Reported by Ann Bryant, Staff Writer
SunJournal
7/26/10

LIVERMORE, ME — A Livermore Falls woman was injured in a two-vehicle crash Monday morning at the intersection of routes 4 and 108 and was taken by LifeFlight helicopter to Central Maine Medical Center, according to Androscoggin County Lt. Glen Holt. The woman, 31, of Livermore Falls was driving a 2000 Chrysler Voyager south on Route 4 shortly after 8:30 a.m. when a 1997 Freightliner driven by a man, 45, of Turner made a left-hand turn from Route 4 on to Route 108 heading toward Canton, Holt said. The man was hauling for Bisson Transportation and was not injured, he said. Riding with the woman was a man, 20, of Livermore Falls and a 5-year-old boy and 4-year-old girl, Holt said. He did not have the names of the children. The boy and the man were also transported by ambulance to CMMC. Holt said the young boy was not hurt badly and the girl was unhurt. The woman was reported to be in good condition late Monday afternoon according to a representative at Central Maine Medical Center. The Chrysler Voyager was totaled in the crash. Holt estimated $12,000 in damages to the tractor-trailer.

A Maine State Police reconstructionist was called to the scene. The accident is still under investigation. Police cleared the scene at 12:31 p.m., he said. 

At Berman & Simmons, we are experts in assisting clients in car accident cases like this one.  We gather all of the evidence and use the best accident reconstruction experts to recreate the conditions of the accident.  We explore all angles of recovery for the victims and their families, including liability claims, underinsured or uninsured motorist claims and product defect claims arising out of dangerous and defective cars.  We have recovered millions of dollars in cases where other lawyers were unable to find a legal remedy.  If you or someone you know have suffered an accident-related injury or death, please give us a call or send an email.  We do not charge anything for a consultation.  For more information, visit our website at www.bermansimmons.com.

7/22/10 09:52
Updated: 7/22/10 09:56 pm
Reported By Dawn Gagnon
BDN Staff

ETNA, Maine — A Fairfield man was taken to a Bangor hospital Thursday for treatment of injuries he suffered when his vehicle struck the back of a Maine Department of Transportation crash truck.  The man, 63, was driving south on Interstate 95 shortly after 5 p.m. when he failed to see the state truck ahead of him and ran into its back end at an estimated speed of 65 mph, state police Trooper Doug Franklin said Thursday.  Franklin said the man, who complained of neck pain at the accident scene, was taken to Eastern Maine Medical Center. No further information about his medical condition was available Thursday night.

The 2006 International crash truck, which had a crash barrier attached to its rear end, was traveling behind a MDOT line painting crew in order to protect it, Franklin said. He said that while the man’s 1997 Ford Escort station wagon was demolished in the crash, the state crash truck had no damage because the crash barrier absorbed the impact.  “It did what it was designed to do,” the trooper said.  Franklin said the driver of the crash truck, a 55-year-old man of Manchester, saw the station wagon driving up behind him in the driving lane and tried to “give him some space” by speeding up from the 5 mph he was driving. The attempt to avoid a collision, however, failed.  The driver of the crash truck was not injured in the accident, Franklin said.

The accident, which occurred during the height of the evening commute and amid heavy summer traffic, forced officials to reduce southbound travel to one lane, which caused traffic to back up for more than an hour, Franklin said. The congested state of the highway led to several near misses, Franklin said.

At Berman & Simmons, we are experts in assisting clients in accident cases like this one.  We gather all of the evidence and use the best accident reconstruction experts to recreate the conditions of the accident.  We explore all angles of recovery for the victims and their families, including liability claims, underinsured or uninsured motorist claims and product defect claims arising out of dangerous and defective cars.  We have recovered millions of dollars in cases where other lawyers were unable to find a legal remedy.  If you or someone you know have suffered an accident-related injury or death, please give us a call or send an email.  We do not charge anything for a consultation.  For more information, visit our website at www.bermansimmons.com.

Reported By Staff
Sun Journal.com
Jul 13, 2010 2:09 pm  

LEWISTON, ME — A toddler who fell Tuesday morning from a third-story window is listed in fair condition at a local hospital. According to police, the 22-month-old boy fell through a window screen from an apartment at 21 Walnut St. shortly before 11:30 a.m. The boy’s father, 31, said he was in the bathroom at the time; the mother, 40, was in the living room. The toddler had been in his crib, but apparently climbed out then fell out of his bedroom window. The father said he went to check on his son and noticed the ripped screen. He rushed to the window. When he looked out, he saw the boy was standing on the ground behind the building looking up at his father, police said. 

