Motorcycle Riders Learn About Riding in May with National Motorcycle Awareness Month

Posted on 17/05/2011 by jnlaem Leave a comment

Motorcycle riders learn about riding in May with National Motorcycle Awareness Month, because this is when authorities warn motorcycle riders of the dangers, remind them there are courses that can be taken and ask drivers to take notice of motorcycles on the road. This is an important month in which the rider is warned and the drivers of autos of the amount and type of accidents that happen.

These agencies include the California Highway Patrol that released the 2009 motorcycle accident statistics that show there were 396 people killed during that year in motorcycle accidents and in these crashes 383 of the riders killed were the operator of the motorcycle. The amount of motorcycle injuries due to crashes totaled 11,488 in the state of California. This means that riders injured in San Diego were included in these figures. The number of riders killed in motorcycle crashes was down from prior years, with 553 people killed in 2008 and 474 people killed in 2007.

Motorcycle riders learn about riding in May with National Motorcycle Awareness Month and the fact that the amount of motorcycles registered total about 3 percent nationwide, yet they equal about fifteen percent of all traffic fatalities.  It is also reported that brain injuries are the leading type of injury and ones that also cause death or severe injuries.

The three agencies that are involved in National Motorcycle Awareness month, the California Highway Patrol, the American Motorcycle Association and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration agree that many motorcycle crashes could be avoided if drivers were more alert. The statistics show that approximately 80 percent of motorcycle crashes result in the rider being injured or killed, which is compared with only 20 percent of drivers. This shows that motorcycle riders are more vulnerable than the driver of a vehicle and the only real protection that the motorcycle rider has is their helmet that meets DOT specifications.

These are important things for motorcycle riders to know about and they should also be aware of the fact that when involved in a motorcycle accident in San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Monica or any other city in California or nationwide.  It is important to be represented by an experienced motorcycle accident attorne that will be able to hold the negligent driver accountable for their actions on the road that cause the rider to be injured.

Motorcycle Law

Leaving the Driveway on a Motorcycle can Mean Being Injured

Posted on 23/04/2011 by jnlaem Leave a comment

Leaving the driveway on a motorcycle can mean being injured, because the motorcycle accident statistics show that most motorcycle crashes take place on short trips, rather than long motorcycle vacations. The majority of motorcycle crashes are caused by negligent drivers, which means that even when the rider is following all of the traffic laws and going the speed limit they can be involved in a serious crash. Any crash on a motorcycle, even at a slow speed can result in serious injuries, since the rider will be thrown from the bike and they will hit the pavement.

Hitting the pavement on a motorcycle means the only protection that the rider really has is their helmet, which can prevent fatal brain injuries, but there can still be serious head injuries sustained in a motorcycle crash, along with broken bones, neck injuries, back injuries, scrapes, cuts and gashes. The driver that is involved in these collisions usually is not injured, because they have the advantage of seatbelts, airbags and the metal enclosure of the vehicle, even though they have caused the collision.

Leaving the driveway on a motorcycle can mean being injured in Long Beach and when the rider is injured it will take time to heal, there will be medical treatment, possible surgery and ongoing medical care, possible rehabilitation therapy and loss of work. In some cases the injuries are so severe they can cause a lifelong disability and this can mean in home nursing care and a change in lifestyle for the family.

When a motorcycle crash happens close to home in Long Beach the injured rider will need to find an attorney to represent them and the best attorney for this type of collision is the experienced motorcycle injury lawyer. This type of attorney specializes in motorcycle crashes, they understand the mechanics of bikes, they know the laws that apply to motorcycle collisions, they can be aggressive with insurance companies and they know the motorcycle collision statistics.

The motorcycle injury lawyer can ensure the motorcycle rider involved in a crash has the advantage of recovering the amount of compensation that they deserve, rather than the low amount the driver’s insurance company will offer the injured rider. Using an attorney that is not experienced in motorcycle crashes will mean winning a lower amount of recovery, because they do not have a full knowledge of motorcycle laws or the resources of the experienced motorcycle injury attorney, such as the Los Angeles County personal injury lawyer at Ehline Law Firm PC at 633 W 5th St #2890, Los Angeles, CA 90071. 213.596.9642.

Motorcycle Law

Pedestrian Struck By SUV in Santa Ana

Posted on 24/03/2011 by jnlaem Leave a comment

March 23, 2011-According to reports a man was struck by an SUV in Santa Ana. According to Santa Ana Police Comdr. Steve Colon, a 31 year old man was struck by a Ford Expedition on Tuesday night at approximately 9:30 p.m. in the vicinity of the 2100 block of South Fairview Street.

