Archive for the ‘ Personal Injury ’ Category

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8
May

GM Worker Injured When Car Battery Explodes During Testing

May 8, 2012

While hybrid and electric cars may be the next big breakthrough in the automotive industry, the research to get them to the market has proven to be quite dangerous. For instance, The Wall Street Journal recently reported that several General Motors employees were injured at a research center when a lithium-ion battery exploded.

The accident occurred last month when chemical gases from the battery ignited. Windows and an eight-inch thick door were blown out of the building. In all, five workers were injured and taken to a local hospital to receive treatment. One of the researchers who was hurt is in stable condition after being treated for a concussion and severe chemical burns.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that the number of injuries and deaths on the job due to fires and explosions has been on the rise in recent years. There was a 65 percent jump in the number of fatal instances caused by explosions reported between 2009 and 2010, accounting for 113 and 187 worker deaths respectively. The number of fire-related deaths also saw a dramatic increase, going from 53 fatalities in 2009 to 109 in 2010.

Workers who are injured in fires and explosions while on the job can often qualify for Missouri Workers’ Compensation benefits. The Missouri Personal Injury Lawyers with Cofman Townsley Injury Lawyers understand what it takes to get a claim approved and may be able to help you.

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2
May

St. Louis Tent Collapse Kills One And Injures Hundreds Of Others

May 1, 2012

Tents and canopies are common during outdoor spring or summer events. They provide shade and refuge from inclement weather; however, if not set up properly, these structures can become extremely dangerous and deadly.

Take, for instance, the recent story reported by KSDK 5 News of a tent collapsing in St. Louis, Missouri, in the midst of a violent storm. The accident occurred Saturday around 4:00 p.m. at Kilroy’s Bar near Busch Stadium. Several hundred people had gathered to celebrate when a storm system that dropped baseball sized hail moved into the area. Gusts of wind reportedly over 50 mph picked the tent up and blew it away, battering the patrons inside.

In all, more than 100 injuries were reported, requiring dozens to be hospitalized. In addition, a 58-year-old Illinois man perished as a result of the accident.

The building commissioner for St. Louis, Frank Oswald, confirmed that the tent had a permit and had been inspected for safety by the city, but the assembly of the tent must be to manufacturer standards, which is the responsibility of the contractor who set it up.

These types of tents and canopies could be considered a Missouri Defective Product if they are not set up to withstand the conditions that surround them. That’s why the St. Louis Personal Injury Lawyers with Cofman Townsley Attorneys At Law would suggest staying away from these structures during high winds or thunderstorms.

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13
Mar

St. Louis Man Charged With DUI In Connection To Fatal Car Crash

March 13, 2012

A 32-year-old St. Louis, Missouri, man was arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter after being involved in a fatal accident with another vehicle Sunday. According to reports from KSDK 5 News, the accident happened around 1:00 a.m. at the intersection of South Lindbergh Boulevard and East Concord Road.

Officers with the St. Louis Police Department say the man was driving on South Lindbergh when he ran a red light and collided with a vehicle driven by a 58-year-old woman. The woman was taken by ambulance to St. Anthony’s Medical Center where she later died.

Police were able to determine that the driver who ran the red light was under the influence of alcohol at the time after he failed field sobriety tests. The man was arrested at the scene and taken to St. Louis County Jail. He was released Monday morning after posting $50,000 bond.

According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), a national non-profit organization aimed at eliminating drunk driving, 10,839 people will die in drunk driving crashes this year—or one every 50 minutes. At this rate, one in three Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash at some point in their life.

The Missouri DUI Accident Attorneys with Cofman Townsley Injury Lawyers would like to remind citizens just how dangerous drinking and driving is. Do your part to eliminate the problem by always utilizing a designated driver when drinking.

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6
Mar

Three Workers Injured In Missouri Firework Plant Explosion

March 6, 2012

Three workers at a Missouri fireworks manufacturing facility were injured in an explosion Tuesday. According to reports from KSDK 5 News, the explosion occurred around 7:00 a.m. at the Global Pyrotechnic Solutions plant on Sunset Drive in Dittmer.

