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25
Jan

Drunk Driver Runs Over Two Cyclists In Baton Rouge

January 25, 2012

The man responsible for running over two cyclists, killing one, and critically injuring the other, is behind bars today in lieu of more than $90,000 in bail on charges of second offense DWI and vehicular homicide. According to reports from WAFB 9 News, the 28-year-old drunk driver responsible for causing the accident hit the men at around 8:45 PM near the intersection of Quail Run and Perkins Road in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Both cyclists had helmets on and lights mounted to their bikes, but it wasn’t enough to keep them safe when the man with a blood alcohol level of nearly four times the legal limit rammed them from behind. The cyclists fell to the asphalt where they were then run over by the vehicle. One cyclist, a 30-year-old father, was declared dead at the scene. The other cyclist was taken to a nearby hospital, where he remains in critical condition and faces numerous surgeries to repair the injuries to his legs and ankles.

Baton Rouge City Court records show he was booked for his first DWI on August 3, 2006, when his blood-alcohol level was .241, or more than three times the state’s legal driving limit.

The Louisiana DUI accident attorneys with Dudley DeBosier Injury Lawyers are an experienced and compassionate team of attorneys here to help if you have been injured because of another person’s negligence. Complete a free initial consultation now.

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18
Jan

Family Of Deceased Althlete Donates Medical Devices to Louisiana Schools

January 18, 2012

One Metairie, Louisiana, couple is using the loss of their son to hopefully save the lives of countless others. WWLTV News reported late last week that the parents and family of a De La Salle High School football player, who dropped dead on the field because of an undiagnosed heart condition, have donated more than 60 Automated External Defibrillators (AED) to area schools.

AEDs are medical devices that send an electric impulse to the heart of a patient suffering from cardiac arrest. Roger Mattei, a cardiac science corporation AED specialist, says that if the device is used on a patient going into cardiac arrest within three minutes of the heart stopping, the use of an AED can increase survival rates by as much as 70 percent.

The device is cost effective at less than $2,000 per unit, and is designed for use by anyone. The AED has voice-guided instructions that will not continue until every aspect of the current step is completed. Some units will not even work if something other than cardiac arrest is wrong with the patient.

Are you still not sure if you would want to be the person to use one on somebody else if needed? Good Samaritan Laws protect those who use them and the companies and schools that buy them from being held liable if the person dies. On the contrary, companies can be found negligent in court if they do not supply the units to employees.

The Louisiana personal injury lawyers with Dudley DeBosier see nothing but benefits to having these devices being readily available for the public and hope to help bring awareness to the availability of these life-saving medical devices.

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11
Jan

Tractor-Trailer Being Sought In Connection With Hit-And-Run Accident

January 11, 2012

The cloud of mystery surrounding an SUV found abandoned and partially submerged this morning in Lake Pontchartrain at the Twin Spans is beginning to lift. According to reports from WWLTV 4 News, the vehicle was involved in a hit-and-run accident with a tractor-trailer late Tuesday night.

A spokesman for the New Orleans police department said that the driver of the black SUV was heading eastbound along I-10 at around 10:00 PM Tuesday night, when a tractor-trailer with a purple cab moved into the SUV’s lane and clipped the vehicle. This caused the SUV to spin out of control and into the lake.

The driver was able to escape through a sunroof and swam to shore. There, investigators said a witness stopped and helped the victim. The male driver of the SUV was extremely shaken up by the incident, but he was otherwise uninjured.

Police are searching for a tractor-trailer with a purple cab that possibly says “Raynor” on the side.

Although no one was injured in this crash, more times than not, truck accidents are deadly. The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) estimates that roughly 5,000 people are killed per year in tractor-trailer related accidents.

Due to guidelines that regulate the trucking industry, truck accidents involving injuries or death can quickly become tied up in bureaucratic red tape. The Louisiana truck accident attorneys with Dudley DeBosier Injury Lawyers specialize in helping cut through that mess. Call us today if you have been injured in a tractor-trailer accident and have any questions regarding your case.

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4
Jan

Smoke And Fog Cause Havoc Along Louisiana’s Interstate-10

January 4, 2012

Over the last several weeks, a combination of smoke and fog has been blamed for numerous accidents along a stretch of I-10 outside New Orleans, Louisiana. According to WWLTV News, a three-vehicle crash occurred due to weather conditions this morning. They also reported that weather conditions are also being considered as a partial cause to a 40-car pile up that occurred in the same area last Thursday. Two people died and dozens were injured as a result of the crash.

