March 16, 2012

A man is in critical condition in the ICU of a Utah hospital after he was injured last Friday by a faulty brake system in his Land Rover SUV. According to reports from the Herald-Journal, the crash happened as the vehicle was coming out of Sardine Canyon, just outside Logan, Utah, that afternoon.

The driver of the Land Rover, who was on his way to propose to his girlfriend, called 911 and said that the brakes in his vehicle weren’t working and the accelerator was stuck. While the dispatcher tried to pinpoint the vehicle’s location, the phone call suddenly went quiet.

Troopers located the vehicle down an embankment next to the road. Trooper Cory Thomas said that it appeared the vehicle had swerved across the highway several times before striking a concrete barrier. Thomas believes the vehicle was traveling at roughly 80 mph when it rolled down an embankment 50 yards from the highway. The driver, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected from the vehicle.

The victim was taken to Logan Regional Hospital in critical condition and with massive head injuries. He was later transferred by helicopter to Ogden McKay-Dee Hospital Center with several brain tears, bruised lungs, and a fractured skull

The Utah Auto Accident Attorneys with Robert Debry and Associates would like to wish this young man a speedy recovery and would also like to remind all motorists to always buckle up.

March 2, 2012

The father of a Salt Lake City, Utah, boy is suing his son’s school and the school district after the child was injured during a school activity. According to reports from KSL News, the lawsuit claims that the school district and its staff were negligent in the supervision of the children and the selection of the activity.

The lawsuit, filed yesterday in the 3rd District Court, says the accident happened on January 20 during a “sledding day” that the boy’s fourth-grade class had earned. The school allowed the children to slide down hills surrounding the school property after a light snow had fallen the night before.

While sledding, the boy lost control and hit his face on rocks, breaking his jaw and several teeth, which required surgical repair.

The lawsuit claims the Granite School District and its employees failed to properly supervise the children during the event and were also negligent in the selection of safe activities. The lawsuit also alleges that staff failed to provide adequate care for students.

The family of the boy is seeking compensation for court costs, medical expenses, and pain and suffering, as well as general relief.

The Utah Personal Injury Lawyers with Robert Debry and Associates urge parents to be aware of the activities your child participates in while at school. This will help to ensure they are not put in harm’s way by another person’s negligence.

February 3, 2012

A 50-year-old Salt Lake City, Utah, construction worker was injured this past Monday in an on-the-job accident. According to reports from FOX 13 News, the man was hurt at approximately 11:00 in the morning at the Altaview Concrete gravel pit at 500 South 6800 West in West Valley City, Utah.

A spokesman for the West Valley Fire Department, Fire Chief Bob Fitzgerald, stated that the man was driving a bulldozer along the edge of the gravel pit when he got too close and went over. The bulldozer rolled approximately 40 feet down the hillside before coming to rest at the bottom of the pit. The man was ejected from the machinery and a piece of the equipment landed on top of him.

The man was swiftly airlifted to the University of Utah Hospital, where he remains in critical condition.

Mining workers, like those at the gravel pit, face some of the most dangerous working conditions there are today. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data shows that the number of fatal work injuries in the private mining sector rose from 99 in 2009, to 172 in 2010. That is a 74 percent rise in deaths in one year within that particular industry.

The Utah workers’ compensation attorneys with Robert Debry & Associates work hard to fight for the rights of accident victims who suffer from on the job injuries. If you have been injured, contact an experienced attorney today.

January 13, 2012

The family of a Salt Lake City, Utah, teen who suffered permanent injuries after being hit by a car while crossing a street is filing a lawsuit for her injuries. According to KSL News, the lawsuit alleges that the Granite School District, Salt Lake County and Utah Departments of Transportation, and the Unified Police Authority all, “Failed to properly maintain and operate the speed limit sign beacons within the reduced-speed zone,” of the school.

Reports showed that flashing yellow lights attached to a speed limit sign, marking the area as a 20 MPH school zone when flashing, were not working and on when the accident happened at 7:30 AM at the intersection of West and Magna. That is when a driver going at “speed greatly exceeding the reduced limit” was unable to stop in time for the 12-year-old girl crossing the street on her way to school. The girl was seriously injured and is still in the process of recovering.

The article added that the lawsuit states, “The girl’s family is seeking an undisclosed amount of money for pain and suffering, past and future medical expenses, and impaired earning capacity.”

The Utah pedestrian accident attorneys with Robert DeBry & Associates urge parent’s to keep their children out of danger by teaching them the importance of safely crossing streets. Teaching them to always stop and look twice before entering the street–even in a crosswalk–may save their life one day.

January 6, 2012

Expiration dates are all around us. On food, credit cards, coupons, and even prescription drugs, all these items are only to be used before a certain date rolls around. Now, it is being discovered that many parents don’t realize their children’s car seats also have an expiration date.

KSL 5 News told the story of a woman who was getting ready to have twins. In order to save some money she thought she would use a car seat she had bought several years before in 2003. That is when she noticed the “best if used by” date on the underside of the seat.

Experts say that the seats are required to have an expiration date because the parts break down over time. A representative for SafeKids of Northeast Florida, Lesley Seaton, explained these breakdowns by saying, “The shell inside, that we can not see, can be broken down and worn out. The harness strap itself that holds the child in safely can be frayed and torn, but look okay.”

These breakdowns could cause the seat to malfunction in the event of a crash, and may not properly restrain the child in the seat.

This is why the Utah auto accident attorneys with Robert Debry and Associates would like to encourage all parents to check for expiration dates in either the product’s user manual or on the seat itself. Doing so will truly increase the safety of your child in the case of a crash.

