Recent Blog Posts in April 2009

Elizabeth Jackson filed suit this week, alleging that a multi-car accident caused by David Jack and Brian DeAngelis left her with severe injuries that affect her daily life.

In November 2008, DeAngelis, who was working for KD Express at the time, rear-ended Jack while driving an International Ha Trucktractor in the northbound lanes of I-57.  Jack was driving a Chevy Impala, and crossed the median into the southbound lanes where he then crashed into Jackson's Dodge Charger.  Jack died as a result of his injuries.

In her three-count suit, Jackson alleges that DeAngelis was negligent in failing to reduce his speed and by striking Jack's car.  She also claims that Jack was negligent by traveling below the posted minimum speed limit.

Jackson says she suffered permanent pain, mental anguish, disability and disfigurement, as well as an inability to attend to her usual duties.  She also seeks compensation for medical expenses and lost wages.

If you have been involved in an auto accident that was not your fault, you may be entitled to a legal claim to collect compensation for injuries, medical expenses, lost wages and more.  Call one of our personal injury attorneys for a free consultation.  At Page Cagle, we fight aggressively to ensure that our clients get the attention and compensation they deserve.  Contact us today to begin building your case.

The parents of an Illinois student filed a wrongful death suit last month against a school district and its superintendent, claiming that the administrator's threats toward the student over a missing master key to the school tormented him into committing suicide.

According to the suit, while the plaintiffs' son was a sophomore at the high school, he was accused of having a missing master key to school grounds.  The defendant allegedly threatened him with felony charges, jail, expulsion and fines to get him to confess information.

After a third interrogation last October, the defendant suspended the boy after he admitted to a role in taking the key.  He claimed, however, he no longer had access to the property, but the defendant did not believe him.  According to reports, the defendant then screamed in the boy's face as he pounded his fists on his desk and kicked a trash can across the room.  He claimed other students said the student participated in a break in at the concession stand and planned to call the police. 

The suit stated that while attempting to attain a confession, he said the boy was "a liar" and "worthless." The day after this interrogation, the plaintiffs' son shot himself at home and died.

Although their son was not the only student interrogated, the plaintiffs believe that the suicide was a direct result of defendant's "extreme and outrageous" conduct over the missing key.  His actions caused their son, "severe emotional distress," and the interrogations violated school policy since his parents were not present.

If you believe that another person's intentional or negligent acts caused the death of a loved one, you may be entitled to a wrongful death claim.  Call our offices today and speak with one of our premier personal injury attorneys.

A construction accident along Highway 65 this week took the life of a 53-year-old Missouri resident.

The victim was standing next to a tractor-trailer when the semi began to pull forward.  At that point, he fell under the wheels of the trailer and was run over.  He died at the scene.

After investigation, a patrol reconstruction team stated that the truck appeared to be moving in order to move equipment.

If you have been injured in a construction accident, call our premier personal injury attorneys at Page Cagle in St. Louis today.  Our experience and know-how makes us the best choice when looking for help with a legal claim.  Contact us today for a free consultation.

Over the weekend, a tragic accident in Phoenix involving a Cadillac sedan and a semi-truck took the lives of three people, two adults and a one-year-old, when the truck driver failed to stop at a traffic light at an intersection 

According to the Phoenix Police Department, when the truck went through the intersection, it T-boned the Cadillac, killing the front-seat passenger and the one-year-old girl in the backseat upon impact.  The driver and the other passenger were taken to the hospital immediately, but the driver did not survive.  Currently, the female passenger remains in critical care.

According to preliminary reports, the driver was not impaired and criminal charges have not yet been filed.

Collisions involving semi-trucks are among the most dangerous car accidents on the road today, often resulting in major damages and even death.  If you or a loved one has been injured because of a truck driver's error or reckless driving, you may be entitled to a claim.  Call our premier St. Louis Truck Accident attorneys at Page Cagle today for your free consultation.

Texas Police in Lufkin arrested a woman suspected in a nursing home abuse case this week after an employee reported witnessing her physically abuse a patient.

According to the arrest affidavit, Shondra Rodriquez was caught abusing an 80-year-old woman last month at the Castle Pines nursing home.  According to the staff worker who witnessed the attack, she went to check on a patient after noticing her door was shut and her help light on.  When she opened the door she saw Rodriquez striking the woman on her left hand and noticed blood on the bed.  She immediately reported it to the hall desk.

