Archive for 2010

Singer Faith Evans Gets 3 Years’ Probation, $300 Fine in DUI Arrest

Singer Faith Evans was sentenced recently to three years’ probation, after pleading no contest to misdemeanor reckless driving involving alcohol.

Cost of DUI Arrest, Conviction Higher than Most People Realize

If you drink and drive, even if you’re lucky enough not to cause an accident, you still risk severe damage to your financial security.

Extra Care Needed to Avoid Winter Car Accidents

Whether winter brings ice and snow where you live, or just a season of rain in an otherwise dry year, driving can become more dangerous.

Police in California City Consider Listing DUI Suspects on Facebook Page

At the request of a city councilmember, the police department in a Southern California city is considering listing those arrested for drunken driving on its Facebook page.

Defective Seatbelts Can Be Deadly

Consumers have every right to expect seat belts to perform properly in the event of an automobile accident; when they fail to do so and a serious injury or death results, victims and their families may have legal recourse under product liability law.

NTSB Adds Stronger State Helmet Laws to Its Most Wanted List

The National Transportation Safety Board is urging states to require all motorcycle riders to wear federally approved helmets.

About Construction Accidents

By nature, construction sites are dangerous environments fraught with potential hazards

Aging Population Causes Concern about Rise in Traffic Fatalities

In just a few more years, more than 20 percent of licensed drivers will be over the age of 65. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing is a matter of interpreting statistics.

The Tragedy of Hospital Negligence

Medical negligence occurs when a physician, surgeon, nurse, anesthesiologist, or other hospital worker fails to act as a competent peer would under the same circumstances.

About Defective Product Cases

Product liability law is a highly specialized and frequently complex area of personal injury law.

Drivers Can Expect DUI Checkpoints over Thanksgiving Weekend

It may be a little early to know if police in your community will set up DUI checkpoints for the coming Thanksgiving weekend, but, if history is an indicator, the chances are they will.

Most Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents

Record 15 North Dakota Motorcycle Deaths Stirs Helmet Use Debate

With its short motorcycle-riding season essentially finished, North Dakota has recorded 15 motorcycle deaths this year, exceeding the previous annual record of 13, set in 2008.

What to Consider When Selecting a Personal Injury Lawyer

There are several criteria you should keep in mind when choosing among the many personal injury attorneys vying for your business.

What Qualifies As a Personal Injury Lawsuit?

Personal injury law is a broad set of legal practice areas covering any case that involves an injury caused by someone else's negligence.

SUV Rollover Accidents Still an Issue

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that, on average, there are 280,000 rollover accidents each year, involving more than 10,000 deaths.

Surgeons’ Group Says ATVs More Likely to Kill than Motorcycles

Although people may feel safer on four wheels than on two, a national doctors’ group says that, in off-road rollover accidents, victims riding all-terrain vehicles are more likely to be killed than those riding motorcycles.

DUI Conviction Means Higher Cost for Auto Insurance

A conviction for driving under the influence will increase your car insurance premiums and could reduce the amount of coverage available to you.

NJ Woman Paralyzed in Motorcycle Crash Gets $850,000 Settlement

A New Jersey woman paralyzed in a 2006 motorcycle accident will receive $850,000 to settle a lawsuit against the county in which the accident occurred.

Vince Neil of Mötley Crüe Pleads Not Guilty to DUI, Speeding Charges

Singer Vince Neil of Mötley Crüe entered a plea of not guilty to misdemeanor drunken driving and speeding charges this week in Las Vegas.

Jury Awards $131 Million for Fatal 2001 Rollover of Ford Explorer

A Mississippi jury returned a $131 million verdict against Ford Motor Co. in a wrongful death lawsuit by the family of a man killed in a 2001 rollover of a Ford Explorer sport utility vehicle.

DUI Charges against California Undersheriff Dropped After Blood Retest

Drunken driving charges against an undersheriff were dropped because a retest showed the defendant’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was below the legal limit.

Hyundai to Pay Family of Motorcyclist Killed by Executive in DUI Crash

Hyundai reached a financial settlement last week with the family of a motorcyclist killed in a hit-and-run collision caused by a Hyundai executive who was driving drunk after a company event.