A spokesman for the Jefferson County Sherriff’s Office, Captain Ralph Brown, stated that employees reported hearing and seeing a flash explosion in one of the buildings where the three men were working. Two men, ages 22 and 23-years-old, were injured in the explosion and taken to St. Clare Hospital in Fenton, where they were treated and released. A 33-year-old worker suffered serious burns as a result of the explosion and was airlifted to Mercy Hospital in St. Louis.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms will lead the investigation into the incident with assistance from the state fire marshal.

This is not the company’s first accident that resulted in employee injuries or deaths. The company experienced three accidents over an 18-month period 13 years ago that led to two employee deaths and six others being injured. The owners of the company at the time pled guilty to crimes associated with the accident in 2004 and received a 13-month prison sentence and were fined $6,000.

The Missouri Workers’ Compensation Lawyers with Cofman Townsley Injury Lawyers believe employers have a responsibility to keep workers safe on the job and work to help those who have been victimized by employer negligence.

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28
Feb

Missouri Lawmakers Aim To Change Workers’ Compensation Laws

February 28, 2012

State lawmakers in Missouri approved a bill this past Thursday that could create significant changes in the rules that govern the state’s workers’ compensation program. According to reports from STL Today, the Missouri Legislature is under immense pressure to make the changes after the state’s attorney general disclosed that millions of dollars of injured workers’ medical bills are piling up and going unpaid because the funds haven’t been replenished.

Attorney General Chris Koster says the state owes $14 million to 184 injured workers due to the lack of funding. The bill accrues $1.3 million in annual interest that taxpayers pick up as well, and there also are roughly 29,000 pending cases that could cost the state more than $145 million.

Lawmakers are hoping a reduction in litigation costs associated with certain injuries could reduce the overall cost to the state. Bills now in the House and Senate propose regulations against employees suing coworkers for on-the-job injuries. These bills also include new coverage for certain occupational diseases, such as carpal tunnel syndrome or cancers that can be developed from toxic exposure.

The Missouri Workers’ Compensation Attorneys with Cofman Townsley Injury Lawyers have decades of experience helping workers who have been hurt at no fault of their own while working. If you have been injured in an on-the-job accident that was caused by someone else’s negligence, call us today for a free consultation of your case.

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21
Feb

Missouri High School Athletes Report 850 Concussions

February 21, 2012

High school athletes in Missouri reported an alarmingly high number of suspected traumatic brain injuries in the past several months. Reports from KMOV 4 News say that 850 suspected concussions have been documented since the start of the school year.

The injuries were recorded as part of a new survey that lawmakers require the Missouri State High School Activities Association to fill out each year since enacting a bill aimed at protecting the safety of student-athletes. The association in turn requires each high school to document and submit each incident of head injuries in athletes.

Football players suffered the highest number of head injuries, reporting 653 suspected concussions. Male soccer players were a far second with only 81 head injuries. Other top ranking sports include:

  • Cheerleading (40)
  • Girl’s Softball (40)
  • Girl’s Volleyball (29)

As part of the survey, educational materials were distributed to coaches, parents, and athletes warning of the dangers of repeated traumatic brain injuries and how to recognize the symptoms of the injury.

It is important to recognize a concussion as repeated brain injuries can lead to edema (brain swelling), permanent brain damage, and even death.

The Missouri Brain Injury Attorneys with Cofman Townsley Injury Lawyers are here to help you if you have suffered from a traumatic brain injury that has caused serious or permanent damage. Call us today for a free consultation with our staff of experienced attorneys if you have any questions regarding your case.

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14
Feb

Indiana Truck Driver Killed In Missouri Highway Crash

February 14, 2012

A 57-year-old truck driver from Vincennes, Indiana, was killed yesterday morning in a tragic, two-vehicle accident. According to KSDK 5 News, the crash happened at approximately 7:30 AM on Lake St. Louis Boulevard, near O’Fallon, Missouri.

Reports filed by troopers with the Missouri state police department say that the tractor-trailer was behind and a lane over from a 2001 Chevrolet Malibu while driving down the four-lane highway. They say that the driver of the Malibu was driving too fast for the slick conditions and lost control of the vehicle when he hit an icy patch in the road.

