A New York construction accident attorney stressed the importance of strong laws holding owners, developers, contractors and crane operators responsible for construction crane accidents. David Perecman, Secretary of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association and Co-chair of its Labor Law Committee believes the violators need to be disciplined by the one thing that hurts - financial recompense. The arrest of New York City Crane Inspector, James Delayo for taking bribes from crane operators and crane companies, illustrated the monetary hold the construction companies have. “Despite efforts of the government to regulate the construction industry, the task is overwhelming. Inspectors can't keep up with the construction boom and don't have the same incentive as construction accident victim's lawyers to do so. What has to happen is that the laws have to be kept strong by the legislature and the courts. Only by hitting owners, developers and contractors in the pocket will they make sure accidents don't continue to happen, lives and families won't be destroyed and those who are responsible will act responsibly,” explained Mr. Perecman. He further illuminated that the public may be unaware of the multiple bills pending in the New York State Legislature trying to weaken the very laws governing construction accident liabilities. Perecman says, “That is the role trial lawyers fill. When an accident happens we find out why. We take the owners and contractors to court and force them and their insurance companies to own up to their mistakes and compensate the victims and their families for what they have lost. No one can replace a lost life and lost health but the least that can be done is making sure that the victims do not suffer financially.”

Posted by Kerry N. Jardine at 12:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In a study from the CDC released in the journal Wilderness and Environmental Medicine presented national outdoor recreational injury estimates and is believed to be the first type study of its kind. Between 2004 and 2005 there were approximately 213,000 people treated each year in emergency departments for outdoor recreational injuries. Of those injured, about 109,000 (51.5 percent) were young people between the ages of 10 and 24. For both men and women of all ages an overall, 6.5 percent of outdoor injuries treated were diagnosed as traumatic brain injury (TBI). “Participation in outdoor recreation is increasingly popular in the United States,” said Arlene Greenspan, Dr. PH and co-author of the study. “The good news is that there are ways to help stay safe while having healthy fun outdoors. For example, by wearing the appropriate helmet for snowboarding, snowmobiling, sledding and rock climbing, you can reduce your risk of having a head injury, which could become a traumatic brain injury. Helmets are one piece of equipment that can have a critical, positive impact.” She concluded.

Posted by Kerry N. Jardine at 08:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In a study from the CDC released in the journal Wilderness and Environmental Medicine presented national outdoor recreational injury estimates and is believed to be the first type study of its kind. Between 2004 and 2005 there were approximately 213,000 people treated each year in emergency departments for outdoor recreational injuries. Of those injured, about 109,000 (51.5 percent) were young people between the ages of 10 and 24. For both men and women of all ages an overall, 6.5 percent of outdoor injuries treated were diagnosed as traumatic brain injury (TBI). “Participation in outdoor recreation is increasingly popular in the United States,” said Arlene Greenspan, Dr. PH and co-author of the study. “The good news is that there are ways to help stay safe while having healthy fun outdoors. For example, by wearing the appropriate helmet for snowboarding, snowmobiling, sledding and rock climbing, you can reduce your risk of having a head injury, which could become a traumatic brain injury. Helmets are one piece of equipment that can have a critical, positive impact.” She concluded.

Posted by Kerry N. Jardine at 08:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A jury has awarded a New Jersey man nearly $4.4 million. In December 2000 the man lost his leg in an unfortunate construction accident at his church. When reaching for a telephone junction box, he dislodged a stack of drywall that fell on him, trapping him for 12 hours. He lay there until someone found him the next morning. Doctors had to amputate the left leg above the knee and his right leg was permanently damaged. The jurors decided the construction companies involved were negligent and assigned each business individually 70 percent and 20 percent responsibility. The remaining 10 percent was assigned the amputee. The award will cover the victim’s future medical expenses and life care.

