Topeka Personal Injury Lawyer - All Topics

Pedestrian Injured In Hit And Run

Chrissie Cole — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 14:56:00 GMT

A pedestrian was struck and injured in a hit and run accident in Junction City Sunday early morning.

William Head, 24, of Manhattan, was walking along the 1000 block of East 6^th Street, just east of J Hill Road when he was struck by a car at that was traveling east.

He suffered injuries and was airlifted to Topeka Hospital, according to Kansas City Highway Patrol. His current condition is unknown.

The driver of the car fled the scene. Troopers later recovered the vehicle and identified the driver as Marcus Barnes, 28, of Birmingham, Alabama.

An estimated 1043 people have been killed this year so far in hit and run accidents across the U.S. And another 70965 have been injured.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chrissie Cole

Topeka Man Dies In Car Accident

Chrissie Cole — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Wet weather is likely the cause of car crash that claimed the life of a 72-year-old Topeka man on Wednesday morning near Junction City, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol.

While driving on I-70, he lost control of his vehicle and slammed into a parked car on the shoulder of the road that had stopped to help another driver who slid into the ditch.

The driver, 16, of the car that slid into the ditch was not injured and the driver of the van that was hit was transported to a Junction City Hospital for treatment.

InjuryBoard has several posts on driving safely in bad weather that you can refer to for more information.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chrissie Cole

Remaining Heparin Sodium Vial Products Recalled by Baxter

Jenny Albano — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 15:26:51 GMT

Baxter International Inc., in conjunction with the FDA, is recalling all remaining lots and doses of heparin sodium vial products, including all multi-dose, single-dose vials and HEP-LOCK heparin flush products. The company recently recalled nine lots of the heparin sodium injection multi-dose vials as a precaution due to more than normal reports of adverse reactions from the product. Production was suspended earlier in February.

Given the widespread use of this blood thinner and the impact a product shortage would have on operating rooms, dialysis centers and other critical care areas, the FDA and Baxter concluded that removing additional lots and doses of Baxter's heparin from the market earlier would have created more risk to patients requiring heparin therapy than the increased potential for experiencing an adverse reaction. Accordingly, the FDA and Baxter decided not to recall all Baxter heparin vial products at that time. The FDA has now concluded that there is sufficient capacity on the part of other suppliers that Baxter's recall will not jeopardize access to this drug, and has told Baxter that the company can now proceed with recalling its remaining heparin sodium injection and heparin flush products.

Even though most consumers who experienced adverse side effects took the multi-dose products, Baxter wants to make sure that consumers are safe and is now recalling all remaining heparin sodium injection and heparin flush products that are still being sold.

In addition to the 100 units/mL, 10 mL, and 30 mL multi-dose vials that were already recalled, the company is adding the following:
the remaining lots of those products and heparin sodium injection 5000 units/mL 10mL multi-dose vials, heparin sodium injection 10,000 units/mL 4mL multi-dose vials, heparin sodium injection 1000 USP units/mL, 5000 USP units/mL, and 10,000 USP units/mL single-dose vials, and all HEP-LOCK and HEP-LOCK U/P, 10 USP units/mL and 100 USP units/mL vials, both preserved and preservative-free.

This recall does not involve Baxter's heparin pre-mix IV solutions in bags: heparin sodium in 5% dextrose injection and heparin sodium in 0.9% sodium chloride injection.

Almost all adverse side effects reported by consumers have involved three specific areas of the product's use - renal dialysis, invasive cardiovascular procedures and apheresis procedures. To see a list of adverse side effects click here. Consumers have been advised to stop using these recalled products and segregate the product for the rest of its inventory.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano

Lawsuit Over Lead in Thomas Toys Settled for $30 Million

Jenny Albano — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 21:14:23 GMT

RC2 Corp., the maker of Thomas & Friends Wooden Railways toys, has settled a class-action suit about last year's recalls because of lead paint for $30 million. The settlement, which received preliminary approval in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Ill., calls for reimbursements for all its consumers and improved safety.

Consumers can be reimbursed in cash for the recalled toys or they can receive a replacement and bonus toy. Customers who do not have the recalled toys and proof of purchase can receive $15 coupons.

