Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog

In an attempt to prevent infant and child injuries and deaths, McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a Johnson & Johnson division, is recalling 43 over-the-counter child and infant medications after regulators discovered deficiencies at a manufacturing facility. Hundreds of thousands of medicine bottles will have to be pulled from store shelves in the US, its territories, and nine other nations.

Following a routine check of McNeil Consumer Healthcare’s Fort Washington plant, Food and Drug Administration inspectors discovered that the manufacturing process was “not in control,” which could alter the medicines’ composition. As a result, some of the medicines may have a higher concentration of an active ingredient than what is noted, may have inactive ingredients that don’t meet testing requirements, or may contain tiny particles.

Even though the chance of serious injury from the medicines is “remote,” the FDA is counseling caregivers and parents to stop using the recalled products right away. The FDA also says that if a child displays any unusual symptoms after taking one of the recalled medicines, then caregivers or parents should seek the advice of a physician. The federal agency is warning that giving children and infants the adult versions of these medications can result in serious illness or injury.

Many of the medicines recalled are among the ones most commonly used by parents and caregivers to treat their childrens’ colds and fevers. You can click on the link below to see the full list of recalled medications.

Washington DC Drug Litigation
If you or someone you love became sick from taking a dangerous or defective medication, you may have grounds for filing a Washington DC dangerous drug lawsuit. Prescription and OTC meds are supposed to improve one’s health and provide relief from symptoms, pain, and other health issues. They aren’t supposed to cause injury or make a person’s condition worse.

Liquid kids’ meds pulled in massive recall, OC Register, April 30, 2010

Read the Product Recall Information, McNeal, April 30, 2010

Related Web Resources:
US Food and Drug Administration

Johnson and Johnson

Washington Family Emergency Shelter managers admitted to DC Council members earlier this month that it had fired workers over their alleged sexual behavior with female residents. Families Forward, the nonprofit group that was contracted to run the shelter, admits that they made a mistake when they didn’t tell DC officials about complaints by residents that were related to such incidents.

According to DC Council member Tommy Wells, a number of residents had accused shelter workers of misconduct. One woman who arrived at the shelter on January 27 with her three daughters says she turned down the advances of one Fast Forward worker who not only invited her to a club but also told her she could spend the night at his residence. In her email to DC Mayor Adrian M. Fenty’s office, the woman said other residents were told that they would be given certain favors in exchange for sex. She reports that one resident had sex with a staff member because he promised to take care of her.

She also complained that when she and her daughters arrived at the shelter, they slept on “semi-inflated air mattresses, on the floor” like “3rd world refugees.”

The DC shelter has been under investigation since residents complained that 200 families were staying in space designed for 135. Residents also said that mildew was making them sick and some of them had to sleep in common rooms and hallways.

Matthew Salgado, who has been living in the shelter with his 20-year-old girlfriend and their 10-month-old baby, describes in the Washington Post how the overcrowding has lead to near-brawls and arguments and that the living conditions, which have included roaches and fruit flies, can be unsanitary. Another man, Maurice Jones, says that his 2-year-old son had to be treated at a hospital after he breathed in mildew and mold. City officials deny that there is mold or mildew in the showers.

Washington DC Personal Injury
If you or someone you love became ill because of unsanitary or dangerous conditions or was a victim of a violent act or a sexual crime that occurred on someone else’s property, a Washington DC injury law firm can tell you whether you have grounds for a DC premises liability case. Premise owners must make sure there are no hazards or hazardous people on a property that can cause injury or death to residents, patrons, or visitors.

D.C. Shelter Officials Admit Firings Over Sex, Drug Allegations, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, April 1, 2010

Former D.C. hospital crowded with homeless families, Washington Post, March 12, 2010

Related Web Resource:
Families Forward

A Washington DC traffic crash involving a van and a Toyota Camry has resulted in six injuries and one death. The auto accident occurred at around 7pm on Monday in Southeast DC.

According to witnesses, a speeding van drove over the center median on Alabama Avenue and into the path of an oncoming Toyota. The van rolled over a number of times before catching fire. Some 50 fire workers arrived at the crash scene where utility wires had been knocked down and there was a fuel spill.

The Camry’s driver, 37-year-old Mary Elizabeth Wimbush, died at the crash site. Four children who were riding in the car sustained serious injuries. One of the child victims, a 2-year-old girl, was ejected from the vehicle. All of them were taken to Children’s National Medical Center and admitted in critical condition.

The driver of the van and an unidentified passenger also sustained injuries. The van’s driver, Ajene Jones, 34, was charged with involuntary manslaughter.

Washington DC Car Accidents
Washington DC car crashes can lead to serious injuries, such as spinal cord injuries, burn injuries, internal injuries, broken bones, head injuries, traumatic brain injuries, severed limbs, and disfigurement. In addition to costly medical and rehabilitation expenses and other losses, a DC traffic crash can take a huge physical, emotional, and/or financial toll on the victims and family members.

You may be able to file a Washington DC car accident case or wrongful death lawsuit against the party or parties responsible for your traffic crash. It is important that you explore your legal options with an DC injury lawyer before agreeing to settle with the negligent party.

Traffic Fatality on Alabama Avenue, SE, DC.gov, April 20, 2010

Washington D.C. automobile accident: 1 killed, 6 injured in car vs. van crash, Justice News Flash, April 20, 2010

Man Charged in Deadly Crash in Southeast DC, MyFoxDC.com, April 20, 2010

Related Web Resources:
District Department of Transportation

Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities in 2009, NHTSA (PDF)

Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog

Constance Holden, 68, died on April 12 after she was in a Washington DC bicycle collision with a five-ton truck. The Washington DC truck crash occurred at the intersection of 12th Street and New York Avenue, NW.

