Bessemer Theme Park Closed in Wake of Water Ride Accident

The Alabama Adventure theme park was closed Wednesday after an accident on one of the park's water rides caused a raft to overturn, sending four riders into the water. The accident happened on the park's Wild River Gorge ride on Tuesday evening, when a raft carrying four passengers hit an unoccupied raft and flipped over. The passengers were underwater for about 20 seconds, while they struggled to unfasten their safety belts. They were treated for minor injuries by the park's medical staff.

Fortunately, no one was seriously injured in this accident. Amusement park accidents can be devastating, however, often resulting in severe injury or death to park-goers. The sheer size, weight, and speed of park rides make them inherently dangerous products when a malfunction or operator error occurs. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), there were an estimated 7,000 injuries at amusement parks in the United States in 2004. When these injuries result from federal or state safety violations, improper ride maintenance or operator negligence, the owners and operators of amusement parks may be held legally liable.

If you have been injured in an amusement park accident, call the Birmingham personal injury lawyers at 1-877-925-5373 to discuss your legal options. We provide aggressive representation to personal injury victims in Bessemer, Birmingham, Fairfield, Helena, Homewood, Hoover, Irondale, Mountain Brook, Tarrant, Trussville, and Vestavia Hills. The Birmingham injury lawyers at The Walker Law Firm offer a free, no-obligation consultation regarding your premises liability case.

Fayette Bans Pit Bulls and Other Dangerous Breeds

It is now illegal to have an unregistered pit bull in the city of Fayette. A new ordinance bans any new pit bulls within city limits and requires current owners of pit bulls and several other dangerous breeds to register their pets. Pit bull owners who do not register their pets face a fine of $500 or jail time. The law was introduced in June after a Fayette woman sustained permanent injuries in a pit bull attack.

Pit bulls are a highly aggressive breed of dog. They have been known to break windows and doors, snap chains, and gnaw through fences to attack unsuspecting victims. Avoiding these and other dangerous breeds of dogs can help prevent dog bites. According to CDC statistics, the most dangerous breeds of dogs are pit bulls, Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Chow Chows, and wolf hybrids. However, even the most docile breeds can attack without warning or provocation. If you have been attacked by a dangerous dog in Birmingham, or anywhere else in Alabama, you should contact an experienced Birmingham dog bite injury lawyer immediately.

If you have been injured in a dog attack, you should contact an experienced Birmingham personal injury lawyer immediately to discuss your case. The Walker Law Firm handles dog bite injury cases in Bessemer, Birmingham, Fairfield, Helena, Homewood, Hoover, Irondale, Mountain Brook, Tarrant, Trussville, and Vestavia Hills. The Birmingham personal injury lawyers at The Walker Law Firm work on a contingent fee basis, which means that you pay nothing unless you receive money for your injuries.

20 Workers Hospitalized After NC Industrial Plant Explosion

At least 20 workers were hospitalized after an explosion at a Slim Jim plant in Garner, N.C., a suburb of Raleigh. According to news reports, three workers are still unaccounted for, but may not have been at the plant during the explosion. Officials are keeping people away from the site because fire fighters are still trying to contain the blaze and a toxic cloud of ammonia is still hanging in the air in the vicinity of the plant.

Industrial accidents such as this one often result in serious injuries and even death to employees working at the site of the accident. Unfortunately, many industrial accidents are preventable. When an accident is caused by the plant's failure to follow OSHA safety standards, injury victims are entitled to compensation for their pain and suffering, medical bills, and lost wages. If you have been injured in any type of accident at work, you need an experienced Birmingham injury attorney on your side.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an industrial accident, it is important to contact an experienced Birmingham personal injury lawyer to discuss your case. The Walker Law Firm represents injury victims in Bessemer, Birmingham, Fairfield, Helena, Homewood, Hoover, Irondale, Mountain Brook, Tarrant, Trussville, and Vestavia Hills. The Birmingham personal injury lawyers at The Walker Law Firm work on a contingent fee basis, which means that you pay nothing unless you receive money for your injuries.

Parents Sue to Home School Kids Amid Reports of Swine Flu

The parents of two Elmore County elementary school students are suing the county and state boards of education to allow them to take their children out of school until the end of the year after three documented cases of the swine flu prompted the closing of several schools in Madison County. The school refused to allow the boys, 7 and 8, to complete their school work from home until the end of the school year on May 21. School officials told the parents that the boys would have to repeat their current grade level if they were taken out of school for the remainder of the year.

The lawsuit alleges that the boys are prone to sicknesses such as colds and flu. The H1N1 influenza virus, commonly called "swine flu" because it originated in pigs, was first detected in April of this year. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the H1N1 flu virus is spread from person to person in the same manner as any other flu virus, primarily when people who are sick with the virus cough or sneeze in public places. The parents of the two Elmore County elementary students say they'd rather be safe than sorry.

Alabama injury victims should not hesitate to call our Birmingham personal injury lawyers at 1-877-925-5373 for a free consultation regarding their case. We provide aggressive representation to personal injury victims in Bessemer, Birmingham, Fairfield, Helena, Homewood, Hoover, Irondale, Mountain Brook, Tarrant, Trussville, and Vestavia Hills. The Birmingham personal injury lawyers at The Walker Law Firm work on a contingent fee basis, which means that you pay nothing unless you receive money for your injuries.

Chinese Drywall "Reeking" Havoc for Katrina Victims

Katrina victims in New Orleans are now facing another problem - tainted drywall from China that was used to rebuild homes destroyed by the hurricane. The drywall emits sulfur, which causes shower heads and hinges to rust, eats away at valuables, such as jewelry and silverware, and - perhaps worst of all - smells like rotten eggs. Almost 500 million pounds of the tainted drywall was used in homes throughout the country. The warm, humid climate in New Orleans only works to exacerbate the problem.

When a product manufacturer sells a substandard product that results in financial, emotional, and other losses to consumers, a products liability suit may be appropriate. Products liability is the area of law that deals with the responsibility of the manufacturer, wholesaler, or retailer of a product for any injuries that result from the use of that product. A defendant in a products liability suit can be held liable for damages if it is found that the product was defective, regardless of the level of care the manufacturer or supplier exercised during the design and manufacturing process.

If you have been injured by a defective or malfunctioning product in Birmingham or anywhere in the state of Alabama, you should contact an experienced Birmingham personal injury lawyer immediately to discuss your case. The Walker Law Firm handles personal injury cases in Bessemer, Birmingham, Fairfield, Helena, Homewood, Hoover, Irondale, Mountain Brook, Tarrant, Trussville, and Vestavia Hills. The Birmingham personal injury lawyers at The Walker Law Firm work on a contingent fee basis, which means that you pay nothing unless you receive money for your injuries.

Mercury Spill Prompts Gardendale High School Evacuation

A mercury spill in a Gardendale High School health class prompted a school-wide evacuation on Wednesday. According to news reports, the health class was learning how to measure blood pressure when a tube containing mercury broke, causing the toxic substance to spill onto the floor. A vacuum cleaner was used to clean up the spill, which only made matters worse by causing the mercury to become airborne. At that point the class was evacuated and the room sealed. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

Mercury is a naturally occurring element found in many products, such as thermometers, barometers, florescent light bulbs, and some blood pressure devices. Exposure to mercury can cause fever, tremors, and respiratory problems, among other adverse health effects. Exposure to any toxic substance can have lasting detrimental effects on a person's health, especially if the exposure occurred over a long period of time. Anyone injured due to exposure to a toxic substance should seek the advice of a Birmingham injury attorney to help ensure maximum recovery for their injuries.

If you are injured because of exposure to a toxic substance, it is important to contact an experienced Birmingham personal injury lawyer to discuss your case. The Walker Law Firm represents injury victims in Bessemer, Birmingham, Fairfield, Helena, Homewood, Hoover, Irondale, Mountain Brook, Tarrant, Trussville, and Vestavia Hills. The Birmingham personal injury lawyers at The Walker Law Firm work on a contingent fee basis, which means that you pay nothing unless you receive money for your injuries.

Public Hearing Over East Birmingham Dog Attack

A February 15th Pit Bull attack on a 13-year-old boy elicited public outrage, causing East Birmingham residents to meet with police and animal control officers at the victim's home on Monday. The boy was attacked while playing outside near his house. The attacking dog tore flesh from the boy's upper arm and left puncture wounds on his lower arm, according to news reports. Community residents told police that vicious dog attacks have plagued East Birmingham for some time - and the problem is only getting worse.

According to recent statistics, dog bite injuries and fatalities have been rising steadily in the U.S. Throughout the 80s and 90s, there were an average of 17 dog bite fatalities in the U.S. In 2007, however, there were 33 dog bite-related deaths - almost double the average of the previous two decades. Dog bites are also the cause of hundreds of thousands of emergency room visits each year. Dog bite injuries can be severe - especially in children. In all dog bite injury cases, it is important to consult a Birmingham personal injury attorney to discuss your case and explore your legal options.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a dog attack, you should contact an experienced Birmingham dog bite injury attorney immediately. It is important to work quickly to identify the attacking dog and its owner, collect witness statements, document your injuries, and preserve evidence at the scene of the attack. The Walker Law Firm represents dog bite injury victims in Bessemer, Birmingham, Fairfield, Helena, Homewood, Hoover, Irondale, Mountain Brook, Tarrant, Trussville, and Vestavia Hills. The Birmingham personal injury lawyers at The Walker Law Firm work on a contingent fee basis, which means that you pay nothing unless you receive money for your injuries.