Oklahoma Personal Injury Legal Blog
Child Injured in Oklahoma Hit-and-Run Accident
A 4-year-old girl was injured in an Oklahoma car accident involving a driver who fled the scene of the crash on foot. According to a news report in The Tahlequah Daily Press, the hit-and-run accident occurred at Muskogee Avenue and Meadow Creek Drive in Tahlequah. Officials say the driver of a 1999 Chevrolet K15 ran a red light and struck a 2002 Honda. The 4-year-old passenger in the Honda suffered severe injuries to her head and body. Officials have not been able to locate the hit-and-run driver.
Leaving the scene of a car accident is illegal under Oklahoma law. Under Oklahoma Statute 47-10-103-A: “The driver of any vehicle involved in an accident resulting only in damage to a vehicle which is driven or attended by any person shall immediately stop such vehicle at the scene of such accident or as close thereto as possible but shall forthwith return to and in every event shall remain at the scene of such accident.”
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Woman Killed in Oklahoma Boating Accident
A 52-year-old Ardmore woman was killed over the Memorial Day weekend in a boating accident. According to a KXII news report, the fatal OK boat accident occurred at Lake Murray in Ardmore. Officials say she was ejected and fatally injured when two boats collided. The eight other people involved in the incident were not injured. Authorities are currently investigating if the 34-year-old driver of the other boat was drinking at the time of the crash.
An important part of safe boating is remaining sober. Oklahoma boaters who operate while under the influence of drugs or alcohol put everyone on the water at risk. Boating under the influence is one of the leading causes of fatal boating accidents nationwide. Since Memorial Day weekend of 2011, Oklahoma has adopted a state law that lowered the legal blood alcohol limit for boat operators from .10 to .08 percent. Boat operators who are under the influence must submit to an alcohol test and they may be held accountable for the damages they cause.
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Distracted Teen Drivers May Pay the Price
A May 21, 2012 article in Tulsa World talks about the dangers that distracted teen drivers face. The article gives the example of a 16-year-old girl who got into an accident near Inola, Oklahoma, while talking to her friends while driving. Thankfully, in that accident, only one of the passengers suffered relatively minor injuries. However, the girl’s classmate was not as lucky. The other girl, also 16, overcorrected on a Rogers County road and died in the resulting accident. The two accidents were very similar and involved minor distractions caused by teens driving with young passengers on board.
Driving with younger passengers can be a significant risk for teen drivers. According to a study released recently by the AAA Foundation, the risk of car accident deaths for teen drivers increases exponentially with every passenger younger than 21 and quadruples with three or more young passengers. Teen drivers’ inexperience and their tendency to be more social than adults compound this risk. According to the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office’s statistics, teens make up 5.8 percent of Oklahoma’s licensed drivers but account for 12 percent of the state’s car accidents in 2010 and 7.5 percent of Oklahoma’s traffic fatalities.
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Celebrate National Senior Health and Fitness Day in Oklahoma
This year, May 30 will be observed as National Health and Fitness Day for older adults. On this day, more than 100,000 seniors nationwide will participate in local events at more than 1,000 locations. The goal of this national event is to promote the importance of regular physical activity and to showcase the work that local groups are doing to improve the health and fitness of older adults in their respective communities.
Activities will take place at retirement communities, health clubs, senior centers, parks, hospitals, YMCAs, houses of worship, banks, and other locations. The nature of the events will vary widely based on what local seniors are interested in and on the organization that is hosting the events. Activities may include walking, low-impact exercises, health information, workshops, and screenings.
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Report Highlights Misuse of Anti-Psychotics in Nursing Homes
A Boston Globe report based on government data has found that a number of the nation’s nursing homes are wrongfully using anti-psychotic drugs to silence residents who display hostile or combative behavior. According to a news report in USA Today, the Globe’s investigation found that a Massachusetts nursing home was administering dangerous anti-psychotic drugs to 19 percent of its residents, even those who did not have a diagnosis for which the drugs are recommended.
These drugs, usually prescribed for those suffering from schizophrenia, can have powerful side effects, including dizziness, abnormal heart rhythm, sudden drop in blood pressure, blurred vision, or even death. The Globe’s investigation also found that just in the year 2010, 185,000 nursing home residents nationwide received these drugs against the recommendation of federal nursing home regulators. Many of the patients who received these drugs were those suffering from Alzheimer’s or dementia.
