Kevin E. Donohoe Law Office
Kevin E. Donohoe Law Office

PERSONAL INJURY AND WRONGFUL DEATH

How a tragic event impacts the victims and their families is unique to those individuals and their specific situation. All catastrophic losses, however, have one thing in common — the lives of the people involved will never be the same. Donohoe Law Office only represents individuals and their families who have suffered significant harm caused by the negligence of others. Whether the defendant is a person, a health provider or institution, an insurance company, or a large corporation, our years of experience give us the ability to tailor our trial strategy to your specific situation. If you have questions about the process or you have a potential case, call us for a free consultation.

TRUCKING AND AUTOMOBILE CRASHES

Collisions caused by speeding, intoxicated, or distracted drivers account for almost all injury and fatal crashes. In 2017, over 56,400 truck-related collisions resulted in injuries. Of these, 4,237 were fatal crashes. The normal legal weight for an 18-wheeler commercial truck is 40 tons (80,000 lbs.). An average automobile weighs around 3,500 lbs. With good road conditions, the average stopping time of a loaded semi traveling the posted speed limit for trucks is 40% greater than of a car.

The odds of a commercial driver being involved in a safety-critical event are 23.3 times greater when a driver is texting while driving. Texting drivers take their eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds at a time. At 55 mph, this is about the distance of traveling the length of a football field while blindfolded. Similarly, dialing a mobile phone while driving increases the odds of being involved in a safety-critical event by a factor of six.

Due to the size and weight disparity between a commercial truck and a passenger vehicle, the driver and passengers of the car often suffer severe or fatal injuries in any collision. Once a collision has occurred, trucking companies and their insurers are prepared to immediately investigate the crash and minimize the responsibility of the truck driver and the trucking company. Contact us immediately if you or a loved one are faced with this unfortunate circumstance so we may start an investigation before the evidence disappears.

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CONSTRUCTION SITE ACCIDENTS

Construction accidents accounted for 1 in 5 worker deaths in 2017.

The primary causes were:

  1. A lack of appropriate fall protection
  2. A worker being struck by an object
  3. A worker being electrocuted
  4. A worker being caught between two objects
Additional construction site hazards include the collapse of trenching, the use of ladders instead of scaffolding, tools dropped from overhead, a lack of safety training, and employees of other contractors on a worksite failing to follow safety rules. In 2019, OSHA (the federal agency responsible for worksite safety), employed only one compliance officer for every 59,000 workers. This lack of oversight allows negligent contractors to cut corners when it comes to safety.

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MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE

A recent medical school study found that medical negligence is the third- leading cause of death in the United States. Only cancer and heart disease claim more victims. Practicing medicine is a tough job, but when a mistake leads to a serious injury or the death of a patient, the hospital or provider must accept responsibility. Unfortunately, that is usually not what happens. At Donohoe Law Office, we only take serious injury and death claims and each case is reviewed by qualified medical experts before we proceed. This careful screening process ensures that victims of medical negligence will have a better chance of winning these often bitterly fought cases.
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COMMERCIAL PREMISES LIABILITY

Each year, unsafe conditions on commercial property leads to injury and death. Whether it’s faulty stairs, inadequate security, dangerous entryways, vicious dogs, sub-code construction or a failure to maintain the property, the occupier or owner of the property may be responsible for the harm they caused. The law governing premises liability can be complex and often requires retaining experts to establish fault. In each case, the plaintiff must show that the party being sued either owned or controlled the property, that the plaintiff was legally on the property, that a dangerous condition caused the injury, and that the defendant knew (or should have known) that the dangerous condition existed.

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WORKERS’ COMPENSATION

Every state has enacted a system of workers’ compensation law. In Idaho, an injured worker is entitled to claim certain benefits, including:

  • Reasonable and necessary medical care
  • Temporary total disability payments during the time a physician verifies that the employee is in a period of recovery and cannot work
  • Permanent partial impairment payments when the employee can resume some type of work but the injury caused permanent limitations
  • Possible long term disability if the employee can work but can no longer earn as much due to the injury.

In some cases, disability may be total and permanent if the employee is no longer able to work in any job. An additional important benefit injured employees may be entitled to is vocational rehabilitation to help them return to the workforce.
If you are injured on the job, you should immediately notify your employer about the injury. Cooperate in filling out a “First Report of Injury or Illness” form. A delay could result in a denial of benefits.

Consult with an attorney familiar with this area of law.