Toyota to Pay $1.1 Billion for Faulty Car Issues

A couple of years ago, the big news that was going around was the whole Toyota gas pedal issue where cars made by Toyota would not break. The thing that I remember the most about these accidents was a 911 call from a woman who was frantically screaming that she could not get her car to stop and ended up getting into an accident. As you can imagine, there was a class action suit by owners of Toyota's who claimed they suffered economic loss because of these issues. Just this past week Toyota settled this case by agreeing to pay a whooping $1.1 billion.

The settlement for this case is one of the largest ever paid and I'm surprised that it wasn't even more. With the settlement, Toyota agreed to add a brake override system in their cars to avoid acceleration pedals getting stuck in floor mats, leading them to accelerate unintentionally. The company will also set up a fund of $250 million to be paid to former Toyota owners who sold their cars between Sept. 1, 2009, and Dec. 31, 2010, to compensate the owners for the reduced value of the cars from the negative publicity. Until these problems surfaced, Toyota held the top reputation for vehicle quality and safety. But since then, it has been dogged by significant recall problems. It has already announced recalls of more than 10 million vehicles worldwide for various problems so far this year.

When these problems were made public, I remember hearing a lot of people saying that they will never buy a Toyota again but it seems like I'm seeing more Toyota's on the road today than ever before. I am glad that the owners of these cars are getting a settlement they deserve as companies need to be held liable for faulty products. Every year there are companies that bring new products to the market that are faulty and get away with selling a lot of units without having to compensate those who bought it.

If you have been injured due to faulty products,  you should talk to a lawyer like Marc Whitehead who can help you.

Ventura County to Pay $3.2 for Speeding Accident

For law enforcement officers, sometimes they need to speed and hurry to get to a certain location, but when doing this they need to be careful as well. Just recently in Ventura County, a sheriff's deputy while on duty was speeding and rammed into a truck causing the driver to suffer a traumatic brain injury. As a result of this accident, Ventura County will pay the family a settlement of $3.2 million for her injuries.

The California Highway Patrol at first blamed the woman for causing the accident but it was later determined that she was not at fault. At first they believed that the woman turned into the sheriff's car which caused the accident. The officers just completed a traffic stop and was heading down the highway when they struck the truck.

From the accident the driver of the truck suffered broken ribs, head injuries, a broken right hand and wrist, and a collapsed lung. At first the plaintiffs had asked for $16 million but settled for $3 million from the county and $200,000 from the officer.

With this car accident, it just shows that everyone needs to be safe and abide by the laws to avoid causing serious injuries. Click here for more info on working with an attorney if you have been injured in a car accident.

Distracted Driving Leading Cause of Car Accidents

On the roadways there are an increase in cars now a days with everyone rushing to get to their destination. With this there are times when drivers aren't taking the necessary precautions to be a safe driver which could result in an accident. There are a lot of different causes for car accidents but the most common one is a distracted driver.

When it comes to a distracted driver, there are a lot of different things that fall under this category. Some common distractions include text, talking on the phone, eating, changing the radio station and the list goes on and on. Some states have now made it illegal to do certain things like texting to hopefully make sure that drivers aren't distracted. I can speak from experience that one lead distraction can lead to a disaster. When I was driving home one night I went to check my phone to see if I had gotten any new emails and hopped a curb and almost hit a light pole. Drivers need to make sure that they keep 100% of their attention on the road as it only does take an instant to ruin your life or someone elses.

I think driver distraction is getting more attention then what it did before and this is a good thing. The more people talk about it and become aware of it, the less likely that people will do certain things while driving to make sure that they are safe.

If you have been in an accident due to a distracted driver and was injured, make sure you talk to an experienced law firm like this one where they can help make sure that you are taken care of.

Santa Clarita Man Dies in Motorcycle Accident

Without a doubt the most dangerous motor vehicle on the roadways today is riding a motorcycle. There are a lot of perks with owning a motorcycle from being able to save money on gas, gets you to your destinations quicker and is easier to park but it is also for dangerous. Last week a man in Santa Clarita, California died in a motorcycle collision. This accident however may have been due to the man possibly trying to pull over due medical problems.

