Oklahoma Personal Injury Legal Blog
Hidden Camera Exposes Nursing Home Abuse Perpetrators
Hidden camera images obtained from a skilled nursing care center in Cleveland, Ohio, show disturbing footage of nursing aides manhandling a 78-year-old Alzheimer’s patient. According to a Channel 3 news report, the nursing home, Prentiss Center for Skilled Nursing Care, is under fire after the hidden camera installed by the patient’s son caught caregivers brutally abusing his elderly mother. One of the aides is seen on the hidden camera throwing the patient from her chair on to the bed and in another instance throwing her back on to the chair and then jabbing her on the face. That aide has been charged with felony assault and has pleaded not guilty. The other woman, who is seen almost dropping the patient due to rough handling, has also been fired from her job.
The woman’s son installed the camera after nursing home administrators ignored his complaints that his mother was being mistreated at the facility. Family members say the videos have devastated them emotionally. Nursing home administrators say they had actually looked into the son’s claims, but did not find any wrongdoing. The son said the videos proved to be the smoking gun and that he wished they had done something sooner.
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Toyota Issues Massive Recall for Brake Light and Airbag Failures
Toyota has announced two separate recalls involving nearly 700,000 vehicles. According to a report in The New York Times, almost 187,000 Venzas from 2009-2011 and Camrys from 2009, as well as 495,000 Tacoma pickups from 2005-2009, have been recalled for safety concerns. Officials with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) say that the Venza and Camry models have issues with silicone grease that may cause the brake light to fail. The vehicles may also not start correctly or shift out of “park,” which could increase the risk of a car accident. The grease issues may be linked to grease from the gloves of assembly line workers from one of their plants. The Tacoma vehicles are being recalled because of safety concerns regarding airbags that fail to deploy in a crash.
Toyota is not the only car company that has recently issued recalls on their potentially defective and dangerous vehicles. Nissan has recently recalled about 23,500 Quest minivans from model years 2011 and 2012 because of issues with the fuel-pump control module that has resulted in engine stalling. Chrysler has recently recalled 210,000 of its 2004 and 2005 Jeep Liberty SUVs over concerns that a rear suspension component could rust and break.
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Four Injured in Tahlequah Car Accident
At least four family members were injured in an Oklahoma car accident involving two vehicles colliding at an intersection. According to a news report in The Tahlequah Daily Press, the car accident occurred at the intersection of Stick Ross Mountain Road and the State Highway 51 bypass in Tahlequah, Cherokee County. It is unclear at this time what caused the two cars to collide. According to a post on the Hulbert First Baptist Church’s Facebook page, one of the victims is sore and bruised, one suffered a concussion, broken ribs, and organ lacerations, one is improving, and another family member is in serious condition after suffering life-threatening injuries. It is unclear what caused the accident or if anyone will be cited for the tragic collision.
Whenever serious injuries are suffered in a street intersection car accident, it is important to determine who was at fault. Did one of the vehicles run through a stop sign or red light? Did one of the motorists fail to yield the right-of-way? Did the accident result from distracted driving, fatigued driving, or drunk driving? In cases involving negligence or wrongdoing, the at-fault driver can be held liable for the injuries suffered by the victims. Injured victims of such car accidents would be well advised to protect their legal rights and best interests by contacting an experienced Oklahoma personal injury attorney.
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Do Not Let Your Friends Drive Drunk on St. Patrick’s Day
St. Patrick’s Day is the time of year when friends and families gather to celebrate their Irish heritage. Even if you are not Irish, it is one of those holidays that is made for a party. Any time there is partying or revelry, it is likely that alcoholic beverages will be served and consumed. According to Alcohol Alert, there were a total of 738 traffic accidents in the state of Oklahoma of which 265 involved an intoxicated driver. Also, 32 percent of drivers involved in Oklahoma DUI (driving under the influence) collisions had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 percent or higher.
Drunk drivers, in addition to facing criminal charges, can also be held civilly liable for the injuries and damages they cause to Oklahoma car crash victims. DUI collisions can result in major injuries or even fatalities. On holidays such as St. Patrick’s Day, the risk for a DUI crash increases significantly.
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Eight People Injured in Oklahoma Car Accident Caused by Sleepy Driver
A driver who fell asleep at the wheel caused a car accident in Oklahoma, which sent eight people, including four children, to the hospital with injuries. According to a news report in The Ardmoreite, the injury collision occurred on State Highway 1 west of Ravia. Oklahoma Highway Patrol officials say a 22-year-old woman who was eastbound on the highway fell asleep while driving a 2003 Dodge van. The van crossed the centerline and struck a 2004 Chevrolet driven by a 57-year-old woman. That driver was transported to an area with multiple injuries as were her passengers, who included four children between the ages of 1 and 12. It is not clear if any of their injuries were life-threatening.
