On behalf of Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman, P.C. posted in Aviation Accidents on Wednesday, May 16, 2012
According to preliminary data released from the National Transportation Safety Administration, 2011 saw an increase last year in U.S. Civil general aviation accidents. Charter, tour, air taxi and medical flights, classified as Part 135 operations, experienced the greater increase in airplane accidents, whereas scheduled Part 121 air carriers, or Part 135 scheduled commuter operations, saw a second year of zero fatalities.
The "part' designation above does not differentiate the type of aircraft, but the activity performed with the aircraft. For commuter and commercial aviation, the regulations are much more intensive that it is for general aviation, which is what is what this report addressed. Although the larger commercial airplane accidents seem to make the news for frequently, overall, general aviation accidents account for the greater number of civil aviation accidents.
On behalf of Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman, P.C. posted in Truck Accidents on Wednesday, May 9, 2012
A wrongful death lawsuit involving a claim of automobile negligence against the patient of a caregiver ends with the jury awarding the victim's family more than a half million dollars in the case. A 59-year-old caregiver was accompanying her elderly patient to a diner when the now 81-year-old man drove his car onto the sidewalk while attempting to park, pinning his caregiver against a wall. She had gotten out of the vehicle before he attempted to park the car and lost a leg in the accident. She later died from her injuries.
An eight-person jury found the man negligent in the wrongful death suit last week and awarded the surviving family members $300,000 for their pain and suffering and $225,000 for wrongful death. Although both sides agreed the driver was negligent in the case, it was not without legal complications over the employment status of the victim. The defense argued the victim was employed and died while fulfilling her duties as an employee and was thus covered under workers' compensation laws.
On behalf of Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman, P.C. posted in Bus Accidents on Tuesday, May 1, 2012
In one of the deadliest crashes in the country's memory a big-rig truck carrying two trailers collided with a passenger bus carrying 70 people in Veracruz, Mexico, killing 43 and injuring several others. The bus accident occurred in the early morning hours in Southeastern Mexico last week, according to reports. Officials did not report a cause for one of the trailers carried by the truck to crash into the bus, nor did it say what was contained inside the trailers.
According to a spokesperson for the Veracruz government, the truck driver unhitched the rear trailer that had crashed into the bus and fled the scene. The bus involved in the accident was designed to carry 46 to 51 passengers, and with 70 people on board it was over capacity, according to the government spokesperson.
On behalf of Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman, P.C. posted in Aviation Accidents on Tuesday, April 24, 2012
A father who lost his daughter in a November 2010 crash involving a Piper Seminole plane is suing the plane's maker and several other companies named in the suit for strict liability and negligence. The plaintiff's 26-year-old daughter, a certified flight instructor, was a passenger on Piper Seminole four-passenger aircraft with the pilot and two other passengers when shortly after takeoff the pilot reported losing one of the engines.
The pilot received clearance to land from the control tower, however the plane crashed into the runway. Amazingly all four people onboard the aircraft survived the plane crash, but 3 of them were burned to death when the plane burst into flames immediately following impact. One passenger was taken to the hospital where he died from severe burns and smoke inhalation. The father claims the airplane's manufacturer knew of the design defects in the fuel lines in their aircraft.
On behalf of Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman, P.C. posted in Products Liability on Tuesday, April 17, 2012
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration wants to require automakers to incorporate a brake-throttle override system that will prevent sudden accelerations in all cars and light trucks. This would help drivers of vehicles that suddenly accelerate take back control of the vehicle. The proposal follows a 2009 fatal crash in San Diego involving a Lexus that led manufacturers of Toyota vehicles to recall millions of vehicles over design defects.
After the fiery crash, a series of stories ran in the media complaining of sudden acceleration in vehicles manufactured by Toyota Motor Corporation. The Lexus model is manufactured by Toyota. The media coverage led to a series of highly-publicized congressional hearings calling for tougher federal regulations.
On behalf of Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman, P.C. posted in Products Liability on Tuesday, April 10, 2012
The United States Food and Drug Administration has issued yet another warning on the antidepressant drug citalopram, brand named Celexa, manufactured by Forest Laboratories. This time the warning surrounds the drug's dosage recommendations because of concerns it could cause heart problems in some patients who take the drug.
Last August the FDA issued a Drug Safety Communication stating that doctors should stop using and prescribing Celexa in dosages higher than 40 milligrams per day because of its potential to cause dangerous abnormalities in the electrical activities in a patient's heart. According to reports at that time, high doses of the antidepressant had a risk of fatal heart complications.
On behalf of Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman, P.C. posted in Truck Accidents on Wednesday, April 4, 2012
No amount of money can ever replace the loss of a loved. But one family is feeling vindicated in their fight to show the death of their wife and mother was not caused by her, but the driver of the truck who changed lanes that fateful day in April 2009. The 52-year-old mother was on her way to Southern California to bring her grandkids Easter baskets when the fatal truck accident occurred. It happened on Interstate 5 when a driver of a United Parcel Service truck changed lanes colliding with the SUV driven by the victim.
A wrongful death suit can result from a variety of negligent or reckless actions, including drunk driving, medical malpractice due to medication or surgical errors as well as defective products or drugs. When you lose a loved one through the reckless or careless actions of another you are entitled to recover damages for your loss. If you have been harmed by the negligent actions of another, consult with a personal injury attorney to determine what steps you can take to recover damages for injuries.
On behalf of Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman, P.C. posted in Aviation Accidents on Tuesday, March 27, 2012
After touring a Christmas light show display a fashion blogger and model was injured last December by the still-rotating propeller after she had left the plane and was on the tarmac. The 23-year-old model was severely injured losing her left hand and one eye in the plane accident. According to sources, the Collin County plaintiff has rejected a $200,000 settlement and is suing the plane's insurers in Dallas County, Texas.
The victim is asking the court to interpret the definition of passenger as well as the complete scope of the phrase "getting out of the plane" as it relates to the term "passenger." The initial $200,000 settlement offer was the result of the plane owner and operators two insurance policies having a limit of $1 million per occurrence with a sublimit of $100,000 per passenger.
On behalf of Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman, P.C. posted in Products Liability on Wednesday, March 21, 2012
A new research study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry shows a link between women who take antidepressants during pregnancy and babies delivered with reduced head size. It also showed these same women were twice as likely to experience a preterm birth as compared to those who did not take antidepressant medications. The study took place in the Netherlands and included almost 8,000 pregnant women who were asked once each trimester about their symptoms of depression and use of antidepressants.
The study found that both using antidepressants and having untreated depression in pregnant women could lead to added risks for their babies. Those women in the study, who took antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as Prozac and Zoloft, had an increased risk of having babies with reduced head size. The women with untreated depression; however were more likely to deliver babies with smaller body size and reduced fetal head growth.
On behalf of Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman, P.C. posted in Bus Accidents on Thursday, March 15, 2012
Three children were seriously injured in a bus rollover accident yesterday and were airlifted to an area hospital for treatment. Twelve children received minor injuries, including bloody noses, scrapes and bruises and reports of sore arms. With 39 students on board the northbound school bus drifted to the right and the driver allegedly over-corrected twice causing the bus to roll over once and end up facing southbound, reports said.
School bus accidents, as in any car accident, can involve serious injuries or death depending on the severity of the impact. A school bus roll over is especially serious because children riding in buses are not required to wear seat belts. This basically means that a child involved in a school bus accident could be thrown around the cabin of the bus crashing into other children and the seats and walls of the bus.
