In 2009, two high-profile Indiana dog bite cases brought the seriousness of dog bites to the forefront of the nation’s consciousness. First, a four-year-old Michiana Shores girl lost her nose when a pit bull bit it off; then, later that same month, a 10-year-old Bloomington boy was disfigured when a mixed-breed dog bit his nose and lips.

Now the American Humane Association is reporting that dog bites are on the rise across the country, with dozens of bites occurring every day in each state. Half of all victims are under the age of 10, and the insurance industry pays out $1 billion a year in dog bite claims.

This week, from May 16 to May 22, is National Dog Bite Prevention Week. According to the Humane Association, the best way that parents can prevent their children from being bitten by a dog is to educate them about how to act around dogs. Parents are also advised to supervise their children, as 80 percent of fatal dog attacks among 2-year-olds occurred when the child was unsupervised.

A dog bite accident can be serious and should be taken seriously. If you or someone you know has been the victim of an Indiana dog bite injury, we encourage you to consult the Indiana Dog Bite Lawyers with Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin. It’s important to know that bite victims have rights. In most states, the dog’s owner is liable when his dog bites.

A Henryville, Indiana, woman who was recently disabled after losing both her legs during a storm has recently started walking again using prosthetic legs. According to ABC 57 News, it has taken the woman weeks of rehabilitation to reach this point.

The woman’s story began in March, when she began to hear tornado warnings near her home. As the storm approached, the woman and her two sons retreated to the basement of their home for safety. When the storm hit, the walls around them collapsed and the ceiling above their heads caved in. Falling debris injured the woman’s legs so badly that they had to be amputated from the knee down.

Since the accident, the woman has been working to gain her mobility back. Her hard work was rewarded late last week when she was fitted for her first prosthetic leg. In several more weeks, her other leg will be fitted as well.

“I still have kids to take care of, a family that I love. We would still make it work and we would be happy and it would be okay,” she said about facing the possibility of never walking again.

Long-term disability claim denials affect hundreds of thousands of Americans each year. That’s why the Indiana Social Security Disability Lawyers with Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin suggest discussing your case with an experienced attorney if your disability claim has been denied.

Despite Indiana’s governor signing a law in July that made it illegal to text while driving, experts say the problem hasn’t stopped. According to WTHITV 10 News, Indiana police are blaming the problem on the actual wording of the law and the difficulties of enforcing it.

The law states that the use of any handheld device to read or transmit a text message or email while driving is illegal. It further states that drivers younger than 18-years-old are not allowed to use any electronic device at all while driving, except for in emergency situations.

Since the laws inception, very few tickets have been issued for infractions. In Vigo County, only three tickets have been written in the 10 months the law has been on the books. It’s not that people aren’t committing violations, as a recent study found that 57 percent of Indiana teens text while driving. So what seems to be the problem?

Police say the wording of the law makes it extremely difficult to enforce, as officers must actually catch violators in the act, which can be hard to decipher at times and even more difficult to prove.

If you’ve been injured in an Indiana Car Accident that was caused by someone using a cellphone, the Indiana Injury Lawyers with Fleschner Stark Tanoos & Newlin say that may be considered negligence on the driver’s part, and you may be able to hold them responsible for damages.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claims that 68 percent of U.S. children killed in alcohol-related crashes between 1997 and 2002 were passengers of the drunk driver. Also, 68 percent of the drunken drivers involved in these crashes survived, which suggests that some of the children might also have survived if they were wearing a seatbelt.

For instance, a 44-year-old Terre Haute, Indiana man was arrested Friday for DUI after crashing a stolen vehicle into a parked car while driving with two young girls in the vehicle with him. According to WTHITV 10 News, the accident happened at the corner of 15^th and Poplar.

Police say that the driver seemed incoherent and claimed that the vehicle’s brakes had gone out moments before crashing into a ditch. After running the tags on the vehicle, officers found out that the car he crashed was stolen. The driver and a pair of six and seven-year-old girls, who were unrestrained passengers in the stolen car, were taken to a local hospital for treatment after complaining of chest pains.

The driver now faces several felony and misdemeanor charges, including automobile theft, possession of methamphetamine, driving with a suspended license, driving drunk, endangering a person, and neglect of a dependent.

The Indiana Drunk Driving Lawyers with Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin ask that motorists never get behind the wheel after consuming drugs or alcohol, especially if children are in the vehicle.

Reports from two separate firms hired to investigate the August 13 stage collapse at the Indiana State Fairgrounds site have been released. According to WTHITV 10 News, both reports found that the structural integrity of the stage was inadequate for the conditions that evening.

The reports said the stage was built to withstand wind gusts of 25 to 43 mph. Scott Nacheman, vice president for engineering company Thornton Tomasetti, stated that experts estimated that a maximum wind gust of 59 mph was experienced the night the stage and the rigging above it collapsed.

The results of the report have prompted lawmakers in the state to consider enacting regulations to help prevent similar accidents from occurring in the future. Some of the changes being considered are:

• Implementing the recommendations from the two firm’s reports, from code compliance and inspections to comprehensive public safety plans in conjunction with community public-safety partners.
• Hire a chief operations officer to oversee the day-to-day initiatives to put the recommendations into place.
• Establish a risk assessment practice and expectations that will be set and monitored by the commission.
• Use the IOSHA report to further the protection of employees.

The Indiana Long Term Disability Attorneys with Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin hope that the findings and the work by state legislators prevent similar accidents in the future and bring closure to the victims and their families who have been affected by this accident.