The low lying marsh area around the highway is prone to fog and is only compounded by a marsh fire that has burned in the area for more than a year. Local agencies have tried to extinguish the blaze several times to no avail.

The Louisiana Department of Insurance says the best thing to do if you are driving in low visibility areas is to:

  • Slow down
  • Turn on your lights (Not High Beams)
  • Use windshield wipers
  • Try not to switch lanes unless necessary
  • Use the right side of the road as a guide, not the center lines
  • If you don’t feel safe, pull over at the next location off the highway

They also advised against using caution blinkers in bad visibility conditions, as other drivers are attracted to lights and tend to follow them even if they are off the road.

The Louisiana auto accident attorneys with Dudley DeBosier Injury Lawyers ask that motorists be safe during their morning commutes when the likelihood of these low visibility conditions are at their highest.

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28
Dec

Neti Pot Use Linked To Contraction Of Brain-Eating Amoeba

December 28, 2011

The Louisiana Department of Health issued a warning to hospitals and state residents not to use tap water in neti pots to rinse your nasal passages out. According to CBS 6 News, the warning comes after a 51-year-old woman died in the state earlier in the month after becoming infected with a deadly, brain-eating amoeba.

Neti pots are devices that look like small tea posts that are inserted into the nose and then used to flush the sinuses with warm water. Doctors say the woman contracted the amoeba through plain tap water she used with the pot to rinse out her sinuses.

The Naegleria fowleri amoeba is commonly found in waters of the southeastern United States. The amoeba feeds on the brain of its host once it has made its way past the plates of the skull. The most common way for this to occur is through the nasal cavity. People are rarely infected, but the most common way it occurs is when water goes up the nose while swimming in rivers and lakes.

Dr. Otto Yang, associate chief of the division of infectious diseases at UCLA‘s Geffen School of Medicine, says the best way to prevent being infected is to use boiled or distilled water in neti pots.

The Louisiana defective product attorneys with Dudley Debosier Injury Lawyers believe that manufacturers and suppliers of products have a duty to warn users of dangers associated with their products. If you have been injured by a defective product, contact an experienced lawyer today for a free initial consultation.

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21
Dec

Louisiana Girl Warns Of Drug Reactions

December 21, 2011

You never know how your body is going to react to the medications you consume. We are each different, and while something may have a certain effect on one person, another person could have a completely different reaction. That is why WWLTV News says one Baton Rouge, Louisiana, family is telling their story. They are warning others about some uncommon reactions that can occur from common medications.

In May of this year, a 16-year-old girl in the family developed what she thought, at first, to be a rash. Before she knew it, the painful, irritating rash had spread to cover her entire body and left her skin covered in what appeared to be third degree burns. She lost her hair and fingernails, her body swelled, and she eventually required a ventilator to breathe.

After four months in Intensive care, the girl was allowed to go home. Doctors determined that the girl suffered from Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, a condition where the body fights and destroys the outer layer of the patient’s skin.

Doctors say that the condition can be a reaction to many common antibiotics, such as amoxicillin and ampicillin. Reactions can range from mild skin irritation and sensitivity to sunlight to extreme irritation such as this young woman’s case.

This is why the Louisiana Drug Injury Attorneys with Dudley DeBosier Injury Lawyers say it is so important to consult your doctor immediately if you have any kind of negative reaction to a medication you’re taking.

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14
Dec

Alcohol A Factor In Crash That Killed Louisiana Cyclist

December 14, 2011

State police say a 76-year-old man was killed while trying to cross a highway in Assumption Parish on his bicycle Monday evening. According to Houma Today, the accident occurred at around 6:00 PM at the intersection of La. 398 and La. 662 in Bayou L’Ourse.

Louisiana state troopers who investigated the crash stated that the cyclist was attempting to cross La. 398, when a 56-year-old man from Labadieville driving a Chevy pickup truck pulled onto the highway and struck him. The cyclist was taken to Thibodaux Regional Medical Center by paramedics to be treated for severe trauma he suffered in the accident, but was pronounced dead later at the hospital.

Troopers believe alcohol played a part in the crash, as the cyclist’s blood tests showed that he had alcohol in his system at the time of the accident. Tests from the driver of the pickup indicated he had no alcohol in his system.

A study by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene showed that alcohol was a factor in 20 percent of all cyclist fatalities in the city from 1996 to 2005.