The mother reported the fall. The father went outside and carried his son around to the side of the building, cradling the boy on the steps until ambulance workers arrived. They carried the diapered boy to a portable gurney and strapped him to it before wheeling him to a waiting ambulance. The boy appeared to be conscious. The boy’s mother climbed into the ambulance with her son; the boy’s father stayed behind with the couple’s 3-year-old daughter, police said. The boy was taken to Central Maine Medical Center, where he was admitted and was being treated.  

Police Lt. Michael McGonagle said it’s understandable that many city dwellers feel the need to open windows during the warm weather, but urged them to take the needed safety precautions if young children live in the home. Window locks and safety bars can help prevent accidents like this, he said. 

At Berman & Simmons, we are experts in assisting clients in accident cases like this one.  We gather all of the evidence and use the best experts to recreate the conditions of the accident.  We explore all angles of recovery for the victims and their families, including liability claims and product defect claims arising out of dangerous and defective products or equipment.  We have recovered millions of dollars in cases where other lawyers were unable to find a legal remedy.  If you or someone you know have suffered an accident-related injury or death, please give us a call or send an email.  We do not charge anything for a consultation.  For more information, visit our website at www.bermansimmons.com.

By Andie Hannon, Staff Writer
SunJournal
Jul 12, 2010 12:00 am

MECHANIC FALLS, ME — An Oxford woman died Saturday night from injuries sustained in a crash on Route 121 in Mechanic Falls. The woman, 61, of Oxford was pronounced dead at Central Maine Medical Center, where she was taken following the 10:10 p.m. crash on Route 121, also known as Pleasant Street, in Mechanic Falls. Officer Anthony Keach of the Mechanic Falls Police Department said that the woman was headed out of Mechanic Falls toward Oxford when her car suddenly veered off the road to the right and hit a parked SUV with three occupants. Her 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier then rolled over on its top and came to rest across the road. Keach said alcohol and speed were not considered factors in the crash, which is being investigated by the Mechanic Falls Police Department and the Maine State Police. He added that she was wearing a seatbelt. Keach said that officials at the hospital said that the woman had an extensive medical history that could have been a possible factor in the crash.

No one in the parked SUV was injured as a result of the crash, according to Keach. The 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer was being driven by a man, 21, of Minot, who had pulled into the driveway of 179 Pleasant St. in order to make a cell phone call for directions. Keach said that neither the driver nor either of his two passengers, a man, 19, of Hebron and a woman, 18, of Auburn, saw the Cavalier in the moments leading up to the crash. “Everybody in the Trailblazer said that they weren’t moving,” Keach said. “They weren’t in the road, and they never saw it coming.”

At Berman & Simmons, we are experts in assisting clients in car accident cases like this one.  We gather all of the evidence and use the best accident reconstruction experts to recreate the conditions of the accident.  We explore all angles of recovery for the victims and family of the decedent, including liability claims, underinsured or uninsured motorist claims and product defect claims arising out of dangerous and defective cars.  In this case, there may be a question of medical advice or malpractice if the accident was caused by a treatable medical condition or reaction to a prescription medication. We have recovered millions of dollars in cases where other lawyers were unable to find a legal remedy.  If you or someone you know have suffered an accident-related injury or death, please give us a call or send an email.  We do not charge anything for a consultation.  For more information, visit our website at www.bermansimmons.com.

Reported by WMTW.com
POSTED: 7:48 pm EDT July 11, 2010
UPDATED: 9:11 pm EDT July 11, 2010

SACO, Maine — Saco police were investigating a fatal car versus pedestrian crash Sunday. Police said a woman, 74, of Saco, was crossing Main Street at the intersection with Cleveland Street at about 9:45 a.m. when she was hit by a blue, 2000 Chrysler van. The woman was taken to Maine Medical Center in Portland, but she died from her injuries late Sunday afternoon. Police said the driver of the van, a man, 67, of Old Orchard Beach, stopped immediately, but was not able to tell officers much about what happened. The man was arrested and charged with operating under the influence of drugs. He was free on bail Sunday night. Police said they were still waiting for results of further drug tests.

Investigators said there is a crosswalk in the area where the crash happened, but they were not sure if the woman was in the crosswalk when she was hit. Police said traffic was fairly heavy at the time and they had talked with several people who heard the crash or were in the area at the time, but no one who actually saw the crash itself. If you saw what happened, please call the Saco Police Department at 207-284-4535.

