have been piecing together the circumstances surrounding a car crash that killed all three occupants of the only vehicle involved. The Porsche Panamera, driven by a prominent Forth Worth-area lawyer, was also carrying a male and female passenger when it crashed through a guardrail and collided with a canal wall.

The lawyer, 41, was a Fort Worth native who dealt mainly with asbestos and mesothelioma lawsuits. He was well-known for winning multimillion-dollar settlements. The two passengers in the car accident were a 23-year-old male and a 21-year-old female.

Investigators have learned that, at the time of the accident, the vehicle was traveling faster than the posted speed limit of 55 mph. It is unknown what the exact speed of the vehicle was.

The car was speeding down Spur 348 when it struck the inside center curb. It went off the road and there was evidence of multiple surfaces being crossed, such as grass, asphalt and concrete. The car then hit a curb and went airborne. After going approximately 95 feet through the air, the car hit the guardrail to the canal. It broke through the guardrail and collided with the opposite side of the canal. The young adults had only met the attorney for the first time earlier in the evening.

When the vehicle came to rest, it was submerged under water. The wreckage was not discovered until maintenance workers saw the damage to the guardrail the next day. The car was lifted out with two bodies buckled in to the front seats. At that time, it was not known that there was a third victim. The final body was found by divers after receiving a tip.

While more details come to light, it appears that there may be grounds for a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of each passenger. The families of those victims could consider consulting with personal injury attorneys to see if the attorney's estate should be held liable for the accident.

Source: Star-Telegram, "Police say speed a factor in fatal Porsche crash," Jan. 24, 2012