Seattle Judges Reinstate Breath Tests in County DUI Prosecutions

Breath tests can once again be used as evidence in the prosecution of drunken driving cases in the county that includes Seattle, Wash., according to a ruling by a panel of three King County District Court judges.

Deadly Asbestos Was Used in Materials Still Found in Many Buildings

Although asbestos was banned for most construction uses in the United States in 1989, there is still plenty of it around, in buildings built before it was known to cause cancer. The

Kentucky Court Gets Appeal in DUI Acquittal Based on Breath Test Burp

The Kentucky Supreme Court should decide by the end of the year if a judge had the right to decide that a burp was sufficient to invalidate an alcohol breath test in a drunken driving case.

Millions Spent to Protect Sales of Deadly Asbestos to Developing Nations

Although the U.S., the E.U., and dozens of other countries have banned or restricted the use of asbestos, the cancer-causing mineral is still widely used in developing countries.

Vehicle Crashes Ranked as Leading Cause of Teenage Deaths by CDC

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in every three teenage deaths is caused by a motor vehicle crash.

Pennsylvania Man Receives $2 Million Jury Award in Car Crash

A Beaver County, Penn., man injured in a car accident in October 2003 has received a jury award of more than $2 million.

Opinions Vary on Which are Most Dangerous Highways

Which are the most dangerous highways in America? That depends on who’s answering the question and the criteria applied.

SC Mayor Plea Bargains DUI Charge Down to Speeding Conviction

Drunken driving charges against the mayor of a small South Carolina coastal town were dropped recently in exchange for a guilty plea to a speeding charge.

New York No-Fault Law Changes 2010

New York is a pure no-fault state when it comes to motor vehicle accidents. The state's No-Fault law was established more than 30 years ago.

California State Rock May Lose Designation Due to Asbestos Content

The California State Legislature may strip serpentinite of its status as the state rock because it contains asbestos, some forms of which are known to cause deadly mesothelioma cancer.

Goodyear Settles $2 Million Miss. Crash Lawsuit Blaming Faulty Tire

Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. and a Southeastern tire retailer have agreed to settle a $2 million lawsuit blaming a faulty tire for a Mississippi crash that killed one man and injured two others.

Illinois Motorcycle Crash Victim Sues Car Driver for $50,000

An Illinois woman injured when the motorcycle on which she was a passenger collided with a car is suing the car’s driver for $50,000, claiming the defendant’s negligence was the cause of the crash.

DUI Arrest is Third for Rocker Vince Neil, Once Charged in Fatal Crash

Vince Neil, lead singer for the rock group Mötley Crüe, was arrested last month in Las Vegas for driving under the influence (DUI), shortly after declaring his sobriety.

Million Dollar Nebraska Tort Claim Blames County for Motorcycle Crash

Lancaster County, Neb., is partially to blame for a 2009 motorcycle accident, according to a $1 million tort claim filed by a woman injured in the accident.

Jury Awards $15 Million for Death of Sisters in Enterprise Rental Car Crash

A jury in California has ordered Enterprise Rent-A-Car to pay $15 million to the parents of two sisters killed in the 2004 fiery crash of a rental car that was subject to a safety recall.

New Findings May Lead to Diagnosis and Treatment of Mesothelioma

A group of university researchers in the United States, England, and Italy think they may have discovered how asbestos fibers cause the deadly cancer mesothelioma.

Probation Violation Gets Lindsay Lohan 90 Days in Jail, 90 Days in Rehab

Actress Lindsay Lohan was sentenced this week to spend 90 days in jail, followed by 90 days in a residential rehabilitation center, for violating terms of her probation for a 2007 drunken driving conviction by failing to attend several alcohol-abuse counseling sessions.

Louisville to Pay $835,000 for Death, Injuries Caused by Speeding Cop

The city of Louisville, Ky., will pay $835,000 as its share of a $1,335,500 settlement of a lawsuit over death and injuries caused by a Louisville Metro Police Officer speeding to work.

Warmer Weather Brings Increase in Motorcycle Use, Accidents

Each year, as winter turns to spring and spring turns to summer, the number of motorcycles on the road increases.

