Alabama Injury Attorneys Blog

What could only be a nightmare for a parent has become a reality for the mother of a Benny Bills Elementary School third grader after she was tragically killed in a car accident.

Alexis Thompson was just nine years old when she was involved in a serious car accident that would later take her life. Alexis was participating in an after-school program when her intoxicated stepfather, Dusty McDonald, noticed she did not get off the bus.

According to local authorities, the intoxicated McDonald drove his 1984 Chevy truck to get Alexis. After picking her up, he failed to notice a curve in the road and crashed his pickup into a tree. McDonald fled the scene of the car accident and left nine-year-old Alexis trapped in the vehicle. Alexis was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital from serious injuries.

McDonald fled the drunk driving accident scene on foot where he would later plead guilty to leaving the scene of an accident. On September 8th, McDonald pled guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide and a fifth offense of driving with a suspended license. For the drunk driving accident, McDonald was sentenced to 22 years in prison, which he will have to serve six years before he is eligible for parole.

Alexis Thompson's mother, Christina McDonald, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the school officials claiming they were negligent by allowing Alexis to ride with an intoxicated driver who was not on the approved transportation list.

The personal injury lawsuit alleges the after-school program leader smelled alcohol on McDonald's breath and allowed Alexis to be released under his care. The personal injury attorney representing Christina McDonald claimed this was a "substantial factor in a case involving the death of a minor."

The after-school program is only supposed to allow authorized people on the student's emergency card to pick up students. According to the school's policy, any program leader who suspects a parent/adult of intoxication or displaying erratic behavior must report it immediately and contact another parent to pick up the child. However, if the adult takes the child anyway, the police are to be notified immediately.

The wrongful death lawsuit asks that Christina McDonald be awarded a just and fair amount in compensatory damages for drunk driving accident that killed her daughter.

Continue reading "Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed Against School Board" »

The son of actor Ryan O'Neal has plead guilty to a drunk driving accident while he was under the influence of drugs. injuries from the automobile accident.

Continue reading "Actor Ryan O'Neal's Son Pleads Guilty in DUI Accident" »

On Sunday, three basketball players and two female companions where injured in car accident on US Highway 101. The three players and the two women were leaving a nightclub around 1:30 am when they swerved to avoid a tire in the road causing them to hit a median. After impact, the car spun out of control and into on-coming traffic where they were hit by another vehicle. The driver, Billy Head, was arrested for drunk driving accident on the scene. He was then taken to a nearby hospital for injuries he sustained during his accident.

Andrel Gaines, one of the other passengers, is on life support for a severe head injury that he sustained from the accident. According to the latest public update, Gaines is not expected to survive the tragic car accident. His teammate, Devontea Johnson, broke a leg in the car accident. While the two female passengers, Denise Bravo and Razelyn Amroco, suffered only minor injuries from the accident.

Ironically, Billy Head, the driver, was not in the motor vehicle at the time of the accident. Head left the vehicle right before the Cadillac was involved in the collision. The driver of the second vehicle was seriously injured in the car accident and being treated at a nearby hospital.

Continue reading "Basketball Players Critically Injured in Car Accident" »

A 17-year-old died in an Alabama Auto Accident this past Saturday about nine miles from Warrior. According to the Birmingham News, the auto accident in Alabama occurred around 1:00 a.m.

Mikal Ann Webb was rushed to The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) hospital were she was pronounced dead. Webb was driving a 2007 Honda Civic at the time of the accident. While there is no additional information at this time, Alabama State Troopers said there were no passengers in the vehicle at the time of the collision.

Continue reading "Warrior, Alabama Teen Dies in Car Accident " »

Ronald Dean Goodrich has filed a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of his mother, Virginia Goodrich, who was killed in a car accident involving another student driver.

Virginia Goodrich, 77, was hit by a student driver on May 11, 2010. The student driver, accompanied by a driving instructor, reportedly accelerated through a stop sign and crashed into Goodrich. According to the personal injury lawsuit, Ronald Goodrich is seeking damages from the following defendants: the driver, the driver's mother, and the driver's instructor, Randall Rasmussen.

The wrongful death lawsuit alleges the Rasmussen, who was riding as a passenger in the front seat, had a duty to look after the student driver. However, he failed to exercise that duty when the car accident occurred.

The wrongful death lawsuit also claims the Department of Public Safety and the school district failed to properly educate, train and supervise the instructor.

Continue reading "Car Accident Prompts Wrongful Death Lawsuit " »

An 18-year old female was hit in a drunk driving accident during her early morning newspaper route this past Sunday. The victim was standing behind her father's truck attempting to remove newspapers from the vehicle when she was stuck by a drunk driver.

According to the accident report, the accident occurred around 5:44 a.m. Chelsea Key Keift, 18, was driving with a blood-alcohol level of 0.23% when she smashed into the victim, leaving her pinned between the two vehicles.

Continue reading "Young Adult Hit in Drunk Driving Accident" »

A former police officer was awarded a $1.3 million settlement after an automobile accident left him disabled.

Forty-two year old Kenneth McMillian was responding to the scene of a robbed bank when he slowed to approach a traffic light. Jane Golden was following Office McMillan when she bumped into the rear of McMillian's police cruiser. Golden was driving a car owned by her father's company, Golden Garage and China Outlet. At the time of the accident, she was not on a cell hone and was not distracted. The car accident was a minor bump that caused no foreseeable damage to either vehicle. However, the accident caused McMillian's body to twist and in an unnatural position.

According to the personal injury attorney representing Officer McMillian, "the impact was not a very major impact" yet it managed to temporarily blind Officer McMillian. The collision also caused Officer McMillian nerve damage to his ulner neve making it impossible for him to hold and fire a weapon. McMillian's injury lawyer said, "since McMillian was unable to hold a gun, his career as a police officer was over."

The personal injury lawsuit settled out of court for $1.3 million.

Continue reading "Accident Awards Former Cop $1.3 Million" »

The mother of a child killed in a two-car crash in Harris County has sued CenterPoint Energy and Joslin Construction Co., alleging both failed to repair a malfunctioning traffic light. Alma Crus-Reyes lost her 8-month-old daughter in the crash on May 29 after a traffic light was not working due to maintenance. Another child, 3-year-old Valeria Mendoza, was also killed in the crash.

The two-car accident occurred around 1:40 p.m. after a 1997 Chevrolet Suburban collided with a 2005 Chevrolet pick-up truck. A total of 16 occupants were in the two vehicles and neither child was restrained in a child safety seat. State law requires children of a certain age to be secured in a safety seat.

The personal injury lawsuit alleges that the signal at the intersection of Garrett and Beltway 8 was under maintenance and not working properly. The wrongful death suit contends that the two companies, CenterPoint and Joslin Construction Co., should have provided warning signs to alert motorists of this hazard.

The personal injury attorney representing Alma Crus-Reyes said "the sole reason this accident happened was because they didn't advise anyone nor did they take steps to control the traffic once they turned off the lights."

The attorney for Joslin Construction has denied all liability stating that they had no involvement with the signal. CenterPoint Energy has yet to comment.

According to the sheriff's investigators who examined this fatal crash, all safety belts were occupied in the Chevrolet Suburban. A Harris County Sergeant said proper restraint would have saved these two children's lives. Both vehicles failed to stop at the signal and neither automobile stopped to treat it as a four-way stop. The fatal car accident remains under investigation.

Continue reading "Two Children Killed in Auto Accident- Traffic Light Malfunctioned" »

Last week a spring break trip turned deadly for four high school seniors in Alabama. The four students were traveling north bound on Interstate 65 near Clanton, Alabama when a southbound mini-van crossed the median and struck their vehicle.

The eighteen-year old boys: Riley Zimmerman, Matthew Roe, Evan Weaver and Alex Bauer all from Angola, Indiana were struck by Niall McNellis of Troy, Alabama. All passengers were wearing seat belts at the time of the accident, and as is standard procedure in these cases, toxicology reports are pending on all victims.

According to Alabama State Troopers, it is still unclear as to what caused the fatal accident. There was some speculation as to what weather conditions were like surrounding the two-car wreck. However, the Alabama accident report indicates that it was raining at the time of the accident. An eye witness account stated they didn't see any brake lights and didn't see any type of turn to avoid the 400-ft median.

A Tennessee woman was also injured in the tragic car wreck on I-65 after failing to stop her vehicle in time.

Continue reading "Alabama Crash Kills Four High School Seniors" »

Kevin Boykins, 26, of Ensley died this past Saturday at UAB Hospital after injuries sustained from a fuel-fed auto accident. Boykins was driving a 1993 Ford Crown Victoria on the night of December 19, 2010 when his vehicle was struck from behind by a 2009 Nissan Quest driven by Zenardo Marshall. Upon impact the 1993 Ford Crown Victoria ignited into flames engulfing both Boykin and another companion.

The crash occurred around 1 a.m. at Interstate 65 and University Boulevard. Boykins was severely burned from the accident and was attended to by the Burn and Trauma Department at UAB Hospital.

According to the personal injury attorneys representing Boykin, the fuel system and gas tank failed and caused large amounts of gasoline to spill out and ignite the vehicle. Boykins attorney filed a lawsuit on January 11, 2011 citing both Ford Motors and Zenardo Marshall responsible for the fuel-fed accident.

Ford has denied all allegations in this lawsuit. However, in the early 1990's Ford faced a number of lawsuits about the fuel systems in the Crown Victoria models. In 2002, Hoover, AL was among three dozen cities that filed lawsuits against the motor company claiming flaws in the fuel system increased the risk of fatal fires when the Crown Victoria was struck from behind. After the lawsuit, Ford eventually declared they would no longer sell police cars to the City of Hoover.

Law enforcement is still investigating the circumstances surrounding that crash.