The driver of the motorcycle was a 52 year old man and the cause of his accident was not due to him going fast but instead it looks like he may have been slowing down. The man was pronounced dead at the scene and the accident is still be investigated by the Santa Clarita Valley Station traffic office.

Being on a motorcycle can be dangerous and there is the high potential that if you get into an accident, it could do serious injury to you. If you have been in a motorcycle accident, you need an attorney who can help you. If you need help from a lawyer, you can try Nolo or here.

Mother of boy killed by Disney bus reaches a settlement

In one of the more the sadder cases, a mother of a boy who was killed by a Disney bus just reached a settlement with Disney. The boy who was 9, was hit by the bus while at Disney World. What happened was the boy was riding a bicycle and steered of the sidewalk into the direction of the oncoming bus. When the boy saw the bus getting closer, he fell off the bike and was runned over by the back wheel of the bus.

The mother sued Disney for driver negligence but Disney shot back saying that the driver had worked for Disney for close to 30 years and hasn't had any problems before. This case was drawn out for 2 years with a lot of back and forth and was just recently settled. The amount was not disclosed but I'm sure both parties are happy to have this over with.

It is sad to see when someone so young dies from an accident like this. If you have been injured in an accident contact a lawyer who can help you out and make sure that you are taken care of. 

Man Gets $500,000 Settlement Against Hawthorne, Tilcon Quarry for Motorcycle Accident

A 59 year old man from Elmwood Park recently won a settlement of $500,000 against the boroughs of Hawthorne and Tilcon Quarry for a motorcycle accident he was involved in back in 2009. What happened was his leg was crushed by his own bike in an accident caused by the road being unsafe on a residential street. The man then sued both boroughs due to the fact that they used heavy trucks to drive through a residential area which damaged the road and made it unsafe for people riding on it. 

The boroughs allegedly knew of this problem with the road being unsafe and mentioned that they were going to fix it but never did. Many of the trucks that drove through also wouldn't put covering over its cargo so there would be rocks that fell out the back and it would be scattered all over the road. For this accident, the motorcyclists skid across a manhole that was covered with gravel which made it very slippery. As a result of this accident, the motorcyclists leg was crushed and he needed emergency surgery to fix it. For the settlement of $500,000, both boroughs will split it and have to pay the man as it was determined that they were at fault for his injuries.

If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident, call the offices of Zinda and Davis who can help you.

New Actos Bladder Cancer Lawsuit Filed in LA

Just this week in Los Angeles,  12 new plaintiffs filed a lawsuit for damage for taking the diabetes drug Actos. This brings the total number of plaintiffs so far that have filed suit against the drug maker to around 800. With these 12 new plaintiffs, it looks like they will not be joining the class action suit and will go through with it on there own in LA. For those of you that don't know about Actos, it is a drug taken  by those who had diabetes to help them keep it under control. Recently it was discovered that while it did help with diabetes it also was causing bladder cancer to those that took it.

All 12 of these new plaintiffs were taking the drug Actos to help treat their type II diabetes and were taking it regularly. As a result of taking Actos and there being no warning, they were all diagnosed with bladder cancer and have experienced health complications. In their lawsuit, they are seeking damages for physical and mental injuries from taking the drug.

It really is unfortunate to see these people being diagnosed with bladder cancer after taking this drug that was supposed to help them with their diabetes. If you have been taking Actos you should first go see your doctor to see if you have bladder cancer and then get more info from an attorney who specializes in Actos bladder cancer lawsuits.

Teenager gets $50K in Accident Settlement

Just recently, a teenage girl was awarded a insurance settlement of $50,000 for a car accident that happened back on September 19th, 2011. The claim was against the driver of another car and Progressive Universal Insurance Company. The driver was only 16 years old and Progressive will have to make the payment on his behalf. Of the $50,000 awarded to the victim of the accident, $366 will go to costs associated with the case and around $12K will go to her attorney.

