SunJournal.com
Reported by Andrew Cullen, Staff Writer
Published on Wednesday, Nov 30, 2011 at 12:12 am | Last updated on Wednesday, Nov 30, 2011 at 12:12 am

LEWISTON, ME — Two young people were injured when they were hit by a car on Ash Street just before 10 p.m. Tuesday.  A male, 21, of Greene, and a 17-year-old Lewiston girl were hit by a dark sedan as they walked across Ash Street at the intersection with Bartlett Street, police said.  At the scene, the male was lying near the corner as a firefighter stood over him. Farther down the street, the girl sat on the road, crying and asking a firefighter and EMT what had happened and where her friend was. A bystander picked up her shoe off the street and placed it next to her. Both were taken to Central Maine Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries including abrasions, Lewiston police Lt. Marc Robitaille said. The girl may have also suffered broken bones and was being X-rayed at CMMC, Robitaille said just after midnight on Wednesday morning.

The driver of the sedan, a male, 23, of Lewiston, said he had just turned off of Horton Street and was going no more than 25 or 30 miles an hour as he traveled through the intersection of Ash and Bartlett streets. He looked but didn’t see anything coming at the intersection, he said, and first thought he hit a pole or a snowbank when he felt the impact. “And then there was this girl on top of my car,” he said. He stopped and flagged down a nearby police officer to report the accident, Robitaille said. The accident remains under investigation, Robitaille said. Neither speed nor alcohol appear to be factors in the accident, 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.

WCSH6.com
New Center (Channel 6)
Written by Krister Rollins
11:43 PM, Nov 19, 2011

BOWDOIN, Maine – Maine State Police say two teens from Lisbon are lucky to be alive after crashing at high speed on Saturday night. Shortly before 9:00 PM, police were called to Route 201 in Bowdoin near the intersection with Blanchard Road. Trooper Jon Leach says that a Toyota Scion driven by a male left the road at high speed and travelled “quite some distance” off the road, hitting several trees as it went. The driver and his male passenger, both 19 and both from Lisbon – suffered serious injuries. Trooper Leach says the teens suffered lacerations and broken bones but will likely survive their injuries. Both were taken to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, one by Life Flight helicopter.

Trooper Leach, who has 14 years experience with the Maine State Police, says he’s never seen anything like it. Both driver and passenger were wearing their seat belts. The crash remains under investigation, but Trooper Leach says speed was likely a factor in the crash.

Although this was a single car accident, recovery for the injured victims 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 passenger 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. 

kjonline.com
The Kennebec Journal, Augusta, ME
Reported by Kennebec Journal Staff
November 20, 2011

FARMINGTON, Maine – A Winslow father and son were hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries after an ATV accident. The Maine Warden Service reported that the father, 36, and his 9-year-old son, from Winslow, were riding their Yahama Grizzly ATV on the Whistle Stop Trail when the machine left the trail and hit a tree. The service said speed was a factor in the crash. Both father and son were wearing helmets, which helped save them from more serious injuries, according to Warden Kris MacCabe, who attended the scene of the accident. The two were taken by NorthStar Ambulance to Franklin Memorial Hospital.

The Warden Service will examine the ATV for any mechanical issues. The Whistle Stop Trail is a 15-mile multi-use trail that runs from Jay to Farmington. No more information was available Saturday.

Potential cases involving all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and snowmobiles should not be taken lightly. They require lawyers with particular understanding of these machines, how they operate, and how they fail.  At Berman & Simmons, we are experienced in assisting clients in ATV accident cases.  We gather all of the evidence and use knowledgeable  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 vehicles and machinery.  We have been successful 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 an initial consultation.  For more information, visit our website at www.bermansimmons.com.

PressHerald.Com
November 18, 2011

WELLS, ME – Police said a car caught fire on Route 109 after a collision with another vehicle this evening. According to police, the accident occurred shortly before 5:30 p.m. near the Sanford town line. One driver, a man, 36, of Sanford, was injured in the crash and his car caught fire after the accident. The fire was put out by a passing motorist, police said.  The man was taken to Goodall Hospital and then transferred to Maine Medical Center. Police said they don’t know the extent of his injuries except that they were not life-threatening.

The driver of the other car involved in the accident, a male, 19, of Springvale, and a passenger in his car were not injured.

Police said no charges have been filed, and an investigation of the accident is continuing.

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.

BangorDailyNews.com
Reported by Dawn Gagnon, BDN Staff
Posted June 17, 2011, at 12:02 a.m.
Last modified June 17, 2011, at 5:21 a.m.

PITTSFIELD, Maine — A Clinton man was killed Wednesday when his Harley-Davidson motorcycle drifted into the path of a logging truck, got caught underneath the truck’s front end and caught fire.  The man, 51, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, which occurred about 5 p.m. on Route 2, just east of Sibley Pond Bridge, Pittsfield police Officer Marty Cochran said Thursday night. It was not clear if Moody was wearing a helmet. “None was found at the scene,” Cochran said.

