Wheelchair Bound Elderly Man Causes Car Accident, Rides into Traffic

In Pittsburgh, PA, an elderly man in a motorized wheelchair reportedly rode into downtown Pittsburgh traffic and caused a three-vehicle accident July 12th. The accident occurred in a domino effect as the first two vehicles stopped just in time to prevent from striking the elderly man but the third vehicle was unable to stop and collided with the second vehicle, which resulted in a collision with the first vehicle.

The elderly man had reportedly left Mercy Hospital and when he was questioned by police, he stated he did not know where he was going. Neither the drivers nor the elderly man were injured in the accident. The elderly man was taken back to Mercy Hospital after the accident. Police were unsure whether the man left without permission or if the hospital had released him.

The elderly man in this incident could have been severely injured as a result of this accident. Fortunately the driver in the first vehicle was able to stop in time to keep from hitting the elderly man. Police believe the elderly man may suffer from dementia, which would explain why he did not know where he was going when he left the hospital. Regardless whether the man was released from the hospital or not the hospital staff could be held accountable for the accident because they should have been monitoring him upon his departure from the hospital. This is especially true if the police department’s suspicion that the man suffered from dementia is true.

When a person suffers from dementia, their memory, judgment, behavior and language could be affected. The severity of these symptoms varies depending on the specific disease that causes dementia. There are a number of diseases including Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and several infections. Although dementia may be reversible, some cases may not be. Dementia is a very debilitating disease and the elderly man in this incident could have been severely injured if the drivers were unable to stop in time from hitting him. Since the man had no idea what he was doing or where he was going, he could have gotten into a situation where he would be severely injured. The hospital should have monitored his actions to prevent this type of incident from occurring.
 

18-Month-Old and Grandmother Bitten by Dog

A 53-year-old man has been charged with endangering the welfare of a child, harboring a dangerous dog, attacks by a dangerous dog, and attacks causing severe injury or death stemming from an incident on March 24th of last year when his 4-year-old dog bit an 18-month-old girl and her grandmother. The 18-month-old girl’s uncle also stated that the dog bit his sister causing her to require 15 stitches.

In the past, the dog’s owner was cited for not vaccinating a dog for rabies as well as harboring a dangerous dog, a charge he is currently facing resulting from this incident. In this current incident, the dog was placed on a 10-day quarantine stemming from the attack on the owner’s sister. However, the rules of that quarantine were not followed.

Most dog bites require immediate medical attention. According to the Center for Disease Control, 386,000 require treatment in an emergency department. Emergency room costs for dog bite victim are expensive. The National Pet Owners Society estimates that 71.1 million homes own a dog. There are 4 million dog bite-related injuries in the United States each year. 3% of these cases go unreported. The victim is either afraid of going to court or feels that they are at fault and will not get compensation for their injuries. That is not case.

 

60-year old Man Struck By Boat at Lake Pleasant, AZ

According to an article by abc15.com, on Friday June 30th a man was transported to the hospital after allegedly being hit by a boat in Lake Pleasant. Authorities have not yet released the man’s name, but he was in his late 60’s and was swimming in the lake as the boat was backing up. 

 

According to reports the victim has a six to seven inch laceration on his abdomen and had to be air lifted to a valley hospital to treat his injuries. There is currently no word on his condition. Deputies are investigating the accident that happened at around 1pm at Scorpion Bay.

 In 17% of all boating accidents, alcohol was the leading contributing factor. During the hot summer months thousands of families travel to Lake Pleasant for some fun and family time by the water. Families engage in all types of water activities, swimming, and fishing in Lake Pleasant and never think twice about the dangers that could occur. Boats have to abide by certain safety rules and regulations so these types of accidents never happen. One moment of carelessness can affect another person’s life forever. Some of the safety rules for operating a boat include: always wearing a life jacket, never consume alcohol before after or during driving a boat and always ensure that the coast is clear when backing up a boat are just a few prevention guidelines. If you or a loved one was involved in a boating accident and are unsure what course of action to take, then contacting an Arizona personal injury attorney is your best option for compensation. 

 

Pharmacy Damaged After Automobile Accident

A Rite Aid pharmacy was heavily damaged after an elderly woman crashed her vehicle through one of the walls of the store. On December 9th, 91-year-old Leona Ricker was driving her Chrysler Sebring when she veered into the Rite Aid store, destroying a wall and several windows. Nobody was injured in the accident including the driver and the passenger in the Sebring. When police questioned Ricker as to what caused her to crash into the store wall, she stated that she was unsure what happened. The pharmacy remained operational while firefighters and police officers cleared the area of debris and removed the vehicle.

This incident demonstrates that an automobile accident can occur at a moment’s notice and the driver may be completely unable to avoid any obstacles in front of them. The fact that Ricker could not explain what happened in the accident proves that there are always instances when something unexpected with the vehicle or others on the road can occur and cause a serious accident. It is very fortunate that nobody was hurt in this incident, including Ricker and her passenger. In many instances, people suffer serious injuries as a result of automobile accidents. Though this type of accident is not very common, the results could have been far worse, especially for customers inside the store, as they could have been harmed by the vehicle or surrounding debris from the accident.