A construction worker working on a casino project in Atlantic City, New Jersey died after being struck by lightning during a bad thunderstorm.
The workers were pouring concrete during the storm. They were getting worried as the sky grew darker and the wind grew stronger and the flashes of lightning grew closer.
They kept working though because they were told to.
Finally they decided after one more bucket to stop, even if it meant getting fired, because they were worried about their safety. But right before they stopped, the lightning struck a metal crane, and the worker holding the metal bucket of concrete was electrocuted, and two other workers were knocked down.
The widow of the man who was killed and the two injured workers filed lawsuits against the two companies that were involved in the project. The lawsuits state that the companies should have known that the lightning storm was moving into the area and stopped work, yet they kept the workers going until one died.
There were more than 1,000 lightning strikes in the area before the men were hit. The workers feel that the companies were only focused on getting the job done as soon as possible, regardless of the dangerous working conditions.
Construction accidents or workplace accidents are serious and companies should be held responsible for any wrongful deaths, physical pain and emotional distress they cause others through their negligence. Contact W.T. Johnson to learn more about how we can help you in your construction accident case.
A 7-year-old boy was standing on a porch in southwest Houston when a car driven by an alleged drunk driver slammed into the porch and killed the child. The driver, who is an illegal immigrant from Mexico, is now being charged with intoxicated manslaughter and is being held without bond.
The driver lost control of his Ford Crown Victoria, jumped a median and hit the corner of the apartment building where the boy was standing on Saturday night. A 4-year-old boy was also injured and has burns over 40 percent of his body after the car hit a hot grill. He has been taken to a Shriners Hospital for Children in Galveston for treatment.
The family was having a barbecue when the accident happened. The boys lived at the apartment with their mother, her boyfriend and two other children.
If the driver is convicted, he could face a maximum of life in prison.
Last year Texas had 1,259 DUI fatalities, and 42 percent of all traffic deaths were DUI related. If you or your loved one has been the victim of a drunk driving accident, or any other kind of car accident, you are entitled to representation to get the justice you deserve. Contact W.T. Johnson’s personal injury lawyers today and we will give you a free consultation and help you through your time of need.
A Texas Channel 8 medical reporter and her 14-year-old border collie were recently attacked by a pit bull in Grapevine. She was walking her dog near her neighborhood like she does every Saturday morning, when she saw the un-collared pit bull running down the street towards her.
She yelled at the pit bull to stop, but it ignored her. The pit bull put her dog in a choke-hold and wouldn’t let go. The news reporter screamed for help and a neighbor came running down the street with a tire iron and hit the pit bull, and the dog retreated. But the border collie was badly injured and the news reporter had been bitten.
In January, Animal Control was called to the same neighborhood concerning another dog being attacked by a pit bull, but they couldn’t find the pit bull. Now the owner of the dog has confirmed hers was attacked by the same pit bull.
The pit bull is now deemed “dangerous” by the city and is being held in quarantine at Grapevine’s Animal Control. The pit bull owner will likely repeal the ruling within in 10 days.
If the owner does repeal, and the judge gives her custody, she would be forced to keep the dog in a high-fenced kennel that would not have any spaces where the dog could stick out its mouth or nose, or where people could put their hands in. Whenever she took the dog off her property, it would have to be muzzled. The owner would also have to take out a $100,000 insurance policy,
Dog bites can cause serious injuries to you or your loved one, so you have the right to file a lawsuit. If you or a family member have been the victim of a dog bite, contact W.T. Johnson today so we can help you get the compensation you are entitled to.
An elderly Alzheimer patient was allegedly physically and verbally abused at a Fort Bend nursing home. His daughter is suing the nursing home and claims that he needed surgery after the attack.
The lawsuit was filed by the daughter on behalf of her father against the nursing home and the nurse who allegedly abused him. The daughter stated in the lawsuit that the nurse verbally abused and had a fist-fight with her 89-year-old father. It cited negligence and gross negligence. She is seeking actual and punitive damages.