Cochran said that the driver of the logging truck, a 25-year-old man, was able to escape the burning truck without injury. The truck was owned by the family business in Sherman.

The accident remained under investigation Thursday, Cochran said. An accident reconstructionist from the Maine State Police has been called in. Pittsfield police also were assisted by personnel from the Somerset County Sheriff’s Department and the Pittsfield and Canaan fire departments.

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 the family of the deceased, 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.

BangorDailyNews.com
Reported by Nok-Noi Ricker, BDN Staff
Posted Nov. 14, 2011, at 2:15 p.m.

BANGOR, Maine — The local man who was hit Friday evening by a pickup truck while walking across Broadway near John Bapst Memorial High School remains in critical condition, a spokeswoman from Eastern Maine Medical Center said Monday afternoon. The man, 34, was crossing the street at around 4:50 p.m. near the intersection of Somerset Street and Broadway when he was struck by a pickup truck with a trailer attached that was turning, Bangor Police Sgt. Jim Buckley said Friday. The pedestrian was hit by a 2007 Chevrolet pickup driven by a man, 30, of Maiden, N.C., who was turning right onto Broadway from Somerset, the sergeant said. “Visibility was hampered by rain and darkness,” said Buckley, who added that alcohol and excessive speed were not factors.

The accident, which is still under investigation, shut down Broadway for about a half hour while Bangor paramedics treated the man, who suffered apparent head injuries, according to the accident report.

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.

BangorDailyNews.com
Reported by Abigail Curtis, BDN Staff
Posted Nov. 02, 2011, at 5:37 p.m.
Last modified Nov. 02, 2011, at 7:03 p.m.             

NORTHPORT, Maine — A good Samaritan climbed into a burning car to pull the driver to safety Wednesday morning after a dramatic two-vehicle accident on Route 1, police said. “It was a violent crash, with lots of rollovers,” Chief Deputy Jeff Trafton of the Waldo County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday afternoon. “But the lady got out. The lady survived.” The accident occurred about 10 a.m. after the southbound driver veered into the other lane, clipping the vehicle of a northbound driver.  The northbound driver, who tried to swerve out of the way of the oncoming vehicle, placed the first emergency call, Trafton said. The preliminary police report did not show the women’s ages or towns of residence, he said.

The southbound Subaru careened into a ditch near Family Traditions restaurant, hit the embankment and then rolled over and hit a fence. The vehicle kept on rolling over, hit a tree, hit some bigger rocks and apparently took out an overhead power line before coming to rest against a section of fence. “The vehicle started to catch on fire,” Trafton said.  Then a man, who was visiting a nearby home, ran over to assist the driver of the burning Subaru. She told him that she was stuck in the car, according to Sheriff’s Lt. Jason Trundy, who assisted at the scene. “He jumps into the back of the car, undoes her seat belt, helps her get out,” Trundy said. First responders brought the woman driving the Subaru, who suffered minor injuries, to Waldo County General Hospital in Belfast. She told deputies at the hospital that she wasn’t sure about the cause of the crash, Trafton said.

Northport firefighters, first responders and crews from Central Maine Power also assisted at the accident scene, according to officials.

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.

BangorDailyNews.com
Reported by Dawn Gagnon, BDN Staff
Posted Nov. 01, 2011, at 5:19 p.m

BANGOR, Maine — A Patten woman involved in a head-on collision on Friday on Route 11 in Patten died Tuesday at a Bangor hospital, according to a Penobscot County Sheriff’s Department official. The woman, 67, whose name initially had not been released by police, was one of two women who were seriously injured in the crash, which occurred about 3:30 p.m. on a section of Route 11 known locally as South Patten Road. She was pronounced dead about 2 p.m. Tuesday at Eastern Maine Medical Center, where she was flown by LifeFlight air ambulance immediately after the crash, Sgt. Roy Peary of the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Department confirmed Tuesday.

The other driver has been identified as another woman, Peary said. Though she initially was reported to be from Fort Kent, Peary said she is a Madawaska resident. She had been taken first to Millinocket Regional Hospital but later transferred to EMMC, Peary said. Information about her medical condition was not available Tuesday.

Both drivers were alone in their vehicles and wearing seat belts, he said. The posted speed limit on the stretch of road where the accident happened is 50 mph. Speed does not appear to be a factor in the crash, though the cause remains under investigation by the Penobcot County Sheriff’s Department and the Maine State Police, which is reconstructing the accident, Peary 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 victim and her family, as well as the family 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.

Foster’s Daily Democrat (fosters.com)
Reported by DANIELLE CURTIS
dcurtis@fosters.co
Monday, October 31, 2011

LEBANON, Maine — Icy roads were cited in two accidents that occurred in a matter of minutes early Friday morning, injuring two people. According to Asst. Rescue Chief Jason Cole, the first accident was reported just before 5:30 a.m. and occurred on Carl Broggi Highway near Blaisdell Corner Road. While crews were en route to that location, a second accident occurred on the same road near Goulet Auto.

