2010 July Archive

Date: July 9, 2010
Location: I-84 near Boardman, Oregon
Names: Timothy J. Roberts, Hunter Cole

A driver’s medical emergency led to a crash in which he and an 8-year-old boy were injured, according to an OSP press release.

The crash happened around 8:30 AM on July 9, 2010 when Timothy J. Roberts, 33, of Kennewick, Washington, had a medical emergency while driving east on I-84 near Boardman, Oregon. The car Roberts was driving went out of control, veered into the Boardman Rest Area and crashed into two parked semi-trailers, then rolled several times, coming to stop on its wheels.

Roberts and a passenger, Hunter Cole, 8, of Kennewick, received non-life threatening injuries. They were taken by ambulance to Good Shepherd Medical Center in Hermiston, Oregon.

State police say that Roberts and Cole were both wearing safety restraints, preventing more serious injuries.

We are very glad Roberts and Cole were safely buckled in and escaped worse injury, and hope this crash will be a reminder to all drivers to use safety restraints whenever they’re driving. We send Roberts and Cole our best wishes for complete recovery.

When a driver passes out due to a medical condition, it can be difficult to figure out whose fault it is. You may be surprised to read this from a personal injury attorney, but it may be nobody’s fault. A freak accident is what we call an “act of God,” and nobody gets blamed. But, here are some other possibilities:

• The driver may have been on medication that specifically stated he shouldn’t drive. That would raise Oregon driver liability issues.
• The driver may have been on medication that did not state he shouldn’t drive, but should have! That would make it the fault of whoever produced, tested, and labeled the medication.
• The driver may have been on medication that should state that he shouldn’t drive, but the pharmacist mislabeled it. Pharmacy’s fault.
• The driver’s doctor may have misdiagnosed a condition, and therefore failed to tell the driver that he shouldn’t be driving.

There’s no way to know what actually happened to cause this tragedy without further investigation. This is certainly a situation that can get complicated fast. A competent Portland personal injury attorney can help guide you through the process.

Date: July 9, 2010
Location: Highway 211 & Kropf Road near Molalla, Oregon
Names: Anthony Michael Foix, Mary Elizabeth Foix, Darren Roy Foix-Jones, Jonaton Rios, Edgar Jesus Rojas

Five people were injured in a two-car crash on July 9, 2010, at the intersection of Highway 211 and Kropf Road near Molalla, Oregon. Police are continuing to investigate the crash, according to an OSP news release.

Around noon, a car driven by Jonaton Rios, 18, of Woodburn, was traveling east on highway 211, attempting to turn left onto SE Kropf Road, when it collided with a westbound car driven by Anthony Michael Foix, 64, of Oregon City. The crash sent both cars into the intersection, where they came to rest.

Rios and a passenger, Edgar Jesus Rojas, 18, of Gervais, had minor injuries. They were taken by ambulance to OHSU for treatment. Police are trying to determine whether Rios and Rojas were wearing safety restraints.

Foix was seriously injured, and was transported by LifeFlight to Legacy Emanuel Hospital. Two passengers, Mary Elizabeth Foix, 63, and Darren Roy Foix-Jones, 16, both of Oregon City, sustained non-life threatening injuries, and were taken by ambulance to OHSU. All three were wearing safety restraints.

We send our prayers and hopes for healing to all the victims in this crash, including Jonaton Rios, Edgar Rojas, Anthony Foix, Mary Elizabeth Foix, and Darren Foix-Jones. We hope you are home from the hospital soon.

If you have been in a car crash, the moments and days after the accident are the most important. First, you must seek medical attention as soon as possible. Even if you think your injuries are minor, you should have a record of anything after the accident in case the pains become more serious. Second, either you, a friend or family member, or a qualified Oregon car accident attorney, should collect evidence from the accident scene. Evidence can disappear quickly, so doing this while your loved one is in the hospital is of extreme importance. We understand that you may not want to do this while you or your loved one is in the hospital, so you may want to ask an Portland personal injury lawyer to do it for you.

The months after an accident are important as well. There are time limits to filing a claim if you have been in an accident. And sometimes you can’t go back to work, so you start to worry about paying medical bills and wage loss. These are all stressful things, and it doesn’t help that the insurance company won’t leave you alone, but they won’t help you either. So please, do not hesitate to call us or request a free copy of our book, 7 Common Mistakes That Can Wreck Your Oregon Accident Case. Our website has helpful advice, and what we don’t cover there, we will be more than happy to answer ourselves.