The brief states that the elderly man received a black eye and a cut to his right eyebrow. But the nurse stated that he received it from hitting his head against a hospital bed.
Two weeks after the supposed attack, the alleged victim became unresponsive, so an ambulance rushed him to the hospital, and the doctors determined he had been hit on the head with a blunt object. He had surgery for a subdural hematoma.
Nursing home negligence or abuse is common, but many times it goes unnoticed or undefended. There are almost 6 million instances of elder abuse each year, but often these cases aren’t reported. Texas is one of the five states that account for over one-third of all elder abuse cases in America.
If you are concerned about your elderly loved one being neglected or abused in their nursing home, don’t hesitate to let us handle your worries, help you investigate and get the justice your loved one is entitled to. Contact the Law Office of W.T. Johnson today.
After a traumatic 18-wheeler crash in Dallas a few weeks ago, a Sugar Land lawyer, was told he would probably not walk again.
But recently, he walked out of the hospital to go home.
He was driving on the Dallas North Tollway near the LBJ Freeway to meet a client, until an 18-wheeler carrying 30,000 pounds of cardboard lost control and overturned to land on top of his car.
The truck was speeding and crossed three lanes before pushing a SUV into a concrete barrier and smashing the victim's car. The semi-truck driver was not injured and will be charged with failure to control speed.
Immediately after the crash, four strangers ran to help the Sugar Land lawyer get out of the car, including a former nurse who helped stabilize his neck until emergency crews arrived on the scene. He was so crushed that doctors assumed he would not regain function of his legs.
During a four-hour surgery, the doctors took one of his ribs and fused it to his neck, which helped put his spine into correct position again. Then he was transferred to Southwestern University Hospital-Dale Lipshy. For two weeks he did four hours of rehabilitation every day until he walked again, much to the astonishment of the doctors and nurses.
He feels such gratitude for the doctors and who he calls the “angels” at the accident scene who helped him. He says that it is a miracle he survived and God must have something in store for him since He protected him.
Out of the 6 million motor vehicle accidents that happen in America each year, more than 500,000 involve 18-wheelers, which lead to 5,000 fatalities on a yearly basis and 164 injuries on a daily basis. If you or your loved one has been harmed because of an 18-wheeler accident, you should contact W.T. Johnson today to get compensation for your emotional and physical distress.
The millionaire from Houston, who was accused of DWI in February 2010, running a stop sign and causing a car accident, which resulted in the death of a 23-year-old, was found guilty on all charges on Friday.
He was accused of two counts: DUI manslaughter and failure to render aid; vehicular homicide and failure to give information to authorities.
The millionaire is the heir to a Texas Heating and Air Conditioning fortune and the International Polo Club founder. The night of the accident he bought drinks at two bars. Yet, he testified he was absolutely not intoxicated, impaired or drunk after leaving either of the bars. He also stated his Bentley malfunctioned, which resulted in him not stopping at the stop sign and sending the victim’s car into the canal.
He stated that he didn’t realize after the accident that the victim’s car went into the canal. Following the accident, he testified that he went to a barn where he found a bottle of liquor and drank excessively, which he says resulted in his blood alcohol content that was more than three time’s Florida’s legal limit.
A sentencing hearing will be on April 20. He could face 11.5-30 years in prison.
The parents of the victim also filed a $100 million wrongful death lawsuit against the millionaire. Yet, the millionaire adopted his 48-year-old girl friend last year, and the attorneys of the victim’s parents claim he did it to protect his assets. In the end, he did reach a settlement with the family, but no details were released.
One in three people will be involved in an alcohol-related crash during their life. If your family member has been the victim of a DUI accident, or a wrongful death, W.T. Johnson is here to help you through this traumatic time.
Last month, an elderly man was fatally beaten at a nursing home in Illinois. The Illinois Department of Public Health investigated and discovered the beating was a result of negligent care at a nursing home.