In the first accident, Cole said, a Ford Explorer Sport Trak rolled over after hitting black ice and landed in a ditch in front of Triple J Feeds. When crews arrived on scene, they located the Explorer on its roof in the ditch. The 50-year-old driver from Lebanon, who has not been identified, was treated on scene by rescue crews for minor injuries and did not require transport to the hospital. Crews were on scene until about 7:15 a.m. until the vehicle was able to be uprighted and removed. In the second accident, a 1990 Chevrolet truck was traveling on Carl Broggi Highway when it also lost control on the icy road and struck a utility pole before going off the road and striking a tree. The operator of the vehicle, a 42-year-old man from Waterboro, Maine, was treated on scene but did not require transport to the hospital.

Cole said he thinks the October snow and ice took people by surprise and that many were not prepared for the weather. “The roads were extremely icy, the Lebanon Road Crews and Maine DOT were out treating the roads quickly, but for a short time before they were able to get the sand out, people were sliding off the road and these two accidents happened,” he said. “While working at both accidents, a lot of vehicles went by with a lot of ice build up on their windshields, so I think the ice took a lot of people by surprise.” With more snow expected this weekend, Cole urged residents to ensure they leave themselves enough time to properly clear off their windshields before driving and to drive cautiously on what could be icy roads. 

Even in cases where accidents are caused by slippery road conditions, it is sometimes possible to recover under negligence or product defect theories.  In terms of negligence, the driver may have been going too fast or not driving attentively enough for the conditions.  Sometimes there are issues in terms of vehicle maintenance–brakes, tire tread, tire pressure, etc.  Finally, there have been technologies available for more than 10 years which assist a driver in maintaining control on slippery surfaces.  The most common technologies are anti-lock brakes and electronic stability control.  ABS brakes allow a driver to maintain control under braking conditions.  ESC automatically senses the slipping wheels and selectively applies braking and throttle to prevent a loss of control.  Beyond that, there are sometimes “crashworthiness” claims where injuries or deaths could have been prevented with a safer vehicle design.  Examples of crashworthiness claims include unlatching or seatbelt failure, failure of the airbags to deploy or deploying under conditions when they should not have deployed, roof crush, fuel fed fire, etc.  Unlike most personal injury firms which only consider negligent driving claims, at Berman & Simmons, we have the resources and expertise to evaluate all possible types of claims arising out of a severe and catastrophic vehicle-related injury.  Give us a call at 1-800-244-3576 or visit our website at www.bermansimmons.com to learn more about us and how we might help you.

SunJournal.com
Reported by Terry Karkos, Staff Writer (tkarkos@sunjournal.com)
Published on Wednesday, Oct 26, 2011 at 12:12 am | Last updated on Wednesday, Oct 26, 2011 at 12:12 am

CANTON, ME — A Rumford woman remained hospitalized Tuesday night at Maine Medical Center in Portland with injuries from a head-on collision on Route 108 Friday.  Longtime Canton farmer was charged with drunken-driving in the crash.  A woman, 43, of 26 Spruce St., said she suffered a fractured neck and broken leg. “I’m weak, but I’m doing alright,” she said in a phone conversation from her room. She said she’ll have to undergo therapy to walk again. Her daughter, 21, also of 26 Spruce St. and a passenger in her car, suffered chest pain in the accident. Both women were taken by Med-Care Ambulance to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston; the daughter was released Friday night and the mother was taken to the Portland hospital.

Maine State Police Trooper Ricci Cote said Tuesday afternoon by email that the woman was driving a 2002 Buick north on Route 108 at 6:13 p.m. Friday when the man, 74, of 374 Turner St. in Canton “failed to yield.” Turner Street is also Route 108.  The man ”crossed the centerline in front of the women to turn into his driveway,” Cote said. “The head-on collision caused the woman’s car to careen off into a ditch and the force of the impact swung the man’s truck around and moved it well over onto the other side of his lane.” All three had safety belts on, Cote said he was told.

Cote said he conducted field sobriety tests on the man, who wasn’t injured. He was driving a 2003 GMC pickup truck.  He was taken to the Rumford police station for an intoxilyzer test and the level of alcohol in his system was nearly twice the legal limit, the trooper said.  The man was arrested on a charge of operating under the influence and conditionally released from the Rumford police station on $700 unsecured bail. He is scheduled to be arraigned at 8:30 a.m. Jan. 3 in Rumford District Court. Conditions are that he not use or possess alcohol or illegal drugs, submit to random searches on articulable suspicion or probable cause, and not operate a motor vehicle unless lawfully licensed to do so. “He has a license as of right now, however, when I sent a report in to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles as required, he will then go under administrative suspension for OUI for 90 days, first offense,” Cote said. The man represents the town on the River Valley Growth Council.

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.