Nebraska Trial Lawyers Blog

According to a Douglas County Chief Deputy Sheriff, four people have suffered injuries in a two-vehicle crash on a bridge near Highway 275 and West Maple Road.  Courtesy of NewsDaily.com, the accident occurred near the village of Waterloo in eastern Nebraska.

According to deputies, the accident occurred at approximately 5:00 p.m. on May 1.  Bilek added that speed may have been a factor.  Drivers may not have slowed down enough to accommodate slick highway conditions present at the time of the collision.  Icy conditions were present with sleet falling.

Bilek reported that a vehicle traveling northbound crashed into another vehicle after crossing over the center line.  One person suffered critical injuries as the result of the crash.  Three other individuals were seriously injured.  A toddler riding in one of the two vehicles was miraculously uninjured.

After the crash, both lanes of Highway 275 had to be closed to traffic.

According to KETV 7 ABC Omaha, medics responded to the accident scene on the bridge at about 5:00 p.m. to discover a Pontiac Bonneville travelling northbound had lost control and slid into the path of a Subaru.  Three adults and a young child were in the Bonneville.  One woman who was not wearing her seat belt was thrown from the car.  She was transported to a local hospital where she was listed in critical condition.  According to Chief Deputy Bilek, she was the only one not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.

The Nebraska auto accident attorneys at Cullan & Cullan have a record of achieving favorable settlements for our clients who have suffered injuries in auto accidents caused by drivers who are careless or negligent behind the wheel.  If you have suffered an injury in a Nebraska auto accident caused by someone else, call us today at (402) 397-7600 for a cost-free case evaluation.

As reported by HealthDay, almost half of high school students in the U.S. still text while driving.  Health statistician at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Emily O’Malley Olsen, author of the study, said that looking away from the road ahead for only a second or two can get texting drivers into trouble, so the number of high school students texting is a major concern.  Some of the blame falls on pediatricians and parents who fail to advise teens of the risks of texting while driving.

On May 13, 2013, the research was published online, and it will be published in print in the June issue of the journal Pediatrics.  The research was conducted using responses from more than 8,500 U.S. high school students who were age 16 or older.  The study found that one in four students texted daily and overall 44.5 percent admitted to texting behind the wheel.

Age was a determining factor.  The older the student the more likely he or she was to text.  Males exhibited the risky behavior more often than female students.  Miami Children’s Hospital adolescent medicine specialist, Dr. Metee Comkornruecha said that although texting while driving may not seem as dangerous as driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol to teens, it is just as dangerous.  It can result in severe injury or even loss of life.  It is not easy to get the message across to teens who feel themselves to be invincible.

The Omaha auto accident attorneys at the firm of Cullan & Cullan want you to know that you may obtain more information about how to encourage your teens to drive safely at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.  Our children are our most precious commodities.  We must do all we can to keep them safe behind the wheel.  If someone you love has been injured in an accident caused by a distracted driver, call (402) 397-7600 for a free consultation.

On May 6, four people were injured in a crash involving two vehicles.  According to Omaha.com, the accident occurred at approximately 9:00 p.m. on West Dodge and 162^nd Street.  One victim remains in critical condition as the result of injuries sustained.

Omaha Police report that a Chevrolet Avalanche slammed into the back of a Hyundai Elantra, which had its flashers on.  The vehicle was either fully stopped or in the process of stopping, according to police, and was westbound in the far right-hand lane when it was struck in the rear.

Two occupants in the Chevrolet Avalanche and two occupants in the Hyundai Elantra were transported from the scene via ambulance to Creighton University Medical Center.  The 15- year-old passenger in the Hyundai was still listed in critical condition as of May 7.  She suffered injuries to her lungs and head.  Both were considered to be life-threatening.  The car’s driver, age 44, was treated for minor injuries.  Both females were from Omaha.

Police reported that the driver of the SUV, age 40, was not wearing his seatbelt.  His 10-year-old passenger was wearing a seat belt.  Both Omaha residents were treated for minor injuries.  Westbound Dodge road was shut down for one hour after the crash as the initial investigation was underway.  The accident remains under investigation according to police.

