October 27, 2008

Suffocation Dangers Trigger Crib Recalls

Last week, the Consumer Products Safety Commission recalled about 1.6 million cribs because of defects that can trap and smother infants.

The recalls involve drop side cribs made for New York-based Delta Enterprise Corp. There are two hazardous defects, one involves a spring peg and the other involves missing safety pegs.

When a spring peg is not engaged, the drop side of the crib can detach. At least one child, an eight-month-old, has died as a result of the defect.

The recall also involves missing safety pegs. When the pegs are missing, crib locks can disengage and detach causing a hazardous gap. The CPSC reports that at least one infant has died. There have been two reports of entrapment and nine instances of disengagement.

The recalled cribs with the spring peg defect were made in China from and sold from January 2000 through January 2007 for between $33 and $200.

The recalled cribs with the missing safety pegs were made in Taiwan or Indonesia. They were sold at major retail outlets from January 1995 through September 2007 for about $100.

Parents are urged to immediately find other sleeping options for their children and to request a repair kit.

If a child has been injured or has died in an accident involving a crib, we urge you to contact The Lowe Law Firm. The Lowe Law Firm will provide you with a free initial consultation. We can meet with you in our office, at the hospital or in the privacy of your home. Contact The Lowe Law Firm online or call 877-678-3400.

October 26, 2008

Illinois State Trooper Arrested for Drunk Driving

In 2008 an Illinois state trooper driving 120 miles an hour slammed into a car killing to sisters. Near that site another state trooper has been involved in an accident, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

This time the trooper, Jeffrey Gagen, was driving the wrong way on Interstate 64 near the Scott Air Force Base exit when he struck an oncoming car. Fortunately, the driver of the other vehicle only suffered minor injuries.

Gagen was arrested at the scene and charged with driving under the influence.

The lawyer representing the sisters who died last year called the latest incident an example of a department that can’t control its officers.

If you have been hurt in a motor vehicle accident resulting from the negligence of another or a loved one has been hurt or killed in such an accident, please contact our attorneys for legal assistance as soon as possible.

October 8, 2008

Missouri Teen Injured in Rollover ATV Accident

A Missouri teen was seriously injured when the all-terrain vehicle he was driving overturned and landed on top of him.

According to the Springfield News-Leader, Michael W. Wilson, 17, was driving a 1988 Suzuki on Missouri NN in Pulaski County when the ATV went off of the right side of the road. Even though Wilson was wearing a safety device, he was thrown from the ATV and into a ditch. The ATV landed on top of him.

As all-terrain vehicles continue to soar in popularity, so, too, does the incidence of accidents and deaths involving ATVs. Because of their inherently unstable design, these vehicles, which sometimes weigh more than 700 pounds easily tip over or even roll. Add to this the frequent use of ATVs on uneven surfaces and the vehicles’ high-performance engines, capable of speeds topping 60 mph, and you can see why the numbers of ATV-related fatalities and injuries continue to grow.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the annual tally of accidents involving ATVs increased by nearly 180 percent between 1995 and 2004. Children younger than 16 years accounted for nearly a quarter of all ATV-related deaths and a third of ATV-related injuries, such as brain and spinal cord trauma. The average cost of hospitalization for the victim of an ATV accident was $21,304.

As a result of dangerous designs and manufacturing defects, children and adults have suffered brain injuries, spinal cord injuries and amputations and have even been killed in ATV accidents.

If you or a loved one has been injured or a family member has been killed in an ATV accident, we urge you to contact The Lowe Law Firm. Our attorneys are experienced in helping people injured by dangerous ATVs. We will seek compensation for medical expenses, future and other affected wages, disability and other related damages, pain and suffering.

The Lowe Law Firm will provide you with a free initial consultation. We can meet with you in our office, at the hospital or in the privacy of your home. Contact The Lowe Law Firm online or call 877-678-3400.