Recent Blog Posts in February 2010

A teenager in Georgetown Township was killed in an accident police think was caused by texting while driving.

Texting while driving, as with any other form of distracted driving, significantly increases an individual’s chances of getting involved in an accident. In fact, one study found that people who text while driving are more than 20 times more likely to get in an accident than those paying full attention to the road.

The victim in this case was 18-year-old Eric Helm, a student at Jenison High School. Police believe Helm was texting his girlfriend back and forth in the minutes leading up to the accident. Helm was driving westbound on Port Sheldon Street when he crossed into oncoming traffic at a curve in the road and hit a pickup truck head-on.

Police say that if Helm hadn’t been texting, he would likely have noticed the curve in the road and remained in his lane.

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in an car accident caused by a person who was texting while driving, you have legal rights that may entitle you to compensation. A Detroit personal injury attorney at Freedman & Freedman can help you exercise those rights by filing an injury or wrongful death lawsuit against the negligent party in an effort secure the largest possible settlement. We strongly believe that those who act recklessly and negligently must be held accountable for their actions, and that’s exactly what we intend to do.

Contact the Law Offices of Freedman & Freedman today to learn more about filing a claim!

A school bus driver for Van Buren County has been ticketed for an accident that pinned a car under his bus.

The accident happened yesterday in Geneva Township. The bus was heading west on 8 ^th Avenue when the driver failed to yield to a car driving north on 68 ^th street.

The driver and passenger in the car were both taken to the hospital with minor injuries. It’s not clear whether or not any children were on the school bus when the accident took place, or what time the accident occurred.

The bus driver has since been cited for failure to yield.

Oakwood Hospital and two of its doctors have been named as defendants in a medical malpractice lawsuit.

The lawsuit was filed by the family of Deborah Blankenship, who died from brain damage after a surgeon operated on the wrong side of her brain. Blankenship was 49 years old.

On August 7, 2007 Blankenship came to the hospital’s emergency room complaining of an acute headache. She was initially treated by Dr. Hasnain Haider-Shah, who determined that Blankenship was suffering from a severe artery leak in her brain. Despite being able to locate the source of the leak, he was unable to block the bleeding using a catheter.

Blankenship was then scheduled for surgery with Dr. Robert R. Johnson to undergo an emergency craniotomy. According to the lawsuit, Johnson cut into the right side of Blankenship’s skull, but had to stop and call Haider-Shah to determine which side of Blankenship’s brain the aneurysm was on. Due to the delay in surgery, Blankenship suffered severe brain damage, and 16 months after undergoing the surgery she passed away.

Blankenship’s family is seeking an undisclosed amount in damages.

If your loved one has passed away due to some form of medical malpractice, you should consider speaking with an attorney about your rights to benefits under Michigan  wrongful death laws. An experienced Detroit medical malpractice attorney at Freedman & Freedman is available to meet with you during a free consultation to review your case and discuss your legal options.

To arrange a consultation, contact the Law Offices of Freedman & Freedman today at (888) 252-8582!