People tend to be excited when they try new things, and one of the areas where people will experience something new is on a farm, as farm-fresh food can be an interesting experience for those who may not have sampled their work.  This includes farm milk, but unfortunately officials now believe that four people were made extremely ill after consuming raw milk at a farm in the Matanuska Valley.  Officials are continuing with their investigation.

According to the authorities, these allegations of Alaska food poisoning arose after four people contracted what were described as serious gastrointestinal illnesses after consuming raw farm milk that is located in Point MacKenzie.  The illnesses were contracted over a period of several weeks, and all of the people who became sick were exposed to campylobacter, which can be deadly in some cases.  The milk at issue was not pasteurized, which can present health dangers to some people who ingest this substance.

Food Poisoning Statistics

First and foremost, we’d like to offer our hope and our support to the people who were made seriously ill as a result of these alleged cases of Alaska food poisoning.  We hope that they are able to recover quickly and that they did not suffer any long-term harm.  In addition, this incident will now become part of the overall statistics regarding food poisoning in the United States.  Every year, more than 300,000 people are hospitalized and more than 5,000 people are killed because of their exposure to problematic food.

Alaska Personal Injury Lawyers

When people are made ill by consuming a problematic substance, it can be difficult for them to pinpoint what it was that made them sick.  When that identification is made, however, it’s possible for those who have been harmed to file Alaska personal injury lawsuits against those responsible for exposing them to that substance.  Successful cases could lead to damages awards that compensate them for their medical costs, their lost income and their pain and suffering.

If you or someone you love has been harmed by a problematic substance, you need to seek the help of Alaska personal injury lawyers who have been fighting for the rights of the injured for many years.  Contact Barber & Sims today to schedule a free initial consultation.

People in Alaska understand that when the weather turns cold, the roads become more difficult to navigate.  However, when a warm front moves in and at least partially thaws the roads, such a situation can also lead to extremely hazardous driving conditions.  This could have been the cause of a Fairbanks car accident that occurred on Monday, although police are continuing to investigate the situation.

According to authorities, the latest Fairbanks car accident occurred on Monday afternoon just after 5:00 p.m. at the intersection of Airport Way and Peger Road.  A Toyota sedan and a Toyota SUV collided at the intersection, and at least one person was significantly injured as a result of the collision.  None of the names of the parties involved have yet been released, and police have not released details regarding what caused the collision to occur.

Alaska Car Accident Statistics

First and foremost, we’d like to offer our hope that the person who was injured in this crash is able to recover from the harm that was suffered.  In addition, this Fairbanks car accident will now become part of the overall statistics regarding Alaska car accidents.  Every year, thousands of these collisions occur, and these accidents lead to approximately two deaths every week throughout the state.

Alaska Car Accident Lawyers

Obviously, much more would need to be learned regarding this Fairbanks car accident before fault could be assigned and legal rights and options could be examined.  However, if the person who was injured in this crash was not at fault for the incident, he or she could file an Alaska personal injury lawsuit that if successful would lead to an award of damages that compensate this person for medical costs, lost income and pain and suffering.

If you or someone you love has been injured in an Alaska car accident, you need to seek the help of Alaska personal injury lawyers who have been holding those responsible for the infliction of this type of harm accountable for many years.  Contact Barber & Sims today to schedule a free initial consultation.

When young people get behind the wheels of vehicles, many will give in to the temptation to engage in horseplay.  Unfortunately, this can be an extremely dangerous activity, and while police are still attempting to decipher what was happening prior to an Anchorage car accident that injured two people, what is known is that the driver in one of the vehicles involved has been arrested.

The Anchorage car accident in question occurred last Wednesday when Robert Farley was driving his vehicle at the outbound Glenn Highway Hiland Drive exit when he attempted to pass a Dodge pickup truck.  The driver of the pickup truck allegedly cut off the other driver several times, causing the vehicle to crash into a light pole.  Both occupants of the passing vehicle were injured, and the driver of the pickup truck was arrested and charged with two counts of assault and with leaving the scene of an injury accident.

Alaska Car Accident Statistics

First and foremost, we hope that the young people who were injured are able to recover from the harm they have suffered.  In addition, this Anchorage car accident will now become part of the overall statistics regarding Alaska car accidents.  Every year, thousands of people are injured and nearly another 100 people are killed in these occurrences, and these numbers have held steady for several years.

Anchorage Personal Injury Lawyers

It seems that more information would be needed in order to complete a legal analysis of this situation, but it also seems that since one driver was arrested, fault may have been assigned to some degree.  If the driver who was arrested was at fault, it’s possible that the family of the people who were injured could file an Alaska personal injury lawsuit against the guardians of the driver, as he is apparently a minor.

