Wrongful Death
by admin@gotechark.com | March 12th, 2012
March 12, 2012
The Virginia Department of Labor is investigating an on-the-job accident that left a logger dead in New Kent County Thursday morning. According to reports from WVEC 13 News, the accident happened near the New Kent Highway near Quinton, Virginia, just west of Tunstall Road.
The New Kent County Sheriff’s Department, along with fire and rescue squads, reported receiving a call from a man who was screaming for help in the area. By the time they arrived at the scene, it was too late, as they found the body of the victim pinned beneath a large limb of a tree.
They were able to determine that the body was that of a 61-year-old Brodnax man who owned his own tree service. They believe he was working alone in the area when the large branch fell and crushed him.
The combination of heavy equipment, powerful tools, heavy ropes and cables, and the uncertain nature of the work can cause even the most experienced loggers to become seriously injured. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that the fatality rate for loggers in the U.S. is over 16 times higher than the overall fatality rate for all other workers in the U.S. in 2008. The findings have led to stiffer industry safety regulations in recent years.
The Virginia Wrongful Death Lawyers with Lowell “The Hammer” Stanley would like to send their condolences to the family of the victim of this tragic accident.
by admin@gotechark.com | February 28th, 2012
February 27, 2012
The owner of a restaurant in Norfolk, Virginia, has been charged by the Virginia Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission with serving underage and intoxicated patrons just minutes before a fatal crash claimed the life of a 20-year-old man. According to reports from The MetroWest Daily News, the accident happened on October 11, 2010 around 9:30 p.m. at 45 Holliston Street, a short distance from the restaurant.
Reports indicate that the man and two other underage patrons were served between seven and ten drinks from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. The patrons then got into a 2005 Dodge Ram Pickup and drove away. Moments later, the vehicle struck a curb and a tree before rolling several times and landing in front of a local middle school. Two of the victims, including the young man who died at the scene, were not wearing seatbelts and were ejected from the vehicle.
The other ejected victim survived after receiving treatment at the UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worchester for bleeding in her brain, a fractured eye socket and nose, and a broken collarbone, ribs, pelvis, and spine.
Virginia state law allows for restaurant owners and servers to be charged with crimes, and they can be held liable if a patron of their establishment is invoed in an accident after drinking.
The Virginia Auto Accident Attorneys with Lowell “The Hammer” Stanley express their condolences to the families of those involved in this crash.
by admin@gotechark.com | December 19th, 2011
December 19, 2011 Two house fires in the area have left one person dead and several others injured. According to WVEC 13 News, the first fire broke out at around 4:30 Thursday afternoon in the kitchen of an apartment building on Garden Drive. Newport News firefighters stated that a plume of smoke was rising from the building when they arrived. They added that they were quickly able to rescue two adults and three children who were trapped in the home at the time. One of the adults was transported to a nearby hospital to be treated for minor burns and smoke inhalation. The second fire took place less than 24 hours later in Chesapeake, Virginia.
Reports show that the fire was called in at 2:30 in the afternoon on Friday. Firefighters said that the home on West Bugle Road was fully engulfed with flames upon their arrival. After firefighters got the blaze under control, they found the body of a victim inside the home. A police officer who arrived at the home before fire crews and attempted to break out a window to help also was injured by the fire. He suffered from smoke inhalation and was treated at a nearby hospital.
The Virginia Fire Injury Lawyers with Lowell “The Hammer” Stanley know that the best way to keep you and your family safe from a similar accident is to install smoke detectors throughout your home. One device should be located within 10 feet of every bedroom door. If you can’t afford the detectors, they are often available for discount or for free through your local fire department.
by admin@gotechark.com | December 12th, 2011
December 12, 2011
For many people, homemade cookies are as much a part of the holidays as wrapping presents or hanging decorations on a tree. We have all been guilty of sneaking a bite of the dough before the cookies are baked. This year though, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a warning to consumers to not eat raw cookie dough, as it could make you sick.
