Congratulations to attorney Tony Patterson for being selected by his peers to be included in the 2011 edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the specialty of personal injury litigation. Selection to this list is based on evaluations by other lawyers across the country.
Indystar.com is reporting that possibly three people were injured Monday when a crane situated in the beer garden of the downtown Indianapolis restaurant the Rathskeller collapsed damaging the roof of the Rathskeller and part of the Anthenaeum building. The cause of the collapse is currently under investigation. The photo gallery below is courtesy of Indystar.com.
Law.com recently posted a short but helpful article regarding tax information relating to plaintiffs. Click this link to read "5 Things Every Plaintiffs Attorney Shiould Know About Tax Law."
WSBT.com has reported two women have died following a two-car motor vehicle collision occurring this past Friday in rural LaGrange County, Indiana. The car drvien by Shanie Swihart (38) was struck by sixteen-year-old Taylor Miller's car as Miller was attempting to pass a motorcycle at a hillcrest. Kristin Lipscomb (20), a passenger in the car being driven by Swihart, died instantly. Swihart and her two children, who were also passengers in the car, were airlifted to the hospital. The children were treated and released for their injuries. Swihart later passed at the hospital.
This past Friday, the Indiana Judicial Nominating Commission voted to nominate the three finalists for the Indiana Supreme Court vacancy. Judge Steven H. David (Boone Circuit Court), Judge Robyn L. Moberly (Marion Superior Court) and Karl L. Mulvaney (Indianapolis attorney) have all been nominated as the remaining three finalists.
The Commission will send a report containing evaulations of the finalists to Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels sometime this week. Governor Daniels will then be given 60 days to make his appointment. Good luck to the finalists.
During the last state legislative session, Indiana lawmakers made a significant change to the already existing "Move Over" law effecting Indiana motorists all throughout the state. The "Move Over" law originally just required Indiana motorists to move over to a non-adjacent lane for stopped emergency vehicles, highway maintenance vehicles and wreckers on multi-lane 
highways when the designated vehicles were displaying emergency lights, and if that action could not be completed safely then the motorist was required to slow their vehicle as they passed the emergency lights. Under the recent change, Indiana motorists are required to slow their speed down to at least 10 miles per hour under the posted speed limit if they are unable to move their car to a non-adjacent lane to the emergency lights.
Indiana lawmakers have also enacted a new "Move It" law (currently in effect) which requires a person involved in a crash to move the vehicle out of the traveled portion of the roadway, if possible. This new law has faced some criticism for the reason that some believe it is not wise for those involved in a motor vehicle accident to attempt to move their cars, and may end up endangering others in the process.
In Rieth-Riley v. Gibson et al., 923 N.E.2d 472 (Ind. Ct. App. 2010), the Indiana Court of Appeals held the trial court erred when it applied the discovery rule to toll the statute of limitations for injury victim to file his amended complaint. The injury victim was involved in a motor vehicle accident and brought suit against the other driver. Through discovery and after the two-year statute of limitations had run, plaintiff found out the driver was working at the time of accident. He then amended his complaint to add the employer arguing the discovery rule tolled the statute of limitations.
Indystar.com is continuing to report on the fatal collision involving a shuttle bus and a Chevrolet Yukon occurring this past weekend in Downtown Indianapolis. The shuttle bus from Mavris Arts and Event Center carrying a bridal party, including Tom Hanley (groom) and Lauren Magee (bride), was struck by a Chevrolet Yukon at the intersection of South Street and Delaware Street. Groomsman, James Douglass, was killed in the collision. Several members of the bridal party traveling in the bus were transported to the hospital for their injuries.
In Rieth-Riley v. Gibson et al., 923 N.E.2d 472 (Ind. Ct. App. 2010), the Indiana Court of Appeals held the trial court erred when it applied the discovery rule to toll the statute of limitations for the injury victim to file his amended complaint. The injury victim was involved in a motor vehicle accident and brought suit against the other driver. Through discovery and after the two-year statute of limitations had run, plaintiff found out the driver was working at the time of accident. He then amended his complaint to add the employer arguing the discovery rule tolled the statute of limitations.
IndyStar.com reported that 21-year-old Nikki Labolle (Lebanon, Boone County, Indiana) was killed in a motor vehicle crash occurring in the early morning hours on Saturday. The crash happened at the intersection of Indiana 32 and County Road 900 East. IndyStar.com reports that the driver of the car, Joshua McCraw, failed to stop at a stop sign causing his motor vehicle to impact the bedroom of a nearby house, injuring its residents Bill and Joanne Shoemaker.
For more information and updates on this story visit IndyStar.com.
Under most circumstances, accident victims who are injured receive medical care as a result of these injuries. When obtaining that medical care, it is recommended that accident victims use all available resources to pay for that medical care. This would include submitting bills to their health insurance company, as well as to their own automobile insurance company if they have medical payments coverage.
It is important to remember that accident victims who receive the medical care are responsible for making sure their bills are paid, even if the treatment was caused by someone else’s fault. If the accident victim obtains a settlement or recovery from the at fault party, the injured victim’s insurance company may be entitled to reimbursement of the medical bills it paid on that person’s behalf. However, it is in the accident victim’s best interests to use all available insurance to pay their bills as they are incurred, including their own health insurance.
If an accident victim was operating a motor vehicle without a valid driver’s license at the time of their motor vehicle accident, they will likely receive a ticket and can be arrested in some circumstances. However, this does not mean they are not entitled to pursue a claim for their injuries.
Under most circumstances, if an injury victim is involved in an accident and suffers injury as a result of someone else’s negligence or fault, they are likely entitled to bring a claim for those injuries, even if they did not have a valid driver’s license at the time of the accident.
