Michigan Personal Injury Blog - collision

TMJ Injuries Common to Rear-End Collisions

David Mittleman — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:30:00 GMT

A temporomandibular joint (TMJ) injury is one of the most common related to rear-end collisions, but has received very little attention until very recently. The TMJ is described as a ball and socket arrangement so that the jaw is able to open and close. This fragile construction is especially sensitive to injury during traumatic car crashes. Furthermore, pain is more commonly attributed to head or neck injuries, in general. Nevertheless, TMJ disorders are progressive, and if left untreated, can increase impairment over the long run.

TMJ injuries that are caused by rear-end collisions occur as a result of whiplash. For example, when there is a sudden impact from behind, the head can snap in many different directions. When this happens very quickly the neck muscles cannot relax and therefore hold the jaw still. In the meantime, the head is forced backwards by an impact and the mouth opens and hyper extends, causing injury to the jaw. Ultimately, the muscles and supporting ligaments in the TMJ are torn, which results in scar formations. It is the scar formations that cause pain to an injured individual.

Unfortunately, few medical and dental practitioners have the specialized training needed to diagnoses TMJ injuries. However, a diagnosis can be made with thorough physical examination, including radiographic surveys. Once a diagnosis is reached, TMJ injuries can be treated through construction of a bite splint, moist heat therapy, trigger point injections, nutritional counseling, and other therapies.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by David Mittleman

8-year-old dies and others seriously injured from head-on collision in Napoleon Township

Devon Glass — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:56:55 GMT

8-year-old Jeremiah Newman from Jackson, MI was riding in the backseat of his mother's 1998 Chrysler minivan when she was involved in a violent head-on collision with another vehicle on Saturday, October 10, 2009. Unfortunately, he was not wearing a seat belt and was thrown from the vehicle as the minivan rolled. He was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. The accident happened at 5pm.

Jeremiah's mother, Donna R. Coulter, was driving west on highway M-50 when her vehicle collided with a vehicle driven by Barbara Dixon of Napoleon Township. The accident took place directly in front of Affordable Towing in Napoleon Township.

There were a total of six occupants in Ms. Coulter's mini-van. Ms. Dixon was the only occupant of her vehicle. Injured persons were either airlifted to the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor or taken via ambulance to Allegiance Health. Jeremiah's grandfather, Gerald Lafond, remained in critical condition at U of M as of yesterday.

Please remember to wear your safety belt whenever you are driving or riding in a vehicle, it's an important mechanism that can help prevent serious injuries if you are involved in a car accident.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Devon Glass

Erratic Driving Leads to Death of 42-year-old in Meijer Parking Lot

Devon Glass — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:46:00 GMT

After driving erratically in the parking lot of Meijer at South Pennsylvania Avenue in Lansing, a man inexplicably picked up speed and drove into the side of a semi-trailer at the Meijer loading dock. The man was driving a minivan, which was crushed underneath the semi-trailer.

The collision occured just before 2:00 p.m. on Monday, September 28, 2009. The man driving the minivan died as a result of the collision. He was 42-years-old at the time. Police are uncertain why the man drove into the semi-trailer and eyewitness reports indicate that the drive went directly into the truck causing an explosive sound loud enough to be heard across busy Pennsylvania Avenue.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Devon Glass

Four Die in Multi-Vehicle Collision in Petoskey

Devon Glass — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 13:31:55 GMT

Petoskey—four people died in a multi-vehicle collision on Thursday in northern Lower Michigan. According to the Petoskey police, a semitrailer was headed south on U.S. 31 when a passenger car crossed the centerline. The semitrailer veered to avoid the car, but jackknifed and collided into a pickup truck containing three passengers. The passenger car then collided with a second semitrailer.

The Petoskey Department of Public Safety reported that there were three people traveling in the pickup truck—25-year-old Daniel Firman, 18-year-old Christian Hunley and 17-year-old Aaron Hunley, who all died at the scene. A fourth passenger, 17-year-old Andrew Erickson, died on Friday afternoon at Munson Medical Center in Traverse City.

Both semitrailer drivers suffered minor injuries. Information about the unidentified passenger car driver was not available.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Devon Glass

One Man Dead, Another Injured After Pick-up and Semi-Truck Collide Head-on in Eaton County

Devon Glass — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 11:00:00 GMT

Charlotte, MI—one man was killed and another injured on Wednesday after a pick-up truck and a semi-truck collided on East Clinton Trail (M-50) in Eaton Township.

According to the Eaton County Sherriff’s Office, the driver of the pick-up was heading eastbound on M-50 and attempted to pass a vehicle in front of it. However, when the pick-up shifted to the oncoming traffic lane, it crashed head-on with the westbound semi-truck.

