According to local reports 46-year-old James Greer of Blanchard was struck by a drunk driver in a mobile home park in Blanchard Louisiana. The driver 38-year-old Joshua Yandell of Shreveport was involved in a dispute with another man at the park when he drove his van into the innocent bystander. Greer was taken to LSU Hospital in Shreveport.
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Commentary
Reckless behavior with a vehicle is a dangerous thing. If this man was indeed driving drunk he will probably hold great liability for this accident (assuming it was an accident). While an independent investigation is necessary there could be a personal injury claim against Yandell. Unfortunately however in Louisiana they do not have dram shop laws that hold bars or restaurants accountable for over-serving their patrons. If they had these laws the victim could potentially have a claim against the establishment as well.
Texas Personal Injury Attorney Michael Grossman
According to their website Ford has issued a recall on approximately 1.1 million of their F-150s F-250s and Lincoln Blackwood trucks. Ford states the fuel-tank straps may rust and fail causing the tank to drop from the vehicles. With this failure there is a risk of rupture and ignition. The recall includes trucks made between 1997 and 2003 in Ford plants of Michigan Kansas Conneticut Ontario and Mexico. Consumers are advised to check where their vehicle originated or contact their local dealer.
Commentary
Recalls are often issued to prevent further liability from the manufacturer. This is a fairly large recall and since we are talking fuel tanks drivers of these vehicles should check where their truck was manufactured.
Texas Product Liability Attorney Michael Grossman
Local reports indicate a 25-year-old Mansfield woman was driving the wrong way down I-30 eastbound in Dallas Texas when she struck an 18-wheeler head-on around 3:30 a.m. Friday August 5. The wreck caused the rig to jackknife and spill approximately 100 gallons of fuel. The woman had to be cut from her smashed vehicle. She was taken to Baylor Medical Center with serious injuries. The truck driver was uninjured.
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Commentary
Those of you who read this blog may be asking yourself why I am even bothering to discuss this terrible wreck. Typically in a wrong-way driving accident the driver assumes a huge portion of liability. My experience tells me there may be more to this accident. Late at night and a driver going the wrong-way down a major highway in Dallas suggests intoxicants could be involved here. An independent investigation is needed to determine proximate cause of this accident. For instance I have litigated several cases involving drivers over-served by an acquaintance at a bar or restaurant. Of course I am guessing here but if we were to assume a scenario like this that could open the bar or establishment to a dram shop claim from the wrong-way driver. Texas has these laws in place to hold alcohol-serving places at least partially liable in the event that their over-serving causes an incident like this. Again these are all guesses but my experience tells me an after-hours wrong-way accident can involve many more parties than just the driver.
Texas Personal Injury Attorney Michael Grossman
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission a recall was issued July 28 for Fisher-Prices Little People Builders Load n Go toys. The toys were sold between June 2009 and July 2011 and hold product number P89777. The CPSC reports the handle of the wagon poses a serious laceration risk for children and have recalled the approximately 210000 sold units.
Please contact Fisher-Price if you believe you own one of the recalled toys.
Commentary
Manufacturers will often issue recalls in an attempt to mitigate further injury to their consumers. While this may offer short-term difficulty for the company the long-term ramifications of child injuries are serious. Please check your childrens toys if you have purchased one of these units in the last 2 years.
Texas Product Liability Attorney Michael Grossman
Local reports indicate 20-year-old Luke M. Taracki was critically injured riding in the passenger seat with suspected drunk driver 21-year-old Wyatt J. Becker. The accident occurred around 12:26 a.m. Saturday July 30 when Becker allegedly lost control of his 1998 Pontiac Bonneville striking a tree on Pike Road in Alexander New York. Taracki needed to be removed from the vehicle by paramedics and was rushed to Erie County Medical Center with critical injuries.
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Commentary
Many may know that drunk driving places a greater burden of liability upon the driver in an accident but what others may not know is often times in alcohol-related accidents there are third parties involved in this liability. For instance if the reports are accurate and the driver was intoxicated was he drinking at a bar? An independent investigation is needed to determine third party liability but if Becker was found to be over-served at a bar or restaurant these places could potentially be held at least partially liable in this accident. New York has in place what are called Dram Shop laws that are designed to protect patrons of alcohol-serving establishments against the desires by those establishments to make money off them. Again this all points back to an investigation beyond that of the police report but the point is there could be claims beyond the apparent personal injury claim in this terrible accident.
Texas Personal Injury Attorney Michael Grossman
According to local reports motorcyclist Joseph Ringstaff was killed and passenger Michelle Rhoads was injured in a one-vehicle accident near Channelview Texas. Police report the accident occurred around 3:30 a.m. Sunday July 31 when Ringstaff failed to stay in one lane on a curve in the 16600 block of Market. His motorcycle went through a grassy area and a ditch ultimately slamming into a culvert. Ringstaff and Rhoads were taken to East Houston Regional Hospital where he was later pronounced dead. Her condition is currently unknown.
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Commentary
Details have not been published in this accident but I have a hunch speed or some level of intoxication played a part in this incident especially given the time the accident occurred. While I do not want to speculate an independent investigation is needed to determine how this tragedy happened. If indeed recklessness on behalf of the driver is the fault the passenger could have a personal injury claim against the estate of the driver. Driving recklessly usurps the natural order of safety on the roadways and puts everyone in danger including your own passengers as evidenced here. What happened is a terrible thing but the passenger should not have to struggle with medical debts loss of income debts and pain and suffering debts (to name a few) at the expense of the driver.
Houston Personal Injury Attorney Michael Grossman
According to several local news reports a pedestrian was injured and a car damaged after suspected drunk driver 29-year-old Jeffrey Stein struck the vehicle. Police indicate he was driving his truck eastbound on Cerro Romauldo around 4:11 p.m. when he struck a car parked on the street. The owner of the car was placing items into the passenger side of the parked car when Stein struck the vehicle causing the door to strike the man. Stein has been arrested on driving under the influence of alcohol.
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Commentary
Another suspected drunk driving injury. Thank goodness no other injuries or fatalities were reported. An independent investigation could be initiated by the victim of this accident to precisely dictate what happened Thursday afternoon. If the reports are true and this man was drunk driving the victim could have standing to pursue a personal injury claim against Stein.
In many states if Stein was found to be over-served at a bar or restaurant the establishment could be held liable for this incident as well. Unfortunately in California these laws called dram shop laws are only in place if these establishments have been found to serve minors. As Stein is 29 there may not be grounds for a dram shop suit.
Texas Personal Injury Attorney Michael Grossman
Central Texas reports indicate a fatal accident involving an SUV and an 18-wheeler around 5 a.m. Thursday July 28. Texas DPS officials note 20-year-old driver Christopher Michael Hicks of Anderson County was driving at a high-speed around a bend in the highway when he veered into oncoming traffic striking the rig of 54-year-old Ernest Ray Freedman of Waco. Hicks and his passenger 19-year-old Courtnee Nicole Odom of Tyler were both pronounced dead at the scene from the head-on collision. Freedman was taken to Madison St. Joseph Hospital of Madisonville with injuries to his head and legs.
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Commentary
It is a terrible thing when a fatality could possibly have been prevented by someone simply slowing their vehicle down. My firm litigates fatal auto accident cases all of the time and each one is striking. If the police reports are true the driver of the rig could have standing for a personal injury claim against the SUV drivers estate. An independent investigation is needed to determine liability but speeding is sometimes a cause of these accidents. The driver may have grounds to collect damages based on income loss or medical costs to name a few. What occurred Thursday morning is a terrible thing but those who are not found to be a fault should not have to suffer because of someone elses mistake.
Waco Personal Injury Attorney Michael Grossman
Local news are reporting a chain-reaction accident involving a total of 15 vehicles including two commercial vehicles on Interstate 90 in Bellevue Washington. Authorities indicate the wreck occurred around 8 a.m Wednesday July 20 when a rig owned by AP Transport struck the back of a logging semi-truck causing a multi-car pileup. Included in this wreck was a 9-year-old who suffered critical injuries to her pelvis and spine. She was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle where her current condition is unknown.
Police reports indicate the rig jackknifed after trying to slow down in traffic which caused the collision with the logging truck.
Washington records indicate AP Transport has a history of safety violations with 42% of their line failing random inspections. The victims names have been withheld pending investigation.
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Commentary
I find the state records of failed inspections highly suspect in this report. AP Transport clearly has a history of casualness involving safety. Something as simple as servicing their line of trucks could have prevented this accident. But not just this accident. When a company displays this type of failure to address safety you can bet there will be other accidents. While an independent investigation is needed to firmly diagnose liability in this incident the victims could have personal injury claims against both the driver and the trucking company. These claims are needed to hold irresponsible companies accountable to their actions.
Texas Personal Injury Attorney Michael Grossman
According to local reports a Dodge car ran a stop sign and hit the rear of a big rig Wednesday morning July 27 around 9:20 a.m. The wreck happened at Fowler Street and Central in southeast Fresno when the driver ran the sign before hitting the stopped truck. The car then burst into flames and the driver was killed at the scene. The truck driver was taken to the local Fresno hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The California Highway Patrol is investigating the incident.
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Commentary
According to the CHP report this accident could have been avoided rather easily. At a 4-way stop with clear visibility you simply do not expect this type of incident to occur. While I feel for the survivors of the driver in the Dodge police reports clearly place liability on that driver. Having seen so many of these senseless accidents it would not surprise me to see that some type of intoxicant played a part in this wreck. While an independent investigation is needed to determine what exactly happened and all the causal relationships of this wreck the truck driver may have grounds for a personal injury suit.
Texas Personal Injury Attorney Michael Grossman
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