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Teen Dies in Alcohol Related Car Crash(2)

Linda Snyder — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:35:33 GMT

According to the Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph, police say two 18-year old men had been drinking at a party before the vehicle they were riding in rolled early Saturday, killing one and critically injuring the other.

Neither was wearing a seatbelt and both were ejected. The passenger, Evan Kinnan, died in the one-car crash on Woodmen Road, and the driver, Craig Milos, suffered severe head injuries and was listed in critical condition at Penrose main hospital.

"Alcohol is definitely involved - there is no maybe," said police Lt. Patricia Feese.

Investigators are still looking into how the teenagers obtained the alcohol at a party in the Peregrine neighborhood, in northwest Colorado Springs, Feese said.

Kids have been drinking and driving ever since there has been alcohol and vehicles (both motorized and non-motorized). Yet, today the statistics are hitting epidemic numbers. So, why are drunk driving accidents involving under-age drinkers seem so much worse today, than even 10 years ago? Is there more publicity, more public awareness? Do young drivers have easier access to cars today? Easier access to alcohol? Is there less accountability to parents or authority figures?

Consider these statistics:

â€¢ In 2006, an estimated 17,602 people died in alcohol-related traffic crashes--an average of one every 30 minutes. These deaths constitute 41 percent of the 42,642 total traffic fatalities. Of these, an estimated 13,470 involved a driver with an illegal BAC (.08 or greater).
â€¢ Approximately 1.4 million drivers were arrested in 2004 for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. This is an arrest rate of 1 for every 139 licensed drivers in the United States (2005 data not yet available).
â€¢ According to MADD, in 2006, these students reported that alcohol is "very easy" or "fairly easy" to get.
â€¢ 92.5 percent of twelfth graders
â€¢ 83 percent of tenth graders
â€¢ 63 percent of eighth graders
â€¢ Male drivers involved in fatal motor vehicle crashes are almost twice as likely as female drivers to be intoxicated with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08% or greater (NHTSA 2006). It is illegal to drive with a BAC of 0.08% or higher in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

â€¢ At all levels of blood alcohol concentration, the risk of being involved in a crash is greater for young people than for older people (Zador et al. 2000). In 2005, 16% of drivers ages 16 to 20 who died in motor vehicle crashes had been drinking alcohol (NHTSA 2006).
â€¢ Young men ages 18 to 20 (under the legal drinking age) reported driving while impaired more frequently than any other age group (Shults et al. 2002, Quinlan et al. 2005).

It seems that underage drinkers have no problems getting alcohol and they certainly don't have any problems getting a vehicle to drive. Is there a cure for this under-age drinking and driving epidemic?

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Linda Snyder

Major Car Accident in Colorado Springs

Shannon Weidemann — Fri, 18 May 2007 15:45:54 GMT

A mulitple car accident on the Hancock Expressway closed down the road early this morning. Police believe that two cars were involved including one that rolled over.

Police believe another car may be involved in the accident but it apparently left the scene to bring some injured people to the hospital.
Police are calling it a serious injury accident and have called out their Major Accidents division out to investigate.

The accident happened around 2am and the expressway was closed until 8am this morning. The police are still investigating the accident. At least one person was taken from the scene by ambulance to a local hospital.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Car Accident Claims Colorado Springs Man

Staff Writer — Tue, 17 Jan 2006 10:08:34 GMT

A 35-year-old Colorado Springs man was killed in a car accident early Sunday morning when the Expedition he was driving was hit head-on by a 16-year-old who crossed a double-yellow line in his Explorer on Colorado Highway 83. The driver of the Explorer was listed in critical condition Monday.

The Colorado Springs Gazette has the full car accident story.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Staff Writer

Military Academy Settles Wrongful Death Lawsuit

Shannon Weidemann — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 20:29:36 GMT

A wrongful death lawsuit brought against Missouri Military Academy has been settled out of court. The Academy will pay the parents of Alain Garcia $700,000 to settle the lawsuit. He was killed in a firing range accident in 2004.

According to the lawsuit, filed in May 2007, Garcia, a sophomore, was shot during Junior ROTC training when a freshman cadet adjusted his firing mat at an instructor’s request. When the student turned to fix his mat, the butt of his .22 caliber M-12 rifle hit the ground, discharging a bullet that struck Garcia in the heart.

The rifle had a sensitive hair or “ghost” trigger with less than one pound of trigger pull, the complaint alleged.

The Academy is a private middle and high school with 280 students. The Academy and the victim's parents has no comment about the lawsuit and settlement.

Visit InjuryBoard's Help Center for more on information about filing a wrongful death lawsuit.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Parents Win Wrongful Death Case Against Fraternity Member

Shannon Weidemann — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 21:09:30 GMT

A student hazing a fraternity at Plattsburge State University in 2003 died during the initiation rites. His parents sued 14 members of the Psi Episilon Chi fraternity after their son's death from water intoxication. The judge in the wrongful death lawsuit awarded the parents $1.5 Million.

