Kentucky Injury Lawyer Blog

There was a tragic single-car accident on US31 near Elizabethtown (Hardin County), Kentucky that resulted in the senseless death of three young people. Two others in the car, including the driver, were seriously injured.

According to KSP, Nathan A. King was driving a 1998 Mazda 626 south on US31 at what witnesses say was a high rate of speed. Mr. King's vehicle entered a slight left curve, sideswiped the wall, and traveled across both lanes, exiting on the right shoulder and striking a guardrail. The vehicle flipped over the guardrail and overturned numerous times before coming to a final rest on its roof.

Mr. King, 21 of Ekron, Kentucky, was stat-flighted to University of Louisville hospital with life threatening injuries. According to KSP, three of the passengers were ejected from the vehicle. 22 year old Brian Butt, 23 year old Michael Butt, both of Ekron, Kentucky, and 23 year old Dereke Chism of Guston, Kentucky, were pronounced deceased at the accident scene. A fourth passenger, 22 year old Bruce Butt of Radcliff, Kentucky, was transported to the University of Louisville hospital where he was treated and released.

The accident is still under investigation by Kentucky State Police. KSP is reporting that they believe alcohol and/or drugs may have been a factor in causing the wreck.

From a legal perspective, it sounds like Mr. King was driving negligently and, therefore, would be legally responsible for what happened to his passengers. There are defenses, however. I would want to have an experienced accident-reconstructionist investigate in addition to what KSP is doing.

There was an injury accident in Hickory, Kentucky this week that illustrates the extremely serious and, unfortunately, growing problem with distracted drving--specifically using a cell phone while driving.

Kentucky State Police are reporting that Rodney Hall was traveling east bound on US 60 when his attention was diverted while he attempted to answer his cell phone. Mr. Hall, who was driving a 1995 Buick Lacrosse, crossed the center line striking Matthew Wright head on. Mr. Wright was driving his 199 Ford Taurus west bound.

Mr. Hall was life-flighted to St. Mary's Hospital in Evansville, Indiana. Both Mr. Wright and his passenger, Shanna Loften were transported by the Livingston County Ambulance Service to Western Baptist Hospital in Paducah, Kentucky.

Commentary by Kentucky auto accident attorney, Shawn Cantley: "Driving while using a cell phone can be as dangerous as driving drunk. Please do not do it. We are attempting to get strong legislation passed that would make driving while using a cell phone a crime, but until that happens, offenders who drive while on their cell phones and hurt people will have to be held accountable in the civil justice system."

For more information on how the civil justice system works to help shift the burden from the innocent victim to the negligent person, please contact Shawn Cantley at 502-587-2002 or send him an email by clicking here: email_shawn.

Steven Haworth, age 57, of Charlestown, IN, and Troy Anderson, age 40, of Louisville, both died of injures from an auto accident on Friday 3/5/2010. The accident occurred around 4:00 p.m. in the afternoon near Hansberry Road. The accident is still under investigation, but initial reports indicate that one of the drivers crossed the center line, which caused the crash. Both men were taken to University Hospital, where they died of their injures.

Auto accident & wrongful death attorney Brent Ackerson stated: “This is a tragedy for both families. It’s a case where the families look to determine what happened and who was at fault. Fault is the driving factor that will afford a recovery for their loss through the legal system. Due to the nature of this crash, an accident re-constructionist will likely need to get to the scene of this accident quickly to preserve the evidence and help the families proven what happened.”

For more information on the rights of people injured or killed in car crashes, call Brent directly (502) 587-2002 or email Brent. (Click here to email Brent).

Two victims in a head-on collision Friday afternoon in Clark County were identified Saturday by authorities as Troy Anderson, 40, of Louisville, and Steven Haworth, 57, of Charlestown.

The wreck happened on Ind. 160 when one of the two vehicles crossed the center line, but there is no information at this time about which vehicle did so. Anderson and Haworth, who died at University Hospital in Louisville, were the only occupants of the vehicles.

Indiana trial attorney Vanessa Cantley comments: "It is extremely important that an experienced accident reconstructionist be dispatched immediately so that Mr. Anderson's and Mr. Haworth's families can get answers about how exactly this tragedy happened."

For more information about the rights of victims injured or killed in Indiana automobile collisions, please contact Vanessa Cantley directly by calling (502) 587-2002 or e-mailing her by clicking here: e-mail Vanessa.

Earlier this week two young men were arrested for racing their cars over 100 mph down Shelbyville Road. Austin Cambron and Samuel Mingo, both in their 20s were arrested Thursday after they were caught by police racing their cars on Shelbyville Road near Douglas Hills. One of the arresting officers was nearly struck by the cars as they past him at speeds estimated over 100 mph. Cambron has been charged with reckless driving, racing a motor vehicle on a public highway, first degree wanton endangerment of a police officer, and driving on a revoked or suspended license. Mingo, who had three passengers in his car at the time, has been charged with first degree wanton endangerment, speeding, reckless driving, and DUI.

Auto accident attorney Brent Ackerson stated: “This sort of behavior is unacceptable. These young people not only risk their own lives, but also risk the lives of law enforcement and other motorists on the road. Jail time should be mandatory in situations like this where auto accidents will likely take the lives of innocent drivers.”