Posted by Kerry N. Jardine at 08:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The recent spat of construction crane collapses in New York is calling into question the safety and well-being of New York’s construction workers and inhabitants. The latest being just one of many in New York City over the past year including the unfortunate fatalities caused by a crane collapse last month and a few weeks ago. The New York County District Attorney’s office launched an investigation into one of the construction firms involved in a collapse, while City Hall stopped all crane construction in Manhattan for a couple of days. Mayor Bloomberg budgeted $4 million to hire 20 new highly specialized safety engineers to monitor the escalating number of construction sites around the city, but will that be enough to safeguard New Yorkers from death and injury?

Posted by Kerry N. Jardine at 03:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The case against two men accused of running over an 11 year-old boy with their boat and then fleeing the scene is currently hearing testimony in the Fresno County Superior Court. During testimony the father detailed the incident where he was towing his son from a personal watercraft, when the two men ran over his boy causing multiple and horrific injuries, including a gash that spanned his head exposing his brain. The boat's propeller also had cut his son's shoulder and abdomen. The boy survived, but only after multiple surgeries. His parents say he'll never fully recover from brain injuries and his face will always be disfigured. The charges against the two men include hit and run and failure to report an accident or render aid. The driver is also is charged with the enhancements of causing great bodily injury, reckless driving and speeding.

Posted by Kerry N. Jardine at 04:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Steel worker Frank Potter, 40, was awarded $3.8 million in damages for a construction accident that severely injured him. In February 2005, Potter was working on the construction site of a new hotel Four Points by Sheraton. According to court records he was on a temporarily supported platform at the top of the structure. A contractor employee removed the support beam while Potter was working on the platform, creating a trap door through which Potter fell. He fell 26 feet onto concrete, crushing his pelvis, knee and face. The jury originally awarded him $4.75 million, but cut the Contractors verdict by 20 percent because in Potter’s negligence he failed to wear a safety harness. He has undergone hip replacement surgery, has metal pins in his knees and metal plates in his face. He has been suffering from severe and permanent pain to the point of suicidal thoughts. His medication has since been adjusted to lessen the emotional toil of what will be a lifetime spent in chronic pain, the attorney said.

Posted by Kerry N. Jardine at 12:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

About 3,000 residents in Lafayette, Louisiana were told to evacuate their homes after a BNSF Railway train derailed spilling hydrochloric acid from six train cars. Authorities cleared a one-mile radius initially from the accident site. The derailment spread a toxic cloud over the city and five people were sent to the hospital and treated after complaining of skin and eye irritations. State Police could not offer up an estimate for how long the cleanup would take. Hazardous materials specialists have to work cautiously because the acid is so dangerous. Hydrochloric acid can also cause respiratory problems. An estimated 10,000 gallons spilled.

Posted by Kerry N. Jardine at 12:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In an effort to seek answers in the death of their loved one a Pittsburgh, PA family has had to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Charles Aymar, Jr., 63, died after the PennDOT plow truck crossed the center line and hit his van head-on in February. The family has heard nothing from investigator’s regarding their search for answers. The driver of the PennDOT plow truck told investigators he lost control during a snow squall. The Aymar family wants to know why the driver was not cited at the scene and was able to return to work three days after the accident. In an effort to seek answers the victim’s brother Dan Aymar, says, “No results. Nothing's happening. It seems like these people don't have to account for what they did. Where's the fairness at? You know, there's no fairness - let's be fair about the thing. I don't want the guy to get the electric chair, but I want him to pay.” State Police are nearing the end of the investigation and they will submit their final report to the District Attorney's office. At that point, the DA's office will review the case for possible criminal charges.

