Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog

A woman was killed late Wednesday night when she fell from the rooftop patio of the W Hotel in Washington DC fall accident. According to witnesses, the victim, who had been drinking, climbed over the patio fence and dangled on an overhang before falling 10 stories.

The woman, who has been identified as 47-year-old Stephanie Huebner, landed on the sidewalk. She was pronounced dead at the DC injury site.

Authorities are claiming that Huber’s death was a suicide. However, the DC medical examiner’s office has still not ruled on her cause of death.

Obviously, at this time, the specifics of what happened are not known. Was Huebner’s death an accident or a suicide? Could the hotel have done anything to prevent the fatal from happening? Was the patio designed so that no one could easily fall or jump from there? Was Huebner really inebriated when she fell? Was she obviously under the influence, and if so, did hotel staff serve her liquor even though she appeared drunk? Was Huebner at fault in causing her death? Should someone be liable for her Washington DC fall accident?

Hotel Accidents
Hotels know that accidents can occur on their premises and it is important they make sure that the make sure that the appropriate safety measures in place to prevent such incidents from occurring. Examples of Washington DC hotel accidents that can result in injuries or wrongful death:

• Fires
• Sexual assault
• Pool or spa drownings
• Swimming accidents
• Slip and fall accidents
• Fall accidents from balconies, patios, roofs, or staircases
• Carbon monoxide poisoning
• Physical assault
• Food poisoning
• Step and fall accidents
• Trip and fall accidents

Woman falls to her death from rooftop of the W Hotel, Washington Post, June 28, 2011

Stephanie Huebner dies after fall from W Hotel roof, WJLA, June 29, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Proving Fault in Accidents on Dangerous or Defective Property, Nolo

W Hotels

More Blog Posts:
Washington DC Escalator Accident Injures 52-Year-Old Metro Rider, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, April 28, 2011

Maryland Fall Accident?: Police Probe Death of Man Discovered in Trash Chute, Maryland Accident Law Blog, August 16, 2010

Woman Sues Ocean City, Maryland Hotel Over Carbon Monoxide Deaths of Her Husband and Daughter, Maryland Accident Law Blog, February 21, 2008

Continue reading " Woman Dies in Washington DC Fall from W Hotel Rooftop " »

A jury has found Jorida Davidson guilty of negligent homicide, driving under the influence, and leaving the scene after a crash in the DC car accident that claimed the life of Kiela Ryan. The 24-year-old traffic crash victim died after Davidson, struck her just south of Dupont Circle on October 7, 2010. October 7 just south of Dupont Circle. The Chevy Chase driver then fled the hit-and-run crash site.

Prosecutors had accused Davidson of driving drunk when she hit Ryan, who was emerging from a parked car at the time. Meantime, Davidson’s lawyer argued that she wasn’t inebriated when the collision happened. They also say that she did not report the DC pedestrian accident because she was suffered post-traumatic stress disorder and amnesia—a fallout from watching her dad die from a heart attack, her mother succumb to breast cancer, and growing up in war-torn Albania. When police later found her SUV, Davidson was slumped in the driver’s seat. She also failed two sobriety tests.

Washington DC Car Crashes
Even if a driver did not intend to hurt you or your loved one, the motorist can still be found guilty in criminal court and held liable for your DC personal injuries. Drivers have a responsibility to operate a vehicle safely and if they cannot do so then they should not get behind the steering wheel of any car.

Car accidents can lead to fatal injuries and there is no reason why you or your loved one should have to pay for your medical bills and other losses and related costs because someone else was careless, reckless, or made a mistake. Do not hesitate to speak with an experienced Washington DC injury law firm. Even if the accident was a hit-and-run crash and the driver has not been located, there still may be a lot that your personal injury lawyer can do to help you.