Sleepy or drowsy driving is proven to be as dangerous as driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), drowsy driving causes more than 100,000 car accidents every year, resulting in about 40,000 injuries and 1,550 deaths.
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Tread Separation Concerns Spur Goodyear Tire Recall
Goodyear Tires has issued a defective product recall for about 41,000 Wrangler Silent Armor tires over concerns that the tread could separate and cause a car accident. According to an Associated Press news report, the Goodyear tires involved in this recall can be found on trucks, vans, and SUVs, and were made in 2009. About 27,000 of the recalled tires are now in service. In a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the tire maker states that the tread separation could occur “under severe usage conditions.” There is also the danger of a separated tread striking the car and damaging it, or worse, causing a tire failure.
When the recall begins on March 22, Goodyear will replace the recalled tires at no cost to consumers. The recall comes after a fatal rollover accident in Texas earlier this year took the lives of two people. Goodyear has apparently known about these problems for more than a year. The tire maker told the NHTSA that it has been looking at an increase in warranty claims relating to this issue since 2010.
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Tulsa Wrong-Way Crash Injured Two
Two men were injured in a Tulsa car accident involving a wrong-way driver. According to a News On 6 report, the wrong-way collision occurred on Interstate 244 at 17th Street in Tulsa. Officials say a 20-year-old man was driving his Ford the wrong way when it collided with a 1998 Isuzu Rodeo driven by a 26-year-old man. Both men had to be freed from their cars by emergency responders.
The driver of the Ford suffered head, arm, leg, and other injuries. The driver of the Isuzu sustained head, internal, and leg injuries. Both men were wearing seatbelts, and both have been listed in stable condition. It is not clear if alcohol was a factor in the crash or if the wrong-way driver will be cited for the collision.
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Oklahoma Bus Accident Causes Injuries
Ten people on an Oklahoma City bus and two occupants of an SUV were injured in an Oklahoma traffic accident when the two vehicles collided. According to a news report in NewsOK, the bus accident occurred at the intersection of Linwood Avenue and North Indiana Avenue in downtown Oklahoma City. Officials say the driver of the SUV ran a red light before crashing into the bus. The bus then hit a light pole and a tree in the median before striking a business on Linwood Boulevard. The passengers on the bus were thrown around and 10 sustained non-life-threatening injuries, as did the two occupants of the SUV.
Under Oklahoma Statute Title 47, Chapter 11, Article 2, Section 11-201 (a): “The driver of any vehicle shall obey the instructions of any official traffic-control device applicable thereto placed in accordance with the provisions of this act, unless otherwise directed by a traffic or police officer, subject to the exceptions granted the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle in this act.” Drivers who run through red lights or stop signs may be held liable for the damages they cause.
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Seatbelt Law for Rear Seat Passengers Proposed
A bill that would make it mandatory for rear seat passengers in Oklahoma to buckle up is making its way through the state legislature. According to a KJRH news report, lawmakers in Oklahoma have proposed such a bill for the very first time. Under Oklahoma law, people over the age of 12 are not required to wear a seatbelt when they ride in the back seat of a vehicle. Oklahoma Highway Patrol officials say that more than 50 percent of all fatal car accidents in Oklahoma every year involve people who are not buckled up. The State Troopers and AAA of Oklahoma have endorsed the bill. The bill has passed out of the committee and is now on its way for a vote on the house floor.
According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), someone is killed in a crash every 13 minutes. Seatbelts save more than 11,000 lives each year. In the event of a car accident, the vehicle comes to a sudden stop. But the vehicle’s occupants continue to keep moving until they too are stopped – by the windshield, dashboard, or worse, the pavement, if they get ejected. Wearing a seatbelt stops your body from being thrown around inside or outside the vehicle – regardless of whether you are a front seat or rear seat passenger. A seatbelt decreases the chances you’ll get hurt in a crash by restraining you and firmly holding you in place.
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Icy Roads Lead to Fatal Oklahoma City Car Accident
A driver was killed in an Oklahoma car accident in Stephens County after he lost control of his vehicle on the ice and snow and ran over the traffic signal control box. According to a news report in The Oklahoman, the accident occurred at the end of the northbound exit ramp from the Lake Hefner Parkway at Hefner Road in Oklahoma City. No other vehicles were involved. An investigation is ongoing.
Snow and sleet wreaked havoc on Oklahoma’s roadways Monday. Several accidents have been reported over the weekend as well. During winter weather, it would be in the best interests of motorists to slow down and take several precautions that might help prevent these tragedies.
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