The Thomas recall -- covering 1.5 million toys in June followed by 200,000 in September -- was the first to raise global concerns about excessive levels of lead paint in toys made in China. In the 12 months ended Sept. 30, 19 of 61 U.S. toy recalls were because of lead paint, the Consumer Product Safety Commission says.

Before the recalls RC2 had some quality controls but relied on what Chinese manufacturers told it. According to the settlement RC2 must improve testing and auditing of materials, better communication, and make sure contract manufacturers meet their standards.

Since the recall, RC2 has dropped the Chinese manufacturer. The company previously did random testing quarterly or twice a year, like many other companies do. RC2 has now increased testing of materials and toys, set stricter standards for manufacturers and paint suppliers, and increased random inspections and audits. The company also now requires lab test results for every batch of wet paint.

Final court approval of the RC2 settlement is expected in May.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Defective and Dangerous Products.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano

Worker Dies At Kansas Steel Plant

Matthew Bergmann — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 13:45:34 GMT

A man from Osage City, Kansas, died Wednesday afternoon after a work accident at a steel plant. Today, investigators began looking into the details of the accident and how the fatality occured.

The man killed has been identifed as Johnnie Dorsey, 50. Dorsey served as a production assistant at Schuff Steel in Ottawa, Kansas, and had been on the job approximately one month. Little is known, at this time, about how the accident occured, but Dorsey was taken to a local hospital where he later died.

The Kansas office of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is currently invesigating the matter, but additional information regarding the accidnet or Dorseyhas not been released. Inital reports indicate that police officers were summoned to the plant about 1 p.m. on Wednesday. However, officers did not investigate because an industrial accident had occured, not a crime.

Schuff Steel fabricates structural steel for sports stadiums, skyscrapers and other larger construction projects. The plant is closed today and Friday so that officials can continue to invesigate Dorsey's death.

For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Workplace Injuries and Workers Compensation

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Matthew Bergmann

Many Halloween Toy Recalls Question CPSC's Ability

Jenny Albano — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 17:48:20 GMT

In the past month the CPSC has recalled numerous Halloween toy products saying they are unsafe for children. Now the government is saying the the recalls aren't enough to secure consumer safety, they want new measures to protect people from foreign imported products.

The recalls include 142,000 purple witch buckets because of excess lead in the surface paint, 55,000 candy-filled skull pails because of the lead problem, 120,000 "Creepy Cape" costumes, 97,000 Mr. Potato Head "Make a Monster Pumpkin" due to a choke hazard, 63,000 Frankenstein cups, and today's new recall- "Ugly Teeth" which were recalled due to excess lead.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and other members of Congress have called for the resignation of the acting chair of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Nancy Nord, and are proposing legislation that will, among other things, make it illegal to knowingly sell products that could be subject to a recall.

Those who want to change the regulations of the CPSC say that since trade has opened with foreign countries, regulations on imports have become much more lax and funding has been cut. Also, other countries may not have the same standards when it comes to safety practices for manufacturing. These problems make it hard to know items are safe to use.

The problem with recalls has become so widespread that some parents have been buying lead-testing kits at hardware stores and completing their own analyses of their children's toys at home.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Defective and Dangerous Products.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano

Two Workers Killed On Kansas Highways

Matthew Bergmann — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 08:42:26 GMT

A hit-and-run crash south of Lawrence, Kansas killed two road workers and injured another early Tuesday morning.

The incident occured as road crews worked approximatley five miles south of Lawrence on US-59. Shortly after the crash, authorities were able to apprehend two suspects after a 12 mile chase along US-56 in Osage County. Two women from Washington State are currently being held in custody for their alleged involvement in the workers' deaths.

The Kansas Department of Transportation confirmed the two individuals killed were Tyrone T. Korte, 30, of Seneca, and Rolland Griffith, 24, of El Dorado. Korte worked for KDOT as an engineering technician and Griffith was an employee of Towanda-based Dustrol Inc., a firm that contracted with the state to do repavement work on US-59. Amanda Hopper, 21, of El Dorado, was listed as the injured worker. She was taken to Lawrence Memorial Hospital, where she was treated, then released.

The two women who were arrested were identified as Ramona I. Morgan, 48, and Sabrina J. Morgan, 26, both of Chewelah, Wash. The elder Morgan was the truck's driver, the Kansas Highway Patrol reported.

