The family of Steven Domalewski, a New Jersey boy who suffered brain damage during a baseball game in 2006, filed a lawsuit in Superior Court. Steven was 12 years old when he was pitching in a Police Athletic League game and was hit in the chest by a baseball. The ball was hit off of a 31-inch, 19-ounce Louisville Slugger TPX Platinum bat. Steven’s heart stopped beating and his brain received no oxygen for 15 to 20 minutes. His family has sued Hillerich & Bradsby Co., the bat’s maker, Little League Baseball, and Sports Authority, which sold the bat. Steven was not participating in a Little League game at the time; however, the organization has approved the bat as being safe for children. The Domalewskis claim that the defendants should have known that the bat was dangerous. Both Little League and Hillerich & Bradsby Co. deny any responsibility, as does the bat manufacturer.
If you live in the San Diego area and have been seriously injured, contact the law firm of Estey & Bomberger.
A 38-year-old woman was injured in a hit-and-run accident on May 13th. The woman was walking along Mollison Avenue in El Cajon, when a sedan struck her at Mollison Avenue and Merritt Road at approximately 8:30 p.m. The driver fled the scene, leaving the victim lying in the road. She was hospitalized with bone fractures in her face and legs. Police found the vehicle several blocks away, and the driver, a 52-year-old woman, turned herself in at police around 10:50 p.m. She was booked in the county jail on suspicion of hit-and-run driving. If you or someone you know has been injured in an auto accident, contact the law firm of Estey & Bomberger.
A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed in the Riverside County Court by the parents of a girl who died while competing in the Olympic equestrian sport of eventing. The sport consists of three competition phases: dressage, show jumping, and a cross-country obstacle course. Mia Eriksson, 17, died in November of 2006 when her horse fell at the Galway Downs Three-Day Event in Temecula, CA. The lawsuit states that Mia’s death was partly due to the course being made more dangerous to make it more “thrilling” for viewers. The family says the course also lacked safety precautions that would have lowered the risk of falls. The lawsuit seeks an unspecified amount of damages, and blames the United States Equestrian Federation, United States Eventing Association, and Mia’s former trainer, Kristi Nunnink. Ms. Nunnink claims that the Erikssons were aware of the risks involved in the sport. In the past year and a half, fourteen equestrians have died worldwide. Mia’s older sister, Shana, also died in an equestrian accident on the Fresno State campus in 2003. The family also filed a lawsuit in Shana’s death, and the case is currently being appealed. If you or someone you know has been seriously injured in an accident, contact the law firm of Estey & Bomberger.
An appellate court in Illinois ruled Friday that the city of Chicago is not responsible for the deaths of 21 people in a stampede in 2003 at the E2 nightclub. The stampede began after pepper spray was used to break up a fight on the club’s second level. Occupants fled down narrow stairs, and when they were unable to open an exit door, their bodies piled up, causing 21 deaths and dozens of injuries. The families of the victims filed many lawsuits blaming city officials for not abiding by building codes, such as failing to maintain adequate exits and violating occupancy limits. The lawsuits also state that police incorrectly handled rescue efforts. A three-judge panel with Chicago’s 1st District Appellate Court found the city not responsible because their actions were not willful. Attorneys and victims’ families plan to consider other legal options, such as petitioning Illinois’ highest court. In 2007, a club owner, manager and party promoter were all acquitted of involuntary manslaughter for the 21 deaths. The nightclub owners have already settled many lawsuits filed by victims and their families.
If you reside in the San Diego area and have been seriously injured, contact the law firm of Estey & Bomberger.
32-year-old Gregory T. Johnson of Lemon Grove was killed in a motorcycle accident on May 18th. Mr. Johnson was traveling westbound on state Route 94 east of Route 188 when his motorcylce drifted from the road and hit several large rocks at approximately 11:35 a.m. Mr. Johnson was pronounced dead at the scene.
If you or someone you know has been seriously injured, contact the law firm of Estey & Bomberger.
A 20-year-old man was seriously injured after being hit by a trolley on May 20th. The man was wearing headphones and had skateboarded onto the trolley tracks around 70th Street Station on Alvarado at approximately 5:00 p.m. The man was taken to Sharp
Memorial Hospital with serious head and limb injuries after being struck by the Metropolitan Transit System trolley.
If you or someone you know has been seriously injured, contact the law firm of Estey & Bomberger.
Thomas Irelan, 47, of Lakeside, was killed in an accident on May 19th. Mr. Irelan was traveling at approximately 80 mph as he was driving southbound on Route 67 to westbound Interstate 8. At around 4:30 p.m., he struck the center median and lost control of his 1987 Chevy pickup truck. The vehicle then fishtailed and spun out. The truck rolled down an embankment near the edge a Westfield Parkway Plaza mall parking lot. The vehicle then struck and tree and landed upside down. Mr. Irelan was pinned under the truck and was killed. If you or anyone you know has been injured in an auto accident, contact the law firm of Estey & Bomberger.
Investigations are continuing into the cause of the explosion at the San Diego Bayfront Hilton on May 19th. Fire officials believe the blast was the result of flames from a water heater or an electrical spark igniting natural gas that was leaking into the mechanical room. It has been determined that the blast was an accident. The investigation has been turned over to Cal-OSHA and they will decide if any of the workers violated Health & Safety codes. The explosion caused at least $5 million in damage and injured 13 workers and one firefighter. Three victims are still in medically-induced comas at UCSD Medical Center, and another remains at Scripps Mercy with orthopedic injuries.
A National City man was killed in a hit-and-run on May 19th. Melvin Meadors, 39, was walking on Sweetwater Road at Olive Street around 11:00 pm. Mr. Meadors was believed to be intoxicated when he fell into the street. He was struck by a vehicle while lying in the road. He died approximately 20 minutes later of major head injuries.
If you or someone you know has been injured in an auto accident, contact the law firm of Estey & Bomberger in San Diego.
An Ohio woman won $22.6 million on May 19th in a medical malpractice lawsuit. While in labor with her first child in September of 1997, Heather Grow’s baby got stuck in her birth canal for 13 ½ hours. Ms. Grow’s doctors had been aware that she had a narrow pelvic arch, and that issue became quite serious when the doctors realized that the baby was going to be rather large - about nine pounds. Not only did the child become stuck in the birth canal, but medical workers repeatedly gave Ms. Grow medication to contract her uterus in hopes to expel the baby. This caused the uterus to contract on the child’s head every one to two minutes for hours. The baby was eventually delivered by Caesarian section. The child, Cassie Grow, now 11 years old, suffered brain damage from her head being squeezed for a long period of time. She is mildly retarded, and is a spastic quadriplegic, meaning she has limited use of her limbs. She is able to walk short distances, but only with a walker, and has difficulty using her hands. The area of Cassie’s brain that processes vision was damaged, so she is unable to properly interpret what she sees. Her injuries are permanent.
The jury felt that the physicians should have known their actions would have caused brain injuries, and after five weeks of testimony, found Dr. Lisa Yang and her doctors group, Group Health Associates, negligent. The jury ruled that $22,646,023 be paid to the Grow family by Dr. Yang and her group. $7,959,747 of that is for Cassie’s future medical bills, and $7.5 million is for her loss of ability to perform usual activities in the future. She also was awarded $3 million for pain and suffering. Group Health Associates and Good Samaritan Hospital denied that they were negligent.
If you reside in the San Diego area and have been injured, contact the law firm of Estey & Bomberger.