The driver of the pick-up died at the scene and the driver of the semi was injured. Details about the extent of the semi-truck driver’s injuries have yet to be released.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Devon Glass

Nassau County Woman, Drunk and High, Kills 7 in Head-on Collision

David Mittleman — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:39:46 GMT

Diane Shuler was driving to her home on Long Island after spending a vacation weekend at a Parksville campground with her daughter, son and three nieces. The only problem was that she was driving the wrong way on the Taconic State Parkway—she drove 1.7 miles south in the northbound lane of traffic before hitting a SUV head-on. The driver of the SUV, Guy Bastardi, 49, died immediately in the fiery crash. Other victims included Schuler’s three nieces, her daughter, Guy’s father, Guy’s friend, and Shuler herself. Schuler’s 5-year-old son is the only survivor of the crash.

Now, toxicology reports show that Diane was drunk and high on marijuana during the time of the crash. Schuler, who was 36 and 5 foot 2, had a blood-alcohol level of .19—more than twice the state limit of .08 in New York—with six additional grams of alcohol left undigested in her stomach. Furthermore, the toxicology reports also indicated that she had smoked fifteen minutes to an hour before the crash. In an interview last Friday, Schuler’s husband, a public safety officer in Nassau County, described his wife as a “social drinker” and said he knew that she occasionally smoked marijuana. Nevertheless, he alleged that she “seemed fine” before getting in the car to leave the campground around 9:30 a.m. with the children.

The Bastardi family plans to sue Schuler’s family for the death of their two relatives. Specifically, they believe Schuler’s husband acted as an accomplice in the crash because he admitted that he knew she had been smoking and drinking and still let her drive.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by David Mittleman

Hit and run motor vehicle accident leads to the death of a 13-year-old boy

Devon Glass — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:45:00 GMT

Detroit police are searching for the driver of a white minivan who struck a 13-year-old boy and then drove away. The accident occurred last Thursday and the boy, Roger Beasley, died at Children’s Hospital two days later from massive brain damage.

Surveillance footage revealed that the boy was struck near Grand River and Mettetal in Detroit. Furthermore, it appeared as if the van attempted to avoid the boy, but struck ultimately struck him and did not stop.

Police said the minivan is either a Dodge Caravan or Plymouth Voyager that should have damage to the front right corner.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Devon Glass

White Pigeon Man Causes Two-Car Collision, Injures 6

Devon Glass — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:58:02 GMT

Tuesday—a 37-year-old White Pigeon man ran a stop sign and caused a two-car collision that injured him and five other people while attempting to get to the scene of a motorcycle accident that injured his 18-year-old son.

The man’s vehicle was struck Tuesday at U.S. 131 in Constantine, about 80 miles south of Grand Rapids. The man’s sons, 17 and 15, were riding in the car with him and were also injured. The driver of the second vehicle, an eighteen-year-old man, was also injured along with his 6-month-old daughter and his 19-year-old girlfriend.

All six people were taken to a local hospital. There is still no word on any of their conditions. The man who caused the accident received a citation for disobeying a stop sign.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Devon Glass

Washington DC Metro Train Accident

Timothy Smith — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 20:44:15 GMT

Various news outlets report that at least 9 people have died and up to 70 were injured when a Washington DC Metro train crashed into the rear of another train during the peak of rush hour traffic. Last night's crash occurred between the Takoma and Fort Totten stations.

Investigators are still trying to determine what caused the crash. In fact, the National Transportation Board is investigating witness reports that the impacting train stopped briefly before accelerating and crashing.

Metro management wouldn't comment on how fast the train was travelling at the time of impact. The impact took place at a location with a sizable distance between rail stations where the trains can reach some of the highest speeds along the rail system.

The lead train was actually stopped at impact. Video from the scene showed the incoming train ontop of the stopped lead train. The impact was so severe, that it was reported on Larry King Live that one of the cars was at least 75% compressed.

For information on safe train travel and what you can do to help ensure your and others safety on public rail transport, click here.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Timothy Smith

Elderly Man Causes Head-on Collision Early Sunday Morning

Devon Glass — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 14:32:16 GMT

A 74-year-old Flint Township man is in critical condition after he was involved in a head-on collision on northbound I-475 at 2:30 this morning.

Police reported that the man was driving the wrong way on the highway, when he collided head-on with another vehicle going north near Stewart Avenue in Flint.

The occupants of the other vehicle, two 37-year-olds, are in fair condition in a Flint hospital. Alcohol is believed to have played a role in the accident.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Devon Glass