Jefferson City Personal Injury Lawyer

Lawsuit Filed Against Drunk Driver in Wisconsin

Jenny Albano — Fri, 09 May 2008 01:42:42 GMT

A lawsuit was filed against a former surgeon who ran his SUV into a car in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, killing a pregnant women and her 10 year-old daughter.

The car accident that occurred on April 25, 2008 killed 39 year-old Jennifer Bukosky, the fetus she was carrying, and later her daughter Courtney Bella. Bukosky's 12 year-old son survived the crash with only minor injuries and another child that was in the car, Debbie Gibbs, incurred permanent injuries.

The lawsuit states that Gibbs deserves damages due to her permanent injuries and Bukosky's husband should recieve money for the loss of his wife, unborn baby, and daughter.

Mark Benson, 55, of the town of Summit, has been charged with three counts of homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle. Authorities say Benson, who has three previous convictions for driving while under the influence of intoxicants, plowed his SUV into the rear end of the victims' vehicle that had stopped for a red light.

Prosecutors have said that Benson took a prescription drugs before the accident occurred. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for the surgeon next week. Defendants in the lawsuit include Benson and two insurance companies.

Mike Farney, the father of Jennifer Bukosky, is trying to get teens to try and get laws on impaired driving changed. He is encouraging teens affected by his daughter's death to get laws that allow repeat drunk driving offenders to continue to drive changed.

Jefferson City Car Accident Injures Three

Shannon Weidemann — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 21:06:07 GMT

A car accident in Jefferson City sent three people to the hospital early Monday morning. The accident happened on Tanner Boulevard when two cars going opposite directions hit one another.

The

southbound vehicle crossed the center line, skidding into the passenger side of a northbound car. His vehicle then was pushed into another vehicle parked on the road.

The driver in the first vehicle was not hurt. The driver and two passengers in the other vehicle were all hurt and taken to Capital Region Medical Center. Their condition is unknown. The driver of the second vehicle was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident. The police are still investigating the accident. It is unknown what caused the accident.

If you would like to learn more about car accidents, please visit InjuryBoard's Car Accident information page.

Dollar Tree Stores is Recalling Mini Glue Guns Due to Fire, Burn, and Shock Hazards

Jenny Albano — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 01:14:32 GMT

Dollar Tree Stores Inc., in conjunction with the CPSC, is recalling about 253,000 Crafters Square Hot Melt Mini Glue Guns due to fire, burn, and shock hazards.

The recalled glue guns can short circuit, which can cause the gun to smoke and catch fire. This may pose a fire, burn and shock hazards to consumers who use the mini glue guns. So far the company has received seven instances where the glue guns short circuited, and two of those instances resulted in injuries, electrical shocks and burns.

The glue guns dispense hot glue and are intended for craft projects. The recalled glue gun is black with a yellow trigger and is approximately 4 1/2 inches from the back of the gun to the tip. Attached is a 44-inch electrical cord. "Crafters Square" and product number 818261-72 or 818261-75 are located on the guns' packaging.

The Crafters Square Hot Melt Mini Glue Guns were sold at Dollar Tree, Dollar Bill$, Dollar Express, Greenbacks, Only One $1, and Deal$ stores across the country from February 2007 to August 2007. The product was manufactured in China.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Defective and Dangerous Products.

Deere & Company Recalls John Deere Utility Vehicles

Jenny Albano — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 23:47:15 GMT

Deere & Company, in conjunction with the CPSC, is recalling about 5.400 John Deere Gator Utility Vehicles because there is a risk of injury.

The brake calipers in the front of the utility vehicles may have been installed incorrectly, causing the vehicle to pull to one side during braking. This poses an injury hazard to consumers.

So far there have been no injuries reported to Deere & Company. The utility vehicles were sold at John Deere retailers from June 2007 to September 2007.

The vehicles that were recalled were XUV and HPX Gator models and have "John Deere", "Gator", "HPX" and "XUV" are printed on the side of the cargo box. The following models were recalled:
Model Serial Number
XUV 620i Gas MOXUVGX013294-016669
XUV 620i Gas MOXUVGT011480-012186
XUV 850D Diesel MOXUVDX011917-013329
XUV 850D Diesel MOXUVDT010001-010449
HPX 4X4 Diesel MOHP4DX050877-051453
HPX 4X4 Gas MOHP4GX051221-052763
These numbers can be found on the serial number plate which is on the frame of the vehicle.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Defective and Dangerous Products.

Those Killed in Helicopter Collision Honored

Jenny Albano — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 14:03:47 GMT

People visited the site where two helicopters crashed to leave flowers, cards, and candles for the four passengers who died in the tragic accident. A TV station that used one of the helicopters for the news, aired a video tribute to the deceased on Sunday morning.

Those killed include Scott Bowerback and Jim Cox, the pilot and the photographer of the KTVK helicopter. On board the KNXV helicopter were reporter-pilot Craig Smith and photographer Rick Krolak.

The two aircrafts collided while covering a police chase. The man being chased by the police had vacated his pickup truck to hijack another car when the accident occurred. Witnesses stated that neither helicopter seemed to be having problems before they collided into one another. The wreckage will be examined in a different location and the NTSB plan to have preliminary reports announced by the end of the week.

Christopher J. Jones, 23, has been accused of leading police on the chase and has been jailed in lieu of $1 million bond. He has been booked into jail on counts of assault, theft and resisting arrest. He might also be charged in connection with the helicopter deaths, police have said.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Airlines, Cruises, Buses, and Other Mass Transit Accidents.

