An Oklahoma City Police Officer died a day after a van in which he was a passenger rolled over in Seminole County the afternoon of April 14.

Oklahoma Highway Patrol said the accident happened at around 5 p.m. when a van on east I-40 lane blew out its left rear tire. The van spun 180 degrees to the right, before traveling down an embankment, crashing into a fence, and rolling over. Four of the passengers, including officer Chad Peery, were ejected from the van and sustained injuries ranging from minor to critical. Officer Peery succumbed to critical injuries the following day, while other passengers are now in stable condition.

Troopers noted seat belts were used and that the van had airbags, which according to them did not deploy during the crash.

The loss of such an esteemed figure is tragic, and the thoughts of our team at the Abel Law Firm go out to those affected by this loss.

At least two persons were reportedly hurt in an accident that occurred in Ada involving three vehicles the afternoon of March 27.

According to Patrol Officer Brad Rhoads’ report, Shantry D. Hilliard, who was traveling eastbound, allegedly ran a red light, causing him to strike a southbound vehicle driven by Delberta R. Kiefer. Hilliard then struck another vehicle driven by Estelle Moss. Witnesses, on the other hand, said that north and south bound traffic had a green light while east bound traffic had a red light when the accident happened. Kiefer and Hilliard were brought to the hospital for injuries they sustained, and Moss reportedly did not sustain any injuries.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation will examine the blood drawn from Hilliard, as Rhoads surmised that Hilliard was under the influence of intoxicants.

Unfortunately, reckless drivers, including those driving under the influence, all too often cause innocent people serious harm in car accidents. Call 1-800-739-ABEL if this has happened to you and you are in need of compensation for your losses. Our legal team at the Abel Law Firm may be able to help you.

A man was critically injured after his truck slammed into a tree on West Oklahoma the night of Wednesday, March 6.

Capt. Jack Morris of the Enid Police Department said the accident happened on West Oklahoma at the 1500 block around 8 p.m., when a westbound vehicle struck an unoccupied parked car before it slammed into a tree. Enid Fire Department and Life EMS personnel responded to the crash scene to rescue 41-year-old Montra Smith, who suffered serious head injuries from the crash and had no pulse when responders arrived. A traffic officer also noted the smell of alcohol coming from Smith, but no charges were made immediately after the accident.

Smith is currently confined in a hospital for the critical injuries sustained in the crash.

Fortunately, no one else was injured in this accident; however, reckless drivers and those driving under the influence of alcohol all too often cause serious harm to unsuspecting people. Our attorneys at the Abel Law Firm make it a priority to support those who have been victimized in such situations. Thus, if you have been harmed by such a driver, call 1-800-739-ABEL to find out more about your legal options.

After two separate fatal car accidents in Oklahoma Monday morning, at least three people are dead.

An eastbound car driven by 24-year-old Sara Basquez was hit by another car when she failed to yield at a stop sign and crossed southbound traffic on Frink Chambers Road in McAlester. Basquez died of serious injuries sustained on the crash, while a passenger of Basquez and the driver of the other car were treated in a nearby hospital.

Another fatal car crash killed a young girl in a two-vehicle crash, on Southwestern Avenue, Sgt. Gary Knights reported. Sgt. Knights also reported that Renan Alfon Castellanos-Fortin also died after a pickup backed over him inside a parking lot at Burns Paving, Northeast Oklahoma.

Our thoughts and condolences at the Abel Law Firm go out to all those who have lost a loved one in these accidents or been harmed as a result.

In July, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, CPSC, sued the manufacturer of Buckyballs, claiming that the product was unsafe for children. Buckyballs are tiny magnetic balls that are intended for use by adults only, and have been popular desk toys for adults since 2009.

Despite a warning on the packaging claiming that the product was intended for children at least 14 years of age, reports of young children ingesting these balls have been frequent in the past few months. Severe incidents involving these balls have been reported, and children are having to be hospitalized for this issue.

When the balls are ingested, they can create holes in the intestinal lining. These holes may require numerous surgeries in order to be repaired. When the CPSC initially sued the company, the company had plans to fight the charges. Recently, the company chose to adhere to the rules set forth, and discontinue the production of these products.