Chevy Chase woman guilty of negligent homicide in drunken driving case, Washington Post, June 21, 2011

Woman Found Guilty in Dupont Circle Hit-and-Run, NBC Washington, June 21, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Traffic Accidents FAQ, Nolo

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

More Blog Posts:
Woman Killed in Dupont Circle Car Accident in Washington DC, Washington DC Injury Lawyer, October 13, 2010

Maryland Car Accident Lawsuits: Should Bars Be Held Liable For Serving Drunk Drivers Alcohol?, Maryland Accident Law Blog, June 27, 2011

Baltimore Personal Injury News: Maryland Man Allegedly Driving Drunk Goes Wrong Way, Hits Second Vehicle, Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog, June 26, 2011

According to the Associated Press, two years after two Metro trains collided with one another near the Fort Totten station on the red line, no resolution has been reached in the DC wrongful death lawsuit filed by the surviving family members of those who died and the victims who were injured. The tragic Washington DC metro crash, which occurred on June 22, 2009 killed nine people—eight passengers and the train operator—and injured over 70 people. The numerous complaints that were filed have been consolidated into one case and the trial is scheduled for February 2012.

Officials say that Train 112, which struck the other train, included six of the oldest cars in the fleet. As far back as several years before what was called the worst Metrolink train crash in history, the National Transportation Safety Board had recommended that the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Administration change these cars because there ability to make it through a train accident was not certain. Cost concerns prevented the WMATA from replacing the trains, which were supposed to keep running until 2012. Also, the train operator, Jeanice McMillan, reportedly had just three months experience on the job when the deadly accident happened.

Train Accidents
Train crashes can result in devastating consequences for those involved. It is so important when pursuing recover that you work with an experienced DC train accident law firm that understands the intricacies of this type of case. Common causes of train accidents:

• Operator error or inexperience
• Train derailment
• Train malfunction
• Operator inattention
• Inadequate maintenance
• Mechanical failure
• Improperly switched lines
• Speeding
• Miscommunication
• Errors by motorists or pedestrians
• Train crossing malfunctions

There may be more than one party who should be held liable for your DC train crash injuries or your loved one’s death.

Lawsuit over DC Metro train collision that killed 9 readying for trial in 2012, Washington Post, June 21, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority

Metro

More Blog Posts:
Washington DC Train Accident: NTSB Cites Systemic Problems Even Before the Metrorail Crash that Killed 9 People, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, July 27, 2010

Washington DC Metro Train Accident Death Count Goes Up to 9 Fatalities, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, June 24, 2009

One Year After Deadliest Metro Train Crash, Families of Victims Oppose WMATA's Motion to Dismiss Washington DC Wrongful Death Lawsuit, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, June 26, 2010

According to the Washington Post, two men were rushed to the hospital after they were exposed to what appears to have been carbon monoxide while working in an apartment complex parking garage. Officials say that at the time of the accident, they had been operating pressure washers in an unvented area of the underground garage. High CO levels were also detected in other areas of the building.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Exposure to excessive levels of CO poisoning can be deadly. This is why premise owners and managers may make sure that patrons, guests, residents, visitors, clients, or employees are not exposed to this colorless and odorless gas. If you or someone you love was injured from exposure to carbon monoxide poisoning, you should contact our DC personal injury lawyers today.

If your CO poisoning accident occurred on the job, not only may you be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits, but you may also have a Washington DC injury case against other parties, such as the owner of the property where the carbon monoxide incident occurred, a negligent service professional, a builder, the manufacturer of a defective CO detector or a device that emitted the deadly gas, or others.

Victims of CO poisoning may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, lost income, emotional trauma, disability, quality of life loss, and other damages. Families who have lost someone as a result of exposure to carbon monoxide poisoning may be entitled to compensation for funeral costs, medical bills, income and benefit losses, companionship loss, and other damages.

2 workers in DC taken to hospital after they were found unconscious in carbon monoxide case, The Washington Post, June 20, 2011

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning, CDC

More Blog Posts:
No CO Detector in Rowhouse Where Fatal Baltimore Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Occurred, Maryland Accident Law Blog, December 29, 2010

Baltimore County Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Incident Kills 2 People and Sickens At Least 10 Others, Maryland Accident Law Blog, December 14, 2010

Woman Sues Ocean City, Maryland Hotel Over Carbon Monoxide Deaths of Her Husband and Daughter, Maryland Accident Law Blog, February 21, 2008

The father of a 5-year-old student at Sidwell Friends School has filed a $10 million Washington DC injury lawsuit against the school. Arthur G. Newmyer claims that the defendant was negligent for failing to properly supervise a staff psychologist that was counseling his daughter and who ended up having an affair with her mother. Newmyer claims that as a result of the affair becoming known, he and his daughter, who is a kindergartener at the school, suffered severe emotional distress. Newmyer and his wife are separated.

