Personal Injury Law Blog

The recent Amtrak derailment and death of at least eight passengers illustrates the potential risks of commuter trains. While train crashes do not happen often, when they do, the consequences can be far-reaching.

Drunk driving causes more deaths and injuries than any other violent crime. So the State of Maine Bureau of Highway Safety is enforcing some very harsh laws to punish those drivers who choose to operate a vehicle under the influence of alcohol (OUI). If you’re caught driving with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .

For parents of young children, safety is a top priority. Unfortunately, some of the products that parents trust to be child-safe may in fact pose a risk of life-threatening injuries. As veteran product recall lawyers in Maine, the team at Hardy, Wolf & Downing is concerned about the announcement of an expanded recall of IKEA crib mattresses.

If you’ve been out and about around Maine this spring, you’ve probably noticed a dramatic increase in enforcement efforts and public awareness campaigns aimed at cracking down on distracted driving. Despite these efforts, distracted driving in Maine continues to pose a serious problem; teens in particular are well known for leading this alarming trend.

An accident on Route 3 involving an Illinois motorist this week has highlighted the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol and the potential such behavior has to cause life-altering harm to everyone on the open road. A 44-year-old resident of Wheeling, Illinois was driving his 2011 Hyundai when he entered into a dispute with a passenger inside his vehicle.

Consumers who purchased certain Trek bicycles are advised to consult an authorized dealer regarding a recent recall, which was issued after a rider suffered injuries that led to permanent paralysis. As veteran product liability lawyers, the team at Hardy, Wolf & Downing has served as advocates for clients suffering from a range of injuries inflicted by defective products.

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month and the US Department of Transportation (DOT) is once again announcing their “U Drive. U Text. U Pay.” safety campaign. From April 10-15, state and local law enforcement officers will be aggressively ticketing drivers who drive while distracted, primarily by using mobile devices and, especially, texting while driving.

Hardy, Wolf & Downing recently recovered a large premises liability settlement, despite all odds stacked against the Maine resident.  Negotiations were fraught with detrimental admissions, difficult witnesses, and risky legal theory, but our experienced legal team was able to secure $220,000 for a woman who injured herself twice on her landlord’s stairs.

Excessive speed and drunk driving may be in the mix as possible causes in a fatal head on crash in Lincolnville, according to the Waldo County Sheriff’s office. The driver, Adam Knight, 31 years old, lost his life when he was ejected from his Volkswagen Jetta after it was split in half by the impact with a Kia driven by Priscilla Jones, 58, also of Lincolnville.

Seven people were injured and about 200 had to be rescued from a malfunctioning ski lift at Maine’s Sugarloaf Mountain late in March. According to a Sugarloaf representative, the King Pine ski lift inexplicably halted while in operation and then began going backward.