Lansing Personal Injury Lawyer - Automobile Accidents

Pair of Holiday-Weekend Accidents Result in Death, Injury

David Mittleman — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 20:16:28 GMT

Two young Lansing, Michigan residents fell victim to car crashes over the Thanksgiving holiday - a sobering reminder of the hazards of one of the busiest travel seasons of the year.

Christy Luckett, 30, died Thursday morning, one day after a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Waverly Road and Phoenix Drive in Lansing. The driver and one passenger in the other vehicle were also treated for injuries. The collision is still under investigation.

Some 50 miles away in Oceola Township, Zachery Warren was injured when he swerved to avoid a pickup truck driven by Clem Plowman on M-59 in Livingston County. Warren, a 23-year-old Lansing man, is still receiving treatment at University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor.

Remember to use extreme caution when driving. Careful driving behaviors should be a year-long habit, but they become especially important during periods of heavy travel.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by David Mittleman

Jury Orders N.J. Dep't of Transportation to Pay $6M to Man Hurt By Dangerous Road Conditions

David Mittleman — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:12:33 GMT

The New Jersey Department of Transportation was found responsible for the permanent disabling injuries suffered by Kenneth Matlock when massive, rotten tree branches fell on his car as he traveled along New Jersey's Route 29. A jury recently awarded him and his wife $6 million in damages as Mr. Matlock has now lost use of his dominant right arm. Mr. Matlock has also just barely begun to regain motion in his head and his left hand is in a permanent claw position.

Mr. Matlock's attorneys presented a case against the New Jersey DOT which claimed that the Department failed to follow its own guidelines regarding dangerous roadway conditions and that during its regular inspections it should have seen the rotting limbs and taken actions to trim them back. Mr. Matlock's expert testified that the tree limb was at a high risk of failure and that the Department should have known about the dangerous condition well before the accident happened.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by David Mittleman

Deer Involved in Lansing 2 Car Crash

Devon Glass — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:39:28 GMT

With deer hunting season officially open in Michigan for nearly 2 weeks, most of the talk about deer has to do with how big a buck you shot or taking your children for their first hunt. I'm pretty sure that opening day for deer hunting is one of the biggest holidays in Michigan. Sometimes, however, the deer are out to get you and not the other way around.

Just this morning a car near Jolly and Waverly in Lansing hit another car after a deer came onto the road. According to the police, just after 6 am the driver of a Chevy Impala was either hit by a deer or swerved to miss hitting a deer and crashed into a van. The driver of the Impala was ejected from her car during the crash. Both drivers and one passenger were transported to the hospital for treatment.

Here are some tips from the Michigan State Police to keep you safe if you encounter a deer and how to avoid them. Have a safe and happy holiday.

Michigan State Police Troopers remind you to Don't Wreck Your Life! Keep your eyes on the road, never drink and drive, always wear your safety belt, and consider the following tips to help you avoid a car-deer collision:

Use special caution in those areas marked with deer crossing signs.

If you see one deer, expect there will be others. Slow down and be alert.

Do not swerve your vehicle to avoid striking a deer. It is better to strike a deer than another vehicle or a fixed object.

Continually scan the fields and area adjacent to the roadway for deer. Often you can see them approaching the roadway and can slow down.

During hours of darkness use your bright lights when no traffic is approaching. The high beams will illuminate the eyes of deer on the roadway or approaching the roadway much sooner, allowing a greater reaction time.

Always drive at a safe and prudent speed.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Devon Glass

Car Crash in Oneida Township Kills DeWitt Teenager

Devon Glass — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:51:50 GMT

Travis Rademacher, a 19 year old DeWitt teenager, was killed in a car accident last Saturday in Oneida Township when his vehicle collided with another car driven by Matthew Merrill of Lansing. The crash occurred after Mr. Rademacher stopped at a stop sign on St. Joseph Highway before turning onto M-100. Both Mr. Rademacher and his passenger were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the crash. Mr. Rademacher was transported to a Lansing area hospital, but unfortunately he passed away a short time after the crash.

It's not entirely clear what caused this crash. Darkness could have played a factor in the crash since it happened after sunset. Another factor could have been the speed of the car traveling on M-100. Or it could be that both drivers are inexperienced, given they were both under the age of 20, and also not paying attention to the other cars on the road. Our blog has talked a number of times about the dangers of distracted driving, most recently concerning text messaging.

While we don't know what caused this crash to occur, we should nonetheless be mindful of the potential causes of accidents and do our best to be attentive drivers. Please be careful when driving this holiday season so you can make it home safe and sound.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Devon Glass

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Announces Top Safety Picks for 2010

David Mittleman — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:01:42 GMT

After conducting their annual safety tests, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has cropped the list of "crashworthy" winners down from 94 vehicles in 2009 to 19 for 2010. To determine crashworthiness—that is, how well a vehicle protects its occupants during a crash—all 2010 car models were given the high-speed front and side tests, a test for rollover safety, and an evaluation of the seat and head restraints in protecting against head injuries in rear impacts. To earn the “Top Safety Pick for 2010” award, a vehicle had to achieve good ratings in all of the four tests. In addition, the winning vehicles also had to have electronic stability control.

Overall, the safest 2010 vehicles included two new models: the Nissan Cube and the Kia Soul. Furthermore, Subaru had a model winner in each category, the only manufacturer to accomplish this goal. Furthermore, Subaru won five awards total, although Ford and its subsidiary, Volvo, won topped that number with six awards.

Some of the largest automakers that did well in previous years were absent from the final rankings. For example, Toyota and its Lexus and Scion subsidiaries did well in 2009 with 11 award-winning models—this year they received no awards.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by David Mittleman

Safe Driving Is Something to Be Thankful For

David Mittleman — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:17:38 GMT

This holiday weekend, people will be traveling in droves to reunite with their families and to celebrate Thanksgiving. Given that airline tickets are prohibitively expensive for most people with the current state of the economy, much of the Turkey Day traffic will be on our roadways. Unfortunately, this could translate to a higher chance of being involved in an accident.

