Crushed Foot at Best Buy Results in $5M Award for Newport News, VA Man

The jury award reflects, in part, the ongoing medical care the man will need for treatment of a pain syndrome that makes it impossible for him to work.

Family of Man Who Fell off Hampton, VA Overpass Files $5 Million Lawsuit

Slipping on snow proved fatal for a man who fell from an I-64 overpass in Virginia on February 4, 2010. Read more from our VA wrongful death attorneys.

Toddler Killed in Fall From Balcony of Virginia Beach, VA Hotel

A child has died after falling from a fifth floor balcony in Virginia Beach. Read more.

Virginia Slip and Fall Injury Case Involving PetSmart Settled

A man slipped on dog poop and injured himself in the pet store. If you or a loved one suffers similar injuries, please contact our firm for a free consultation.

Fall From Campus Building Roof Kills UVA Student

If your child suffered injuries or died in a fall at a business or school, call us at (800) 753-0042. We can't take every case, but that first talk is free.

Man Who Slipped on Dog Feces at PetSmart Receives Settlement.

Slips on floors may appear minor, but they can leave the victim with serious health issues and cost retailers and restaurants large amounts in compensation.

Slip and Fall Suit Settled with PetSmart in Virginia (VA)

IF you have slipped or fell in a grocery or other retail store, give us a call at (800) 752-0042 for a free consultation on your potential lawsuit.

Safety a Growing Concern for ODU as It Adds Students

If you or a family member has been injured, call us at (800) 752-0042. Not all cases meet our criteria, but we offer free consultations.

Slip and Fall Injury Victim Receives $15 Million Jury Award

A truck driver suffered a slip and fall injury at a Wal-Mart. To learn more, read on.

Slip and Fall Victim at McDonalds Received $5.67 Million Jury Award

A woman suffered a compression fracture of her vertebra and now has chronic pain. To learn more, read on.

Injured Woman Receives $4.8 Million Settlement in Trip and Fall Case

A woman suffered a trip and fall injury at a Starbucks, which caused a femur fracture. She then suffered a stroke during reparative surgery.

Injured Woman Wins $843K in Slip and Fall Case

A woman who suffered a slip and fall injury while walking down a flight of stairs secured a jury award of $843,567.

Free Fall Ride at Wisconsin (WI) Amusement Park Malfunctions, Severely Injuring Girl

If you or a loved one got seriously hurt while visiting an amusement park or carnival, contact us at (800) 75-0042 to discuss your possible lawsuit.

Deliveryman Aggravates Knee Injury in Slip and Fall Accident

Many drain holes are innocuous and can lead to a slip and fall accident that results in a serious knee injury. To learn more, check out this article.

Texting and Walking Could Lead to Injury from a Slip, Trip, or Fall

Texting while walking could lead to slip, trip, or fall which leads to a serious injury like a torn ACL or traumatic head injury. If you've suffered an injuy from a slip, trip, or fall please take a moment to contact our firm so you can talk to a real attorney for free. Our number is 1-800-752-0042.

Norfolk Waste Water Plant Worker Falls to His Death

Thirty-seven-year Hampton Roads Sanitation District veteran Randy Piche died after falling through an opening on an elevated walkway at Norfolk's Army Base Treatment Plant on Tuesday morning. Neither HRSD nor the Virginia Occupational Safety and Health department have determined the cause of the fatal accident. My colleague Rick Shapiro notes in his latest post to the Norfolk Injuryboard that investigators will need to determine whether HRSD had appropriate safeguards such as handrails and warning signs in place to prevent Piche's fall. If sufficient protections and protections were not in place, Rick writes, HRSD could be found liable for the deadly accident.

About the Editors: Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton is a law firm which focuses on injury and accident law, and we have experience handling slip, trip and fall cases. Check out this case result involving a woman who slipped and was injured at a restaurant. Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA), but our lawyers hold licenses in NC, SC, WV, KY and DC. We are ready to talk to you by phone right now. We provide free initial confidential injury case consultations, so call us toll free at 1-800-752-0042. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard and Norfolk Injuryboard as pro bono public information services.

EJL

Wet Wal-Mart Floor Blamed for Nebraska (NE) Woman's Fatal Brain Injury

Julie Lehman never returned home from a July 21 trip to her local Wal-Mart in Chadron, Nebraska (NE). Visiting the store with her 17-year-old son Steffan, Lehman slipped on a wet patch of floor near the restrooms, suffered a serious brain injury when hitting her head after falling and died a short time later from a massive blood clot in her brain despite being airlifted to an emergency surgical center.

Lehman's widowed husband, David, has filed suit against Wal-Mart for being negligent in maintaining a safe store, failing to warn customers about a spill that had not been mopped up and not installing slip-resistant flooring.

Stores, restaurants, public buildings and office buildings have to keep their floors dry, level and in good repair. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued an array of standards and guidelines for keeping walking and working surfaces safe. The National Floor Safety Institute has programs for inspecting floor installation and maintenance. When businesses and other places where visitors and workers walk ignore floor safety, people get hurt--sometimes seriously.

The National Safety Council has determined that slips and fall are the second-leading cause of accidental death in the United Sates. While slightly more than half of falls that result in injury occur at home, workers and customers injured at grocery or department stores are more likely to be the victims of slips and falls than of any other problem.

One of the legal issues that arises in Virginia (VA), North Carolina (NC) or any trip or fall cases is whether the injured person did something that contributed to cause his or her injury. This is often called "contributory" negligence or fault.  In Virginia and North Carolina, any contributory fault that is determined to be a cause of the trip or fall bars any recovery at all. Secondarily, in any slip, trip or fall case, the injured person (often with his or her attorney's help) must show that the business or premise owner "knew or should have known" of the dangerous condition while following proper business practices. These two variables make slip, trip and fall cases very challenging and are good reasons to seek legal assistance very promptly after any serious injury involving a trip or fall.

