A survey about the driving habits of teenagers had some good news and bad news. The good news was that high school students are buckling up more, and they are less often getting into a vehicle with driven by someone…
Tot’s Fatal Fall Into Septic Tank Yields $21.5 Million Award
The family of a 3-year-old who fell into a septic tank and died in Massachusetts has won a $21.5 million award, according to Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. http://masslawyersweekly.com/2012/05/24/boys-fatal-fall-into-septic-system-results-in-21-5m-award/ The case stemmed from the death of Jaecen Cambronero, who drowned when he…
N.J. Judge Rules Texter Isn’t Liable For Boyfriend’s Distracted Driving Crash
In what’s thought to be the first case of its kind in the country, a New Jersey judge ruled Friday that a woman who texted her boyfriend right before he struck — and badly injured — a couple on a…
Wisconsin Truck Driver Kills Two On Motorcyle In Accident
A tractor-trailer driven by a Wisconsin man Tuesday struck and killed two people who were on a motorcycle on a Kentucky highway. The motorcycle had stopped because of an accident in front of it. James M. Hoerman, 60, of Antigo,…
Judge To Rule On Whether Text Sender Is Liable For Crash
A New Jersey judge is weighing whether a woman who texted a male friend can be held liable for a crash he had after reading her message — an accident that caused two victims to each lose a leg. Morris…
Traffic Accidents Are The Big Killer In The Oil Indsutry
I knew that oil industry work was dangerous, but even I didn’t realize how dangerous. I’ve been tracking the many deaths that have happened when workers fall off derricks. But I didn’t realize that the largest cause of fatalities in…
Texas Sheriff Blasts Oil Workers For Reckless Driving
A sheriff in Texas is blaming an oil boom for driving up the number of vehicular accidents in his county: He claims oil workers are reckless drivers. The story, “Fracking Boom Blamed for Deadly Accidents,” was reported by WOIA.com. http://www.woai.com/news/local/story/Fracking-boom-blamed-for-deadly-accidents/WFq46QTp1U-4jEWlg5HEQQ.cspx…
Female Dummies Are Helping Detroit Design Safer Cars For Women
It looks like Detroit and federal safety officials are finally taken women’s vulnerability in car accidents into account in crash testing, according to a report by ABC News. It used to be that vehicle crash tests only used dummies that…
Texas Woman Gets $24 Million Verdict In Cellphone Accident
A Texas jury has awarded $24 million to a woman hit by a Coca-Cola truck driver who was talking on her cellphone, the Associated Press reported Monday. http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southcentral/2012/05/07/246574.htm Vanice Chatman-Wilson, 37, was given $10 million in punitive damages and $14…
Seven Killed When SUV Falls Onto Bronx Zoo Grounds
Seven people were killed Sunday when their SUV fell more than 50 feet from a highway overpass and landed in a ravine on the grounds of the Bronx Zoo in New York City, according to the Associated Press. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jUED1wjQqbz3hte4gdh7AkOlGpSw?docId=308f2b21837d4d349432457dd28a55a7 The…