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Matthew B. F. BirenBIREN | KATZMAN is pleased to announce that firm founder Matthew B. F. Biren has been recognized by his peers as a Southern California Super Lawyer 2006-2013.

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Los Angeles Personal Injury Law Blog

Family will receive $18.5 million after boy struck by city truck

A California city has agreed to pay an $18.5 million settlement after a garbage truck driver struck and seriously injured a boy. According to news reports, the settlement is the largest in that city's history. The family's attorney says the money will be used for the extensive medical care the boy will need for the rest of his life.

The boy was riding his skateboard when the accident happened near an elementary school in late 2011. A city truck driver made an illegal turn and struck the boy. One of the body's legs was amputated, and he received serious internal injuries. He had had more than 50 surgeries and will likely have significant medical needs for the rest of his life.

Swimming pools are a source of spinal cord injuries

Swimming pools are hard to beat on a warm, sunny day. Although they are enjoyable, they also have the potential for danger. In addition to drowning, swimming pools are a cause of severe spinal cord injuries in the United States. According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Center, between 3 percent and 5 percent of these spinal injuries have occurred because of swimming or diving accidents. They are part of the estimated 1.27 million people living with spinal cord injuries in the U.S.

Most diving accidents occur when divers meet the bottom of the pool or with their heads or their necks, resulting in broken vertebra and damaged or cut spinal cords. The result for many diving accidents results in the injured diver becoming a quadriplegic with minimal or no use of their legs and arms. In some accidents, divers have paraplegia, meaning they have some or all use of their arms.

NHL sued for wrongful death in player's painkiller overdose

The National Hockey League (NHL) is facing a wrongful death lawsuit over a player who sustained multiple head injuries during his career, began taking prescription pain killers, and later died. After his death, he was found to have chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a brain disease occurring after repeated head injuries.

The player was 28 years old when he was found dead in 2011. He was found to have died from an overdose of the prescription medication he was taking for pain. He also had alcohol in his system. His family is now suing for wrongful death, alleging that the NHL subjected him to trauma, give him pain pills and failed to treat him for the addiction that he developed.

Professor facing criminal charges in assistant's lab fire death

A chemistry professor at the University of California, Los Angeles is being prosecuted for the 2008 death of a 23-year-old research assistant who died after suffering burns in a lab fire. He was arraigned on May 9. The professor faces up to 4 ½ years in prison if convicted of the felony charges, which relate to violating workplace safety standards. The charges are proceeding despite protests from the university that the fatal accident was just that, an accident.

According to a chemist who served as expert witness at a previous criminal court hearing, the fatal accident was preventable. The woman had a bachelor's degree in chemistry but had not worked with the chemical that killed her until she began her position at UCLA. He said she should have had training and received manufacturer's instructions on the chemical.

Electrical worker killed in job site explosion

A California energy company is investigating the death of a worker on the job. The worker, a 38-year-old distribution lineman, was working on a piece of underground equipment when an explosion killed him. Three other workers were taken to a hospital for smoke inhalation.

Southern California Edison, the power company for which the man was working, said it does not know why explosion happened. The explosion does not appear related to a copper theft that caused a power outage affecting 22,000 people, according to the company.

Children are often injured on rides at malls and amusement parks

The U.S. is entering the peak season for amusement park injuries. In a recent study of injuries to children on amusement rides, more than 70 percent of injuries happened between May and September. On average, 20 children are taken to emergency rooms every day for amusement park injuries, the study found.

In total, the study found, more than 92,800 children were treated for injuries on amusement rides between 1990 and 2010. An official at the injury research center that completed the study said that the number of emergency room visits may require a closer look.

Jury: Helmet maker is liable for football player's brain injury

Nearly five years ago, teenage boy went to football practice like thousands of others had done. Like many football players, the teen took a blow to the head during practice. He suffered a concussion, also called a mild traumatic brain injury. Unfortunately, the teenager was not taken to the hospital for immediate treatment. As a result, he suffered severe brain damage and is paralyzed on one side of his body.

As a result of the boy's serious and preventable injuries, his family sued several high school administrators and football coaches and helmet maker Riddell. Recently, family members found a measure of justice. A jury awarded them $11.5 million for the boy's injuries.

 

Minor burns may be a big problem

Burn injuries can be easily underestimated. When people receive cuts or other open wounds, their bodies do a good job of healing themselves. Burns, however, are different. Even burns that seem minor can require significant treatment.

In one recent case, a California fire chief was inspired to write about burn injuries after seeing colleagues burned while fighting fires. While fighting a house fire, the firefighter received second-degree burns when radiant heat soaked through his protective gear.

The firefighter was treated at the emergency room and released. Unexpectedly, he later had to spend four days in a burn unit to receive further treatment for his injuries.

New device could someday help spinal cord injury patients

One of the most devastating aspects of a spinal cord injury is the permanency of the injury. After a certain point, people who become paralyzed in car accidents, work accidents or from other trauma will not see further recovery. The result is a lifetime of limitations.

A medical device company says it has developed a device that could help spinal cord injury patients to obtain a better recovery. The company has developed a device called scaffolding, which is inserted directly into the spinal cord after an injury to help spinal tissue regenerate.

After deadly blast, officials probe fertilizer plant

When a fertilizer plant exploded in a small town recently, 14 people were killed and more than 150 people were injured. Dozens of homes and other buildings were leveled. In the immediate aftermath of the accident, authorities focused on finding victims and securing the site. Now, their focus is turning to finding out how and why the accident happened.

More than 70 agents are investigating at the plant site. Some state and federal officials do not believe that the fire was random. They believe that the plant may have failed to control known risks. Other state officials do not have the same feeling. They say that the fire could be classified as natural, accidental, incendiary or undetermined.