Jefferson City Personal Injury Lawyer

Two Killed In Callaway County Crash

Chrissie Cole — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:19:00 GMT

Two people from Holts Summit were killed in a car accident in Callaway County late Saturday, according to The Jefferson City Police Department.

Christina Smith, 25, was traveling northbound on U.S. 54 when she lost control of her vehicle as she tried to exit onto Missouri 94. Her car veered off the left side of the road, struck a guardrail and overturned.

Smith and her passenger, Simon Sanchez, 21, were both thrown from the vehicle and killed. At the time of the crash, neither Smith nor Sanchez was wearing a seatbelt.

The Jefferson City Police Department requested blood samples from the victims to determine if drugs or alcohol were factors. The investigation is ongoing.

For more information on car accidents and statistics, visit our Automobile Accident Help Center.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chrissie Cole

Railroad Worker Injury and Illness Statistics and Prevention

Margaret Embry — Thu, 28 May 2009 11:08:48 GMT

Railroad workers frequently encounter dangers on the job. The Department of Transportation's Federal Railroad Administration is a great resource for railroad workers and those interested in finding injury and illness statistics as related to railroad workers, as well as rail safety information and new legislation.

The Federal Railroad Administration's Office of Safety Analysis has compiled data from 2006 to February 2009 to show types and number of injuries and illnesses encountered by railroad workers. According to this data, there have been a total of 761 cases of employee occupational illness since 2006. The majority of these cases (422) are related to climatic condition injuries, such as heat exposure. Repetitive motion (work processes and tools), overexertion, highway-rail collision, exposure to fumes, aggravated pre-existing conditions, bodily function/sudden movement (sneezing, etc.), and exposure to poisonous plants are also among the top injuries and illnesses reported. There are several more types of injuries and illnesses with only one or two cases reported.

Within the Federal Railroad Administration is the Risk Reduction Program Division (RRP) which

assists the rail industry in establishing voluntary programs that identify and address risk and that include measurable goals and corrective action processes.

The RRP's main objective is to improve safety and build strong safety cultures, by developing innovative methods, processes, and technologies to identify and correct safety risk factors using “upstream” predictive data. It is the hope of this program to reduce the number of employee occupational injuries and illnesses.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Margaret Embry

Nursing Home Negligence: Signs, Causes, and Prevention

Margaret Embry — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 17:11:38 GMT

According to Nursing Home Abuse Resource, reports show that 30% of nursing home facilities in the United States are cited for instances of abuse. Even more alarming is the nursing home abuse statistics show that the majority of all nursing home abuse instances are never reported.

One prevalent type of abuse occuring in nursing home facilities is negligence. Negligence in nursing homes is many times the result of an understaffed facility with undertrained employees. Even though this neglect is not always malicious, the resident can be severely affected. Considering residents of nursing homes are often physically limited and may suffer mental impairments, the victim may not be aware of the neglect which leaves much of the responsibility of identifying and reporting this neglect to loved ones.

Signs of negligence include poor grooming/hygiene, sudden or severe weight loss, bruising, development of bedsores, heavy sedation in place of supervision, and sudden emotional changes. Furthermore, examples of the results of nursing home negligence inlcude:

Injury due to a fall; bedsores, pressure sores, and decubitus ulcers; malnutrition/dehydration; and insufficient medical care. Nursing home neglect may also result in inadequate supervision, which is especially dangerous for any patients suffering from dementia who may wander away from the home.

Prevention of nursing home negligence begins with recognizing the abuse before the situation becomes life-threatening. Residents who have frequent visitors have a better chance of being identified as nursing home neglect victims. If nursing home negligence is suspected, immediately begin documenting concerns in writing. Staff and management of the facility should be contacted as well as family members of other residents to discuss concerns about nursing home neglect in that facility.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Margaret Embry

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.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano

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.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

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.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano

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.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano

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.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano

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.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano

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.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano