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Dec

Dangers Of Drunk Driving For Indiana Bikers

December 14, 2011

We all know how dangerous drinking and driving can be, but drinking and then getting on a motorcycle takes risky behavior to a whole other level. The Tribune-Star reported today that one motorcyclist who took his chances with drinking and biking lost the gamble Sunday night when he died after crashing his bike.

The Vermillion County Sheriff’s Department reported the accident occurred at approximately 10:15 PM in the northbound lanes of Indiana 63. Deputies stated that upon arrival at the crash scene, they found the 40-year-old victim, from Cayuga, Indiana, on the shoulder of the road. They added that it appeared the biker had gone off the road and struck a guardrail before coming to rest. Detectives and deputies who are currently investigating the crash further did confirm that alcohol played a part in the single-vehicle crash.

A Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report finds an increasing number of motorcyclists aged 40-44 are dying in alcohol-related crashes. According to the CDC, the rate of older adults who have died in alcohol-related motorcycle crashes increased from 1.2 per 100,000 population in 1983 to 1.9 in 2003.

The Indiana Motorcycle Accident Attorneys with Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin would like to remind bikers that the dangers of drinking and driving are even greater on a motorcycle. If you have been injured by a drunk driver, contact an attorney today for a free initial consultation.

Dec

Vigo County Parks Implement New Safety Measures For Workers

December 7, 2011

Following a fatal mowing accident earlier this year, the Vigo County Parks and Recreation Department in Indiana has implemented measures to improve safety for workers, as mandated by the Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration (IOSHA). According to The Tribune-Star, mowers are no longer allowed on lawns with a more than 30-degree slope, and only full-time employees have access to the keys for mowing equipment.

The changes come after an employee drowned in August when he was trapped beneath a mower that had flipped into the pond. In a report by IOSHA, they determined that an attachment had been improperly hitched to a towing tractor. The report stated, “The operator of the tractor lifted the attachment, which caused both the mower and the tractor to roll over. The mower operator was trapped beneath the mower in approximately four feet of water.”

In response to the order, the department responded by placing white concrete markers around ponds and other steep slopes in the county’s parks that mowers are not allowed to pass. Lock boxes containing keys to the mowing equipment will now only be accessible by full-time employees who undergo a greater safety-training program.

The Indiana Workers’ Compensation Attorneys with Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin understand that all employers have a responsibility to provide a safe working environment. If they fail to do so, our experienced attorneys are here to help. Contact us today if you have been hurt on-the-job at no fault of your own.

Nov

Free Cab Rides Home Thanksgiving Eve In Terre Haute

November 23, 2011

Thanksgiving Eve is a night most people arrive to holiday destinations to visit and eat with friends and family the next day. Since most people don’t have to work the following day, the excitement of the upcoming holiday can often lead to heavy drinking. That is why, according to the Tribune-Star, the local Terre Haute, Indiana, law firm Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos, & Newlin are offering free cab rides home for anyone who may have had too much to drink.

The rides are part of the firm’s commitment to their Safe and Sober campaign, which is an effort to end drunk driving in the area. The law firm feels if they don’t have to pay for a ride, the intoxicated individual will be less inclined to get behind the wheel.

Rides will be available form 8:00 PM this evening, until 3:00 AM Thursday throughout Terre Haute and West Terre Haute. Rides will be given from a restaurant or bar to a person’s place of residence, not another place to drink. Also, because of the high number of rides given last year, the firm asks that you call at least 30 minutes in advance of when you want a ride. Cabs can be reached by calling Yellow Cab of Terre Haute at (812) 478-5000.

The Indiana Auto Accident Attorneys with Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin would like to urge everyone to have a safe and happy Thanksgiving by refraining from getting behind the wheel if you have had too much to drink. In the words of founding attorney, Steve Fleschner, “Don’t let yourself, or someone you love, become another statistic.”