To me with this car accident, it brings up the issue of whether kids who are 16 should be allowed to drive on their own. I think back to when I was 16 and remember how bad of a driver I was and how I got into 2 different accidents. With so many cars on the road, one little mistake can lead to serious consequences for these young kids. I understand that a 16 year old has to pass a written test and a drivers test but is that really enough? You see kids on the road today with 3 or 4 friends in the car and sometimes not paying attention to the road. I think this is something that needs to be looked at so the roads remain safe.

If you have been injured in a car accident, attorneys like Marc Whitehead can help you. You need to make sure that you don't ignore your injuries and seek help from a lawyer who can help you receive compensation for your injuries.

3 Workers get $179 Million Settlement for Grain Explsoion Injuries

Back in July, three workers who suffered burn injuries from a grain elevator explosion at work received a settlement of $179 million. For the settlement, $101 million was for punitive damages as the elevator wasn't cleaned properly in 20 years and the owners didn't take the necessary precautions to protect the workers as the temperature of the grain rose and smoke and a strange odor was noticed.

The owners of the elevators, which is ConAgra, released a statement saying that this accident was tragic but didn't agree with the outcome of the trial. The lawyers of the workers who were injured said that ConAgra knew about the dangers in the silo and didn't let the workers know about them. These workers suffered burns of 70 to 75 percent of their body and now have disabilities. While working in the silo that heat got so bad that there was one explosion that knocked off the silo and as a result a second explosion happened.


When it comes to cases like this, you hear about this types of things a lot when a company doesn't make sure their is a safe work environment for their workers and also don't let them know about it. These types of accident shouldn't happen. If people took the necessary precautions to avoid these types of accidents, everyone would be safe. If you work in an unsafe work area you need to report it as it can save you from serious injuries as well as others. If you need legal help, you need to talk to an experienced attorney such as the ones here.  There is no need to be afraid of getting seriously injured when going to work.

Priest Dies in Bicycle Accident

Last Wednesday,  a 67 year old priest was riding his bike when he was struck by a car and was killed. The bicycle rider was on a trail when he was trying to cross the highway and was hit by a car. The car was driven by a 74 year old woman.

On collision, the bike rider was thrown from his bicycle and died at the scene of the accident due to his injuries. The police are still investigating this crash and should be coming out with their full report soon.

It's always sad to hear about bike accidents as it usually doesn't end well for the bike rider. It seems lately that there has been a large increase of bike accidents on the roadways. The one that got the most coverage recently was the bike rider in London who got run over by a bus during the Olympics. With their being more cars on the roads and not enough bike lanes, it has become extremely dangerous for bicycle riders. When riding your bike, you need to make sure that you take every precaution necessary so you don't get into an accident and avoid serious injuries.

If you have been injured in a bicycle accident, you should seek the help of a law firm who specializes in bike accidents and can help you recover damages for your injuries.

2 Dogs in Washington go on Biting Spree

This past weekend in Washington, two dogs terrorized a neighborhood by biting everything they could get their teeth into. These two dogs attacked 5 people that included a man walking, a woman headed to work, a man sleeping outside, a woman sitting in a chair and a police officer plus they mauled 2 cats. It got to the point that the police told people to stay in there homes as these dogs were very dangerous. The two dogs were a pit bull terrier and a boxer and were able to break free from their yard. The pit pull was killed on the scene while the officers had to chase down the boxer.

This isn't the first time these two dogs have gotten into trouble. Animal control officers came by last Summer and deemed them both to be dangerous dogs. Officers on the scene said the dogs were extremely aggressive and that people in the neighborhood were in danger from these dogs. Luckily for the people that were bitten by these dogs, they were able to be treated on the scene. With two highly aggressive dogs, the owners should of made sure that they were locked up properly to avoid this type of accident.

If you have been involved in a dog attack, seek the services of specialized attorneys like Zinda and Davis who can help make sure that you receive fair compensation for your injuries. 

