BangorDailyNews.com
Reported By Bill Trotter, BDN Staff
Posted Jan. 19, 2012, at 2:45 p.m.

HANCOCK, Maine — Three men were hurt Thursday afternoon in a collision of three trucks on Route 1 in Hancock, according to Maine State Police, but none of the injuries is believed to be life threatening. The accident occurred when an eastbound pickup truck slowed to turn right into a driveway at Sierra Signs around 1:15 p.m., according to Mane State Police Trooper Gregory Roy. A GMC pickup truck slowed behind the turning vehicle and then was rear-ended by a heating oil delivery truck. The oil truck pushed the GMC into the westbound lane and then struck the left rear corner of the Ford truck that had slowed to turn into the driveway. Three men in the GMC were transported by ambulance to Maine Coast Memorial Hospital in Ellsworth, the trooper said. Traffic was shifted toward the north side of the road for about an hour while emergency crews tended to the injured men and then towed away the damaged vehicles.

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.

Bangor Daily News (The Associated Press)
Posted Dec. 31, 2011, at 12:37 p.m.
Last modified Jan. 01, 2012, at 11:24 a.m.

GARDINER, Maine — Icy roads are being blamed for a highway accident that claimed two lives in Gardiner, a crash that claimed one life in Bowdoin, and a truck crash that resulted in power outages in southern Maine.

Police say U.S. Route 201 in Gardiner was closed after a vehicle rolled over about a mile north of the Interstate 295 interchange, killing two men and injuring a third person. The first man, 62, of Gardiner and a second man, 25, of Pittston were killed in the crash, according to the Portland Press Herald. Both men were partially ejected when the cargo van they were riding in skidded out of control and rolled over before landing in a ditch on its side, Gardiner Police Chief James Toman said. A third man, 29, of Randolph, was taken by ambulance to MaineGeneral Medical Center in Augusta for treatment of injuries that were not life threatening. The section of Route 201, also called Brunswick Avenue, was closed for about three hours as police investigated the crash, Toman said. The crash occurred around 8 a.m., as the men were driving a Budget rental van south on Brunswick Avenue toward Interstate 295. According to Toman, the third man was riding in the cargo area of the van while other two men were up front. Police have not yet determined which of the men was driving, but Toman said it did not appear that any of the men were wearing seat belts. Maine State Police and Kennebec County Sheriff deputies assisted Gardiner police and fire department at the scene, Toman said.

In Bowdoin, the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office said that another man, who was 45 years old, of Topsham was killed Saturday afternoon after crashing into a tree just before 3 p.m. on Route 201, WGME reports.

In Falmouth, ice covering Route 9 caused a truck rounding a curve to hit a pole Saturday morning, leaving more than 300 Central Maine Power customers without power for several hours. Nearly 100 gallons of fuel spilled in the road, which was shut down. WMTW-TV says there were no injuries in that crash.

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.

BangorDailyNews
Reported by Ryan McLaughlin, BDN Staff
Posted Dec. 22, 2011, at 12:19 p.m.

WINDHAM, Maine — An 11-year old Windham boy was hospitalized Thursday morning after he was struck by a pickup truck as he crossed Route 115 attempting to board his school bus.  Windham police Sgt. David Thomas said a man, 22, of Lewiston failed to stop for the bus, which had its emergency lights flashing. “I’ve never seen one of those in 30 years where a student has been hit” attempting to board the bus, Thomas said. Police declined to release the boy’s name, as they plan to discuss the accident with his parents. Boucher was heading westbound on Route 115. The boy was conscious and alert at the scene, according to Thomas He said the pickup had significant damage.

“The way the impact happened, he went into the hood of the pickup,” said Thomas, noting the boy’s injuries could have been worse had he struck the vehicle’s windshield. “It’s going to be a Christmas miracle for that family,” Thomas said. The speed limit in the section of Route 115 where the accident occurred, about a mile from downtown Windham, is 35 mph. The District Attorney’s Office has been called in to investigate the accident. Thomas said that the driver of the pickup offered no explanation as to why he didn’t stop for the bus and that road conditions weren’t icy.  He will face a charge of failing to yield for a school bus. Further charges could be lodged once the investigation is complete, according to Thomas. Another school bus was dispatched to take the other children to school.

