Atlanta Personal Injury Lawyer

Day Care Worker Charged After Inadequate Supervision Of Student

M. Brandon Smith — Thu, 29 May 2008 14:27:43 GMT

When you place your child's care and wellbeing in the hands of a professional day care facility you expect them to take the necessary steps and precautions to ensure your child's safety. After all they are being paid large sums of money for this service and usually hold themselves out to be highly trained caring people that want the best for their children and their families.

Although these ideals are often portrayed and sought, bad things can happen if the day care does not hire the right employees and take the necessary steps to adequately supervise their pupils. A perfect example of this recently took place at Happy Days Preschool on Cherokee Street in Kennesaw, Georgia. According to the Cobb County Police Department, a 7-year-old boy who was left unattended and unsupervised left the day care center and was subsequently found walking alone several miles from the preschool. After confirming the boy was supposed to be in the care and custody of Happy Day Preschool with his parents, the police launched an investigation into the incident.

The boy's parents confirmed that he was supposed to be at the preschool, which is about four miles away and on the other side of heavily-traveled Cobb Parkway from where the boy was found.

"Luther said that when Kennesaw police went to Happy Days, they "observed several juveniles of various ages on the playground without adult supervision."

Only two adults were at the school, one working in the "infant room," and the other doing administrative work in an office, Luther said. Neither knew the boy was missing."

Given their investigation and alarming facts of this situation, 65-year-old Barbara Ellen Alba, the adult in charge of the preschool, was subsequently arrested and charged with felony cruelty to children in the second degree according to authorities. Thankfully the child was found uninjured and safely returned to his parents.

Situations like this are a real cause for concern. When selecting a day care for your child be proactive in your search and ask a lot of questions before enrolling a loved one there. Inquire what measures they employ to prevent accidents and how they plan to keep your child safe. Make sure they have enough staff to adequately supervise the students there and are capable of doing the things they promise they will upon enrolment. If this is done chances are you will eliminate many less than desirable programs off your list and also find one that has your child's best interest at heart unlike the situation herein.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by M. Brandon Smith

Tractor Trailer Driver Kills Pedestrian In Hit And Run Incident

M. Brandon Smith — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 23:03:19 GMT

Police in Dublin, Georgia are still on alert to find the driver of a tractor trailer who ran over a pedestrian on April 7, 2008. Local authorities said the local man was in the crosswalk on Georgia 31 when the unknown truck struck and killed him early that morning. The truck driver left the scene of the accident without stopping to see what injuries this pedestrian accident caused. Witnesses say the blue tractor trailer turned from the left lane on Georgia 31 onto Georgia 19. The local man struck by the tractor trailer was taken to the Medical Center of Central Georgia for emergency medical treatment. Tragically, the man later died from the internal injuries he sustained in the hit and run accident. Hopefully, someone will have seen something that will lead to capture and arrest of this careless driver.

If anyone has any information about this fatal pedestrian accident, they are encouraged to call the Dublin Police at 478-277-5023

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by M. Brandon Smith

Ford Recall On F-Series Trucks

M. Brandon Smith — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 13:19:30 GMT

Ford Motor Company has just issued a nationwide recall on over 100,000 2008 F-Series trucks due to non-conformance of the driver's seat with federal standards and guidelines. This particular Ford recall covers Ford's F-250 through F-550 Super Duty trucks sold in the United States and Canada. Although no injuries have been reported at this time according to Ford officials, this is a very serious issue that all affected Ford Truck owners should be aware of to ensure adequate safety is achieved. According to Ford, affected owners will be notified of the recall later in March.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by M. Brandon Smith

Infantino Rattles Recalled Due to Choking Hazard

Jenny Albano — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 23:58:00 GMT

Infantino LLC., in conjunction with the CPSC, is recalling about 20,000 Infantino Lamb Grabby Rattles due to a choking hazard.

Part of the rattle can detach, which can pose a choking hazard to infants and young children. So far the company has not received any reports of injury, but there have been eight reports of the tall piece of the rattle detaching.

