Personal Injury Law Blog

At Hardy, Wolf & Downing, we are convinced that many motorists in our state and throughout the country don’t understand the responsibility they have to avoid distractions such as cell phone use when they get behind the wheel. And we have seen the consequences in lives lost or damaged due to distracted driving accidents when drivers chose to text or talk while behind the wheel.

It is the kind of thing that Maine personal injury lawyers see all too often – two people have been injured, with one suffering facial fractures, due to a defective wrist strap on a high-powered slingshot. Last week, the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission announced manufacturer Barnett Outdoors, LLC’s recall of its Black Widow slingshots.

Families and vacationers looking for summer fun at Maine’s traveling amusement parks are thinking twice after several riders were injured in separate incidents at the same Waterville carnival. Three children were hurt at a fundraiser in Head of Falls Park when two cars on a small roller coaster called the Dragon Wagon uncoupled and crashed into each other.

Nursing home abuse comes in many forms. The image of a stressed-out orderly striking an elderly person immediately comes to mind, but Maine elder abuse lawyers from Hardy, Wolf and Downing know it’s so much more than that. “The instances of beatings and physical abuse causing serious injury are less common,” Bill Hardy explains.

Driving while under the influence of alcohol comes with the risk of life-changing consequences ranging from penalties and jail time to severe personal injury and even death.  In the United States, Maine is one of only five states without felony DUI laws for convictions, but a recent initiative by the South Portland police aims to discourage drunk driving with the help of social media.

According to a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Washington, commonly prescribed sleeping pills including Ambien, Restoril and Desyrel can actually double the car accident risk among those just starting to use the drugs as compared to drivers who do not take such medications.

On May 29, the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) issued a safety advisory in an attempt to reduce the number of accidents caused by pedal error. According to the NHTSA, drivers use the brake almost one million times per year, typically without incident.

Close on the heels of two major rail accidents responsible for numerous injuries and fatalities, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued a new safety advisory on June 9. The primary focus of the advisory is the need to control excessive speeds, thought to be the main cause of both the 2013 Metro-North derailment in the Bronx as well as May’s horrific Amtrak crash in Philadelphia.

Serving Portland, Lewiston and Bangor, Hardy, Wolf & Downing represent victims of motorcycle crash-related injuries, ensuring that liable parties are held accountable for their actions. As leading Maine motorcycle accident lawyers who also appreciate this recreational pastime ourselves, we understand the physical, emotional and financial ramifications endured when negligence is involved.

Long-awaited results on a trial monitoring women that received the Essure contraceptive implant confirmed the fears of many women and prompted demands that the FDA take the device off the market. The agency has received more than 4,000 accounts of serious complications related to the device, including severe pain, excessive bleeding and device migration.