Lake Charles Personal Injury & Wrongful Death Law Blog

Pedestrian-auto accident stats improve, but are still a problem

On behalf of Damon Beard of The Townsley Law Firm posted in Car Accidents on Thursday, October 18, 2018.

The vulnerability of pedestrians in Louisiana is well-known. Given the nature of driving today, it has never been riskier to be a pedestrian. Statistically, even moderate improvement in safety does not necessarily mean that pedestrians are safe.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released its findings for the number of car accidents in 2017. Although the number of deaths decreased, it was still the second-worst year for pedestrians in many years. In 2017, there was a total of 5,977 deaths - 103 fewer than the previous year. It was also the first year to see a reduction since 2013.

Prisoner dies in fatal accident while on work release duty

On behalf of Damon Beard of The Townsley Law Firm posted in Wrongful Death on Thursday, October 18, 2018.

In Louisiana, it is an unfortunately common occurrence for people to be injured on the job. The type of jobs in which people suffer injuries can vary, and even jobs that are not considered very dangerous can have accidents with injuries and fatalities. Some jobs are known for the risk the workers face when they do them. That includes law enforcement, emergency responders and construction workers. When there is a work accident and a loved one has suffered wrongful death in the incident, the family must ensure they are fully protected by discussing a legal filing with a qualified attorney.

An inmate on a prison work release job was killed while working on a construction project. According to the investigation, the man had a head injury that led to his death. Law enforcement believes it was an accident. It happened at around 3 p.m. when the 50-year-old man was working on a project to manufacture construction materials. The man was on a transitional program for inmates to prepare for release. He had only recently joined the program. After he was hit on the head, he was declared dead at the worksite. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration was informed of the accident. The investigation is continuing.

Vehicle headlights cited as cause in pedestrian-car accidents

On behalf of Damon Beard of The Townsley Law Firm posted in Car Accidents on Friday, October 12, 2018.

Pedestrians in Louisiana and across the nation are at risk of serious injuries and death if they are hit by a motor vehicle. Legislators and law enforcement are taking steps to try and reduce the number as the issue has grown worse in recent years. While this is laudable, those who have been involved in an accident as a pedestrian must remember their rights to seek compensation in a legal filing. Part of that is understanding the statistics for pedestrian accidents and the reasons why they happen.

According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), one of the reasons there are so many pedestrian accidents is inadequate headlights. New vehicles should address these shortcomings to improve safety. The regulations for headlights are outdated and need updating with the goal of better pedestrian safety.

Rider hospitalized after hit-and-run bicycle-auto accident

On behalf of Damon Beard of The Townsley Law Firm posted in Car Accidents on Friday, October 12, 2018.

Bicycle accidents have been a frequent topic of discussion in Louisiana for the simple reason that there are a significant number of them on the state roadways. While it might seem repetitive to discuss them, the only way to reduce them is to understand why they happen and hope that drivers have greater vigilance when behind the wheel and sharing the road with a rider. Another factor in these accidents is that many drivers will decide to flee the scene. When there is a hit-and-run, it is even more imperative that the victim and the victim's family seek legal help immediately.

A bicyclist was injured in a hit-and-run in Lake Charles. The accident occurred in the late evening at about 7:30 p.m. According to witnesses and the investigation, the car and the bicycle were heading east when they collided. The vehicle - described as being white or silver in color and compact in size - took off. Law enforcement is seeking the vehicle and the driver. The bicyclist was taken to the hospital and reported in stable condition. The investigation is continuing.

Did your care in a hospital include a serious reportable event?

On behalf of Damon Beard of The Townsley Law Firm on Wednesday, October 10, 2018.

Do you, like everybody else in Louisiana, rely on your doctor to provide quality care to improve rather than compromise your health? You might not have realized that considerable harm can come from unsafe hospital environments -- until it happened to you. It is difficult to understand how some mistakes or adverse events in medical facilities can happen. Medical errors and misdiagnosis kill tens of thousands of Americans each year, and many more suffer life-changing consequences of medical negligence.

One would think that preventing the development of infections, checking and re-checking drugs before administering them to patients, and ensuring the removal of the right body parts would be par for the course. It should be instilled in medical workers just like never running while holding sharp objects and looking both ways before crossing a street.

Fatal accident statistics show Louisiana bicyclists at high risk

On behalf of Damon Beard of The Townsley Law Firm posted in Wrongful Death on Friday, October 5, 2018.