Posted by Kerry N. Jardine at 08:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Many already know the benefits of wearing a helmet while participating in sporting activities such as bicycling and playing hockey. In fact, legislature has been put in place requiring such preventative measures. The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) is taking it further. They are releasing new national standards for ski and snowboard helmets after results from helmet tests in those areas. Helmet advocate Richard Kinar fears that without a federal law preventing the sale of sub-standard helmets there is a change the new standards will never be used. “I have personally spoken to helmet manufacturers and they have told me that they would refuse to make the helmets unless they were forced to by the federal government by passing a law that would classify helmets as hazardous products,” said Kinar. Classifying the sub-standard helmets as hazardous materials would effectively make it illegal for retailers to sell such helmets. A Bill is underway that would prohibit the sale of non-CSA approved sports helmets under the Hazardous Products Act. In the meantime, helmet manufactures can voluntarily produce helmets that meet the new standard, and stores can voluntarily sell them. “The real shame of it all is that now we have this great new standard that has the ability to save lives and prevent head injury and paralysis, and we may never use it,” Kinar said. “We have no national injury prevention strategy, even when we have studies that show that preventable injuries are a leading killer and disabler of children in Canada.” Preventable injuries are costing the health care system an estimated $15 billion a year according to figures from the Brain Injury Association of Canada.

Posted by Kerry N. Jardine at 12:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

California state investigators are trying to determine why a carnival ride called the Yo-Yo collapsed causing all 24 people aboard injuries the majority of which were children. The Yo-Yo is effectively a giant swing that picks up speed as it goes around causing the seats to swing around horizontally to the ground. A pole collapsed causing the arms attached to the seats to crash back to the center. Most of the riders were hurt when their seats struck the ground and other parts of the ride. Three riders were airlifted to area hospitals. Several other area hospitals reported treating others for injuries. Thankfully, there were no fatalities.

Posted by Kerry N. Jardine at 04:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A hit and run jet ski accident resulted in catastrophic injuries suffered by a 10 year-old boy. A man and a woman ran into the boy’s cousin’s water craft, launching them into the water, severing the boy’s leg and breaking his 19 year-old cousin’s foot. The couple fled the scene. A Good Samaritan and her husband rescued them and called for help while applying pressure to the young boy’s leg. “I was terrified when I saw the kid's wound, it was just too huge,” said Sandra Herrera, one of the boys’ rescuers. “It was incredible and the blood gushing everywhere. I basically put a towel and applied as much pressure as I could to stop the bleeding” The boy was airlifted by the Coast Guard and flown to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. The boy’s father in a fit of anger slammed his fist on a fence in frustration outside the hospital. In disgust he expressed, “I feel really hurt because someone had an accident with my kid and they left and didn't help him.” They just got on their jet ski and they just left.

Posted by Kerry N. Jardine at 08:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Several weeks ago the mother of a 5-year-old daughter was killed instantly when a cement truck landed on her SUV. The accident happened when the driver of the cement truck swerved and lost control, slamming into a barrier and tipping over onto Maria Gamez’s SUV. Maria did not survive, but her five-year-old Angelica was pulled to safety by firefighters. Gamez’s family has filed suit against the Dallas based company TXI Operations and the driver saying they are responsible for the tragedy. “This is not someone you would expect to be operating a 25-ton cement truck,” said Mark Werbner, the attorney representing the Gamez family. He claims the driver was reckless and shouldn’t have been behind the wheel because of his history of driving infractions such as DWI, license suspension and speeding in a commercial vehicle.

Posted by Kerry N. Jardine at 08:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A Forney, Texas man was partially paralyzed when a rented U-Haul moving truck ran over him because of a faulty emergency brake and worn-down gears. A Dallas County jury agreed that U-Haul was at fault and awarded him $87 million. Talmadge Waldrip rented the U-Haul truck in September 2006 to help his daughter move. As he stopped the struck and got out, it started rolling backwards knocking him down and crushing his bladder and pelvis. Two years and more than 14 surgeries later he still cannot walk and requires 24 hour care. Many who have rented moving trucks have experienced the same type of company incompetence when reporting or experiencing problems that are ultimately ignored by the company. The attorney for the Waldrip’s and the jury agreed, “This verdict is a verdict for safety,” attorney Ted Lyon said. “U-Haul trucks are not safe. They don’s fix them.” Waldrip said his lawsuit was not about money. “I want them to know they can't treat people like this and rent a vehicle that is not roadworthy," he said.

