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Meyerhoff, a Phoenix native and graduate of Mountain Pointe High School, was riding her bicycle through the intersection of White and Parker Road and the Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway, going south, when her bicycle collided with a truck that was heading east. Police have not said who was at fault in the accident, but a police spokeswoman said the driver did not show signs of impairment.

This tragic accident demonstrates the vulnerability of bicyclists, especially in automobile-heavy areas such as Phoenix. One out of every eight non-motorists killed in traffic accidents are bicyclists. Bicyclists are at a high risk for serious injury or death in accidents for two primary reasons: lower visibility and less protection. Their lower visibility makes them more vulnerable to inattentive or impaired drivers and they have very little protection between them and the pavement which typically makes the injuries they suffer much more severe.

McCoun’s parents allege that the company never called the emergency contact numbers listed in the forms that McCoun signed prior to skydiving. As a result, her parents did not get to the hospital until after she had died. An FAA expert reportedly filed a report on the parachute stating that the parachute had been poorly maintained. The Velcro that holds the steering handles onto the chute was worn, which caused the parachute to spin when it was opened. The parents argue that the facility advertised that there were never any fatalities on record but in reality there were two. They argue this false advertisement and their daughter’s death all contributed to the emotional distress they suffer and is part of their wrongful death lawsuit.

Skydiving is a very dangerous activity that should only be performed by professionals or should be supervised closely by professionals when the jumper has little to no experience. In this incident, McCoun reportedly began jumping the summer prior to the accident; therefore she should have been monitored and assisted by a professional to avoid any accidents. In addition, the company should have ensured that the equipment that McCoun was using was in good condition to be used. The fact that nobody in the company noticed that the Velcro on the parachute handles was worn out demonstrates poor product maintenance and safety and now McCoun’s parents have suffered a tremendous loss. The company should be held accountable for the accident, especially if the information that they did not contact any of McCoun’s emergency contacts is true.
 

The 6 month old baby was admitted to a New Zealand hospital with injuries that were consistent with being shaken and suffering serious hits to the head. The baby was admitted to the hospital and survived for two weeks before succumbing to the injuries this past Thursday. Sylvia was ordered to appear in court this past Friday, however, no word has been mentioned what consequences these charges will hold for Sylvia. In an investigation, three women were also being interviewed to get any information they may have regarding the incident. All three women were present at the house where the incident took place.

The charges in this incident may very well be upgraded from assault to murder given that the baby has now died. This type of crime should never happen by any circumstances. There have been many instances where babies are killed due to what is called “shaken baby syndrome” wherein they suffer serious head injuries resulting from trauma from being shaken. This is the worst possible kind of abuse to a child because a baby is physically unable to defend itself. There have been many cases where a parent will argue that they simply wanted to stop their baby from crying and that is why they shook the baby. However, there is no excuse for abusing a child in any way, especially in such a violent manner.

The report states that former police detective Stephanie Lazarus was implicated in the murder of Sherri Rasmussen following a dispute involving another LAPD officer – John Ruetten. The report states that Ruetten and Lazarus had been dating for several years before Ruetten and Rasmussen got married. When an investigation into Rasmussen’s death began, authorities never considered Lazarus a suspect despite evidence that Lazarus threatened Rasmussen before the murder occurred. LAPD officers disregarded Rasmussen’s father’s claims that Lazarus should be considered a suspect in the crime and instead they treated the crime as a botched burglary. It was only after DNA evidence linked Lazarus to the crime that she was arrested and charged with capital murder. The family’s lawsuit claims the LAPD attempted to cover up the murder and as a result, did not charge Lazarus with any crime until evidence to the contrary surfaced. In their defense, the LAPD claims the oversight was due to incompetence on their part.

It is always the family’s right to get justice for any crimes committed against them or against their loved ones. In this incident, the Rasmussen family deserves to have justice and closure in the investigation of their daughter’s murder. A law enforcement agency should never attempt to cover up a crime committed by one of their officers as this case seems to indicate. If the LAPD in fact deliberately overlooked evidence pointing to the detective being responsible for this crime, it is their responsibility to act in due diligence and give justice to the family of Stephanie Rasmussen.

Tests to determine if alcohol or other substances were a factor have not been completed as yet. The accident was reported to 911 just after 3:00 AM. The caller that reported the incident stated that they saw a man lying on the ground and that he appeared unconscious. Wurmel was reported dead at the scene of the accident. The accident was reported as a single-vehicle accident at the time the report was posted. There were no witnesses to the accident and an investigation is still underway.