Nov

Maintenance Worker Killed In Accident At Indiana Steel Mill

November 9, 2011

A maintenance worker at the Nucor Steel mill in Crawfordsville, Indiana, died in an accident at the site several weeks ago. WISH-TV 8 News reported that the 47-year-old man was killed on October 25^th, around 11:00 in the morning, when he was struck by a piece of machinery.

Witnesses told investigators that the worker was part of a contractor’s crew from Mississippi at the site to do maintenance work during a scheduled outage. While working, another employee driving a forklift did not see the worker and struck him. Other employees immediately called 911, and the man was taken to St. Elizabeth Hospital’s emergency room. He died a short time later.

An autopsy by the Montgomery County Coroner revealed that the worker died of mechanical asphyxiation and his death was ruled accidental.

A spokesperson for the Department of Labor said the Indiana Office of Occupational Safety and Health Administration was notified of the incident and is conducting an extensive investigation. The results of that investigation could take weeks or even months to be released.

The accident comes just months after a similar death at another Nucor Steel facility in Memphis, Tennessee, in May of this year, when a worker was pinned between a forklift and a pallet of steel.

The Indiana Wrongful Death Attorneys with Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin understand the dangers that workers in steel mills face on the job everyday, but they also know that employers have a responsibility to keep workers safe at all times. Contact us by filling out a free online consultation form if you have been hurt while on the job.

Nov

Loose Dog In Car Causes Indiana Truck Crash

November 2, 2011

Have you ever met a person that has a pet that runs the show by constantly demanding attention? Many times the owners of said pets are willing to do anything to appease their pooch or feline. What happens though, when pleasing your pet puts you both in danger?

Take, for instance, a truck crash that occurred in New Castle, Indiana, after a driver lost control because of an unsecured dog in the vehicle. According to WISHTV 8 News, the crash happened last Thursday at around 4:15 PM on Indiana Highway 38.

The 17-year-old driver of the GMC pickup involved in the single-vehicle crash said he was heading east along the highway, accompanied by his uncle, to take his two dogs to a vet appointment. The young man said one of the dogs bumped his arm and caused him to loose control of the truck. The vehicle careened off the road and collided with a power pole.

The driver of the truck suffered minor injuries in the crash and was taken to Henry County Hospital, where he was treated and released. The boy’s uncle was taken there as well, but doctors later determined he had suffered head and internal injuries. They decided the man would receive better care at St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana, and had him transferred.

The Indiana Auto Accident Attorneys with Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin would like to urge drivers to keep themselves, their pets, and other on the road safe by always restraining your pet in the car with either a modified seat belt attachment or a crate.

Oct

Are Indiana Drivers Really Safer With Texting Ban?

October 11, 2011

Since a texting ban on Indiana drivers took effect earlier this year, it would seem, that with only two tickets being issued for infractions of the law in Vigo County in more than three months, Indiana drivers are safer because of the law. Some Police department officials and citizens are saying the law is too difficult to enforce, and that that is the cause for low ticket numbers.

According to the Tribune-Star, the county’s two tickets were issued July 9 and September 12, The first at 1:00 AM on Third and Washington Street and the second at 8:00 AM on Third and Walnut Street. Both violations were classified as Class-C Infractions that carried a $120 fine for a first time offender. While the law has obviously raised public awareness of the dangers that texting while driving poses, many feel the law would be more effective if there was a better way to enforce it.

As of now, Police cannot look at a potential violators phone to see if messages were being sent, and texting cannot be the reason an officer pulls the vehicle over. Therefore, all a driver would allegedly have to do is exit message mode or turn off their phone before being pulled over to avoid a ticket.

The Indiana Auto Accident Attorneys with Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin would like your opinion. Has the law been effective in reducing drivers participating in the act, or are drivers just hiding it better? Tell us what you think on our Facebook page.

Oct

IU Student Dies in Apartment Fire

October 5, 2011

Indiana University students are still mourning the loss of a 19-year-old student that died over the weekend in an apartment fire. According to Channel 10 News, the girl died of smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide poisoning.