At Berman & Simmons, we are experts in assisting the families of victims of car accident cases like this one.  We gather all of the evidence and use the best accident reconstruction experts to recreate the conditions of the accident.  We explore all angles of recovery for the victims and their families, including liability claims, underinsured or uninsured motorist claims and product defect claims arising out of dangerous and defective cars.  We have recovered millions of dollars in cases where other lawyers were unable to find a legal remedy.  If you or someone you know have suffered an accident-related injury or death, please give us a call or send an email.  We do not charge anything for a consultation.  For more information, visit our website at www.bermansimmons.com.

Reported By Sharon Kiley Mack
BDN Staff
7/11/10

BAILEYVILLE, Maine — One man from Princeton was killed and two other people were injured early Saturday in a single-vehicle accident on South Princeton Road. Baileyville Officer Justin Leighton said Saturday evening that the accident remains under investigation, and police are still determining who was driving the 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier that went off the right side of the road and crashed into trees. Leighton said when he arrived at the scene just before 4 a.m. Saturday, a man, 24, of Princeton was dead inside the vehicle.

Outside the vehicle and injured was another man, 23, of Princeton and a woman, 27, home address unknown. The man was taken to Calais Regional Hospital, treated for injuries and later released, Leighton said. The woman also was taken to CRH with unknown injuries that were not life-threatening, the officer said.

Leighton said it is still unclear who was driving, whether the two injured people were ejected or whether anyone was wearing a seat belt. He could not say whether speed or alcohol were involved and said it was unknown where the people were coming from or driving to. Leighton said more information may be released in a few days. Leighton was assisted at the scene by U.S. Border Patrol, Calais police, Maine State Police, Baileyville Fire Department and Calais Rescue.

Although this was a single car accident, recovery for the injured victims and family of the decedent may be possible.  The product liability team at Berman & Simmons has successfully recovered against major auto manufacturers in one-car accidents where a defective or dangerous condition of the car caused or contributed to the accident.  Recovery for the passengers may also be possible through the driver’s liability insurance policy, particularly if the driver was speeding or otherwise negligent, or the passenger’s own underinsured or uninsured motorist policy.   For more information, contact Berman & Simmons at 1-800-244-3576 or read more on our website on our car accident practice page.

7/11/10
Reported By BDN Staff

BANGOR, Maine — A Unity man who apparently fell asleep while driving and was in a head-on collision that killed a Freedom man early Wednesday was listed in stable condition Saturday at Eastern Maine Medical Center, according to a nursing supervisor.  The Unity man’s condition improved from Thursday, when he was listed in critical condition, according to an article previously published in the Bangor Daily News.

The Freedom man, 51, died Wednesday afternoon at EMMC, nearly 12 hours after the Unity man, 20, apparently drove his 2000 Ford van into a guardrail on Route 9 in Unity, then overcorrected, hitting the Freedom man’s 1997 Subaru station wagon, according to the Waldo County Sheriff’s Office.  A funeral was scheduled to be held in Freedom on Saturday.

At Berman & Simmons, we are experts in assisting clients in accident cases like this one.  We gather all of the evidence and use the best accident reconstruction experts to recreate the conditions of the accident.  We explore all angles of recovery for the injured victims and the families of the decedent, including liability claims, underinsured or uninsured motorist claims and product defect claims arising out of dangerous and defective cars.  We have recovered millions of dollars in cases where other lawyers were unable to find a legal remedy.  If you or someone you know have suffered an accident-related injury or death, please give us a call or send an email.  We do not charge anything for a consultation.  For more information, visit our website at www.bermansimmons.com.

Reported By Bill Trotter
BDN Staff
7/1/10

WINTER HARBOR, Maine — A local lobsterman shook his head slightly Thursday as he recalled how his boat rammed into another the day before off Schoodic Point. The lobsterman, 37, said he had seen another lobster boat in the distance a few minutes before, but did not realize his boat and the other boat were bearing down upon each other until he felt the sudden, violent impact of the collision.  A man, 71, died in the accident. “I didn’t see him. He didn’t see me,” the lobsterman said, standing on the local municipal pier. “It happened so quick.”  He said he and his sternman had been out hauling traps on Wednesday but were headed home for the day around 1:30 p.m. when the collision occurred. He said they were traveling at about 20 knots with their bow riding high and that he had just sat down to eat a sandwich when his boat rammed into the starboard side of the other boat.  He said earlier reports that the two boats had been near each other a few minutes before the accident were not true. He fishes offshore, while the other lobsterman sets his traps closer to land. He said the other boat appeared to be heading toward a cove where he often set gear when the two boats collided off the west side of Pond Island.

