The 9 year old girl is still in critical condition while the other two girls are in serious condition.

Distracted driving leads to delayed reaction times. In this case the time between seeing the girls and the use of the break were to far apart. Distracted driving accounts for 18% of all accidents according to the CDC.

Accidents like this support the new no cell phone law for teens that was put in place the same day as the accident. If accidents like this tragedy continue we can expect that the cell phone and driving ban will be extended to all ages.

We at Christensen & Hymas wish the girls a successful recovery. We hope that this serves as a painful reminder to all that frequently use their phones while driving to put it down and focus.

If you have been hit as a result of a driver who has been texting while driving, call a compassionate attorney from Christensen & Hymas. We specialize in cases involving cell phone use and would be happy to assist you.

Article and photo originally reported by Deseret News

If caught a teen will need to pay $25, but no points will be placed on the diving record. This small fee is intended to be paid by the teen, not the parent. According to Republican representative Lee Perry who supported the bill. He feels that the $25 will impact the teen’s wallet just enough to teach a lesson. If this law is effective in reducing accidents among teens it is reasonable to expect that the law could be extended to all drivers.

The goal of this law is to significantly reduce the number of distractions that teen drivers are facing. According to the Center for Disease Control one in five crashes is caused by a distracted driver. The law attempts to bring the percentage of the population who claim to use their phone while driving down. The United States reports that 69% of drivers use phones, this is 10% higher percentage of the population than even the countries with the most offenders in Europe.

We at Christensen & Hymas are painfully aware that phone use poses great risk for drivers. We also see many teenage accident cases. We support the state of Utah for finding new ways to protect our roads. If you have experienced an accident involving phone usage contact the experts at Christensen & Hymas (801)506-0800.

Original article and photo from Deseret News

At the hospital it was discovered that the two had an almost lethal saturation of carbon monoxide gas in their blood streams. Exposure to 100 parts per million of the gas or more are dangerous and lead to a loss of judgement and movement after about two hours. The Center for Disease Control states that “unintentional CO exposure accounts for an estimated 15,000 emergency department visits and 500 unintentional deaths in the United States each year”.

This particular poisoning has been attributed to a propane refrigerator that was leaking and had not been inspected in the proper amount of time.

We at Christensen & Hymas are grateful that the couple is unharmed and that they will have no lasting effects from the accident. In cases where poisonings do not lead to death, the lack of oxygen to the brain can leave lasting damages. If you or someone you love has been involved in a carbon monoxide poisoning due to someone elses negligence, call the personal injury experts at Christensen & Hymas at (801)560-0800.

Original article from Fox13

Picture courtesy of Konstantin Stepanov

The law suit originated by Greeleef has since been settled but dozens of home owners in Park City have recently rejected the class action settlement. DuPont has agreed to spend up to nine hundred million replacing damaged trees. Park City residents are rejecting this claiming that the damages done to them cost ten times that. They feel that the compensation, though a necessary gesture, is inadequate.

We at Christensen & Hymas hope that both sides will be able to come to an agreement which they feel is fair and are thankful that this misuse of chemicals only lead to the death of trees and not humans.

The misuse of chemicals and chemicals that act stronger than expected leads to 10,830 calls to poison control centers each and every day. Add to that victims who are rushed straight to the emergency never realizing that there issue is chemical based.

If you or someone your know has encountered a harmful misuse of chemicals call the accident specialists at Christensen & Hymas at (801)506-0800.

Photo Courtesy of Sheggy

Story originally from The Salt Lake Tribune

The 400 pound tank was next to a well that has been producing at a good rate. Newfield Production claims to be willing to help in any investigations that occur and are hoping to reopen the lucrative well soon. For the time being, all employees are being kept out of a half mile radius as investigators are determining the safety of the area. This is a set back for the state’s largest producer of crude oil.

Only an estimated 2% of all injuries in the oil and gas industry lead to death. However each injury can lead to loss of work and limb. It can be difficult for workers and their families to recover both from the initial injury of the accident as well as from the emotional and financial injuries which follow. Oil and gas service agents, like Boren and Harris who were checking the equipment, account for a sixth of all on the job injury claims in the petroleum business according to worksafe.org.

We at Christensen  & Hymas wish to express our sympathies to the Boren and Harris families. If we can be of any help in your healing process we extend our support. If you or someone else you know has been injured in an industrial accident like this call us at (801) 506-0800.

Original article and photo from Deseret News

Fox13 News reported yesterday that this boy, KJ Reid, was viciously attacked by dogs. Two other unnamed people were injured in their St. George back yard. KJ is eleven years old and was playing hide and seek with the neighborhood children yesterday. During the game he decided to walk along the top of a retaining wall which divided several yards. He fell from the wall into an unfamiliar yard which contained three Rottweilers. Two of the three dogs are responsible for his injuries. KJ’s mother Autumn saw one dog holding him around the waist and the other pulling at his extremities. According to the police the owner and a resident of the house attempted to stop the attack and were also injured by the dogs, which turned upon them as well.

