Orlando Personal Injury Lawyer

Yet Another Disney Employee Injury

Ed Normand — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 08:30:00 GMT

Last week, the Orlando Sentinel is reporting that yet another Disney employee has been injured on the job. A stunt performer from the "Lights, Motor, Action! Extreme Stunt Show" at Disney’s Hollywood Studios was injured while swinging from a crane onto a jet ski. The performer landed awkwardly on a leg, and had to be taken to a local hospital.

I have previously blogged about the numerous employees who have been recently injured at the big theme parks. Tragically, three employees were killed this past summer at Disney, and it seems that employees are still facing unsafe working conditions at theme parks. With Disney only facing a $7,000 fine after the death of monorail operator Austin Wuennenberg over the summer of 2009, the government needs to do more to protect employees at the big theme parks.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ed Normand

Toyota Class Action Lawsuit

Ed Normand — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:30:29 GMT

There has been a lot of media coverage surrounding Toyota, and the millions of vehicles recalled because of the risk of unintended acceleration while driving. Just last week, a class action lawsuit was filed in Texas Federal Court by a married couple who were involved in an accident after their 2008 Toyota Avalon unexpectedly accelerated. The suit alleges that Toyota sold vehicles containing defective electronic throttle control systems, which caused the unintended acceleration. The suit claims that the electronic throttle systems are defective and unsafe, and have resulted in 16 deaths and 243 reported injuries nationwide. The suit further claims that Toyota has full knowledge of the problem, and has failed to incorporate important failsafe measures to assist a driver in maintaining control of the vehicle during a sudden unintended acceleration.

Although this suit has been filed in Texas, it is a national class action and members can be included from all over the country. Anyone who desires to be a member of this class action lawsuit should contact the law firm of Wooten, Kimbrough, Gibson, Doherty and Normand, P.A., and we can provide you with information related to the law firm that filed the lawsuit against Toyota.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ed Normand

Mother of Disney Worker Killed Over the Summer Sues

Ed Normand — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 08:30:00 GMT

Christine Wuennenberg, the mother of the Disney monorail driver who was tragically killed while operating one of the monorails over the summer, has sued Disney, accusing the theme park of reckless conduct that contributed to her son’s death. The lawsuit states that Disney’s failure to follow its own safety procedures for the operation of its monorail system resulted in her son’s death. Austin was tragically killed when a reversing monorail collided with the monorail he was operating. Monorail drivers like her son Austin regularly remained in the front cabin while driving the monorails in reverse, even though there were duplicate controls in the rear cabin that would have given drivers a clear view when reversing. Disney protocol required monorail operators to remain in the front cabin because to switch from the front to rear cabins took too much time.

I previously blogged over the summer about this tragic accident, as well as the slap on the wrist that Disney received from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Disney needs to be held accountable for Austin’s death, and although Disney now has made changes to its safety procedures for monorail operators, it needs to do more to ensure the safety of its employees.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ed Normand

Toyota Halting Sales & Production

Ed Normand — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Following its previous recall of 4.3 million vehicles, Toyota is now announcing a halt in sales and production of eight models because of accelerator pedals that can stick and cause unintended acceleration. The affected models include the top-selling Camry and Corolla, as well as the RAV4, Matrix, Avalon, Tundra and Sequoia. Toyota emailed its roughly 1,200 U.S. dealers this past week, informing them of the suspension of sales and production.

Toyota has been coming under fire as of late because of the massive recall. The company has been linking the problem to improperly installed floor mats. However, in its email to dealers, Toyota hasn’t given a timeline of when the affected models can be sold again because it hasn’t determined a remedy to the problem. I recently blogged about some of the automotive recalls from 2009. Please read my previous blog here.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ed Normand

Car Accidents Abroad

Ed Normand — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 08:30:00 GMT

We often worry about contaminated water or infectious diseases when traveling abroad, but how many of us really think about road and traffic safety? A study publicized in 2007 by the Journal of Travel Medicine found that traffic accidents are the leading cause of death by injury for U.S. citizens traveling abroad. Many developing countries suffer from a lack of poorly built roads with insufficient signage and lighting. Additionally, laws of the road are often lacking or even non-existent, and when in place are inadequately enforced.

Travelers need to take extra precaution when planning on driving in a foreign country. Visit the Association for Safe International Road Travel for reports on driving in 160 countries. The ASIRT provides information such whether you are better off hiring a driver, taking a train, or even who has the right of way and whether traffic lights are obeyed. Visit www.asirt.org for more information.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ed Normand

Texting and Driving

Ed Normand — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 08:30:00 GMT

CTIA - The Wireless Association, an international organization that represents the wireless industry, reports that as of December 2007, there were over 255 million cell phone subscribers in the U.S., making up 84% of the population. These users spent 2.1 trillion minutes talking on cell phones, and sent 262 billion text messages during 2008. This is an increase of 23% in subscribers, an increase of 40% in minutes of use, and a 348% increase in text messages sent compared to 2005.

