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Legal News

Personal Injury

• Personal injury Recoveries Rise in 2009's
  Mar 15, 2010

  Recoveries that National Law Journal affiliate VerdictSearch counted among its Top 100 Verdicts of 2009, commercial verdicts fell last year. Some personal injury cases increased like , medicaledical malpractice awards which jumped from $321 million to $509.2 million; motor vehicle verdicts hit $738.9 million (up from $470 million); and products liability jumped to $1.1 billion from $458 million the year before.
  According to law firm litigation department heads interviewed by The NLJ, the corporate clients worked to control costs by waiting to file suits. They likely will continue do so through the first half of 2010. Part of it is deferring activity and not necessarily commencing a lawsuit if you can sue now or a year from now..

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• Study Suggests that Hands-Free Cellphone Do Not Reduce Auto Crashes
  Jan 29, 2010

  A study from the Highway Loss Data Institute shows that bans on cellphone use "haven't reduced crashes" in some states, and the result "had the researchers scratching their heads." The study, finished in December, compared all crashes in California, New York, Connecticut and Washington with crashes after bans were instituted, and researchers "can't even see a blip in the data." One possible explanation is "that while cellphones are a distraction, maybe they are not 'all that much worse a distraction than many of the other things that we do,'" institute president Adrian Lund said. Alternately, the data may mean "drivers in places with these bans may be switching to hands-free phones," and crash risks are "about the same as with handset phones."

  In Washington D.C., a study showed that a ban on cellphone use "hasn't made the streets much safer." There was also a lack of effect from hands-free cellphones, and points out that "the larger issue of distracted driving has gained traction" with the finding that the practice does not reduce accidents. The Washington Post adds, "The report is the latest in a growing body of evidence cited by those who advocate banning all cellphone use by drivers," and it points out that the National Safety Council "called last year for a ban on cellphone use while driving."

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• NTSB investigates Red Line accident that killed 2 Metro track workers
  Jan 27, 2010
  Washington Post writes that federal officials are investigating the deaths of two Metro employees who were killed when a Metro utility vehicle backed into the men on the tracks. In the past seven months five metro workers have been killed on the tracks and nine people were killed in a Red Line crash. 
  
  The gasoline powered truck carries gear and equipment and is used to travel along the tracks. The vehicles do not emit a beep like most utility trucks when going in reverse therefore the men killed by the truck were unaware it was moving towards them.
  
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• New Study about the Increase in Motorcycle Deaths
  Oct 06, 2009

  "The Federal Highway Administration will conduct an intensive study into the cause of the growing number of motorcycle crashes and deaths on America's roads which is the first study of its kind in almost 30 years. Nearly 5,300 motorcycle riders died in roadway crashes in 2008, representing 14 percent of all deaths, and 96,000 were injured. Between 1997 and 2008, motorcycle fatalities jumped from 2,116 to 5,290 -- a 150 percent increase, according to the Transportation Department's Fatality Analysis Reporting System. In 2008 alone, deaths from motorcycle crashes rose by 2.2 percent while all other vehicle classes saw reductions in fatalities."
  
  Motocycle accidents can result in serious injuries and often times death. If you or a loved one has been injured while operating a motorcycle it is important to contact a personal injury attorney. - 4 - 10

• Toyota orders floor mat inspections after fatal crash
  Sep 16, 2009

  In San Diego County, four family members were killed in a fiery auto crash, resulting from mismatched floor mats that snagged the gas pedal on an out of control Lexus. Toyota has ordered that all new, used and loaner vehicles have proper floor mats and are secured.  
  
  The car accident occured when the automobile, doing more that 120 mph, hit a sport-utility vehicle, launching the car off an embankment causing it to roll and burst into flames. The auto accident killed the four family members and injured the driver of the sport-utility vechile.
  