The recalled Infantino Lamb Grabby Rattles�"� are shaped like a lamb with an Infantino elliptical-shaped logo stamped on the front right foot of the lamb. Only rattles with date code 0907 printed on the back of the left ear of the lamb are included in the recall. The production batch code is printed in a dial format with the year in the middle of a circle and an arrow pointing to the number on the circle that indicates the month. Rattles that do not have a date code are not included in the recall.

The recalled rattles were available in Wal-Mart stores, Baby "R" Us and other specialty stores across the United States from September 2007 to November 2008 and were manufactured in China.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano

Two Car Georgia Automobile Accident May Lead To Criminal Charges

M. Brandon Smith — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 14:04:17 GMT

A suspected DUI driver may soon be facing criminal charges stemming from her actions that lead to a two car accident on I-85 Friday. According to the Georgia State Patrol, Kerri Jean Hynes of Suwanee reportedly crossed the median and struck another vehicle occupied by 3 college students from Bob Jones University. It is believed that Hynes was using her cell phone at the time of the impact and that its use was also a contributing factor in the car accident. Although the impact was a head on collision, everyone thankfully survived the accident and sought medical treatment at local area hospitals.

TFC Crawford said Ms. Hynes suffered minor injuries after becoming disoriented while using a cellular phone at the time of the accident. She is facing charges of driving under the influence, driving on the wrong side of the highway, causing serious injuries, driving while inattentive, having no seatbelt and driving in the median, he said.
None of the injuries were believed to be life-threatening, he said. But Mr. Hemming is being treated for a serious leg injury at AnMed Health Medical Center in Anderson, TFC Crawford said.

For more information on car accidents and how to ensure your rights are adequately protected please visit our section onautomobile accidents. If you have additional questions, please contact one of our Georgia personal injury lawyers here.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by M. Brandon Smith

L'Oreal Initiates Recalls L'Oreal Paris Dream Blonde Bleach and Lightening Care Kit

Jenny Albano — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 20:59:32 GMT

L'Oreal Paris, in conjunction with the FDA, is recalling from the L'Oreal Paris Dream Blonde (Baby's Breath Blonde #100 Ultra Lightening) Bleach and Lightening care kit due to misprinted directions.

The product was sold in retail outlets in the US from January 1 through January 18, 2008. L'Oreal is voluntarily taking this action due to an error in the printing of the directions for the use of the Dream Blonde Bleach and Lightening care kit.

Affected consumers will be receiving a full refund for their purchase. The company recalled the product as soon as possible when it was notified by a consumer that the product causes irritation.

The product itself is safe, but because of misprinted directions consumers could experience irritation or sensitivity, and consumers have been instructed to not use Paris Dream Blonde Bleach and Lightening care kit. The recall includes the products listed only, all other L'Oreal Paris products are safe to use.

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

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano

Drunk Driver Causes Deadly Car Accident

M. Brandon Smith — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 22:40:54 GMT

A drunk driver by the name of Gregory Lee Wills may soon be facing felony vehicular homicide charges after causing a deadly car wreck on December 11, 2007 in Forsyth County. According to officials, one of the passengers involved in the dui accident, a 10-year-old minor, recently passed away due to the injuries she sustained. The young girl bravely battled for her life for more than a week at Scottish Rite prior to her passing according to the corner Lauren McDonald. The young girl's mother, who was also the driver of the mini van, was airlifted to a local Atlanta area hospital and is still recovering from her injuries at this time. Gregory Wills, of Buford Georgia, was initially charged with driving under the influence at the time of the car accident.

In situations like this, the elevated charge of felony vehicular homicide is needed to deter similar acts in the future and to hold the responsible drunk driver accountable. There is nothing more important than life and now because of Willis' careless, wanton and willful acts, the lives of this family will never be the same. No jail sentence or civil penalty will ever make things right, but it will certainly help this family move forward and make our society as a whole a safer place for having done so.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by M. Brandon Smith

Yamaha Rhino 660 ATV Causes Serious Risk Of Injury And Death For Riders

M. Brandon Smith — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 16:59:26 GMT

Yamaha's Rhino 660 has been the object of much criticism and debate over the last few months due to its alleged design defects that cause the popular ATV to unnecessarily rollover without warning. The Rhino 660 has been cited as the cause of hundreds of injuries across the U.S. to its consumers since its introduction by Yamaha in 2003. The typical injuries sustained involve broken legs, ankles, feet and arms. There have even been a number of reported amputations and deaths related to the Rhino's use and operation.