At the firm of Cullan & Cullan, LLC, our Omaha auto accident attorneys are also physicians.  We understand how serious a head injury suffered in a car crash can be, especially in cases in which one vehicle is a large SUV and the other is a compact car.  If you have been the victim of an auto accident that was caused by the carelessness or negligence of another driver, call us at (402) 397-7600 to let us help you recover the compensation to which you are entitled.

A crash involving a Metro Transit bus and a pickup truck has proven fatal.  Courtesy of KMTV Action 3 News Omaha, the crash occurred on I-480 North near Martha just after 6:30 p.m.  Omaha police say a Metro bus had broken down on the interstate and had its flashers on when the pickup truck slammed into the stopped bus.  The bus was out of service due to having mechanical issues and breaking down.  The driver of a Chevrolet pickup truck crashed into the back of the bus.

The pickup truck driver was 67 years old and from Omaha.  He was transported to a local hospital where he died from injuries sustained.  The crash occurred near Leavenworth Street on northbound I-480.  Police are in the process of conducting an investigation into the cause of the driver’s death.

As reported by Omaha.com, an accident involving a second Metro Transit bus occurred four days later.  This crash also involved an out-of-service, stopped Metro bus.  The accident occurred just west of 42^nd Street on eastbound Interstate 80.  The Metro Transit bus was stopped in the middle lane of the interstate.  Three separate vehicles became involved in a crash with the Metro bus.  Although the previous Metro crash was fatal, no injuries were reported in this similar accident.  The collision did result in property damage.

At the firm of Cullan & Cullan, LLC, our Omaha bus accident injury attorneys understand that sometimes crashes occur due to the failure of Metro Transit authorities to make sure their buses are properly maintained and that their drivers are properly trained to handle dangerous situations, such as break-downs on interstates.  If you have been injured or if a loved one had died as the result of an accident involving a Metro Transit bus, contact one of our experienced personal injury lawyers by calling (402) 397-7600 for a free consultation.

A new mobile application will let individuals voluntarily submit problems with medical devices directly to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  According to FDA.gov, the new application will enable caregivers, health care professionals, and patients to voluntarily report problems to the FDA.

The application is called “MedWatcher.”  App users will be able to point out visible problems such as corrosion or breakage of medical devices by uploading pictures of the devices.  The app makes reporting issues easier and faster than using traditional methods of reporting by phone call, mail, or use of an online reporting form.  FDA safety communications, recall information, and safety alerts can be automatically received just as news alerts can be received on iPads or iPhones.

Events that could be reported by using the new app include the following:

• Instances in which the medical device failed to function as it should have
• Medically serious events associated with use of a medical device
• Device use errors due to directions, packaging, etc.
• Potential contamination
• Defective components

The app’s creators have taken steps to ensure confidentiality and a strong firewall has been built for incoming reports.  That way the information contained will not be susceptible to any unauthorized access.  The app itself does not store reports of problems once they are submitted to the FDA.  The personal privacy settings on the mobile device are not altered or interfered with in any way.

At the law firm of Cullan & Cullan, our attorneys want you to know that even though you may have put your trust in medical professionals who use medical devices, these products can be harmful to patients when they are defective.  Our Omaha defective medical product attorneys are also doctors who know how to help you recover the compensation you may deserve if you are harmed by a defective medical device.   Call (402) 397-7600 to discuss your situation in a free initial consultation.

Courtesy of The Washington Post, the bass player for the rock band Three Doors Down, Robert Todd Harrell, has been charged with vehicular homicide by intoxication.

The bassist was jailed in connection with an interstate crash that caused the death of a Nashville area motorist according to the Metro Nashville Police Department.  The initial investigation by police found that Harrell was traveling west at a high rate of speed on Interstate 40 late night on April 19.  His vehicle came into contact with a pickup truck.  The truck hit a guardrail, went down a hill and overturned, ejecting the driver.  The driver of the pickup was pronounced dead at a nearby Nashville hospital from injuries sustained.

