South Florida Injury Lawyer Blog

In West Palm Beach, Florida, five people died on the Florida Turnpike on Friday night when the sport utility vehicle they were riding in rolled over after it blew a tire. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the driver lost control of the Ford Expedition and rolled into a 15-foot canal.

Eight people were in the SUV, which was completely submerged in the canal when police arrived. Troopers say that bodies had been ejected from the vehicle and children were crying at the crash scene.

Three people, a boy and two women, were pronounced dead at the crash scene. A dive team found the body of another boy the following morning. Another victim, a girl, was pronounced dead at Delray Medical Center, where the three survivors were also treated for their injuries.

Only four of the eight people riding in the SUV —driver Moline Etienne and the three injury victims that survived the crash—were wearing seat belts. The children were not riding in child safety seats or wearing seat belts.

The victims that died were Etienne, 23, Roodandray Louis, 3, Shelley Peters, 30, Natayel Meyer, 10, and Malesha Louis, 5. The victims that were injured but survived the crash are Gina Merceron, 41, Enichka Maurice, 15, and Shadrack Gustave, 6.

Tire Blowouts
There are many reasons why tire blowouts can happen. Defective tires is one reason that tire blowouts occur.

Examples of tire defects:

• Valve stem cracks
• Breaks in the tire fabric
• Damaged or exposed cords
• Knots and bumps resulting from tire damage

Tire blowouts can cause a motorist to lose control of the vehicle, resulting in motor vehicle collisions, SUV rollovers, and other catastrophic accidents.

5 dead in Turnpike crash,, Sun-Sentinel.com, October 18, 2008

5 Killed When SUV Rolls Over On Turnpike, WPBF, October 18, 2008

Related Web Resources:

The Hidden History of the SUV, PBS.org

Tire Blowouts on the Highway, Safety.com

Continue reading "Five People Killed in West Palm Beach After Tire Blowout Causes SUV Rollover" »

Posted by David J. Halberg, Esq. | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Motor Vehicle Accidents , Products Liability , SUV Rollovers , Wrongful Death

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In Palm Beach County Court and Palm Beach Circuit Court, Florida, 19 more defective products lawsuits have been filed against ConAgra Foods by plaintiffs that say they contracted salmonella after eating the company’s peanut butter.

ConAgra Foods recalled its Great Value and Peter Pan peanut butters over a year ago following a salmonella outbreak that occurred throughout the US. The Nebraska-based company says a roof leak and a faulty head in its fire sprinkler system is what caused the bacteria to grow in its Georgia plant.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that the Salmonella outbreak affected about 600 people. The food manufacturing company has already been named as a defendant in numerous other personal injury lawsuits. Thousands of other people may have gotten sick from the tainted peanut butter, but the CDC says that it cannot confirm any cases where there were no stool samples.

In Florida, damages for circuit court cases are capped at $75,000 if the defendant is a corporation based outside the state. County Court damages have a $15,000 cap.

Tainted foods are one of many products that can be cause for a defective products lawsuit if serious injury or death results from eating the contaminated food items.

While most Salmonella cases last four to seven days and do not need medical intervention, some people with Salmonella can have diarrhea serious enough to warrant hospitalization. Serious Salmonella cases can even spread to the blood stream, the intestines, and result in death.

If you or someone you love was seriously injured by a contaminated food or by a defective or dangerous household appliance, electrical appliance, motor vehicle, toy, nursery product, piece of clothing, firearm, medical device, prescription drug, piece of furniture, or another product, one of our products liability lawyers can meet with you to discuss your case.

Tainted peanut butter spurs 19 lawsuits in Palm Beach County, Sun-Sentinel.com, July 1, 2008

Salmonellosis, CDC.gov

Related Web Resources:

Con-Agra Foods

US Food and Drug Administration

Continue reading "19 Products Liability Lawsuits Filed in Palm Beach County Against ConAgra Foods After Plaintiffs Over Salmonella Outbreak From Tainted Peanut Butter" »

Posted by David J. Halberg, Esq. | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Products Liability

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