Personal Injury

Published on: March 18, 2014

Three Fatalities, Numerous Injuries in South by Southwest Crash

Police reported yesterday that a third person died after being hit by a suspected drunken driver last week in Austin during the South by Southwest festival. Austin police spokeswoman Veneza Bremner stated that twenty-six-year-old Sandy Thuy Le died from injuries she sustained when she was struck early last Thursday outside The Mohawk music club. Rashad Owens, the driver of the vehicle, was fleeing police when he drove through a barricade and accelerated his car into a crowd of people in Austin’s Red River Entertainment District. Two people were pronounced dead at the scene and twenty-one others were injured.

Le remained in critical condition in the hospital ever since she was hit. Dr. Christopher Ziebell, the emergency department director at the University Medical Center-Brackenridge, stated that the two most critically injured patients sustained life-threatening head injuries. Le’s brother-in-law, Stuart Gates, said that Le was surrounded by family and friends when she passed away Monday. Gates said that Le’s family was offering prayers and words of support to the family of DeAndre Tatum, the other critically injured victim.

The individuals pronounced dead at the scene were thirty-five-year-old Steven Craenmehr, who was on a bicycle, and twenty-seven-year-old Jamie West, who was riding on a moped. Spokeswoman Kendra Clawson said five of the injured remained hospitalized on Monday at the University Medical Center. Among those who remained in the hospital were one person in critical condition and two people in serious condition.

3rd person dies from South By Southwest crash www.palmbeachpost.com March 17, 2014

Published on: January 30, 2014

Indiana Family Files Negligence Lawsuit Against Parasailing Company

by Friedland | Carmona

An Indiana family is suing a parasailing company that provided equipment to their daughter in Panama City Beach last summer. The daughter, seventeen-year-old Alexis Fairchild, suffered serious injuries on July 1, 2013, when the rope that was tethering her and her friend, Sidney Good, to a boat snapped. After the rope snapped, strong winds grabbed hold of the teenage girls and slammed them into a condominium building, a power line, and a parked car.

According to the Coast Guard, the major factors in the incident were the boat’s closeness to shore and severe weather conditions. Court records reveal that an attorney for Fairchild’s parents, of Huntington, Indiana, filed the negligence lawsuit last week against Aquatic Adventures Management Group in Bay County circuit court. Fairchild’s family is seeking more than $15,000 in the lawsuit. Aquatic Adventures has not released a statement concerning the suit at this time.

Indiana girl’s family sues parasailing company www.miamiherald.com January 22, 2013

Published on: January 2, 2014

Iowa Defends Personal Injury Lawsuit Brought by Pharmacist in California

by Friedland | Carmona

A University of Iowa pharmaceutical lab is facing an unusual personal injury lawsuit in California that has already cost the school thousands in legal fees and will likely cost it many thousands more. The state of Iowa is paying a Los Angeles law firm around $500 per hour to fight the lawsuit that was filed in February by a pharmacist who alleges she sustained painful eye injuries after exposure to a trial drug manufactured at UI Pharmaceuticals. A state panel approved using $27,000 of the university’s money to pay the legal fees, but those fees will continue to grow, as Iowa’s motion to dismiss the claim was rejected by a California judge last week.

Cynthia Wong, the plaintiff in the lawsuit, is a clinical pharmacist who works at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, which is a clinical trial site for pharmaceutical products. Her job requires her to regularly unpack boxes of drugs. She alleges that on March 3, 2011, a vapor was released from one of these boxes that caused injuries to her face and eyes. UI Pharmaceuticals made the sodium chlorite that was inside the vials located in the box for Neuraltus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Sharp Corp. processed and sent the package that allegedly caused Wong’s injuries. Wong describes her injuries as corneal abrasions, which involve scratches to the cornea that can cause blurred vision, redness, tears, and inflammation. According to Wong’s attorney, Alan Zacharin, Wong still suffers eye problems nearly three years after the exposure.

Wong’s lawsuit states that she sustained injuries because of safety defects in the design, manufacture, packing, and shipment of the product. The lawsuit goes on to say that the package should have come with instructions and warnings about the possibility for injuries so that Wong could have made “an intelligent decision regarding whether to unpack” the box. Wong’s injuries have allegedly caused her to incur medical expenses, miss work, and suffer a diminished earning capacity. She named UI Pharmaceuticals, Neuraltus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Sharp Corp. as defendants. The state of Iowa is incurring costs for UI Pharmaceuticals’ defense because UI Pharmaceuticals is a state entity.

U Iowa drug lab faces injury lawsuit in California, www.palmbeachpost.com December 31, 2013

Published on: January 1, 2014

Ohio Bus Passengers Bring Suit Against Greyhound

by Friedland | Carmona

Greyhound Lines, Inc. is facing a federal civil lawsuit brought by three passengers aboard a company bus that flipped over and crashed in Ohio in September. The three passengers who brought the lawsuit are Winston-Salem, NC resident Tyrone Allen, Detroit resident Rayvar Williams, and Halladay, TN resident Lorianne Stevens. The attorney representing the passengers in the lawsuit is Geoffrey Fieger, a lawyer from suburban-Detroit.