The truck involved in the catastrophic traffic accident was a DC National Guard truck. The vehicle was doing motorcade security work for the Nuclear Security Summit.

The cause of the Washington DC truck accident has yet to be determined. The National Guard vehicle was accompanied by a human escort as it made its way through crowds.

Washington DC Bicycle Accidents
Without air bags, seat belts, and the body of a motor vehicle to protect a cyclist from the impact of collision, he or she is at risk of serious injury in the event of a traffic crash. Wearing a bicycle helmet and protective clothing is not enough to prevent serious injuries and deaths.

While bicyclist negligence is a common cause of bicycle crashes, many bicycle injuries and deaths happen because the driver of the vehicle involved was negligent, reckless, distracted, or careless. Unfortunately, many motorists forget that they share the roads with pedalcyclists, and they may not watch out for them or notice when they are there.

Common causes of bicycle crashes involving negligent drivers:

• Pulling out onto street in front of a pedalcyclist
• Attempting to turn in front of the bicyclist
• Driver inattention
• Distracted driving
• Failure to yield at an intersection
• Failure to stop at a red light
• Running a stop sign
• Neglecting to look both ways before proceeding
• Drunk driving
• Speeding
• Following too closely
• Driving under the influence of drugs
• Texting while driving
• Talking on a cell phone

Bicyclist Dies in Collision With DC Guard Truck, NBC Washington, April 13, 2010

Cyclist killed in collision with nuclear summit motorcade, CNN, April 13, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Bicycle Map, District Department of Transportation

Bicycles, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Continue reading " 68-Year-old Mount Pleasant Woman Killed in Bicycle Accident with DC Guard Truck " »

Kimberly Trimble is suing the District of Columbia, the Metropolitan Police Department, and unnamed cops for Washington DC wrongful death and police negligence, failure to protect, and failure to respond in the stabbing deaths of her sister and nephews. She is also suing Joseph Randolph Mays, who is charged with three counts of first-degree murder in their slayings.

The victims, Erika Peters, 37, and her children Dakota Peters, 10, and Erik Harper, 11, were killed during a domestic dispute in March 2009. Documented injuries included multiple stab wounds to the head, face, (over a dozen to the) chest, and hands for Erika, multiple stab wounds to the chest and a large laceration on the side of the head for Erik, and stab wounds to the head, right ear, and the back of the neck for Dakota.

Mays was Peters’ live-in boyfriend. Police later found him at the murder scene with superficial chest wounds that the treating doctor says appear to have been self-inflicted.

In her DC wrongful death complaint, Trimble noted that even though the Metropolitan Police Department had been called to her sister’s residence before to look into child abuse and domestic violence calls, the cops, who could hear Peters and her children screaming as Mays stabbed them, waited for about an hour to act because they were standing by for permission to break down the door. Also, Trimble says that when the police officers called 911, the operator told them that the call had been made by a screaming child who may have been playing pretend.

Trimble is seeking over $60 million in Washington DC wrongful death and negligence damages.

Cops Dawdled as Kids Died, Aunt Says, Courthouse News Service, March 23, 2010

Charges Are Filed In Triple Stabbing, Washington Post, March 23, 2009

Joseph Randolph Mays: ‘I Told Them To Stop Fucking With Me’, Washington DC City Paper, March 24, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Metropolitan Police Department

Domestic Violence, The National Center for Victims of Crime

According to a University of Rochester Medical Center study, aging motorcyclists have a higher risk of getting hurt or dying during a traffic crash than their younger counterparts. This is contrary to the belief that the typical motorcycle victims are young, healthy riders.

Among the study’s findings:

• Between 1996 – 2005, the average age range for motorcycle accident victims was ages 34 to 39.
• The proportion of injured motorcyclists in the over 40 age range went up from about 28% to nearly 50%.
• While the 20- 29-year-olds age range was the group that experienced the most rapid decline in the number of motorcycle injuries and deaths, the 50- to 59-year-old age group experienced the fasted increase in rider fatalities and injuries.
• The number of motorcyclists in their 60’s and 70’s who were getting hurt in motorcycle accidents also went up.
• Riders older than 40 had a higher death rate than motorcyclists in the under 40 age group.
• Older riders were more likely than their younger counterparts to end up in ER’s and die from less serious injuries.
• Preexisting conditions and the decrease in ability to endure injuries to the body contributed to longer hospital stays and health complications among older riders.
• Broken legs, broken arms, and other extremity fractures were the most common motorcycle injuries.
• Head injuries and chest injuries made up most of the most serious motorcycle injuries and older riders are more likely to suffer from them than younger diers.

The study can be found in the March issue of the American Surgeon.

Washington DC Motorcycle Accident
Regardless of age, if you or someone you love was injured in a Washington DC motorcycle crash that you believe may have been caused by another negligent party, it is important that you explore your options for filing a Washington DC personal injury lawsuit immediately.

Motorcyclists are entitled to use the road just as much as their vehicle occupant counterparts. Contrary to popular belief, most riders are not careless motorists merely interested in a fast ride. Motorcycle accident injuries, such as spinal cord injuries and traumatic brain injuries, can be severe and costly, which is why you should obtain the maximum Washington DC injury recovery that you are owed.

Aging Motorcyclists Hit the Road, But at Greater Risk of Injury, Death, PR Newswire, April 5, 2010

Maryland Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog

Related Web Resources:
National Trauma Data Bank, American College of Surgeons

University of Rochester Medical Center