The study showed that the staff at the nursing home failed to “ensure the supervision and safety” of an 80-year-old patient after another 66-year-old patient of the dementia ward beat the alleged victim. The staff overheard yelling in the hallway and found the victim lying on the floor and bleeding from his head. He had traumatic head injuries and was taken to the hospital where he died.
The two men had never fought each other before, but the report stated that both were accustomed to wandering around, outbursts, forgetting things and hostile behavior. The state report concluded that nursing home employees did not make correct adjustments to account for their temperamental conditions, and some staffers were even unaware of the behavioral history of the two men.
IDPH will send the report to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which can give a sanction against the nursing home. The victim's family is filing a lawsuit against the nursing home and stating that it violated federal and state regulations by not protecting their father from nursing home abuse and neglect, and alleges that the nursing home is understaffed and slow to respond to abuse complaints.
If feel your loved one has been a victim of nursing home neglect or abuse, contact W.T. Johnson today to file a lawsuit and get them the justice they deserve.
A 7-year-old boy in Conroe, TX was the victim of a drunk driving accident and has been hospitalized.
The young boy and his grandparents were riding in a Ford Explorer in the lane next to Melton Brown who was driving a pickup truck pulling a bass boat. Brown lost control when the trailer started jumping, and it clipped the SUV, which flipped. The boy, who was not wearing any safety restraint, was thrown out of the car, landing 80 feet away.
The child was taken to Conroe Regional Hospital and is in critical condition with a skull fracture, concussion, broken hip, elbow and ribs. The grandparents were also injured in the crash, and are both in stable condition.
Brown is facing intoxication assault charges, and DWI. This is Brown’s third DWI charge, and he has also had three indecent exposure convictions.
The average drunk driver has driven drunk 80 times before his first arrest, and every minute one person is injured from an alcohol-related crash. If you or your family members have been victims of a drunk-driving accident, contact W.T. Johnson today. We understand the trauma from such an event and want to see you get the justice your family deserves.
BP will probably pay out $7.8 billion in settlement money to the more than 100,000 victims of the most horrendous offshore oil spill in American history. Those who are waiting for the money can take the settlement or sue.
The spill, which occurred on April 20, 2010, harmed tidal estuaries, and beaches, and killed wildlife along with the Gulf’s commercial fishing industry. The lawsuits were filed by fishermen that lost income, and cleanup workers that became sick, as well as anyone else who was damaged by the oil spill. The settlement money comes out of BP's $20 billion compensation fund.
BP is also still resolving claims from when the pressure from a well a mile below the ocean destroyed a huge drilling rig, which resulted in the death of 11 men and oil spewing into the sea for three months. These claims from the U.S. government, Gulf states and its partners in the Deepwater Horizon project could add billions more dollars to their bills.
In September 2011, Coast Guard officials and federal regulators reported that BP bears the responsibility for the oil spill since it violated federal regulations, didn’t listen to warnings and made bad decisions while cementing the well a mile below the Gulf of Mexico.
If you have been the victim of an oil spill accident, you can receive compensation too. Contact W.T. Johnson today to learn more about how we can help you get the justice you are entitled to.
A Dallas police officer was the victim of a hit and run on the morning of Tuesday, February 28th. He was responding to a call for back up for a stolen vehicle that was in a police chase. He drove across a grassy embankment to Interstate 35 E entrance ramp near 8th street when a minivan driving down the ramp hit his car and kept going.
The officer blacked out for a few moments, and was taken to the hospital, but he doesn’t have serious injuries.
If the officer had been killed, it would be considered a felony to flee the scene of the crash. Approximately 1,400 people are killed by hit and run drivers every year. Each day about four people die because of a hit and run.
Out of 3,000 motorists, 45 percent stated that they have had a parked car damaged. If you or a family member has been the victim of a hit and run, contact W.T. Johnson today to get the help you deserve.