According to Channel 10 News, a report in the Journal of Clinical Infectious Diseases found a strong link between illness and those who eat raw cookie dough. Researchers claim that the root of the problem may not be eggs, but instead flour. The study claims to have uncovered low levels of salmonella growth in some flour prior to the mixing process. The findings have caused the agency, in conjunction with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), to issue warnings to several cookie dough manufacturers to begin using heat-treated flour in their process.
The research was done to learn more following an E. Coli outbreak in Nestle Toll House cookie packages two years ago.
The Virginia Defective Product Attorneys with Lowell “The Hammer” Stanley urge anyone who has become ill after eating food to first seek medical advice. If it is determined that the food you ate was contaminated, they suggest contacting an experienced attorney.
by admin@gotechark.com | November 28th, 2011
November 28, 2011
A 24-year-old Navy sailor was fatally wounded in a Sunday morning motorcycle crash. According to WAVY-TV 10 News, the accident happened at 11:00 a.m. along Crags Causeway in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
A spokesperson for the Virginia Beach Police Department said today that a preliminary investigation of the crash has determined that speed was a factor when the biker lost control of the 2005 BMW while negotiating a curve. After losing control and dropping the bike, both the driver and the machine skid nearly 100 feet across the asphalt before coming to rest in a ditch. Police say that while the motorcyclist was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, he sustained massive bodily injuries and was declared dead at the scene by medical professionals.
The number of motorcycle crashes resulting in injury and death has risen over the years in the state of Virginia. The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (VDMV) reports that in 2008, the number of injuries in motorcycle crashes increased by 120 crashes over the previous year to a total of 2,404. The number of fatalities has also steadily increased over the past decade.
The Virginia Motorcycle Accident Attorneys with Lowell “The Hammer” Stanley understand the dangers bikers face on roadways today. That is why they would encourage anyone injured in a motorcycle accident that was no fault of their own to contact an attorney today!
by admin@gotechark.com | November 7th, 2011
November 7, 2011
A 55-year-old Hampton, Virginia, woman is dead as the result of a three car accident that occurred Friday afternoon. According to Channel 13 News, the accident happened at 2:15 in the afternoon on West Pembroke Avenue.
Spokesman for the Hampton Police Department, Cpl. Jason Price, stated that the woman was a passenger in a teal, 2000 Dodge Caravan that was traveling east when it collided head-on with a black, westbound 1999 Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck. The impact caused the vehicles to spin and hit a Ford Taurus that was on the road as well. Investigators stated that two women and a man who was riding in the S-10 were all transported to local hospitals to be treated for injuries. The 55-year-old passenger of the van died upon arriving at the hospital, just after 3:30 PM. The other two were treated and for non-life threatening injuries and were released.
Investigators are still working to determine the cause of the crash.
Statistics from the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) show that in 2005, head-on crashes only made up two percent of all crashes, yet accounted for 10.1 percent of US fatal crashes.
The Virginia Auto Accident Attorneys with Lowell “ The Hammer” Stanley and his team often handle cases for victims who were hurt in car accidents at no fault of their own. Contact Lowell Stanley today by filling out a free online consultation form to answer have any questions regarding your case answered.
by admin@gotechark.com | October 31st, 2011
October 31, 2011
With drug shortages being blamed for price gouging and patient deaths across the country, President Barack Obama is calling for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to take steps toward solving the problem. According to MSNBC, those steps include broadening reporting of potential drug shortages, accelerating the review of applications for manufacturing changes on drugs shortages, and getting the Justice Department information on cases of collusion and instances of price gouging.
The President argued that the “slow-rolling” problem must be fixed now by saying, “We can’t wait for action on the Hill, we’ve got to go ahead and move forward.”