Cmdr. Colon stated that it appears the pedestrian stepped out onto the street unexpectedly, and the incident is still under investigation.
The 31 year old Orange County resident was transported to the hospital with serious injuries and according to Cmdr.

Colon said they do not believe that alcohol was factor in the accident. The driver of the Ford expedition remained at the scene and was uninjured. It looks like these guys will be needing a Santa Ana personal injury attorney doesn’t it? Anyways, this is typical of what we deal with here in So.Cal.

Accidents in the News

Car Accidents: The Dangers of SUV Rollovers

Posted on 20/03/2011 by jnlaem Leave a comment

About the Author: Neil Murray is a preeminent Philadelphia personal injury attorney and partner at the law firm of Sheridan & Murray. As a former Philadelphia Assistant District Attorney, Neil is passionate about protecting the rights of victims. He is an advocate for automobile safety and provides legal counsel to those affected by these dangerous and defective vehicles.

Many factors go into the decision to purchase a car. Since the late 1990’s, the popularity of the sport utility vehicle (SUV) has risen. Buyers have been drawn to the SUV’s large cabins, higher seat height, and the perception that these vehicles were safer than other types of cars. This perception of safety is not always accurate. SUVs are more susceptible to rolling over during an accident compared to other vehicles. SUVs can be more prone to rollover due to a higher center of gravity caused by a higher ground clearance and a wheel base not wide enough to balance the vehicle during sharp maneuvers.

Drivers and passengers alike can sustain significant and permanent injuries during an SUV rollover. One cause of these injuries is the ejection of a person’s body through the window of an SUV during the rollover. A person can be severely injured even if only part of their body is ejected through the window. According to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly 10,000 people died each year in rollover accidents for the last decade. This accounts for 25% of all fatal traffic accidents. However, in January 2011, the NHTSA announced that automakers will be required to take steps to prevent unbelted passengers from being ejected in vehicle rollovers.

The regulation, which will become effective in 2013, will require vehicle manufacturers to develop a countermeasure for light passenger vehicles under 10,000 pounds that prevents the equivalent of an unbelted adult from moving more than 4 inches past the side window opening in the event of a crash. Side curtain air bags will be made larger to cover more of the window opening, more robust to remain inflated longer, enhanced to deploy in side impacts and in rollovers, and made not only to cushion but also made sufficiently strong to keep an occupant from being fully or partially ejected through a side window. All newly manufactured vehicles will be required to provide this protection by model year 2018.

“Rollover crashes are the deadliest of all crash types and this is another important step in our efforts to reduce fatalities and serious injuries that result from them,” said David Strickland, of the NHTSA in a recent press release. “Safety is our highest priority,” said US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood in a press release. “This new standard will help save lives and reduce injuries by requiring vehicles to have a safety system that keeps occupants in the vehicle in a rollover crash.” If you have been injured or tragically lost a family member or loved one in a rollover accident, contact the firm of Sheridan & Murray to let our team investigate your claim. A design defect or flaw may be the cause of your accident, and we committed to holding the responsible party accountable.

Injury Attorney Articles

Pro Volley Ball Player Sues Huntington Beach for Injury

Posted on 08/02/2011 by jnlaem Leave a comment

February 7, 2011- According to reports a professional volleyball player has filed a legal suit against Huntington Beach after being injured.

Olivia Waldowski age 26 of Fountain Valley has brought a legal suit against Huntington Beach after being injured. Also named in the suit is the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour, since Waldowski was injured during a tournament that was held near the city pier.

The incident occurred on June 3rd when she sustained severe cuts and bruises on her leg, when diving for a ball and landed on a chunk wood that was buried under the sand.

The pro volleyball player was taken to the hospital and received numerous stitches and according to then personal injury lawsuit was unable to play the remainder of the season.

Waldowski’s lawsuit that was filed January 4th states that the city and AVP did not properly dredge the surface of the sand and did not make it safe.

This is the second claim Waldowski has filed, with the first claim against the city filed on October 28th, which was denied. This lawsuit was filed as an unlimited civil case, which could be at least $25,000 in compensation.

Accidents in the News

Rogue Atlanta Cops Sodomize Men During Traffic Stop

Posted on 29/01/2011 by jnlaem Leave a comment

Here is another example from the “dirty dirty”, of when a tort meets emergency medicine. This story by one of our contributors from back east, shows how easily a tort, in this case sodomy against police suspects, can cause the need for a personal injury lawyer, as well as a psychologist and medical doctor. Enjoy this crazy story.

By: Peter Egan Jr

January 28, 2011
ATLANTA, GA – A group of Atlanta cops from the department’s scandal-ridden “Red Dog” unit have landed themselves in hot water amid allegations they sodomized two innocent men during a traffic stop in broad daylight on highly-trafficked Fulton Street.