The main alleged defect relates to the high center of gravity the Rhino encompasses which according to reports promotes a higher incident rate of rollovers. The shortened wheel base and powerful engine of the Rhino make it much more prone to tipping and rollovers. When a rollover occurs many passengers accidentally and/or instinctively use their leg to try and prevent the Rhino from flipping over. When this occurs, the sheer weight and force of the ATV usually crushes the occupant's limbs as they catch outside the ATV.

Critics of the Rhino 660, such as our clients, say the ATV should have encompassed a better design and a footwell door that would help prevent these events from occurring and thereby reduce the number of injuries related to the Rhino's use.

In November of 2007, Yamaha decided to try and rectify this problem by adding a safety door to the Rhino 660. It also issued a recall notice and safety alert to have previous versions of the Rhino 660 add the safety door free of charge.

According to the Yamaha website:

Special Offer to Rhino Owners
Yamaha has developed new doors and additional passenger handholds for the Rhino. These new features, as shown in the pictures below, are designed to help keep occupants from sticking arms or legs out of the vehicle in response to a side rollover. They may also enhance passenger stability and comfort. Yamaha recommends that Rhino owners have these doors and handholds installed on their Rhino vehicles.

The sad thing is this safety alert and recall was not issued years ago when the manufacturer learned of this critical design defect. The serious issues and injuries outlined above have been known for years now by Yamaha but for some unknown reason they choose not to take any real corrective action until this safety alert and notice.

As a result of this inaction and unresponsiveness to its unreasonably dangerous product, our firm is currently investigating and litigating viable personal injury claims against Yamaha as the manufacturer of the unreasonably dangerous Rhino 660. If you or a loved on have sustained injuries as a result of its use or some other ATV, please contact one of our personal injury attorney's immediately to ensure your rights are protected. We are happy to answer your questions and address your concerns free of charge.

The alert as stated applies to owners of the Yamaha Rhino 660 manufactured from 2004 to 2007.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by M. Brandon Smith

Kraft Recalls Baker's Premium White Chocolate Due to Potential Contamination

Jenny Albano — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 23:45:48 GMT

Kraft Foods Inc. announced October 3 that it was recalling Baker's Premium White Chocolate distributed across the nation because it may be contaminated with salmonella. The problem came to light after FDA inspectors found the presence of salmonella in some 6-oz. packages.

The company said the recalled product is in 6-ounce packages with UPC Code 0043000252200 and the following "best when used by" dates: 31 MAR 2008 XCZ, 01 APR 2008 XCZ, 02 APR 2008 XCZ, 03 APR 2008 XCZ.

Around 24,000 cases of the product being recalled were distributed. Other cases were stopped before distribution. So far Kraft has not received any reports of illness. The company is investigating the source of the problem.

Salmonella is the most common source of food poisoning. Salmonellosis exhibits flu-like symptoms including, but not limited to, diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. Symptoms usually begin 12-72 hours after infection, and typically last 4-7 days.

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

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jenny Albano

Beloved Oconee County Teacher Involved In Fatal Auto Accident

M. Brandon Smith — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 09:33:57 GMT

The students and citizens of Oconee County are now morning the tragic death of a beloved middle school teacher who was tragically killed in an auto accident earlier this week. The forty-three year old teacher of Malcolm Bridge Middle School was reportedly running an after school errand when her vehicle was struck by another unidentified motorist near Bogart, Georgia. According to the Georgia State Patrol she was flown via helicopter to Atlanta Medical Center but she later passed as a result of her injuries from the car accident. An investigation into the motor vehicle accident is still pending by the Georgia State Patrol. There has been no word yet as to whether any charges will be filed as a result of the accident.

For more information on this subject matter, please refer to the section on Car and Motorcycle Accidents.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by M. Brandon Smith