According to police, Harrell displayed signs of being impaired via field sobriety tests.  He admitted to drinking hard cider and having taken prescription Xanax and Lortab.  In addition to being charged with vehicular homicide by intoxication, Harrell was charged with bringing controlled substances into the jail.  A plastic bag containing 24 Oxycodone, four Oxymorphone, and eight Xanax pills was discovered by sheriff’s deputies during a booking-room search.

The Associated Press was informed that as of April 21, Harrell remained in jail in lieu of $100,000 bond.

A statement was issued on the band Three Doors Down’s website saying band members remain deeply saddened by the death of the Nashville motorist.

The Nebraska auto accident attorneys at the firm of Cullan & Cullan believe all drunk drivers must be held accountable for their actions.  Fame makes no difference.  If you or someone you care about has been injured in an auto accident that was caused by a drunk driver, contact us at (402) 397-7600 or complete our online contact form.  We offer a free case evaluation, and we will help you recover the compensation you are entitled to receive.

An Omaha man, age 48, was killed in a two-semi truck collision on I-80.  As reported by ABCK2 TV, upon the arrival at the scene of the crash, state troopers found one tractor trailer truck already on fire.  According to State Trooper Troy Marrs, one truck rear-ended the other which was traveling very slowly in the eastbound land of I-80.  According to witnesses, the tractor and the trailer it struck became immediately engulfed in flames and remained burning for as much as one hour.

The driver and co-driver of the tractor that was struck got out of his truck and tried to get near enough to the other tractor to see if they could help the driver, but it was too late; the truck was already fully engulfed in flames.  At that time an explosion occurred.  They could not help the driver.  They returned to their tractor and separated their tractor from its trailer.  Then they pulled away from the trailer fearing the flames would spread.

Firemen, police, and the coroner were on the scene all morning and into the afternoon.  The driver of the truck that was struck from behind was treated and released from the hospital.  The co-driver was uninjured.

Police are investigating why one truck was traveling at such a slow speed.  They are looking into the possibility of mechanical issues.  There will be a complete inspection of the tractor and the driver will be interviewed again in order to determine why the truck was moving so slowly.

The Omaha truck accident attorneys at Cullan & Cullan, LLC have a lengthy record of successes in handling semi-truck accident cases.  We obtain favorable verdicts and settlements for our clients.  We are attorneys who are also physicians with access to investigators and expert witnesses who can reconstruct semi-truck accidents.  If you have suffered catastrophic personal injury or the loss of a loved one in a collision with a semi truck, call us today at (402) 397-7600 for a free consultation.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), The William Carter Company of Atlanta, Georgia and the CPSC are announcing a recall of one-piece, footed infant clothing with zippers.  The recall date is April 11, 2013.

The Hazard

The zipper pull can detach and become a possible choking hazard for infants.

The recall involves approximately 218,000 units of one-piece, footed infant clothing in eight styles.  All are made of cotton, imported from China, and come in sizes— newborn, three, six, and nine months.

Inside the neck, printed on fabric, one of three brand names can be found.  On the side seam label parents can find the printed style number.  The brand names and style numbers included in the recall are as follows:

• Child of Mine  715-839
• Baby B’gosh  414-208
• Just One You  520-242, 597B537, 520-243, 597B538, 520-244, 597B539

The infant clothing bearing the above brands was sold across the U.S. at Target, Wal-Mart, and OshKosh B’gosh from December, 2012 through January, 2013.  Cost per unit was between $7 and $20.  Baby B’gosh sleepwear was available online at www.oshkoshbgosh.com.

The Remedy

The recalled clothing should immediately be returned to Carter’s.  Carter’s will fully refund your purchase.

Contact Information

Consumers can go online at www.Carters.com and click Product Recalls.

Consumers can also call Carter’s Inc. toll-free at (888) 282-4674 Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central Time.

