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16
Feb

Lawsuit Filed Against Lynchburg Bus Driver For Beating Boy

February 16, 2012

When we think of nursing home abuse, we imagine it happening to an elderly person at an assisted living facility. What we often fail to remember is that the same abuse and neglect can happen to our children in the company of others.

Take, for instance, a case reported by WSLS 10 News of an 11-year-old autistic boy from outside Lynchburg, Virginia, who was beaten last fall by a bus driver and her assistant while they were taking him home. Video footage from the bus shows the two women kicking and beating the child with a fly swatter that September afternoon. Upon investigation, Bedford County school officials fired the two women for their actions and turned the case over to police. Two months later, the women were convicted of misdemeanor assault and received 12-month reduced sentences.

Only recently, though, did the boy’s family file a lawsuit for the alleged abuse. Their lawsuit seeks $20 million in damages from the Bedford County Schools, along with an additional $500,000 in punitive damages to be collected from the two women.

On Wednesday of this week, an attorney for one of the women filed a response to the lawsuit claiming no wrongdoing on her part.

The Virginia Caregiver Abuse Attorneys with the Skolrood Law Firm may be able to help answer some of your questions if your loved one has been caused physical or mental harm while in the care of another person.

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9
Feb

Tassimo Coffee Makers Recalled After 140 Reports Of Burns

February 9, 2012

A home coffee and tea maker is being recalled after 140 reports of people being burned by the machine. According to reports from WSLS 10 News, the Tassimo single cup brewer has caused some victims second degree burns on the bodies.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced the recall today in response to problems with the T Discs used to make the hot drinks. T Discs are plastic discs filled with coffee or tea that are inserted into Tassimo coffee makers to brew single cups of hot espresso drinks. The problems were reported with eight and 16-count packages of the discs with codes ending with 11213 through 12020. These identifying codes are printed on both the foil lid and side of the T Discs.

The injuries reported were by people who claim the T Discs became clogged. Once the brewer was clogged, victims say that the machine spewed hot liquids, coffee grinds, and tealeaves on their bodies.

While 140 reports have been made, 37 of those cases involved victims suffering second-degree burns.

The CPSC asks that owners stop use immediately and contact the company for a refund. They also ask that those who have accidents with the machine continue to report their injuries.

The Roanoke defective product lawyers with the Skolrood Law Firm are experienced in helping those who have been harmed by a faulty product get the compensation they need for their injuries.

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2
Feb

Virginia Tractor-Trailer Crash Kills One and Injures Another

February 2, 2012

A tractor-trailer accident involving two trucks along I-81 near Roanoke, Virginia, has left one driver dead and another injured. According to reports from WDBJ 7 News, the crash happened just before 2:00 this morning near mile marker 167 in Botetourt County.

Virginia State Police say that a 51-year-old driver was hauling two trailers behind his truck when, unknown reasons, the driver lost control of the vehicle. The truck began to jackknife, causing one of the trailers to smash into a guardrail, while the other flew across the median and into the southbound lanes of traffic. That is when another tractor-trailer heading south smashed into the wrecked trailer and rolled down an embankment.

The driver of the first truck that crashed was declared dead at the scene, and the driver of the second truck was taken to Roanoke Memorial Hospital to receive treatment for injuries he sustained.

The accident also caused a poison that was being hauled in one of the trailers, Thioglycol, to spill onto the highway. Locals were evacuated from the area and some are concerned about both long and short term health affects in residents.

The Virginia truck accident lawyers with the Skolrood Law Firm are well-versed in the intricacies of the laws that govern the trucking industry and are here to answer any questions you may have if you have been injured in an accident involving a commercial tractor-trailer.

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26
Jan

Speed Considered A Factor In Fatal Franklin County Crash

January 26, 2011

Police are saying speed was a factor in a multi-vehicle accident in Franklin County, Virginia, on Monday that killed one and left several others injured. According to WDBJ 7 News, the accident happened just before 4:00 PM along the Booker T. Washington Highway, near Beechdale Road.