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 vehicles.  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 Dec. 15, 2011, at 8:02 p.m.
Last modified Dec. 15, 2011, at 8:54 p.m.

GREENBUSH, Maine — Slick roads caused by the rain that fell Thursday morning were contributing factors in two rollover accidents that happened just after 10 a.m., Maine State Police troopers said. Trooper Christopher Cookson went to the scene of a rollover crash on Greenfield Road around 10:10 a.m. “A vehicle went off the road because of the road conditions,” he said. “He rolled off the road and was entrapped.” Fire and rescue crews from Old Town, Greenbush and Milford went to Greenfield Road. It took them about an hour to extricate the driver, a man, 21, of Pittston, who suffered an arm injury, Cookson said. The man’s 2004 Ford F-250 pickup truck was totaled in the crash, the trooper said.

The rollover was caused by “the road conditions and driving too fast for the road conditions,” Cookson said. “I’m not saying speeding. I’m saying too fast for the road conditions.” Trooper Adam Coover dealt with the second rollover, which occurred 20 minutes later on Garland Road in Charleston. He said the 10:30 a.m. crash was relatively minor and occurred on a curve when the car got caught in loose gravel on the side of the road. No one was injured, Coover said.

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.

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.

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.

Reported by www.PressHerald.com
on September 16, 2011

RAYMOND, Maine – A man was seriously injured and his car caught fire after a four-car accident on Route 302 this afternoon. Capt. Jeff Davis of the Cumberland County Sheriff’s office said the accident occurred about 5 p.m. near the intersection of Route 302 and Hawthorne Road. Davis said it appears the accident occurred when a Ford sedan car driven by a man, age 62, was turning left into a driveway while headed east on Route 302. The car was hit from behind by a Coca-Cola pick-up truck driven by another man, age 50, Davis said. The Ford was pushed into the westbound lane of Route 302, where it was hit by a Chevy pick-up driven by a man, age 64, Davis said. The Chevy pick-up truck then went off the road and into the woods, while the Ford sedan car was pushed back into the eastbound lane, where it was hit by a Toyota SUV driven by a woman, age 61, according to Davis.

The Ford sedan car then caught fire.  Davis said the driver of the Ford sedan car was taken to Maine Medical Center for head and leg injuries that were considered serious, but not life-threatening. The driver of the Chevy pick-up truck was also taken to Maine Medical Center for possible head and neck injuries.

Davis said there was no information available on the condition of either man and he did not have the addresses or hometowns of any of the drivers. The accident is under investigation, 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 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 Diana Bowley, BDN Staff
Posted Sept. 15, 2011, at 5:50 p.m.
Last modified Sept. 16, 2011, at 7:17 p.m.

MONSON, Maine — A St. Albans man died Thursday night after being critically injured when his dump truck was struck by the trailer of a tractor-trailer that jackknifed on a sharp curve on Route 15. The man, 37, of St. Albans had to be extricated from the vehicle by Greenville, Shirley, Monson and Guilford firefighters. He was taken to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor after the 12:30 p.m. accident and was pronounced dead Thursday evening, according to Investigator Guy Dow of the Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Department.

Another man, 59, of Fairfield had been traveling northbound in an empty tractor-trailer Thursday when he crested the curve and the trailer tipped sideways, shearing off a pin that held it to the tractor. The trailer collided with the southbound dump truck and crushed the cab, Dow said. The driver of the empty tractor-trailer was not injured. Traffic was tied up for several hours as firefighters worked to remove the driver of the dump truck and then to help the Department of Transportation clean debris from the roadway.

Dow said the accident is under investigation and no charges have been filed. Troopers from the Maine State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit assisted at the scene, as did ambulances from C.A. Dean Hospital in Greenville and Mayo Regional Hospital in Dover-Foxcroft.

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.