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Head Injury Survivor Dies In North Carolina Bicycle Accident
Posted on 8/21/2010
North Carolina Toddler Survives Shocking Head Injury From Pressure Was
Posted on 8/20/2010
North Carolina Toddler Survives Shocking Head Injury From Pressure Was
Posted on 8/20/2010
UNC Study: Former NFL Players Plagued By Cognitive Issues
Posted on 8/19/2010
Hydroplaning Leads to Two Serious Car Wrecks in North Carolina
Posted on 8/16/2010

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Carolina Accident Attorney Blog

Read our latest blogs about North Carolina and South Carolina accident, medical malpractice, slip and fall, wrongful death and brain injury cases. If you have sustained a serious injury resulting from an accident, medical malpractice or nursing home abuse, a Carolina accident attorney from our office can help you.

Crashes Caused by Trucks

10/28/2009
Rick Shapiro
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Fayetteville Tractor Trailer Tanker Crash Hospitalizes One with Severe Burns

All northbound lanes and one southbound lane on I-95 northeast of Fayetteville, NC were closed early morning of October 20^th due to an overnight wreck involving two trucks. The wreck occurred 11:30 p.m. Monday when semi truck driver, Carlos Bolden, 46, stopped to help a pickup truck driver who ran out of gas, Charles Alphin, 35 was trying to help push the truck off of the interstate. A tanker-truck hauling pig blood swerved to avoid the pickup but sideswiped the tractor-trailer instead. The tanker hit the guardrail and caught fire.

Witnesses say debris hit several other vehicles. The tanker truck driver, Frank Graves, 56, suffered burns on 40 % of his lower body and was taken to the North Carolina Jaycees Burn Center at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill to be treated. Troopers said Alphin, who was clearly the cause of the accident and who did not suffer any injury will be charged with impeding traffic.

A Toyota website states that car fire represents a real and often overlooked threat. People tend to underestimate the intensity of a car fire and place themselves in danger. A car fire may start in a situation that is already dangerous- either driving down a highway or stuck in traffic. Car fires pose a threat of spreading to surrounding structures- often the vehicle will be enclosed within a garage or other parking structure. There have even been major disasters involving car fires in tunnels.

In fact, one in every four fires is a car fire and one in every eight fire deaths are caused by car fires. Each year, car fires alone kill 550 people and injure 3,300 more. There are more than a quarter of a million car fires annually- and the number is rising. Here are some basic steps you and your passengers need to be aware of in the event of a car fire.

According to the National Safety Council, when your car catches fire you should stop immediately, warn oncoming traffic, get away from the vehicle, notify the fire department and do not attempt to try to put out the fire yourself. In all vehicle fire situations, the first thing to think about is personal safety; any vehicle can be replaced—humans cannot. Think and act quickly, in the safest way possible.

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm which focuses on injury and accident law and we have experience handling wrongful death cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our law firm has offices in Elizabeth City, North Carolina (NC) and Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA). Our attorneys have handled numerous wrongful death cases and we understand the difficult circumstances which accompany these types of cases. That’s why you need an experienced attorney to help you through the legal process. Our lawyers hold licenses in NC, VA, SC, WV, KY and DC. We are ready to talk to you by phone right now—we provide free initial confidential injury case consultations, so call us toll free at 1-800-752-0042. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube . In addition, our lawyers proudly edit the Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard, as well as the Virginia Beach Injuryboard and Norfolk Injuryboard as a pro bono public information service.

Labels: accident burned burns Fayetteville I-95 injury injury lawyer North Carolina Shapiro Sideswipe tractor trailer

Railroad Injury/FELA

9/5/2009
John Cooper
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Two Boys Seriously Burned in Accident Involving Amtrak and Norfolk Southern

railroad accident, rail injury, injury lawyer, railroad accident lawyer Jeffrey Klein and Brett Birdwell, two young boys, had their lives forever changed by the negligent actions of Amtrak and Norfolk Southern. The boys were out one day and decided to venture onto rail property owned by Amtrak and Norfolk Southern. Neither was prepared for the lethal shock that was inflicted by catenary lines (overhead lines that transmit electricity to trains on a rail system) and caused both to be severely burned.

