Missouri Personal Injury Blog

Lawsuit Filed Against Drunk Driver in Wisconsin

Jenny Albano — Fri, 09 May 2008 01:42:42 GMT

A lawsuit was filed against a former surgeon who ran his SUV into a car in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, killing a pregnant women and her 10 year-old daughter.

The car accident that occurred on April 25, 2008 killed 39 year-old Jennifer Bukosky, the fetus she was carrying, and later her daughter Courtney Bella. Bukosky's 12 year-old son survived the crash with only minor injuries and another child that was in the car, Debbie Gibbs, incurred permanent injuries.

The lawsuit states that Gibbs deserves damages due to her permanent injuries and Bukosky's husband should recieve money for the loss of his wife, unborn baby, and daughter.

Mark Benson, 55, of the town of Summit, has been charged with three counts of homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle. Authorities say Benson, who has three previous convictions for driving while under the influence of intoxicants, plowed his SUV into the rear end of the victims' vehicle that had stopped for a red light.

Prosecutors have said that Benson took a prescription drugs before the accident occurred. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for the surgeon next week. Defendants in the lawsuit include Benson and two insurance companies.

Mike Farney, the father of Jennifer Bukosky, is trying to get teens to try and get laws on impaired driving changed. He is encouraging teens affected by his daughter's death to get laws that allow repeat drunk driving offenders to continue to drive changed.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano

Six Year Old Injured From Pool Drain Dies

Jenny Albano — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 15:17:57 GMT

A 6-year-old whose intestines were partially sucked out from a swimming pool drain last year has died. Abigail Taylor died Thursday night in a Nebraska hospital with her parents, Scott and Katey, by her side.

Abigail was injured on June 29 when she sat on a pool drain at the Minneapolis Golf Club in St. Louis Park and its powerful suction ripped out part of her intestinal tract. She had small bowel, liver and pancreas transplants at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in December but suffered complications. The child's injury led to federal legislation to make pools safer.

After Abigail's injury, her parents campaigned for legislation to ban the manufacture, sale, or distribution of drain covers that do not meet anti-entrapment safety standards and in December Congress approved the legislation. Lawmakers in Minnesota are also considering some new pool safety regulations.

The Taylor's brought a lawsuit against the golf club and the company that manufactured the pool drain, Sta-Rite Industries which is owned by Pentair of Golden Valley, in November.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano

Construction Worker Dies at Fort Bliss

Shannon Weidemann — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 08:46:09 GMT

A construction worker on a job site at Fort Bliss in Texas was killed on Friday. The construction accident involved a C.F. Jordan employee and not a member of the military. The victim was hit by a concrete block.

Fort Bliss firefighters responded to the incident, which happened about 9:30 a.m. at a construction site on Biggs Army Airfield. The victim was a 45-year-old man who had been with the company for more than 10 years.

The victim's name has not been released and there are no further details on why the accident happened. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), as well as base officials, will be investigating the accident.

If you would like to learn more about construction accidents, please visit InjuryBoard's Workplace Injuries information page.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Jefferson City Car Accident Injures Three

Shannon Weidemann — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 21:06:07 GMT

A car accident in Jefferson City sent three people to the hospital early Monday morning. The accident happened on Tanner Boulevard when two cars going opposite directions hit one another.

The

southbound vehicle crossed the center line, skidding into the passenger side of a northbound car. His vehicle then was pushed into another vehicle parked on the road.

The driver in the first vehicle was not hurt. The driver and two passengers in the other vehicle were all hurt and taken to Capital Region Medical Center. Their condition is unknown. The driver of the second vehicle was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident. The police are still investigating the accident. It is unknown what caused the accident.

If you would like to learn more about car accidents, please visit InjuryBoard's Car Accident information page.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Dollar Tree Stores is Recalling Mini Glue Guns Due to Fire, Burn, and Shock Hazards

Jenny Albano — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 01:14:32 GMT

Dollar Tree Stores Inc., in conjunction with the CPSC, is recalling about 253,000 Crafters Square Hot Melt Mini Glue Guns due to fire, burn, and shock hazards.

The recalled glue guns can short circuit, which can cause the gun to smoke and catch fire. This may pose a fire, burn and shock hazards to consumers who use the mini glue guns. So far the company has received seven instances where the glue guns short circuited, and two of those instances resulted in injuries, electrical shocks and burns.

The glue guns dispense hot glue and are intended for craft projects. The recalled glue gun is black with a yellow trigger and is approximately 4 1/2 inches from the back of the gun to the tip. Attached is a 44-inch electrical cord. "Crafters Square" and product number 818261-72 or 818261-75 are located on the guns' packaging.

The Crafters Square Hot Melt Mini Glue Guns were sold at Dollar Tree, Dollar Bill$, Dollar Express, Greenbacks, Only One $1, and Deal$ stores across the country from February 2007 to August 2007. The product was manufactured in China.

