Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

Six Years Later: The Story of a Boy Attacked by Three Pit Bulls

October 30, 2007 | by Moseley Collins

I read an incredible story in the news today about a high school boy and his road of recovery since a severe dog attack. The young man’s name is Shawn Jones. When Shawn was 10-years old, he saw his whole life change. One afternoon, Shawn was riding his bike, when a pack of three pit bulls attacked him. It was a brutal attack. They say that one pit bull’s jaw can exert as much pressure as 1,000 pounds per square inch, can you imagine the detrimental effects three of those jaw can bring?

The attacks left Shawn in the hospital with chunks of muscle torn out of his arm, nerves and muscles destroyed on both sides of his face, and both of his ears ripped off. The first several days were very uncertain, with Shawn hanging between life and death. In addition to his horrendous injuries directly from the dog attack, Shawn began having blood and other fluids leak into his lungs. The doctors were constantly in a battle to fight off bacteria and infection.

Luckily, after some time, Shawn began to show signs of improvement. He began to undergo reconstructive surgeries to repair the extensive damage done to his face and body. Shawn spent eleven months recovering in the hospital from his injuries.

Trip-and-Fall Causes Serious Injuries

October 23, 2007 | by Moseley Collins

I read the craziest story in the news today. It is about a personal injury lawsuit in Southern California in which a woman was injured from a trip-and-fall and then assaulted. The woman, Star Harris, states that she was in 7-11 when she fell over some crates that were in her way. Badly injured, Star made her way to the counter to call 911. Star suffered another blow, literally, once she reached the counter. While asking a cashier for a phone to call 911, a man punched Star in the face and knocked her down! Hard to believe that someone would do such a thing to a injured woman. A store security camera depicted this second incident, and after the punch, showed the man paying for a beer and leaving.

It is a crazy world.

Star ended up in the hospital, suffering from three broken ribs, and an injured back and head. In response, Star is suing 7-11 for $1 million. 7-11 has offered Star $15,000.

Sacramento Woman Accused of Causing Shaken Baby Syndrome

October 23, 2007 | by Moseley Collins

At our Personal Injury Law Office in Sacramento, we can face the most horrific of acts carried out against an individual. I was reading the news today, when I came across one of those acts in the nearby area of Auburn, California. The story told of a case against a woman for allegedly killing a 16-month old child through shaken baby syndrome.

The accused woman, Veronica Salcedo, was babysitting three children the night of the incident. The youngest child, Hannah, is the center of the case. According to News 10, prosecutors are calling for Veronica to be tried for “second degree murder and child abuse causing death or great bodily injury”. It is their claim that Veronica shook Hannah so violently that the child ended up in the hospital on life support and died two days later.

On the opposing side, defendants state this is not what happened at all, but rather the cause of Hannah’s death was from a neurological undiagnosed illness. They state that there is evidence that the child’s brain was swelling the night before the incident. However, doctors never did the neurological testing for the illness, so there is no way of truly knowing.

Ten Months After Tragic Car Crash Causing Brain Injury

October 19, 2007 | by Moseley Collins

I was reading the news today when I came across a story about a young girl who was a part of a car accident 10 months prior. The crash left her in a coma and in critical condition. Two other passengers of the car were killed and the driver, her boyfriend at the time, was also in critical condition. It is amazing how one moment can so incredibly alter the course of one’s life. The young girl, 19-year old Savannah Willson, now is learning to cope with life again, from a different angle.

The car crash was caused by Savannah’s boyfriend, who took part in a sudden street race on his way home from a night out. His car reached speeds of 70 mph, well over the posted 25 mph speed limit. The car lost control in midsts of the race and slammed into a tree. From that moment on, Savannah would see her life change. After a week in a coma, she awoke to find the right side of her body paralyzed. She had suffered brain damage to the left side of her brain in the accident, causing neurons to disconnect. She also was not able to swallow her saliva and doctors had to perform a tracheotomy, which left a tube in her windpipe for 90 days.

Three months after the accident Savannah was able to leave the hospital and had regained partial use the right side of her body. Savannah will continue to undergo physical therapy and rehabilitation to regain use of the right side of her body.

Drunk Driver Involved in Horiffic Car Crash; Kills Two

October 19, 2007 | by Moseley Collins

A horrific accident occurred last Sunday just southeast of our Sacramento home in Santa Barbara County Around 2:15 in the morning a man was driving a 2002 Chevrolet Camaro with two female passengers at high speeds. As he took a turn, he lost control of his car, sending it hurtling through a freeway overpass. The Camaro and its passengers fell 40 feet off the overpass onto another freeway, Highway 101.

The car landed on its passenger side with its roof facing oncoming traffic. Immediately, a family of five in a Honda sedan collided with the camaro. The two women passengers were then ejected from the car, dying at the scene. The driver was severely injured. Luckily, the family of five (two adults and three children) left the scene with minor injuries.

Police officers state that the driver of the Camaro’s BAC was way over the legal limits. It is amazing to know that people still drink and drive even with the news stories, all the statistics, and the grave consequences that can occur as result. Studies from the NHTSA show that a driver is 11 times more likely to be involved in a fatal caar crash with a blood alcohol content between .05 and .09. You can only imagine how the stakes rise when greater amounts of alcohol are involved.

