Category Archives: Brain Injury
Man Assaulted With Sports Trophy in Sandy Oregon
Date: March 14, 2012
Location: 53000 block of East Marmot Road, Sandy
Names: Brandon Alan Triplett, Christopher William Clevenger
When a Sandy-area man used a sports trophy to assault the new boyfriend of his ex-girlfriend, he landed himself in jail and is now facing a charge of, among other things, attempted first-degree assault.
According to the report in The Oregonian, Brandon Triplett, 33, of Sandy, started arguing with a man named Christopher Clevenger, 32, also of Sandy, about Triplett’s ex-girlfriend, Janica Parham. Police were called at around 2 a.m. Monday morning to intervene, but by the time they arrived, Triplett had already left. But the night’s events weren’t over.
Sometime after 4 a.m., a man identified as Triplett entered Parham’s home in the 53000 block of East Marmot Road, just outside Sandy. As Clevenger slept, Triplett allegedly hit him over the head with a sports trophy. Triplett was arrested a short time later.
We would like to wish Christopher Clevenger a quick recovery from his injuries after this shocking attack.
Intentional assault cases can be complicated. Besides criminal charges, the assailant can also be held accountable in a personal injury case. Victims of assault may also be entitled to compensation under personal injury law, so it is important to understand your rights in this situation.
Even if the person who assaulted you cannot pay, sometimes their insurance company will. You might be entitled to economic, non-economic, and punitive damages. A skilled Oregon assault attorney can investigate this for you, and handle your case, so you can focus on healing and recovery.
Child Injured in Unprovoked Rose Garden Attack
Date: March 24, 2012
Location: The Rose Garden, Portland
Name: Markell Parks
A 14-year-old boy was knocked unconscious in an unprovoked attack at the Rose Garden Saturday night. In spite of the large crowds, witnesses say no security personnel were in the area, and the assailant managed to escape on foot. He remains at large.
Markell Parks, 14, and his younger brother Jathan, were waiting for their uncle outside the men’s restroom at the conclusion of the Moto Cross show. The report on KATU.com says while the boys were waiting, an unidentified man about 6-feet tall and weighing an estimated 220 pounds simply walked up to Markell, punched him in the face and knocked him out.
Markell’s mother, Jessica, got a phone call and rushed to the hospital to meet her son. She’s angry the man got away. She said that because of the lack of a security presence, the man who hit her son literally walked out of the Rose Garden and got away.
Markell suffered a concussion, swelling around the face, a cut lip and recurring headaches from the attack. Rose Garden directors of security were refusing to comment on the incident on Monday.
We would like to wish young Markell Parks a full and speedy recovery after this traumatic and unprovoked attack.
In Oregon, property owners are responsible for making certain their property is maintained safely, without any unreasonable dangers. Despite laws intended to protect people, many accidents still occur due to dangerous conditions.
Common types of premises liability cases include:
Slip and Fall:
Example: A store owner fails to mop up a wet floor, or provide proper traction, and a person slips and falls as a result.
Example: A parking structure company fails to install adequate lighting or warn patrons about dangerous criminal activity taking place on the premises.
If you or a member of your family have received injuries due to negligence by a property owner, contact a premises liability lawyer in Oregon to help you investigate, handle your case, and allow you to begin recovery.
When a child gets hurt, it can be a parent’s worst nightmare. Children are extremely vulnerable because their bodies are still growing, and they are not always aware of the dangers around them.
If your child has been hurt or through someone else’s negligence, you might want to consider legal action through an experienced Portland child injury lawyer. Besides ensuring that your child has the financial resources to recover medically, a child injury case can also help to ensure that other children are not harmed through continued negligence.
Boy Still Healing from Traumatic Brain Injury a Year After Getting Shot in the Head
Date: January 30, 2011
Location: Oregon City
Names: Austin Stokes, Jeremiah Riley
Jeremiah Riley was 14 when he admitted he was trying to frighten his friend Austin with a shotgun Riley’s father had left lying in the open in the house, still loaded after a duck hunting expedition. When Riley pulled the trigger, he blew off part of Stokes’ skull and left him with a traumatic brain injury. Riley received five days in detention in a plea deal, but Austin’s mother, Shelly Stokes, blames the parents and says they are ultimately responsible. “I just don’t understand how you can leave a loaded shotgun laying around when you have a neighbor kid coming over,” she said to KPTV.com.