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Two Children Injured in Oklahoma School Bus Accident
Two children were hospitalized with injuries after a traffic accident involving a Tulsa Public Schools bus. According to a KTUL news report, the injury crash occurred in the southbound lanes of Highway 75 near the on-ramp to the Interstate 44. The bus carrying 16 children and four adults from Anderson Elementary School was on its way to the Jewish Holocaust Museum when their bus rear-ended a semi truck. Two children were transported to an area hospital and three others were treated at the scene. It is not clear if the bus driver will be cited for the collision.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 96 crashes occurred in which at least one occupant of a school transportation vehicle died between 1996 and 2008. More than half of those crashes, about 59 percent, involved at least one other vehicle. In the 57 multi-vehicle crashes, 32 drivers and 40 passengers died. In 51 percent of all fatal school bus crashes, the principal point of impact was the front of the vehicle.
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Nursing Homes in the U.S. Unprepared for Emergencies and Disasters
Nursing homes nationwide are “woefully unprepared” to protect frail residents in the event of natural disasters such as tornadoes, hurricanes, and floods, government officials say. According to a news report in The Huffington Post, Oklahoma is one of the top 10 disaster-prone states ranked by historical statistics. The government requires nursing homes to come up with emergency plans specifying details such as coordinating with local authorities, notifying relatives, or pinning nametags and medication lists to residents in the event of an evacuation. Even seven years after Hurricane Katrina when the vulnerability of nursing homes was exposed, very little has been done to ensure that nursing home residents will be safe in the event of a major disaster.
This is particularly important because millions in the United States live in nursing homes. According to available data, more than 3 million people in the United States spent at least some time in a nursing home during the year 2009. Nearly 40 percent of those individuals, about 1.2 million, were in the top 10 disaster-prone states, including Oklahoma. A typical nursing home resident is a woman in her 80s or older who is dealing with physical or mental issues that make her dependent on others to carry out everyday activities.
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Man Killed in Adair County Motorcycle Accident
A 24-year-old man was killed in a fatal Oklahoma motorcycle accident after his motorcycle struck a pickup truck. According to a news report in NewsOK.com, the fatal motorcycle accident occurred on U.S. 59 north of Stilwell in Adair County. The man was driving south on the highway when he struck a pickup truck driven by a 66-year-old woman and then hit a mailbox and a stop sign. The motorcyclist was taken to an area hospital with severe head and internal injuries, but later died from his injuries. The man was wearing a helmet. The two women in the pickup truck were uninjured.
According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, fatalities involving motorcyclists have steadily increased over the last 10 years. In fact, in 2007, there was a 7 percent increase in fatalities as compared to 2006. Per vehicle mile traveled in 2007, motorcyclists were about 37 times more likely than occupants of other vehicles to die in a motor vehicle accident and nine times more likely to be injured.
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Oklahoma Bill to Protect Elderly in Nursing Homes in Danger, May Not Make It
An Oklahoma bill that would protect nursing home patients by requiring a fingerprint background check program for long-term care facilities is in jeopardy of dying a quiet death on the Senate floor. According to a news report in Tulsa World, House Bill 2582 sets up a system that would fingerprint all new employees applying to certain jobs in nursing homes and other care facilities. The fingerprints would then be submitted to the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) for a national criminal background check.
If the employee had a prior disqualifying offense, such as abuse by caretaker, that would prevent the person from working at the nursing home or care facility. Currently, prospective applicants for nursing home jobs have a criminal background check on their name only. Also, the background check is only done statewide and does not include other states unless the employee discloses that he or she worked in another state. The bill has passed the House, but has not been heard in the Senate. The bill is in danger of dying if it does not get a hearing in the Senate soon.
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Oklahoma City Oil Rig Worker Killed on the Job
An Oklahoma City oil rig worker was killed after he was pinned under a piece of equipment. According to a KOCO news report, officers say a hydraulic line broke at an oil rig site in the 3400 block of Southeast 59th. Several workers were at the site,but only one worker was under the pipe when it collapsed. Officers say the force was so strong that the worker was pinned underneath it. He died at the scene despite other workers’ efforts to resuscitate him. The Department of Health and Safety will conduct an investigation in order to determine if proper procedures were followed.
Injuries on oil rigs are extremely common. Oil rig workers take on long and rigorous shifts. Oil rig accidents may be caused by failing equipment, working mandatory overtime without rest, and being expected to follow unsafe procedures. Employers are expected to provide oil rig workers with a safe working environment. Workers should also be properly trained for the jobs they are required to perform. In addition, workers should be provided with safety equipment that is necessary to perform the job.
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