June « 2011 « McDivitt Law Firm

Archive for June, 2011

Jun

Hit-And-Run Driver Has Prior Record

June 29, 2011

Colorado court records show that a 50-year-old man accused of a hit-and-run accident involving a bicyclist early Saturday had two prior convictions on his record for driving under the influence. The man was convicted of driving under the influence in El Paso County in September, 1987 and in Teller County in May, 2006.

According to The Gazette, he is accused of running into the back of a 44-year-old cyclist around midnight on South Circle Drive in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He then allegedly drove away, leaving the victim to die. The cyclist passed at the scene of the crash due to a spinal injury.

The driver was arrested 12 hours later at a home in Widefield, Colorado, on suspicion of leaving the scene of a crash involving a death. Authorities say it will be difficult to determine if drugs or alcohol were factors in the accident because of the time that elapsed between the crash and the driver’s capture.

If the man is found to be the driver involved in the accident, he may face harsher punishment. Leaving the scene of an accident is a Class 3 felony in Colorado, which carries more severe punishment than he would face if he had stayed at the scene and was charged with vehicular homicide, a Class 4 felony.

The Colorado Wrongful Death Lawyers with the McDivitt Law Firm may be able to take the burden off you shoulders by handling negotiations with insurance adjusters an other involved parties lawyers, allowing you time to heal.

Jun

Longmont Man Dies In Hit-And-Run Accident

June 27, 2011

A Longmont, Colorado, man died as the result of a hit-and-run accident Saturday evening according to ABC 7 News. Colorado State Troopers say alcohol is suspected to be a contributing factor in the accident.

The crash occurred around 6:30 PM, when a woman driving a Ford Ranger pick-up truck east on 63^rd Avenue inadvertently crossed the center line and struck a westbound Nissan coupe head on. The driver of the Nissan died at the scene and two passengers in the Ford pick-up, a woman and her two-year-old child, were transported to a local hospital to be treated for injuries.

The driver of the Ford pick-up may have been under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash and left the scene of the accident on foot. She then attempted to escape authorities by swimming across a nearby lake, but was picked up and brought to shore by boaters, where she was taken into custody by authorities.

Authorities say the most common reasons drivers flee the scene of an accident are:

Driving under the influence
Driving without a license
Aggressive driving

The Colorado auto accident attorneys with the McDivitt Law Firm say that a car owner may be able to claim a hit-and-run accident and the associated damages under uninsured motorist coverage with the insurance company if the car owner is a victim of a hit-and-run.

Jun

New Study Shows Driving My Be A Skin Cancer Risk

June 24, 2011

The first things most people do to protect themselves when they get into a car include buckling a seat belt or adjusting mirrors before driving. A new study shows there is a silent killer in the car most people have overlooked over the years, the sun.

According to KKTV News, the study by the American Academy of Dermatology has shown that more than 50% of skin cancer cases develop on the left side of the body and researchers are blaming it on the exposure we receive while driving. They determined a driver’s left arm get five times the amount of UV exposure a right arm does. With an average commute of an hour and a half, people are receiving more than 30 hours a month of unexpected sun exposure.

Car windows filter out harmful UVB rays, which are responsible for the painful, red sunburns we are all to familiar with; however, long-wave UVA rays penetrate the glass and have been found to initiate the development of cancerous cells.

Researchers suggest the best ways to protect yourself are to apply a SPF 30 or higher sunscreen before driving and to also treat you car windows with a window tint treatment. This will limit your skins exposure to cancer causing elements and will eliminate most UV rays from entering the vehicle through the windows.

The Colorado Personal Injury Attorneys at the McDivitt Law Firm always encourage people to protect themselves from all dangers in the car.

Jun

Two Injured In Colorado Springs House Fire

June 22, 2011

A house fire in Colorado Springs, Colorado, left two people injured and a family displaced according to a report by The Colorado Connection. Firefighters responded to the call at the 2700 block of Concord Street around 1:45 AM Tuesday. When they arrived they found a plume of smoke and flames rising from the deck of the home. The heat from the fire broke a window of the house, which is how the flames entered the home.