Church Ceiling Collapse Injures 12, Triggers Asbestos Investigation

After the recent collapse of a portion of the ceiling in a North Carolina church caused minor injuries to 12 people, local officials are investigating the possibility that the incident exposed dangerous asbestos fibers.

Wisconsin Man, 76, Gets Probation, Pays $1.2 Million for Hit and Run

A 76-year-old Wisconsin man who pleaded no contest to striking a man with his car and then driving away will serve 150 days of house arrest and three years’ probation, and pay the victim’s family $1.2 million.

Man Crippled in Florida Motorcycle Crash Awarded $5.2 Million

A Florida jury this month awarded $5.2 million to a man confined to a wheelchair because of a motorcycle accident. The former Air Force staff sergeant was injured when an 85-year-old woman drover her car into the path of his motorcycle.

Illinois Court Finds Employers Liable for Second-hand Asbestos Exposure

An Illinois appeals court has ruled that an employer may be held liable if an employee’s family member suffers damages because of second-hand exposure to asbestos fibers introduced into the home on an employee’s clothing.

Former MLB Pitcher Robertson Killed in California Motorcycle Crash

Former major league pitcher Jeriome Robertson was killed recently when he lost control of his motorcycle and crashed in his Central California hometown of Exeter, about 55 miles southeast of Fresno.

Major Summer Holidays Result in Extra DUI Checkpoints

Summertime is party time. With picnics, backyard barbeques, block parties, and three major holidays, it’s a natural. It’s also a time of year when law enforcement agencies try to discourage drunk driving by setting up DUI checkpoints.

Threat of Asbestos Exposure May Linger in Many Homes

When most people think about the health risk of asbestos in their homes, they usually think of attic and wall insulation, or shingles used for roofing and siding.

Like Cars, Motorcycles are Subject to Recalls Due to Safety Concerns

While recalls of cars over safety concerns have grabbed headlines in the last year, motorcycles have also been the subject of safety recalls.

New Jersey Bar Found Liable in $15 Million Fatal Drunk-driving Award

A New Jersey jury recently found a bar that served alcohol to a man involved in a drunk-driving hit-and-run accident liable for up to $15 million in the death of one accident victim and injuries to another.

Three’s Company Star Joyce DeWitt Gets Probation for DUI Conviction

Former sitcom star Joyce DeWitt has been sentenced to three years’ probation and a nine-month alcohol education program after pleading no contest to a drunk-driving charge in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Staged Auto Accidents Increasing, According to Insurance Crime Bureau

Staged car accidents are on the rise, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). From 2007 through 2009, questionable claims (QC) filed for suspected staged accidents rose 46 percent, according to a bureau report.

Closed Montana Mine Still Causing Asbestos-related Deaths

Twenty years after it was closed, the vermiculite mine in Libby, Montana, is still claiming victims. Each month, 15 to 20 people are diagnosed with asbestos illnesses at a clinic in the town that once supplied 70 percent of the U.S. demand for vermiculite building insulation.

Texas Man Awarded $250,000 for Injuries in Crash with Police Car

A man injured when his car was struck by a speeding police car was awarded $250,000 this month by the San Antonio, Texas, city council to settle his claim against the city.

Settlement Reached in Missouri Police Pursuit Wrongful-death Lawsuit

The parents of a Missouri teenager struck and killed by a hit-and-run suspect fleeing police reached a $275,000 out-of-court settlement with the city of Independence and a private emergency response provider.

Insurance Industry Group Urges Feds to Require ABS on All Motorcycles

An insurance industry group wants a federal agency to require anti-lock brakes on all new motorcycles, claiming the change could reduce motorcycle accident fatalities by more than a third.

Florida Jury Awards $14 Million for Mesothelioma Caused by Asbestos

A Florida man who developed mesothelioma after working with joint compounds containing asbestos in the 1970s has been awarded $14 million by a Miami-Dade County jury.

Defunct California Nonprofit Accused of Exposing Students to Asbestos

Three managers of a now-defunct California nonprofit set up to teach construction skills to young people knowingly exposed dozens of students to asbestos fibers, according to Merced County prosecutors.