The crash occurred at 9:40 a.m. near the Pleasant Hill ridge in an area where resurfacing work was being done. Officials said that a pickup truck was traveling south on US-59 when it struck the pedestrian flagger. The truck then continued into the construction zone, ignoring traffic control, and struck the two fatality victims. The truck then exited the construction zone and fled, the patrol said.

Approximatley 1/2 hour later, a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper, who was responding to the fatality crash, spotted a pickup truck with front-end damage traveling west-bound near Overbrook, Kansas. After attempts to pull over the truck were unsuccessful, a chase ensued and spike strips were ultimately by authorities to disable the vehicle. Morgan and Morgan where then taken into custody and booked into the Osage County Jail.

A preliminary appearance for Morgan and Morgan is scheduled for this week in Osage County District Court.

For more information on this subject matter, please refer to the section on Worksite Injuries and Workers Compensation.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Matthew Bergmann

Worker Killed After Fall From Scaffolding

Matthew Bergmann — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 15:39:04 GMT

A Topeka man was killed at a work site Wednesday morning when the scaffolding he was on tipped over.

Authorities have identified the man as Anthony Anguiano, 46, of Topeka. Anguiano's death occured as his crew worked at Topeka Trailer Repair, 7215 S.W. Topeka Blvd. A co-worker was also injured in the accident has been identified as Lawrence McCall, 28, of Topeka. McCall was take to a Topeka hospital with serious injuries, his condition is not known at this time.

Both men were employed by Larry's Electric and were working on the top of an extended 30-foot motorized scaffolding platform. One of the scaffolding tires went into a drain in the floor, causing it to tip over, said Lt. Martha Lutz, spokeswoman for the Shawnee County Sheriff's Office.

The accident is still under investigation.

For more information on this subject matter, please review our section on Worksite Injuries.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Matthew Bergmann

Warning Issued by Kansas AG on Faulty Tires

Matthew Bergmann — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 10:31:57 GMT

Faulty tires may be driving on Kansas roads, as Attorney General Paul Morrison issued a warning to consumers this week.

The potentially dangerous tires were manufactured by Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber Co. Ltd. in China and distributed in the U.S.A. under the names Westlake, Compass and YKS. Foreign Tire Sales, Inc., made the inital call that the tires were experiencing high rates of tread seperation, but an offical recall has yet to be made. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations does expect a recall to be issued by mid-August 2007. The warning focuses on tires sold between 2002 to 2006 for light trucks, sports utility vehicles and vans.

Additional information can be found FTS's Web site at www.foreigntire.com.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Defective and Dangerous Products.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Matthew Bergmann

Cardiac Victim Turned Away from VA and Dies

Jenny Albano — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 14:13:02 GMT

A man who suffered a heart attack was located in a building that was only about 200 feet from the Bay Pines VA Medical Center, but when the ambulance came, paramedics were not sure where to take him since the man was not a veteran. They called the hospital and asked if he could be treated there, but hospital staff told the paramedics to take him to St. Petersburg General Hospital which is 3 miles away. Mark A. Surette ended up dying.

Pinellas County's medical director said that she has opened an investigation into the matter. Surette should have been taken to the nearest hospital to be treated. A spokesperson of Veterans Affairs said that the medical center often treats patients who are seriously ill and are not veterans. He said the hospital has no policy against treating non-veterans and he will be reviewing the VA's procedures due to the incident.

"There's no way to know if that extra time made a difference," said Dr. Laurie Romig, the medical director who has oversight of county paramedics. Surette was in full cardiac arrest when VA medical personnel arrived on the scene to provide treatment. It is unclear as to when exactly Surette was pronounced dead; neither Romig or the VA could say, and St. Petersburg General Hospital did not comment on the matter.

By law, hospitals are not allowed to turn away acutely ill patients from their emergency rooms, a spokeswoman for St. Petersburg General Hospital said. But officials were not sure that applied to a VA facility.
Pickens, the VA spokesman, said Bay Pines officials listened to a recording of the call provided to the agency by the St. Petersburg Times. "While VA doctors and nurses were first responders, and appropriate emergency treatment was provided at the scene, our review concluded that communications regarding care for non-veteran emergency patients can be improved," Pickens said in a statement.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Wrongful Death.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano