An 11 year old boy collected $16.4 million in accident compensation for the loss of his family and to pay for his care.

The accident happened when a truck driver lost control of his rig, owned by Dick Simon Trucking, when he was driving along Route 6 in Price Canyon. He went too fast down a curve and collided head on with a car. The car was being driven by Patricia and the passengers were Angelo who was six and Anthony Rynes  who was eight at the time. Patricia and Angelo both died, and although Anthony survived, his skull was severely fractured, as was his arm, leg and spine. He had a severe brain injury as his frontal and temporal lobes were badly damaged, permanently crippling his executive functioning, intelligence and behavior control.

After a four week trial, the Salt Lake County jury awarded $16.4 million to Rynes who is now living in a care facility.

If you have been injured as a result of an accident involving negligence, give our offices a call immediately. We have the expertise and experience to get you the compensation you need. Contact us at  (801) 990-0500 or contact us online today for a free consultation.

On Thursday a Texas man who caused a fatal car accident last year in southeastern Utah in which three people died, pleaded guilty on Thursday to three counts of class A misdemeanor negligent homicide and was ordered to serve 60 days in jail and 12 months probation.

David Lewis, 29, of Saginaw, Texas, was originally charged with three counts of second-degree felony manslaughter in connection with the August 2013 crash.

The accident happened on August 16, 2013 on State Road 191 about 30 miles south of Moab when Lewis tried to pass a semitrailer and collided with an oncoming vehicle.  Juan Vidales, 54, who was in the front passenger seat of Lewis’ car, was killed on impact and Stephanie Vidales, 28, in the rear seat was ejected and also died. Both were from Saginaw, Texas. In the other vehicle 69 year old Arthur Loewen, of Perry, Georgia, who was the front passenger in the other vehicle, was also killed on impact.

The Judge, during the sentencing hearing, was told that the family of the two victims riding in Lewis’ car did not want to pursue felony charges, and the family of the third victim could not been reached.

Neither alcohol nor drugs were a factor in the accident.

If you have been injured as a result of an accident involving negligence, give our offices a call immediately. We have the expertise and experience to get you the compensation you need. Contact us at  (801) 990-0500 or contact us online today for a free consultation.

On Saturday there were a series of incidents involving Utah Highway Patrol troopers on Interstate 15, when they were almost hit by vehicles driving past them.

According to UHP officials, the first incident happened at around 10 a.m. when a trooper had left his vehicle in order to pick up some debris which he had spotted in the road near 3300 South. The vehicles on the road slowed down as they approached him, apart from one driver who stopped sharply at the last moment, losing control and hitting the patrol vehicle which was parked on the shoulder. Luckily the trooper was not injured.

Subsequently, at around 2 p.m. officials said that a lane had been closed for an earlier accident on 7600 South, when a motorist drove through the closed off area, sideswiping another patrol vehicle with a trooper inside it. Another trooper managed to jump over the barrier to escape the vehicle. The motorist was later stopped by other UHP troopers near 7200 South off of I-15. He appeared to be incoherent and as he was suspected of DUI, he was taken into custody.

If you have been injured as a result of an accident involving negligence, give our offices a call immediately. We have the expertise and experience to get you the compensation you need. Contact us at  (801) 990-0500  or contact us online today for a free consultation.

There was a rollover accident late on Wednesday night on Interstate 80 which injured a teenage driver and her parents.

According to Utah Highway Patrol Sergeant Todd Royce, at about 11 p.m. on Wednesday, the 16-year-old female driver swerved to avoid airborne debris, believed to be the remnants of a truck retread tire, which had been dislodged by a car in front of her.

She then ran off the road and rolled down an embankment at mile post 99, near the Tooele-Salt Lake County line.

The Troopers closed down that section of I-80 for about an hour as the wreckage was cleared and helicopters landed to take the girl’s mother and father to University Hospital in Salt Lake City where they were reported to be in serious condition on Thursday.

Royce said that the girl suffered minor injuries and was transported by ambulance to a local hospital.,

He went on to say that all three people in the car were wearing seatbelts, which probably had saved their lives.

If you have been injured as a result of an accident involving negligence, give our offices a call immediately. We have the expertise and experience to get you the compensation you need. Contact us at  (801) 990-0500  or contact us online today for a free consultation.