My colleagues and I have represent many victims of slips and falls caused by unsafe flooring and inadequate workplace protections. The pain, medical bills and lost wages that result from slip, trip and fall injuries can be devastating. My condolences go out to the Lehman family, as well as my hope that they can recover from this tragedy both emotionally and financially.

About the Editors: Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton is a law firm which focuses on injury and accident law, and we have experience handling slip, trip, and fall cases. Check out this case result involving a woman who slipped and was injured at a restaurant. Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA). Our lawyers alo hold licenses in NC, SC, WV, KY and DC. We are ready to talk to you by phone right now, and we provide free initial confidential injury case consultations. Call us toll free at 1-800-752-0042. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard and Norfolk Injuryboard as pro bono public information services.

EJL

Fayetteville Observer Newspaper Carrier Gets Impaled on Wrought Iron Fence

A carrier with the Fayetteville Observer newspaper was impaled on a wrought-iron fence for more than two hours last Monday. According to Fayetteville Police the victim was a man named Kevin Williams, 51. He was treated at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center and was released to recover at home.

The newspaper carrier mistakenly threw a bundle of papers into an alley on the 200 block of Old Street at about 3 a.m. and had to scale a fence to retrieve the papers. As the victim stated, "After pulling off, I realized that I threw the wrong set of newspapers over there," he said. "If I had just left them there, I would have been short newspapers."

Williams made it over the fence without a hitch, but when he attempted to climb back over to continue his deliveries one of the spikes atop the fence gouged right into his calf. The carrier then found himself dangling upside-down, bleeding and alone.

With resourceful action, Williams used his belt to keep his head elevated as much as possible allowing him to pull his calf off the fence after about 90 minutes, but his right foot remained entangled in the fence. Williams said, "I was scared, and I was praying that I don't want to die this way. I wasn't panicking. I was just concerned that nobody would come around."

Hospital officials say Williams severed two arteries in his leg and lost about a quart of blood during the ordeal. The injury needed 16 stitches to close the gash in his leg and requires him to use a leg brace. Williams has delivered newspapers for nine years and said he plans to continue in the job once he recovers. The incident is the second time in three months that someone was impaled on a wrought-iron fence in Fayetteville.

When you have been injured doing your job and can’t get back to work anytime soon, you will have to communicate this with your employer. Being injured on the job entitles you to certain right and protections. No matter what relationship you may have with your employer, don’t sign any deals with them until consulting with an attorney that specializes in injury law. Your employer may try to short-change you on what you are owed for your time away from work. Don’t take the risk seek legal consultation when you are injured on the job.

BM

Rate of Hip Fractures Drops

One unfortunate consequence of osteoporosis is hip fractures. Thankfully, for the past two decades the rate of hip fractures has fallen drastically in Canada. A very similar pattern has been occurring in the United States. However, the cause of these trends is unknown. Factors that may be reasons as to why the rate of hip fractures is dropping include drugs that decrease the speed of bone loss, fall prevention, and a larger population.

Here's a video illustrating the physical challenges associated with hip fractures...



In 2003, the number of Americans that were treated for a broken hip was 209,000 compared to 1993, when it was 225,000. By taking a certain class of drugs called bisphosphonates, which decrease the rate of bone loss, you can lower your risk of a hip fracture. Another factor that researchers came across is that by being thin, you have a higher risk for osteoporosis and hip fractures.

Hip fractures are common in the elderly, so our firm has represented numerous clients with this type of serious injury. Broken pelvis bones often happen in slip, trip, or fall cases in stores, restaurants, and any other businesses. Any decrease in this type of problem is welcome news.

 
About the Editors: Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton personal injury law firm is based in Virginia (VA), near the NE North Carolina (NC) border and handles car,truck,railroad, and medical negligence cases and more. Our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard, and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard as a pro bono public information service. Lawyers licensed in: VA, NC, SC, WV, DC, KY.

 

Beaufort County Worker Fall From Cherry Picker

Recently, a Beaufort County worker had to be rescued after he fell out of his cherry-picker. The worker, not identified, had dropped about 8 feet last Wednesday afternoon. Fortunately his safety harness kicked in stopping his fall.

According to authorities the worker was quickly rescued and taken to the hospital with minor injuries. The workplace accident happened at the corner of Brick Kiln and River Roads where employees with E and R Incorporated were replacing utility poles.

Aerial lifts include boom-supported aerial platforms, such as cherry pickers or bucket trucks and are often a major cause of fatalities from falls, electrocutions, collapses, and tip overs.

Safe Work Practices:

• Ensure that workers who operate aerial lifts are properly trained in the safe use of the equipment.
• Maintain and operate elevating work platforms in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
• Never override hydraulic, mechanical, or electrical safety devices.
• Never move the equipment with workers in an elevated platform unless this is permitted by the manufacturer.
• Always treat powerlines, wires and other conductors as energized, even if they are down or appear to be insulated.
• Use a body harness or restraining belt with a lanyard attached to the boom or basket to prevent the worker(s) from being ejected or pulled from the basket.
• Set the brakes, and use wheel chocks when on an incline.
• Do not exceed the load limits of the equipment. Allow for the combined weight of the worker, tools, and materials.

Slip, Trip and Fall Cases: When Is a Hole or Condition That Causes Personal Injuries Open and Obvious?

If you suffered an injury from a slip, trip, or fall at a business, call us at (800) 752-0042. We can't take every case but do provide free consulttions.