Complaints to Feds Claim 89 Deaths from Toyota Acceleration

Complaints submitted to a federal agency blame spontaneous acceleration of Toyota vehicles for 89 deaths in the last ten years, up from a previous estimate of 52 deaths.

Judge Refuses Lindsay Lohan’s Request to Leave Town for Movie Set

Lindsay Lohan’s plans to make a movie in Texas were put on hold this week when a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge refused a request to ease the terms of the celebrity’s probation for driving under the influence.

Yaz Birth Control Remains Best Seller Despite Lawsuits, FDA Action

Despite being the subject of more than 1,000 lawsuits, conflicting safety evaluations, and strong U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) criticism, Bayer’s YAZ® birth control pills are the top selling contraceptives in the United States.

Settlements Reached in Five Shoulder Pain Pump Cases in Ohio

A medical pain pump maker has agreed to settle five personal injury lawsuits blaming the device for causing destruction of plaintiffs’ shoulder cartilage.

Preliminary Report Shows Motorcycle Deaths Down in 2009

Deaths due to motorcycle accidents in the United States may have been down by 10 percent nationally last year.

Louisiana Bill Would Ban Insurers from Penalizing for Chinese Drywall

A bill to prevent insurance companies from dropping coverage or raising rates for home and business owners whose property contains Chinese drywall was recently approved unanimously by the Louisiana State Senate Insurance Committee.

Kate Walsh, Ex-husband Divide Property with Coin Toss

Kate Walsh and ex-husband Alex Young ended their brief marriage with the help of a coin toss.

Johnson & Johnson Accused of Defrauding Nursing Home Patients

Drug giant Johnson & Johnson is accused of conspiring with pharmaceutical consulting and supply company Omnicare, Inc., to defraud nursing home residents across the country in a class-action lawsuit filed recently in a Los Angeles federal court.

Consumer Group Urges FDA to Halt Study of Diabetes Drug Avandia

A national consumer advocacy group is urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to end a safety study of the diabetes drug Avandia® begun in 2007, claiming the study puts patients at risk unnecessarily.

Grand-Am Driver Reinstated after Daytona Beach DUI Charges Dropped

Grand-Am Road Racing driver J.C. France, grandson of NASCAR founder Bill France, Sr., was reinstated last month for the Rolex Series after a five-month suspension resulting from his arrest by Daytona Beach police for driving under the influence (DUI) and narcotics possession.

Record $16.4 Million Toyota Gas Pedal Issue Fine May Not Be Last

Less than a month after agreeing to pay a record $16.4 million fine for waiting four months to inform federal safety officials of sticking gas pedals, Toyota Motor Corp. has been warned that more fines may be imposed if the company’s efforts to improve safety fall short.

Two Mississippi Families Sue Over Daughters’ Deaths in Yamaha Rhino

The parents of two 11-year-old Mississippi girls killed in the rollover of a Yamaha Rhino off-road vehicle are suing the company in a Georgia court.

Illinois Woman Settles with Johnson & Johnson in Duragesic Fentanyl Suit

An Illinois woman whose husband died from an overdose of the powerful prescription painkiller fentanyl has reached a settlement in her lawsuit against drug giant Johnson & Johnson and two of its subsidiaries involved in making and distributing the Duragesic® fentanyl patch.

Texas Lawsuit Claims Antibiotic Levaquin Caused Tendon Damage

A Texas woman has filed a class action lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson, alleging the company’s Levaquin® antibiotic caused her to suffer permanent tendon damage.

The Potential Causes of Cerebral Palsy

Some cases of cerebral palsy can be linked to causes that occurred prior to the birth of the baby while other cases can also be linked to a brain injury or an infection that occurs during the first months or years of a child's life. Learn more about the causes of cerebral palsy.

Hospital, Doctor, Nurse to Pay $9.5 Million to Settle Cerebral Palsy Suit

An Illinois woman will receive $9.5 million to settle a lawsuit blaming a hospital, a doctor, and a nurse midwife for causing cerebral palsy in her son, born at the hospital in 1996.