Posted by Kerry N. Jardine at 08:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A construction accident that left a man with a serious head injury had a piece of his skull placed in his abdomen until the swelling in his brain went down. Jairo Rodriguez was working in a basement for a construction business that was uninsured at the time of his injury. A piece of brick wall fell on him pinning him against another brick wall causing him to hit his head and lose consciousness. “They had to keep that part of the skull (or bone material) alive,” said his wife, Jessie Rodriguez. “He had suffered a blood clot to his brain and there was so much blood and swelling, he had a drainage tube from inside his brain.” The doctors are ready to remove the piece of bone from his abdomen and reattach it to the rest of his skull. The couple has already amassed $25,000 in hospital bills before the surgery and the surgery will cost an additional $10,000. Jairo has regained the ability to walk and talk, but the far-reaching implications of his injury will cause many financial and emotional difficulties for him, his wife and their 2 year and 3 month old sons.

Posted by Kerry N. Jardine at 02:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Vermeer Central Illinois, a heavy equipment dealer was held accountable in a 2002 highway construction accident that caused the amputation of employee’s leg below the knee. A jury awarded Bobbi Jo Craver, a construction flagger, $14.6 million after a jury found Vermeer and construction company G.M. Sipes, responsible for the construction accident. At the time of the incident G.M. Snipes bypassed safety features by using wire to manually hold open a fuel solenoid because the machine would unpredictably shut down. The manipulation made the emergency stop button inoperable. Workers lost control of a concrete cutter which ran over Craver before entering traffic and striking a tanker truck. Vermeer was found negligent by not removing the wire and not telling G.M. Snipes to stop using the cutter until after the engine problem was fixed. G.M. Snipes has been known to previously bypass safety features on other machines as well. The construction company was also found responsible, but will not have to pay anymore than $200,000 in worker’s compensation because of how the law is structured.

Posted by Kerry N. Jardine at 08:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Many know how dangerous construction work can be. The recent crane collapse in New York is a heinous example. Construction workers may not know they have a legal right to seek compensation for injuries incurred on the jobsite. On a relatively small scale, recently a Newark, N.J. man who fractured his ankle while working for a framing subcontractor was awarded more than $500,000 for his injury by a jury. Jose Gualberto was using a 10-foot ladder to install joist hangar brackets when the ladder slipped. His leg got caught between rungs and severely broke his ankle in three places. He has amassed more than $50,000 in medical bills so far and still needs more surgery. While Gualberto was found 11 percent liable, the subcontractors were also found liable by the jury. Each company is responsible for a portion of the award. It is imperative that construction workers consult legal advice as an accident, through little fault of their own, can change their life forever.

Posted by Kerry N. Jardine at 08:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Four months ago Zach Dunlap was declared brain dead and doctors were about to remove his organs for transplant. Dunlap was injured in an all-terrain vehicle accident. As family members were paying their last respects, he moved his foot and hand and reacted to a pocketknife being scraped across his foot as well as to pressure applied under a fingernail. After 48 days in the hospital, he was allowed to return home, where he continues to work on his recovery. He and his family were in New York, appearing on NBC's "Today." Even though he has no recollection of the accident that sent him into a coma Dunlap said one thing he does remember is hearing the doctors pronounce him dead. Dunlap’s father said he saw the results of the brain scan and observed no activity and no blood flow, thus agreeing to the harvesting of his organs. Since being released from the hospital his mother said her son is doing “amazingly well, but still has problems with his memory as his brain heals from the traumatic injury.” Zach Dunlap and his family are aware of the time it will take to eventually heal and recover functionality, but their just thankful he’s alive.