Surprisingly, the Reid family claims to have no ill feelings towards the dog owner and feel that her quick actions were what saved their son’s life. As for the dogs they are under the control of St. George animal control and it is unclear how they will be dealt with or why they reacted in this way at this time.

At Christensen & Hymas we see many dog bite attacks and we know how painful and devastating they can be. We wish young KJ the best in his recovery and hope that the dog owner will heal quickly. We suggest that the Reid family obtain a copy of the police report and then contact us for help at (801)506-0800.

Photo Courtesy of Chante Chidister

The location is about seven miles west of the highway and emergency facilities. Despite the quick response of several agencies, Weber died as a result of his injuries. His companion was extracted from the swing unharmed. It is unclear as to what caused the experienced climber to fall.

The American Alpine Institute for Climbing says that rappelling is the most dangerous activity you can do while climbing. This is the third death that the Grand County Sheriff’s office has investigated this year alone. The Sheriff urges climbers and rappellers to use extreme caution.

We at Christensen & Hymas send our condolences to Weber’s family and friends. If we can be of service in helping you or others who have experienced accidents with mountain falls please call us at (801)506-0800.

Image courtesy of Christian Haugen and is not of the story above.

In  February of 2010 the Toone family hired Coleman Nocks, then an exterminator at Bugman, to handle their home’s small rat infestation in Layton. A few days after the first treatment of rat poison was laid all of the six family members fell ill. The mother Brenda Toone assumed that the family had all come down with a bout of common food poisoning, but after two days her four year old Rebecca’s health began to decline. She was taken to the hospital where she passed away within the day. This Family’s tragedy and heart break was only compounded three days later when Rebecca’s 15 month old sister Rachel also passed away.

Their deaths have been attributed to accidental exposure to rat poisoning. The FDA code for safe distribution of pesticides mandates that strong poisons, like the Fumitoxin that was used, must remain outside of a 15 foot radius from a dwelling. Fumitoxin in this case was administered in pellet form. Upon investigation the poison pellets were found to be between 3 to 7 feet from the entrances to the living space.

The Bugman has been accused of negligent behavior both due to the misplacement of the pellets as well as the disregard of client phone calls. Prior to the hospitalization of her little girls Brenda had attempted to call Bugman regarding an odd chemical smell in the home, now known to be the deadly contamination. Nocks did not investigate the concern, despite having access to chemical detection services like  the ones which Pestcon Systems sells alongside their Fumitoxin.

The mishandling of chemical materials is hazardous and in tragic cases like this one deadly. We extend our deepest condolences to the Toone family and wish them the best in the up coming legal proceedings.

If you have been hurt or have experienced a death in your family due to commercial negligence please call Christensen & Hymas at (801) 506-0800.

Photo and article originally from KSL Feb. 9 2010

The cause of her fall remains unknown. It has been speculated that either the slide or the dog is to blame, since she had know previously known medical conditions which would have instigated the heart failing. Investigators are still determining if heart failure and loss of consciousness caused or were results of the fall.

The American Heart Association reports that by age three less than twenty present of children will have less than optimal cardiac health. Fewer the percentage of those with problems will know about their condition due to the young age and lack of time for issues to manifest themselves. The American Pediatric Society claims that loss of consciousness is quite common in their patients, but in cases like this when the patient is unable to be aroused in a few minutes the consequences can be fatal.

Christensen & Hymas hope that answers regarding what happened to this girl can be found and that these answers can be used to better treat her. We look forward to seeing a recovery and a happy ending to this little girl’s story. We offer her and her family any help we can give.

If your child has been involved in a life threatening accident call the experts at Christensen & Hymas for help, we want to help children find justice.

The 12th annual Safe Kids F.I.T. Fair will be held in at Barnes Park in Kaysville on Saturday the 5th of May from 10am-1pm. Over 40 interactive booths will not only entertain children, but they will begin to educate them about the importance of safety. Children will be introduced to law enforcement agents including the K9 unit and see first hand some of the ways that policemen can help them. The goal is to see each child become comfortable with their surroundings and have tools like child ID kits and safety knowledge to help them live safely. 300 Bike helmets have also been donated and will be distributed on a first come first serve basis. This even is free and open to all.

The intent is that with the weather warming up more children will be playing outside of the home and that means more chances for them to get into accidents. The Davis county health department teams up with Families Involved Together (F.I.T.) each year to host this event with the belief that knowledge is power and that with each experience a child has that teaches them how to be safe the child is empowered with the ability to avoid unnecessary accidents.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, injuries are the number one killer of children. These injuries often occur in accidents. We at Christensen & Hymas commend Davis county for their efforts in helping our children stay safe. If you would like more information on child accidents or if your child has been involved in an accident call us at (801) 506-0800.

For more information visit Safe Kids F.I.T. Fair

Image courtesy of Rachel

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