With millions of Americans traveling such significant distances, the opportunity for disaster also climbs. You can do your part to minimize the risk to you and your family by practicing safe driving behaviors:

Driving too fast is widely recognized as dangerous, but driving too slow can also cause hazardous situations as well.
If you're tempted to drive a few extra miles to get to your destination despite being sleepy, don't. Drowsy driving can be as dangerous as driving drunk.
Be patient. People will be clogging highways from Wednesday night through Monday morning. Be prepared to deal with delays to avoid road rage-type behavior.
Weather can be a factor. If the skies open up with rain or snow, be sure to adjust your driving accordingly.

Many law enforcement agencies will be patrolling the highways this weekend, on the lookout for these behaviors. Their goal is to keep everyone safe by ticketing violators and, hopefully, detering motorists from dangerous driving.

If you're traveling this weekend, use caution and common sense. Careful driving means you can avoid traffic tickets and hazardous situations. Celebrate Thanksgiving with your loved ones for many years to come - travel safely.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by David Mittleman

TMJ Injuries Common to Rear-End Collisions

David Mittleman — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:30:00 GMT

A temporomandibular joint (TMJ) injury is one of the most common related to rear-end collisions, but has received very little attention until very recently. The TMJ is described as a ball and socket arrangement so that the jaw is able to open and close. This fragile construction is especially sensitive to injury during traumatic car crashes. Furthermore, pain is more commonly attributed to head or neck injuries, in general. Nevertheless, TMJ disorders are progressive, and if left untreated, can increase impairment over the long run.

TMJ injuries that are caused by rear-end collisions occur as a result of whiplash. For example, when there is a sudden impact from behind, the head can snap in many different directions. When this happens very quickly the neck muscles cannot relax and therefore hold the jaw still. In the meantime, the head is forced backwards by an impact and the mouth opens and hyper extends, causing injury to the jaw. Ultimately, the muscles and supporting ligaments in the TMJ are torn, which results in scar formations. It is the scar formations that cause pain to an injured individual.

Unfortunately, few medical and dental practitioners have the specialized training needed to diagnoses TMJ injuries. However, a diagnosis can be made with thorough physical examination, including radiographic surveys. Once a diagnosis is reached, TMJ injuries can be treated through construction of a bite splint, moist heat therapy, trigger point injections, nutritional counseling, and other therapies.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by David Mittleman

Theft and Joyriding Lead to Pursuit and Death in Oak Park, MI

Devon Glass — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:30:27 GMT

15-year-old Desean Murrell Fant died after crashing a stolen car into a tree in the early morning hours of November 10, 2009 in Oak Park, MI. Desean and another 15-year-old child had allegedly stolen a 1999 Saturn that belonged to a 24-year-old Oak Park resident.

After locating the vehicle, Oak Park police ensued on a car chase. The boys were not wearing seat belts when they lost control of the vehicle. The police had been pursuing the boys for several blocks and Michigan State Police are reconstructing the crash to learn more about the boys' speed at the time of collision.

Local residents noted that the speeding car was zooming. It is unfortunate and tragic that the need to go on a joyride or steal property would lead to taking such dangerous risks. The risks were not only to their own lives, but to the lives of any other pedestrian or driver.

It is also unfortunate that death is the price that was paid by these kids for stealing a car. If these kids had been caught and arrested, I don't think anyone would find death a reasonable punishment for the crime they committed, but that's the sentence they received when the situation escalated. Did the police really need to engage in a high speed pursuit to catch these kids for stealing a car?

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Devon Glass

I-94 Rollover Crash Kills One, Injures Three

Devon Glass — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:12:28 GMT

A high-speed, single-vehicle accident on I-94 in Van Buren Township, Michigan, has claimed the life of one man and seriously injured three other people. The crash, which happened early Monday morning, occurred when a sport utility vehicle carrying the four occupants veered off the highway and flipped multiple times.

The violent rollover accident resulted in the ejection of three of the victims. The SUV then landed on one man who was thrown from the vehicle, causing fatal injuries. No one in the vehicle was wearing a seat belt. Authorities believe alcohol may have played a role in the accident.

There are many things you cannot control on the roadway - the weather, road conditions, and the behavior of other drivers, to name a few. However, you can take steps to keep yourself safe. Always wear a seat belt and obey traffic laws. Never drink and drive, and do not accept a ride from someone who has been drinking.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Devon Glass

Man Accused of Killing Lansing Area Woman and Son While Driving Drunk Fit to Stand Trial

Devon Glass — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:00:00 GMT

Following up on one of our previous stories, Daniel Burwell is fit to stand trial according to competency tests conducted at the Center for Forensic Psychiatry, near Ypsilanti. Ingham County Circuit Court Judge William Collette said that the examiners at the Center concluded that Mr. Burwell was only pretending to hallucinate and hear voices.

Mr. Burwell faces charges in relation to a deadly motor vehicle accident that took place on April 20, 2009 in south Lansing. He was charged with two counts of second-degree murder after his blood alcohol contest registered at 0.18 three hours after the deadly collision. According to authorities, Mr. Burwell drove drunk through a red light at 60 miles per hour when he crashed into a vehicle carrying 46-year-old Sylvia Porter and her 17-year-old son Major Washington.

Just yesterday I blogged about an MSU student whose life was cut short by someone who is now charged with driving while intoxicated causing death. Driving while intoxicated can take the life of an innocent person in seconds, so please be careful and drive responsibly by not drinking before you drive.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Devon Glass