Posted by Kerry N. Jardine at 08:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Each year rescue workers extricate hundreds of automobile accident victims from wrecks across the nation. Fire officials are saying new care features are making it harder for them to do their jobs. The equipment available to them is old and has not kept up with the newer car features such as airbags and reinforced steel construction now being installed in vehicles. The dangers faced include pressurized gas canisters that inflate air bags exploding when pierced by cutting tools. Rescuers can be launched from vehicles when the air bags suddenly deploy. Hybrid cars have hidden battery cables that deliver a powerful shock. Even the ubiquitous seat belt pre-tensioners, which quickly tighten the seat belts in accidents, can explode when cut. Rescue workers across the nation are scrambling to update their tools and extrication methods. “It's not more difficult to get them out, just more time-consuming and dangerous,” said Chris Whetton, an engineer and heavy rescue technician for a fire district. It is the law of unintended consequences. As car manufacturers improve and increase safety features on vehicles to keep us safe the more risk drivers are put at because of the length of time it takes to rescue them when in a severe accident.

Posted by Kerry N. Jardine at 08:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The latest twist in motor vehicle accidents are people who are driving under the influence of prescription medications. Ann George, 59, spent more than three months in a hospital recovering from catastrophic injuries after Peggy Kouris slammed head-on into her car. The toxicology report showed that Kouris had a large amount of prescription barbiturates in her system at the time of the crash. The prosecution tried to have Kouris charged under operating a vehicle under the influence of drugs, but couldn’t because barbiturates don’t fall under the drug categories allowed.

Posted by Kerry N. Jardine at 02:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Two police cars from separate city police departments caused a civilian motor vehicle accident and a pedestrian accident outside of their jurisdiction in the Denver metro area in the span of four days. The first involved an Aurora patrol car who hit a family of four inside Denver City limits and rolled the SUV they were traveling in. The mother driving the SUV said the patrol car did not have its lights on, was traveling 35 miles per hour in a 25 mph zone and blew through a stop sign, colliding with the family’s SUV. The second involved a Denver Police Officer who hit a civilian inside Centennial city limits. A FOX 31 news investigation ran into a wall and did not get answers from the departments as to why each officer was out of their jurisdiction. The woman driving in the accident is considering taking legal action.

Posted by Kerry N. Jardine at 08:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In San Diego California a mother has filed claims against the San Marcos Fire Department and school district on behalf of her teenage son, Scott Eveland, a football player. The claim alleges both the fire department and school failed to take immediate action after her son suffered a catastrophic head injury during a football game. The mother, Diane Luth, said that her son began staggering and stumbling before losing consciousness, “the coaches, staff and emergency medical personnel present unreasonably delayed securing appropriate treatment and/or transporting claimant to the hospital, resulting in serious and irreparable brain damage to Scott Eveland.” At the time of the injury an ambulance was at the game as required, but did not transport Eveland to the hospital saying it needed to remain near the field in case other injuries occurred among other players. A second ambulance was summoned instead. “When dealing with a head injury when seconds count, to not immediately transport their son really put him at enormous risk,” said Dave Casey, the family's attorney. As for the school district, the claim alleges the coaches and athletic staff were not trained to recognize symptoms of a serious head injury, thus endangering Eveland’s life. The head injury occurred in the fall and Eveland remains hospitalized at a brain injury rehabilitation center in San Diego

Posted by Kerry N. Jardine at 08:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Construction workers are in a highly dangerous career. There is not a day goes by that reports of a death or injury occurs at construction sites around the country. Just recently, in Colorado Springs, Colorado two men were injured. According to authorities, an employee climbed a ladder that dislodged a steel beam that had not been welded together yet, breaking one mans leg. When another fellow worker climbed down to help him a second beam fell on him causing back and neck injuries. Both were in the employ of Catamount Constructors. They are expected to recover from their injuries. The injuries sustained by the second man could be a career ender and if he has disability that’s great, but what happens when his disability is used up?