Roseville Dentist Commits Sexual Battery on Female Patients

October 19, 2007 | by Moseley Collins

A dentist from our Sacramento area had his licensed pulled while he faces charges of battery and sexual battery on some of his female patients. Twenty-seven women have come forth in this case, stating that the dentist, Dr. Mark Anderson, groped their breasts during their examinations. Dr. Anderson has stated that he was not groping his patients’ breasts, but rather massaging them as a treatment for temporomandibular joint disorder, a jaw condition more commonly known as TMJ. The defendant brought forth evidence that showed “palpating the pectoral muscles of the chest” is a standard of care for the treatment of TMJ. The judge rejected this evidence stating that the dentist’s conduct went far beyond just palpating the pectoral muscles and noted that sexual comments were often made during this so-called treatment.

California code 1708 states that “every person is bound, without contract, to abstain from injuring the person or property of another, or infringing upon any of his or her rights”. When someone intently offends or harms someone else by touching their intimate parts, they commit sexual battery. Any person who commits sexual battery is liable by law for the other person’s special damages, general damages, and punitive damages.

It is always sad when a professional uses his or her power and/or authority to manipulate or abuse the person they are supposed to be serving. If you have suffered from a sexual assault, please contact me at the Law Offices of Moseley Collins. You should not go through this alone and the assailant should be stopped before he/she hurts more people. We are here to listen and help.

Sacramento Bee Reports Danger of Children Falling Out of Windows

October 12, 2007 | by Moseley Collins

I was reading an article in the Sacramento Bee this afternoon on the amount of children that fall out of windows and injure themselves. The article states that thousands of children fall out of windows each year and are hospitalized as a result. That is incredible to me, but it does make sense. Children are so curious, especially at young ages they want to explore everything that catches their eye. An open window is an open invitation for these children to accept. In our Sacramento area alone, doctors at UC Davis hospital stated that over the course of three years, 44 children were hospitalized after falling out of a window.

The Sacramento Bee gave an example of a little girl, Taia Herring, who fell out of a second-story window just days after her third birthday. She was left alone for a moment and out the window she went. Her mom found her on the grass outside, barely conscious. She was rushed to the hospital to find out that she had suffered major brain injury and fractured her femur.

Taia’s parents were devastated, but they held fast to hope and submitted themselves to prayer every day for their daughter. And then her remarkable recovery took hold. Within two months, Taia was able to speak and left to return home. She is still learning to walk on her leg and continues with physical therapy. Her parents say that they know it is the blessing of God that Taia was saved in that fall.

Car Seat Product Defect Results In Child’s Death

October 8, 2007 | by Moseley Collins

A family is suing the company EvenFlo, maker of baby products, for the death of their seven month old child. The suit comes after the mother and her son, Issac, were in a car accident. Issac’s mother was changing lanes and had to overcorrect herself. The overcorrection made her lose control of her car, causing it to flip over. Issac was in his EvenFlo car seat at the time and was properly belted in and secure. Unfortunately, the car seat ejected from the car when the car flipped over, resulting in Issac’s death.

EvenFlo isn’t unaccustomed to lawsuits. Just two months before Issac’s family filed a suit against EvenFlo, a $10.4 million jury verdict was set against the company for a defective car seat that caused a four month old boy to die of head injuries. The NHTSA has since recalled this car seat, the “On My Way” model.

When a company puts out a defective product, they are liable for injuries or death that is caused by such defect. If you or a loved one has been injured because of a product’s defect, please call the Law Offices of Moseley Collins. I will be able to explain your options and give you the help and advice you seek.

Big Rig and Car Accident Kills Two Women

October 2, 2007 | by Moseley Collins

I read an article today that showed the damage that a big rig can cause when colliding with a car. The report stated that two women were attempting to pass another car, when the driver lost control. Their car slid out and ended up colliding front-first into a semi-truck. The two women were killed instantly. The driver of the big rig suffered only minor injuries.

It is incredible that in an accident, two people can die instantly while the other leaves the scene with only cuts and bruises. However, this is often the case in an accident involving a big rig and a car. The weight and size of the big rig is totally devastating to a car upon impact. In addition, it takes much more time for a semi to come to a complete stop, so if a car is suddenly in it’s way, it is more likely than not that the big rig will run into it.

If you or someone you love have been injured in a collision with a big rig, you will need legal advice and assistance. Please call the Law Office of Moseley Collins, I am here to help.

Traumatic Brain Injury in Southern California Puts High School Senior in Coma

October 2, 2007 | by Moseley Collins

A story I blogged about a couple weeks ago on a high school football player has been updated. In Southern California, a high school senior, Scotty, is still in critical condition after he collapsed on the field during one of the high school football games about two weeks ago. News reports state that he actually stumbled off the field and then slipped into a coma. He has been comatose since this incidence.

His doctor informs news sources that Scotty’s injury is due to a traumatic brain injury, very similar to what one would see from a serious car accident. Despite suspicions that the injury was due to a previous hit or accident, Scotty’s doctor says that this injury had to have happen within hours of Scotty reaching the hospital.

Doctors cannot predict how Scotty will, or even if he will, recover. At this point in time, with such a major brain injury, and with Scotty in such a deep coma, it is difficult to see signs of recovery. Over the past couple of weeks, Scotty has only slightly moved the right side of his body and cracked his eyes open once. Unfortunately, this could be due to reflexes rather than signs of improvement.