Harris & Associates, P.C., L.L.O. - 1005 S. 107th Ave, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska, 68114

Drunk Smashes into House

September 6, 2014 By

According to Omaha Police, a drunk driver crashed into a home and then fled on foot to a nearby creek.

The crash happened at around 2.30 p.m. on Sunday near North 85th and Nicholas streets in Omaha. The driver hit a fence and crashed into the front steps of a house belonging to 90-year-old Ruth Gabelhouse who was inside washing dishes. Gabelhouse did not suffer any injuries, but said she was shaken.

Omaha Police said it appeared that the driver had been drinking, and he got out of the car and ran. He also seemed to be injured as he was holding his ribs as he ran off.

Neighbors then pursued him down the street to Papio Creek, west of North 76th and Cass Streets. The man then jumped into the creek, was hauled out of the water by rescue crews and taken to a nearby hospital.

Police have not yet released what his charges will be or his identity.

If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident in Omaha, please call the Omaha auto accident attorneys of Harris & Associates at (402) 397-1200 or contact us online today. We can help you review your compensation options and ensure you are receiving the compensation you deserve.

Filed Under: Omaha auto accident

Three Injured in Early Morning Crash

August 31, 2014 By

There was a crash in Council Bluffs on Wednesday night which resulted in three people being injured and a vehicle on fire atop another vehicle.

According to Bluffs police at about 6.00 p.m., a 2001 Volvo sedan, driven by Matthew Howell, 21, of Council Bluffs, sped north on 29th Street, following a crash at 29th and Broadway. A witness said that the Volvo, which was going at about 60 to 70 mph, then crashed into a 2007 Pontiac Vibe, driven by Nathan Hall, 21, of Council Bluffs, at 29th and Avenue B, then flew into the air, struck a power pole and landed atop a parked car.

Both men were taken to Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha after the 6:10 p.m. crash.

Passersby helped to extinguish a fire in the Volvo’s engine and a police officer helped Howell and passenger Thomas Forbes, 26, of Council Bluffs, from the vehicle.

Howell, Forbes and Hall were taken to the Omaha hospital, where Forbes was in critical condition and Howell in serious condition Thursday morning. Hall was not admitted.

If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident in Omaha, please call the Omaha auto accident attorneys of Harris & Associates at (402) 397-1200 or contact us online today. We can help you review your compensation options and ensure you are receiving the compensation you deserve.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Helicopters Ferry Injured to Hospital

August 24, 2014 By

According to authorities, three people were seriously injured on Friday in a two-vehicle collision in eastern Pottawattamie County.

Pottawattamie County Sheriff Jeff Danker said the accident occured around 10.30 in the morning, about 9 miles east of Carson on Highway 92 near 500th Street, between Carson and Griswold.

He went on to say that one vehicle turned into the path of another and at least one of the vehicles rolled over.

According to dispatch reports one man had to be cut out of the wreckage.

Two of the people injured were taken by separate helicopters to Creighton University Medical Center and two others were taken by ambulance to Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic. One of them was later taken by helicopter to the Nebraska Medical Center.

The names of the injured have not yet been released and the incident is still under investigation.

Authorities blocked the highway in both directions to allow the helicopters to land.

If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident in Omaha, please call the Omaha auto accident attorneys of Harris & Associates at (402) 397-1200 or contact us online today. We can help you review your compensation options and ensure you are receiving the compensation you deserve.

Filed Under: Omaha auto accident

The Grim Statistics about Drinking and Driving

August 17, 2014 By

Every 48 minutes in the United States, someone dies in a motor vehicle crash involving a drunk driver. That is 30 people a day, and over 10,000 a year.

Nearly a third of traffic related deaths are due to alcohol impaired drivers at a cost to the nation of more than $51 billion.

In 2010, over 1.4 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs which is only one percent of the 112 million who say they have driven whilst under the influence.

Those who are most likely to drive whilst drunk are younger rather than older. Among drivers with a Blood Alcohol Concentration above the legal limit over one in three were between 21 and 24 years old.  The next two largest groups were ages 25 to 34 (30%) and 35 to 44 (25%).

Motorcyclists are also driving whilst impaired as of those killed in fatal crashes in 2010, 28% had BACs above the legal limit.

If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident in Omaha, please call the Omaha auto accident attorneys of Harris & Associates at (402) 397-1200 or contact us online today. We can help you review your compensation options and ensure you are receiving the compensation you deserve.

Filed Under: Nebraska truck accident

Deadly Tanker Crash

August 10, 2014 By

About one mile south of Pierce on Wednesday afternoon, at 2:19 p.m., on Highway 13, a tanker truck hauling diesel was involved in a deadly collision with a pickup.

Pierce County Sheriff Rick Eberhardt said  that a pickup driven by Chance White, 16, which was travelling northbound, was attempting to turn west onto County Road 852, when it was hit from behind by a semi-trailer, also travelling northbound and hauling a large amount of diesel fuel. The pickup was forced off the road and the semi tanker overturned in the ditch on the west side of the road.

The sheriff said that the Jaws of Life were used to remove the semi tanker driver, Eldon “Red” Kassebaum, 66, of West Point, from the vehicle, and he was taken to Faith Regional Health Services in Norfolk, where he later died from his injuries.

Following the accident, the tanker was leaking fuel which caused the highway to be shut down for several hours until fire crews were able to stop the leak.

If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident in Omaha, please call the Omaha auto accident attorneys of Harris & Associates at (402) 397-1200 or contact us online today. We can help you review your compensation options and ensure you are receiving the compensation you deserve.

