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Our New Hampshire injury lawyers are here to help you. As a service to our community Van Dorn & Curtiss post accident related legal news here. We write about injuries relating to accidents that have occurred in Western New Hampshire and Eastern Vermont.

News Category: All CategoriesAutomobile AccidentsInsurance ClaimsPersonal InjuryWrongful DeathProduct LiabilityMedical MalpracticePremises LiabilityDog Bites/Pet AttacksIndustrial Accidents and Worker’s CompensationHealth CareGeneral

Automobile Accidents

• Drunk Driver Causes Serious Accident With Tanker Truck
  Dec 29, 2009

  A serious accident resulted in surprisingly minor injuries. 

  Jason Babbidge of Londonderry, N.H. was taken to Southern New Hampshire Medical Center in Nashua after the truck he was driving collided with a tanker truck on Route 102. 

  The accident occurred when Babbidge, driving a Ford pickup truck, left the westbound lane and swerved into the eastbound lane, striking the tractor-trailer.    The driver of the tanker truck did not report any injuries while Babbidge suffered non-life threatening injuries.

  Babbidge was arrested on charges of operating under the influence of an alcoholic beverage.  He has been released on bail and will appear at Derry District Court on Jan. 5.  The Londonderry Police Department continues to investigate the accident.

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• Weston Teen Charged with DUI After Accident
  Dec 16, 2009

  The man accused of striking a pedestrian while drunk is also facing charges stemming from a boating accident.

  The auto accident occurred in the early morning hours of Sunday, December 6 near Boston College.  The driver, Benjamin D. Knott was arrested on charges of leaving the scene of personal injury and death, reckless operation of a motor vehicle and operating under the influences of alcohol causing serious injury, and negligent operation.

  After allegedly striking Bethany Pfalzgraf of Londonderry, Knott left the scene of the accident.  When Knott was pulled over by police he blew more than twice the legal limit.    Pfalzgraf was taken to the hospital where she received treatment for "serious" injuries.

  This is not Knott's first accident.  A trial concerning a boating incident from last summer is scheduled to begin on December 18^th.  In that case Knott will be facing charges of careless and negligent operation of a boat.  These charges were issued after Knott drove over a kayaker in Lake Sunapee.

   

  If you have been injured in a car, truck or motorcycle accident please contact your New Hampshire (NH) personal injury attorneys at Van Dorn & Curitss today for your free consultation.   Let our experience and passion help you fight the insurance company and get you maximum compensation for your injuries.

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• Man Injured in Single Vehicle Accident | NH Personal Injury Attorneys
  Nov 30, 2009

  According to New Hampshire state police a Henniker man was taken to the hospital after the car he was driving ran off the road and into a river.

  The driver, thirty-seven-year-old Sean Matheson, told officers that he lost control of his vehicle while attempting to avoid hitting a deer.  When he did so his vehicle went over a guard rail and an embankment, finally stopping in a river.

  The car was in such a position that it took a wrecker almost two hours to remove the vehicle from the water.

  In their initial investigation police are saying that alcohol was a factor in the accident.  Matheson has been charged with driving while intoxicated.

  If you have been injured during a car, truck or motorcycle accident and the other driver was at fault you may have a personal injury case.  Please contact your experienced accident attorneys at Van Dorn & Curtiss today for your free consultation.

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• New Traffic Signals on Route 125 | Experienced Accident Attorneys NH
  Nov 28, 2009

  The New Hampshire Department of Transportation has approved the addition of two traffic lights on Route 125.  One will be placed at North Road and the other at the Route 111A intersection.  The projects, which will include widening the roadway and creating left- and right-hand turn lanes, are being funded by the Federal Highway Safety Improvement Program.

  The program looks at roadways and intersections where safety improvements will make the biggest impacts.

  Between 2005 and 2008, there were over 25 vehicle crashes at the Route 111A intersection.  At the North Road intersection nine crashes occurred over a three year period. 

  Craig Green, the DOT's administrator of highway design, also stresses that the DOT does not just look at the number of accidents when deciding on traffic safety improvements; they also consider the severity of the accidents.

  "Another location might have the same number of accidents, but if this location involved fatalities and serious injuries, there would be a stronger reason to address this particular intersection over another," Green said.

  Hopefully the new traffic lights will decrease the number of accidents and fatalities on Route 125, making New Hampshire's roadways safer for all of us.

  If you have been injured or a loved one has been killed during an auto accident you have rights.  Don't let the insurance company talk you into a settlement that is too low.  Contact an attorney at Van Dorn & Curtiss today and let us fight for your rights as an accident victim.

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• Thanksgiving Accidents Top List | Auto Accident Attorney Manchester NH
  Nov 27, 2009

  For most Americans Thanksgiving day ends with a full belly and a good night's sleep.  However, for thousands each year Thanksgiving ends much differently- with a trip to the emergency room.  Thanksgiving Day is typically the most deadly holiday of the year.

  In 2009, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 504 deaths occurred on Thanksgiving Day.  Though this was a drop from previous years it is still nearly five times higher than a typical day on the nation's roadways.

  Why are there so many more accidents?  While New Years is synonymous with drinking, drivers are more likely to plan for the night and get a sober ride home.  However, according to a spokesman for AAA Thanksgiving good cheer leads to 50% more drivers on the road and a higher than usual alcohol consumption.  Drivers may not plan to have more than one drink and therefore do not have a plan in place for getting home safely.

  With holiday season in full swing please be sure that you have a plan for each gathering you attend.  Let's work together to decrease tragedy during this and every holiday season.

  If you have been injured in a truck, car or motorcycle accident please contact your experienced NH personal injury attorney at Van Dorn & Curtiss today.  We are located in Orford, New Hampshire and defend the injured across the state.  From Manchester to Portsmouth we are here for you.

