Weekly Injury, Accident and Wrongful Death Update – Jan 28, 2014
Motorcyclist pleads guilty in fatal crash
A 26-year-old Brighton man pleaded guilty Friday in connection with a drunken-driving motorcycle crash that killed his fiancee. The plea deal calls for the prosecution to recommend that Nicholas Gross receive a minimum sentence not to exceed the bottom of the state’s mandatory sentence guidelines, which were not disclosed in a Livingston County courtroom. http://www.livingstondaily.com/article/20140126/NEWS01/301260011/Motorcyclist-pleads-guilty-fatal-crash
Temperatures drop to record-breaking lows in Michigan; hundreds of schools shuttered
ROMULUS, Michigan — Temperatures dropped to dangerous, record-breaking lows in Michigan on Tuesday, leading to the closure of hundreds of schools. The morning low of 9 degrees below zero at Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Romulus broke the previous record low for Jan. 28 of 8 below set in 1977, the National Weather Service said. With the winds, it felt like 25 to 30 degrees below zero in the Detroit area. http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/e294166596f8407e946199c61c192fc3/MI–Deep-Freeze-Michigan
Nixed Blood, not Doctors, Killed Jehovah’s Witness
(CN) – The family of a Jehovah’s Witness who died after refusing a blood transfusion cannot successfully claim medical malpractice, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled. Gwendolyn Rozier had cited her religious beliefs in her decision not to accept blood in her treatment for end-stage renal disease in 2007.http://www.courthousenews.com/2014/01/15/64560.htm
6th Circ. Revives Mylan Wrongful Death Suit
Law360, New York (January 21, 2014, 3:35 PM ET) — The Sixth Circuit on Tuesday revived a wrongful death suit accusing Mylan Inc. of selling defective painkiller patches, finding that a Michigan law shielding drugmakers from liability doesn’t apply to products that combine medicines and devices. http://www.law360.com/articles/502617
White-out conditions wreak havoc on I-94
ST. JOSEPH — Blowing and drifting snow Thursday morning caused multiple accidents in Southwest Michigan, with state police calling in extra troopers to work the roads, Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey said. “This morning, it was terrible,” Bailey said Thursday. “High winds and white-out conditions in spots caused hazardous driving conditions.” http://www.harborcountry-news.com/articles/2014/01/26/news/doc52e28ef40283d340269625.txt
Rollover accident, slideoffs reported on I-94 in Portage
PORTAGE, MI — Police are responding to multiple accidents and slideoffs on I-94, including a rollover near Portage Road. A dispatcher confirmed a rollover accident reported on eastbound I-94, west of Portage Road. No one was injured in the crash, according to emergency radio traffic monitored by the Kalamazoo Gazette. The right lane has been blocked due to the crash. http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2014/01/rollover_accident_slideoffs_re.html
Weather causes dozens of accidents
COLDWATER — Icy roads sent one woman to the emergency room after the SUV in which she was riding slid into a van Monday just after 10:30 am. According to witnesses, the women signaled a left turn as she headed west on US 12 and began to turn into the parking lot of the Care Center Hospital for Animals at 657 E. Chicago Road.
http://www.thedailyreporter.com/article/20140128/NEWS/140129192/-1/news
Michigan snowstorm: 5 driving tips to avoid accidents, ditches
DETROIT, MI- Despite snow removal crews across Michigan working diligently to clear streets, driving following a snowstorm can be dangerous, if not deadly. But there are things drivers can do prior to hopping behind the wheel and while driving to avoid causing an accident or being stuck in a ditch. http://www.mlive.com/auto/index.ssf/2014/01/michigan_snowstorm_10_driving.html
Fox 28: South Bend, Elkhart IN News, Weather, Sports
http://www.fox28.com/story/24533078/2014/01/23/massive-accident-closes-down-eastbound-i-94-in-laporte-county
Michigan State Police investigating morning crashes that left one dead
(WXYZ) – Michigan State Police are investigating two serious crashes this morning, one on northbound I-75 at Sashabaw Road and the other on eastbound I-94 at Little Mack. Both I-75 and I-94 were closed for several hours where the accidents took place. Michigan State Police have released no other information at this time. Read more: http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/oakland_county/michigan-state-police-investigating-two-fatal-crashes-this-morning#ixzz2rhsRWKji
Semi crash closes I-94 at Michigan Avenue in Ypsilanti
A jackknifed semi closed eastbound Interstate 94 at West Michigan Avenue in Ypsilanti Saturday morning, according to an alert issued by the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office. A jackknifed semi had eastbound I-94 closed near Michigan Avenue in Ypsilanti Saturday morning. The Nixle alert was sent around 8:45 a.m. and said the freeway would be closed for an unknown amount of time. Police were asking motorists to avoid the area. http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2014/01/semi_crash_closes_i-94_at_mich.html