The impact instantly broke the other boat into pieces, he said. The housing structure of the boat tipped away from the point of impact into the water as the separated bow and stern sections capsized into the wake. The sternman from the other boat managed to leap from the sinking stern to his boat, but one man fell into the sea. He said they were able to pull him quickly from the water onto their boat, but the man was unresponsive. They immediately headed for the pier in Winter Harbor, but emergency medical responders who met them there could do nothing. He was pronounced dead at the dock.

For entire article, see article.

At Berman & Simmons, we are experts in assisting clients in accident cases like this one.  We gather all of the evidence and use the best accident reconstruction experts to recreate the conditions of the accident.  We explore all angles of recovery for the victims and their families, including liability claims and product defect claims arising out of dangerous and defective products.  We have recovered millions of dollars in cases where other lawyers were unable to find a legal remedy.  If you or someone you know have suffered an accident-related injury or death, please give us a call or send an email.  We do not charge anything for a consultation.  For more information, visit our website at  www.bermansimmons.com.

Reported By Jen Lynds
BDN Staff
7/2/10

TOWNSHIP 16, RANGE 4, Maine — A Falmouth man had extensive injuries on Thursday afternoon after the motorcycle he was riding collided with a moose. State Police Sgt. Brian Harris said the accident occurred at approximately 2:15 p.m. in T16R4, just north of what is known locally as Madawaska Lake. A man, 65, was driving his 2004 Harley Davidson northbound on Route 161 when a moose ran into the roadway. He could not avoid the animal, and it struck his motorcycle and knocked him off the bike and onto the roadway.  The motorcycle then continued along the road a short distance and struck a southbound pickup operated by another man, 28, of Old Town.

The driver of the motorcycle was taken to Cary Medical Center in Caribou by Caribou Ambulance for serious head and internal injuries, according to Harris. The driver of the pickup was not injured in the crash. The motorcycle received approximately $5,000 in damage and the pickup had approximately $1,000 in damage. The motorcyclist was wearing a helmet, Harris said. The moose ran from the scene. Trooper Todd Stetson investigated the crash and was assisted by Harris and Warden Ryan Fitzpatrick.

At Berman & Simmons, we are experts in assisting clients in car accident cases like this one.  We gather all of the evidence and use the best accident reconstruction experts to recreate the conditions of the accident.  We explore all angles of recovery for the victims and their families, including liability claims, underinsured or uninsured motorist claims and product defect claims arising out of dangerous and defective cars.  We have recovered millions of dollars in cases where other lawyers were unable to find a legal remedy.  If you or someone you know have suffered an accident-related injury or death, please give us a call or send an email.  We do not charge anything for a consultation.  For more information, visit our website at www.bermansimmons.com.

Reported by WGME 13
Ted Homer – Producer
7/1/10

Kennebunk, ME – Five vehicles each crashed into the same moose late Wednesday night on I-95 in Kennebunk, sending one person to the hospital, according to State Police. A trooper tells News 13 that a Mercedes hit the moose first around 10:20pm, smashing the windshield. The moose, which was full grown, wasn’t killed and started to get up before another car struck the animal, killing it. Three more vehicles hit the moose. The final vehicle hit the carcass head on and flipped end over, landing on its roof. The young female driving that car was injured and sent to Southern Maine Medical Center. The trooper didn’t have her name and said that her injuries were not life-threatening.

The trooper says several passing drivers stopped to help. In all, two vehicles were heavily damaged, two suffered minor damage and another had a cracked windshield. The crash happened near mile 27 on the northbound side. One lane was closed for some time. Crews cleared the scene around 11:30pm.

At Berman & Simmons, we are experts in assisting clients in car accident cases like this one.  We gather all of the evidence and use the best accident reconstruction experts to recreate the conditions of the accident.  We explore all angles of recovery for the victims and their families, including liability claims, underinsured or uninsured motorist claims.  We have recovered millions of dollars in cases where other lawyers were unable to find a legal remedy.  If you or someone you know have suffered an accident-related injury or death, please give us a call or send an email.  We do not charge anything for a consultation.  For more information, visit our website at www.bermansimmons.com.