On behalf of Ramler Law Office, P.C. posted in Wrongful Death on Saturday, May 19, 2012
A suit involving a nurse who was killed in a drunk driving accident in 2008 has finally been settled, with the woman's family receiving $400,000. The wrongful death suit was filed against the police departments who were chasing the drunk driver. Their actions ultimately killed the 27-year-old woman, according to family members. The city of Billings and Yellowstone County will each contribute $200,000 to the settlement funds.
The woman was killed by a 17-year-old driver who was intoxicated while fleeing from police in his GMC sport utility vehicle. She was heading to work at about 7 a.m. on April 18, 2008, when she was broadsided on Grand Avenue, according to official reports. The woman was killed, but the teenaged driver and his passenger sustained only minor injuries.
On behalf of Ramler Law Office, P.C. posted in Car Accidents on Friday, May 11, 2012
Many drivers think they can avoid punishment for an accident if they simply run away from the scene of the car accident. The decision to hit-and-run can have dire consequences. Not only do drivers face more penalties if they are apprehended after they leave the scene, but they also leave the occupants of the other vehicle to the whims of fate.
Victims of hit-and-run crashes have been known to suffer more severe injuries, or even die, because the other party left the scene of the crash to avoid getting in trouble. People who choose to break the law in such a flagrant and offensive manner should be brought to justice. If they are found to have acted negligently in causing personal injury, those victimized may choose to seek justice in civil court.
On behalf of Ramler Law Office, P.C. posted in Car Accidents on Saturday, May 5, 2012
A shocking number of bad drivers repeatedly break the law by driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, speeding, failing to heed traffic signals and disregarding other rules. We would think that people who continue to endanger others with potential for a car accident would be taken off of the roads for good, but a recent accident near Helena proves that assertion wrong. Even people who are accused of felony driving offenses are allowed to remain on our nation's roads, posing a hazard for their passengers and other drivers alike.
A woman who is already facing charges for vehicular homicide was involved in another accident on Interstate 15 late last week. The woman was behind the wheel of a vehicle that rolled over near Helena, according to official reports.
On behalf of Ramler Law Office, P.C. posted in Firearm Accidents on Saturday, April 28, 2012
A rifle that has been linked to a 2000 killing of a 9-year-old Montana boy claimed the life of an East Coast teenager in late 2011. The FBI has become the most recent addition to the investigative team for the products liability case, which is concerned with the alleged malfunctions associated with the Remington 700 model rifle.
The young woman, 16, was shot in late December as she waited in the front yard of a home in Columbus County. The girl had been standing in the yard with her friend and her godmother, whom she had been visiting for the holidays. At about 11 a.m. on December 23, all three of the women were shot by the same bullet as they began walking toward a vehicle parked in the home's driveway. The girl was killed, and her friend and godmother were injured.
On behalf of Ramler Law Office, P.C. posted in Car Accidents on Friday, April 20, 2012
A man was killed on the morning of April 8 in Helena after a hit-and-run crash. The car accident, which occurred on Custer Avenue, involved a vehicle striking both the man and another pedestrian as they attempted to cross the street during the early morning hours.
The 50-year-old man, who was known for walking throughout the town, was pronounced dead at the scene as a result of multiple traumatic injuries sustained during the accident, according to police officials. He had not only been hit by the first vehicle, but the man had also been struck by two subsequent cars, officers reported. The other pedestrian also suffered severe injuries and he was transported to St. Peter's Hospital for evaluation and treatment. That man remains in the hospital in fair condition.
On behalf of Ramler Law Office, P.C. posted in Car Accidents on Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Representatives from the National Transportation Safety Board are accusing manufacturers of encouraging dangerous distracted driving practices. The chairman of the NTSB told reporters that companies such as Intel are contributing to car accident risk by focusing on technology that will sell instead of technology that is safe.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has made distracted driving an agency-wide priority since his appointment in 2009. Government groups have called for restrictions on gadget use while driving, but the NTSB has taken an even firmer stance in calling for a ban on all communications devices, even those that operate with hands-free technology. NTSB officials say that multi-tasking while driving is impossible, even for drivers who may think themselves particularly skilled.
On behalf of Ramler Law Office, P.C. posted in Wrongful Death on Friday, April 6, 2012
The wife of a pilot who died in a 2009 plane crash in Butte is suing the aircraft manufacturer and maintenance companies, saying the groups' negligent actions are responsible for the fatal accident. The National Transportation Safety Board had issued a ruling in 2011, asserting that the crash was caused by pilot error.
The accident occurred on March 22, 2009 when the woman's husband was flying a small private aircraft. On board were 13 passengers, among which were seven children. The plane crashed into a cemetery that is adjacent to the Butte airport. Everyone on board the plane died in the accident.
On behalf of Ramler Law Office, P.C. posted in Products Liability on Friday, March 30, 2012
A Montana man's quest to uncover the truth about dangerous flaws in Remington rifles' trigger mechanisms has led to the unsealing of several key findings. Several documents that had been used in a previous products defect case against the company were revealed in February, and a motion was filed on March 8 to release the remaining records. That motion was filed by the non-profit group Public Justice.
The Belgrade man, represented by Richard Ramler of Ramler Law Office, P.C., filed a lawsuit against the gun manufacturer after his 9-year-old son was killed when the rifle misfired in 2000. The trigger had not been pulled. A similar case was filed in 1991 in Butte by another family, but the records in that case had been sealed per requests from Remington. The 1991 case involved a young boy who had accidentally been shot by his brother when the gun discharged without a trigger pull. A settlement in the case was reached in 1995.
On behalf of Ramler Law Office, P.C. posted in Car Accidents on Friday, March 23, 2012
Recent accidents throughout the state of Montana have drawn more attention to residents' permissive attitude toward drinking and driving, according to Missoula authorities. Seven people have been killed so far this year on Montana roads in alcohol-related accidents, a number that approaches 10 percent of those killed in similar crashes in the 2010 calendar year.
Most recently, two young adults were killed and one was severely injured in a late-night drunk driving car accident earlier this month. The victims, who ranged between 18 and 21 years of age, were riding in a car with the 21-year-old driver, who was allegedly intoxicated. The driver has been charged with vehicular homicide in the car accident and he is currently being held on a $500,000 bail.
On behalf of Ramler Law Office, P.C. posted in Car Accidents on Friday, March 16, 2012
A car accident can happen in various different ways, whether it involves two vehicles or a vehicle and a pedestrian. Recently, a 46-year-old Florida man was charged in connection with the death of his friend on a Montana highway after he allegedly ran him over. The man, who pleaded not guilty to the charges related to the car accident, faces as many as 20 years in prison and a $50,000 fine if convicted of negligent homicide.
The victim died in early January from exposure to the elements and severe crushing injuries caused by being run over by a vehicle, according to medical reports. He was found in a ditch on the side of the road in a T-shirt, jeans and socks.
