$515,000 Settlement for Faulty Construction

Last month a settlement was reached in the amount of $515,000 in Kings County, New York on behalf of a 48 year old nurse and graduate student who slipped down a stairwell due to improperly constructed steps and handrails and a lack of lighting.

Premises liability is the liability for a landowner for certain  accidents that occur on real property. This can range from things from injuries caused by "liable for injuries caused by a variety of hazardous conditions, including open excavations, uneven pavement, standing water, crumbling curbs, wet floors, uncleared snow, icy walks, falling objects, inadequate security, insufficient lighting, concealed holes, improperly secured mats, or defects in chairs and/or benches. that occur on the

She suffered severe fracture to her right shoulder which required four surgeries and has caused permanent scarring, pain and disability of her shoulder.

If you or a loved one have been injured by what might be a defective condition on the property of another, contact Linton & Associates for a free consultation. We have the ability and the resources to fight for you. Let us help you find justice.

My name is Christopher S. Linton, Attorney at Linton and Associates Law Firm in Birmingham, Alabama. We specialize in Personal Injury, Wrongful Death, Premises and Product Liability, Auto Accidents and Infant Injury and Death.

Keywords:  Alabama Premises Liability,  Faulty Constructed Stairwell, Injury on Someone's Property

Fire Alarm Company's Outrageous Conduct Proves Fatal and Costs Co. $4.6 million

It was 1:34 a.m. when a fire alarm in a California couple's home alerted monitoring company Security Associates International (SAI) that something was wrong. Over a two-way intercom, the couple frantically told an SAI representative that the house was on fire and that they were trapped inside.

Instead of calling the county fire department, the SAI representative called the county's non emergency number and reported a fire alarm - a much lower priority that a report of a house fire. The representative let the dispatcher put her on hold without expressing any urgency. The dispatcher did not return to the call for eight minutes.

Had the SAI representative properly notified authorities of the fire, multiple firefighting crews would have been dispatched for a house fire. Instead, because the report indicated an alarm only, only two firefighters were sent to the scene. The entered the house and began searching for the couple inside and a flashover explosion occurred , killing the firefighters and the couple inside.

Every second counts for firefighters and emergency personnel. As such, later investigations concluded that the delay caused by the SAI representative's failure to call the emergency number, failure to report a house fire, and willingness to stay on hold contributed to the tragic outcome.

One of the firefighters' family sued the company, Desmond v. Pinnacle Sec. CA L.P. No. C 08-20292 (CAal., Contra Costa Co. Super. Dec 23, 2010), and the company settled with the family for $4.6 million three weeks before trial.

This case put security companies on notice that they have a duty to provide accurate information quickly. As if they did not see it before, it shows them that consumers rely on the protection that they pay them for and that they deserve to have the information accurately and quickly provided so as to avoid issues such as this.

If you or a loved one have been injured as a result of the outrageous conduct of another, contact us today at Linton & Associates for a free evaluation of your claim. We are personal injury attorneys that put you first and we have the knowledge and the resources to bring your wrongdoer to justice.

My name is Christopher S. Linton, Attorney at Linton and Associates Law Firm in Birmingham, Alabama. We specialize in Personal Injury, Wrongful Death, Premises and Product Liability, Auto Accidents and Infant Injury and Death.

Realities of Driver Fatigue

Driving fatigue is a cause of motor vehicle crashes that many do not consider when they think of causes of crashes. However, drivers fatigue can be just as deadly as driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, speeding, and driving distracted. Driving fatigue is a serious issue and the monetary costs related to fatigue driving are hundreds of millions of dollars. The loss of human lives is even greater. Take the Driver Fatigue Quiz to test your knowledge of the dangers of driving while fatigued.

