2010 April Archive

Facilities that house dangerous materials must take every available precaution in ensuring that the surrounding community is safe, and should be even more vigilant in ensuring the safety of their employees. However, as a recent chemical spill in Beechmont illustrates, people in the surrounding area of a chemical plant are still at significant risk in the event an accident does occur. According to a Courier Journal article, a class-action lawsuit has been filed by affected-Beechmont residents who sustained injury as a result of the spill.

Reportedly, a chemical spill at the Nuplex Resins plant resulted in chemical vapors seeping into sewer pipes and into the city’s water supply, affecting nearby residents in the process. The lawsuit cites loss of property value as one result of the chemical accident, and at least one diagnosed incident of chemical exposure. The plant manufactures resin for industrial-grade paints, and has had a spotty track record of wastewater disposal since the year 2000. Compensation for loss of property values and adverse health consequences are being sought after in the suit.

Regardless of whether or not a place of business is handling and disposing of dangerous materials, that company has the responsibility of maintaining not only a safe work environment, but also of protecting neighboring residents as well. A failure to protect employees while on the job is considered negligent action on the part of a business owner. An individual who is adversely affected by a company’s failure to monitor a premise’s safety and prevent hazardous conditions may be able to hold property owners liable.

At Maples Law Firm, our skilled Oklahoma premises liability attorneys represent individuals injured in Oklahoma accidents that take place due to a property owner’s negligence. If you’ve sustained injury on another person’s property, whether while on the job or as a customer at a local business, please contact us today at 1-888-429-0609 for more information and a free evaluation of your premises injury case.

A recent government ban on texting specific to drivers of large commercial trucks should help cut-down on the number of auto accidents in Oklahoma and throughout the United States involving inattentive truck drivers. Statistically speaking, the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute cited truck drivers as being 23 times more likely to be involved in a traffic accident than those drivers who pay full attention to the road. As it now stands, truck drivers can face fines of up to $2,750 for texting while driving, but instances of inattentive truck driving are still occurring across the country.

According to the United States Department of Transportation, distracted driving takes on three different forms: visual, manual, and cognitive. Visual distraction involves taking one’s eyes off the road, a task that the vast majority of people do while text messaging. Manual distraction involves removing one’s hands from the steering wheel – yet another action that characterizes motorists who choose to use their cell phone while operating a motor vehicles. Cognitive distraction involves not fully focusing on the task at hand. While driving a large commercial truck, much attention needs to be given to the road and the safe operation of the vehicle. Texting while driving certainly detracts from a truck driver’s ability to operate the vehicle with the utmost care.

Distracted driving practices greatly increase the likelihood of an accident occurring, and when those accidents involve large commercial trucks, the results can be catastrophic. Trucking companies have an obligation to ensure that the truckers whom they employ operate their vehicles safely, and don’t do so while distracted by tasks such as text messaging. In instances where a distracted truck driver causes an accident, both the truck driver and the trucking company may be held liable for damages resulting from the accident.

At Maples Law Firm, our Oklahoma City truck accident attorneys represent individuals injured in Oklahoma auto accidents involving commercial trucks. If you’ve sustained injury, please don’t hesitate to contact us today at 1-888-429-0609 for more information and a free evaluation of your commercial truck accident case. We will make sure your rights are protected and help you receive the compensation that you deserve.

Toyota Motor Corporation has faced scrutiny for months over its less than forthright decision making when it comes to publicizing vehicle defects. According to the Los Angeles Times, Toyota is now being accused of delaying a product recall involving its Venza vehicles. Reportedly, Toyota recalled the Venza in Canada last December, citing faulty floor mats that could become entrapped as a potential safety hazard. However, Toyota failed to issue the same product recall in the United States until six weeks after the Canadian recall. This prompted some federal regulators to further question Toyota’s accountability in knowing that its vehicles posed a potential risk to consumers.

After failing to recall more than 2 million vehicles due to unintended acceleration issues, federal regulators recently fined Toyota a record $16.4 million. Auto manufacturers have an obligation to thoroughly test automobiles, ensuring that consumers are not placed in harm’s way while operating them. In the event that a defect is discovered, the auto manufacturer must promptly notify consumers of the defect, particularly since failure to do so could lead to personal injury. A failure to notify consumers of any problems associated with their vehicles can be considered negligence, and as such, auto manufactures that have been negligent may be held liable in a court of law.

