Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

Injury Caused By Slip and Fall in Wal-Mart Store

August 5, 2007 | by Moseley Collins

As a Personal Injury Attorney in Sacramento, I know that someone can easily slip and fall in a store when there has been a spill that has not been taken care of. Currently, there is a lawsuit against the superstore, Wal-Mart, claiming that Wal-Mart employees failed to clean up water on the store’s floor and allowed a customer to walk in the puddle and subsequently fall.

The puddle of water was left near the main exit of the store and two employees were nearby when the injured person fell, supposedly leaving her “permanently injured”.

If employees leave a spill, such as water, on the floor of a store, a dangerous situation is present. For this case, there will have to be many questions answered, beginning with if the employees knew about the water spill, how long it had been there, and if it was open and obvious to the injured person, and what the injured person was doing at the time.

Stimulating Machine for Spinal Cord Injury Victims

August 2, 2007 | by Moseley Collins

As a Personal Injury Law Firm in the Sacramento area, it is always wonderful to read about stories of survivors of accidents and injuries. We know that a spinal cord injury is one of the hardest to deal with and learn to readjust. I read a story in the news today about a man who suffered from a spinal cord injury in a car crash five years ago. Today, he is learning to get around on his own and the injury has become the basis behind his work.

The man’s name is Brandon Ingram. He was in a car crash in which the driver of the other vehicle rear-ended him on the freeway. Crashing through his windshield, Brandon broke ribs, fracture a lung, and was paralyzed from the waist down. At the time of the accident he was 22 years old.

He began using a device called the Andara Oscillating Field Stimulator that helps regenerate damaged nerve fibers and restore some body functions. Brandon is one of 13 people to test the new machine.

Southern California Car and Big Rig Accident

August 2, 2007 | by Moseley Collins

A man from Southern California was killed in an accident involving the collision of a big rig with his car. The accident occurred on Highway 101, while the man was driving to work. Police reports show that the driver of the big rig stated he was slowing down with the flow of traffic when the car, a Mercedes Benz, cut in front of him. Without adequate time to stop, the big rig rear-ended the Mercedes, driving it to crash and killing the man inside.

Accidents involving large trucks such as this are often times fatal. The weight and size of the truck, averaging 80,000 lbs. and 70 feet long, places the car involved in the accident at an extreme disadvantage. According to the NHTSA, 5,000 people driving small cars are killed each year and another 140,000 are injured in big rig or truck accidents. On the other side of the equation, only 600 big rig drivers are killed each year in car accidents and 30,000 injured.

What should you do, in case you are involved in an accident with a truck or big-rig?

Lawsuit Against Sacramento Radio Station For Negligence Resulting in Death

August 1, 2007 | by Moseley Collins

A terrible accident occurred at a local radio station in our home of Sacramento, California. 107.9, a popular station playing contemporary music, held a contest on their show which challenged contestants to drink as much water as possible without urinating during a live event.

The final winner, a woman by the name of Jennifer Strange, drank more than two gallons of water during the contest. Tragically, within hours of returning home, Jennifer died from water intoxication.

This instance did not occur without warning. During the contest, Jennifer spoke very slowly and complained of a headache and feeling lightheaded. Some people even called in to warn the two disk jockeys that people can die of water intoxication. The DJs stated that at the time they believed people were trying to sway the outcome of the contest and they brushed off the suggestions.

Dog Attack – Southern California in Actor Rhames’ Home

July 25, 2007 | by Moseley Collins

Dog bites and attacks are a common thing in our home of Sacramento, California. Just see the blog I wrote on the staggering statistics of dog bites and you will understand what I mean. Dog attacks are dangerous and can cause serious injuries that need immediate medical attention and at times, can even be fatal. Don’t make the mistake of underestimating the consequences a dog bite can have on your life or of those you love.

In a recent case, an actor who starred in Pulp Fiction named Ving Rhames recently traveled out the country to film a movie, leaving his caretaker of two years to watch his house and his dogs. In what appears to be a shocking discovery, the caretaker was found dead at the actor’s house with dog bites covering his body. The actor’s four dogs (reports state that they were either bullmastiffs, Brazilian mastiffs, or English mastiffs) were found roaming freely across the mansion’s yard. It was all very eerie and dramatic, according to the described.