Louisianans who get around via bicycle are saving money, helping the environment and keeping themselves in shape. It can be hard to envision how there can be negatives associated with the activity and its accompanying benefits, but people who head out on a bicycle in the state should be aware of the dangers. According to a recent analysis, Louisiana is second in the U.S. for fatal bicycle accidents.

The most recent statistics are consistent with those from 2015 when Louisiana came in third. A biking advocate in the state attributes the high numbers to drivers of conventional vehicles being hostile to riders. In 2015, the Department of Transportation and Development said there were 93 bicycle fatalities in the state. Overall, in 2016, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration counted 840 bicycle rider fatalities across the nation.

Car accident victim injured when crane crushes SUV

On behalf of Damon Beard of The Townsley Law Firm posted in Car Accidents on Thursday, October 4, 2018.

Roadway construction is a fundamental reality of life in Louisiana and across the nation. Since so many people travel the nation's roads, it is important for there to be maintenance and improvement as necessary. It might seem to be an inconvenience when there is slowed traffic because of roadwork, but it is preferable to the alternative of the roads being dangerous for lack of upkeep. While there are dangers when encountering construction work on the road, one thing that drivers will rarely expect is for a piece of construction equipment to crash into their vehicle causing injuries and death. Unfortunately, these incidents happen.

The driver of an SUV was injured when a crane from a construction project toppled and hit the vehicle. The accident happened in the morning at around 8:30 a.m. on the interstate. The intent of the project is to expand the road to include a third lane. After the crane hit the SUV, emergency crews were called to extricate the driver. A second crane was needed to remove the toppled crane. The driver was hospitalized with injuries that were said to be moderate. The investigation into how the crane fell is continuing.

Healthcare groups seek to stop serious injury from medical errors

On behalf of Damon Beard of The Townsley Law Firm posted in Medical Malpractice on Thursday, September 27, 2018.

Louisianans who have a medical issue and seek treatment will do so thinking that the medical professionals will take all the necessary steps to get the correct diagnosis and act accordingly. Unfortunately, the frequency with which medical errors are made is problematic. It can cause serious injury, worsened condition and death. Medical professionals who will inevitably be confronted with legal filings for compensation due to their mistakes are also keenly aware of the problem. To reduce the troubling number of errors that are made, more than 40 healthcare organizations are banding together to try and improve various aspects of medical care.

Notable facilities such as Johns Hopkins and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia are taking part. The goal is to make better, more accurate diagnoses to avoid the damaging mistakes that lead to injury and death. The Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine (SIDM) wants to take certain steps to ensure that patients are given better a better diagnosis in a timely fashion and have the issues communicated effectively. That medical professionals acknowledge how common medical mistakes are is a big step toward reducing them.

Understanding occupational disease with workers' compensation

On behalf of Damon Beard of The Townsley Law Firm posted in Workers' Compensation on Thursday, September 27, 2018.

Work accidents can happen at any time and in any job in Louisiana. Workers' compensation benefits are integral for an injured worker to have medical expenses covered and to receive pay while recovering. While workplace injuries are often clear and obvious, other kinds of issues that stem from work can be more complicated. Workers' compensation is especially important when workers suffer an occupational disease. Since an occupational disease can be more difficult to discern when the case is assessed, knowing the rules is critical.

There are important facts that every worker should understand when seeking workers' compensation for an occupational disease. Knowing these can avoid any issues regarding the benefits. When the injury occurs or an occupational disease is diagnosed, it must be reported to the employer immediately. This is true even in cases where the victim initially believes that the issue is a minor one.

Pipe manufacturer employee dies in workplace accident

On behalf of Damon Beard of The Townsley Law Firm posted in Wrongful Death on Thursday, September 20, 2018.

Certain jobs in Louisiana carry with them a significant amount of risk to workers. Others might seem relatively safe. Regardless of the type of work a person does, there is always the chance that there will be an accident with injuries. In a worst-case, these injuries can be fatal. For those who have suffered the loss of a loved one in a fatal workplace accident, the immediate aftermath will entail the emotional effect of an unexpected death. Other issues will quickly come to the forefront, including lost income, lost companionship and more. Although, it is difficult to think about, a wrongful death lawsuit can help to recover compensation.

A man, 29, working at a pipe manufacturer died in a workplace accident. Emergency personnel were called at around 9 a.m. to the business's facility. According to the company, the man was a production employee. When the ambulance arrived, the man was found to have suffered a traumatic injury and was taken to the hospital. He died while there. The company manufactures pipes and provides other services to the oil and gas industry. A federal investigation is ongoing to determine how the accident occurred. It has not yet been disclosed as to what caused the man's death.