Personal Injury Blog - The Heller Law Firm

So-called ‘haunted houses’ are an increasingly popular attraction for teens and young adults in many parts of the United States, but a recent lawsuit claims that the quest for Halloween thrills turned deadly for one Missouri teen.

When 15-year-old Brittney Holmes made a trip to the St. Louis area establishment known as The Darkness in October 2009, her family claims that she wasn’t aware that the attraction was filled with smoke and fog that could potentially aggravate her chronic respiratory condition. She suffered a severe asthma attack after leaving the haunted house, after which she lapsed into a persistent vegetative state due to a lack of oxygen. After languishing in a coma for a year with no significant change in her condition, Brittney Holmes passed away in November 2010. The Holmes family has filed multiple lawsuits in the case.

Have you or a loved suffered injury, illness, or even death due to another’s carelessness? We can help. Contact the California premises liability attorneys at The Heller Law Firm for a free consultation, or call us direct at 800-992-9947. You will hear from us either the same day or within 24 hours.

June 4, 2005 started out like every other day for Brooklyn-based delivery man Jing Xue Jiang. The 26-year-old set out on his bicycle to delivery takeout food, but never made it to his destination – he was struck in an intersection by Jamaal Freeman, who was driving a rental car at the time and ran a red light. Jiang’s injuries were extensive, including fractures to his spine, leg, and forearm, as well as a severe concussion and a subarachnoid hemorrhage. Jiang was out of work for nearly six months, and claims to suffer lasting cognitive and physical impairment as a result of the accident. Recently, a jury awarded Jiang a total of $6 million in damages from the incident, covering his medical expenses and past, current, and future suffering.

If you or a loved one has suffered an injury because of another’s negligence, you need the advice of a highly skilled and experienced legal team. Contact the California car accident attorneys at The Heller Law Firm for a free consultation, or call us direct at 800-992-9947. You will hear from us either the same day or within 24 hours.

It took a while for the adult children of 91-year-old Esther Rannow to discern a troubling pattern in the treatment their mother was receiving at the Benedictine Living Community, an assisted living facility in St. Peter, Minnesota. In fact, it wasn’t until Rannow had lapsed into an unconscious state after having been dropped by a caretaker – the second such incident in a month’s time – that the puzzle pieces started to fall into place for the family. Rannow was eventually moved to a nearby hospital, where it was determined that she was suffering from septic shock due to an undiagnosed urinary tract infection. She died several days later. The family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the facility.

Has a medical institution failed to live up to a sufficient standard of care for you or a loved one? If you have been a victim of substandard health care, we can help you evaluate your legal options. Contact theCalifornia elder abuse attorneys at The Heller Law Firm for a free consultation, or call us direct at 800-992-9947. You will hear from us either the same day or within 24 hours.

In November 2009, Portland police officer Ty Garrison was making the rounds in his 2007 Crown Victoria cruiser when he glanced down at his in-car computer to determine whether there were any pending dispatch calls being directed to his attention. When Garrison’s eyes were off the road, his car struck a pedestrian who was crossing the street at the time, heading toward a neighborhood grocery store. 80-year-old Alganesh Negasi suffered multiple injuries as a result of the crash, including multiple leg fractures and a fractured pelvis. Her injuries necessitated a lengthy hospital stay and months of rehabilitation, and Negasi is no longer able to walk without assistance. The City of Portland recently paid $338,477 to settle the lawsuit that Negasi brought against the municipal government.

Has someone else’s recklessness caused you harm? If so, we can help. Contact the California motor vehicle accident attorneys at The Heller Law Firm for a free consultation, or call us direct at 800-992-9947. You will hear from us either the same day or within 24 hours.

In 2004, Millsbury, Massachusetts resident Laura Ginsi ‘s husband Joseph called to tell her that he was going to St. Vincent Hospital in nearby Worcester, complaining of feeling lightheaded, dizzy, and generally unwell. That event set off a two-month-long downward spiral of worsening health and unclear diagnoses. Later, Ginsi was transferred to large hospital in Boston, where it was determined that he had suffered several strokes and was suffering from brain cancer. In a medical malpractice suit that the couple recently filed against St. Vincent Hospital, it was claimed that the delay in diagnosis and proper cancer treatment lead to a number of irreversible health conditions, including blindness and the loss of ability to walk by himself. A jury agreed -- and ordered the hospital to pay the couple a combined $1,894,160 in damages.

Have you or a loved one suffered because of improper medical care? If so, let our team of experts explain your legal options. Contact the California medical malpractice attorneys at The Heller Law Firm for a free consultation, or call us direct at 800-992-9947. You will hear from us either the same day or within 24 hours.

The Carroll family of Huntley, Illinois was on their way to take three-year-old Gabriel to a pumpkin patch on Halloween night 2008 when the family pickup truck was rear-ended by a big rig driven by Jeffrey Repec. Tabitha Carroll, 32, was killed in the collision; her husband Randy and son Gabriel also suffered multiple broken bones and other injuries as a result of the crash. The lawsuit filed against Repec’s employer, Geils Farms, alleged that the driver was traveling at an unsafe rate of speed and was under the influence of marijuana at the time of the crash. The Carroll family received a $6.7 million settlement in the case, and driver Jeffery Repec is currently serving a prison sentence related to the collision.

Have you or a loved one suffered as a result of unsafe driving or other questionable corporate practices? If so, we can help you understand your legal options. Contact the California big rig accident attorneys at The Heller Law Firm for a free consultation, or call us direct at 800-992-9947. You will hear from us either the same day or within 24 hours.

When Ohio doctor Tara Shipman noticed fluctuations in the fetal monitor hooked up to laboring mother Debra Cobb, she dismissed them as normal rather than as indications that a problem was imminent. Instead of opting to perform an emergency cesarean section, Dr. Shipman allowed the birth to proceed normally. In a lawsuit, the family of the baby born that day, now-10-year old Haley Cobb, alleges that this error in judgment deprived the newborn of oxygen during the delivery process, resulting in Haley’s development of cerebral palsy, a debilitating medical condition that requires round-the-clock care. A jury agreed with the claims made by the Cobb family and issued a record-breaking $13.9 million award.

Has your family been touched by the tragedy of birth injury? We’re here to offer expert support and guidance. Contact the California birth injury attorneys at The Heller Law Firm for a free consultation, or call us direct at 800-992-9947. You will hear from us either the same day or within 24 hours.

67-year-old East Village resident Anthony Franzese was taking a break while walking his dog when a 45-pound window air conditioning unit fell six stories from his own building, bounced off the awning of a neighboring restaurant, and landed on his head, causing a fractured skull, a concussion, and permanent neurological damage. Later, when Franzese was undergoing emergency surgery related to his injuries, he experienced a heart attack and lapsed into a temporary coma. In a lawsuit stemming from the incident, Franzese claims that the window AC units were improperly secured and did not use the properly rated brackets. Franzese is seeking $21 million in compensation in the case.

Have you or a family member suffered injuries as a result of shoddy workmanship, defective products, or repairs that weren’t up to code? If so, we can help you understand your legal options. Contact the Los Angeles premises liability attorneys at The Heller Law Firm for a free consultation, or call us direct at 800-992-9947. You will hear from us either the same day or within 24 hours.