After other staff members came into the room, they witnessed the patient's skin begin to bruise on her hands and arms.  Upon questioning, Rodriquez admitted to holding down the woman's hands and trying to fight with her.

When admitting a loved one into a nursing home, you expect that he or she is treated with care and respect.  When that trust is violated by suspected or known abuse, it can be a very traumatic experience.  If you have experienced or have suspicions of abuse, do not hesitate to call our offices and speak directly with a knowledgeable personal injury attorney.  At Page Cagle, we will fight to get you the compensation and attention you deserve.  Contact us today for a free consultation.

In 1995, a tragic fire erupted at the Blue Island, IL oil refinery and took the lives of two mechanics, Michael Forsythe and Gary Szabla.  This month, after fourteen years of litigating a wrongful death suit, their families finally received closure with a $12 million settlement with Clark USA.

At the time of their deaths, Forsythe and Szabla worked as maintenance mechanics for Clark Refining & Marketing, Inc. at the Blue Island oil refinery in the suburbs of Chicago.  In March 1995, a fire erupted at the refinery while the two men were on their lunch break.  After investigation, authorities concluded that the fire was caused by other refinery operators who were performing maintenance work on a pipe without making sure that the flammable materials inside it had been depressurized. 

Because the accident was caused by a co-worker's error, Clark Refinery was held responsible for the men's deaths.  As a result, Clark Refinery paid out worker's compensation benefits and the families filed wrongful death suits against Clark USA.  The suit alleged that the refinery's focus on reducing costs in order to increase revenue left less funding available for training, maintenance, supervision and safety, a decision that resulted in many maintenance workers being insufficiently trained to work on equipment.

When an employee is injured on the job due to another worker's error or negligence on behalf of the company, that worker is entitled to legal compensation.  If you have suffered injury or lost a loved one under such circumstances, please call an experienced personal injury attorney at Page Cagle today to discuss your options.  We are available 24/7 for a free consultation.

Among the string of recent news articles about pit bull attacks and vicious dog bans comes yet another suit involving injuries sustained from a pit bull bite.

A St. Clair County woman, Karie Darnell, filed suit last week against an East Carondelet couple claiming severe and permanent injuries to her hand and wrist after their pit bull-terrier bit her in an unprovoked attack in June 2007. 

At the time, she was visiting Debra and A.J. Mikel at their home when their dog Rocky attacked, biting her left hand and wrist.  As a result, Darnell incurred medical costs exceeding $10,000 and lost wages of more than $2000 during her recovery. 

In her suit, Darnell alleges that the Mikels' knew of Rocky's propensity to bite as he had a vicious and aggressive past.  Not only did they fail to warn her of his dangerous tendencies, but they made no effort to control him when guests entered the house.

Darnell seeks a judgment in excess of $50,000.

If you have been injured in an animal attack and need compensation for medical bills, lost wages, etc., call us at Page Cagle today.  Our premier St. Louis personal injury attorneys will speak with you personally in a free consultation, answering any and all questions you may have about your claim.

After years of litigation, the Pippenger family finally came to a settlement with Laidlaw, Inc., now First Student.

In December 2005, Brandon Pippenger, age 13, crossed the street to try and catch the morning bus to school.  Running late, he ran alongside it, waving his hand to get the driver's attention.  According to company regulation, buses are supposed to stop no less than 100 feet from a corner.  That morning, not only did the driver not check his mirrors but he also turned the corner without stopping.  Not seeing Brandon, the bus ran him over as it turned.

Brandon's mother Patty watched the whole thing in horror.  To this day, all she wanted was for Laidlaw to admit their responsibility for what happened.

The case would have ended last March, but the court ordered that the two parties settle out of court.  Confronted with all the facts pointing toward the driver's fault in the tragedy, Laidlaw finally agreed to settle with the family for $1.2 million.

"From the start, we wanted people to know that Brandon did not cause his own death.  He did not slip and fall under the bus," says Pippenger of Laidlaw's defense in the case.  With the settlement, it was made clear that the driver's error was the real cause for Brandon's death. 

If you lost a loved one due to the negligence of another, you may have a wrongful death claim.  Call our experienced Wrongful Death attorneys today to discuss your options in a free consultation.  Depending on the circumstances of your case, you may have a limited amount of time to file, so do not hesitate to contact legal representation.