Reports show there are more than 200 medications on a list of scarcely stocked items in the United States. That is a nearly 300 percent increase from the mere 56 listed in 2006. While the FDA has managed to ward off 137 shortages in the last 21 months, lack of vital medications and supplies are being linked to hundreds of deaths across the country. For instance, the Alabama Department of Health is being blamed for nine deaths and ten others being harmed after contamination through feeding tubes where sterile premix was not available.
The deaths are made even more difficult by the fact that the drugs are available, but at ridiculously marked up prices through “gray market” distributors.
The Virginia Medical Malpractice Attorneys with Lowell “The Hammer” Stanley want you to contact us if you have been caused harm because a certain medication you needed was not available.
by admin@gotechark.com | October 11th, 2011
October 11, 2011
The Virginia Department of Labor and Industry has cited the city of Norfolk for 19 serious safety violations following the death of a garbage truck worker in February.
The 51-year-old man was crushed to death by the hydraulic system inside his garbage truck on February 3. According to HamptonRoads.com, city officials initially said the worker violated policy by climbing into the back of the truck to clear debris away from a blade.
However, the state agency found that the man was only doing what he’d been trained to do. They also concluded that the safety mechanism that may have saved his life was not functional.
“Employees are instructed to enter the compactor area of the Heil Formula 7000 trucks to clear debris when the blade stops due to the limit switch tripping,” the report states.
The victim’s daughter said that her family hasn’t been notified about the state’s investigation into her father’s death, but she said she’d checked with other sanitation workers to confirm that her father had followed policy by getting into the back of his truck.
“[My father] would not have done that unless he was told to do it,” said the daughter. “He was very conscious of safety issues.”
Read more.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of a Virginia wrongful death, the injury lawyers at Lowell Stanley can help.
by admin@gotechark.com | August 18th, 2011
August 18, 2011
Family members of a 54-year-old inmate who died while at the Virginia Beach jail have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the sheriff and the jail’s medical staff, alleging poor medical care.
The deceased checked into the jail on October 29, 2010, to serve a 10-day sentence for driving with a suspended driver’s license. Hampton Roads reports that the man told a nurse that he had diabetes and hypertension and thus needed to take medication. Though the man was given insulin, the lawsuit says he was not treated for his hypertension.
On November 3, 2010, the victim complained to jail staff of severe pain in an eye before collapsing and hitting his head on a table. He was taken to the jail’s infirmary and then back to his cell. The suit says staff believed the man was faking or exaggerating his symptoms.
Later that evening the man fainted in his cell, remaining unconscious for a reported 15 minutes.
“The inmates in his cell block began frantically banging on the window and the deputies only then removed him from the block,” the lawsuit says.
The man was taken to an emergency room in handcuffs and then transported to Virginia Beach General Hospital, where he died several days later of a brain hemorrhage.
The man’s sister, a Norfolk, Virginia resident, seeks $5 million.
Read more.
Do you think that the Virginia Beach Jail’s medical staff could have done more to save this inmate’s life?
If you or someone you know has been the victim of a Virginia wrongful death, the injury lawyers at Lowell Stanley can help.
by admin@gotechark.com | July 14th, 2011
July 14, 2011
A worker died in an accident that occurred Wednesday, July 13, while he was on the job at Tapscott Brothers Logging near Scottsville, Virginia–about 70 miles west of Richmond.
According to The Daily Progress, the 56-year-old victim was pinned between a forklift and another piece of machinery.
Lieutenant Aaron C. Hurd of the Fluvanna County Sheriff’s Office said the man was declared dead at the scene of the accident at Rolling Road South in Fluvanna County.
Rescue officials from both Fluvanna County and Scottsville arrived to help, as did several deputies.
Officials said that an autopsy will be conducted on Monday, July 18, because the man died in a work-related accident.
According to TimberLine Magazine, Tapscott Brothers Logging was founded in 1983.
Read more.
Do you think all job site deaths need to be thoroughly investigated for the potential of faulty equipment or negligence?
If you or someone you know has been the victim of a Virginia wrongful death, the injury lawyers at Lowell Stanley can help.
