Arizona Personal Injury

Kids In Distress Employee Charged for Sex Crime

jacksonwhite — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 23:02:26 +0000

Brian Fields has been working at Kids In Distress—a shelter for abused and neglected children— for 10 years. The 31-year-old was arrested for sexually assaulting one of the children living there on more than one occasion.

Between December 26^th and January 6^th, Fields engaged in four sexual acts with a 15-year-old girl. Not only was the girl sexually assaulted by Fields, but just weeks earlier, she encountered the same situation with another employee named Brian Denby, who was arrested.

Fields was fired from Kids In Distress and charged with 12 counts of indecent and salacious conduct with a child. He is being held on $120,000 bail at the Broward County Jail.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of child sexual abuse, contact a JacksonWhite personal injury attorney. We can fight to get you compensation to help with the recovery process. Call (480)648-8928 to schedule a free and confidential consultation with Phoenix personal injury lawyer Jared Everton.

Mother Charged for Sexual Assault on Daughter’s Friend

jacksonwhite — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 23:30:04 +0000

Lynne Freeman, a mother of two young girls and a parent volunteer at University Schools, was found guilty of sexually assaulting two teenage boys who were friends with one of her daughters.

Two boys had been watching a movie at the home when Freeman asked one of them to take the dog outside. The other thirteen-year-old boy was left behind with the mother. She told him to come with her, and took him upstairs to a closet. Once they were both inside, she locked the door. Freeman then touched the boy inappropriately.

Another boy, age 16, also contacted police stating Freeman had sexually assaulted him as well.

Freeman was charged with one count of attempted sexual assault on a child. She was sentenced to a year in jail through a work-release program and six years of intensive supervised probation for sex offenders.

“Teacher of the Year” Fired for Sexual Abuse

jacksonwhite — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 18:18:31 +0000

Christopher Bacca, 26, was awarded with “teacher of the year” at Windy Hill Elementary in Jacksonville, Florida in 2012. However, he was fired after being accused of sexually abusing a student.

School board member Tommy Hazouri stated, “What we’ve seen as a result of it is that while he was a good teacher, he certainly had a dark side to him… What happened was a parade of horribles that shouldn’t happen to any child.”

Bacca was arrested and charged with sexual battery on a minor as well as indecent and lecherous behavior.

Teachers’ assistant accused of sexual abuse

jacksonwhite — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 17:17:48 +0000

Clarence Cepheus Taylor, a 37-year-old man working as an evening shift dorm aide, has been found guilty of wrongfully touching three adolescent female students at the Maryland School for the Deaf.

These incidents occurred multiple times between 2008 and 2010. The three girls ranged from ages ten to thirteen. One girl finally told a teacher about her sexual abuse after realizing she wasn’t the only victim.

When one girl was twelve and thirteen, Taylor would embrace her and allow his hand to inappropriately touch her.

Another girl stated that when she was ten and twelve, she was victimized by Taylor when he inappropriately touched her during the night. The same thing happened to a different girl when she was thirteen.

Taylor was suspended from his job as a teachers’ aide and arrested for three felony counts of sexual abuse of a minor.

Sexual abuse cases in schools are more common than most people think, and it is the responsibility of school districts to ensure that your child will be safe from sexual predators. If your child has been subject to any sexual abuse by a teacher or school employee, you should contact an experienced Arizona School Sexual Abuse attorney ASAP. Call 480-648-8928 to schedule a FREE consultation with school injury lawyer, Jared Everton today.

How Parents can Protect Children from Abuse at Daycare

jacksonwhite — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 22:09:53 +0000

Here are three things you can do as a parent to prevent abuse of your child while at daycare.