Filed Under: Nebraska truck accident

Parents of Seven Killed in Accident

August 3, 2014 By

Following a single vehicle accident near West Point, Nebraska, an Omaha couple, parents to seven children were killed over the weekend, when their 2004 Buick Rainier went into a ditch and rolled several times.

The accident occurred on southbound Highway 275 about two miles south of West Point.

The bodies of Franklin J. Pivonka, 41, and his 40-year-old wife, Yvonne E. Pivonka, were found about 5:20 a.m. Monday in a heavily wooded area and were pronounced dead at the scene by authorities.

The Cuming County Sheriff’s Office said that it appears that the driver lost control and the car rolled a few times and went into a ditch and then Pivonkas were ejected from the vehicle. They were alone in the car, and it is not known who was actually driving.

The driver apparently lost control and the car went into a ditch, rolling three or four times.

Neither of the Pivonkas was using a seat belt.

According to Franklin Pivonka’s sister, Brenda Lessner of Omaha, the couple had six daughters and one son ranging in age from about 20 to 3.

If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident in Omaha, please call the Omaha auto accident attorneys of Harris & Associates at (402) 397-1200 or contact us online today. We can help you review your compensation options and ensure you are receiving the compensation you deserve.

Filed Under: Omaha auto accident

Man Dies in Two Vehicle Collision

July 27, 2014 By

According to the Howard County Sheriff’s Office, 21 year old Derek Holt died on Sunday night following a two vehicle collision north of Grand Island. The authorities are continuing their investigation.

The accident happened at around 9.10 p.m. about two miles west of St. Paul on Nebraska Highway 92 just west of Kimball Road.

Justin S. Arrowsmith, aged 29, of Omaha, was driving eastwards, and according to police, his vehicle may have crossed the center line.  He then collided almost head on with the vehicle driven by Holt who was travelling in the opposite direction.

According to authorities, both Holt and Arrowsmith were wearing seat belts. Holt was taken to the Howard County Medical Center in St. Paul where he died shortly afterwards and according to the Sheriff’s Office, Arrowsmith was treated at the medical center and was subsequently transferred to Kearney’s Good Samaritan Hospital.

If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident in Omaha, please call the Omaha truck accident attorneys of Harris & Associates at (402) 397-1200 or contact us online today. We can help you review your compensation options and ensure you are receiving the compensation you deserve.

Filed Under: Omaha auto accident

One in 46 drivers will have an accident each year

July 20, 2014 By

According to the Nebraska Department of Highway Safety, one in every 46 Nebraska drivers will be involved in an auto accident each year, with the most common injury being neck strain, also known as whiplash.  These injuries usually occur where a vehicle is hit from behind causing the driver’s head to snap forward and then back again. The injury, if serious can cause chronic pain and joint dysfunction.

The second common type of injury is a back injury which can be either soft tissue or spinal damage. The back is easily injured by impact and trauma which can cause nerve or muscular damage and herniated discs.

Head injuries are the third most common auto accident injury as the body can be tossed around the vehicle on impact.  On the one hand it may be simple bruising or lacerations but it can be a TBI or Traumatic Brain Injury which is the result of a severe blow to the head. A TBI can be mild or extensive, and can occur regardless of how minimal the impact may be. They can cause memory loss, functional deficits, headaches, dizziness or loss of consciousness.

If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident in Omaha, please call the Omaha truck accident attorneys of Harris & Associates at (402) 397-1200 or contact us online today. We can help you review your compensation options and ensure you are receiving the compensation you deserve.

Filed Under: Nebraska truck accident

Was it an Accident or Murder?

July 13, 2014 By

Was it an accident or murder?

Police are currently investigating the circumstances of an vehicle accident when Sharlee Arnett, 25, of Omaha died when the pickup in which she was a passenger, was driven into a utility pole by her partner, Nicolas Marescalco, aged 25.

Marescalco, who worked as a landscaper, was injured and is in hospital but police are now wondering if he deliberately drove into the pole, as a witness said the vehicle just suddenly left the road with no sign of braking.

Marescalco’s father said that his son’s face has been mangled and he has a broken leg.  A spokesman for Nebraaska Medical Center said he was in a fair condition.

Marescalco and Arnett met five years ago in North Carolina and they had apparently just become engaged.

Arnett was pronounced dead at the Medical Center and it was confirmed that neither were wearing a seat belt.

If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident in Omaha, please call the Omaha truck accident attorneys of Harris & Associates at (402) 397-1200 or contact us online today. We can help you review your compensation options and ensure you are receiving the compensation you deserve.

Filed Under: Omaha auto accident

Compensation scheme cannot replace victims

July 6, 2014 By

GM Compensation
http://youtu.be/kEkmi6opc7o

Following the discovery that a faulty switch was responsible for several fatal car accidents involving GM vehicles, Lawyer Kenneth Feinberg has been appointed to operate the compensation scheme to ensure that the relatives of the victims, and those who were injured, receive compensation.

Following a meeting with the families Feinberg has revealed the eligibility process and outlined how the awards will be calculated.

He said that he will be the one calculating the awards, which will be worked out using the same mathematical formula which has been used for years by judges, juries and lawyers. Firstly he will assess the potential lifetime earnings of the victims, should they not have died nor have been injured. On top of this he will then add an amount for pain and suffering and any other additional expenses.

Feinberg stated that under the protocol agreed with GM, they would not interfere in his work, would have no say on the amounts he agreed nor was there any cap in place. Finally they had no right of appeal concerning the payouts.

If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident with defective vehicle, please call the Omaha truck accident attorneys of Harris & Associates at (402) 397-1200 or contact us online today. We can help you review your compensation options and ensure you are receiving the compensation you deserve.

Filed Under: Nebraska truck accident
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