The Louisiana DUI accident attorneys with Dudley Debosier Injury Lawyers would like to take this opportunity to remind cyclists not to drink and drive. If you have been involved in a cycling accident that was no fault of your own, contact an experienced attorney today for a free initial consultation of your case.

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7
Dec

Wearing A Seat Belt Properly Is Key

December 7, 2011

The importance of wearing your seat belt properly was highlighted after a woman died in a three-vehicle accident in Lafourche, Louisiana. According WWLTV News, reports from state police show that the woman was buckled in, but was not wearing her shoulder harness correctly.

The accident happened at around 10:00 AM Tuesday morning at the intersection of LA 3087 and LA 182. The woman was the riding with her husband and they were stopped behind a truck at the light for the intersection. Suddenly, a vehicle approaching from behind did not slow for stopped traffic and rear-ended the victim’s vehicle. In turn, the victim rear-ended the truck in front of them.

Rescue crews told police they found the woman in the vehicle with the shoulder harness positioned under her arm instead of over, which may have contributed to the injuries she sustained. The woman was taken to the hospital, but did not survive.

Placing the shoulder harness under the arm or behind your back instead of across the chest could result in an injury-producing jar of the upper-body, or ejection from the vehicle, during the impact of a crash. Also, wearing a lap belt across the stomach instead of low across the hips allows collision forces to be applied to the soft tissue of the body, increasing the chance of internal injury.

The Louisiana Auto Accident Attorneys with Dudley Debosier encourage motorists to buckle up properly with the lap belt across the hips and shoulder harness across the chest. If you have been injured in an accident at no fault of your own, contact an experienced personal injury attorney today with questions regarding your case.

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30
Nov

Tragic Louisiana Motorcycle Leaves One Man Dead

November 30, 2011

A 58-year-old LaPlace, Louisiana, man is dead following a tragic accident involving a car and a motorcycle that happened Monday afternoon. According to WWLTV News, the incident occurred at 5:25 in the afternoon at an intersection with a parking lot for the Elmwood Shopping Center.

Spokesman of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Department, Colonel James Fortunato, stated that the man on the motorcycle struck a car driven by a 32-year-old woman as she was pulling out of the parking lot. The woman told sheriff’s deputies that she did not see the biker as she began pulling out. The woman in the car was uninjured in the incident, but the biker was not so fortunate.

Paramedics determined the motorcyclist needed to visit the hospital to be checked out, but his injuries did not seem life-threatening. At some point during his transport to Ochsner Medical Center, the motorcyclist began having some complications. He was pronounced dead at the hospital less than two hours later.

Investigators are still working to determine the cause of the crash and if charges need to be filed in connection to the bikers death.

The Louisiana Motorcycle Accident Attorneys with Dudley Debosier know that all too often, motorcycle crashes happen because other drivers do not see the bikes on the road. If you have been involved in a bike crash that was another driver’s fault, contact us today by filling out a free initial consultation form to discuss your case in detail with a team of experienced attorneys.

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23
Nov

Advocacy Group Finds Dangers Lurking In Kids Toys

November 23, 2011

Holiday shopping season is upon us with Black Friday right around the corner, but the US Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) is warning you may be putting loved ones, especially children, at risk of dangers with certain toys and gifts you may give. According to the report issued by the group on Tuesday, the list of around 25 items researchers compiled present risks of exposure to toxins, loud noises, and small parts that present choking hazards.

The largest problem by far was the high levels of toxic chemicals, such as lead, Phthalates, and cadmium that were found in nine toys. Included in that list was a sleep mask containing 77,000 parts per million (PPM) of phthalates, well over the legal limit of 1,000 PPM.  Also found was a Whirly Wheel that contained 3,700 PPM of lead. Lead, a chemical that can cause irreversible brain damage in children, cannot exceed levels of 300 PPM on toys in the United States.

Roughly 10 toys were found to be potentially dangerous to children because of small parts of the toys that could present choking hazards. Most of the toys listed in this category contained small, rubber balls that a child could easily fit into their mouth and accidentally swallow.

Three toys, including an Elmo Talking Cell Phone, were found to have audible parts that were above the accepted decibel level.

None of the products had warning labels.

The Louisiana Personal Injury Lawyers at Dudley Debosier encourage the public to be careful with what you buy for children this shopping season by always checking warning labels before giving a toy to a child.

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