The rogue cops used narcotics as a ruse to strip the men naked and have their way with them. No drugs were found on either victim, and the police had no valid reason to suspect the men were in possession of contraband.

Brian Kidd, one of the victims of the assault, said that Atlanta’s finest pulled him over and forced him to completely remove his pants in broad daylight and in full-view of both other motorists and pedestrians. However, what the officers did to Kidd’s passenger Shawn Venegas is even more grotesque.

Like Kidd, Venegas was forced by the Atlanta police to publicly strip naked. Officers then took turns touching, poking, prodding and massaging Venegas’ anus, rectum and genitals in full-view of the public.

“I feel molested, and I feel like I was raped,” said Venegas, who was so traumatized by the incident that he was forced to move to another state.

It is not uncommon for victims of sexual trauma to experience an litany of mental health problems in the wake of their assaults. Victims of sexual violence often find themselves suffering from such things as insomnia, humiliation, low self-esteem, anxiety and depression, just to name a few.

Two of the three officers involved in the assault were named in the infamous Atlanta Eagle bar raid, in which Atlanta police stormed a gay bar in downtown Atlanta and forced the patrons to lie on the ground while officers touched them inappropriately — some of them at gunpoint. The city recently settled a lawsuit stemming from the raid.

Atlanta’s “Red Dog” unit specializes in providing a police presence in areas that are frequented by narcotics dealers and other Atlanta residents who are addicted to drugs and alcohol.

This incident is hardly the first time the members of the department’s Red Dog unit abused their power for their own sexual gratification. Officers from the Red Dog unit have apparently made a habit of stripping, fondling and using fingers to penetrate random men at gunpoint.

“I’ve heard many stories from citizens who were stripped in public by Red Dog,” said Dan Grossman, was the lead attorney in the Atlanta Eagle case.

“The Atlanta Police Department is in the process of concluding the internal investigation into this matter. There is evidence to suggest that some of the officers’ actions during this traffic stop were inappropriate,” department spokesman Carlos Campos said. “As a result, Chief Turner intends to move swiftly to discipline some of the officers with actions – up to, and including, dismissal.”

It is not clear if the officers involved will be charged with sexual assault, sexual battery and/or aggravated sexual battery — charges that would require the criminal cops to register as sex offenders if convicted.

Also unclear is whether or not the two victims have retained attorneys, and whether or not they plan to pursue litigation against the corrupt cops.

Intentional Tort News

Electric Shock Injuries are Potentially Deadly

Posted on 26/01/2011 by jnlaem Leave a comment

Our Journal of Accident Emergency Medicine for tort victims addresses the issue of burn and injuries from shock. Electric shock injuries are potentially deadly, because electricity going through the body can stop the heart, as well as damage other vital organs. This is known as ventricular fibrillation when electricity goes directly through the heart, which often begins with the hand coming in contact with live electricity. This is because electricity is unlike other injuries, when it enters the body it also needs an exit point and with the hand it travels across the chest, through the heart and out of the other hand.

The family of the electric shock victim that has died because of their injuries should be aware that electrocution is usually due to negligence, whether it occurs in the workplace, because of a downed power line or at home because of an appliance. This negligence means that the employer, manufacturer or utility company can be held responsible, because they have a duty to keep people safe.

Not everyone that comes in contact with electricity is killed, but electric shock injuries are potentially deadly. Even the person that is not immediately killed can die from the damage the electricity has done to internal organs. At the least when a person comes in contact with low voltage electricity they will have electrical burns where the electricity entered the body and where it exited the body. It can do serious nerve damage, cause fractured bones, damage the muscles and tissue in the body where the electricity has traveled through the body.

There are everyday items that can cause electric shock or electrocution, like the downed power line that can happen because it is not secured properly or comes down due to a vehicle accident. They can occur due to a faulty surge protector in the home and from unprotected electrical wires. The workplace is another place where electric shock or electrocution can occur and there are some professions where the worker is at a higher risk, like the construction field where people are using metal ladders in an area where there might be electrical wiring, in the industrial field where there are machines, possible water on the floor that can reach electrical outlets. The electric shock or electrocution can occur in any city and this includes San Bernardino.

The person that has suffered an electric shock or the family of a person that has been electrocuted can hold the negligent party responsible, whether it is a utility company, employer or manufacturer. In San Bernardino the best possible attorney to protect your rights or the family members rights after an electric shock or electrocution is the experienced electric shock attorney.

