Indiana Personal Injury Lawyer and Medical Malpractice Attorney Blog

Leaving a lane can cause car accidents in Indiana

Published on: May 5, 2016 | by Barsumian Armiger

Abiding by the rules of the road and staying in the correct lane of traffic is vital to the safety of everyone on the road. When one driver drifts or enters the opposite lane of traffic, car accidents can easily occur and result in injuries, or worse. A car accident in Indiana recently left several injured and appears to have been caused by one person who left her lane.

The accident happened on a Saturday afternoon. A couple, both 76 years old, was travelling east on an Indiana road. Another car was coming their way. That car went left of the center line and hit their vehicle. According to police reports, that driver said she went out of her lane to avoid a vehicle in front of her that was in the process of turning at the time.

That 25-year-old driver was taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries she sustained in the crash. The elderly couple she hit was also transported to a hospital for treatment of injuries they suffered. The exact nature and seriousness of the injuries suffered was not yet reported. It was also not reported whether or not the other driver would face any traffic citations or charges.

Premises liability cases in Indiana can be complicated

Published on: April 30, 2016 | by Barsumian Armiger

Slip-and-fall accidents involve a lot more than slipping on wet floors or tripping on uneven surfaces. What is typically referred to as a slip-and-fall situation is actually a premises liability case, which can be extremely complicated. If you fell on another person or business’s property, an understanding of Indiana law is beneficial when determining whether a premises liability case is valid.

Sustaining an injury somewhere other than your home is not enough to make a claim valid. The accident that led to an injury must have been preventable had the owner, manager or other responsible party acted with what is considered an ordinary amount of care. For example, the lack of a sign announcing a wet floor can lead to injuries. Neglecting to remove dangerous ice or snow within a reasonable amount of time after a storm can also be shown as negligence on the part of a property or business owner.

There are other situations that constitute premises liability that are not necessarily slip-and-fall accidents. If equipment, such as an elevator door, malfunctions and you are hurt that may be premises liability, depending on the cause of the malfunction. If stairs collapse and you suffer a head injury or if you are bit by an animal, those may also be cases for premises liability.

Indiana premises liability issues can get complicated

Published on: April 23, 2016 | by Barsumian Armiger

When people mention claims involving slip and fall injuries, they are most likely referring to premises liability cases. However, premises liability litigation in Indiana involves much more than simply slipping and falling in a store. When a preventable accident causes personal injuries on the property of another, grounds may exist for a premises liability lawsuit.

Slip and fall injuries can occur just about anyplace. Slipping on a wet floor in a retail store happens more often than many would like to think. A banister that gives way and causes a fall is another potentially costly source of injury, one which may have been preventable. An unmarked hole in the ground due to construction work can lead to injuries to unsuspecting pedestrians.

Aside from the type of injury, the preventability factor also matters. A business owner or operator of an establishment has the legal obligation to maintain a safe environment and act reasonably to prevent accidents to invitees. For example, if a store or business owner has not cleared the sidewalk or parking lot of ice after a storm and someone is injured, that business or establishment may face claims for financial liability due to any injuries suffered.

Fatal hit and run could lead to wrongful death lawsuit

Published on: April 16, 2016 | by Barsumian Armiger

A hit and run accident can lead to criminal charges in many cases. However, when a hit and run turns fatal, the family of a victim may also be able to pursue a claim of wrongful death. A woman recently lost her life on an Indiana roadway after she was hit by a driver who left the scene.

The accident occurred in the early morning as the woman, a 44-year-old, was crossing a street in Indianapolis. The vehicle left the scene and police were then on the hunt for that vehicle and its driver. Police conducted a search and later located the vehicle that was alleged to have been involved. It was found abandoned at a business that was near the scene of the crash.

After processing the vehicle, police found and questioned a man they believe was involved. The 23-year-old man was arrested and charged with leaving the scene of a crash that caused bodily injury. That driver was also given a blood test.

Personal injury cases involve much more than car accidents

Published on: April 11, 2016 | by Barsumian Armiger

When people think about personal injury cases, many automatically think about car accident injuries and ensuring car insurance companies award fair compensation to injured parties. Many people are unaware of other scenarios in which injuries are sustained by innocent victims due to the negligence of others. While the majority of personal injury claims do indeed involve motor vehicle accidents, there are many other incidents that can warrant personal injury suits in Indiana.

Some common scenarios that can be resolved by civil suits include slip-and-fall cases and negligent security cases. These kinds of accidents can result in devastating injuries, particularly to individuals who already have health issues. In addition, medical negligence and medical malpractice are also commonly cited in personal injury lawsuits.

Some personal injury suits may involve companies or entities who acted negligently. This can include incidents of product liability, such as when a company manufactures a dangerous product that results in injuries to consumers. Construction site accidents resulting from third-party negligence can also warrant personal injury suits when injured workers or bystanders sustain serious injuries.

