Archive for March, 2007

Ohio Company to Finance Study on Possible Health Risks Linked to Mining

An Ohio-based mining company said Wednesday that it plans to fund a study of its workers to determine whether there are health risks linked to the mining and processing of ore.

Husband and Wife Motorcyclists Killed after Hitting Marker on Tennessee Highway

A husband and wife couple died March 24 of injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident in Camden, Tennessee.

Illinois Motorcyclist Critically Injured in Collision with Deer

Matthew Madey, 35, a McHenry County sheriff’s deputy, was riding a motorcycle in rural Illinois on March 25 when he hit a deer. He remains in critical condition.

Three Motorcyclists Hurt in Collision in Rural Illinois

A late Sunday night ride for three young men riding their motorcycles ended in disaster when they collided with each other going around a curve in the road. One remains in critical condition with head injuries.

Guilty Pleas Entered in Deadly Ethan Allen Boat Accident

Two guilty pleas have been entered in connection with the October 2005 boat accident that killed 20 tourists on New York’s Lake George.

NTSB Report on North Carolina Crash Points Finger at Pilot

The federal agency charged with investigating air disasters says an October plane crash near Statesville that killed two people was probably due to pilot error.

Charges against Woman in Drug Death Are Dismissed

Tennessee does not have jurisdiction in reckless homicide cases meant to punish drug dealers whose buyers overdose if the dealer did not enter the state, according to the ruling that allowed the release of Audra Johnson.

Angelina County, Texas, Judge Acquits Man on Drug Charges

After a judge decided to acquit Robert Duerke Summerlin of charges that he manufactured methamphetamine, Summerlin’s defense attorney, a former prosecutor, called the investigation the worse he has ever seen.

Traumatic Brain Injury Claims Life of Popular Drag Racer

On March 23, drag racer Eric Medlen succumbed to a closed head injury he suffered in a crash during a testing session for the National Hot Rod Association.

Accident in Des Moines, Iowa, Kills Motorcyclist

A motorcyclist was killed Thursday morning in Des Moines, Iowa, when his bike was rear-ended by a truck.

Bus Accident Victim Receives $3 Million Settlement for Alleged Brain Injury

In January 2002, Fatima Fortmuller was driving and stopped for traffic at a tunnel that connects the cities of Norfolk and Hampton, Virginia. A Hampton Roads Transit bus rear-ended her. The HRT District settled her brain injury lawsuit in February 2007.

Arizona Motorcyclist Suffers Serious Head Injury in Collision with PT Cruiser

On March 19, an unidentified 18-year-old motorcycle rider suffered multiple fractures and a head injury requiring surgery after his motorcycle hit the front end of the car at an intersection in Mesa, Arizona.

Jail Death of Homeless Man Results in $350,000 Verdict against Corrections Officers

In October 1998, Eduardo Calzada died in custody at the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail in Virginia. A circuit judge recently ruled that corrections officers were at fault for Calzada's brain injury-induced death. Compensatory and punitive damages were awarded.

Longtime Drug Offender Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison after DUI Crash

In Edwardsville, Illinois, on Monday, Crystal Bourland was sentenced to three years in prison for plowing her pickup truck into four schoolchildren while under the influence of cocaine.

Study’s Preliminary Findings Show Teflon Chemical Linked to Elevated Cancer Rates

The preliminary findings of a previously unreleased study conducted by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Services show elevated cancer rates among residents of two counties where the water supplies were allegedly tainted.

Tennessee Refiner to Pay Out $2.2 Million for Violating Clean Air Act

The Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency announced last week that the former owner of a Tennessee petroleum refinery will pay out $2.2 million in civil penalties to resolve allegations that the company violated the Clean Air Act (CAA).

Car Crash Lawsuit against Brother Results in $15.6 Million Jury Award

Kyle Piper was driving and his brother Stephen Piper was a passenger in the February 2003 crash in Union Township, Pennsylvania. Their parents filed the suit against Kyle to try to get the insurance company to help pay for Stephen's severe injuries.

Felony Drug Case Dismissed after Search Ruled Illegal

The attorney for Warren Benford, 26, successfully argued that evidence found at Benford’s home was obtained illegally and was therefore inadmissible in the drug case against him.

Drug Conviction Overturned by Appeals Court

An appeals court has overturned the drug convictions of a Columbus, Ohio, doctor accused of selling painkiller prescriptions.

Jury Rules Sanitation Driver not Responsible for Motorcycle Death

In a Manatee County, Florida, courthouse, six jurors decided that neither the garbage collection company Waste Management nor its driver was responsible for the death ofRex “Gabe” England in a motorcycle accident in 2002.

Motorcyclist Alleges Wayward Football Made Him Crash

Ronald Adjutant, of Tacoma, Washington, has filed suit against the Tacoma School District and the Wilson Rams Booster Club. Adjutant claims that a wayward football thrown by high school students caused him to crash his motorcycle in 2004.

Comair Files Suit against FAA over Kentucky Crash

Comair, a subsidiary of Delta Air Lines Inc., claims negligence on the part of the Federal Aviation Administration played a part in the 2006 crash of Flight 5191 shortly after takeoff.