Canned Meat Recalled Due to Botulism Risk

Jenny Albano — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 08:42:47 GMT

Yesterday, the FDA recalled cans of hot dog chili sauce under different brand names because they may be contaminated with a bacterium that causes botulism. The chili sauce was manufactured by Castleberry's Food Company, located in Augusta Georgia. Four people have been hospitalized due to the chili sauce.

Now the company has recalled around 721,389 pounds of canned meat products that may contain the same bacteria. The recalled meat was processed on the same equipment as the hot dog chili sauce, and was produced around the same time.

According to a spokesperson for the USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service, there is no evidence that the recalled meat products were associated with any illnesses, the recall is a precautionary measure.

The canned meat has production dates from April 30 to May 22, 2007 and includes, chili, corned beef hash, and barbecue pork in BBQ sauce. The meat was distributed in 24 different states.

The hot dog chili sauce and the meat products were produced at around the same time the Georgia plant had a production problem.

About two months ago, cans were coming out of a heating and sterilizing process too hot before going into a cooling canal. Company officials stopped production because they wanted to make sure cans had not expanded and possibly allowed contamination. A check of can contents by independent evaluators also found no problems.

The sauce was found to be the source of the outbreak after investigators tested the Indiana couple's leftover food. All four people to eat the contaminated chili sauce became seriously ill and had to be put on ventilators.

Clostridium botulinum bacteria, which causes botulism, can be potentially fatal. Symptoms of botulism include blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, and muscle weakness that moves down the body.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Defective and Dangerous Products.

New Zealand Patients Injured by Zyprexa

Jenny Albano — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 15:58:31 GMT

New Zealand patients who took the drug Zyprexa and were injured may be eligible to join a class action suit in the U.S. against the manufacturer Eli Lilly. A lawyer named Simon Harrison is acting for the victims who have had life-threatening side-effects from the drug.

Zyprexa is one of the four main drugs that is used for the treatment of mental illness in New Zealand. Some of the dangerous side-effects include diabetes, hyperglycemia, pancreatitis, and ketoacidosis. Since the release of Zyprexa, the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration has had reports of 40 deaths and 1231 problematic reactions from people taking the drug.

Director, Mira Harrison-Woolrych, said the drug had generated hundreds of reports of adverse reactions, but this was not surprising because the agency had taken "a proactive approach. The fact olanzapine is still licensed in New Zealand shows clinicians believe the benefits outweigh the risks.

Harrison states that Eli Lilly knew about the adverse side-effects as early as 1997 and has been downplaying them ever since. New Zealand has a no-blame system, which means the victims of the drug would receive no compensation for their injuries unless they could participate in the U.S. class action.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Drugs, Medical Devices, and Implants.

Wrongful Death Causes Linked to Spinach Settled

Shannon Weidemann — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 16:14:54 GMT

Last year over 200 people became sick after eating spinach that had been contaminated with E. coli. Three families that lost loved ones sued the companies that sold the spinach for wrongful death. Those cases have now been settled out of court, but their terms have been sealed.

Natural Selection Foods spokeswoman Samantha Cabaluna said: "We are hopeful that these settlements bring some closure."
"Everyone at Natural Selection Foods remains deeply saddened by the human toll of the outbreak," Cabaluna said. "As we said we would do from the beginning we tried to work as honestly, fairly and expeditiously as possible to resolve the cases."

There are still almost 90 cases pending over the contaminated spinach. Investigators believe pigs may have spread E. coli in the spinach field.

Jefferson County Man Killed in Car Accident

Shannon Weidemann — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 14:55:38 GMT

A man driving south on U.S. 11 was killed after he hit a utility pole. The victim was 24-years-old. The accident was in Pikeside, West Virginia around 2 a.m.

A woman who was riding with Jackson in the 1992 Dodge Caravan left the scene and was found at a house, Kearns said. The passenger is not being identified because her age and address were not available Sunday.
The woman was hurt, but her injuries did not appear to be life-threatening, Kearns said.
Kearns said the woman gave a statement to police in which she said she did not recall the crash. The woman struck her head on part of the car during the crash, Kearns said.

Police are still investigating the accident. They believe that alcohol was responsible for the accident. If you have any information, please contact the Police.

Vets Taking Many Calls About Pet Food Recall

Shannon Weidemann — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 18:40:57 GMT

Veterinarians and pet stores have been taking a large volume of calls since Menu Foods announced the huge pet food recall. They are trying to give nervous dog and cat owners the answers they are looking for. The two hotlines that Menu Foods have set up are often busy.

Well-known names such as Eukanuba, Iams and Science Diet are at least partly affected by the recall, which covers dog food sold throughout North America under 51 brands, and cat food sold under 40 brands. Some of the food is sold under store brands and carried by chains including Wal-Mart, Kroger, which operates Food-4-Less, and Safeway, which owns Dominick's.
The recall covers 60 million cans and pouches of wet-style food made by Menu Foods, a Canadian company. Bags of dry dog and cat food are not involved in the recall.
Other companies -- Nestle Purina PetCare Co., Procter & Gamble and Hill's Pet Nutrition Inc. -- said that as a precaution they were voluntarily recalling some products made by Menu Foods.

The pet food may cause kidney failue in cats and dogs. You can find all the recalled brands by visiting this website: http://www.menufoods.com/recall. Most pet stores and veterinarians are helping the best that they can. Some have placed recorded messages on their phone lines directing callers to the Menu Foods hotlines.