After his death, which sparked outrage across the state, 10 of his alleged tormenters and an alumnus were collectively charged with more than 150 crimes and later pleaded guilty to a range of lesser charges that left them either serving probation or community service.
The 10 students were later expelled from Plattsburgh State.

13 of the fraternity members settled with the parents before going to trial. The fraternity no longer exists at PSU and the fraternity house was sold.

If you would like to learn more about wrongful death, please visit InjuryBoard's Wrongful Death information page.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Kroger Sued for Charleston Slip and Fall

Shannon Weidemann — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 15:55:00 GMT

A woman alleges she shopping at a Charleston Kroger store was injured after slipping and falling. The slip and fall happened in April. She has filed a lawsuit against the company.

She claims Kroger allowed a substance that was difficult to see remain on the floor, in an area where it was expected that customers would walk.

She seeks compensatory damages for her medical bills, pain and suffering, annoyance and inconvenience, lost wages and other damages.

The woman claims there was a clear substance on the floor that she did not see. It is unknown what the extent of her injuries were. The amount of compensation she is asking for is also unknown.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Avandia Gets Black Box Warning Label

Shannon Weidemann — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 10:17:24 GMT

The FDA has issued that the diabetes drug Avandia should carry a black box warning label for possible heart failure related to taking the drug. The warning labels will appear on all drugs in the thiazolidinedione class. GlaxoSmithKline is the manufacturer of Avandia.

"This new boxed warning addresses FDA's concerns that despite the warnings and information already listed in the drug labels, these drugs are still being prescribed to patients without careful monitoring for signs of heart failure," Steven Galson, director of the FDA's CDER, said.
The manufacturers, GSK and Takeda, agreed to add the warnings voluntarily. The other affected drugs are GSK's Avandaryl (rosiglitazone maleate/glimepiride) and Avandamet (rosiglitazone maleate/metformin HCl), and Takeda's Actos (pioglitazone HCl) and Duetact (pioglitazone HCl/glimepiride). These drugs are used in conjunction with diet and exercise to improve blood sugar control in adults with Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes.

Doctors are being asked to watch and test their patients carefully for signs of heart failure while on Avandia. Some patients have died of heart failure while on the drug.

For more information on this subject matter, please refer to our section on Drugs, Medical Devices, and Implants.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Lyrica added to Worst Pills do not use list

Staff Writer — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 10:17:50 GMT

WorstPills.org posted in January an alert saying that consumers should not used Lyrica to treat neuropathic pain because of the potential risks and side effects.

Lyrica (pregabalin), manufactured by Pfizer, is often used to treat epilepsy. WorsPills.org specifically recommends not to use this drug until 2012, or seven years after FDA approval. This means that they believe the drug needs more testing before it will be considered safe.

If you or someone you know has suffered injuries or side effects as a result of a defective drug, you may want to consult with a personal injury attorney. For a free case evaluation, click on the form to the right of this page.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Staff Writer

Man Crashes Car; Survives 12 Hours In Freezing Temps

Chrissie Cole — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 17:41:00 GMT

James McLaughlin, 21, of Colorado Springs, will be spending the next few weeks in the hospital for multiple injuries, but he is happy to be alive after surviving 12 hours in freezing temperatures.

While driving down Gold Camp Road, McLaughlin's dog jumped in his lap, causing him to lose control fo the vehicle. McLaughlin's car went off a 300-foot cliff and landed 500 feet from the road.

"Then a tree hit the front of my car, causing it to go completely upside-down. Now that's where I blacked out," McLaughlin told KOAA-TV from his hospital bed at Penrose.

After being thrown through his windshield, McLaughlin eventually regained consciousness. It took McLaughlin more than 2 hours to drag himself 40 feet to his car using his arms.

While he did make it back to his car, he was unable to reach his cell phone.

Eagle Scout survival skills helped to save his life. He was able to locate his survival kit containing mittens, a hat and lighter which he used to start a fire and stay warm.

Finally, 12 hours later, hikers found him.

Dexter his dog, suffered minor injuries and is expected to be fine.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chrissie Cole

Colorado Teen Ticketed For Careless Driving After Hitting A Parked Vehicle

Chrissie Cole — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:46:00 GMT

A Colorado Springs teen was ticketed for careless driving after he allegedly struck a parked vehicle that two men were working on, according to authorities.

The accident happened on Sunday afternoon on the 2800 block of Richmond Drive, near Constitution Ave. and Peterson Road.

The teen reportedly told authorities that his cell phone rang, but when he tried to pick it up, it fell. When he tried to grab the phone gain, he lost control of his vehicle and struck the parked car.

Both men, which were working on the car, were taken to the hospital with injuries that don’t appear to be life-threatening.

In December, a new Colorado law will prohibit anyone under the age of 18 from using their cell phones while driving.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chrissie Cole