There are many reasons for a motorcycle rider to be the victim of a single-vehicle accident. Since a full investigation is still underway, there is no way to know what the cause of the accident was and many possibilities still exist. Anything from alcohol to improper motorcycle training could have been a factor in this accident.

Police have reported that the man was traveling down Congress Street when he lost control of his bicycle and hit a vehicle that was traveling in the middle lane. The bicyclist died instantly on the scene according to reports and the investigation remains ongoing. It has not been reported whether or not alcohol was involved in the accident or if the bicyclist had suffered any physical ailments that may have caused the accident. 

With a case like this one, there a hundreds of possibilities that could account for why this accident occurred and ended the life of one bicycle. In 2008 there were 716 deaths that died on US roads. It is crucial for motorists and bicyclists to do everything possible to follow safety precautions and be aware of potential dangers. With the summer heat in Arizona, the health risks are higher and the potential to become dehydrated or suffer from heat exhaustion is higher. When bicyclists are preparing to ride, it is important that they consider all potential hazards in order to prevent a tragedy like this one occurring. If you or a family member has suffered a bicycle accident then contacting an Arizona personal injury attorney is the best option for compensation.

The man was taken to the University Medical Center where he later died. A 17-year old teenager was also injured in this accident with injuries to his bicep and leg. Neighbors stated that the man and teenager were using a homemade device to set off the fireworks which may have contributed to the accident. Police are investigating the fireworks that were involved in the accident and the bomb squad is also involved. A preliminary investigation is currently taking place which indicates that this incident was an accident, although homicide detectives are also investigating. 

With the beautiful bright colors and the excitement that comes with setting off of fireworks, it is difficult to associate fireworks as anything dangerous. With anything that has such risky components it is important to talk to your family and friends about simple safety practices when engaging in setting off fireworks. A lack of saftety practices, improper use of fireworks or even a disregard for the safety measures could have contributed to this devastating accident. It is also possible that the fireworks that caused the accident may have been defective or were improperly manufactured. In any scenario, contacting a professional can aid your family in finding out who should be held responsible for injuries or even death. 

The 12-year-old boy died at the scene of the accident. Pack was not injured in the accident and neither was the passenger in the vehicle she was driving.

 This incident raises many questions including why the 12-year-old boy was riding a motorcycle alone. Kentucky state law states that all riders 16-years-old and under can only operate a 90cc or less powerful motorcycle. Under the age of 12 requires direct supervision by parents or guardian and riders can only ride 70cc or less powerful motorcycle. In addition, the bikes that are legal for children 12 and up are only supposed to be off-road vehicles. As this case demonstrates, motorcycle accidents can always occur that are extremely serious. Some cases may result in less serious injuries but in most cases, the rider of the motorcycle (whether it is an off-road bike or not) could easily end up with very serious injuries or fatality.

For more information on motorcycle accidents, visit Solomon & Relihan's Motorcycle Accident website.

The driver and passenger of the SUV were both taken to a medical facility with non life-threatening injuries. According to the report, the automobile accident is still under investigation and no charges have been filed as of yet.

This incident demonstrates one of the many reasons to maintain safety precautions on roadways. Many automobile accidents occur as a result of one of the drivers involved not looking out for stop signs and other signs along roadways and, sometimes, crossing into oncoming traffic or other lanes at intersections of roads. Many accidents can be prevented if drivers ensured that they watched for stop signs or other signs that are placed on roads to prevent incidents such as this one. For motorcycle riders, the danger is increased because of the lack of protection for riders. This incident demonstrates that any obstruction on the road can easily throw a motorcyclist of their bike and cause extremely serious injuries. The higher the speed the rider is operating the motorcycle the higher the risk of injury the rider faces as well.

For more information on motorcycle accidents, visit Solomon & Relihan's Motorcycle Accident website.

The report states Sayles is unresponsive at this time. The accident occurred on Friday when Sayles’ motorcycle struck 22-year-old Jennifer Khan’s Nissan Xterra as Khan was making a left turn on the roadway. Sayles struck the Xterra and was subsequently thrown off the bike. Streets were closed for 2 hrs while police officers investigated the accident.

There are many situations where a motorcycle rider can be involved in an accident either involving another motorcycle or a larger vehicle. There have been cases reported where the rider of a motorcycle attempts to overtake another vehicle and is bumped by the other vehicle. If the rider is operating the motorcycle at high speeds, even the slightest bump can cause the rider to lose control of the bike and be seriously injured. In other cases, the driver of the other vehicle may not see the rider and inadvertently crash into them. In either instance, the rider of the motorcycle is at a very high risk of suffering severe injuries or even a fatality due to the lack of protection that a motorcycle offers for the rider.

