A car accident today, December 28, 2011, claimed the life of a 88-year old man in West Jordan, Utah. According to KSL News, the West Jordan car wreck happened when the older driver driving a white sedan attempted to make a left-hand turn from 9000 South onto 1300 West, directly in front of an approaching south-bound motorist at 5:40 a.m. A collision subsequently resulted, claiming the life of the elderly man. The driver of the other car, a 19 year-old female, received minor injuries and was taken to a local hospital.

I offer my deep condolences to the family of this car accident victim. I actually passed this scene on the way to my West Jordan office this morning and saw the badly-damaged white sedan and the surveyor’s camera set up in the middle of the intersection. It looked like a serious crash and I was saddened to learn the crash was fatal.

Unfortunately, many motorists and passengers get injured when they mis-time making their left-hand turns. I think the recent move to a flashing yellow arrow is helping to reduce the number of incidents. Still, left-hand-turning drivers need to be vigilant and actually have a duty under Utah law to yield to traffic and others before making their turn, even if their light is turning to red.

Ron Kramer is a West Jordan accident and injury attorney.

A Layton car accident required emergency crews on Wednesday, December 14, 2011, to use the jaws of life to rescue an injured man. According to KSL News, a man driving on Gordon Avenue at Fort Lane in Layton, around 6 p.m., was forced off the road then another car crashed into him and pushed his vehicle 40 feet down a ravine and into a creek.

The story says emergency crews took an hour to get the man out using the jaws of life. He was then transported to a local hospital with a head injury. The driver of the other vehicle was not injured.

I offer my best wishes to this man for a speedy recovery. Traumatic brain injuries, however, aren’t always quick to heal and sometimes never fully heal Depending on the seriousness of the injury, his symptoms could remain with him possibly for the rest of his life.

Based on the story, it sounds like the driver of the other car was clearly liable for causing this wreck and the man’s injuries. He most likely has a claim against that driver and possibly an additional claim against his own insurance policy’s “under insured” coverage.

Ron Kramer is a Layton personal injury and accident attorney with offices in Bountiful and Ogden, Utah.

Although the cause of the accident is unknown, 48-year old Louis Cisneros perished instantly when the semi truck rolled while heading west bound on Interstate 84, reports the Standard-Examiner. At the time of the crash, the tanker was full of butane, but, “These tanks are really resilient,” and the “icy winds blowing in from Weber Canyon helped maintain the safety of the overturned flammable payload,” explains Utah Highway Patrol Lt. Chris Simmons.

Ron Kramer is owner of Kramer Law Group, he and his personal injury attorneys have offices in Draper, Bountiful and Provo, Utah

Utah Department of Transportation’s Zero Fatalities campaign brought together the 25 families who lost a child in a car accident, reports Fox13 News. For those who have lost an child in a car accident, it can undoubtedly be a heart wrenching experience, and these family connected in hopes of alerting and educating Utahans be more alert to the dangers of inattentive driving.

My thoughts and prayers are with these families in dealing with their devastating loss.

Unlike most accident stories where human injury is the main problem, St. George experienced a new type of situation, when an overturned semi-truck released an estimated 25 million bees, KSL News reports. The biggest problem they had was getting the correct colony boxes next to each other,  Casey Lofthouse, Washington County bee inspector informs. When bees from different colonies are together they will attack and kill each other. About two-thirds of the bees were recovered, thanks to local beekeepers who came together to help the out-of-state owner.

Ron Kramer is an accident and injury lawyer who practices auto accident law throughout the state of Utah.

Although many states have previously required a medical examiner to be at the scene of a fatal vehicle accident, Utah has previously not required one, which is likely to change reports KSL News. “The cause of death is not always apparent,” tell Utah Highway Patrol Maj. Michael Rapich.

Having a medical examiner on the scene of the accident helps Utahns in more than one way. First, they can help put the correct causation to the death, i.e. a toxicology report can help pinpoint whether the death was caused by chemical or natural causes. Second, it can help the family and relatives speed up the legal process. Getting a death certificate and an insurance payout can be a cumbersome process, especially if trying to get the necessary paperwork from a hospital emergency room, which are usually too busy with patients who have not already passed. Having a medical examiner present helps prevent the “legal limbo” that is created with a situation where the proper documentation wasn’t done soon enough, and also helps free up “time and resources at the hospital.”

