Hit and Run Auto Accident

There are crimes of passion, petty crimes, crimes of negligence and neglect, white collar crimes born of greed and corruption…it’s true to say there are almost as many types of crime as there are criminals. But then there is the crime that in many ways is worse than most others. Portland bicycle accident lawyers and Portland police officers take an equally dim view of the crime that is known simply as hit-and-run.

Even though we’re only one month into the new year, two Portland drivers have already been arrested and charged with hit-and-run. In both of these cases, the victim of the hit-and-run was a bicyclist. If the drivers didn’t know before, they certainly have been told at this stage that hit-and-run is a felony that can land them in prison, not a misdemeanor that will get them not much more than a slap on the wrist.

The fact is Portland has an outstanding police force, one that is dedicated and determined to follow up any crime and catch the person or people responsible. It’s also true to say that the Portland Police Department takes hit-and-run cases very seriously. Read the rest »

It’s not just cars that have shock absorbers. The human body has built-in shock absorbers in the form of cartilage, located throughout the body to protect bones and joints from wear and tear. The bones of the spine are stacked one on top of the other, and each joint is held together with small ligaments. The cartilage between each of these joints is what makes the back flexible. Without them, the spinal cord would be fused, and it wouldn’t be possible to bend, reach up, run, climb or twist in any of the motions that we use to swim, throw a ball, dance, or any one of a thousand things we do every day. In the spinal cord area, these pieces of cartilage between the various vertebrae are called discs, and Portland personal injury attorneys know that a bulging disc, particularly in the lower back area, is a common occurrence after a rear-impact car accident.

 What is a bulging disc?

When a piece of cartilage in the back is protruding either to the side of the spinal cord, or backwards, the injury is referred to as a bulging disc. While this type of injury is more commonly found in the lower back, they can also occur, quite painfully, in the neck, particularly in cases where the victim has suffered whiplash. People who have been injured in a car or motorcycle accident, or those who have fallen awkwardly, would be vulnerable to this type of spinal cord damage.

How do bulging disks occur during accidents?

The lower back is normally shaped in a smooth S-curve. When the body is involved in sudden and violent deceleration, such as frequently happens in car accidents, the spine is flexed forward and tremendous stress is placed along the lower spine in particular. Wearing a seat belt actually does little to prevent this type of injury (but Portland personal injury attorneys advise to always, always wear one when traveling in any vehicle), because when the body is forced forward, it pivots on the seat belt, adding abnormal force against the spine. When the cartilage can’t withstand the pressure, it pops out of place. In such cases, the injury is often referred to as a slipped disc.

Bulging Disc Symptoms

There are major differences between a slipped or bulging disc and a back muscle strain, even though the symptoms may start out the same. Both are exceptionally painful, and the sufferer will experience decreased mobility. Where a slipped disc is involved, the patient will often feel sharp or shooting pains that travel down from the back into the leg, perhaps all the way down to the ankle and foot. They may also feel a sense of numbness in a lower limb, or a sense of weakness. In most cases, a medical practitioner will advise bed rest and an analgesic. If these are successful in making the pain go away, then it’s extremely likely that a slipped disc is not the culprit. If, however, symptoms persist or worsen, a closer investigation will be required.

Read the rest »

Kelley Miller Fundraiser – Help a Hit and Run Accident Victim

Date: September 17, 2011
Location: Portland Family Farm & Home, 1870 E. Grand River, Portland

Friends of a Mulliken woman who is now a ventilator-dependent quadriplegic following a hit-and-run accident, are holding an auction and fundraiser to help cover her medical treatment and transport costs.

Kelley Miller, 44, was thrown from her truck on July 31st, when her truck was struck by another vehicle and rolled over into a median near I-96 and I-69. Police have identified the other driver and questioned him about the accident. They have also examined his vehicle, and since the accident, two additional witnesses have come forward.

Miller needs to be moved to Colorado for further treatment. Transportation costs and other expenditures have drained her family’s financial resources. In addition, doctors at the Colorado facility where Miller will undergo rehabilitation have asked that two family members be present for the six to 12 months that will take. Unfortunately, Miller’s husband is on permanent disability with severe diabetes, and Miller’s own employment with General Motors has been on a temporary basis for eight years; thus, she has no medical insurance.

So her friends have stepped in to help. They are holding an auction and luncheon, to be held at The Portland Family Farm & Home, 1870 E. Grand River, Portland, on September 17th. The event will run from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and costs $8 for adults and $5 for children. All proceeds will go towards Miller’s family’s travel, lodging and other expenses while she is undergoing treatment.

We would like to encourage anyone and everyone to attend this very worthwhile and important event, and we offer our support. We hope Kelley is on the road to recovery, and that this fundraiser will help ease some of the financial burden her family is facing at this very trying time. As hit and run lawyers, we understand how much financial stress can result from a crash like this, and we hope by posting this blog that we encourage attendance to help Kelly Miller’s family.

Date:  July 3, 2011
Location:  Cordon Road NE and 55th Ave. NE, Salem
Name:  Octavio Hernandez-Cornado

A suspected hit-and-run driver was arrested on board a Greyhound bus en route to Mexico Sunday afternoon and charged with assault, hit and run driving and driving with a suspended license.

Shortly after 1 a.m. Sunday morning, emergency crews were called to a head-on crash near Cordon Road NE and 55th Avenue NE; two vehicles were discovered.  Patrick Wineman of the Marion County Fire Department said crews found seven accident victims at the scene. Two of the injured parties had to be extricated from their vehicles by emergency crew members. All seven patients were rushed by ambulance to Salem Hospital. The two who had to be removed from their vehicles were described as being in a critical condition.

