Oregon Injury Lawyer Blog

In the annals of serious and potentially serious injuries to children this one is as strange as it is frightening. According to the Associated Press, as reprinted in the Chicago Tribune, an 11-year old boy was recently injured at an Indiana amusement park when he “was bitten on the hand by an alligator.”

But wait: it gets stranger. The alligator bit the boy after another guest at the park, using a noose, lifted it out of its pen “and told children they could pet it.” When the animal began biting the man dropped it and ran away, reportedly hopping into a pickup truck along with a woman and four kids, even as he left other children alone with the now-loose animal.

From the standpoint of an Oregon personal injury lawyer with a special interest in injuries to children, where does one begin? Even allowing that the man was breaking the rules by picking up the alligator (not mentioned in the article, but it seems like a fairly safe assumption), what sort of zoo or animal park places potentially dangerous animals – like alligators – in a position where patrons can pick them up in the first place? Granted that someone was able to pick up a gator, one must then ask some tough questions about park security.

The good news, according to the news agency, is that the boy was not seriously injured. This, however, is the sort of situation where even if no lasting physical damage is done serious questions need to be asked and there needs to be real accountability among adults charged with keeping children (and other adults) safe in a public place. Were the proper precautions taken? Have law enforcement officials done enough to try to find the perpetrator, even as park officials work to ensure that something like this never happens again? These are exactly the sort of questions an experienced Portland child injury attorney can help you frame and ask of the appropriate people.

AP via Chicago Tribune: Alligator bites boy at Indiana amusement park

A young child (his exact age was not released by police) was injured in a Salem motorcycle accident involving a pick-up truck earlier this month, according to Salem-News.com.

I have highlighted the dangers of injuries to Oregon children from ATV accidents in previous blogs. The details of this incident – which involved a dirt bike, rather than an ATV, are, however, a reminder that children far too young to drive can be found operating motorized vehicles and that without the exercise of extreme caution tragedy can result in an instant.

According to the newspaper, the accident began with the boy “riding on dirt trails on his grandparents’ property.” The trail in question was apparently next to the road. Though accompanied by his mother, the child “suddenly drove into the roadway in front of the truck.” The Oregon motorcycle accident took place when the child’s dirt bike was struck by a pick-up truck traveling east on Lakeside Drive in Salem. The paper quotes both witnesses to the Oregon child accident and the driver of the truck telling police that “there was no way for the driver to avoid hitting the child.” The paper reports that there is no indication that the driver was “impaired.”

The paper reports that the child suffered serious injuries even though he was wearing a helmet. He was transported to Oregon Health & Science University Hospital in Portland following the Oregon motorcycle accident.

From the perspective of a Portland personal injury lawyer, it must be acknowledged that, unfortunately, accidents like these happen far too often. They are the most jarring kind of reminder that motorcycle safety and child safety are intertwined. Vehicle manufacturers need to be aware of the ways their products are used in the real world, parents and other responsible adults need to take proper precautions and motorists, to whatever extent they can, need to be on the lookout at all times.

Salem-News.com: Salem child injured in motorcycle crash flown to OHSU

A fatal three-vehicle Oregon car crash near Banks and Glenwood, to the west of Portland, left one person dead and sent two to the hospital with serious injuries, according to an account in The Oregonian.

The fatal Oregon auto crash occurred when “a pickup was headed east on Oregon 6 and near milepost 42, it crossed the center line and collided head-on with” a west-bound car. A short time afterwards another car happened upon the accident, was unable to stop in time to avoid it, and rear-ended the pickup.

The driver of the car involved in the first phase of the accident, a 68-year-old Cloverdale man, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, according to the newspaper. The driver and a teenage boy riding with him in the pickup truck were taken to an area hospital with injuries that the paper describes as serious, but not life-threatening. None of the four people – including a child – in the third car were injured.

The difficulties inherent in sorting out an accident like this one begin almost at the moment of impact. Police and emergency services workers work hard to save lives, other travelers are delayed or diverted (in this case, The Oregonian reports, the road was closed for five hours) and eventually everyone involved, or their loved ones, has to reflect on the aftermath of the Oregon multi-car crash.

This is the area where a Portland car crash lawyer can offer invaluable advice and assistance. Traffic citations directed at those responsible for an accident can have some deterrent effect, but leave many victims feeling that justice has not really been done. Oregon’s civil court system can help to fill that void empowering victims to right the wrongs they have suffered. An Oregon personal injury attorney is an advocate, but also a guide: a skilled professional who can help you understand the legal avenues open to you: how and what they potentially offer for those still seeking justice and a sense of closure in the wake of accidents such as these.

The Oregonian: State police continue to investigate fatal traffic accident on Oregon 6, names released

There are some obvious elements to boating safety – ones we are all aware of: wearing life jackets, for example. But a recent Oregon boating accident at Triangle Lake, which left one child severely injured enough to require evacuation by helicopter, is a reminder that there is much more to a safe summer by the water than life vests.

According to television station KVAL a girl was injured last week when she and “a group of kids on a church outing from the Salem area were being towed behind a 20-foot boat.” The girl “fell off the toy they were being towed on” and later complained of “back and leg pain.” Once at the hospital it was reported that the girl’s injuries are not life-threatening.

It is noteworthy that, according to KVAL, all of the children involved were wearing life jackets. The fact, however, that this precaution still left at least one child open to a potentially serious injury is a sad reminder of the extra precautions we must all take involving boating safety in general and children in particular.

From the perspective of a Portland personal injury lawyer who often handles cases involving injuries to children, it is never pleasant to see summer activities end in this tragic and frightening manner. Courts and lawyers should be the last thing anyone is thinking about while having fun at a beach this summer. For that to be possible, however, responsible adults need to think carefully about the activities they plan for the children and teens entrusted to their care. The ultimate cause of many accidents is thoughtlessness, something that, in an ideal role, it should not require courts and lawyers to reduce.

