Personal Injury News: Pick Of Last Month: January-2021
Jury Charged A St. Louis Woman In Deadly Hit-and-run Crash
A 35-year-old St. Louis woman has been charged by a federal jury in a deadly hit-and-run case.
The lady is charged with armed criminal action, second-degree murder and fleeing the scene of the crash that killed the 46-year-old victim.
As per the court documents, the woman's minivan struck the victim from behind after avoiding a newspaper box, fire hydrant and streetlight. The lady failed to apply the brake before the crash although a surveillance video from an intersection where the vehicle passed earlier, showed that the brake lights were working.
The whole incident was narrated by the witness who called 911. The witness said that the driver of the minivan climbed from the driver's side of the vehicle after the crash. The police found the lady walking two blocks from the scene of the accident.
The lady even told the police that she fell asleep before the crash. The culprit lady does not yet have a lawyer to defend her side.
St. Louis Man Charged In Fatal Street Racing Crash
A federal jury has charged a St. Louis man with first-degree involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action in a deadly street racing crash.
As per the lawsuit, the plaintiff was a 55-year-old man, and the defendant was a 22-year-old youngster. It also highlighted that the defendant lost control of his vehicle while racing, which collided with the plaintiff's car and struck a vehicle with two women. The whole incident was captured on a surveillance video.
The plaintiff was declared dead at the hospital. The driver of one of the cars that were racing with the defendant was treated at the hospital.
A St. Louis judge has rejected a bail plea for the defendant who has a criminal history that includes convictions of misdemeanor resisting arrest, unlawful use of a weapon and auto theft. As per the online court record, the defendant still does not have an attorney to defend his side.
Mother & Two Siblings Held Responsible For A Boy's Death
The mother and two siblings of a 6-year-old North Chicago boy have been held responsible by a federal jury for the boy's death in Indiana.
As per the lawsuit, on January 5, the boy's mother and his sibling filed a missing report of him to North Chicago police. The police officers found the dead body of the boy on January 8 at an abandoned home in Gary, Indiana.
North Chicago police stated that the family of the boy initially stated that he might be missing in Skokie, Illinois, but the investigators found the family's story to be dicey. As a result, the investigators focused their search on the boy's home in North Chicago and discovered the body.
The witnesses and investigation report helped the police officers to charge the mother with first-degree murder, concealment of a homicidal death, and obstructing justice. The deceased's sibling is charged with aggravated battery causing great bodily harm.
The spokesperson for Lake County State Attorney's Office said that the victim's family punished him by putting him into a cold shower for a long time. The boy started vomiting while in the shower and was unresponsive when he was pulled out of the shower.
The family failed to seek emergency help, which resulted in his death. After the incident, the family drove the dead body to an abandoned home in Indiana and left it.
A $3 million bond has been set up by the judge for the 20-year-old sibling of the victim. The mother was not present in the court during the hearing due to ill health, but as soon as she gets fine, even she would be required to sign a bond.
Amazon Faces Wrongful Death Lawsuit In Illinois
Parents of one of the six victims that were killed last month after a tornado struck an Amazon warehouse located in Edwardsville, Illinois, has sued Amazon over the wrongful death of their son.
As per the lawsuit, the parents of the plaintiff sued Amazon, a construction company and real estate developer, by alleging that they failed to take appropriate care to protect the workers from such hazards as the EF-3 tornado that resulted in their son's death.
The deceased was working as an independent contractor making deliveries for Amazon and sought shelter in a bathroom at the facility during the incident. The mother of the deceased alleged that the e-commerce giant opted for profits over the lives lost as Amazon did not opt to evacuate the workers promptly.
The spokesperson for the company said that it will continue to defend against the lawsuit as Amazon's focus was always on supporting the employees and the partners. She even added that severe weather watches are common in the area, which mandates businesses to shut down during such calamities, as a result, Amazon had to close the facility and give refuge to their employees.
The attorney for the plaintiff argued that the climate control department issued warnings of a tornado in the area throughout the day. Yet, Amazon continued the operations for the day by risking the lives of the employees.
Car Driver Charged In Autopilot Crash
A federal jury has charged the driver of a Tesla on Autopilot who ran a red light and collided with another car, which resulted in the death of two people in 2019.
As per the police records, on December 29, 2019, the Tesla Model S ran a red light in the Los Angeles suburb of Gardena and struck a Honda Civic. This resulted in the instant death of the two passengers in the Honda Civic, and the defendants were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
The documents provided at the court do not mention Autopilot, whereas a team of investigators sent by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration confirmed that the Tesla car was on Autopilot mode at the time of the crash.
The car crash is not the first of its kind, but the defendant is the first one to be charged with the felony, which involved a partially automated driving system. The charges have been filed by the Los Angeles County prosecutors in the last year of October, but they came to notice only last week.
The defendant's attorney refused to comment on the case. Even the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office denied discussing the case. The preliminary hearing in the case has been scheduled for February 23.
Earlier, many such crashes have taken place due to the use of Autopilot with allegations against the company of not providing safe vehicles which are Autopilot enabled. Tesla has even upgraded its software for more safety in terms of its advanced technology of Autopilot.