Posted by Kerry N. Jardine at 08:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A small Minnesota town of little more than 1,000 residents was the scene of a horrific school bus crash that killed 4 children between the ages of 9 and 13 and injured 14 additional victims. Thirteen of them were students who were treated for a number of injuries including back and neck injuries and two child victims were in critical condition. The bus was on its regular route carrying 28 students when it was hit by a van driven by a 23 year-old that ran a stop sign. The bus then collided with a pickup and rolled onto the top of it.

Posted by Kerry N. Jardine at 07:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Five months ago, Buffalo Bill’s tight end Kevin Everett suffered a catastrophic spinal injury that doctors thought he would never recover from. Now, he is walking and slowly regaining full use of his hands. “I'm happy people can know me like this,” Everett said in an interview with The Associated Press. “They can look at me and see what I've overcome and I'm still trying to overcome, and just see that life isn't that bad after all. It could be a whole lot worse.” At the time of the injury the orthopedic surgeon said the day following the accident that Everett’s chances of a full neurologic recovery were “bleak, dismal” and that it was unlikely he would ever walk again.

Continue reading "Buffalo Bill’s Kevin Everett walking again " »

Posted by Kerry N. Jardine at 10:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A nine-year-old boy of Montreal was seriously injured in 2003 during ski school instruction. During the instruction the boy skied across the hill, through a T-bar track and crashed head-first into rock and trees, shattering his helmet. He was in a coma for 13 days and when he awoke it became apparent he had suffered serious neurological damage. The Mont Olympia Ski School used a 17-year-old instructor in a class of nine beginner skiers. The Quebec Superior Court Justice ruled the ski accident was a result of lack of supervision of an instructor so young and awarded the family $3.7 million in damages. The family’s lawyer said the award reflects the extent of the boy’s injuries.

Posted by Kerry N. Jardine at 04:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The PG&E plant in San Francisco is the location of a construction accident during a demolition. Two five-story boiler towers collapsed, causing two workers to suffer life threatening injuries and took the life of another worker. San Francisco emergency crews had to cut through metal and debris to reach one of the injured workers. Another worker’s legs were crushed, but he was able to escape before rescue crews arrived. The third victim’s body could not be reached until later that night and had to be cut free from the unstable steel debris. The construction company responsible for the demolition apparently has a dark history. It has had a number of accidents. The demolition is three months ahead of schedule and crews have been pushed to rush the job. The accident involved death and life-threatening injuries and the power plant has been in the center of controversy for decades, yet very little news coverage was made of the disaster.

Posted by Kerry N. Jardine at 10:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Catherine O’Donnell, 86, underwent hip replacement surgery on Oct 6. and never regained consciousness. After surgery, while still under anesthesia she fell through a gap in an orthopedic surgical table after a nurse removed a safety strap around her torso in preparation of transferring her to a hospital bed. Her head slammed into the floor, fracturing her skull and causing internal bleeding. Hours after O'Donnell fell, she underwent surgery again to relieve the pressure of the bleeding on her brain. Catherine O’Donnell died a week later on Oct. 13. The Boston Medical Center, said the hospital has since changed it’s procedures to prevent further accidents in the future. Paul Dreyer, director of the Health Department's Bureau of Heath Care Safety and Quality, reviews an average of 800 serious injuries and medical errors involving patients at 90 Massachusetts hospitals a year. About 400 to 500 involve patients hurt in falls. A wrongful-death suit has been filed and names four defendants who were allegedly in the operating room at the time: an anesthesiology resident; an orthopedic resident; and two nurses.