Do your homework when picking a daycare. Find out the licensing agency and research if there have ever been any issues. Figure out who will be around your child and ask for background checks. Get references and talk with others regarding their experiences with the daycare. Visit the facility while children are there to get a feel for how things are run. Your child’s safety is most important.
Continue doing your homework. Even if it seems like you have found the perfect daycare, continue to ask questions. New people can start working or daily routines can change. Show up when they are not expecting you. Get to know the other parents and question them if they decide to switch daycares.
Pay close attention to your child. Ask them about their day and their interactions with friends and teachers. If something has happened to your child, they might not admit to it. So pay attention to their mood and how they act. Just because your child is acting differently, doesn’t automatically mean they are being abused, it is just a good idea to be a little more alert.

While the great majority of situations are safe, it is very important to be educated and alert.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of child sexual abuse in Phoenix, contact Attorney Jared Everton. He has years of experience representing those injured by another person’s negligence. Call (480) 648-8928 to schedule a free and confidential consultation with Phoenix personal injury lawyer Jared Everton.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/claire-mccarthy-md/child-safety_b_2266941.html

Veterans Sue KBR Construction for Exposing them to Toxins

jacksonwhite — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 16:23:27 +0000

12 veterans of the Oregon Army National Guard filed a lawsuit against KBR, the largest non-unionized construction company in the U.S., for exposing them to a toxin called hexavalent chromium during the Restore Iraqi Oil mission in 1993. U.S. and British soldiers were hired to guard a water treatment plant that was covered with the toxic chemical.

Workers who breathe in the toxic chemical have an increased risk of developing lung cancer. One of the veterans is now confined to a wheelchair, and must breathe using an oxygen tank. The chemical can also cause damage to the eyes and skin if contact is made for a long enough period of time.

The plaintiff’s attorney said KBR should have known the soldiers were being exposed to this dangerous chemical. A jury agreed and awarded each of the 12 veterans $850,000 in compensatory damages and $6.25 million in punitive damages. After this victory, another 20 veterans are working with the legal team on another lawsuit against KBR involving the same incident.

Businesses are supposed to provide a safe work environment for its employees. In this case, KBR failed to do so; this is why a jury awarded damages to the 12 veterans. If you’ve suffered an injury because your work environment is unsafe, contact a Phoenix personal injury attorney. Call 480-648-8928 to schedule a free consultation with Mesa personal injury lawyer, Jared Everton.

Disabled Girl Dies: on Bus, Staff Called Mother not 911

jacksonwhite — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 15:53:33 +0000

Lisa Herrera, the mother of 7-year-old Isabella watched her get on the bus to go to school. Lisa constantly reminded the school bus driver and the school bus aid about her daughter’s special needs. Isabella suffered from neuromuscular disorder, which affects her walking and head control. When Isabella gets on the bus, the school staff is supposed to tilt Isabella’s wheelchair in order to stabilize her head. On one particular day the staff aboard the bus forgot to do that.

The school bus video shows Isabella’s head bobbing back and forth many times over a 17 minute period. The bus driver aid notices that Isabella isn’t breathing and yells for the bus driver to pull over and call 911. The bus pulls over in front of a pediatrician’s office, but instead of calling 911, the bus driver calls Isabella’s mom.

The school bus pulled over a 2:24pm; Lisa arrived and was on the bus at 2:32pm. She saw that her daughter was blue and began performing CPR. Lisa was the first and only person to give CPR to Isabella. When Lisa realized that no one had called 911 yet, she called them herself. While Lisa was on the phone with police, the bus driver finally decided to give Isabella CPR, but it was too late, Isabella died the next day.

Herrera’s attorney is arguing that the school is negligent, because their staff is not only untrained, they lack common sense. The staff on the school bus watched a child die, didn’t call 911, didn’t perform CPR, and didn’t remove her from the bus even though they were parked in front of a pediatric clinic. The bus drivers and aids are not required to take additional training when dealing with special needs children. The school offers additional training, but it’s optional.

The responsiveness shown by the school staff in this case is completely unacceptable. If your child has suffered an injury from negligence, contact a Phoenix personal injury lawyer. Call 480-648-8928 to schedule a free consultation with Mesa negligence attorney, Jared Everton.