Victims Win Largest Settlement for Truck Accident

Just recently, the victims of a 2010 truck accident in Pennsylvania, which resulted in some losing their lives, agreed to a settlement with the truck driver, the trucking company as well as other defendants for $26.1 million. Back in 2010, a tractor trailer rear ended a car that was sitting in traffic due to construction. One of the occupants of the car was killed from this truck accident while other passengers suffered serious injuries as well.  The driver of the truck that caused the accident was said to be speeding. The driver said that the reason he didn't see the car in front of him was because the sun was in his eyes but actually at the time the sun was behind him. Due to this statement it was believed that the truck driver was either drowsy or could of fallen asleep at the wheel, but they were unable to prove this was the case.

If you get into a truck accident in Texas, make sure you seek the help of an experienced lawyer who can help you receive fair compensation for your injuries. A Texas 18 wheeler accident attorney will make sure you get the help you need and will be there for you each step of the way.

Rappers Chris Brown and Drake Sued for Brawl

Rapper Chris Brown and Drake are being sued for a brawl they both had in a night  club in New York. This isn't the first lawsuit against the both of them for this fight they had. Supposedly they were in the same nightclub and had words with one another and the people they were with got into an all out fight with each other. The sad thing about this fight was that people that had nothing to do with it got injured.

For this new lawsuit, a woman who was sitting near them before the brawl suffered a severed tendon in her right hand during the fight and has filed suit for this injury in New York. She alleges that the she received lacerations from broken glass when they were throwing bottles at each other during the fight. With this new lawsuit it should be interesting to see if there were be any other suits filed as there was the potential for a lot of other people in the nightclub that could have gotten injured. Another person that was injured during this fight that had nothing to do with it was Tony Parker from the San Antonio Spurs.

When I first heard about this fight the first thing I thought of was if anyone else was injured in this fight and there were. It is sad to see when people like this fight over nothing and to do this in a crowded place.

If you have been injured by someone elses fault, it is important to talk to an attorney who can help you receive fair compensation for your injuries.

$600,000 Wrongful Death Settlment in killing of inmate

We all know that prison can be a very dangerous place but still yet people should not be losing there lives when they are serving their time. In Pennsylvania there was a settlement reached of $600,000 to the parents of a man who died in prison. This case lasted a spand of 6 years after the parents filed a lawsuit  accusing the borough and police official with beating their son to death. From the coroner's office and police officials, they said that the man who died in 2004 committed suicide in a holding cell. The civil suit alleges police beat the suspect to death and suspended the man's body from cell bars to make it appear the suspect hanged himself.

A federal judge dismissed the court action without costs or prejudice to the right of either part.
The case could be revived, if Shenandoah borough officials fail to pay the $600,000 settlement within 60 days. Borough council must approve the payment, which would be made by an insurer, the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Risk Management Association.

The borough decided to settle out of court with the parents of the inmate who thought that the rights of their son was violated. There is the possibility that the parents could have received a higher award if they had pressed for the August trial but the decided to settle out of court and get this whole process over with so they can move on.

New Study Links Drug Actos to Bladder Cancer

If you had diabetes and was looking for a way to battle against there is a chance that you took Actos. Well for those who took this drug are seeing terrible side effects from it with some getting bladder cancer from it. There have been studies showing that Actos was the cause of bladder cancer for people who took it and just recently there was another study that showed once again Actos being the cause of bladder cancer. he new study, published July 3, 2012 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal indicated a 22% increased risk of bladder cancer when using Actos. Research for the Actos bladder cancer study was conducted by pooling data from other Actos side effects studies in order to find patterns among vast amounts of data. Researchers analyzed data from 10 different studies looking at the relationship between thiazolidinediones, like Actos, and over 2.6 million patients. Out of the total number of participants, 3,643 were identified as having newly-diagnosed bladder cancer. The study suggests there was a 15% increased risk of bladder cancer seen with thiazolidinediones as a whole, and a 22% increase risk for Actos alone.

If you or a loved one has taken Actos and was diagnosed with bladder cancer, you need to talk to a specialized lawyer who can help make sure you get fair compensation. 