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• No New Trial in Drunk Driving Pedestrian Accident | NH
  Oct 27, 2009

  In 2004 Kevin Whittaker struck a fellow University of New Hampshire student.  He was convicted of negligent homicide after he struck and killed the victim while drinking and driving.

  Whittaker's attorney argued that an accident reconstruction expert could have proven to jurors that the accident was unavoidable.  The state Supreme Court agreed and sent the case back to the Strafford County Superior Court.  However, Judge Peter Fauver denied a retrial.

  This means that Whittaker will have to serve out his seven and a half year term without a retrial.

  The accident occurred on the campus of UNH in 2004.  Whittaker's car struck the pedestrian on Main Street in Durham.  According to testimony both the driver and victim had been drinking.  Whittaker has been in prison since his sentencing in January 2006.

   

  If you have been involved in an accident and want an experienced attorney please contact a lawyer at Van Dorn & Curtiss today for your free consultation.  Out attorneys are passionate about defending the injured and work every day to get our clients maximum compensation for their injuries.  Please call your New Hampshire (NH) personal injury attorney at Van Dorn & Curitss today for your free consultation.

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• Drunk Driver Hit Police Cruiser | Hurt in Auto Accident | NH Attorneys
  Oct 06, 2009

  Drunk driving is dangerous for the driver, pedestrians and any other vehicle on the road.  While police know this all too well one officer had a close call with a drunk driver Saturday night.

  A pickup truck driven by 24-year-old Robert Grenon of Salem, NH hit a Portsmouth police officer's cruiser.  The officer was inside the vehicle and was treated and released from a local hospital.  His vehicle suffered significant front-end damage during the crash.

  The driver was unharmed in the accident and is facing a charge of driving while intoxicated.  Grenon was released on $1,000 personal recognizance bail. 

   

  If you have been injured in a motorcycle, truck or car accident please contact your New Hampshire personal injury attorneys at Van Dorn & Curtiss today for your free consultation.  We work tirelessly to get you the compensation you deserve.

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• Accident Takes Life of Groveland Woman | Personal Injury Attorney
  Sep 29, 2009

  A serious accident in Albany, NH has claimed the life of a Groveland woman.  Police report that the victim and three others were traveling in a golf cart on Route 16 when a minivan came up from behind and hit the cart.

  All four of occupants of the cart sustained injuries.  Two were treated at Memorial Hospital for minor injuries.  The other two, including the driver, suffered serious injuries, one woman losing her life.  Both were taken to Maine Medical Center in Portland, Maine.

  Alcohol was said to be a contributing factor in the accident.  The driver of the van has been charged with driving under the influence.  The driver of the cart is suspected of the same, though no charges have been filed.  He remains in the hospital in serious condition. 

  According to Lt. Scott Carr the accident is still under investigation.  Carroll County Attorney Robin Gordon said that her office is reviewing the case.  If they believe it is warranted the case will be presented in front of a grand jury.

   If you have been injured in a motorcycle, car or truck accident please contact your New Hampshire personal injury attorney at Van Dorn & Curtiss today for your free consultation.  The attorneys at Van Dorn & Curtiss are passionate about defending your rights and will work to get you maximum compensation for your injuries.

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• New Hampshire Hit and Run Solved | NH Accident Attorney
  Sep 28, 2009

  A hit and run accident that occurred on Sept. 3 has been solved.  The New Hampshire State Police and Kensington Police worked diligently to find the driver. 

  The accident occurred on Route 150 when a pedestrian jogger was struck by a car.  Initial reports indicated that the suspect's car was a newer model blue Subaru Impreza.  The impact of the accident damaged the passenger side mirror which was left behind at the scene.

  With the help of Exeter Subaru the New Hampshire State Police Accident Reconstruction Unit was able to use evidence recovered at the scene to narrow their search. 

   

  If you have been injured in an auto, truck or motorcycle accident please contact your NH personal injury attorney at Van Dorn & Curtiss for your free consultation.

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• Police say hit-and-run driver went home and vacuumed car after striking pedestrian
  Sep 02, 2009

  A motorist who struck and killed a 79-year-old pedestrian July 18 in Southeast Portland and then drove off was located after his fiance called police, court papers show.
  
  The driver was returning home from a poker party in Tigard and was seen vacuuming out the glass in his car after he arrived at his Southeast Portland house, police wrote in a search warrant affidavit.
  
  
  The accident occurred at 1:36 a.m. at Southeast Powell Boulevard and 36th Place.
  
  Pedestrian James A. Stover was found lying on the road, near the curb. He was not breathing and sustained major blunt force trauma to his entire body, including his head, police reports say.
  
  Stover was from Rochester, Vermont, and had family in Portland.
  
  A witness saw a red Chevy Cavalier driving away, and obtained a license plate.
  
  As police were completing the investigation at the fatal accident scene, the suspect's fiance called, leading police to Douglas Eric Green, 39, by about 4 a.m., the reports say.
  
  Police said Green smelled like alcohol, his eyes were bloodshot and watery, and his speech was slightly slurred when they approached him at his residence in the 2900 block of Southeast 134th Avenue.
  
  He told police he had been at a poker party in Tigard, and knew he had hit something and went into shock. He drove home and removed the glass from his car. His fiance went to see what he had struck.
  
  Police found Green's red Chevy Cavalier, which had major damage to the front windshield and obvious damage to the front end.
  
  Green now faces charges of manslaughter, felony hit-and-run and driving under the influence of intoxicants. He was arrested two days after the accident, and pleaded not guilty to the charges on July 31.
  
  A trial date has been tentatively set for Sept. 21.
  
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