The Malibu then slid in front of the tractor-trailer, which then hit the Malibu from behind and caused the trucker to lose control of the big rig. The Malibu slid off the side of the road and got stuck in a drainage ditch, and the tractor-trailer slammed into a guardrail before hitting a bridge pillar head-on. The driver of the truck was declared dead at the scene, while the driver of the Malibu was uninjured.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, truckers have the second most dangerous job in the nation, accounting for 631 work-related deaths in 2010. This number was up by four percent over 2009.

The Missouri truck accident attorneys with Cofman Townsley Injury Lawyers would like to send their condolences to the family of the truck driver who was killed in this unfortunate accident.

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7
Feb

$5 Million Settlement For Wrongful Death Of Missouri Teen

February 7, 2012

A settlement has been reached in the wrongful death lawsuit surrounding the death of a 16-year-old St. Joseph, Missouri, boy who was run over by a bus while on his way to school. According to reports from KSDK 5 News, the bus company has agreed to pay the boy’s family $5 million in settlement.

The accident happened in November of 2010, at around 7:30 in the morning near the intersection of St. Joseph Avenue and Grand Avenue. The bus driver had failed to remove frost from the windows of the bus, giving her poor visibility.

It was because of the frost that the driver did not see the boy in a crosswalk on Grand Avenue when she struck him. He died at Heartland Regional Medical Center shortly afterwards.

The driver was subsequently charged with careless and imprudent driving. The 23-year-old woman was sentenced to two years of probation, 15 days of detention, and 200 hours of community service.

The family of the victim says the $5 million will be used to fund a bus driver-training program, as well as a scholarship and baseball field dedicated to the boy’s memory.

The Missouri Wrongful Death Attorneys with Cofman Townsley handles all kinds of personal injury cases all over the state of Missouri. If you have questions regarding your injury or death of a loved one, contact us today for a free initial consultation.

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31
Jan

Formula Death Has Parents Concerned For Feeding Safety

January 31, 2012

Testing has confirmed that the bacteria responsible for infecting and killing a Lebanon, Missouri, new-born infant came from formula and nursery water given to the child at home, but that the items were contaminated once opened in the home. This has led many new parents to focus on safe bottle-feeding practices, according to News Leader.

Tests by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that the bacteria responsible for killing the 10-day old infant, Cronobacter sakazakii, was found on an opened container of formula and nursery water in the child’s home, but was not found in containers from the same lot that were unopened.

This news, combined with the fact that around 80 percent of all babies in the United States will be fed formula at some point in infancy, has many concerned about keeping newborns safe from infection.

Candice Cohen Gulden, a spokeswoman for the International Formula Council, says that cleanliness is the most essential part of feeding a new baby. The Mayo Clinic suggests some ways you can ensure all formula prepared for your child is served in a safe and sanitary manner is by:

  • Checking the expiration date and condition of container
  • Washing your hands
  • Sterilizing utensils before first use
  • Properly storing formula

The Missouri personal injury lawyers with Cofman Townsley hope that these tips help keep your baby healthy and safe from any dangerous infections during feeding.

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17
Jan

Taking Two Or More Medications Increase Chances Of Falling

January 17, 2012

New data from a study conducted in New Zealand shows that taking two or more prescription medications increases the risks of being a victim of slip and fall accidents for working-age adults. According to an article by MedPage Today, use of hypertensives and cholesterol-lowering drugs presented the highest risks of falls to users.

The study examined 335 patients, between the ages of 25 and 60, who either died or were seriously injured and hospitalized following an unintentional fall while at home. Researchers also took into account some 352-control subjects whose records were randomly selected. Nurses then interviewed theses patients with a questionnaire and gathered information from records to collect data for the study.

They concluded that patients using two or more prescription medications had an increased risk of suffering from a serious fall of more than 10 percent. While numerous types of medications were examined, including: bronchodilators, anti-inflammatories, corticosteroids, and psychotropics; hypertensives and lipid-lowering medications were the only two types to show any connection to falls in this particular study.

Although researchers recognize the study has it’s limitations, they also say the research warrants a closer examination, “…that can disaggregate the effect of drugs relative to underlying conditions, as well as examine the effects of specific drugs, dosages, and their possible interactions.”

The Indiana slip and fall accident attorneys with Cofman Townsley Injury Lawyers urge patients taking several medications at one time to be fully aware of the side effects each medication has and also be cautious of dangerous drug interactions.

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