Tricountylife: Boating accident hospitalized one on Triangle Lake

KVAL: Girl flown to hospital by helicopter after accident at Triangle Lake

According to The Oregonian a shocking number of Portland-area children have been injured in falls from windows since the beginning of the summer. The newspaper recently reported that there have been eight such accidents in recent weeks, the latest one involving a toddler who fell “from the second-floor window of his family’s Southeast Portland home.”

The paper, quoting Portland fire officials, says the injured Oregon child suffered “a skull fracture and broken teeth.” Thankfully, the child is reported to have suffered no Oregon traumatic brain injury as a result of the accident. Such injuries are a particular concern when children fall from windows, as I noted in an earlier post.

In a related article the newspaper reports that there are roughly 4000 such injuries to children nationwide each year, with Oregon averaging “40 to 50.”

These injuries are particularly tragic because they are so easy to prevent. As The Oregonian, citing window safety experts, notes, simple solutions like stops which prevent a window from opening more than four inches are cheap, easy to install and can dramatically cut the number of Oregon children injured each year in accidents like this one.

Tragedies like this are also a reminder of the important role our courts, and Portland child injury attorneys, play in ensuring that people and companies take appropriate precautions to protect kids when they are near windows and in danger of falling. It is, of course, far preferable that accidents never happen, but also reassuring to know that our legal system provides opportunities for victims to seek justice when that becomes necessary.

The Oregonian: Southeast Portland boy recovering from injury after falling out of window

The Oregonian: Simple hardware, common sense can prevent children from falling out of windows

A recent article in The Oregonian details significant efforts in Washington County to improve the environment for cyclists, a plan that, if implemented, may help curb Oregon bicycle and car accidents as well as improving the overall quality of life in our region.

As the newspaper details, county officials are examining “projects aimed at improving transportation corridors and connecting key county roads and trails.” Bicycle commuters, the article reports, are of particular interest to planners with conscious attempts being made to design and build routes that “link to Tri-Met bus and light rail lines” with the goal of making long-distance travel easier both on bikes alone and using a combination of cycling and public transportation. The paper reports that Washington County’s efforts are being funded by a variety of sources at all levels of government and will take shape over a period of years.

Greater Portland, of course, has long prided itself on a bike-friendly reputation. But even in a city known to be welcoming to cyclists there is always room for improvement.

Oregon bike accident attorneys also play a role in helping to defend the rights and interests of bike riders in Portland and throughout neighboring Washington County, including the cities of Beaverton and Hillsboro. A Portland cycling attorney can help riders defend their rights and livelihoods when they have been threatened or injured during encounters with cars. Bicycles are vehicles and with a few notable exceptions (such as Interstate Highways) have just as much right to be on the road as any car.

It is heartening to see Washington County devoting some of its resources to improving trails and other transportation networks in ways that will benefit cyclists. With luck, other cities and counties around Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington will follow suit.

The Oregonian: In Washington County, momentum grows for adding bicyclists, pedestrians into transportation system

A recent horrific dog attack in Southern California should serve as a warning for Oregonians, and a reminder of the importance of keeping pets under control.

According to the Associated Press, police “have arrested the owners of two pit bulls that mauled a 75-year-old woman in a San Diego backyard, forcing the amputation of her leg below the knee.” The agency reports that the animals were later destroyed while the owners, a father and daughter, “could face felony charges of owning dogs that caused serious bodily injury.”

We have all heard stories about pit bulls over the years – the breed has an especially savage reputation – but even by the standards of dog attacks that have taken place here in Oregon and elsewhere around the country the savagery of this one stands out. The case is particularly tragic because, as the AP reports, this is not the first time these two particular dogs got loose and attacked nearby residents. The animals attacked a neighbor last Christmas.

It is important for victims in cases like these to understand that their pursuit of justice should not, and does not, end in the criminal courts. Victims, such as the one in this case, and loved ones should seek the advice of a Portland dog attack lawyer as soon as possible after an incident like this one to learn more about options available through our legal system for people who feel that true justice may sometimes require more than the issuing of a criminal citation.

AP via MyCentralOregon.com: 2 arrested for dog attack on California woman, 75

Resources:
What to do after a dog bite

A recent Oregon motorcycle crash left a Salem man hospitalized in critical condition, according to The Oregonian.

The newspaper reports the accident took place in Aurora at the junction of Oregon Route 551 and Ehlen Road. Quoting a press release from law enforcement officials, the paper says the Aurora motorcycle accident took place when the rider, who was obeying relevant traffic signals, entered the intersection and “was immediately hit by a 2006 Toyota Scion” whose driver “was turning left from eastbound Ehlen Road onto northbound Oregon 551.”

The motorcycle rider was airlifted to the Oregon Health and Science University Hospital by helicopter. The driver of the Toyota “was transported by ambulance to Legacy Meridian Park Hospital with minor injuries. He has been cited for careless driving and taking a dangerous left turn,” the paper reports.

One of the few pieces of good news in this Oregon car accident story is the fact that the motorcyclist was wearing a helmet. Still, the accident also highlights the degree to which responsible motorcycle riders can often find themselves at the mercy of irresponsible car drivers.

Accidents like this cannot, and should not, end with the issuance of a police citation. A Salem or Portland Oregon motorcycle accident attorney can help victims and their families examine every aspect of an accident to determine whether police citations alone ensure that justice has been done. When people are hurt – and especially when they are critically injured – justice requires more than a citation. Consulting with a Portland car crash lawyer can be the first step toward helping make your family whole again.

The Oregonian: Salem man critically injured in motorcycle crash near Aurora