car wreck

The Year Of Living Dangerously

December 14, 2016 by Lee Hoffoss

F Troop officers erected thirty-five human silhouette cutouts near their headquarters on State Highway 594, one for each fatal car crash victim in the group’s twelve parish area in 2016.
Troopers lament that there will probably be more victims before year’s end, because there are usually several fatal car crashes in December. The figures include a child-size cutout to represent an infant victim, and two that wear badges, representing law enforcement officers from Winnsboro and Sterlington who died this year in car crashes. Typically, the officers erect a similar display inside the building, but they felt it might have more of an impact in a more visible location.
“There’s 35 families that are missing a family member because of a fatal car crash,” observed Troop F information director Michael Reichardt. [Read more…] about The Year Of Living Dangerously

Three Tricks Insurance Companies Often Try

October 19, 2016 by Lee Hoffoss

Although television commercials may imply otherwise, the insurance companies are not “on your side” if you suffer serious injuries in a vehicle collision. Since these firms make money by collecting premiums and not by paying claims, insurance companies will try almost anything to reduce or deny fair compensation to injury victims.
Since the facts are unclear in many vehicle collision cases, most insurance companies have a number of investigators and accident reconstruction engineers on staff who will dispute the victims’ version of events and cast their insured parties in the most favorable light possible. Yet even in those rare instances that the liability-related facts are relatively straightforward, the insurance company typically still has a few items in its bag of tricks.
No Seat Belt
Like almost all other states, Louisiana has a mandatory seat belt law. As a result, many victims assume that if they were not wearing seat belts, the insurance company can either have their cases thrown out of court or at least significantly reduce the amount of compensation they receive. But under Louisiana law, neither of those things are true. [Read more…] about Three Tricks Insurance Companies Often Try

Drug-Related Deadly Crash In Lake Charles

October 17, 2016 by Lee Hoffoss

The impaired driver who caused a fatal car crash in Lake Charles may have been under the influence of a drug cocktail, according to authorities.
The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office states that 31-year-old Derrick Leone, of Sulphur, crossed the center line on North Perkins Ferry Road and smacked head-on into a 2011 Jeep. The driver – 71-year-old Valery Jordan, of Ragley – was airlifted to a local hospital with serious injuries; she was pronounced dead on arrival. As deputies questioned Mr. Leone, they claimed he showed signs of impairment. A subsequent vehicle search turned up a bag of methamphetamines, three Xanax bars, and twenty-one Hydrocodone pills.
He was booked into jail on various impaired driving-related charges, including vehicular manslaughter, DWI, and possession of a controlled substance.
Impaired Driving
Drugged driving is one of the three kinds of impairment, according to the Global Road Safety Partnership. They are:

Alcohol: Studies consistently show that most drivers are dangerously impaired after only one drink.
Drugs: As may have been the case in the above story, drug-induced impairment can come from illegal street drugs or the unauthorized use of prescription drugs.
Fatigue: Driving after eighteen consecutive awake hours is like driving with a .08 BAC, which is above the legal limit in Louisiana.

Although impairment comes from diverse sources, all three types of impaired driving have similar effects. Mental symptoms typically come first, as many tortfeasors (negligent drivers) who are sleep-deprived or have recently consumed intoxicating substances have difficulty concentrating and may also be less able to make sound judgments. Sensory impairment comes next, mainly because of bloodshot eyes that make it difficult to see, especially at night. After a few extra drinks, pills, or minutes, impaired tortfeasors suffer from physical impairment. Their reactions become dangerously slow and they typically also are hard-pressed to remain awake and conscious.
Any level of impairment, no matter how slight, is generally a breach of the duty of reasonable care. In these situations, victims are entitled to compensation for their economic damages, like lost wages, as well as their noneconomic damages, like loss of consortium (companionship). Punitive damages are also available, in many cases.
Impaired driving crashes cause serious injuries. For a free consultation with an experienced Lake Charles personal injury attorney, contact Hoffoss Devall. We routinely handle matters in both Louisiana and Texas.

Two Dead After Speeding Car Slams Into School Bus

September 28, 2016 by Lee Hoffoss

A high-speed car wreck in Shongaloo transformed a vehicle into a twisted piece of metal and sent two area residents to the morgue.
According to the Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office, 35-year-old Freddy Bryant, of Shongaloo, evidently lost control of his fast-moving 2006 Toyota Corolla on State Highway 2 and crossed over the center line. The vehicle then careened into a school bus carrying mostly pre-kindergarten through second grade students; the driver – 67-year-old Michael Timmons of Sarepta – was unable to avoid the car wreck. Mr. Bryant and a passenger – 29-year-old Gary Matlock of Plain Dealing – were both pronounced dead at the scene.
None of the forty-eight people on board the bus (the driver and forty-seven students) were seriously injured. [Read more…] about Two Dead After Speeding Car Slams Into School Bus

Deadman’s Curve?

September 5, 2016 by Lee Hoffoss

Louisiana State Police are investigating the seventh traffic fatality of 2016 – and the second drowsy driving-related wreck – on a single stretch of State Highway 27 in the western part of the Bayou State.
Between Sulpher and DeQuincy, S.H. 27 is very windy in the south and there is an elbow curve in the north. It was in this curvy part not far from DeQuincy that 23-year-old Jasmine Phillips crossed from the northbound to the southbound side. “We suspect Ms. Phillips nodded off,” commented Sergeant James Anderson of LSP Troop D. She collided with a southbound truck driven by 23-year-old Cody Massie, of Singer. Ms. Phillips was declared dead at the scene; Mr. Massie was rushed to a local hospital with serious injuries. In February 2016, 18-year-old Charlee Smith, of DeQuincy, crossed from the northbound to the southbound side at almost the exact same spot. She collided with 17-year-old Lauren LeBlanc, of DeQuincy. Both women were killed almost instantly, and authorities speculate that fatigued driving was the cause of that crash as well. [Read more…] about Deadman’s Curve?

Neglected Veterans In The Bayou State To Receive Proper Brain Injury Treatment

May 30, 2016 by Lee Hoffoss

Thousands of military veterans in Louisiana and two dozen other states have received inadequate treatment for Traumatic Brain Injuries, the government now admits. So, the Veterans Administration will offer new TBI exams to about 25,000 veterans nationwide; some victims could be eligible for retroactive benefits dating back to 2007.
The investigation began at a VA medical center in Minnesota where, according to records obtained after a Freedom of Information Act request, only one out of the twenty-one professional TBI examiners qualified under the VA’s own standards. These reports prompted an investigation, which was spearheaded by Rep. Tim Walz (D-MN); the investigation revealed that many veterans were initially misdiagnosed and others received insufficient medical attention.
David McLenachen, the VA’s Deputy Undersecretary for Disability Assistance, said that “taking a look” at these disputed cases is “the only fair and right thing to do.” [Read more…] about Neglected Veterans In The Bayou State To Receive Proper Brain Injury Treatment