Personal Injury News & Legal Insights from Maine

An investigation has ensued after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received 43 complaints of faulty brakes on certain models of Harley Davidson motorcycles. Riders reported that both the hand and foot brakes suddenly failed to work, resulting in three crashes and two injuries.

The death of an 18-year old visitor to the U.S National Whitewater Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, has drawn renewed attention to the safety of amusement parks and other attractions throughout the United States during this busy summer season. Officials reported that the young woman from Westerville, Ohio died of an infection caused by a rare, brain-eating fresh water amoeba.

Fourth of July is right around the corner and with the holiday comes concerns over how to stay safe in the midst of the fireworks frenzy. The personal injury attorneys at Hardy Wolf & Downing want to wish all of our fellow Maine residents a safe and happy Fourth, which is why we are providing a few fireworks safety tips in anticipation of the big day.

A head-on accident on West River Road took the life of a 47-year-old Sidney woman the night of June 15. Laurie Garland was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, after her vehicle crossed the center line of West River Road and collided head-on with a vehicle containing two juveniles. Both of the juveniles suffered minor injuries and one was taken to the hospital for observation.

Another motorcycle accident in Maine has claimed an innocent life. 36-year-old Robert Locke, from Lynbrook, New York, died after being thrown from his motorcycle on Alfred’s Route 111. According to state police, the victim had joined a group of friends for a trip to New Hampshire when the accident happened.

School is finally out and the summer is on its way. Along with the graduation parties, barbecues, and summer recreation, the sunny season brings a rise in injuries. Sources ranging from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to hospital emergency rooms confirm that accidental injuries swiftly increase during the summer months, and many of those are preventable.

A head-on collision in Orrington last week sent three people to the hospital, according to the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Department. Officers have not yet released the victim’s names, but report that the accident happened on Route 15, near Pleasant Hill Lane.

Drowning is the leading cause of injury-related death in children between the ages of one and four, according to the CDC. Swimming pools cause the greatest risk of submersion injury for children in this age group.

Government officials at the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) held a public forum in Washington D.C. to discuss methods of improving pedestrian safety, as state and federal data shows pedestrian injuries and deaths have continued to increase in recent years. The forum, held on May 10 2016, featured four panels, each of which looked at different facets of pedestrian safety.

A team of researchers from the University of Houston and the Texas A&M Transportation Institute compared three common types of driving distractions, finding a sixth sense protects distracted drivers, but not while texting.