If you have been injured because of negligent or reckless driving, you need to seek the help of Anchorage personal injury lawyers who have been successfully defending the rights of those harmed for many years.  Contact Barber & Sims today to schedule a free initial consultation.

Bedbugs were largely reduced to parochial phrases and sayings for decades in the United States, but in recent years these vermin have been making an enormous comeback all over the country.  It seems that these pests are even penetrating into Alaska, and more and more residents are becoming concerned that their infestation could continue to cause greater problems by the day.

The latest Alaska bedbug problem has affected Fairview Elementary School in Anchorage, which is located at 1327 Nelchina Street.  Several children have been bitten by bedbugs at the school and staff members have noticed them around the building.  In response to this discovery, treatments will be done over the weekend, but officials are concerned that this new breed of ‘super’ bed bugs have become resistant to traditional remedies.

Bedbug Statistics

While it’s nearly impossible to track the number of bedbugs in Alaska or the United States, surveys have been conducted that show that pest control companies in all 50 states have entire teams dedicated exclusively to attempting to eradicate these insects from homes, hotels shelters and schools.  When these bugs infest a structure, they can latch onto humans and follow them anywhere.  As a result, these bedbugs begin to inflict the same damage on an entirely new structure.

Alaska Personal Injury Lawyers

While the issue of bedbugs may seem like nothing more than a minor pest control problem, the fact of the matter is that bedbugs can all but destroy homes and can inflict serious illness on humans if they are bitten too often and exposed to these insects for too long.  There are situations where people need to be hospitalized as a result of the damage that’s been done.

If you or someone you love has been harmed as a result of the growing Alaska bedbug problem, you need to seek the help of Alaska bedbug lawyers who have been holding those responsible for several types of harm that was inflicted accountable for many years.  Contact Barber & Sims today to schedule a free initial consultation.

Auto insurance companies work from tables and other equations that help to define the risk of insuring someone before offering them a policy and setting the rates for their premiums.  As a result, few entities have a better grasp of the overall quality of a city’s motorists than those who are paid to protect them from harm.  Allstate Insurance company, one of the largest auto insurers in the United States, has recently published its annual list of safest cities in which to drive, and Anchorage is nowhere near the top.

According to the annual study, Anchorage ranks as the 124th safest city in the United States out of the 200 that were included in the statistical survey.  While this number is nothing to be proud of, it actually marks an improvement over last year, when the number of Anchorage car accidents caused it to be ranked in 144th place.  Those who are charged with helping protect drivers are not encouraged by this news, and many have called for increased awareness towards safety on the roads.

Alaska Car Accident Statistics

The rankings are derived in part from the number of Anchorage car accidents that occur, but those numbers are then used to determine how often an average Anchorage driver should expect to be involved in a car accident.  The survey revealed that Anchorage drivers are involved in a collision once every 8.7 years, which is about 15 percent higher than the national average.  Overall, more than 10,000 Alaska car accidents occur on an annual basis.

Anchorage Car Accident Lawyers

The results of this survey should tell anyone who drives in Anchorage that they need to be more aware of those around them and to be prepared to react to mistakes.  If someone has been injured in an Anchorage car accident, he or she could file an Alaska personal injury lawsuit that would compensate them with damages designed to help defray the costs of medical bills, lost income and pain and suffering if a case is successful.

If you or someone you love has been harmed by a negligent driver, seek the help of Anchorage car accident lawyers who have been holding negligent drivers accountable for the harm they have caused for many years.  Contact Barber & Sims today to schedule a free initial consultation.

When people are hauling boat trailers behind their vehicles, they are required by law to make sure that the trailer is securely attached to that vehicle.  In fact, Alaska law requires that a safety chain be used in order to minimize the chance that a boat trailer will come loose and create havoc for others in the area.  Sadly, a trailer did come loose from a vehicle in South Anchorage last week, seriously injuring a bicyclist who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

This Anchorage bicycle accident occurred at approximately 7 p.m. last Tuesday when a boat trailer separated from a pickup truck on westbound O’Malley Road near the Seward Highway overpass.  The trailer was described as rusty and it apparently was not chained to the vehicle.  The trailer rolled away from the pickup truck and slammed into a 27-year-old bicyclist whose name has not been identified.  The bicyclist suffered severe head and leg injuries.