The three plaintiffs filed the lawsuit last Friday and requested a jury trial. They allege that Greyhound was negligent and inflicted emotional distress. The Greyhound bus was traveling from Cincinnati to Detroit with fifty-one people aboard on September 14 when it veered off Interstate 75 around twenty-five miles north of Cincinnati. The bus struck a fence and tree. Over thirty people were said to be injured in the accident. The driver of the bus, Dwayne Garrett, was cited by authorities for operating a vehicle without reasonable control. Alexandra Pedrini, a spokeswoman for Greyhound, stated Monday that the company will not discuss a pending lawsuit.

3 passengers file federal suit in Ohio bus crash, www.miamiherald.com December 30, 2013

Published on: December 31, 2013

Two Men on their way to Heat Game Struck by Bus at Omni Station

by Friedland | Carmona

Two men were hit by a bus at the Omni Station in Miami earlier this month. A forty-four-year-old man and a seventy-four-year-old man, accompanied by his twelve-year-old grandson, were on their way to a Miami Heat basketball game when the two men were hit by a bus at the driveway leading into the bus station, according to Miami-Dade police. A security guard quickly arrived on scene and attempted to keep everyone calm as they awaited rescue crews.

Lt. Ignatius Carroll, with the Miami-Dade police, stated that “the security guard who was at the station ran over and found a 44-year-old male that was part way under the bus and going into shock. He was able to keep this patient calm until fire rescue arrived.” After rescue crews arrived, the forty-four-year-old man was carefully pulled out from under the bus. He was then taken to Ryder Trauma Center with what appeared to be head trauma and a mangled hand. According to authorities, there were twenty individuals riding the bus at the time the accident occurred.

Two struck by bus at Omni Station in Miami, www.miamiherald.com December 16, 2013

Published on: December 23, 2013

Cyclist in Critical Condition after he was Struck by Pompano Beach Motorist and Caught on Back of Car for 2 Miles

by Friedland | Carmona

A bicyclist traveling in Broward County was critically injured Tuesday when he was struck by an automobile and caught in the car’s smashed rear window. The alleged driver of the vehicle, twenty-seven-year-old Axel Inostroza, continued driving for two miles after the bicyclist became stuck. Once Inostroza arrived at his townhouse in Pompano Beach, police allege that Inostroza removed fifty-three-year-old Craig Camlin from his car and threw Camlin behind bushes in a wooded area. Police said Inostroza then proceeded to hide his damaged Mustang and entered his townhouse to go to sleep. This information was allegedly obtained in a confession Inostroza later gave to investigators.

It was around 6:30 a.m. in the 5200 block of Northeast 18th Avenue when Inostroza’s Mustang struck Camlin, who was traveling in the same direction, according to Fort Lauderdale police. The back of Camlin’s bike was struck by the front-passenger side of the Mustang, which sent Camlin rolling over the roof of the car, where he got caught on the back window. A landscaping crew eventually found Camlin in the bushes around 9 a.m. and called authorities after they observed that Camlin was barely alive. Camlin was transported to North Broward Hospital, where he remained in critical condition late in the day on Tuesday with a nearly severed ear, spinal injuries, and a deep cut on his head. Police believe the spinal injuries could leave Camlin paralyzed.

Broward Sheriff’s deputies came across Inostroza at a Pompano Beach body shop when he was attempting to get his car repaired. The body shop contacted police after they noticed that the damage to Inostroza’s Mustang was consistent with the hit-and-run. Inostroza originally told investigators that he had struck a stop sign, but he later changed his story and confessed to hitting Camlin. According to a Broward prosecutor, Inostroza also admitted to drinking before the crash, but, based on the disparity in time between the crash and the time Inostroza was picked up, a DUI test could not be administered effectively.

Pompano Beach motorist charged with striking cyclist, then driving for 2 miles with injured man on back of car, www.miamiherald.com December 17, 2013

Published on: September 17, 2013

Tampa Hit-and-Run Leaves Two Road Workers Injured

by Friedland | Carmona

Two road workers in Tampa were struck by a car last Tuesday in the early morning hours while working along Tampa’s Dale Mabry Highway. The workers are now recovering from injuries sustained in the accident. A silver car driving down the highway veered off the road, jumped a curb, and hit the workers. Another worker witnessed the crash and attempted to chase after the automobile. However, the car sped away before police arrived on scene.

According to police, the third worker was able to obtain a partial license plate number. All three of these workers are employed by Stripe-A-Lot Paving. The company subcontracts with the City of Tampa. The names of the workers who were injured are Michael Madson and Craig Walls. Walls was treated at the scene of the accident. Madson was transported to Tampa General with minor injuries, including bruises and bumps. Authorities are still searching for the silver vehicle that struck and injured these workers.