For more information on the rights of people injured by the reckless driving of other, call Brent directly (502) 587-2002 or email Brent. (Click here to email Brent).

Five people from Kentucky and a Florida woman are hospitalized following a wrong-way crash in Jacksonville, Florida.

According to reports, 28-year-old Shana M. Pruitt was driving south in a northbound Interstate 95 lane when the head-on collision occurred in Jacksonville. Her Ford Mustang hit an SUV driven by 38-year-old Joseph McGinnis, of Thelma, Ky., early Friday morning.

McGinnis, Pruitt and two passengers in the SUV suffered serious injuries in the crash. Two other SUV passengers sustained critical injuries.

For more information about the rights of those injured or killed in car wrecks, contact Larry Jones at (502) 587-2002 or by email: click here to email Larry.

It is with great regret that I report that a 3 year-old Missouri girl, Andrea Weatherspoon died in a wreck on Friday on Interstate 64 in Franklin County, Kentucky.

The child was a passenger in a truck being driven by her grandmother, Catherine Stults, 49, of Cape Girardeau, Mo.. For unknown reasons, the Volvo collided with a tractor-trailer driven by another trucker.

Bahe Cook Cantley & Jones attorney Larry Jones says, "As the father of two small children, I can't imagine the pain this family must be feeling, including the grandmother."

For more information about the right of those injured or killed in auto accidents, contact Larry Jones directly at (502) 587-2002 or by email: click here to email Larry.

Owners of Toyotas who have had their vehicles repaired after being recalled have complained to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that they have continued to experience sudden unintended acceleration (SUA) after the repair. This information adds fuel to the fire of those who doubt that the SUA problem is mechanical and is actually an electronic issue. However, Toyota continues to maintain that the issue is not electronic of software related. I posted about this a few days ago here.

Dangerous and defective products are responsible for many injuries and death nationwide. The issues involved in the Toyota recall will also result in lost value for owners of Toyota vehicles, sometimes call diminution in value. Class action lawsuits have been filed, and I am reviewing and accepting these cases.

Our profession calls this area of law products liability. Consulting a lawyer experienced in handling these matters is usually easy. Most attorneys will provide a complimentary initial consultation to evaluate a claim or case and let the person know if they can help.

Please feel free to contact me directly by e-mail for more information or to ask questions. Or just click here, and it will take you to a page containing contact information.

An early Sunday morning Louisville, Kentucky car wreck on Dixie Highway that claimed the lives of three men is being investigated for alcohol and drug involvement by the Kentucky State Police. The car crash also injured two other men in the vehicle.

Brian C. Butt, Michael A. Butt and Dereke Chism were all ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene. Bruce E. Butt and Nathan A. King, the driver of the car, both survived the wreck. King was airlifted from the scene and is in critical condition. All three of the Butts were brothers.

Witnesses reported to the KSP that the car, a 1998 Mazda 626, was traveling very fast of U.S. 31W southbound. It entered a curve, sideswiped a wall and then left the roadway, struck a guardrail and then flipped multiple times before coming to a rest on its roof. The wreck happened at about 4:40 a.m.

Our sympathies and condolences go out to the friends and family of the deceased and injured victims. These deaths unfortunately add to the increasing number of fatalities on Kentucky roadways as I have been reporting on here at kentuckyinjurylawyerblog.com. Let's hope the injured men make quick and full recoveries and can get back to her normal lives as soon as possible.

A crash like this raises many questions, such as whether there are causes other than driver error. It is imperative that a full investigation take place to determine if there were any factors at play causing this tragedy that are not readily apparent and to preserve evidence.

Although the KSP is conducting an investigation to determine the cause, and they typically good job, it is often important for someone involved in this type of accident to do their own investigation. Hiring a lawyer experienced in handling car wrecks can assure a victim of such a wreck, or the family, that their interests and rights are being protected.

A lawyer experienced in handling car and truck wrecks will know what to do to uncover any underlying causes that do not appear on the surface and may go unrecognized in other investigations. For instance, I have seen many accidents where it first was thought and reported that a seat belt was not in use, but later the facts indicate the seat belt was in use, but failed to work properly.

For more information on this subject and the rights of those injured or killed by another's careless and reckless activity in car accidents, crashes or wrecks, contact Louisville, Kentucky attorney Will Nefzger by clicking on this link: e-mail Will. You can also find out more information about me and my firm by clicking on the Website link at the top of this page and going to my bio page.

We've posted before about Toyota bragging about saving money and showing more concern about profits instead of people. Now, another story has surfaced documenting that Toyota's success in blocking a 2008 recall of its Sienna model, linked by NHTSA to 98 injuries caused by tailgate collapses, was categorized as a "win" for the company.

The memo cited $255 million in wins for the company, including the Sienna issue, and minimized the injuries consumers reported.

Dangerous and defective products are responsible for many injuries and death nationwide. The issues involved in the Toyota recall will also result in lost value for owners of Toyota vehicles, sometimes call diminution in value. Class action lawsuits have been filed, and I am reviewing and accepting these cases.

Our profession calls this area of law products liability. Consulting a lawyer experienced in handling these matters is usually easy. Most attorneys will provide a complimentary initial consultation to evaluate a claim or case and let the person know if they can help.

Please feel free to contact me directly by e-mail for more information or to ask questions. Or just click here, and it will take you to a page containing contact information.