High speed rear-end car accidents can be devastating

Published on: April 6, 2016 | by Barsumian Armiger

It goes without saying that if a car accident is the result of high speed, there may be a great deal of damage and potentially more injuries than if each vehicle was abiding by the speed limit. Car accidents of this nature, where high speed is a factor, may lead to criminal citations and possibly civil action in Indiana. One recent Friday morning car accident in Indiana involved two vehicles, and high speed was cited as a possible cause.

The incident unfolded as a 42-year-old was driving a Ford southbound. A 20-year-old driver was driving a Chrysler southbound, also. That Chrysler was reportedly driving too fast and rear-ended the Ford.

The Chrysler driver was ejected from the car and was reported to have life-threatening injuries. He was not wearing a seat belt. The driver who was hit from behind, and who was wearing a seat belt, was also transported to an area hospital for treatment of injuries. That driver was later transported to a different hospital.

Personal injury cases could follow car accidents

Published on: March 31, 2016 | by Barsumian Armiger

A car accident recently resulted in the arrest of one driver. In addition to the potential for serious criminal charges, the driver could face additional legal actions as an Indiana family was injured in the car accident. The driver stands accused of drunk driving, which is an all too common cause of serious car accidents resulting in injuries.

On an early June evening, a 21-year-old female driver was traveling through Fishers in a car. At some point, she lost control of her car and crossed the line in the center of the road. As she did so, her vehicle struck a minivan carrying a family.

There were seven people in the minivan, including a woman and six children. The minivan occupants were transported to a hospital for treatment of their injuries. However, the exact nature of their injuries has not yet been released.

Tragic bus accident in Indiana may be wrongful death

Published on: March 24, 2016 | by Barsumian Armiger

Anytime anyone is struck by a vehicle, the potential for injuries is great. When that vehicle is a bus, the injuries can be massive if not fatal. In fact, one incident recently unfolded outside of an Indiana elementary school in which a principal was fatally injured and the incident may possibly open the door to a wrongful death suit.

The accident occurred as school was being dismissed. The principal, who had been at the school for 22 years, was with students when a bus jumped a curb and came toward her and the children. The principal reportedly pushed children out of the way before she was struck.

Medics treated and rushed two children to a nearby hospital for treatment of serious injuries. Those children were said to be stable. The principal died at the scene of the incident. Police are still investigating what caused the bus to jump the curb and a fatal alcohol and crash team is involved.

Syngenta GMO Corn Lawsuits Increasing

Published on: March 18, 2016 | by Barsumian Armiger

The world’s largest crop chemicals company–Switzerland-based Syngenta–is facing a wave of lawsuits arising out of the sale and marketing of a genetically modified (GMO) first generation corn seed called Agrisure Viptera with a corn trait known as MIR162. The claimants are a variety of individuals and businesses seeking damages and other relief in 20 states.

Viptera was genetically altered to contain a protein (MIR162) that kills corn-eating bugs. It was approved by the USDA in 2010 and Syngenta began selling it to U.S. farmers in 2011. China refuses to buy genetically modified crops it hasn’t tested and had not approved Viptera when Syngenta began selling it. In April 2012, Syngenta’s CEO released a statement suggesting import approval from China was imminent. The import approval, however, was not granted until approximately 20 months later in December 2014. In the interim, in November 2013, China began rejecting U.S. corn shipments on account of genetic modifications in varieties found in the shipments that had yet to be approved by China.

The lawsuits say that China rejected more than 131 million bushels of corn during the time the corn was not approved for import. As a result, corn prices decreased. Losses to the corn industry are estimated at between $1 billion and $3 billion. A federal lawsuit filed in Iowa alleges that “Knowing that contamination of Viptera corn with the rest of the U.S. Corn supply was inevitable, Syngenta nevertheless gambled U.S. farmers’ livelihood on approval of Viptera by the major corn-importing countries.”

Car accidents can injure innocent passengers in Indiana

Published on: March 11, 2016 | by Barsumian Armiger

When a driver agrees to transport passengers, that driver is taking on the legal responsibility to take reasonable care when operating the vehicle. When car accidents occur and innocent passengers are injured as a result of the actions of a driver, those injured passengers may have legal options afforded to them. Indiana passengers should be aware of those options and what actions they may take if those injuries necessitate medical treatment. A recent accident on an Indiana roadway resulted in injuries to all three passengers in the vehicle.

The accident happened right around midnight on a Sunday morning. The car was headed south and being driven by a 24-year-old man. The car left the roadway and ended up going down an embankment. All three passengers suffered injuries while the driver did not.

One passenger, a 20-year-old, was treated for contusions. Another passenger, a 41-year-old man, had concussion symptoms. A third, another 41-year-old man, suffered a head trauma. All three were transported by ambulance; however, the passenger with the head trauma then needed to be taken by air to another hospital for treatment of that injury. According to police, there was reason to believe speeding while going around a curve may have contributed to the car accident.