Austin initially had a prosthetic plate in his head for protection while his skull healed, but the plate caused a severe infection and had to be removed a month ago, leaving Austin’s brain drastically under-protected. “If he falls and hits that spot, he’s done,” said Austin’s father, Adam Stokes. Doctors plan to eventually repair the skull by using Austin’s own ribs, but for now, he has to be walked everywhere he goes.
We send our best wishes to Austin and his family, along with our hopes that his recovery continues as speedily and completely as possible.
When a child gets hurt, it can be a parent’s worst nightmare. Children are extremely vulnerable because their bodies are still growing, and they are not always aware of the dangers around them.
If your child has been hurt or even killed through someone else’s carelessness, you might want to consider legal action through an experienced Portland child injury lawyer. Besides ensuring that your child has the financial resources to recover medically, a child injury case can also help to ensure that other children are not harmed through continued negligence.
Wrongful Death: Man Kills Little Girl in Gresham
Date: August 8, 2011
Location: Northeast Russell Street, Gresham
Names: Jeffrey E. Locker, Brooklyn Koy Saechao
A Gresham man was arraigned Monday afternoon on allegations of murder and first degree manslaughter of a one-year-old girl in his care last week. Police say the man, Jeffrey Locker, 22, was arrested near Milton-Freewater in eastern Oregon, heading for Washington.
According to the report by Maxine Bernstein for The Oregonian, Locker had told authorities that one-year-old Brooklyn Koy Saechao slipped and fell in the bathtub, after which he immediately called 9-1-1. But State Medical Examiner Dr. Karen Gunson said the girl’s injuries were inconsistent with Locker’s version of events. Dr. Gunson said the child died of blunt force head trauma, and that she suffered subdural hematomas, brain swelling and optic nerve hemorraging. In addition, the way the baby girl acted immediately after the injury was “inconsistent with the physical findings,” according to the probable cause affidavit filed in court on Monday. Little Brooklyn died 48 hours after being admitted to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center.
The murder allegation accuses Locker of intentionally assaulting the girl, which caused her death. The less serious manslaughter allegation accuses Locker of recklessly, and with extreme indifference, causing the child’s death. Locker is due back in court on August 16.
Our sincere and heartfelt sympathy goes out to Brooklyn’s family at this tragic time.
When a child is killed, it can be a parent’s worst nightmare. Children and babies are extremely vulnerable because their bodies are still growing, and they cannot always be aware of the dangers around them. Nor can they protect themselves.
If your child has been hurt or even killed through someone else’s actions, you might want to consider legal action through an experienced Portland child injury lawyer. Besides ensuring that the person responsible for the tragedy is held accountable, a child injury case can also help to ensure that other children are not harmed through continued negligence.
The Brain Injury Association of America’s 30th Anniversary
The Brain Injury Association of America is a wonderful organization that has been fighting for the rights of people with brain injuries for 30 years. As a proud supporter, we recently received their quarterly magazine, wonderfully named “The Challenge,” and see that they are celebrating their 30th anniversary.
I first learned about traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) through a client. She had been in her car, stopped at a SE Portland crosswalk while pedestrians crossed the street in front of her, when she was rear-ended by a car going about 30 m.p.h. She suffered back and neck injuries constituting fairly serious whiplash. But she also suffered a far more serious, but also more insidious, injury: Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI). It was the beginning of a long and difficult path that she will be traveling the rest of her life.
We were able to offer her some assistance with the legal issues. The insurance company (Farmers) absolutely refused to believe she had a brain injury. They accused her of faking it to get money. But in the end, they did pay up.
Of course, that was only the beginning. The client is now working on rehabilitation, and the Oregon chapter of the Brain Injury Association has been a great help to her. It was the Brain Injury Association that convinced her that therapy of various sorts really can make a huge difference in living with a brain injury. As of today, it can’t be cured. But it is possible to make enormous improvements in your life, with the support and information that the BIAA provides.
In addition to all of the counseling, support, and information that the BIAA provides, they also are a powerful voice in Washington. It is because of their lobbying that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the new health care law) requires insurance to cover brain injury rehabilitation.
Happy 30th Anniversary, Brain Injury Association of America. And thank you for all that you’ve done.