Electrocution

Atwater Industrial Accident Fatal for One Worker Trying to Save Two Other Workers

Posted on 22/01/2011 by jnlaem Leave a comment

January 21, 2011-According to reports one worker died while trying to help two other workers. The Friday morning accident that caused the death of one person occurred when he was trying to help two other colleagues that fell unconscious when they were overcome with ethanol fumes.

At the time of the accident they were cleaning blood plasma from a container at Atwater Village pharmaceuticals. According to Los Angeles Fire Chief Jaime Moore two employees were transported to Baxter Healthcare at 4501 W. Colorado Boulevard. The third employee was also transported to the facility and his identity was not released pending notification of the next of kin. Wrongful death law indicates that this could be headed towards a lawsuit.

The firefighters and paramedics were arrived at Atwater Village just prior to 4:00 a.m. and found two men collapsed inside of the container. A third man was collapsed outside of the container and unconscious. Firefighters became aware of the fumes and recognizing the threat wore protective clothing and breathing equipment, while removing the men from the container.

According to Chief Moore the employees were using a detergent to clean the blood plasma from the container that ethanol was used as a separating agent for the blood plasma when they were overcome by the fumes. An employee outside of the container called 911 and then entered the container to help the two employees when he was overcome by the fumes.

Do you want a construction accident attorney? There are many situations where you
will need one.

Accidents in the News, Construction Accidents

Orange County Pain Management Doctor Facing Charges of Prostitution and Racketeering

Posted on 22/01/2011 by jnlaem Leave a comment

January, 21, 2011 – Here is some personal and rather terrible legal news again, sad to report to you. This time it is involving some very outrageous allegations. According to various media reports, an Orange County doctor is facing charges of both prostitution and racketeering, along with charges from an earlier arrest. According to authorities the Orange County doctor was arrested Thursday as a part of a crackdown on pain management clinics. By the way this is a top Personal injury lawyer Orange County Esquire who also does medical malpractice and wrongful death attorney court cases in SoCal and OC:
El Dabe Law Firm
1120 Pacific Coast Hwy Suite A
Huntington Beach, CA 92648
Phone (714) 536-9366

All in all, the doctor in question, Mladen Antolic age 55 was first arrested in October after witnesses told investigators the doctor was allegedly distributing painkillers illegally out of his Hunter Creek home. In December the said doctor was arrested on an additional prescription drug trafficking charge. The latest arrest of Mladen Antolic is for several different charges that include purchasing prostitution and racketeering.
Obviously he needs a good lawyer or legal representation.

A search of Anatolic’s home in December, agents stated they found alprazolam bars, cocaine, oxycodone pills and five guns, along with $40,000 and an electronic money counter. Agents and the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation had Antolic, the owner of Mid Florida Rehabilitation under investigation when they arrested him again on Thursday charging him with eight more criminal charges. Antolic’s Mid Florida Rehabilitation business is located on West Colonial Drive.
Antolic is currently being held in the Orange County Jail.

In our opinion, the best pain management doctors don’t prescribe pain medications for an injury. The best pain management doctors look to an organic diet, that is anti inflammatory, and look to methods of encouraging the body to use its own properties to heal itself. There is no indication whether or not the above doctor was a Prolotherapy doctor treating various kinds of accidents and personal injuris in southern California and OC th golden state. But it is doubtful. Many have reported that honest doctors give these injections as a method of helping the body heal itself. But there are reputable pain management doctors, such as Marc Darrow. This guy teaches at a university, he helps people change their way of thinking in order to allow the to get healthy, and always stays positive and motivated. Check him out out at the Prolotherapy Institute. 11645 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 120 Los Angeles, CA (310) 231-7000.

Pain Management, Prolotherapy

Sump Pumps Recalled Due to Electrocution Risk

Posted on 16/01/2011 by jnlaem Leave a comment

January 15, 2011- According to reports ITT Water Technology Inc. and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission have issued a recall for approximately 21,000 sump pumps.

According to the ITT Water Technology Inc. based in Seneca Falls, N.Y. has issued a recall stating there is a danger of electrocution. The sump pumps were sold across the country and used in residential settings to pump wastewater and sewage. The recalled sump pumps were sold for new construction or as replacement pumps between December 2009 and July 2010. Removing them is a great way to avoid electrocution.

The sump pumps that have been installed without ground fault circuit interrupter protection can pose and electric shock or electrocution danger, according to studies proved there is the risk of an electrical shock hazard if the pumps are not installed with the ground fault circuit interrupter . The sump pumps come with the labels Goulds, Red Jacket, Bell and Gossett. The pumps that have the electric shock or electrocution hazard are sky blue and red in color.

There have been no injuries reported prior to the recall by ITT Water Technology, Inc. or the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Electrocution