Research shows that 46% of 16 and 17-year-old drivers say they sent text messages while driving. This number increases to 48% for those drivers aged 18-24. Ten states and the District of Columbia currently ban text messaging by novice drivers, and 14 states have an outright ban on texting while driving. A recent Virginia study even found that when drivers texted, their collision risk was 23 times greater than when not texting.

In the State of Florida, Governor Charlie Crist of Florida is supporting a texting ban to be adopted by the Florida Legislature when they reconvene for the 2010 legislative session. Distracted driving is a danger to everyone on the road, and texting while driving needs to be banned. For my previous article about the dangers of distracted driving, please click here. Please visit our firm's website: www.whkpa.com

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ed Normand

Florida Traffic Crash Statistics

Ed Normand — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 11:30:00 GMT

In the year 2008, the most recent year that data is available, Florida reported 2,938 fatalities in an estimated 243,342 police reported motor vehicle crashes. Traffic crashes accounted for 199,658 people injured and 112,416 crashes involved property damages only. For 2008, Florida incurred the highest number of crashes in the month of March, with a reported 23,457 crashes. The month of September was the lightest month, with 18,505 crashes. (Source)

It is not by coincidence that the highest number of crashes occurred during the busy tourist season of March break. Even though tourists bring a great deal of money to Florida each year, it comes at a cost, with increased numbers of crashes and fatalities. We suspect that these crash numbers will increase as the problem of distracted driving grows. Usage of cell phones and other electronic devices continue to be a problem, as drivers are paying less attention to the road. For my previous article about the dangers of distracted driving, please click here.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ed Normand

Disney Fine Following Monorail Death Investigation Reduced by 20%

Ed Normand — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 08:30:00 GMT

Last week, I blogged about Disney receiving just a $44,000 fine for four safety violations following the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigation into the monorail crash that killed 21-year-old Austin Wuennenberg, a Disney monorail operator.

Incredibly, as reported in the Orlando Sentinel yesterday, Disney and OSHA have negotiated to reduce the fine by 20%. Instead of a $44,000 fine for the four safety violations, Disney will now only have to pay $35,200. Of that amount, the fine for the safety violation that resulted in Austin Wuennenberg’s death remains at $7,000. Two separate fines for repeat safety violations in the monorail maintenance shop were reduced. A Disney spokesperson stated that Disney "worked directly with OSHA to address any concerns."

OSHA regulates Disney working conditions and safety as part of federal law. Incidently, there is no federal or state oversight of the theme parks for ride or other guest related theme park injuries. Florida and the federal government have no oversight into theme park injuries or ride injuries. If there are safety related violations on the monorail (that guests use), what safety violations exist on the rides? We will never know because there is no OSHA to enable the public to investigate theme park ride related injuries.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ed Normand

Pharmaceutical Recalls in 2009

Ed Normand — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 08:30:00 GMT

There have been several recalls issued in 2009 for pharmaceutical products in the United States. Notably, Hydroxycut was recalled, due to 23 reports of serious health problems as a result of taking the product. Hydroxycut are dietary supplements marketed as weigh-loss pills, fat burners, energy-enhancers, low-carb diet aids, and for water loss. Such health problems ranged from jaundice and high levels of liver enzymes (an indicator of possible liver injury), to cardiovascular disorders, and liver damage requiring liver transplant. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reported one death due to liver failure in an individual taking the product.

Several versions of the Zicam cold remedy were also recalled in 2009, because of numerous reports of individuals losing their sense of smell. The recall includes the Nasal Gel and Nasal Swab versions of the product. Consumers are advised to immediately stop using both versions of the product.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ed Normand

Automotive Recalls in 2009

Ed Normand — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 08:30:00 GMT

Cars and tires are regulated in the United States by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA). There have been several notable recalls this year involving various vehicle components.

In October, 2009, Ford recalled 4.5 million vehicles to fix a defective cruise control switch, which, if left unchecked, could possible result in a fire. It was reported that over 500 fires were caused by the switch, resulting in numerous injuries and several deaths.

Over 3.8 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles were also recalled to fix gas pedals that could possibly get stuck in the accelerate position while driving, resulting in unintended acceleration. There were 2000 document incidents of such unintended acceleration, resulting in as many as 19 deaths. Widespread media attention was focused on Toyota after the highly publicized deaths of a California Highway Patrol Officer and his family. The gas pedal on the vehicle he was driving, a Lexus ES350, had gotten stuck in the accelerate position because of floor mats that were incorrectly fitted and installed, resulting in the driver losing control of the vehicle and crashing.

Additionally, over 125,000 tires manufactured by Bridgestone/Firestone were recalled in July, 2009 because they were manufactured without sufficient tread base gauge. Continued use of the recalled tires could result in vibration, and groove cracking, and long-term use could result in loss of vehicle control. Kumho Tires also issued a recall of over 35,000 tires due to the tires causing difficulties with the vehicle’s handling which could result in possible crashes.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ed Normand