  Auto accidents can be fatal and place serious stress on family members dealing with the loss of their loved ones. In an accident such at this where the product safety of the vehicle was not properly inspected resulted in the deaths of four family members. If you or a loved one is in an auto accident and suffers personal injuries of even death, it is critical to contact a personal injury attorney in order to get the compensation you deserve. - 5 - 10

• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Makes Crash-Test Rating Tough
  Aug 27, 2009

  The National HIghway Traffic Safety Administration will make it harder for vehicles to get five-star ratings for 2011 models. The new safety rating system will include a new side-impact test and a new overall safety-rating score. The new system will pressure manufactures to make vehicles with a higher level of safety-ratings.
  
  A system ratings change needed to be made becasue auto makers have discovered how to engineer vehicles to pass safety test making all cars above average but not specifing the difference in safety technology. The lastest focus is roof strength and the cars ability to withstand a test designed to stimulate the roof-crushing impact of a rollover accident.
  
  Car rollover accidents can be deadly however the new rollover accident tests will help consumers know which car will best protect them incase of a rollover accident. If you or someone you know has been injured in an auto accident it is important to contact a personal injury attorney.

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• A Thyroid Drug Can Damage The Liver and Be Fatal To Children
  Aug 24, 2009

  A pill used for thyroid desease has been shown to cause fatal liver failure in children. Reports have been popping up linking the use of propylthiouracil in children to liver failure, sometimes fatal or requiring a liver transplant. Parents should contact their doctor about these thyroid treatments. - 7 - 10

• An Increase in Computers Leads to More Injuries
  Jul 07, 2009

  People are aware of computer related injuries like back pain and carpal tunnel syndrome but people are winding up in emergency rooms with cuts, bruises, sprains and fractures cause by computers and computer accessories.
  
  More than half of the injuries occured when people were moving their computers and monitors. - 8 - 10

• James City County bus drivers charged in accident
  Mar 16, 2009

  James City County police are charging two Williamsburg-James City County Schools bus drivers who were involved in a collision that sent 17 students to the hospital. The charges stem from the March 4th collision that injured the Warhill High School students. One of the bus drivers was charged with reckless driving, while the second was given a ticket for following to closely.

  School officials stated that one bus rear-ended the other bus heading to another school. All students were treated for minor injuries and were released from the hospital the same day.

  It is important to understand your legal rights and a parent. If your child is injured on a bus or a motor vehicle accident it is important to contact an attorney. The personal injury attorneys of Rutter Mills will help make sure your child gets the protection they deserve from the insurance company.

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Auto Accident

• $18 million verdict overturned against Ford Motor Co. in a fatal crash
  Mar 16, 2010

  South Carolina's highest court on Monday overturned an $18 million verdict against Ford Motor Co. in a fatal crash, ruling that one expert shouldn't have been allowed to testify about cruise-control problems.

  "Sonya Watson, 17, was paralyzed after losing control of her Ford Explorer in December 1999. Watson's SUV veered off the left side of Interstate 385 in Laurens County, rolling four times.

  One of her passengers, Patricia Carter, was killed. Both women were ejected from the SUV, a 1995 model.

  Attorneys for Watson and Carter's estate sued Ford, arguing during a 2006 trial that the Explorer "took off" after Watson set the cruise control. Watson's father, who testified that the Explorer also had accelerated suddenly two other times while he was driving it, said repair technicians had told him the SUV's new floor mats caused the acceleration problem and needed to be turned over.

  A Greenville County jury awarded Watson $15 million, allocating an additional $3 million for Carter's estate. But in the opinion published Monday, Chief Justice Jean Toal overturned that award, writing that a trial judge shouldn't have allowed testimony from an expert about cruise control problems in Ford Explorers, or examples of other acceleration problems.

  Electrical engineer Antony Anderson testified at trial that electromagnetic radiation had interfered with the cruise control system and caused Watson's sudden acceleration. But Anderson didn't know enough about Ford Explorers or their systems to testify as an expert, Toal wrote.

  "He had no experience in the automobile industry, never studied a cruise control system, and never designed any component of a cruise control system," Toal wrote, adding that Anderson said he had never even operated a vehicle with a cruise control system or published any articles on the subject."

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