Posted by Scott J. Eldredge at 07:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

So far this year, 4 people have died on Colorado slopes. The latest included a doctor from Kansas who fractured his neck after going airborne at Breckenridge’s terrain park and a 22-year-old snowboarder who suffocated to death after falling into a tree well head first at Steamboat. According to recent studies from the 2007 International Symposium on Skiing Trauma and Safety there are a number of factors responsible for the increase in death and injuries. A large-scale study in France showed that 10 percent of injuries on the slope were caused by collisions between people. That is up from the previous steady 6.4 percent. The most common type of collision is “by far” a snowboarder hitting another snowboarder and skier colliding with skier. The rate of snowboard injures are increasing from 3.37 injuries 1990/91 to 7 injuries per 1,000 incidents. The use of helmets has been estimated to be about 40 percent of users and while reducing the number of head injuries by 30 to 50 percent, the number of less serious injuries has remained constant. Surprisingly, over the last nine seasons there has been no significant reduction in fatalities due to head injury. Non-helmet use increased the likely hood of death by head injury to two times more. There are several reasons why fatal head injuries are still a risk. One being that helmets are designed to protect the head up to 12 mph and most collisions involve the skier/boarder traveling twice to three times that speed. Studies have also shown that those wearing helmets ski faster than those without helmets. What may not be so widely known is the increased risk of death by falling into a tree well. A tree well is usually made after heavy snows. Skiers and snowboarders in search of fresh powder off the established trail are at the most likely in danger. The snow in a tree well is like quicksand and the more the victim struggles, the deeper they bury themselves, usually suffocating to death. Colorado accounts for 17 percent of these kinds of fatalities in North America, trailing British Columbia (24 percent) and California (19 percent). Over the past seven years, snowboarders were twice as likely as skiers to be involved in these accidents. That is why it is always encouraged to ski with a partner so they can assist if one happens to find themselves in any of these types of situations.

Posted by Kerry N. Jardine at 10:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Pictures taken of the Monte Carlo Resort & Casino Fire in Las Vegas have given investigators the break they needed to determine the initial point the fire started. They are still trying to determine what started the fire. The casino had to re-locate its estimated 5,000 guests and to find new venues for conventions scheduled for the hotel. It is estimated that the damage to the hotel could be in the tens of millions of dollars. An ambulance company spokeswoman said 17 people were taken to hospitals with minor injuries, mostly from inhaling smoke or from fleeing the building. None of the 120 firefighters were hurt. An ATF fire investigator visited Channel 8 studios to review the tape with the pictures of the fire. While another angle from the ground confirmed what was suspected. The fire made a "V" form on the side of the Monte Carlo. The investigator says that "V" indicates the point of origin. Fire Chief Steve Smith said the fire was an exterior fire fueled by a foam-like building material. Apparently, welders were working on the roof prior to the fire.

Posted by Kerry N. Jardine at 10:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A United Airlines Boeing 757 backed into a SkyWest CRJ-700 jet carrying 60 passengers at San Francisco International Airport. The United plane was being transferred to a hangar for maintenance. The SkyWest passengers were not injured. At the time of the accident there were no “wing walkers” on the ground directing the vehicle pushing the 757. Apparently, there is no airport policy requiring the assistance of “wing walkers” when a plane is being moved for maintenance. This latest incident calls into question the safety procedures in place at the airport and by the airlines. The Federal Aviation Administration will be investigating the incident. In a report from October by the FAA, the airport was declared one of the riskiest in terms of near-collisions or pilot confusion while taxiing. According to the FAA report, the airport had four runway incursions in the previous year. Nationwide, there were 330 reports of near-collisions and other dangerous incidents between October 2006 and September 2007. The totals at San Francisco and San Jose airports each amounted to between 1 and 2 incursions for every 100,000 flights in 2007.

Posted by Kerry N. Jardine at 10:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Officer Brian McAchran of Buckeye, Arizona was responding to a call in March 2005 when a semi-truck operated by Knight Transportation blew through an intersection barreling into him and dragging him and his cruiser more that 200 feet. The former officer is still recovering from a traumatic brain injury and extensive damages to his face and head he incurred at the time of the accident. The former SWAT officer is unable to work as a police officer again. After almost three years of the accident an Arizona jury found the trucking company and their driver liable and awarded McAchran just over $3 million. The verdict will help Brian McAchran, his wife and two daughters cover his past and future medical expenses.