Acting on information obtained during investigations, officers boarded a Greyhound bus headed for Mexico on Sunday afternoon and arrested Octavio Hernandez-Cornado, 35, of Salem.  Hernandez-Cornado was taken into custody in Ashland, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s office.

Hit-and-run is a serious crime, and conviction will result in driving privileges being suspended or revoked. In any accident, those involved have the following obligations:

• Stop at once. If anyone is killed or unconscious, you must stay at the scene until a police officer arrives.
• Render aid. Do not move an injured person carelessly, but give reasonable aid
• Exchange information with the other driver. Give them your name, address, driver’s license number, license plate number, and insurance information. DMV offers a printable checklist you can download and keep in your car.
• Report the accident to DMV.

Hit-and-run is a serious violation of Oregon Vehicle Code 811.705. The hit-and-run driver must be held civilly and criminally responsible for his actions. In a case like this, the injured parties may be well advised to contact a reputed personal injury attorney with experience in hit-and-run crashes who will fight for the justice and compensation they deserve. At Shulman DuBois, we believe that what happened to these victims is simply unacceptable; we are committed to making sure that hit-and-run drivers are held accountable for their actions and that both victims and families receive the compensation they deserve.

Location: 47th Avenue NE, Northeast Salem
Names: Morales Singer, Jake Montano

A 19-year-old man who had been sought in an Oregon hit-run fatality, finally turned himself in to police, according to The Oregonian.

On Wednesday January 26 at about 11:30pm, Morales Singer, age 37 of Salem and a father of three, was struck and killed as he walked on a foggy night along a poorly lit section of 47th Avenue NE. Marion County Sheriff’s deputies found Singer lying in the street near Edwin Court NE, and he was pronounced deceased at the scene. Singer had been walking home from Shooter’s Café & Saloon on Silverton Road, and he was wearing a light-colored shirt and tan shorts.

When deputies arrived on the scene, the car and driver that struck Singer were gone. Police put out the word that the suspect vehicle appeared to have sustained damage to the windshield, right front and side, hood, right front headlight and was also missing a right side mirror. A heavy media blitz followed, and within days the police had recovered a suspect black 1990 Honda Accord that had been taken to a Salem business for repairs of obvious damage.

On Tuesday evening February 1, accompanied by his girlfriend, Jake Montano, age 19 of Salem, turned himself in to Marion County Sheriff’s deputies. Montano admitted that he was driving the Honda Accord that struck and killed Singer, and that he was reading a cell phone text message while he was driving. When he looked up, Singer was crossing the street. Montano said he swerved to avoid Singer, but Singer jumped in the same direction and the car struck him. Montano said that he was driving about 45mph before striking Singer, and that he fled after the collision and tried to destroy evidence by taking his car in for repairs. Montano told officers that he had been planning to turn himself in and knew that there was nowhere to hide after heavy media coverage continued.

Montano was being held without bail on charges of first-degree manslaughter and felony failure to perform the duties of a driver. He has previous convictions for eluding police officers and unlawful entry into a motor vehicle.

Our thoughts go out to the entire Singer family, especially to his children who are left without a father because of this terrible tragedy. We hope that they will receive the help and support they need in the aftermath of this life-altering event.

Hit-and-run is a serious violation of Oregon Vehicle Code 811.705. The hit-and-run driver must be held civilly and criminally responsible for his actions. In a case like this, the Singer family may be well advised to contact a reputed Oregon personal injury attorney with experience in hit-and-run crashes who will fight for the justice and compensation that they deserve. At Shulman DuBois, we believe that what happened to Mr. Singer is simply unacceptable; we are committed to making sure that hit-and-run drivers are held accountable for their actions and that both victims and families receive the compensation they deserve.

It is also a reminder of the tragic consequences that can happen when a driver allows a cell phone to distract his driving. If you are suffering because of a car accident, whatever the circumstances, we can provide answers to your questions if you contact us.

Date: January 26, 2011
Location: NE Third and Seward, Bend
Name: Anthony John Martin

Bend, Oregon police believe that they have recovered a 2008 GMC pickup truck that struck and killed a man walking his bicycle across the street, and have identified an unnamed ‘person of interest’.

Local media reports indicate that just before 11pm on January 26, Anthony John Martin, age 48, was walking his bicycle across Third Street, a little south of Seward Avenue in Bend, when a truck struck him and continued driving south without stopping. A witness to the crash and police officers, gave CPR to Martin, but he died at the scene.

Our sincere condolences go out to the friends and family of Mr. Martin, who are mourning his loss after this horrendous accident and callous aftermath. We hope that justice is swift in this case, and that the driver of the hit-run vehicle is found and prosecuted.

Hit-and-run is a serious crime, and conviction will result in your driving privileges being suspended or revoked. In any accident, you have the following obligations:

• Stop at once. If anyone is killed or unconscious, you must stay at the scene until a police officer arrives.
• Render aid. Do not move an injured person carelessly, but give reasonable aid.
• Exchange information with any other drivers. Give them your name, address, driver’s license number, license plate number, and insurance information. DMV offers a printable checklist you can download and keep in your car.
• Report the accident to DMV.

We implore drivers in any accident situation to put the safety and welfare of others above their own interests, and always, always remain at the scene and make sure no one is hurt. Hit-and-run is a serious violation of Oregon Vehicle Code 811.705. The hit-and-run driver must be held civilly and criminally responsible for his actions. In a case like this, the Martin family may be well advised to contact a reputed Portland pedestrian accident attorney with experience in hit-and-run crashes who will fight for the justice and compensation that they deserve. At Shulman DuBois we are committed to making sure that hit-and-run drivers are held accountable for their actions and that both victims and families receive the compensation they deserve.