If you or someone you know has been injured due to a faulty or defective product, please contact the product liability lawyers of the Abel Law Firm by calling 405-239-7046 today.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted a study in relation to teen drinking and driving and recently published the results.

The results indicated that teen drinking and driving has declined quite significantly over the last two decades. For the study, thousands of high school students were surveyed, representing 41 different states across the country.

The study was administered in 1991, and a reported 22.3 percent of the high school teens reported that they drove under the influence of alcohol within 30 days of taking the survey. Two decades later that number had dropped to 10.3 percent. Even though that number was on the decline, roughly one million teens admitted to drinking and driving during the 2011 calendar year.

If you were involved in a car accident due to a drunk driver, you may be entitled to compensation for your suffering. Please contact the drunk driving accident lawyers of the Abel Law Firm by calling 405-239-7046 today.

A hit-and-run accident that took place on Tuesday in Oklahoma City led to a driver getting arrested on several charges, including driving under the influence.

The accident took place at the intersection of Interstate 240 and South Eastern Avenue. A 60-year-old driver said he was hit by another vehicle around 10 p.m. that night. When he got out of his car to exchange information, the driver who caused the accident attempted to bribe him with money before leaving the scene.

The 60-year-old followed the intoxicated driver until authorities could pull him over. Open beer cans were found in the man’s car, and his BAC was o.17, which is more than two times the legal limit. No one was seriously injured in the collision.

Please contact the drunk driving accident lawyers of the Abel Law Firm by calling 405-239-7046 if you or someone you know has been injured in a car accident due to a drunk driver.

The Missouri Supreme Court overturned its medical malpractice noneconomic damage cap on Tuesday with a 4-3 vote. The members of the Supreme Court determined that the amount of noneconomic damages that can be awarded in a malpractice case should be determined solely by the residing jury.

The court case that brought about this decision involved a birth injury lawsuit regarding a child who was born with severe brain damage due to a medical student’s negligence.

The original noneconomic damage cap that was in place was $350,000. Noneconomic damages involve mental anguish, pain, and emotional trauma, among other things.

If medical malpractice has left you or someone you know with injuries, please contact the medical malpractice lawyers of the Abel Law Firm by calling 405-239-7046 today.

After the 2009-2010 problem with unintended acceleration in its popular Prius, Toyota has recently recalled more than 150,000 Lexus vehicles for the same issue.

The 2010 Lexus RX 350 and the 2010 Lexus RX 450H are the two models affected by the recall. In these vehicles, the gas pedal can get trapped under the driver’s side floor mat, causing the cars to accelerate to an excessive speed in a short amount of time.

An investigation into Toyota may also be issued by U.S. safety regulators in order to determine if Toyota has known about this problem prior to the recall. The consequences of this malfunction can result in car accidents and subsequent injuries or even fatalities. Toyota will begin notifying the owners of these recalled vehicles in August.

If a car defect has caused you to suffer an injury, please contact the car defect lawyers of the Abel Law Firm by calling 405-239-7046 today.

The annual “Tipsy Tow” program that is offered by AAA will be back again this year for residents in participating areas. The free tows will start at 6 p.m. on July 3 and will run until 2 a.m. on July 5. Non-members as well as members are able to use this service to secure a safe ride home after celebrating the Fourth of July.

In addition, Oklahoma Highway Patrol plans on increasing the number of patrolling officers by approximately 10 per shift in order to target drunk drivers during the Fourth of July holiday period. These additional patrol officers have been on the roadways since June 29 and will continue to patrol until July 8.

No sobriety check points will be conducted on July 4, but officers will be concentrating on DUI-related offenses on the Fourth of July holiday, such as speeding. A “no tolerance” policy will also be put in place for this day, meaning that reckless driving and seat belt violations will also be targeted.

Drunk driving accidents can leave individuals with severe injuries. If you were injured in a car accident due to a drunk driver, please contact the drunk driving accident lawyers of the Abel Law Firm by calling 405-239-7046 today.