Category Archives: Odd Stories

animal crossing

5 Strangest Accidents Caused by Animals

There has always been a turbulent relationship between man and beast. As residents of the northeast are well aware of, we have a particular problem with accidents involving deer. There are many more animals that can cause accidents though. When you are involved in an accident that results in serious injury your life can be severely impacted. By speaking with qualified accident lawyers in New Jersey you are putting yourself in the best position to receive deserved compensation.

In various parts of the world, deer are the least of motorists’ worries. The following five car accidents are not what you may expect and definitely earn their title as being the five strangest accidents caused by animals.

Why Did the Camel Cross the Road?

Photo credit: Panoramio.

While we many not experience this in New Jersey, except maybe at Six Flag’s Wild Safari, in some places of the world they have bigger worries than deer. In the United Arab Emirates one man was killed when a camel was crossing the road. The man hit the camel and his car caught fire. The camel also died in the accident. As a result of this tragedy local officials ordered that a fence be put up along that road to prevent camels and other animals from crossing.

Turkey’s Revenge

Photo credit: Buckeyextra.

Just last month, John Chubb of Ohio was driving home from an Ohio State basketball game when the unexpected happened. He was driving along I-70 when he saw a giant turkey fly out from behind a guardrail before he could get the sentence out telling his passenger to look at the bird it came crashing through his windshield. The turkey hit him in the face and sent both feathers and glass into the car. The impact of the bird caused Chubb to pass out with his foot still on the gas pedal. His passenger grabbed the wheel and turned off the car. The car struck a guardrail and a concrete divider that sent it spinning. Both Chubb and his passenger were treated at a local hospital.

Is That A Snake In Your Pocket?

Photo credit: Snakes on Stuff.

In 2009 a multi-car accident was caused in Hartford, Connecticut when a man lost control of his SUV because his pet snakes escaped from his pants pockets. Angel Rolon, 20, was carrying two snakes in his pockets when they escaped and slithered around by his feet. The passenger in his car tried to catch them but Rolon lost control of the car, hit a couple parked cars, and flipped his SUV. When police arrived with animal control they were unable to find the snakes and have not confirmed the driver’s tale of the accident. He was given a ticket for reckless driving and other, unreleased charges.

Save Sonic!

Photo credit: Daily Mail.

One man in Germany’s attempt to be kind will cost him a reported £30,000, which is nearly $50,000. The man was driving his Ferrari Testarossa when a hedgehog strayed into the street in front of him. He swerved to avoid hitting the animal but as a result he crashed his car into a barrier when he slipped on wet leaves that were covering the roadway. Both the driver and the hedgehog walked away from the incident unharmed, the Ferrari was not so lucky.

You Are One Good Looking Elephant

Photo credit: Metro.

Ireland native John Somers was vacationing in South Africa for his 66th birthday when he and a friend went for a ride in the Pilansberg Game Reserve. When they attempted to pass a large bull elephant, whose name is Amarula, they got an unexpected reaction. It was reported that Amarula must have mistook the sedan for a female elephant when he rubbed himself against the car. Upon realizing it was not another elephant he became enraged and flipped the car over with Somers and his friend inside. They sustained only minor cuts and bruises and lucky for them the whole incident was caught on film by photographer Riaan van Wyk that was a safe distance away.

An accident with an animal can be devastating. While these run-ins may seem out of the ordinary car vs animal accidents are not uncommon and can be deadly. If you or someone you love has been injured in a motor vehicle accident, contact the New Jersey car accident attorneys at Console & Hollawell today. You can call for a free consultation today at (866) 778-5500.

Main photo credit: Hello News 352.