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

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano

Deere & Company Recalls John Deere Utility Vehicles

Jenny Albano — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 23:47:15 GMT

Deere & Company, in conjunction with the CPSC, is recalling about 5.400 John Deere Gator Utility Vehicles because there is a risk of injury.

The brake calipers in the front of the utility vehicles may have been installed incorrectly, causing the vehicle to pull to one side during braking. This poses an injury hazard to consumers.

So far there have been no injuries reported to Deere & Company. The utility vehicles were sold at John Deere retailers from June 2007 to September 2007.

The vehicles that were recalled were XUV and HPX Gator models and have "John Deere", "Gator", "HPX" and "XUV" are printed on the side of the cargo box. The following models were recalled:
Model Serial Number
XUV 620i Gas MOXUVGX013294-016669
XUV 620i Gas MOXUVGT011480-012186
XUV 850D Diesel MOXUVDX011917-013329
XUV 850D Diesel MOXUVDT010001-010449
HPX 4X4 Diesel MOHP4DX050877-051453
HPX 4X4 Gas MOHP4GX051221-052763
These numbers can be found on the serial number plate which is on the frame of the vehicle.

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

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano

School Bus Overturns, All Passengers Taken to Hospital

Jenny Albano — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 20:41:54 GMT

A school bus overturned Tuesday, October 10 on the way to a high school volley ball game. All 31 passengers on the bus were transported to the hospital.

10 of the students were flown by helicopter to local hospitals, but none of the injuries were thought to be life-threatening.

The bus was carrying students from Viburnum High School in southeast Missouri to nearby Lesterville. A woman answering phones at Viburnum High School said she did not have information about the injuries.

The bus was the only accident invloved in the accident, and the cause of the crash is unknown,

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Airlines, Cruises, Buses, and Other Mass Transit Accidents.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano

Warning About Pot Pies With Salmonella

Shannon Weidemann — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 09:40:40 GMT

Banquet is warning consumers about turkey and chicken pot pies that may have possible contamination with salmonella. The contaminated pot pies are made in a plant in Missouri. Salmonella can cause food poisoning.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a health alert Tuesday to warn about the possible link between the pot pies and the salmonella cases.
The USDA is advising consumers to discard the pies, said Amanda Eamich, of the agency's Food Safety and Inspection Service. ConAgra is not recalling the pies but is offering mail-in refunds and store returns.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been tracking reported salmonella cases since last Wednesday.

There have been 139 reported cases of salmonella around the country from people that have eaten the pot pies. The company maintains the pies are safe if cooked according to the directions.

If you would like to read more about defective products, please visit InjuryBoard's Defective Products Information page.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

MOM Enterprises is Recalling Baby's Bliss Gripe Water

Jenny Albano — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 20:41:18 GMT

MOM Enterprises, in conjunction with the FDA, is recalling Baby's Bliss Gripe Water ,apple flavor, with a code of 26952V and expiration date of October 2008. The recall was initiated because the presence of cryptosporidium was found during lab tests and after investigating the illness of a 6-week-old infant in Minnesota who consumed the product.

Cryptosporidium is a parasite that can cause intestinal infections. Most people exposed to cryptosporidium experience only mildly annoying flu-like symptoms such as dehydration, weight loss, stomach cramps or pain, fever, nausea and vomiting, but those with compromised immune systems, such as the very old, very young, or those suffering from AIDS or other similar illnesses can become quite ill and face death.

Parents of children who have recently consumed Baby's Bliss Gripe Water, apple flavor, and have these symptoms should seek immediate medical attention. Parents and caregivers who have given this product to their infants and children should be alert for diarrhea and other signs of Cryptosporidium infection.

Around 17,600 bottles of the product were sold across the country in retail stores as well as online from November 2006 to September 2007. The Baby Bliss Gripe Water, apple flavor, comes in a four-ounce plastic bottle which comes in a cardboard carton. The carton is labeled with "Baby's Bliss. Pediatrician Recommended Gripe Water. Apple Flavor. An herbal supplement used to ease the gas and stomach discomfort often associated with colic, hiccups, and teething."

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

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano

Car Accident Injures Topeka Doctor

Shannon Weidemann — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 13:54:21 GMT

An endocrinologist from Topeka was injured in a car accident on the Kansas Turnpike near Lawrence on Tuesday. The doctor was driving his car on Interstate 70 when he was hit by another vehicle trying to pass on the right shoulder.

It happened just before 11 am Tuesday. The Kansas Turnpike Authority says Wynne was stopped on the right shoulder at mile post 200 near Lawrence when another vehicle driven by Randy Hilgers of Meriden struck his car.
KTA says Hilgers was passing cars on the right shoulder and also hit a road work sign before striking Wynne's car.

The doctor had to be airlifted to KU Medical Center to be treated for his injuries. He is listed in fair condtion. The Kansas Turnpike Authority is investigating the accident.

If you would like to read more about car accidents, please review our section on Car and Motorcycle Accidents.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann