March 2010 Archives

A Dickinson County District Court, KS, jury heard depositions by accident reconstruction experts last week in a case brought by an Enterprise man against the Abilene school district and one of its bus drivers.  In the civil action filed in 2008, Dennis Dean Gay is seeking damages in excess of $75,000 against the Abilene district and former bus driver Gary Liby.

In January 2008, the Kansas Highway Patrol reports a 2001 bus driven by Liby, who was then age 70, Abilene, was traveling north when it failed to stop at stop sign. The bus  collided with an eastbound 1989 Dodge truck driven by Gay, who was then age 52, of Enterprise.  In the court filing, Gay states that as a result of a January 2008 collision, he incurred severe injuries and is seeking damages to cover past and future medical bills, lost and future wages.

For more, see the abilenereflectorchronicle.com.

Concerned parents presented their case before the federal vaccine court stating that the ingredient thimerosal, used in vaccines, is partly to blame for autism but the court issued a statement March 12th saying "an alleged causal link between autism and a mercury-containing preservative in vaccines is unpersuasive...." 

Parents presented medical expert witnesses who argued mercury can have a number of effects on the brain and certain biological processes, including abnormal metabolism in children. Though parents argued that the effects from mercury in vaccines differ from mercury’s known effects on the brain, they made little progress in their fight. Because of the federal vaccine court  ruling, the families appearing before the court aren't entitled to any compensation. 

For more, see examiner.com. 

According to a recent survey conducted by The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), aggressive driving is responsible for more than six million crashes in the United States each year. To raise awareness of the dangers of aggressive driving, CURE Auto Insurance offers the following tips to keep all drivers safe on the road.  CURE was founded in 1990 by New Jersey Insurance Commissioner James J. Sheeran and award-winning insurance expert, Dr. Lena Chang.

3. Avoid becoming an aggressive driver yourself. It is important to keep your own emotions in check. Don’t take your frustrations out on other drivers and always plan ahead allowing enough time for delays. Focus on your own driving. Acting out won’t make traffic move any faster.

4. Don’t compete or retaliate. If someone’s driving annoys you, don’t try to educate him or her or turn it into a competition. Leave traffic enforcement to the police.

5. Don’t Trigger Aggression: Research shows that certain actions trigger aggression in other drivers, which can lead to you being the focal point of an aggressive driver. Stay safe by trying to avoid these actions: failing to turn when a right on red is permitted, blocking traffic, failure to signal lane change, inappropriate speed, and distracted driving.

For more, see TheFirstReporter.