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15-Passenger Van Rolls, Sends 12 People to Local Hospitals
A van full of church members returning to Pensacola from a Ft. Lauderdale church event crashed on Interstate 75 near Ocala. The back doors of 15-passenger Ford Econoline van, which was found on its side, had to be cut away so that emergency personnel could take out the seats and get the passengers to safety. Eleven of the injured had non-life threatening injuries and were taken to local hospitals. One male passenger was flown to Shands Hospital in Gainesville with serious injuries. Other members of the church were traveling with the group in a different vehicle and witnessed the accident. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued warnings about the safety of these 15-passenger vans. Often times the drivers of these vans are not aware of the importance of proper tire pressure when the vans are fully-loaded. Prior NHTSA research has shown that 15-passenger vans have a rollover risk
that increases dramatically as the number of occupants increases from fewer
than five to more than ten. In fact, 15-passenger vans (with 10 or more
occupants) had a rollover rate in single vehicle crashes that is nearly
three times the rate of those that were lightly loaded (with fewer than five
occupants).
It is important that the drivers of these 15-passenger vehicles receive proper training to keep thier their friends, neighbors and relatives safe when traveling in these vehicles. Labels: Auto Accident
Police Brutality
ABC News has reported an incident of potential police brutality when a Louisiana police officer ended up giving a suspect of a DWI two black eyes and bruises over her face while in police custody. The article reports that in November 2007, Angela Garbarino was in police custody for suspected DWI. While in the interrogation room, a Shreveport Police Department officer, Officer Wiley Willis, attempted to read Ms. Barbarino her rights when he became frustrated and forcefully put her into a chair and then turned off the interrogation room camera after an exchange of words between the officer and the suspect. Prior to the tape being turned off, you can see in the video that the suspect Garbarino was asking if she was allowed to call anybody. On the video, she asks, "You're not going to let me call? You're not going to let me call anybody?" Then she states that, "I have a right to call somebody right now and I know that. Is this on record?". The video also documents Garbarino telling the officer, "Do not touch me again. Get away from me." after she screams. What happened after the video was turned off is a mystery. When the video resumes, the video shows Garbarino handcuffed and sprawled out on the floor lying in a pool of blood. Garbarino claims she was physically abused by the officer. Wiley's attorney states that he acted "...in accordance with normal process". The attorney also reported to ABC News that "The suspect tried to leave the room. In the process of stopping her, she fell and injured herself." Wiley has been dismissed from the Police Department and no charges have been brought against him because no one is certain what occurred. (MJD)
Cageless Shark Expedition Leads to Divers Death
A 49 year-old lawyer from Vienna Austria lost his life after a shark attacked his leg and died from his injury after reaching shore by a Coast Guard helicopter. The victim was on a diving expedition in the Bahamas led by Jim Abernethy's Scuba Adventures. The expedition company offers a cage-free, up close and personal shark experience to divers by dropping the divers into the water with dead fish and bloody fish parts. Feeding sharks for the purpose of diving with the sharks without a cage was banned by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in 2001, which is when Abernethy's Scuba Adventures moved to the Bahamas. In addition to the concern for the safety of the divers, George Burgess, director of the International Shark Attack File is concerned that feeding sharks will associate human contact with food and promote more attacks. "They lose their natural caution around human beings," he said. "For the
same reason, on land you don't feed alligators, you don't feed raccoons, you
don't feed bears. It's changing the behavior of sharks and changing the ecology
of these areas by concentrating sharks in one area."