Officials say the blaze was under control in less than half an hour; however, electrical lines were damaged in the blaze, cutting off power.

Two residents were transported to local hospitals to be treated for unknown injuries received in the fire. Investigators are still working to determine the cause of the blaze.

The US Fire Administration released a study claiming thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of injuries are caused by fires every year. The article stated 3,635 deaths occurred due to fire over a four-year period. An average of around 17,000 injuries are reported due to fire every year, although the numbers could be on the low end because of ambiguity in the reporting of injuries.

The Colorado Personal Injury Attorneys with The McDivitt Law Firm have the experience and the knowledge to negotiate with insurance companies on your behalf.

Jun

Two Deadly Crashes On Weld County Roadways

June 20, 2011

Two people died Saturday afternoon in unrelated crashes in Weld County. The Greely Tribune reported a 43-year old woman died after hitting a semi truck head on, and a 36-year-old man was killed when the car he was driving swerved off the road.

The first crash occurred in northeastern Weld County around 12:30 PM at the corner of Colo. 392 and Weld County Road 74, which is about six miles east of Galeton, Colorado.

The woman was heading eastbound on 392 when, for an unknown reason, the Volkswagen Beetle she was driving crossed the centerline and collided head on with the semi truck, which was traveling westbound on 392 and was turning right onto 74. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene and the highway was shut down for several hours as authorities reconstructed the accident for their investigation.

The second crash occurred a mere four hours later on I-25 near Eerie, Colorado, when a red Subaru sedan driven by the 36-year-old man veered off the right side of the road and rolled, ejecting the man. He died en route to the hospital and three other people were transported to local hospitals to be treated for non-life threatening injuries.

Authorities are still investigating the cause of both crashes.

The Colorado Auto Accident Lawyers with the McDivitt Law Firm often handle cases for victims of accidents who sustained injuries or damages at no fault of their own. They understand their client’s needs on a personal and professional level.

Jun

Colorado Click It Or Ticket Campaign A Huge Success

June 17, 2011

State law enforcement agencies reported that they have issued 8,105 seat belt citations to drivers during this year’s Click It Or Ticket campaign from May 23^rd to June 5^th. Southern Colorado’s KKTV states 11 drivers or passengers died in accidents during the two-week enforcement period. Out of the 11, nine were not wearing seat belts.

Statistically, Colorado has increased the use of seat belts and has been safer on the roadways because of it. Seat belt use in Colorado has gone up more than 10 percent in nine years since Click It Or Ticket Started in 2002. Also, there has been a 56 percent decline in unrestrained deaths since the initiation of the campaign.

Citations for unrestrained passengers can range for $65 for an adult to $82 per violation for an unrestrained child. Out of the thousands of citations issued during this years campaign run, unrestrained children are only a small percentage with 519 tickets issued. Teens were an even smaller percentage with 397.

James Wolfinbarger, Chief of the Colorado State Patrol stated, “Seat belts are the best defense from a drunk driver, a distracted driver or simply your own driving error. Take two seconds each time you get into your vehicle, and please make sure all children are properly restrained in the appropriate child safety seat.”

The Colorado Auto Accident Attorneys with the McDivitt Law Firm encourage everyone to buckle up as we begin to travel more for vacation. Safe arrivals will make for a much more enjoyable trip!

Jun

Bicycle Rider Dies After Fall On Ride The Rockies Tour

June 15, 2011

A man has died after a fall Monday on an annual bicycle ride called Ride The Rockies. The bicycle tour is a 412-mile traverse through Colorado’s Rocky Mountains.

The Denver Post reports that the man started the ride in Crested Butte, Colorado, on Sunday with his wife. She was riding in front of him when the un-witnessed accident happened the next day. Authorities believe the man sustained a head injury after falling off of his bike on US Highway 24 on the decent of Tennessee Pass in Eagle County. The Eagle County Coroners Office has not yet ruled on a cause of death and the Colorado State Patrol is continuing their investigation into the event.