Investigators believe that a 17-year-old girl was behind the wheel of a vehicle going north, when she lost control due to excessive speed. The girl then over-corrected, sending the car into oncoming traffic, where it collided with a pickup truck and another vehicle before striking a nearby building. A 17-year-old boy from Franklin County who was the passenger in the front seat of the girl’s vehicle was killed in the crash. The girl and two other passengers in the backseat were injured and taken to a local hospital.  The driver of the pickup truck that was involved in the crash, a 26-year-old man from Glade Hill, was also injured and taken to the hospital.

The National Library of Medicine considers speed to be a major contributing factor in the high number of fatal crashes seen in young drivers. They also suggest that the number of passengers in a vehicle can put a young driver at a higher risk for having an accident.

This is why the Virginia auto accident attorneys with the Skolrood Law Firm advise parents to set a limit on the number of passengers allowed to ride with your new driver.

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20
Jan

Texting And Driving Could Become A Primary Offense In Virginia

January 19, 2012

Texting while driving may be illegal in the state of Virginia, but in order to be pulled over for the offense, a driver has to be doing something else wrong. This may change soon though according to reports from WSLS 10 News that say a new bill recently passed through the Senate would make texting and driving a primary offense, allowing officers to pull over drivers if they are caught in the act on their phones.

Senate Bill 219 was examined on Wednesday by the Senate Transportation Committee and approved by a vote of eight to five with one voter abstaining. Also approved was legislation that would make using a cellphone a primary offense for teen drivers with provisional licenses.

Sen. George L. Barker spoke to the committee in favor of the laws pointing out that drivers who text are more than 23 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than those who don’t. He added that making cellphone use a primary offense would “encourage greater compliance” from drivers.

The legislation will now go before the full Senate for a vote during the next session.

The Virginia Car Accident Lawyers with the Skolrood Law Firm know that statistically using a cell phone will driving is more dangerous than driving drunk. That is why they ask for drivers to put their phones down while behind the wheel.

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12
Jan

Drunk Driver Sentenced For Norfolk Crash That Killed Three

January 12, 2012

Sentencing for a 32-year-old convicted drunk driver was continued this morning in a Norfolk, Virginia, courtroom for his part in the deaths of three passengers in his vehicle at the time of a wreck. According to WSLS 10 News, the man was convicted of three counts of aggravated involuntary manslaughter in connection with the August 10, 2010, accident.

Reports from the Norfolk police department show that the accident happened as the vehicle rounded a curve on East Indian River Road at over 100 MPH. The driver lost control of the vehicle and veered off the road and into a guardrail and several trees.

Three people died in the crash, while two others and the driver were injured.

Toxicology reports from tests submitted by the driver found his blood alcohol level to be more than three times the legal limit of .08. The jury, which convicted the man on the manslaughter charges, recommended a 25-year sentence to the judge presiding over the case who has final say.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) rank Virginia as the 23td safest state in our nation when it comes to drunk driving, with only 211 fatalities related to DUI in the past year which was a 13 percent decrease from the year before.

The Virginia auto accident attorneys with the Skolrood Law Firm work with victims of drunk driving accidents on a daily basis. If you or someone you know has been injured in a drunk driving accident at no fault of their own, contact an experienced attorney today.

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5
Jan

Radford University Student Convicted In Hazing Death

January 5, 2012

The most tragic part of all wrongful death lawsuits is that, in most of the cases, the death was completely preventable. Take for instance the case of a 21-year-old Radford University student was convicted last month in the accidental overdose death of his 20-year-old fraternity brother. According to The Roanoke Times, the young man died from acute alcohol poisoning in October 2011 after a fraternity initiation ritual.

Reports and court documents show that the elder young man gave his younger fraternity brother alcohol as a post-ceremony gift. He was found dead in his home the next day with a blood alcohol content six times the legal limit at .48.

The 21-year-old man was sentenced to two years in the New River Regional Jail; one year for the misdemeanor charge of hazing and another for the misdemeanor charge of purchasing alcohol for a minor.

Six other individuals are expected to go to trial as a result of the incident as well.