Date: July 10, 2010
Location: I-5 near Halsey/Brownsville interchange, Brownsville, Oregon
Names: Amy Elizabeth Langler, Evan Langler

State police are trying to determine the cause of a single-car rollover crash that killed a Portland mother and seriously injured her son on July 10, 2010, as they drove southbound on I-5 near the Halsey/Brownsville interchange in Brownsville, Oregon.

Around 9:40 AM, a car driven by Amy Elizabeth Langler, 43, of Northwest Portland, changed from the right to the left lane and drove partially onto the center gravel shoulder, according to an OSP press release. Witnesses said it appeared that the driver tried to get back into the southbound lane, but over-corrected and lost control. The car rolled several times, coming to a stop on the center grass median strip.

Amy Langler was pronounced deceased at the scene of the Oregon car accident. Her son, Evan Langler, 8, who was riding in the car, was taken to Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Corvallis with serious injuries, then transferred to Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. Evan is expected to survive.

Amy and Evan Langler were the only people in the car. Both were wearing safety restraints.

OSP troopers from the Albany Area Command office are trying to determine what might have caused the crash.

We send our most heartfelt wishes to all of Amy Langler’s family and friends, but especially to Evan for a fast, complete recovery.

Here are some facts about rollover crashes.

When a person tries to correct the wheel while driving, a car should skid, not roll over. It should be very difficult to make a car roll over. However, it’s an unfortunate truth that there are some models and makes of vehicles that roll over very easily. These makes and models are well known and there have been successful lawsuits against the companies who build, sell and profit from these vehicles.

When a vehicle rolls over, it may be entirely driver error or it may be partially driver error and partially poor design. The difference is that the driver error is to be expected. We all know that drivers sometimes make errors and sometimes a quick correction is necessary, for example, when a deer runs in the road or even a cow. A driver should be able to jerk the wheel, make a sudden maneuver around an obstacle or to correct a drift without the car flipping over and causing injury or death.

In addition to being more stable and less likely to roll over, a car should be designed so that if it does roll over, there is enough strength and stability in the roof that the people inside don’t get crushed. Whenever there’s a rollover crash like this one, it may be easy to blame the driver. But there is another very important factor. And that is the companies who are making this car who know very well that the car is dangerous but who do nothing to correct it because it would cut into their bottom line.

Shulman DuBois LLC represents victims of accidents. Our clients deserve representation with our experience, sensitivity and tenacity. Should an unfortunate episode find you or someone you know in need of representation as a result of an accident-related injury or death, the best thing you can do for yourself is to get educated by reading our Frequently Asked Questions, exploring our Oregon Injury Research Library, or ordering your free copy of 7 Common Mistakes That Can Wreck Your Oregon Accident Case. If you still have questions, contact us.

Date: July 3, 2010
Location: Highway 97 near Bend, Oregon
Names: Laurie Elizabeth Hobson, Aaron Walker

A woman died, and a man was injured, in an early-morning two-car crash on Highway 97 near Bend, Oregon, on July 3, 2010, according to an OSP press release.

Around 3:30 AM, a car driven by Laurie Elizabeth Hobson, 48, crossed the center line. As the car traveled southbound in the northbound lanes of the highway, near the top of Lava Butte, it crashed head-on with a northbound car driven by Aaron Walker, 28, of LaPine.

Hobson was pronounced dead at the scene. Troopers have not found out where Hobson lived, but she had address information in SW Portland and Sunriver.

Walker had minor injuries and was taken by ambulance to St. Charles Medical Center in Bend.

Both Hobson and Walker wore safety restraints.

OSP troopers from the Bend and Madras offices are continuing to investigate the Oregon wrongful death crash.

We send our best wishes to Hobson’s family and friends after this tragic crash. We also are thinking of Walker, and we hope his injuries do not cause any long-term problems.

Any time someone is hurt or killed in an accident, it is tragic. And sometimes, not even the police know exactly what happened. But your injuries are very real–and so are your medical bills. If you have been injured in a car crash and are wondering how to find a good Oregon personal injury lawyer, we have information on choosing the right law firm for you, and rules to know when looking for an attorney. If you have any questions after an accident, let us know.

Date: July 8, 2010
Location: I-205 near Park Place Interchange, Oregon City, Oregon
Names: Melva Headrick, James Headrick, Walid M. Sallout

Two motorcycle riders were injured, one seriously, on July 8, 2010, when the motorcycle they were riding crashed into the back of a car on I-205 near the Park Place interchange in Oregon City, Oregon, according to an OSP press release.