Alaska Bicycle Accident Statistics

First, we’d like to offer our hope that the person who was injured in this Anchorage bicycle accident is able to someday soon recover from the injuries suffered in this random and violent crash.  Secondly, this incident will now become part of the overall statistics regarding Alaska bicycle accidents.  Every year in the state, almost one person every week is injured badly enough in an Alaska bicycle accident to require hospitalization, and that number has held steady for several years.

Anchorage Personal Injury Lawyers

Assuming that the trailer was not properly secured to the vehicle, it’s likely that the driver of that vehicle will face civil liability for negligence if the bicycle rider decides to file an Alaska personal injury lawsuit.  If a lawsuit is filed and is successful, the bicyclist could be awarded damages that compensate for medical costs, lost income and pain and suffering depending on the specific facts of the case.

If you or someone you love has been harmed by a negligent driver, you need to seek the help of Anchorage personal injury lawyers who have been holding motorists accountable for their actions that caused harm for many years.  Contact Barber & Sims today to schedule a free initial consultation.

Driving a motorcycle in Alaska is always dangerous, but most people would assume that when they are waiting to turn into their own driveways that they are safe.  Unfortunately, Alaska motorcycle accidents can occur at any time, and this includes in front of one’s own home, as a motorcyclist in Fairbanks found out on Friday when he was hit and seriously injured by a vehicle from behind.

According to police, the latest Fairbanks motorcycle accident occurred on Friday when Robert Harte, 51, was driving his motorcycle in a southbound direction on University Avenue.  He was stopped in an inside line in the 600 block of University Avenue waiting for traffic to clear so he could turn left into his home.  Suddenly, he was hit from behind by Austin Sayre, 17, of Fairbanks, who was driving a pickup truck.  Mr. Harte was wearing a helmet but was injured badly enough to be rushed to the hospital, where he is listed in critical but stable condition.

Alaska Motorcycle Accident Statistics

First, we’d like to extend our hopes that Mr. Harte is able to recover from his injuries.  While there is not enough information to know for sure, it’s possible that his helmet saved his life.  Unfortunately, this Fairbanks motorcycle accident will only add to the overall statistics concerning Alaska motorcycle accident statistics.  Every year in the state, more than 30 people are killed and another 400 people are injured in these occurrences, with approximately one-third of these injuries classified as major.

Alaska Motorcycle Accident Lawyers

If it turns out that the driver of the pickup truck was negligent in this accident, it’s possible for Mr. Harte to file an Alaska personal injury lawsuit.  If such a lawsuit proved to be successful, it’s possible that he could be awarded damages for medical costs, property damage, lost income and pain and suffering depending on the specifics of the situation.

However, the decision regarding whether or not to file such a lawsuit should only be made with the help of an Alaska personal injury lawyer who has years of experience in successfully fighting for the rights of clients.  Contact Barber & Sims today to schedule a free initial consultation.

Even with all of the emphasis on safe driving and “scared straight” teen driving classes, there are many of us who have done some fairly unintelligent things as young drivers, sometimes being sucked into the drama of drag racing or trying to show off. Such appears to be the case yesterday when a young woman suffered serious injury in another Alaska car accident. According to eye-witnesses, the woman’s automobile was observed driving recklessly near the Dimond Boulevard overpass of the Seward Highway in Anchorage.

(Daniel Hernandez KTUU-DT)

According to the initial police reports, police believe the young woman was likely racing a pickup truck and was weaving in and out of traffic on the Seward Highway. The woman lost control over her vehicle as the tires slid off onto the shoulder. As a result, she lost control of the vehicle, causing the rear-end to roll and eventually resulted in the car flipping over five times.

The young driver was only 19-years-old, and authorities say she was taken to the hospital with serious injuries, including possible spinal injuries. She was also carrying another passenger in the vehicle but that passenger was expected to be fine, suffering only minor injuries and trauma.

We want to take a moment to wish the woman involved in this serious auto accident a speedy recovery from her injuries. We ask you to join us in sending thoughts and prayers to her and her family, as well as to the other passenger in her vehicle.

Teenage Driving Accidents

Even though there were no other cars involved in this Anchorage auto accident, it is believed that the young woman driving the car recklessly was not wearing her seatbelt. Sadly this fact just adds to the already high statistics for teenage car accidents and fatalities. Teenagers, overall, account for about 10 percent of the US Population but are involved in over 12 percent all fatal car crashes.  Typically, the risk of a Crash risk is much higher during the first year teenagers are able to drive.

The risk of being involved in a car accident is the highest for young drivers aged 16-19 than for any other age group. For every mile driven, teen drivers ages 16 to 19 are roughly four times more likely than other drivers to be involved in a car crash.