Over 75 percent of Jeffrey's body was burned while Brett has 18 percent of his body burned. Both had to go through extensive rehabilitation and their lives may never be the same, according to law.com.

Fortunately, a jury awarded Jeffrey and Brett $24 million in punitive and compensatory damages. It was determined Amtrak and Norfolk Southern were negligent and should have taken the necessary safety precautions in connection to their railways and catenary lines.

The boxcars in which Jeffrey and Brett were on did not have any explicit warnings indicating the dangerous levels of electric current that led to their injuries.

"Amtrak had every reason to know trespassers were regularly on its tracks and that teenage boys were inclined to climb to the top of parked boxcars," said U.S. District Judge Lawrence F. Stengel, who presided over the case at trial.

No amount of money will ever be able to give Jeffrey and Brett their former lives back, but they should be able to get quality treatment and, hopefully, prosper in the future. I have children and represented people seriously hurt in rail accidents, so these types of verdicts give me hope that justice can be obtained in a situation where negligence was determined in a court of law.

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton personal injury law firm is based in Virginia (VA), near the NE North Carolina (NC) border and handles car,truck,railroad, and medical negligence cases and more. Our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard, and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard as a pro bono public information service. Lawyers licensed in: VA, NC, SC, WV, DC, KY.

Labels: Amtrak burns injuries injury lawyer Norfolk Southern rail

Wrongful Death

6/20/2009
Angela Colley
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Explosion at Slim Jim Snack Factory Kills 3 Workers in North Carolina (NC)

An explosion rocked Garner, N.C on Tuesday morning as the roof of a Slim Jim snack factory caved in causing fires and igniting the factory’s ammonia-based refrigeration system. Due to the collapsing roof and the ammonia leak that had to be stabilized, the scene was not deemed safe for rescue crews to search the wreckage until Wednesday. As the team searched the rubble, 3 people were pronounced dead and dozens of other workers were rushed to hospitals with injuries and severe burns. Some workers had burns covering 40%-60% of their bodies. The Slim Jim snack factory was reported to have had some previous safety violations, but the factory was last inspected July 2008 and no violations were found at that time. It remains unclear whether the plant, which is owned by ConAgra Foods, will eventually reopen. However, the company is setting up a donations fund for the workers and their families. Meanwhile, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board is investigating the incident to confirm the cause of the blast.

Labels: amonia attorneys burns chemical ConAgra dead explosion factory Garner hospital injury kills NC North Carolina refrigeration roof slim jim Slim Jim Snack Factory snack violation workers

Greenville-Outer Banks-Rocky Mount NC Personal Injury Lawyer

Heavy Rains in North Carolina Cause Serious Car Wrecks

Date: 08/16/2010

When the skies open up a dump a ton of rain on our roadways, caution is the name of the game. Unfortunately, not all drivers adhere to this principle which leads to some bad car wrecks. A major rainstorm in North Carolina (NC) led to two car wrecks that resulted in serious injuries and loss of life.

A car was driving down N.C. 43 when it hydroplaned, crossed the center line, and wound up getting hit by a dump truck. As a result, two people were killed and a young child was injured, according to enctoday.com.

On the same day, another car hydroplaned at the intersection of U.S. 17 and Weyerhaeuser Road leading to eight injuries including injuries to three toddlers and two teenagers.

Hydroplaning is a common cause of car wrecks and can cause serious damage to your vehicle and the people inside. It occurs when a layer of water builds up between the tires of your car, truck, SUV, or motorcycle and the road surface. This leads to the loss of traction and puts the vehicle into a virtually uncontrollable slide.

In order to reduce the risk of hydroplaning, go below the speed limit when it has just rained heavily or if you are on the road when it is raining. Also, be extremely cognizant of the other vehicles on the road since not everyone obeys the speed limit, even in bad weather.

Both of the car accidents that occurred in N.C. were awful and they serve as an example of just how dangerous the roads can be after a bad storm.

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton personal injury law firm (NC-VA law offices ) edits the injury law blogs Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard, Virginia Beach Injuryboard, and Norfolk Injuryboard as a pro bono service to consumers.