October 14, 2011

A head-on collision yesterday in Utah’s Logan Canyon left all four individuals involved in the crash in critical conditions. The Salt Lake Tribune reports the crash happened on US 89 just after 5:00 PM.

Officials say that the 63-year-old driver of a pickup truck was hauling a horse trailer and possibly blacked out at the wheel and crossed into the oncoming lanes of traffic. The pickup then collided head-on with a 58-year-old man’s Toyota Solara.

The driver of the Solara and his wife are still listed in critical condition at the McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden, Utah, almost 24 hours after the crash. Their 12-year-old niece is listed in serious condition at Logan Regional. All were wearing seat belts at the time of the crash.

The driver of the pickup was not wearing a seat belt and is also listed in serious condition at Logan Regional.

Investigators are awaiting doctors’ test results to see if the driver of the pickup suffered from a medical incident behind the wheel that may have caused the crash. Troopers say no charges will be filed until those results are received.

The Utah Auto Accident Attorneys, with Robert Debry & Associates, urge drivers who have been involved in a car crash at no fault of their own to contact them immediately for a free evaluation of your case to answer any questions you may have regarding the claim process.

September 16, 2011

In an act of unselfish bravery, documented on video that has now gone viral over the internet, a group of Utah students saved a man who was involved in a fiery motorcycle crash. The students lifted a car that was pinning the biker and pulled him to safety. According to the Associated Press and Chicago Sun-Times, the group is be lauded as “angels” and “heroes,” but are being quite modest about these titles.

The crash occurred near the campus of Utah State University as the motorcyclist was heading to study. A BMW leaving a parking lot turned left and cut the bike off, causing the man to drop the bike and skid across the pavement. The bike hit the car and bounced up onto the hood, while its rider slid under the car and became trapped. The wreckage burst into flame shortly after.

The group of nearby students knew something had to be done if the biker’s life was to be saved. They approached the wreckage without fear and began to rock the car just before lifting it. A construction worker then moved in and pulled the man to safety.

While the Utah Motorcycle Accident Attorneys with Robert Debry & Associates certainly do not endorse putting one’s life in danger like these men did, they do applaud and respect the actions that were taken by these individuals whose compassion for humanity saved another human life.

August 12, 2011

A head-on collision along US 89 in Kane County last Saturday claimed the life of a man from Sandy, Utah, and sent a family of five to the hospital, injured. A report of the incident, released by Desert News, stated the driver of a black Lexus swerved into the oncoming lane of traffic along the road at about 3:00 in the afternoon, causing the accident to occur.

As the Lexus drifted into the wrong lane, a red pickup hauling a boat and carrying the family approached. The driver of the pickup saw the Lexus coming, and attempted to avoid a collision by getting onto the shoulder of the road. The Lexus kept heading directly for the pickup, so the man driving the truck attempted to swerve left into the opposite lane. The man driving the Lexus must have realized he was in the wrong lane at the exact same time and swerved right. The pickup and Lexus met head-on in the center of the road.

The driver of the Lexus was thrown from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene, while the family of five were transported to the hospital to be treated for injuries.

The Utah Auto Accident Attorneys with Robert DeBry & Associates may be able to help you if you have been involved in a car crash that was not your fault. Contact them immediately for a free evaluation of your case to see what could be done to get you compensated for your losses.

June 24, 2011

A St. George, Utah, woman was left clinging to life and is still in critical condition following a hit-and-run accident Tuesday morning. According to The Spectrum, the accident occurred on Little Valley Road as the 59-year old was jogging south on the right side of the road. A vehicle traveling northbound crossed the centerline and struck the woman with the car, but did not run her over.

Authorities were at first led to believe by a witness on the scene that the vehicle who struck the woman had sped away. Two days later, the individual who gave that statement came forward as the driver of the vehicle involved in the accident.

Sgt. Craig Harding, with the St. George Police Department, says that the individual who came forward has not yet been arrested for several reasons. The class of the crime could determine whether city or county attorneys need to file the charges. Also, as the status of the victim changes, so could the charges.

Losing a loved one too soon due to a hit-and-run accident can be a very difficult time for a family. The wrongful death attorneys with Robert J. Debry & Associates have experience with these types of cases and may be able to assist you if you were injured in an accident that was no fault of your own.

June 17, 2011

The fifth fatal motorcycle accident in Utah this month occurred Thursday afternoon on the west side of Salt Lake City, Utah. The Salt Lake Tribune reports the accident occurred on the State Road 201 on-ramp approaching I-215.

Authorities say that a tractor-trailer truck was in the third lane for the right, when the motorcycle came around the loop on-ramp. For an unknown reason, the driver of the motorcycle suddenly swerved into the lanes to his left.  The motorcycle clipped the front tires of the trailer, sliding into the path of the back tires and was subsequently run over. The motorcycle driver died at the scene. He apparently had a small dog in a crate on the back of the bike also, which died in the crash as well.

Utah Highway Patrol (UHP) issued the following statement after the deadly accident:

“We remind the operators of motor vehicles and motorcycles to be aware of each other and to take precautions to allow for the safe travel of each other.”

UHP is also encouraging riders to wear appropriate, DOT-approved helmets, which offer facial protection and are asking them to wear protective clothing as well.

The Utah Motorcycle Accident Lawyers with Robert Debry & Associates say that they handle several motorcycle accident cases a year, giving them the experience and understanding to help guide a client through the difficult process of fighting for compensation. Fill out a FREE online consultation form if you would like to discuss your case with our team.