Oregon Injury Lawyer Blog

July 30, 2011

Oregon Child Injured in Motorcycle Accident

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.”

July 26, 2011

Multi-Car Crash West of Portland Kills One, Seriously Injures Two

by Matthew D. Kaplan

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.

July 23, 2011

Oregon Boating Accident is a Reminder to Put Safety First

by Matthew D. Kaplan

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.

July 21, 2011

Portland Children’s Injuries Highlight Need for Window Safety

by Matthew D. Kaplan

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.”

July 16, 2011

Washington County Moves Forward With Ambitious Bike Plans

by Matthew D. Kaplan

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.

July 11, 2011

Dog Attack Leads to Amputation

by Matthew D. Kaplan

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.

July 5, 2011

Salem Man Injured in Motorcycle Crash

by Matthew D. Kaplan

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.

June 30, 2011

Portland Child Injured in Fall From Window

by Matthew D. Kaplan

Family and neighbors in Northwest Portland are breathing sighs of relief after a six-year-old boy survived a fall from a second story window without serious injury, according to television station KGW.

It goes without saying that an accident like this could have led to a far more serious Oregon child injury, and will have to serve as a wake-up call for both family members and for many people concerned with kids’ safety. As KGW notes, many parents can easily forget that screens are designed to keep bugs out but are not strong enough to stop even a small child from falling through them.

Teaching children the importance of safety around windows is as crucial as teaching them the dangers of electrical sockets. The link below to the Campaign to Stop Window Falls contains a number of simple safety tips. Many of these amount to basic common sense, such as the group’s admonition to “only allow windows to open 4 inches” by inserting a window stop or similar device into the window track, and a reminder to keep windows locked when they are closed.

June 29, 2011

Portland Industrial Accident Injures One

by Matthew D. Kaplan

Early reports that an Oregon industrial accident in North Portland left a worker critically injured have proven to be premature, according to The Oregonian. The newspaper, quoting an emergency services spokesman, reported that it was originally believed an explosion at SiC Processing had left a worker there with life-threatening injuries.

Several hours later it became clear that the victim was expected to make a “full and rapid recovery,” the paper reports.

The fact that the worker’s injuries were not as serious as was originally thought is a relief. But as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigates what the paper reports was a hydrogen blast a number of potential legal questions need to be considered.

June 23, 2011

Tualatin Crash leads to Oregon Drunk Driving Conviction

by Matthew D. Kaplan

A 25-year-old Oregon woman has been sentenced to a fine and a diversion program and also had her license suspended after pleading guilty to Oregon drunk driving, according to The Oregonian.

The short article, published earlier this month, is a useful reminder both of the serious consequences of Oregon drunk driving and the tough sanctions that even a first offense can entail. The article does not detail how Lauren Thomas came to be driving drunk when she caused an Oregon car crash in I-5 in Tualatin, but notes that she “drifted out of a lane of traffic and crashed into a flatbed pickup.” The truck’s driver was not injured in the accident.

Thomas, the paper reports, must attend treatment sessions and has lost her driving license for 90 days. She will also have to pay a fine and during this period “cannot consume or possess alcohol, or enter bars or liquor stores.” She will also have to read a book on the consequences of drunk driving and submit a report on it to the presiding judge in her case.