Originally posted

InjuryBoard

Emily Mapp Brannon

Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Suffolk VA Personal Injury Lawyer

Virginia Seat Belt Law Loophole Allows Back Seat Passengers to Ride Unbuckled

Date: 08/20/2010

Most of us are aware of seat belt laws and the importance of buckling up when you get into the car. However, you may not know that numerous states have a loophole which allows adult back seat occupants to ride without their seat belt on. Virginia (VA) is one of those states.

Laws are on the books in VA requiring minors to wear their seat belts while riding in the back, but not for adults. This is extremely dangerous since an unbuckled adult in the back seat can become a “back seat bullet” in a car accident, according to USA Today.

There seems to be this false belief that if you are in the back seat, you are somehow safer than the people in the front. This is not the case. In a car crash, a back seat passenger not wearing a seat belt will continue to move at the same rate of speed as your car until they hit something like the dashboard, back of your sea, or windshield.

Six states took the step of expanding their seat belt laws in 2007 but Virginia (VA) remains one of the over 20 states across the country that still allows adult back seat passengers to ride without a seat belt. This needs to be corrected as soon as possible.

Seat belts reportedly save 11,000 lives every year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Car accidents are the leading cause of death for people under the age of 35. It makes no sense to keep the current laws on the books enabling adults to ride in the back unbuckled. Let us hope our legislators take action and correct there glaring loophole in our seat belt laws.

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton personal injury law firm (VA-NC law offices ) edits the injury law blogs Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard, and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard as a pro bono service to consumers.

Originally posted

InjuryBoard

Emily Mapp Brannon

Norfolk-Portsmouth-Hampton VA Personal Injury Lawyer

7 new influenza vaccines for next flu season

Date: 08/13/2010

After the big H1N1 virus that caused the 2009 pandemic, the US Food and Drug Administration approved seven influenza vaccines for this next flu season, 2010-2011.

What is the Flu?

A flu is a respiratory illness which is caused by influenza viruses. It is contagious and the best way to prevent the flu is to receive the flu vaccine each year.

These newly approved vaccines protect against three strains of influenza, including H1N1, according to Medical News Today. Last year, there were two vaccines needed in order to protect against the 2009 H1N1 flu. According to FDA, only one vaccine is required this year.

Director of FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Karen Midthun, M.D., said, "The best way to protect yourself and your family against influenza is to get vaccinated every year. The availability of a new seasonal influenza vaccine each year is an important tool in the prevention of influenza relate illnesses and death."

Here is a list of the new vaccines that have been approved (Brand Names & Manufacturers):

1) Afluria (CSL Limited)

2) Agriflu (Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics)

3) Fluzone and Fluzone High-Dose (Sanofi Pasteur Inc.)

4) Fluvirin (Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics Limited)

5) Flarix (GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals)

6) FluMist (Medlmmune Vaccines Inc.)

7) FluLaval (GlaxoSmith Kline Biolgicals)

How do they figure out these vaccines that FDA recommends?

Experts from FDA, World Health Organization, CDC and possibly other institutions examine and study virus samples collected worldwide. They examine them to find strains likely to cause the most illness during the next season. Then with the strains and vaccines, the closer the match, the more protection against influenza disease.

With all this research, the FDA did approve of seven new vaccines for this season.

The Flu spreads. It can spread very easily by people coughing, sneezing or simply talking.

So who is actually at risk of getting the flu?

According to CDC, there are certain people who are at greater risk for complications if they get the flu. In this group are older people, young children, pregnant woman and people with certain health conditions.

A study completed in 1990 found that flu-related deaths estimated 17,000 during the mildest season to 52,000 during the severe season. According to the CDC, 90 percent of deaths during a regular flu season occur in people who are 65 years old or older.

The 2009 H1N1 virus caused the first flu pandemic in over 40 years. There were around 12,000 or more flu-related deaths.

The important thing here is to be preventative, especially with parents and their children. CDC says, "the single best way to prevent the flue is to get a flu vaccine each season." Now, FDA has approved several new vaccines. They should become available in September and continue throughout flue season, which in some cases can last as late as May.

Originally posted

InjuryBoard

Emily Mapp Brannon

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