Monday, July 26, 2010

$2.4 Million Settlement Awarded in San Jose Bicycling Fatality

54-year-old Deborah Johnson was enjoying a pleasant bicycle ride with a friend when tragedy struck. Johnson collided with a raised lane divider that had become separated from its top section and fell from her bike, striking her head. Despite being rushed to the trauma center at Stanford University, Johnson never recovered from the injury and died two days later.

According to Johnson’s husband, the divider had been left behind after workers had completed construction on the road where the accident occurred. However, the divider is named as a safety hazard to bicyclists in the federal Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices, and a similar warning is posted in California’s state version of the same document. Gerrity recently received a $2.4 million settlement in the case, and has spent much of the time since his wife’s death speaking out on issues of bicyclist safety.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a similar incident, we’re here to 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.

Monday, July 19, 2010

9/11 First Responders Set to Receive $712.5 Million Settlement

In one of the largest settlements of its kind on record, the attorneys representing more than 10,000 first responders and laborers who worked at the World Trade Center site in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks have negotiated an award of more than $700 million. The funds will be distributed to workers who have developed conditions believed to be linked to potential toxins in the environment after the attacks and subsequent structure collapses, ranging in severity from asthma to terminal cancer. The judge in the case has approved the agreement, but the final approval must come from the claimants in the case, of whom at least 95% must agree to the settlement before the funds can begin to be disbursed.

Have you or a loved one experienced an injury or illness due to environmental factors? If so, we can help you understand your legal recourse. 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.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Fatal Ohio Big-Rig Crash Results in Wrongful Death Lawsuit

Vijayi Emani, a leading activist, spokesperson, and organizer in Cleveland’s rapidly growing Indian- American community, was involved in a car wreck on the Ohio Turnpike in January 2009. As she was walking near the guardrail to inspect the damage to the vehicles, she was struck and killed by a big-rig truck owned by regional freight company Con-Way Trucking. The driver of the truck, Matthew Smith, divulged to police that the windshield of his truck had been obscured by road salt and debris for approximately five miles before he struck and killed Emani. Speculation has been intense over why Smith continued to operate the vehicle with an obscured view after learning that he was out of windshield wiper fluid, but some industry experts say that commercial truck drivers are often under severe pressure to log as many miles as possible each day, to the point that some are loathe to stop to perform routine maintenance tasks. Matthew Smith is facing criminal charges in the case, and both Smith and Con-Way Trucking are named in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Emani’s surviving family members.

If you or a loved one has been harmed by another’s malfeasance, you need the advice of a team of skilled personal injury attorneys. 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.

Monday, July 5, 2010

Oregon Hospital’s Medical Mistake Prompts Patient’s Lawsuit

Waldport, Oregon resident Ben Sebastiani was admitted to the Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center for heart surgery in December 2007. Although the procedure was completed successfully, Sebastiani left the hospital with an unwanted souvenir of the surgery – namely, a ten-inch piece of copper wire that he claims was negligently left behind by the team of medical personnel who worked on him. The artifact was discovered a year later by another doctor to whom Sebastiani was referred when he developed a bacterial infection in the area that proved resistant to standard treatments. Sebastiani filed a lawsuit against the hospital and two staff members, seeking a combined total of more than $300,000 in damages.

Have you or a family member been harmed by someone else’s negligence? If so, we can help. 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.