Motorcycle Accident Lawsuit Settled for $1.75 Million

A man who lost his leg in a motorcycle accident after running over a pothole has settled his lawsuit with Gloucester County, New Jersey, for $1.75 million, the man's attorney said Thursday.

Idaho Jury Exonerates Ford Motor Co., Holds Driver Responsible in $31 Million Verdict

On March 8, a Blaine County jury awarded the family of Hailey teenager Jess Matey $31 million following a 2004 accident. Matey was the passenger in a 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trak that rolled, resulting in his permanent brain injury.

Class-Action Lawsuit Filed against Whirlpool

A class-action lawsuit has been filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, alleging that Whirlpool Corporation had prior knowledge of the defective design of its side-by-side refrigerators.

Mother Sues Retailer After Daughter Injured by Shoe Battery

A Moyock, North Carolina, mother has filed a lawsuit alleging that her 2-year-old daughter sustained serious injuries from a pair of play shoes that had blinking lights.

Jury Begins Deliberation in Construction Accident Case

A jury in Tippecanoe County, Indiana, has begun deliberations in a lawsuit alleging that a Lafayette general contractor is liable for injuries sustained by a worker who was permanently disabled after a 12 foot fall.

Widow, Construction Company Reach Settlement in Negligence Suit

Three days before the start of civil proceedings, the widow of a man who drowned in Florida's Homosassa River agreed to settle her lawsuit with the construction company she alleged was partly responsible for his death.

Settlement Reached in Crane Collapse

Attorneys for a construction worker who was injured two years ago after a crane collapsed at a job site have reached an undisclosed settlement with the owner of the crane.

Drug Charges Dismissed After Judge Rules Firefighter Illegally Searched House

Following a ruling that a firefighter illegally searched a house after an explosion in a nearby shed, the drug charges against a rural Vernon Center, Minnesota, couple have been dropped.

Injuries, Fatalities during Bike Week in Central Florida

Two motorcyclists were seriously injured as Bike Week in Central Florida came to a close yesterday.

Montana State University Football Player Pleads Not Guilty to Drug Charge

Andre Fuller, a Montana State cornerback, is accused of selling 4.6 grams of cocaine to a confidential informant working for the Missouri River Drug Task Force.

Pennsylvania Middle School Principle Arrested on Drug Charges

A Lehigh County middle school principle has offered his resignation after being charged with using and distributing crystal methamphetamine.

Law Firm Reports $2 Million Verdict in Asbestos Case against GM, Ford

The law firm representing a former Pawtucket, Rhode Island, resident who suffers from lung cancer said a jury awarded $2 million in damages after finding automobile makers GM and Ford liable for asbestos exposure.

Estate of Kansas City Worker Files Asbestos Suit

The estate of Robert Briggs recently filed a lawsuit against 94 corporations claiming his death was due to asbestos exposure caused by the defendants' negligence.

Concern Sparked over Plan to Allow Mexican Trucks on U.S. Highways

After a 25-year ban, Mexican trucks will once again travel the American highway system thanks to a new cross-border trucking pilot program.

9 Killed in Bronx Fire; Space Heater May Be to Blame

A March 7 fire in a three-story home near Yankee Stadium resulted in the deaths of one adult and eight children and injuries to ten others. Several children remain in critical condition.

DuPont to Test Wells in Ohio and West Virginia for Teflon Chemical

DuPont has plans to begin testing hundreds of wells for the presence of a chemical used to make Teflon that has been found in the blood of Ohio and West Virginia residents.

Benzene Suit Filed in Madison County against More Than 10 Major U.S. Corporations

On the behalf of the estate of David W. Baglin, Karen Walker of Troy, Illinois, filed a lawsuit in Madison County last month against more than 10 major U.S. corporations. Her suit claims Baglin died of myeloma caused by chronic exposure to benzene, a known carcinogen.

Former Nurse Receives $1.65 Million in Truck Accident Lawsuit

A former nurse at Sarasota Memorial Health Care System in Florida recently agreed to a $1.65 million settlement with the truck driver who caused her permanent brain damage in a vehicle accident.

Car's Remote Triggers Explosion of Acetylene Gas in Trunk: New Hampshire Man Injured

When the Salem, New Hampshire man used a wireless remote to pop the trunk of his 2003 Ford Taurus, the electrical charge ignited acetylene gas that had leaked from a tank in the car's trunk.

Couple Awarded $400,000 in Medical Malpractice Suit

On Wednesday, a jury in Farmington, Maine, awarded $400,000 to an elderly couple for injuries the husband suffered while being treated at Franklin Memorial Hospital.

Dangerous Chemicals Leak into Ohio River

Authorities in Illinois have closed a two-mile stretch of the Ohio River after a towboat pushing a chemical-laden barge rammed into the Brookport Dam, causing some of the barge’s toxic cargo to leak into the river.

State Lawmaker Introduces Bill to Ban Certain Chemicals in Children’s Products

A San Francisco assemblywoman has presented new legislation that would enact a statewide ban on child care products and toys made with certain chemicals that have been linked to adverse health effects.