As the 2014-2015 school year begins at most colleges and universities, the likelihood of a car accident also increases. According to a study by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, over 3.3 million students drive under the influence of alcohol with college drinking becoming a ritual for many students.

Another factor that contributes to car accidents by college students is sleep deprivation caused by late-night studying or long trips home over the weekend. Tiredness leads to inattentiveness and a loss of alertness as well as slower response time.

Students need to make good decisions which begin with saying “no” to getting in the car with someone who has had too much to drink or giving up the keys when they are the ones who have been drinking.  It also means not driving after an all-night cram session for a test.

College students must also encourage their friends to make smart decisions when it comes to driving. Using positive peer pressure can help prevent accidents that are the result of too much alcohol or fatigue from a lack of sleep.

Partying and studying hard are a part of the college experience for most students. At the same time, decisions made now can affect their future, which is why it is important to make responsible decisions in regard to driving to ensure the safety of everyone.

If you have been injured as a result of an accident involving negligence, give our offices a call immediately. We have the expertise and experience to get you the compensation you need. Contact us at  (801) 990-0500  or contact us online today for a free consultation.

According to the annual Allstate America’s Best Drivers Report released on Tuesday Salt Lake City drivers are worse than average.

Last year, the report said that Salt Lake City drivers equaled the national average of a typical driver having an accident once about every 10 years. But the new report now says Salt Lakers now have an accident on average every 9.7 years, some 3.4 percent more frequently than average.

However, Salt Lake City is still ranked as the 67^th safest among America’s 200 largest cities for car-collision frequency, although that is four places lower than last year.

West Valley City was combined with Salt Lake City in last year’s report, but this year has its own ranking at number 80, with accidents occurring 6% more frequently than the average.

Ryan Larson, an Allstate agency said the report challenged drivers in Salt Lake City to make positive changes to their driving.

Fort Collins, Colorado has the honor of being the nation’s safest driving city for the fourth time in 10 years whereas the worst drivers were in Worcester, Mass.

If you have been injured as a result of an accident involving negligence, give our offices a call immediately. We have the expertise and experience to get you the compensation you need. Contact us at  (801) 990-0500  or contact us online today for a free consultation.

According to Rockport State Park Assistant Manager Kevin Taylor, over last weekend, two separate off-highway vehicle (OHV) accidents injured five people, three of whom had to be airlifted to Salt Lake Valley hospitals.

He said that the incidents have become commonplace on busy summer weekends in Summit County and that they respond to one or two OHV accidents every weekend.

On Friday night,  there was an OHV accident on the Chalk Creek Road near Coalville resulting in a  16-year-old male being airlifted to Intermountain Medical Center and the  25 year old female driver driven by a relative to the Park City Medical Center.

On Saturday night rescuers were called out to the scene of an OHV accident where a driver had lost control of a the vehicle while traveling downhill on Hoyt’s Peak near Marion and all three occupants were ejected and injured. The 44 year old man and two children aged 12 and 9, had to be airlifted to hospital.

Taylor said that none of the occupants were wearing helmets or seat restraints and it was likely they were speeding and that riders and passengers should wear helmets, only ride on designated routes, ride on the right side of the road and in single file and be alert to oncoming traffic.

If you have been injured as a result of a serious accident in Connecticut, give our offices a call immediately. We have the expertise and experience to get you the compensation you need. Contact us at  (801) 990-0500  or contact us online today for a free consultation

On Tuesday, in Idaho, two men from Salt Lake City were killed in a plane crash.

Investigators were notified of the crash near Warren, Idaho at 11.45 p.m. on Tuesday and according to the sheriff’s office, a search team located the crash site near Yellow Pine, Idaho, on Wednesday,. The bodies of the men were taken to a Funeral Home in Grangeville, Idaho, and their families were notified of the accident.

On Thursday, Idaho County Sheriff’s Office released the names of the victims of the crash as David Ray Fitzgerald, 57, and Randy Scott Butters, 61.

It is thought that Fitzgerald was piloting the plane which was a small, single engine, two seater, and experimental high wing model. The two men often flew together and were flying from Sulpher Creek Ranch near Cascade to Dixie.

The National Transportation Board is investigating the cause of the accident and awaiting the results of an autopsy on the men.

If you have been injured as a result of an accident involving negligence, give our offices a call immediately. We have the expertise and experience to get you the compensation you need. Contact us at (801) 990-0500  or contact us online today for a free consultation.