In his DC personal injury complaint, Newmyer says that the school board fired psychologist James F. “Jack” Huntington after he told them the latter was sending sexually explicit emails to his wife. Tara Newmyer says that she and Arthur Newmyer were separated by the time she and Huntington became involved.

Suing for Emotional Distress
Emotional distress/undue emotional suffering is a type of injury that can result from someone else’s actions. For example, emotional distress can occur from losing someone you love in an accident or because you were wrongly diagnosed with a terminal illness by a physician. Sexual assault, false imprisonment, molestation, or watching someone you love get hurt in a collision can also result in emotional distress.

Sometimes, the emotional distress is a result of the alleged wrongdoer’s intentional or reckless infection. In other instances, the emotional distress is caused by the other party’s negligent actions or failure to act, which that resulted in someone suffering emotionally.

Sidwell Friends School sued for $10 million over alleged affair, Washington Post, May 12, 2011

Sidwell Friends Sued for $10 Million by Cuckolded Dad, Washingtonian, May 12, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Sidwell Friends

Read the complaint (PDF)

More Blog Posts:
Former Special Ed Student files Amended DC Personal Injury Lawsuit Against Teacher Who She Says Fathered Her Child, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, April 30, 2011

Transgender Woman Attacked at McDonald’s in Baltimore Says She Was Victim of “Hate Crime”, Maryland Accident Law Blog, April 27, 2011

DC Injury Lawsuit Filed Against FBI Employee Over Hit-and-Run Car Accident, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, April 6, 2011

According to a report issued last week by the city’s Office of the Inspector General, the paramedic who told Edward L. Givens to take Pepto-Bismol for acid reflux hours before the 39-year-old suffered a fatal heart attack was either unaware of or failed to follow a number of department protocols. Givens died on December 2, 2008 after paramedics failed to take him to the hospital when he called to report chest pains and breathing problems. He died six hours later. His family would go on to file a $17 million Washington DC medical malpractice case against the District and Emergency Medical Services alleging wrongful death.

Although initially the District had sought to have the case dismissed on the grounds that case law doesn’t permit someone hurt by an emergency worker to sue for medical malpractice, earlier this year a judge said that because of a new statute letting victims hold paramedics liable for negligence, the DC wrongful death lawsuit could proceed.

According to this latest report, even though Givens declined to go to the hospital after paramedics asked him multiple times if he wanted to go, the emergency responders should have done more to convince him. One emergency worker reportedly told Givens when he asked if he needed to go to the hospital that it was up to him. The inspector general’s report also found that emergency workers were at fault for not recording key information on Givens’ peatient care report, such as his age, first name, medical history, and interactions with family members.

The Washington Times conducted an investigation in 2009 that found that many DC paramedics were unable to pass basic writing tests about medical knowledge. Some even were unable to correctly conduct basic life-saving methods.

Wrong diagnosis and delayed diagnosis are two of the more common types of medical errors. They can cause serious injury or death. Paramedics, doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals should be properly trained and know what to do when treating patients. Failure to provide a certain duty of care can be grounds for a DC medical malpractice case.

D.C.’s IG faults paramedic response to 2008 ‘acid reflux’ case, The Washington Times, June 8, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Office of the Inspector General

Emergency Medical Services

More Blog Posts:
Family’s Washington DC Wrongful Death Lawsuit Alleging Paramedic Malpractice Can Proceed, Says Judge, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, March 9, 2011

Washington DC Paramedics Under Investigation in Death of 2-Year-Old Girl, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, March 4, 2010

Anne Arundel County Wrongful Death Lawsuit Claims 911 and Police Officers Botched Emergency Call, Maryland Accident Blog, August 3, 2010