2 Tampa road workers injured in hit-and-run, www.palmbeachpost.com September 10, 2013

Published on: August 30, 2013

Texas Jury Awards $32 Million to Family in Case Against Domino’s

by Friedland | Carmona

A jury awarded $32 million this week to the family of a Southeast Texas couple involved in a fatal crash caused by a pizza delivery driver in August 2012. The jury determined that the pizza chain was partially responsible for the accident by not enforcing a policy that delivery drivers’ vehicles be inspected. The fatal crash occurred in Beaumont, Texas, which is about ninety miles northeast of Houston. The driver lost control of his car while out delivering a pizza and hit a vehicle carrying Ruth Christopher and her husband Devavaram Christopher.

Sixty-five-year-old Ruth Christopher was pronounced dead the following day, while her now seventy-year-old husband survived, but suffered traumatic brain injury, leaving him unable to communicate. Investigators determined that the accident was caused by defective, worn tires on the delivery driver’s vehicle. One of the tires had no tread. Joshua Balka, the driver of that car, was also cited for speeding. In its verdict released on Tuesday, the jury determined that Domino’s was sixty percent responsible for the accident because it failed to enforce its vehicle inspection policy with its franchisees.

Chip Ferguson, an attorney for the couple’s family, stated that he also learned that “Domino’s enforces a tragically unsafe delivery method by providing bonuses and other incentives for fast delivery.” The Vice President of Communications for Domino’s, Tim McIntyre, offered the Ann Arbor, Michigan-based company’s condolences to the couple’s family. In an email, however, McIntyre said the company did not understand how it could be held “responsible for whether an independent franchise employee is driving on bald tires.” McIntyre stated that the company is saddened by the tragic accident, but it plans to appeal this decision.

Texas family awarded $32M in suit against Domino’s, www.miamiherald.com August 29, 2013

Published on: August 7, 2013

Los Angeles Man Arrested and Charged with Murder in Venice Beach Boardwalk Incident

by Friedland | Carmona

A Los Angeles man was arrested on suspicion of murder after he allegedly got into his vehicle Saturday evening and proceeded to drive onto Venice Beach’s pedestrian-only boardwalk, plowing down crowds as he accelerated. An Italian woman on her honeymoon was killed in this seemingly intentional hit-and-run and at least eleven others were injured. Thirty-eight-year-old Nathan Campbell was arrested after he entered a Santa Monica police station about two hours after the incident and informed police he was involved. Campbell remains in jail on $1 million bail.

A man was seen on Venice Beach boardwalk security cameras parking his car, getting out, surveying the area, and then getting back into his vehicle and speeding into the crowd of pedestrians. Hundreds of people in the area raced to get out of the path of the car as it sped down the boardwalk and eventually out of sight. Investigators said it was not immediately clear how fast the driver was traveling at the time of the incident.

The woman killed in the incident was thirty-two-year-old Alice Gruppioni. Another individual was critically injured and two others were in serious condition. At least eight others sustained less serious injuries. Louisa Hodge, a witness to the scene, described how horrifying it was, stating that people were “stumbling around, blood dripping down their legs, looking confused not knowing what had happened, people screaming.” Video of the scene showed the driver swerving from side to side and even running straight into some people.

Man arrested deadly LA boardwalk driving attack, www.palmbeachpost.com August 4, 2013

Published on: July 5, 2013

Ninety-One-Year-Old Woman Suffers Critical Injuries in Four-Vehicle Lake Worth Crash

by Friedland | Carmona

Four vehicles were involved in a crash Wednesday afternoon in suburban Lake Worth, leaving a ninety-one-year-old woman in critical condition. According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, Nelda Dupere, a Royal Palm Beach resident, was transported via Trauma Hawk to Delray Medical Center. The sheriff’s crash report revealed that Dupere was a passenger in a Honda that was struck from behind. It was shortly before 3:30 p.m. when a series of crashes occurred on State Road 7, north of Lake Worth Road.

According to the sheriff’s report, eighteen-year-old Riguel Jasbon, a Wellington resident, failed to stop for slowing traffic on State Road 7. He crashed his 1997 Toyota into the rear of the 2004 Honda where Dupere was located. The impact pushed the Honda forward into a third vehicle and the third vehicle was then thrown into a fourth car. The driver of the 2004 Honda was sixty-four-year-old Karen Amburn, a Royal Palm Beach resident. The sheriff’s office said she suffered minor injuries in the accident. Amburn’s Honda struck Kelly O’Connor’s Honda. O’Connor is a thirty-year-old Delray Beach resident. The driver of the fourth vehicle fled the scene. O’Connor and Jasborn did not sustain any injuries. The two passengers in Jasborn’s vehicle also escaped unharmed. There is no indication at this time that drugs or alcohol were involved in the accident. No charges have been filed and the crash is still under investigation.

Woman, 91, in critical condition after four-vehicle crash on Lake Worth Road, www.palmbeachpost.com July 3, 2013