A 43-year-old Valparaiso, Indiana, woman was killed after being involved in a collision with a tractor-trailer on Tuesday. According to The Post-Tribune, the accident happened at the intersection of U.S. 30 and CR 600 West in Porter County.

Reports from troopers with the Indiana State Police say that the 52-year-old driver of a 2009 Freightliner truck was heading west on U.S. 30 when he began to cough uncontrollably. He says that he realized the light had turned red as he approached the intersection, but that he was unable to stop the truck due to his coughing fit. The semi-truck screeched into the intersection and collided with a maroon SUV that was going south on 600W. The impact sent the vehicles across the median before coming to rest in the oncoming lanes of traffic.

While the driver of the truck and a passenger who was in the cab escaped the accident unscathed, the driver of the van died at the scene of the accident.

It is unclear whether the driver of the truck will face any charges in connection with the crash until troopers complete a full investigation into the accident.

The Indiana Truck Accident Lawyers with Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin would like to send their thoughts and condolences to the friends and family of the woman who tragically died in this accident. The firm hopes that they can find swift closure to their untimely loss.

Statistics show that not wearing a seatbelt is one of the most dangerous things you can do when in a moving vehicle. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration shows that only 49 percent of speeding drivers under the age of 21 years old who were involved in fatal crashes were wearing seat belts.

Drivers also are 10 times as likely to be killed in an accident if they’re not properly restrained. These numbers show why seat belt use is so vital for staying safe on the roadways.

Recently, a Greene County, Indiana, a man was killed when he was involved in a single-vehicle accident because he wasn’t wearing his seat belt. According to reports from WTHITV 10 News, the crash happened Friday on State Rd. 54, just east of the Greene Co. 4-H Fairgrounds.

Reports from the Indiana State Police who investigated the accident say that the driver from Elnora, Indiana, was heading east along the road when he lost control of his vehicle, veered off the highway and struck a guardrail. Because he was not restrained, the impact ejected the man from the vehicle. He was taken to the Greene County Hospital where he died from his injuries.

The Indiana Auto Accident Lawyers with Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin ask that you stay safe while driving by always putting on your seat belt before setting off for your destination.

Five people were taken to the hospital as the result of a crash that occurred Friday in rural Illinois. According to The Tribune-Star, the accident happened around 4:00 p.m. at the intersection of US 36 and Douglas County Road 2200 East.

The Illinois State Police Department indicated that the 38-year old driver of a pickup truck hauling a trailer lost control of his vehicle due to weather conditions and began to spin out of control as he headed west along the highway. The truck and trailer jackknifed as they crossed over the center dividing lines of the highway and into the path of an oncoming vehicle.

That vehicle hit the rear of the truck, which stopped the spin but caused the trailer to tip and smash onto the roof of the car.

The 30-year old driver of the car and her passengers, ages 4 to 60, were taken to Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, Illinois, by ambulance and were treated for injuries ranging from minor to moderate.

Investigators stated that citations were not given to either driver in connection with the crash.

The Indiana Auto Accident Lawyers with Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin say that in bad weather conditions, drivers should slow down and allow other drivers in front of them more space than usual. This will increase the amount of time you will have to react if an accident occurs in front of you.

A single-vehicle rollover accident Tuesday on I-70 near Terre Haute, Indiana, was the cause of a chaotic scene on the side of the highway. According to Channel 10 News, the crash happened at 11:04 a.m. near mile marker 10.5.

Reports from troopers with the Indiana State Police indicate that a 20-year-old driver of a 1998 Ford Explorer SUV was heading east on the road when he was cut off by another vehicle making a sudden lane change. The tight lane change forced the young man to slam on his brakes and jerk the wheel of the vehicle toward the shoulder of the road to avoid a collision. This led to the SUV going off the side of the road and rolling over once.

Troopers were able to stop the other vehicle approximately 10 miles up the road, but upon further investigation decided not to ticket either driver.

The young man who was behind the wheel of the SUV refused medical attention at the scene for several lacerations he suffered and was subsequently released.

Investigators say that all parties involved were wearing seat belts and that drugs and alcohol are not considered factors in the crash.

The Indiana Auto Accident Lawyers with Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin say that while no one was seriously hurt in this crash, it does serve as a reminder to check your mirrors twice before changing lanes and to always buckle up for safety.

Alcohol and drugs are to blame for a single-vehicle Vigo County crash that injured the 24-year-old driver. According to The Tribune-Star, the accident occurred Tuesday morning at South Morris Place near Florine Drive.

Lt. Don Westerfield, a spokesman for the Vigo County Sheriff’s Department, stated that the young man was driving at a high rate of speed when one of the tires on his vehicle became flat. He then lost control  and veered off the road, striking a mailbox and a tree.

The driver suffered a serious back injury in the crash and was taken to Terre Haute Regional Hospital before being transferred to an Indianapolis hospital. Blood analysis after the accident showed that the driver had a blood alcohol content of .164 percent, more than double the legal limit. He also tested positive for marijuana.

Authorities say that criminal charges against the driver are pending the conclusion of an investigation.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, motor-vehicle accidents are the top killer of young people in the United States between the ages of 15 and 24, and 25% of those deaths are alcohol-related.

The Terre Haute DUI Accident Attorneys with Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin know that on St. Patrick’s Day, some people may be tempted to drink and drive. Instead, call a cab or trusted friend to get you home safely. The risk of an accident is not worth risking lives.