Posted by Kerry N. Jardine at 06:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The deep southeastern part of Utah was the scene of a horrific charter bus accident carrying skiers from Telluride, CO home to Phoenix, AZ. The charter bus operated by Arrow State Lines was southbound on State Route 163 when it was going too fast for a curve and dropped 41 feet off an embankment throwing passenger 100 yards or more, killing 8 and injuring about 20. At the scene of the accident there was a tangle of barbed wire, steel posts, luggage and ski equipment. The roof was split and the tires were gone. Some of the victims were pinned under the bus. The driver suffered only minor injuries. The injured were transported to hospitals in Salt Lake City, UT, Grand Junction, CO and Farmington, N.M. A manifest showed 51 passengers were on board the bus when it crashed in the Four Corners region where Utah meets Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico. Rescue crews from all four states were sent to help. Arrow Stage has had seven bus crashes in the past two years, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration database. Four of those accidents involved injuries.

Posted by Kerry N. Jardine at 12:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A window washer who fell 47 stories from the top of a Manhattan skyscraper is now miraculously awake, talking and expected to walk again. Alcides Moreno, 37, suffered potentially catastrophic injuries when he fell from a scaffolding collapse. The collapse killed his brother. Moreno’s legs, his right arm and wrist were broken in several places. There were severe injuries to his chest, abdomen, spinal column and his brain was bleeding. He may be breathing on his own and able to move his limbs now, but when he arrived at the hospital they were afraid to move him in case it killed him. They performed his first surgery without going to an operating room. He underwent an additional nine orthopedic operations later. For a fall victim Moreno’s injuries were relatively minor and his neurosurgeon said he avoided paralyzing his spinal cord regardless of suffering a shattered vertebra. The hospital where Moreno was treated said that the death rate from just a three-story fall is 50 percent. Those who fall 10 or more stories seldom survive. Alcides Moreno is one of the lucky ones and no one may ever know how he survived. The death rate of falls is concerning and those who do survive will undergo painful and lengthy recoveries. No information is available whether Moreno had insurance or not, but the truth remains that someone will have to pay the bills and it’s doubtful a window washer’s paycheck can cover it.

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Two men are charged with leaving the scene of an accident, failing to render aid, and face an enhancement charge of causing great bodily injury. The driver’s charges include speeding and being under the influence. Labor Day weekend in September 2006, Dallen McIntyre, 11, was hit by a boat while knee-boarding behind his father’s personal watercraft. The father testified that the boat suddenly made a sharp turn and came toward them, knocking Dallen into the lake. The two men fled after hitting him. The impact with the propeller of the boat split the boy’s head and nearly killed him. He suffered catastrophic head injuries and has undergone several surgeries. An expert who manufactures propellers examined the propeller in question and determined that the damage was caused by the collision with the boy’s head. The examination concluded there were no scuff marks, chips or scratches, indications that the man’s boat propeller was responsible for the severe damage to Dallen. "The impact was great," the expert said, noting it was not easy to damage the propeller.

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It seems intuitively obvious that children should not be allowed to drive an ATV. Comparatively, children are not allowed to drive motorcycles. The question remains, why the disparity in the law. The number of injuries children have sustained has more than doubled between 1995 and 2005. Ultimately 40,400 children were treated in emergency rooms in 2005 for accidents related to ATV use. Findings presented by the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) reported the numbers. The 40,400 figure represents nearly one-third of all ATV-related injuries treated in 2005. Reported deaths number 120 in the same year. The fatalities represent only the children who died at the hospital, not those who died at the accident site. While wearing helmets and protective clothing might limit some of the injuries, there still remains the issue of whether children should be riding ATVs at all.

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