Chocolate Plant Death Leads to Lawsuit

The surviving family members of a New Jersey plant worker who died after falling into an industrial-sized vat of cocoa have filed suit against the companies that operate the facility, Lyons & Sons Inc. and Cocoa Services. Vincent Smith, who was a temporary worker at the plant, died on July 8, 2009. While feeding ingredients into the vat, Smith fell into the 8-foot container and was struck on the head by a large rotating blade that is used to mix the cocoa. Smith's family claims that the lack of guardrails and other safety equipment in the area around the vat created unsafe working conditions.

Have you or a loved one sustained an injury due to another's negligence? If so, we can help guide you through your legal options. Contact the attorneys at The Heller Law Firm for a free consultation, or call us directly at 866-461-5791. You will hear from us either the same day or within 24 hours.

Settlement Reached in North Carolina Woman’s Death

Moments before jury selection was set to begin, the parties involved in a wrongful death suit surrounding the demise of Charlotte, North Carolina resident Kay Plyer announced that a settlement had been reached.

In March 2008, Plyer was driving her personal vehicle home from a shopping trip with her teen daughter when a tree fell on the car. Plyer was crushed and killed in the incident, while her daughter sustained serious but non-fatal injuries.

The lawsuit that was brought in the case charged that city authorities had documented the tree’s decaying root system in the past and were aware of the potential danger to passing motorists.

Although the dollar amount of the settlement will remain confidential, attorneys for Plyer’s survivors say that the amount should be sufficient to help the victim’s daughter defray most of her college expenses.

Have unsafe conditions caused you or a loved one to experience pain and suffering? If so, we can help. Contact the attorneys at The Heller Law Firm for a free consultation, or call us direct at 866-461-5791. You will hear from us either the same day or within 24 hours.

State of Maryland Target of Suit in Baltimore Bridge Crash

On August 10, 2008, truck driver John Short was forced to act quickly after a car veered into his lane from oncoming traffic. Unfortunately, Short over-corrected his tractor-trailer and crashed through the barrier of the bridge upon which he was driving at the time. Short and his vehicle plunged into the Chesapeake Bay below, where he ultimately drowned.

The lawsuit filed in the case claims that the State of Maryland bears the blame for several design flaws that created unsafe driving conditions on the bridge, including the permeability of the barrier that allowed Short’s truck to crash through. The driver of the car that veered into Short’s lane and caused the crash is also named in the lawsuit.

Have unsafe conditions put you or a loved one into harm’s way? If so, you need the advice of an experienced team of personal injury attorneys. Contact the attorneys at The Heller Law Firm for a free consultation, or call us direct at 866-461-5791. You will hear from us either the same day or within 24 hours.

Des Moines Strip Club Death Case Goes to Jury

A wrongful death case brought against Midwest Hospitality Investments, a conglomerate that controls the Des Moines, Iowa exotic dance establishment, The Lumberyard, has moved into the jury selection phase. In 2006, 27-year-old Luca Pasa was stabbed to death in the club.

A subsequent wrongful death case brought by his girlfriend (also the mother of his 4-year-old son) contends that club personnel bore some of the responsibility for the attack, as they failed to confiscate a knife from Erik Gilge, the patron who murdered Pasa. Once the jury has been seated, lawyers expect for the presentation of the case to be concluded within several weeks’ time.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an attack, we can help you understand your legal options. Contact the attorneys at The Heller Law Firm for a free consultation, or call us direct at 866-461-5791. You will hear from us either the same day or within 24 hours.

Florida Court Affirms $5.75 Million Settlement in Drowning Case

Several families vacationing in Florida on February 20, 1997, were struck by tragedy when powerful winds generated deadly rip currents, resulting in the drowning deaths of jazz guitarist and father Zachary Breaux and the 66-year-old woman he tried to rescue, Eugenie Poleyeff.

The wrongful death suits filed by both families after the incident contended that the area’s city-managed beaches should have been staffed with lifeguards who could have posted warning flags when water conditions grew dangerous. In a recent phase of the ten-year-long legal proceedings, a previously awarded verdict of $5.75 million was upheld in federal court. The case also impacted Florida’s beach safety procedures in a separate Supreme Court ruling.

Have you or your family been impacted by negligence on the part of a municipality or government agency? If so, we can help. Contact the attorneys at The Heller Law Firm for a free consultation, or call us direct at 866-461-5791. You will hear from us either the same day or within 24 hours.

Actor James Woods Reaches Settlement with Hospital in Brother’s Wrongful Death Case

James Woods, the actor known for his portrayals of unsavory characters in movies like Nixon and Casino, and more recently, the television legal drama Shark, has reached a settlement with a Rhode Island hospital over the death of Woods’ brother, Michael.

In 2006, Michael Woods was admitted to the Kent Hospital emergency department with complaints of vomiting and a sore throat. However, soon afterwards, Woods suffered a heart attack and died.

The wrongful death suit brought against the hospital and attending physicians by Woods’ family members claimed that medical personnel did not do enough to help the ailing patient. However, the parties were eventually able to reach a settlement, including a provision that requires the hospital to open a research institute named after Woods’ brother and dedicated to researching – and helping to reduce – human errors in health care.

If a medical error has impacted your family, we can walk you through your legal options. Contact the medical malpractice attorneys at The Heller Law Firm for a free consultation, or call us direct at 866-461-5791. You will hear from us either the same day or within 24 hours.

New York City Faces Lawsuit over Kite-Wire Injury

Long popular in South Asia, the sport of “kite fighting” has gained a growing following in the United States as immigrants from the region have taken up the traditional pastime in their adopted country. The sport was also featured in the bestselling novel The Kite Runner.

However, brewing concerns about the safety of kite fighting have been highlighted after a 12-year-old boy was injured by a glass-coated wire that broke free from a kite being used in a public match held in a New York City park. Jared Kopeloff of Flushing, NY was skateboarding when he collided with a floating kite wire that had drifted to the area from a nearby park. The extremely sharp wire slashed the boy’s throat, causing injuries that required nearly 500 stitches to repair. Kopeloff also lost two of his lymph nodes as a result of the incident. The boy’s family has filed a lawsuit against the city, claiming that allowing the sport to be carried out in public poses a grave danger to the safety of NYC residents.

Have you or a loved one suffered due to insufficient oversight on the part of a government authority? Contact the attorneys at The Heller Law Firm for a free consultation, or call us direct at 866-461-5791. You will hear from us either the same day or within 24 hours.