Consumers can report an incident involving this clothing by going online at www.cpsc.gov.

A Nebraska Product Liability Lawyer Can Help

Manufacturers have a duty to make sure their products are safe to use.  If you or your child is injured due to a defective product, you will need the help of an Omaha personal injury attorney who understands through experience the complexities of product liability litigation.  If you or a loved one has been harmed by a defective product, contact the firm of Cullan & Cullan, LLC.  Call (402) 397-7600 for a free consultation.

On March 27^th, 2013, an Interstate 80 bridge carrying westbound traffic was badly damaged due to a deadly truck crash and fire.  As reported by nebraskatruckaccidents.com, due to falling concrete, the Interstate 80 business loop crossing under the damaged bridge also had to be closed to traffic.

Thousands die each year in semi-truck accidents.  Semi-truck accidents too often have serious consequences and can be deadly.  The Nebraska vehicle attorneys at Cullan & Cullan want you to stay informed about truck accidents and to be careful on highways, such as Interstate 80.

It is yet to be determined whether the bridge can be repaired or whether it will have to be totally replaced.  The damage to the bridge happened when a truck failed to negotiate a small curve just prior to the interchange.  The truck was owned by Rocky Mountain Classic Landscaping in Commerce City, Colorado.  A police spokesperson said that when the truck left the highway, it continued approximately 1,000 feet down the median, and then went airborne and crashed into one of the bridge supports.

Both the tractor and the trailer of the semi were totally consumed in fire.  The driver was dead at the scene.  The reinforcing steel of the bridge support became so hot that it caused concrete to begin to separate.  Chief engineer, Del McOmie told reporters that intense heat will cause concrete to crystallize.  Once this occurs, the concrete loses its strength and will crumble.

An emergency contract will be awarded to build crossovers for diverting westbound Interstate 80 traffic onto the eastbound lanes.  That way interstate traffic can continue in both directions when either repair or rebuilding of the bridge starts.

At the firm of Cullan & Cullan, our Nebraska semi-truck accident lawyers have many years of experience representing victims of tractor-trailer accidents.  If you have been injured in an accident involving a semi-truck, you should know that often the accident happens because of driver fatigue, driver negligence or carelessness, poorly maintained trucks, or poorly trained truck drivers.  Call our office at (402) 397-7600 for a free case evaluation.

According to the Nebraska State Patrol, a California man was killed in a fiery collision with a tractor-trailer truck on Interstate 80.  Courtesy of Omaha World-Herald, there was a single witness to the crash who remains shaken from seeing the collision.  An Omaha truck driver saw the crash between the semi and the pickup.

The witness was driving behind a 2003 Dodge pickup that was traveling east on I-80 near Grand Island in the right-hand lane when it suddenly swerved across the median into the west bound lanes of the interstate and collided head-on with a 2010 International tractor-trailer truck.  Both vehicles came to a stop in the north ditch line and caught fire according to Captain Chris Kolb of the Nebraska State Patrol.

Kolb said that the driver of the pickup was pronounced dead at the scene.  In order to be able to positively identify the victim dental records are being examined.  The driver of the tractor-trailer truck was transported to Aurora’s Memorial Hospital where he was treated for only minor injuries and released.

Kolb added that no one knows why the pickup lost control and crossed to the opposite side of the interstate.  He said the reason the crash occurred may never be known.  There was no indication that the driver tried to stop, so investigators are left to speculate that some event may have happened to the pickup’s driver before the crash occurred.  Westbound lanes of I-80 were closed for just over one and one-half hours.

At the law firm of Cullan & Cullan our experienced Omaha semi-truck accident attorneys know that sometimes accidents involving tractor-trailer trucks are the fault of the truck driver’s negligence, carelessness, or fatigue.  Injuries are serious when large trucks collide with smaller motor vehicles.  If you have been injured in an accident in which a truck driver was at fault, you have the right to recover compensation for medical care, lost income, and pain and suffering.  Call us at (402) 397-7600 for a no-cost examination of the details of your case.