Until now, there was no information if the cause of death was indeed caused by the dog’s attacks or if it was something else. The police are still investigating and new information will be released to the public once available.

Large Truck and Car Collision in Northern California

July 24, 2007 | by Moseley Collins

Just south of our Sacramento home, a tremendous accident occurred between a big rig and a car early this morning in Concord, California. As a lawyer in Sacramento, I know how dangerous a collision of this type can be for the parties involved and how dramatic it can turn to the respective families. I hear news like this every day, at our offices.

Reports are still scattered, but police say that the car and big rig crushed the median in the crash, spilling diesel fuel and setting the big rig’s engine on fire. The fire eventually encompassed the entire trailer.

There are no reports yet of injuries sustained by the people involved in the collision. Traffic on the site was stopped until the truck was removed out of the way and police made sure the area was safe.

Most Dangerous Sports – The Sport that Causes the Majority of Brain Injuries in Young People

July 22, 2007 | by Moseley Collins

As a Personal Injury Law Firm in Sacramento, California, we see a lot of brain injury cases occurring from various sources of accidents, sometimes the most unexpected ones. Sports have been the catalyst for many brain injuries in young people these days. I guess it’s understandable. Interestingly enough, the sport that causes the greatest amount of brain injury in young people is not snowboarding as you blast down the mountain or even cumbersome football players slamming into one another, but rather horseback riding. Surprised? I know I was.

In the late July issue of its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that horseback riding is the number one culprit for causing traumatic brain injury in young people, with ice skating coming in as number two. Something we should all take some moments to think about, before we sign in our kids to next year’s activities.

The CDC also stated that each year about 65% of all sports-related brain injuries occur in people ages 5 to 18. When calculating all ages into the equation, basketball comes in number one, bringing in 603,239 people a year, and bicycling heads up number two with 524,692 people a year.

Teen Car Crash Near Sacramento, CA

July 20, 2007 | by Moseley Collins

A country road tends to give people the feeling of safety at high speeds, especially if those people are teenagers. In many cases, that feeling sadly turns to be false. A car crash near our Sacramento home in Fresno, California put 2 teenagers in critical condition and one dead. My thoughts are with their families.

Police reports say that five teens were riding in a vehicle along a country road at speeds reaching up to 90 mph. Apparently, the car lost control and hit a tree, totaling the car. The two teens that are now in the hospital with critical conditions were not wearing their seatbelts and were ejected from the vehicle onto the ground. It is unknown if the fatal victim was also not wearing his seat belt or if alcohol or drugs played any part in all of it. Police says further information will be necessary before they can release any more information to the public.

Accidents such as this are so easily prevented by maintaining a safe speed and keeping seatbelts on. Talk to your own teens about the necessity of taking such measures, as it could save their life. Often, this type of prevention starts at home, and we seem to forget it.

Spinal Cord Injury Expenses by Age: Info for You and Your Lawyer

July 20, 2007 | by Moseley Collins

Today I would like to talk to you a little about spinal cord injury and the lifetime costs that can derive from it.

When someone is a victim of an accident and subsequently suffers from spinal cord injury, the average lifetime costs associated with the injury will vary substantially according to the person’s age.

To get a clearer understanding of the costs associated with this type of injury, I have included a list that shows the average lifetime cost for varying degrees of spinal cord injury. The first number indicates the average cost for a 25-year-old person. The second number indicates the average cost for a 50-year-old person.

Southern California Construction Company Blamed for Slip and Fall Accident

July 18, 2007 | by Moseley Collins

There is an ongoing slip and fall lawsuit south of our Sacramento home in Orange County, California. The lawsuit was brought by Brenda Richardson after she slipped and fell on a patch of mud at an elderly apartment complex called Heritage Center. Brenda is seeking reimbursement from a construction company called Michael Moore Renovation and Restoration, and claims that they were negligent in failing to “provide adequate signs” to warn pedestrians that they could slip in the mud.

In addition to Brenda’s fall, another resident, Celestine Morris, also claims that she fell because of the mud in the same year. The fall left her with a broken arm and the consequent medical expenses. She is not yet sure if she will also advance with a legal action.

The Moore construction company states that it is “not in any way guilty” and places the blame back onto Brenda and the apartment complex. Moore believes that Brenda was not cautious enough when walking on the sidewalk and Heritage Center did not keep the apartment complex in a safe condition. They decline any responsibility on the matter.