The fire broke out just after 3:30 in the morning on Saturday in building D of Terra Trace Apartments. Firefighters discovered the student’s body laying by a porch door. Attempts to resuscitate her failed, and she was pronounced dead on the scene. Investigators don’t know what caused the fire, but its origin was in apartment D9–right next door to the victim. In the end, several others were injured and twelve homes were destroyed.

The Indiana Wrongful Death Attorneys at Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin care about the victims and families involved in wrongful death cases. If you have questions about a family member’s wrongful death, contact Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin for a free, initial consultation.

Sep

Man Killed And Two Others Injured By Semi-truck

September 28, 2011

A man was killed last Wednesday night outside Indianapolis, Indiana, when he stopped to help another motorist change a tire and was hit by a semi-truck. According to Channel 10 News, the accident happened in the southbound lanes of I-465, just before midnight.

Authorities say two motorists in a silver Pontiac had stopped on the shoulder of the road to change a tire. Moments later, a pickup truck pulled up behind them. The four discussed the problem with the Pontiac and the men in the pickup offered help. As the group walked south toward the Pontiac, an approaching semi swerved onto the shoulder of the road and hit the passenger of the pickup. The man died instantly.

Flying debris from the crash hit the passenger of the Pontiac and the driver of the pickup, leaving both men in critical condition at area hospitals. The drivers of the Pontiac and semi-truck were the only two uninjured in the crash.

Investigators say the semi-truck driver had not recorded his hours of driving in his logbook, as required by law, and the vehicle also had a malfunction with its airbrakes. No charges have been filed in the case yet.

The Indiana Truck Accident Attorneys with Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin would like to remind drivers of Indiana’s move over law, which states vehicles should move to the left lanes when vehicles are stopped on the side of the road. It is the courteous and safe thing to do.

Sep

Loophole In Law Puts Intoxicated Drivers Back On The Road

September 21, 2011
People tend to think that once an impaired driver is caught, the law keeps them off the road for good. In Indiana though, a loophole in state law is allowing these impaired drivers back on the road; putting themselves and others in danger.
Eyewitness News 13 told the story of a Fulton County man whose license was suspended when he crashed his moped into a utility pole. He wore no helmet and was highly intoxicated from prescription drugs when he crashed. He also had no insurance on the vehicle.
Indiana state law permits drivers who have lost their driving privileges to drive a scooter. Scooters are not required to carry insurance, and drivers do not have to hold a license in order to operate the vehicle. Not to mention, helmet laws do not apply to anything under 50cc’s.
18 deaths this year alone have been attributed to accidents on scooters; up ten from last year’s total. Evansville Police told local lawmakers they have a total of 49 property damage reports involving scooters, of which, none carried insurance, ten were habitual traffic violators, and eight had currently suspended licenses.
State law makers have now introduced a bill which will require riders on equipment less than 50 cc’s to carry insurance and a title.
The Indiana Personal Injury Lawyers with Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin encourage you to contact them if you have been injured in an accident which involved a scooter.

Sep

Sugarland Named As Defendant Following Indiana Stage Collapse

September 14, 2011

For the first time since the tragic stage collapse at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, the band that was set to play that night, Sugarland, has been named as a defendant on notices to several entities being accused of responsibility for the accident. According to Channel 13 News, the August 13 stage collapse caused by gusts of high wind, killed seven people and injured 40 others.

Two families who suffered losses at the concert filed notices earlier this week against at least 15 companies, organizations, and individuals, including Sugarland, claiming their actions were the cause for the accident and deaths. The band’s name has been brought into the lawsuits because state contracts with the band stated the Fair Commission and Sugarland would “mutually determine” if a performance was impossible.

Several private firms are conducting investigations into the causes of the stage collapse, ranging from improper permitting to the structural integrity of the stage itself.

Many fans of Sugarland are questioning the validity of naming the band as a liable party for the accident. If they were contractually obligated to be part of the final decision to go onstage, are they responsible for the accident itself?

If you have been injured in an accident that was not your fault and have questions like these, the Indiana Personal Injury Attorneys with Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin may be able to help you get the answers you need. Their experienced attorneys are available anytime to answer your questions.

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