Family Files Lawsuit Against School after Son Dies from Negligent Supervision

jacksonwhite — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 15:46:11 +0000

In November 2011, the Reyes family dropped their son off at Wenatchee High School just like any other day, but what they didn’t know was that their son wasn’t coming home. The school’s gym teacher Ed Knaggs decided to have his class tread water in the deep end of the school’s pool. Knaggs didn’t check to see if all 26 of his students could swim, and even worse, he decided he didn’t need to devote his full attention to the class.

Antonio Reyes drowned in gym class that day. The Reyes family brought a lawsuit against the school for negligent supervision. The lawsuit stated that the school didn’t have a lifeguard on duty, they didn’t have a rope separating the deep and from the shallow end, and they didn’t even know if Antonio Reyes could swim. The Reyes family’s lawsuit required the school to issue a formal apology and to implement new safety procedures to prevent further accidents from happening.

The Wenatchee School District settled with the Reyes family for $2 million. The district also issued a formal apology and initiated new safety procedures immediately. The school district also fired the gym teacher in April 2012 for failing to watch over his class that day.

It is the responsibility of our education system to protect students from all forms of danger including other students, parents, and faculty. When a school fails to uphold its responsibility, the students and their families suffer. If your son or daughter has suffered an injury due to negligent supervision, speak with an experienced personal injury attorney. You can call 480-648-8928 to schedule a free consultation with Phoenix negligence attorney, Jared Everton.

Diabetic Woman Denied Insulin in Jail Dies Two Days Later

jacksonwhite — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 18:56:19 +0000

The family of Deborah Braillard has been fighting in court for seven years over her death in a Maricopa County Jail. Braillard’s family filed a lawsuit against Sheriff Joe Arpaio and other city official for gross medical negligence. According to the lawsuit, Braillard was denied insulin for more than two days. When she was finally taken to a hospital, she died.

A jury has been deliberating a proper settlement, but they haven’t reached an agreement yet. In addition to the disagreement, protestors from Citizens for a Better Arizona have disrupted the settlement according to a jury supervisor. The family has spent $2 million on the trial already, but the trial will resume shortly. There’s no telling what the jury will award the family for Deborah Braillard’s death.

The fact that a person is in jail, doesn’t mean they lose their rights to proper medical attention. If the staff at Maricopa County Jail had given Braillard her insulin upon request, she would still be alive today. There is no doubt that the Maricopa County Jail staff acted negligently and caused the death of 46-year-old diabetic Deborah Braillard.

If a loved one has been injured or killed due to the negligence of another person, contact a skilled negligence attorney. No one deserves to suffer because of someone else’s negligent behavior. You can call 480-648-8928 to schedule a free consultation with Phoenix personal injury lawyer, Jared Everton.

Woman Dies after Surgeon Leaves an 18″x18″ Sponge in her Abdomen

jacksonwhite — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 18:47:46 +0000

Geraldine Nicholson went into surgery to have cancerous tissue removed from her colon. Dr. Arleen Thom performed the surgery on the 55-year-old woman, but made a fatal mistake during surgery. Thom closed Nicholson up before removing an 18-inch by 18-inch sponge from her abdomen. The sponge inside Nicholson caused infections and prevented her from receiving the proper treatment she needed for her cancer.

Within a year of the surgery, Nicholson died from complications and from her cancer going untreated. Geraldine’s husband filed a lawsuit against Dr. Thom for negligence and medical malpractice. Nicholson’s attorney stated this whole incident could have been prevented with a sponge count or if Thom checked Geraldine’s abdominal cavity before completing surgery. The jury ordered Thom to pay $5 million to Nicholson’s estate and $750,000 to her husband.

It’s a shame when injury and death are a direct result of a simple mistake that should have never occurred. In this case, a simple sponge count would have saved Nicholson’s life. Dr. Thom was guilty of medical malpractice for failing to uphold a minimum standard of care. If you suffer any injury because a health care provider failed to maintain a level of care, contact a skilled Phoenix medical malpractice attorney. You can call 480-648-8928 to schedule a free consultation with Mesa negligence attorney, Jared Everton.