Wind Turbine Farm

Dark Green: Energy-Efficient Wind Power isn’t So Safe

Green energy has many positives. The cheap cost of electricity production allows many businesses and private homes to trim expenses in an environmentally-friendly way, while also shaking dependence on traditional energy sources. The technology, ever in development, is not without its problems. Wind turbines weigh in the thousands of pounds and sit high in the air. When mechanical problems occur – and they do frequently – these money-saving devices turn into life-threatening hazards. Wind power companies and turbine owners may not be doing enough to limit the risk to people living and working close to turbines. Wrongful death cases and significant injuries from turbine accidents are inevitable, if manufacturers continue to cut production corners.

Pennsylvania Turbine Fire

Photo Credit: Panoramio

In 2009, one of 12 wind turbines in Mahanoy Township, Pennsylvania caught fire while crews were performing regularly-scheduled maintenance. Locals in nearby Butler Township were so wary of the dangers that they aggressively fought a proposed wind farm that would’ve placed 27 turbines next to residential homes and schools.

187-Ton Windmill Collapse

Photo Credit: Dennis Nett

One of 20 windmills in a wind farm in Fenner, New York collapsed like a kid’s bendy straw scattering mechanical parts and jagged steel across the landscape. Enel North America, the company owning the windmill, had more than 260 turbines in various farms throughout the country at the time of the accident. The estimated replacement cost for the single turbine was between $2 and $3 million, according to Syracuse.com. The windmills in Fenner sit 212 feet off the ground, nearly as tall as the town’s highest building.

Turbine Malfunctions, Throws Fireballs

Photo Credit: Panoramio

A wind turbine on the home of Texas State Representative Susan King experienced mechanical failure in October 2011. The turbine’s blades continued to spin even as the engine sparked, ignited and spewed gouts of flame across a two-acre swath of the senator’s property. Crews responding to the emergency needed eight trucks to contain the blaze. Next Era Energy owns the turbines on King’s ranch, according to Friends of Freedom International.

Windmill Blades Fall Off

Photo Credit: Yes to Renewables

Bolt failures on a windmill in Rugby, North Dakota caused the blades and rotor on the tower to fall off and crash to the ground. Subsequent inspections by the Public Service Commission discovered similar problems in at least four more turbines in the 71-turbine farm. Iberdola Renewables owns the turbines manufactured by India-based Suzlon Wind Energy Corp. Inspectors normally examine bolts every six months, according to “The Bismarck Tribune”. That leaves only two explanations: the bolts show rapid degeneration or those inspectors aren’t keeping up with proper protocols.

With the force involved in these accidents, it’s only a matter of time before someone sustains significant injuries. Companies that fail to properly maintain wind turbines may be liable for damages relating to injuries or life loss occurring as a result.

If you or someone you love sustained injuries as the result of manufacturer negligence, you may have rights to pursue the party responsible for damages. New Jersey accident attorneys are ready to represent your interests and stand up to those at fault for your losses. Having an advocate on your side allows you to focus on what’s important – your recovery.

Photo Credit: Renewable Power News

strange lawsuits

10 Strangest Things Callers Say

At any office, no matter the type of business, people will call in with strange or outlandish queries. At our New Jersey personal injury law firm, we have had people call with extremely weird requests. Sometimes you have to just stop and find the humor in these calls and let yourself laugh.

We racked our brains trying to remember the oddest calls we have received and came up with the best of the best. With personal injury in particular there is already a stigma that these lawsuits are frivolous, but the cases we actually take—where our clients have been severely injured because of someone else’s negligence—are nothing compared to these attempts at filing a suit.

Despite popular belief, we are not ambulance chasers. We are not out there to make a quick buck and you would be hard pressed to find an attorney that would take any of the cases we are about to share. These individuals fall into three categories: they are looking to make fast money, they are desperate, or they are simply naïve and do not understand what constitutes a personal injury claim.

Enjoy the stuff our callers say—note that we did not take any of these cases.

1. Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?

One man called in wanting to sue a major cookie company. Apparently he had bit into a cookie that had some sort of stick in it. The ‘stick’ broke his tooth. He contacted the cookie company and they offered to pay for his dental bills. He did not accept their offer. He had contacted several other lawyers before calling us, all of whom rejected his case. He informed us that he saved the cookie and the stick for us.