The crash happened around 4 PM as James C. Headrick, 56, of Dallas, Oregon, was on a motorcycle with a passenger, Melva Headrick, 61, also of Dallas. As the motorcycle traveled north, it encountered slowing traffic, and crashed into the back of a car driven by Walid M. Sallout, 28, of Southeast Portland.

Melva Headrick was thrown from the motorcycle and over the concrete barrier. She landed in the left southbound lane of the highway and was seriously injured. She was flown by LifeFlight to Legacy Emanuel Hospital. She is expected to survive.

James Headrick was taken by ambulance to Legacy Emanuel Hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

Sallout was not injured.

OSP troopers from the Portland Area Command are continuing to investigate the motorcycle crash in Oregon.

We send prayers and wishes for good health to Melva and James Headrick. We are glad Sallout was not hurt, and we wish him the best as well.

Anytime a motorcycle rider is hurt in an Oregon traffic crash, we are reminded of the high injury and death rates for motorcycle riders. Several factors contribute to the potential risk: a motorcycle itself is more difficult to handle than a car, and two-wheeled vehicles are more unstable than those with four wheels. Adding to the danger, some motorists may find motorcyclists harder to see, or just aren’t watchful of them. And a substantial factor in many crashes is inexperience. This is why we welcome the new Oregon motorcycle training law requiring motorcycle skills training, applying to all riders by the year 2015. We are optimistic that this will make the roads safer for all.

Many questions arise out of a Portland car or motorcycle crash. And unfortunately, our minds don’t often focus on recovering; they usually go directly to the financial – medical bills, insurance policies, lost wages. How will you and your family get through it? Fortunately, victims have resources. That’s why we’re here. We’re not ambulance chasers; we’re Portland injury lawyers who feel it is our duty to help injured people deal with the insurance companies. And the first thing you should do after getting the medical help you need is to go to our website – not to give us your business, but to read our free tips, download helpful documents, or request a free copy of our book. And if that’s not enough, you can always contact us to ask us any questions.

Date: July 2, 2010
Location: Highway 97/Highway 197 Junction near Madras, Oregon
Names: Fern Irving, Iva Hasenbank, Tyson Trout, Leslie Trout, [Unknown]

An 80-year-old Athena, Oregon woman died July 2, 2010, around 12:35 PM, in a two-car crash at the intersection of Highway 97 and Highway 197 near Madras, Oregon, according to an OSP press release.

The crash occurred as a pickup truck pulling a camper trailer, driven by Tyson Trout, 31, of White Salmon, Washington, drove north on Highway 97, approaching the junction with Highway 197. Trout tried to make a left turn onto Highway 197, and collided with a southbound car driven by Fern Irving, 80, of Athena.
Irving was pronounced dead at the scene.

A passenger in Irving’s car, Iva Hasenbank, 71, of Adams, was seriously injured in the crash. She was transported to Mountain View Hospital in Madras.

The truck driven by Trout had three passengers, his wife, Leslie Trout, 31, and their two children, a 12-year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy. All of them refused medical treatment.

All persons involved were wearing safety restraints.

OSP troopers are continuing to investigate, and have not yet taken any enforcement action.

We are saddened to hear of Irving’s death, and we send our thoughts to her family. We also send our prayers for a speedy recovery to Hasenbank. We are thinking of the Trout family as well, especially the two children. Even if you are not injured, a Portland car crash can be traumatic, and we’ll be thinking of all of you.

The moments and days after a crash are the most important. First, you must seek medical attention as soon as possible. Even if you think your injuries are minor, you should have a record of anything after the accident in case the pains become more serious. Second, either you, a friend or family member, or a qualified attorney, should collect evidence from the accident scene. Evidence can disappear quickly, so doing this while your loved one is in the hospital is of extreme importance. We understand that you may not want to do this while you or your loved one is in the hospital, so you may want to ask a Portland auto accident attorney to do it for you.

The months after an accident are important as well. There are time limits to filing a claim if you have been in an accident. And sometimes you can’t go back to work, so you start to worry about paying medical bills and wage loss. These are all stressful things, and it doesn’t help that the insurance company won’t leave you alone, but they won’t help you either. So please, do not hesitate to call us or request a free copy of our book, 7 Common Mistakes That Can Wreck Your Oregon Accident Case. Our website has helpful advice, and what we don’t cover there, we will be more than happy to answer ourselves.