Continue reading "Birmingham Man Dies from Injuries Sustained in Fuel Fed Fire Crash" »

A wrongful death case was filed after Laura Elizabeth Pullam, a 29-year-old from of Lowndesboro, Alabama, was killed in a horrific traffic accident on the 15th of December.

Pullam, a trained Emergency Medical Technician, EMT, had arrived on the scene of a two car crash on Interstate 65 South around 9:00 am Wednesday morning. While Pullam was trying to administer medical aid at the scene of the car accident (located around mile marker 161 near Hope Hull, Alabama) a 2006 Chevrolet pick-up truck ran off the road and stuck her. Pullam was immediately rushed to near by Baptist South Hospital where she later died from injuries sustained in the crash.

The driver of the pick-up truck, Robert Cumbie, was apparently traveling at an excess speed and trying to pass other motorists who had slowed due to the icy road conditions and EMT response at the accident scene. Cumbie sustained no injuries in the car accident.

According to Alabama State Troopers who investigated the fatal car crash said Cumbie, 42, was speeding with hazardous road conditions. Sgt Steve Jarrett with the Alabama State Troopers said they are conducting a traffic homicide investigation- all fatal crashes where the prime contributing vehicle survives falls under investigation from The Department of Public Safety's Traffic Homicide Unit.

Pullam leaves behind an 11-month old daughter, Belle, and her husband, Shane. The wrongful death lawsuit was filed by Pullam mother, Mary Smith, on behalf of Pullam's daughter.

Continue reading "Alabama Wrongful Death Case Filed in Montgomery" »

A Chicago firefighter who was paralyzed in a motorcycle accident in 2004 has reached a settlement agreement with Harley Davidson. Jim McMahon. 53, is paralyzed from the chest down because of a defect in his motorcycle. According to the personal injury lawyer representing McMahon, the Harley Davidson began to wobble due to the defective equipment and eventually crashed on an Arizona Highway causing his paralysis.

McMahon now requires a wheelchair and around-the-clock care. The lawyers and McMahon reached an undisclosed settlement on Thursday, November 4, 2010.

Twenty-five year old Felix Dominquez Ortega plead guilty today to two counts of murder for the deaths of Tad Mattle and Leigh Ann Jimmerson. Tad Mattle, 19-years-old, and his girlfriend, Leigh Ann Jimmerson, 16-year-old, were killed in a drunk driving accident when their car was hit by Felix Dominquez Ortega on April 17, 2009.

Ortega, an illegal immigrant, was drinking and driving when the accident occurred at the intersection of Whitesburg Drive and Airport Road in Huntsville, Alabama. Mattle and Jimmerson had stopped at a traffic light, where Ortega reportedly slammed into the back of their Toyota. Immediately after impact, the car burst into flames in the middle of the intersection. However, the police believe the two Alabama teenagers were killed before the fire started. Ortega then fled the scene of the accident but was later reported to police after he hit a car in his apartment building parking lot.

According to the prosecutors, Ortega's blood alcohol content was three times the legal at the time of the crash. Ortega received a 15 year-sentence as part of a plea agreement and is expected to serve 12.5 years of that sentence.

Continue reading "Drunk Driver Pleads Guilty After the Death of Two Alabama Teens" »

Diamond Harris, 18-years-old, was tragically killed Monday in a two-vehicle accident in south Alabama. The truck collided with a Safety Kleen vacuum service truck near Palmer Pillans Middle School on Dauphin Island Parkway. The Alabama accident occurred around 8:00 a.m. and resulted in a crumpled mess of steel.

Harris was a passenger in a Chevrolet truck driven by a 19-year-old. The 19-year-old driver was rushed to a nearby hospital and listed in critical condition. The driver of the Safety Kleen truck was not injured in the wreck.

According to one onlooker, "She was suspended there, just hanging there, and all I could do was prey to God to have mercy." Investigators have stated that Harris was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident.

Continue reading "Alabama Auto Accident Claims the Life of an 18-Year-Old Girl" »

A North Alabama couple was killed Saturday after their car collided with an unmarked police car. Gary Wayne Cox, 62-years-old and his wife, Sandra Standridge Cox, 53-years old, were pronounced dead at the scene of the accident by Coroner Mica Coffey.

Also injured in the two car accident was North Courtland police officer, Shane Mundy. Mundy was reportedly on his way to help with a funeral procession at the time of the accident when his car collided with the couple at the intersection of Lawrence County 217 and Lawrence County 460. According to a release from the Decatur State Trooper post, Mundy failed to stop at a stop sign; although no other mention of this has been made.

Alabama State troopers said Mundy hit the couple on the driver's side. According to a relative of the family, "The hit was so bad that it almost knocked the cab off the bed of the truck."

The State Troopers are conducting a full-scale traffic homicide evaluation from the crash scene.

Mundy is currently on administrative leave with pay.

The two car wreck occurred Saturday morning about four miles east of Moulton.

Continue reading "Alabama Couple Killed in Accident With An Unmarked Police Car" »