For more information on motorcycle accidents, visit Solomon & Relihan's Motorcycle Accident website.

 Operating a vehicle at excessive speeds is one of the highest known causes for auto accidents in the United States. Driving at excessive speeds impedes the driver’s ability to make sudden stops when necessary and also reduces the driver’s reaction time in any other situation. The severity of an auto accident could be greatly reduced if the drivers involved are not driving at very high speeds. In most cases, the impact of an auto accident could be reduced, thus reducing the chances of severe injuries from the accident. Speed limit signs and all other signage on roads are posted specifically to prevent automobile accidents of any kind. Still, many people inadvertently or purposely disregard these signs and continue demonstrate aggressive driving behavior which puts themselves and any others on the road in danger. In many cases, alcohol is also a major factor in automobile accidents including those that resulted from high speed driving. Alcohol impedes one’s judgment and makes it more difficult for drivers to control their driving, especially in regards to speeding.

For more information on wrongful death in car accidents, visit Solomon & Relihan's Wrongful Death Information page.

Many auto accidents, whether involving a motorcycle or any other motor vehicle, sometimes occur as a result of unknown causes. In some cases, even after an investigation, some auto accidents cannot be linked to one specific cause. This can also be compounded when there are no witnesses to the accident, as was the case in this incident. If the causes were a result of another driver on the road, the lack of witnesses makes it more difficult for the victim of the accident or their families to get the answers and the closure that they deserve to have. Statistics of cases such as this one are sometimes hard to come by, and although these types of accidents are rare since an investigation reveals all the necessary information, they still do occur at times.

 For more information on motorcycle accidents, visit Solomon & Relihan's Motorcycle Accident website.

Bellard was not crossing at a crosswalk on the street. After the collision, Hudson veered into the opposite lane of traffic and was thrown off the motorcycle. Both men were taken to separate local medical facilities where they both died. 
 

This incident demonstrates two of the more common reasons for auto accidents involving both pedestrians and motorcycles. In many cases of automobile accidents involving a pedestrian, the pedestrian is believed to not be crossing the street in a crosswalk. In other cases, some drivers are operating their vehicle at a very high rate of speed which drastically reduces the time to react when something or someone crosses in front of them. Driving at that high rate of speed makes it extremely easy for all parties involved in the accident to suffer serious or even fatal injuries in the accident. A recent accident similar to this involved a police officer crossing the street chasing a group of suspects on foot when he was struck by a motorcycle and thrown into the air. In that incident, the officer suffered severe head injuries after landing head first on the pavement. 
 

 For  more information on motorcycle accidents and what to do if you are involved in one, please visit the Solomon & Relihan Motorcycle Accident website.

According to the Houston Chronicle, 24-year-old Michael Patrick Jacobs died on April 18, 2009 after being Tasered for 54 seconds.  Jacobs had a history of mental illness and his family called the police when he began acting aggressively.  The police used the Taser to subdue him, even though he was unarmed. 

The city did not admit wrongdoing in offering the settlement, but Brian Eberstein, the family's attorney, said, "This is the city's recognition that there are serious and significant issues with respect to the policies and training of the department that need to be fixed and that the use of this weapon as a tool for compliance, which is basically how the city of Fort Worth uses it, is something that they need to carefully look at."

Tasers have been a controversial police tool since they began being used by police departments.  This study by Amnesty International documents Tasers' lethal capability and abuse by police and other authorities.

If someone is wrongfully injured or killed by a Taser or other such device used by police, both the police department and the product manufacturer may be found liable.  For more information on this, visit Solomon & Relihan's Product Liability information page.

According to the San Angelo Standard-Times, Sarah Goodner died three years ago in a car accident while in the passenger seat of her sister's 2005 Hyundai Tucson.    Goodner was wearing a seat belt but was thrown from the vehicle because her seat was reclined too far back.  Experts at the trial argued that reclining a car seat more that 45 degrees can be dangerous.  However, the Hyundai Tucson, like most of the 237 million cars in the US, allows front passenger seats to recline more than this.

It has long been known that car seats are only effective if worn correctly and reclining a seat too far can cause the seat belt to not be positioned correctly. According to an article on the subject in Slate magazine, car manufacturers and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have known about the danger of overly-reclined seats since the 1980s.  Most car manufacturers only include a brief warning of the dangers of over-reclining your seat in the owner's manual.

This case highlights and important factor for all car passengers.  Many people think that if a car manufacturer includes a feature, such as reclining seats, and the government allows it, it must be safe. However, that is not always the case.  In addition, the causes of injuries or death in a car accident are not always obvious, so after any accident you should contact an experienced Arizona auto accident attorney to investigate your case.