Boys Injured in Firework Explosion

Whenever New Years or the 4th of July comes around, there are always some type of injury that comes from fireworks. It seems like the two come together no matter what. A couple of days after the 4th of July two Missouri boys were severely injured by fireworks they had. The injuries were so bad that some of their fingers were blown off. The boys were of the ages of 11 and 14 and got the fireworks from a friend. Unknowing to them they thought that the fireworks were duds but they were still active. As a result that fuse burned a lot faster than what they thought it would and the fireworks exploded while they were holding it. Both boys were quickly taken to the hospital where they were treated. Both boys lost fingers and will most likely have to live without them.

When these types of injuries happen, you need to talk to an experienced explosion lawyer who can help you answer questions and make sure you are taken care of. These types of injuries shouldn't happen and people need to be held accountable for them.

Famous author Stephen Covey dies from bicycle accidnet injuries

On the road today there as so many things that you need to be aware of and this especially includes bike riders. In most cities there aren't enough bike lanes for them so drivers need to be careful as they don't want to get into an accident with them. Just recently author Stephen Covey was riding his bike in Provo, Utah and got into a bicycle accident. Stephen Covey just this week died from the injuries he suffered from the bike accident. Covey was knocked unconscious from the accident and was never able to recover from it. Stephen wrote books such as “First Things First,” “Principle-Centered Leadership,” and “The 7 Habits of Highly ¬Effective Families” and has sold over 20 million books world wide. Bicyclist need to make sure that they wear the proper gear to be safe as well as being aware of there surroundings to help avoid potential accidents.

If you or a loved one has been injured while riding your bike, you should consider talking to a Texas bicycle injury lawyer so they can answer your questions and help make sure your medical bills are taken care of.

Girl Gets Reconstructive Surgery After Dog Attack

A girl from Florida was recently attacked by an English Bulldog and Jack Russell mix around 3 days ago and the injuries were so bad that she needed a facial reconstruction surgery. The girl not only had injuries to her face but the dog also took out large chunks of skin from her left side of her body. This girl was sleeping at a friends house when the do attacked her. The dog will most likely be put down in the next couple of days. The girl is doing better but she will need another surgery in 3 weeks or so.

It is sad to hear about something like this as this girl went to her friends house for a sleepover and never thought that this would happen to her. I can't imagine sleeping in another house and then being attacked while I slept by their dog. Hopefully she has a full recovery and gets through this.

If you've been injured by a dog attack, you need to contact a dog bite lawyer to help answer any questions you may have as well as making sure you receive fair compensation for your injuries.

Man Charged with Manslaughter After he Runs Over Kids in Tent

A man has been charged with manslaughter in North Dakota for killing two young brothers from Texas who were sleeping in a tent after he lost control of his pickup truck. His truck was going so fast that it ended up in the campground where the boys were sleeping and killed them. When I first heard about this, I was heart broken as I take my kids camping and can understand the terror and pain the parents of these kids must be going through right now..

The driver of the truck has also been charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, reckless endangerment, and drunken driving.

You hear about these types of accidents often with speed and alcohol causing serious damage on the roadways and most of the time it usually hurts others and not the driver. It should be interesting to see how this case will be played out as it will be difficult for the driver to be able to defend himself for this.

When injured by a truck in Texas, make sure you talk to a lawyer who can help you make sure that you receive the compensation you need for your injuries and can help you deal with insurance companies who like to make it as difficult as possible.

Two Injured in Boat Accident Near Atlanta

With the Summer season being upon us more people are hitting the lakes and ocean for some good family fun. Usually during this time of the year though there is an increase in boat accidents. One example is just this week when two children were injured near Atlanta after a boating accident on Lake Lanier. They were both on an inner tube that was being pulled by a boat and hit a wave and when flying off of it. The boy was unconscious following the accident and had to be airlifted to a children's hospital in critical condition.  The girl in the accident was treat on the scene but did complain of numbness and pain in her upper body.  The boy is still in critical condition and we won't know his updated status for a while. Alcohol was not a factor for this accident. If you're going out on a boat this Summer make sure to be careful to avoid accidents like these. I know that everyone wants to have fun but they need to make sure that they are safe while doing so. If you've been injured in a boat accident, you should contact boat accident lawyer who can help you out and answer your questions.