A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that binge drinking is the cause of most alcohol-related poisonings. Also, 90 percent of alcohol consumed by those under the age of 21 is in the form of binge drinking. The patterns of binge drinking are closely linked to fatal automobile accidents as well as accidental overdoses.

The Virginia wrongful death lawyers with the Skolrood Law Firm would like to urge teens and young adults to hold out on drinking for a while. If you do drink, do so responsibly.

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29
Dec

Van Crash Kills Virginia Man Who Failed To Buckle Up

December 29, 2011

A 31-year-old man from Thaxton, Virginia, was killed this past Sunday in a single-vehicle car crash. According to The Roanoke Times, the accident occurred at approximately 2:15 in the morning on Virginia 1022, just north of Virginia 24.

Virginia state police reported that the man was driving a 1989 Ford Van when, for unknown reasons, he suddenly veered across the oncoming lane and off the left side of the road. The van then plummeted down an embankment before becoming entangled in a grove of trees. Troopers added that the victim was not wearing his seat belt at the time of the crash and suffered major bodily trauma. He was declared dead at the scene of the crash.

The National Safety Council says that seat belts are the most effective way to prevent crash injuries. Their data shows that seat belts saved more than 75,000 lives between 2004 and 2008. Despite the lives saved, the agency always pushes to completely eliminate the problem.

The council estimates that more than 1,600 lives could be saved and 22,000 injuries prevented if seat belt use was 90 percent in every state.

The Virginia auto accident attorneys with the Skolrood Law Firm encourage motorists to buckle up their safety belts every time you get in the car. Furthermore, make sure everyone in a vehicle you are in does the same.

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15
Dec

Virginia Increases Premiums For Workers’ Compensation Insurance

December 15, 2011

With the Virginia State Corporation Committee announcing earlier this week that it had approved increases in premiums for workers’ compensation insurance, some believe it could lead to an increase in denials and disputes for legitimately hurt employees. WDBJ 7 News reported Sunday that the adjustment would take effect on April 1 of next year.

Virginia state law requires that employers provide employees with safe work environments at all times. That is why most employers in the state are required to carry workers’ compensation coverage. Workers’ compensation insurance covers the medical expenses and lost wages an employee endures from on-the-job injuries.

With payments increasing and profit margins for insurance providers shrinking, experts say that we can expect these companies to begin scrutinizing every penny they pay out to the injured, possibly even denying claims altogether.

The Virginia workers’ compensation attorneys with the Skolrood Law Firm believe the key to filing a successful workers’ compensation claim is filing it in a timely manner. Unless your injury is an emergency, you should report it to your employer first. They will then direct you where to receive treatment. After treatment, you should file your workers’ compensation claim as soon as possible. If there are any complexities involved in your case, you may need to consult a skilled worker’s compensation attorney to help.

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8
Dec

Pulaski Man Fined In Connection With Hitting German Cyclist

December 8, 2011

According to WDBJ 7 News, a 46-year-old Marion, Virginia, driver of a commercial truck has been convicted and fined for reckless driving on a suspended license in Pulaski County General District Court Thursday for his part in the October 8th accident that left a German cyclist in a coma.

The 40-year-old German was on a 10-week cycling tour of the United States when he was hit by the truck at around 3:00 PM on Route 100. Reports stated that the 1998 Freightliner truck was traveling southbound at about 55 mph when he swerved to the right and struck the cyclist’s bicycle. The rider was thrown several feet onto an embankment and was later airlifted to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Troopers who responded to the scene stated that the truck driver failed to maintain control of his vehicle and did not have his eyes on the road at the time of the accident.

In court today, the truck driver was convicted on all charges, given a $500 fine and suspended 90-day jail sentence for the reckless driving charge, and a $100 fine for driving on a suspended license.

The German cyclist remains in a coma and will soon be flown home to Germany to continue treatment.

The Virginia brain injury lawyers with The Skolrood Law Firm urge drivers to be aware of their surroundings and share the road with bikers. If you have been injured in an accident no fault of your own, contact our experienced attorneys with questions regarding your case.