Utah accident Victims can now order their accident reports online. Utahans, who have a history of being tech-savvy, have kept with this trend reports the Standard-Examiner. Utah Highway Patrol reports over 56,000 accidents annually, and are “very excited to offer this valuable service to our citizens,” said Commissioner Davenport of the Utah Department of Public Safety.

In the past, an accident victim has had to personally visit the law enforcement station in order to get a copy of their accident report. Now, after a few simple verifying steps, it can easily be accessed and printed online. Currently, all state-level accident reports are available at http://crashreport.utah.gov, but U.H.P. is hoping (and encouraging) county-level law enforcement agencies to join.

Kramer Law Group, is a personal injury firm who specializes in helping accident victims receive a fair amount of compensation from insurance companies. We offer free consultations to anyone with questions about their accident, and have also made available a free copy of The Utah Accident Book.

Lonnie Walker Brady, a 6-year-old girl from Duchesne, was stuck in the intersection of 100 West and U.S. Highway 40 by a man in a pickup truck. The driver of the truck is being charged with driving under the influence of methamphetamine, along with other related charges, reports KSL News.

The young girl, Utah Highway Patrol trooper Matt Pratt describes, was thrown about 43 feet. Mr. Pratt, who also witnessed the accident, recalls the driver was not speeding at the time, and also appeared to apply the brakes before cashing into the girl.

Originally Lonnie was taken to a local medical center, but soon after was flown to Primary Children’s in critical condition. Even with such a serious crash, “The doctors have a very optimistic outcome for her,” says UHP Cpl. Rex Olsen.

With this being one of many car accident traumas in the family, we offer our sympathy to the family for going through such a heart-wrenching tragedy of a young loved one.

While traveling Northbound on I-15 near Box Elder, 59 year old Arthur Baca (Clearfield), was involved in a fatal car accident. After his tire blew out, KSL News reports, he lost control of the vehicle which ended in a violent collision with the median after first rolling over the hood. The driver was not the only person in the vehicle. Helena Baca, 58, was taken to the hospital with back injuries; her condition is still unknown.

I offer my condolences to the family and friends of both Arthur and Helena, with hopes of a fast and full recovery for Helena.

When a tire blows out like this, there are lots of questions as to how this might have happened. Did the driver hit something in the road? Was the tire overheating because of low inflation? Was the tire bald? Or were there defects in the tire that were hidden and could not be known about until it was too late? If there was a defect in the tire when it was manufactured, there could be a “products liability” case against the maker of the tire. There are a number of things that could go wrong in a factory that could cause a tire to later fail. A preliminary inspection of the tire by a qualified tire expert could help pinpoint the source of the tire’s failure. The family will want to secure the tire in a safe place so it can be later looked at.

I would recommend that the family contact an experienced Utah attorney to find out what remedies might be available in this case.

After being in a car accident, injured parties need to beware of the insurance adjusters, whose bottom line is to keep as much money as they can in the pocket of the insurance company. According to MSN, there is some inside information that can help an accident victim get a full and fair settlement.

1. The adjusters are trained (and likely paid) to question the victim with a “loaded” questions. In other words, these adjusters ask questions to help take some fault off their insured. If you don’t have a legal representative, make sure you talk with your own insurance agent first.

2. Many injuries sustained in accidents are soft-tissue injuries, or injuries that you may not feel until several days later. The adjusters know this, and therefore are likely to try to get the case settled as soon as possible. Take your time! There is no reason a case needs to be hurried along.

3. Do your homework. The internet is great resource for doing research. You can also call the Kramer Law Group, who gives free consultations to accident victims. The adjuster knows how the game is played, so make sure you have information to stay in the game. Also, be sure to request a copy of the Utah Accident Book, written by Ron Kramer, to help educate those who’ve been involved in car accidents.

4. Be prepared to negotiate. You should never take the first offer from the adjuster, unless they’re offering policy limits. Your negotiating will be more like bartering with a vendor at a side-walk sale. The amounts are not set in stone, and the adjuster is definitely likely to low ball you at the beginning.

Ron Kramer is West Jordan accident and injury attorney with offices in West Jordan, Orem, Bountiful and now in Ogden.