It never ceases to amaze us at Linton & Associates as to the lengths that many people will push to obtain greater profits. We are currently litigating a case against a commercial motor vehicle carrier that pushed their driver to break the law and kill innocent people. We have recently developed a time line of the truck drivers' trip and learned that this driver had been driving for 44 hours with only less than 4 hours of stops. This driver only stopped for fuel and never took a break. As a result of their actions, one person is dead, one is severely injured, and a family has been changed forever. Rest assured that we are going to prosecute this case to the fullest extent so that maybe, this company will choose to follow the rules in the future.

If you or someone you know has been injured due to the negligence of another, please contact Linton & Associates for a free consultation. We have the knowledge and the resources necessary to deliver justice.

My name is Christopher S. Linton, Attorney at Linton and Associates Law Firm in Birmingham, Alabama. We specialize in Personal Injury, Wrongful Death, Premises and Product Liability, Auto Accidents and Infant Injury and Death.

Keywords:  Driver Fatigue Alabama, Driver Fatigue Test, Commercial Driver Fatigue, Commercial Vehicle Accients

Jury Awards $5,000,000 Verdit in Commercial Bus Crash

A New York County jury returned a verdict in the amount of $5,000,000 on behalf of a 48 year old advertising executive who was a passenger in a motor vehicle which was rear-ended by a commercial bus. As a result, he suffered mild traumatic brain injury.

If you or a loved on has been injured by a commercial vehicle, contact Linton & Associates for a free consultation and review of your case.

Linton & Associates has the knowledge and resources to hold the responsible parties accountable for the pain they have caused you and your family.

My name is Christopher S. Linton, Attorney at Linton and Associates Law Firm in Birmingham, Alabama. We specialize in Personal Injury, Wrongful Death, Premises and Product Liability, Auto Accidents and Infant Injury and Death.

Keywords: New York County Jury Awards $5M, Mild Traumatic Brain Injury,

Jury Awards $11.8 Million in Drunk Driving Accident

A Maryland jury awarded more than $11.8 million last month to a man whose car was rear-ended by a repeat drunk driver in August, 2007.

Michael W. Harris, the Plaintiff, developed a painful and debilitating nerve condition as a result of the crash that has largely confined him to a wheelchair. 

On the afternoon of August 28, 2007, Harris, then working as a landscaper, was stopped at an intersection when the drunk driver hit him from behind.

The driver fled the scene, and when she was finally stopped, she failed two field sobriety tests and was booked for DUI. The woman had a long history of DUIs and was convicted of a separate DUI about a week after the Harris accident. Source: Lawyers USA Online

If you or a loved one have been injured as a result of a drunk driver contact us today at Linton & Associates. We are personal injury lawyers that put you first. We have the experience and resources to to bring the responsible party to justice.

My name is Christopher S. Linton, Attorney at Linton and Associates Law Firm in Birmingham, Alabama. We specialize in Personal Injury, Wrongful Death, Premises and Product Liability, Auto Accidents and Infant Injury and Death. 

Keywords:  DUI, Drunk Driving Settlement Maryland, Personal Injury

What is Reasonable to Expect From Your Car?

If you are like most people, you expect that all of the safety features that the car dealer raved about when selling you your vehicle will actually work when it is time to protect you and your loved ones during a car accident. However, many times that is not the case. Not only are there many instances where these safety devices do not work, there are many times that the actual safety device creates more harm to the occupants of the vehicle.

Crash worthiness generally can be described as looking at the technical and economic feasibility of avoiding foreseeable harm to occupants in motor vehicle collisions. 

More specifically, there are certain things that should not happen if your vehicle is involved in a motor vehicle accident. The first thing that I see most often is that a car should not blow up and burn as a result of a car crash. I know this happens in the movies frequently, but if you see that happen to a car in real life, most likely there is some kind of defect in the design or construction of the vehicle that caused it.

It is widely accepted that a person should not burn alive in an otherwise survivable crash. Accordingly, motor vehicles are supposed to be designed and built to prevent fires after a crash. Unfortunately, some cars, trucks, and SUVs have defects in their design or manufacturing that can result in electrical and fuel-fed fires. In fact, according to the US Fire Administration, post-collision fires are the leading cause of vehicle-related deaths.

If you are involved in a car accident, your car must effectively keep the occupant inside the vehicle, in a space sufficient to survive while being protected from harmful contact with the vehicle's interior. In other words, if you are using your seat belt along with air bags and other safety equipment, you should not be thrown about the car during an accident thus causing further injury or death.

If you are in car accident and your doors open during the crash, most likely there is a defect. Minimum design requirements say that doors must not open in a reasonably foreseeable collision due to linkage activation, inertial opening, or other failure mechanisms.

These are just a few examples of possible defects in your car should they occur as a result of a car accident. There are many more times that you or a loved one could be injured or killed by a defective automobile. 

If you have suffered injuries from what you think may have been a defect in your car, contact us at Linton & Associates . We are personal injury attorneys that handle cases in all 67 counties in the State of Alabama. We are equipped to effectively help you with any products liability claim you may have. Contact us today for a free evaluation.

My name is Christopher S. Linton, Attorney at Linton and Associates Law Firm in Birmingham, Alabama. We specialize in Personal Injury, Wrongful Death, Premises and Product Liability, Auto Accidents and Infant Injury and Death.

Keywords:  Vehicle Safety, Alabama Motor Safety, After Collision Fire, Auto Defects Causing Injury or Death

Tort Reform Is A Lie!

When I think of tort reform, I sadly think of all the people who have not been compensated because of the chamber of commerce controlling our state and other state's government and arbitrarily and capriciously chiseling away at fundamental rights. There was once one of these chamber of commerce vigilantes that was rendered a quadriplegic, and the very laws that he bullied through his state house resulted in devastation to him. He now travels throughout the country talking about his sins and the sins against his fellow man and consumer.

Tort reform was lobbied the guise of helping our economy. It was a concentrated effort to take away the political muscle of trial lawyers and to deny money to pro-consumer, democratic candidates.

Unfortunately, good people elected politicians who turned around and harmed them far more than they helped. Under the guise of issues such as abortion, gay rights and gay marriage, good people inadvertently allowed the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to take control of their state government. As sad as all of this was and is, the reality is, tort reform has dramatically affected consumer rights. 

However, at Linton & Associates, we are not going to stand by and let our clients be bullied by these major forces against them. We will apply what laws are available as effectively as possible. We will fight for you and bloody these bullies' nose no matter what, and we all know that bullies cannot stand to taste their own blood.

One thing that is certain with American business is at the end of the day, their uncontrolled greed and efforts for profits will do things to consumers that will require trial lawyers' skill. One example is the Ford Pinto in the 1960's. The executives gathered around the table in a plush conference room when they were told that if the Pinto was struck in a certain way it would burst into flames. They were then told the number of times they expected this to happen and how many people would die or be burnt in different degrees of severity. They were then presented with numbers that showed what a total recall of all Pintos would cost Ford. The decision was easy. They chose mayhem and death.

That same conduct has gone on since then, and will continue to go on one hundred years from now. The only difference now is that the businesses are protected by tort reform. The businesses control Alabama and other state supreme courts along with the Alabama and other state legislatures.

With all this against you, the consumer, you need help in leveling the playing field and fighting for your rights. At Linton & Associates we are here to fight for you. If you are a resident of any county within the State of Alabama and have been injured by a defective product, do not wait until its too late and big business has won. Contact us for your free evaluation today.

My name is Christopher S. Linton, Attorney at Linton and Associates Law Firm in Birmingham, Alabama. We specialize in Personal Injury, Wrongful Death, Premises and Product Liability, Auto Accidents and Infant Injury and Death.

Keywords:  Tort Reform Alabama, US Chamber of Commerce, Corporations Controlling America, Ford Pinto Gas Tank Explosion.