2. I paid you to fix her problems!

Man called in and wanted to sue his wife’s therapist. He alleged that his wife went into therapy and once she began seeing this therapist she decided to leave him and take his children. He felt it was the therapist’s fault.

3. Your glue is too potent!

A woman called us stating that she would like to sue a super glue company. She explained that while using their product she was holding the tube facing towards her face rather than down. When she squeezed it the glue squirted in her eye and ultimately glued her eye shut.

4. Ziploc is supposed to be strong!

Caller wanted to know who she could sue, she was open to anyone. She was injured when she was pulling a raccoon out of a friend’s motor while wearing plastic bags on her hands.

5. It wasn’t me

One man called us trying to find out his legal options. Apparently he had a lady friend who threatened to call the police if he did not stop calling and texting her. He admitted to continually contacting her despite her requests to stop. He asked what we thought he should do—we suggested that he stop calling her.

6. Your sidewalk doesn’t work with these shoes

The man who called us was walking into Target. He was wearing sandals that had tiny treading on the bottom, and the tread got stuck in the crack of the sidewalk outside the store. He tripped and broke his shoulder. He wanted to sue Target because their sidewalk cracks were the right size to make his shoe get stuck.

7. I need to use the restroom…down there looks good!

When people are intoxicated they do silly things, like our one called. He needed to use the restroom, instead of using the one indoors he decided to go out on the deck and urinate from there. After that—or during we are not really sure—he decided to jump off the deck. He hurt himself when he failed to land on his feet. He was interested in suing the homeowner where this occurred.

8. But Officer, I swear to drunk I’m not God

Caller was extremely intoxicated, and when he attempted to walk home he fell, sustained several fractures, and passed out. The police found him, unresponsive, and took him to the hospital. He wanted to sue the police for taking him to the hospital because of the bills. Or perhaps he wanted to sue because he was upset about the police finding illegal substances on his person and they ultimately charged him with possession.

9. Anything but my car!

A man called in and wanted to sue his soon-to-be ex-wife. They had co-signed together on a car and in the divorce proceedings she threatened to take the car from him. He said that he felt her actions were malicious and were causing him serious emotional distress.

And here it is, the strangest phone call we have ever received!

10. You can’t fool me — I know you are a robot!

A young man—or so we thought—called our office to discuss filing a personal injury claim for a car accident that occurred 10 years ago. The caller informed us that he had serious injuries that he did not treat for. We have a set list of information we must gather when a lead comes in to see if it is worth pursuing a lawsuit, and the man became extremely frustrated with us as we asked these questions.

He started to raise his voice and then revealed that he was not the man injured in the accident, SHE was in fact his mother. She had talked in a deep voice to pretend she was her son and throughout the call said things like “I was in an accident,” and “I was injured.” Her claim was that he had been injured in a bus accident when he was 10 (he was now 20 which means his case had to be filed immediately because for minors you only have until 2 years following their 18th birthday). She did not know what caused the accident, who the defendant was, or what bus company it was. She said that his “serious injuries” were that following the accident his temperament changed and he started misbehaving in school.

We informed her that we would give the information to our attorneys to review and would contact her back. Five minutes later she called back and asked to speak with our intake employee again. When she was back on the phone she informed us that she wanted to clarify that she had spoken to a person and not a ROBOT. We sent her a letter stating that we would not be taking the case.

These calls may have been frivolous and outlandish, but every day people are seriously injured due to someone else’s careless actions and that is when you must utilize the civil justice system in this country. When you have been injured it affects you in so many more ways than just the physical pain; there is also the emotional stress and the financial burden for both you and your family. If you or someone you love has been hurt in an accident, contact Console & Hollawell’s accident injury attorneys in New Jersey today. Set up your free consultation by calling (866) 778-5500.