While we can assume that risk comes along with operating any motor vehicle, particularly since vehicles are only as safe as the motorists who operate them, consumers should not have to worry about auto manufacturers failing to take the necessary safety measures needed to ensure that their vehicles are safe to drive. While further investigation takes place into whether or not Toyota acted negligently in warning motorists of vehicle defect issues, only time will tell how many motorists are injured as the result of the unintended acceleration issues in Toyota vehicles.

At Maples Law Firm, our Oklahoma dangerous products attorneys represent individuals injured in Oklahoma auto accidents that result from defective auto parts as well as other instances of defective consumer products causing injury. If you’ve recently sustained injury from a product that you believe is flawed, please contact us today at 1-888-429-0609 for more information and a free evaluation of your products liability case.

Reckless driving never ends well. Whether it’s failing to adhere to a stop sign, disregarding a changing traffic signal, or traveling at speeds in excess of the posted limit, motorists who fail to adhere to the rules of the road place themselves and all other motorists on the road in grave danger. According to a recent KOCO article, a two-vehicle accident involving a pickup truck and a city bus resulted in two injuries; one sustained by the driver of the truck and the other sustained by a passenger on the bus. Both victims sustained only minor injuries and are expected to fully recover.

The rules of the road are in place to protect motorists, and any deviation away from those rules can be labeled as negligence. While this Oklahoma City crash did not result in serious injury, many do. However, regardless of the severity of the accident, Oklahoma car accident injury victims can seek compensatory damages from negligent parties to help recover costs associated with the accident, such as medical bills and physical therapy fees.

All motorists have a responsibility to practice safe driving habits while on the road. At the Maples Law Firm, our experienced Oklahoma City auto accident attorneys will fight to ensure that your rights as an accident victim are not infringed upon in a court of law. If you’ve sustained injury as the result of reckless driving practice, please don’t hesitate to contact us for more information and a free evaluation of your Oklahoma personal injury case. We will help you hold negligent motorists accountable for their actions. Call 1-888-429-0609 today.

According to Oklahoma City’ s koco.com, an underground explosion took the lives of at least 25 miners working in West Virginia’s Upper Big Branch mine. The explosion may have likely been caused by a buildup of methane gases. This accumulation may have resulted from improper ventilation. It is suspected that the explosion was ignited by a spark of some kind. Reportedly, the mining company who operates the coal mine, Massey Energy, has a less than stellar track record when it comes to employee safety.

Massey Energy is one of the largest coal producers in the country, owning 2.2 billion tons of coal reserves throughout West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky. However, in the past year, the coal company has been hit with federal inspector fines totaling more than $382,000 for multiple repeat infractions pertaining to improper venting techniques and venting equipment at the Upper Big Branch location. If methane gas is not allowed to properly vent, a buildup of the combustible can be ignited with the slightest spark of electricity.

The death toll in this particular accident is the highest since the 1984 Orangeville, Utah explosion that took the lives of 37 workers. Four miners are still unaccounted for, but rescue efforts to find them are being thwarted by poisonous gas that accumulated near the site.

Coal mines may not be the safest places to work, but with proper ventilation standards implemented, miners are at the very least afforded a greater chance of not being involved in a poisonous gas explosion. Negligent coal mining companies who fail to correct safety violations may be held liable for injuries, loss of life, and damages resulting from their negligence. In the above mentioned accident, Massey Energy didn’t even take the time to inform relatives of miners that their loved ones had been killed during the accident. This alone is a sad fact that could be labeled as neglectful behavior emblematic of their overall failure to provide safe working conditions for their employees.

At the Maples Law Firm, our skilled Oklahoma workman’s compensation attorneys will hold negligent companies accountable for failing to protect their employees, and will seek compensatory damages on your behalf as an accident victim. For more information and a free consultation of your case, please call us at 1-888-429-0609, and we will fight to ensure that your rights as an injured employee are upheld in court of law.

Source:http://www.koco.com/news/23060042/detail.html