Every year in the United States, over 5,000 teens between the ages of 16 to 20 will die due to fatal injuries caused in car accidents. In addition to those sobering statistics, about 400,000 drivers age 16 to 20 will be seriously injured in an automobile accident.

Hiring an Anchorage Personal Injury Lawyer

Barber & Sims has over 25 years of collective experience in litigating cases on behalf of injured clients. We handle serious injury cases and have the resources and expertise to take cases to trial. Very few law firms are willing to try cases, most will simply take a settlement and move on to the next case. At Barber & Sims we know that serious injury cases take time, focus and effort…and our track record trying Alaska injury cases in impeccable. If you have been injured, contact the Alaska auto accident attorneys at Barber & Sims to schedule a free initial consultation so that you can obtain the information you need regarding your legal rights and options.  If you or a loved one has suffered serious injury in an Alaska auto accident. Call us now at 907-276-5858.

Alaska Personal Injury Attorneys

The Barber & Sims Alaska injury law firm is not currently representing anyone mentioned in this article at the time it was posted. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your legal rights and options, call us or another well recognized and respected personal injury law firm. Please do not rely or act solely upon the information provided in this article. Please consider getting a consultation immediately. The best personal injury law firms will provide a free consultation. Barber & Sims will provide a free, confidential consultation to the persons who were not at fault named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.

Teenage driving accidents are a high cause of auto-related injuries in Alaska. This past weekend a 16-year-old from Palmer was listed in critical condition after his Ford Explorer crashed in a ditch outside Wasilla, Alaska. The crash was reported at about 3:45 a.m. on May 9^th.

The young driver, Mitchell A. Rissew, was heading east on Bogard Road and the car was occupied by two other teenagers. Suddenly his 1995 Ford Explorer crossed traffic into the oncoming lane, went into a ditch and then rolled several times near the Earl Drive intersection.

All of the teenagers involved in the Alaska auto accident were taken to local hospitals. Rissew was flown to Providence Alaska Medical Center. Another 16-year-old boy and a 17-year-old boy, passengers in the vehicle rollover, were taken to Mat-Su Regional Medical Center and were reported as having sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

According to Alaska State troopers, only one of the teenagers was wearing a seatbelt. Investigators have initially reported that alcohol and/or intoxicants are not believed to be a factor in this serious Alaska truck accident.

Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Mitchell A. Rissew and we wish him a speedy recovery from his critical injuries. We also pray the other passengers of the truck rollover accident have a quick recovery.

Teen Driving Accidents in Alaska

Each year, teenagers account for approximately 20% of the fatalities and major injuries that occur on Alaska’s roads and highways. In nearly half of these cases, the unfortunate deaths could have been prevented by the use of seat belts.

Alaska Laws For Teen Drivers

1) At age 16, a person may be eligible for a Provisional License when:

• That person has held a learner’s permit for 6 months,
• A parent or guardian certifies that this person has performed at least 40 hours of driving, including 10 hours of driving under challenging conditions such as nighttime or harsh weather conditions, and
• This person has not been convicted of violating a traffic law for at least 6 months before applying.

2) Once the youth holds a Provisional License, they are subject to several limitations for the first 6 months of driving.  They must:

• • Driving between 1:00 and 5:00 a.m. is prohibited except when driving to and from a job or in an emergency situation
  • Generally no passengers except for: Passengers who are 21 yrs or older or siblings of the driver
  • Passengers when accompanied by the driver’s parent or legal guardian.

3) 6 months after a Provisional License is issued, the youth may apply to the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) for an unrestricted license:

• As long they have not been convicted of a traffic offence for at least six months before their application.

Two important exceptions to this law:

• A driver with a Provisional License may be eligible for a work permit so that they can drive to or from work or drive during the entire time they are employed.
• Driver’s issued permits or licenses under the DMV’s hardship or off-systems licensing programs are in no way affected by the GDL licensing provisions.

Alaska Auto Accident Lawyers

The Alaska personal injury lawyers at Barber and Sims have been representing injured Alaskans involved in auto or trucking accidents for nearly three decades. Call our offices today toll free at (800) 478-5858 to schedule a free consultation with one of our injury attorneys.

Injury Attorneys

The Barber & Sims personal injury law firm is not currently representing anyone mentioned in this article at the time it was posted. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your legal rights and options, call us or another well recognized and respected personal injury law firm. Please do not rely or act solely upon the information provided in this article. Please consider getting a consultation immediately. The best personal injury law firms will provide a free consultation. Barber & Sims will provide a free, confidential consultation to the persons who were not at fault named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.

Read more about this story at: http://www.adn.com/2010/05/09/1270383/teen-critical-after-car-hits-ditch.html