The man was an avid bike rider and very active in the biking community. The last fatality on the tour was in 2006, when a woman went off course and was hit by a motor home.

One of the most common causes for bicycle accidents is excessive speed when traveling downhill. It can be very easy to build up speed and a small bump in the road can cause a rider to lose control. The only protection that riders have is a helmet with no facial protection.

Injuries on bicycles can be just as deadly as any other accident. If you have suffered form an injury on a bicycle, contact a Colorado Personal Injury Attorney with The McDivitt Law Firm. They may be able to help you process what needs to be done in order to settle your case.

Jun

Circus performer Injured After Fall

June 13, 2011

A circus performer for Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus was released from the hospital Saturday evening after falling nearly twenty feet during an act and suffering injuries. Colorado Springs’ newspaper, The Gazette, reports that the accident occurred during Saturday’s performance at the World Arena.

According to Chantal Stringer, production manager for Ringling Bros., the acrobat suffered minor hip and wrist contusions and will miss the remainder of the shows in the city.

The man apparently fell after making final preparations for the double wheel act, in which, performers climb in and out of a wheel that rotates on an axis. Stringer says the man was outside of the wheel when he fell and that the exact cause of the fall in still under investigation. Witnesses claim that the fall was a result of a cable break. One man who was watching the show with his children said, “There was just a loud pop and one of the cables broke.”

Regardless of what a worker’s job is, an employer has a responsibility to provide all workers with a safe work environment. If employers fail to do so, they can be found at fault for any injuries workers may incur. If you or someone you know has been injured on the job, contact a Colorado Workers Compensation Attorney with the McDivitt Law Firm.

Jun

County Workers Compensation Cases Fewer But Cost More

June 10, 2011

George Tinker, a senior loss prevention specialist for Las Animas County, praised the county commission Tuesday for heading a successful campaign over the last few years, which has cut down on accidents on the job for county workers.

The Trinidad Times reports Tinker works with County Technical Services Inc., which manages the county’s assets. He said the county was on the extreme low end of risk exposure compared to other Colorado counties.

However, Tinker explained that a few severe injuries could radically change those numbers. He explained how a few large claims were the only impacts on payout totals by the county.

A sheriff’s office training accident resulted in in a $92,508 payout.
A lifting accident resulted in a $120,387 settlement with the county.
Six other lifting accidents resulted in over $180,000 being paid to injured workers.

Lifting injuries occurred as a very small percentage of the total number of accidents; however, they seemed to be much more severe. The 19 lifting accidents out of the 128 total claims resulted in $381,130 worth of payments to injured workers. That is almost 40% of the total payouts.

Lifting accidents can result in injuries that can cause a victim lifelong pain and could result in the need for treatment for the problem for years, possibly life. A Colorado workers’ compensation attorney with McDivitt Law Firm may be able to help you if you have suffered an injury on the job.

Jun

Police Ask For Public Help To Keep Drunk Drivers Off The Road

June 8, 2011

Police are asking for help from the public in keeping drunk drivers off of roadways. It seems to be a growing problem, as 11 News reports that accidents involving alcohol or drugs are up by more than 10 percent from last year. The article quoted The Colorado Department of Transportation as saying more than 30,000 drivers are arrested for DUI every year, with more than 40 drivers being arrested over the last month.

How can the public help? Officials are asking the public to call in with information about suspected drunk drivers. Colorado State Patrol Corporal Randy Novotny was quoted as saying, “Do not get involved, that’s our job. They can just get the information down, like the licenses plate number, and then call star CSP or 911… We get to the calls that we can get to and we generate a lot of arrests from those ready calls, or report drunk driver immediately calls.”

Officials say the calls truly make a difference, and making the call is of great importance because you never know when a call might save a life.

The Colorado Auto Accident Attorneys with The McDivitt Law Firm understand the dangers of drunk driving and how it can impact families. That is why McDivitt Law Firm supports sober ride programs to ensure the public gets home safely. See more about the Safe And Sober Ride program they supported recently for Cinco De Mayo here.

Pages (2): 1 2 »

McDivitt Law Firm | Injury Law Blog