According to the Orlando Sentinel, The Bahamas Diving Association has also warned divers and scuba expedition companies about the dangers of swimming with sharks without a cage. Labels: Tourist Injuries
Central Florida Accidents Result in Two Deaths
In two unrelated accidents, two men lost their lives this week-end. One was in a motorcycle accident in Daytona Beach; the other crashed his ATV near Ocoee. Florida Highway Patrol determined the motorcyle rider, a 30 year-old from Port Orange, had apparently been driving at a high rate of speed when he lost control of his bike. He went off the road, hit a mailbox and then the bike went end over end several times. He was not wearing a helmet and died at the scene of the accident. The ATV was discovered when local police officers responded to a call that ATV's were being driven near Laurel Blossom Circle. What they discovered when they arrived was a man lying in the middle of the road with major injuries to the head. He later died at a local hospital. Both motorcycles and ATV's can be great fun, but can also be deadly if not handled properly and driven at safe speeds. Labels: Auto Accident, Motorcycle accident
Follow up to Fire on Disney Truck
One of the tourists, a cheerleading coach from Enfield CT, who was on the Kilimanjaro ride that caught fire wrote to the Orlando Sentinel about her experience on the firey ride. The fire started before the truck got actually arrived into the animal area. There was light smoke at first and then the major fire erupted behind the driver and just in front of the first row of seats. As reported by the coach: "I saw smoke out of the right side of the truck, then a huge flame went up between the driver and the first row of seats. That is where the woman got her face and hair singed."Apparently the whole incident lasted about 15 minutes and there were several park employees assisting the tourists off the truck. However, it was about a 4-foot drop which resulted in the minor knee and ankle injuries to the tourists. Labels: Theme park injuries
FDA Issues Immediate Recall of Icy Hot Patches
A MedWatch alert from the FDA requested an immediate recall of All Icy Hot Heat Therapy Air Activated patches. This includes all lots of the following products - those for Back, the one for Arm, Neck and Leg, and the single packets sold with the 3 oz size Aspercreme Pain Reliever. People who have used these defective products have reported skin problems, as minor skin irritation up to and including skin burns ranging from first degree to even third degree burns. Consumers should stop using these patches immediately. They can either be thrown out or returned to the manufacturer, Chattem Inc. If you experience any skin irritation with the products, the FDA is asking that you call their Adverse Event Reporting Program at www.fda.gov/medwatch/report.htm or via fax at 800-FDA-0178. Labels: Defective products
Tourist Hurt On Animal Kingdom Ride
It was reported that a truck fire at Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park Sunday forced evacuation of visitors on the Kilimanjaro Safari ride. The ride simulates a trip through the tundra of Africa with wild animals roaming free, as if in their native habitat. A hose on the truck broke which caused the engine to overheat and catch fire. Everyone on the truck was evacuated. Four people were treated at the scene for minor injuries and one of them, an unidentified woman, was transported to Celebration Hospital with a knee injury. The ride was closed the remainder of the day but re-opened this morning. Back in July 2006 another visitor injured his left ankle when he exited the truck on the same Safari ride. Labels: Theme park injuries
Girls Bikes Recalled by Trek
Trek Bicycle Corp of Waterloo, WI has recalled their 2005, 2006 and 2007 Model MT220 girls bike (2008 is not included in the recall) due to a bad weld on the crossbar. Thirteen consumers have reported that the frame broke under the weight of the rider, causing them to fall. Luckily there have only been 4 minor injuries reported. The bikes, manufactured in China and Taiwan, cost about $300 and were sold from April 2004 until June 2007. Parents should not let their children continue to ride the bike and the bikes should be returned to the Trek dealer for a free replacement. All questions can be directed to Trek at 800-373-4594. Unfortunately, this is just one more instance of defective products coming out of China. Labels: Defective products
Illinois Woman Receives $548,000 Medical Malpractice Award
A Springfield IL jury has awarded a 59 year-old $548,000 for injuries she received at the hands of her surgeon back in 2002. During a laparscopy, the surgeon accidently removed a small section of her ureter, which carries urine from the kidney to the bladder. A few days after the surgery, she complained of pain to her surgeon, but he ignored her complaints and only recommended she take more pain medication. The leaking ureter caused infection in her abdomen and she learned a repair procedure was very dangerous. As a result, she had to have her right kidney removed. Although that surgery was a success, the woman experiences chronic pain from any type of strenuous exercise or labor. The former child-care worker had regrets about having to sue her surgeon. However she stated that her medical condition precluded her from working and caused her to fall behind in her mortgage. She lost her home and her ability to make a living wage. The limits placed on medical malpractice claims can make it very difficult to win a settlement. But if you or a family member has been the victim of a medical negligence or malpractice, call one of our experienced Board Certified Trial Attorneys for a review of your situation. There is no fee unless we win an award for you. Labels: Medical Malpractice
Anti-epileptic Drugs May Result in Increased Risk of Suicide
The FDA has issued a warning to healthcare professionals, family members and caregivers who administer anti-epiletic drugs. A study of the eleven drugs used to treat epilepsy revealed the patients taking the drugs had experienced twice as many suicidal tendencies as those who took the placebos. In some cases these tendencies appeared within the first week of taking the medication. The warning expressly states that patients taking the drugs should not discontinue taking the drugs without consulting their physician. However, they suggested that family members and caregivers should watch their patients for any changes in the patients behavior that may indicate suicidal thoughts. Some of these are:
Talking or thinking about wanting to hurt yourself or end your life
Withdrawing from friends and family
Becoming depressed or having your depression get worse
Becoming preoccupied with death and dying
Giving away prized possessions It is suggested that patients be monitored daily so as to recognize any changes in their mood, the way they act or if they appear to become depressed.
Florida Personal Injury Lawyers
Orlando Wrongful Death Attorneys
(800) 235-7060
Wooten, Honeywell, Kimbrough, Gibson,
Doherty & Normand
Professional Association
236 S. Lucerne Circle at Delaney
Orlando, FL 32801 |
