The family of two kayakers who were killed in an accident on the Jordan River has been awarded more than $2 million in damages for their deaths.

In August, 2010, 49 year old Joseph Glasser, and Kelly Glasser, aged 51, started to kayak on the Jordan River near 11400 South in South Jordan. They eventually came to a bridge near Winchester Street (6600 South) where a small waterfall has been created by a pipeline. They passed over the short drop and then they were caught in an undertow and drowned.

Their family members sued the state of Utah and the cities of West Jordan and Murray, among others, for their wrongful death because brush in the area covered a danger sign that warned them to get out of the river.

There was a jury trial which lasted five days and the family was awarded more than $2.4 million in damages. The family declared that they were pleased with the result and hoped that the case would raise public awareness and improve safety.

If you, or someone you know, have been injured in a serious accident involving negligence,  please call the at Hirschi Steele & Baer, PLLC at 801-990-0500 or contact us online today. We have the experience and expertise needed to help you get the compensation you deserve.

Following a head on crash in South Jordan City, two drivers have died from their injuries.

According to South Jordan police, the accident happened at about noon at the intersection of Daybreak Parkway and Mountain View Highway. They went on to say that Robynn Denamur, a female aged 23 from Herriman, was driving westbound on Daybreak Parkway and 46 year old Michael Teahon, from Sandy, was heading southbound on Mountain View Highway.

Investigators spoke to witnesses and they believe that Denamur, who was alone in her Mitsubishi Galant, ran a red light and was hit by Teahon in his semitrailer. He was also not carrying passengers.

Both drivers had to be extricated from their vehicles by emergency rescue teams and they were both taken by helicopter to hospital in very critical condition where they later succumbed to their injuries and both died.

If you, or someone you know, have been injured in a serious a serious South Jordan Crash,  please call the at Hirschi Steele & Baer, PLLC at 801-990-0500 or contact us online today. We have the experience and expertise needed to help you get the compensation you deserve.

There are over 200 million licensed drivers in the United States and with that many people legally behind the wheel, there is bound to be some that pose a more significant risk than other to other vehicles on the road as well as to pedestrians. There are several different kinds of road users at varying skill levels and with different capabilities. As drivers, we all need to be aware of those around us in general and of certain types of drivers in particular. Some of the kinds of drivers that people need to be cognizant of when behind the wheel include the following:

• Elderly Drivers – Statistically, senior citizens represent the safest age group of drivers in America. However, factors such as slowed reflexes and hearing loss make the task of driving very challenging for seniors and potentially dangerous. Be aware of older drivers and exercise added caution around them on the road.
• Newer Drivers – Although these can be difficult to spot just from looking at them, newer drivers tend to exhibit driving habits that demonstrate their inexperience. Driving slower (or much faster) than the posted speed limit, hesitancy in making certain driving maneuvers, and failure to follow certain road rules are some of the things that new drivers have in common.
• Motorcyclists – Those riding motorcycles have the same rights as well as the same responsibilities as those driving four-wheel vehicles. However, they are also typically less visible. Drivers need to be alert for motorcyclists and exercise added caution when they are sharing the road with them.

If you, or someone you know, have been injured in a serious auto accident involving the negligence of another driver,  please call the at Hirschi Steele & Baer, PLLC at 801-990-0500 or contact us online today. We have the experience and expertise needed to help you get the compensation you deserve.

A man died after he was hit by a vehicle on the Interstate 15 over the weekend.

According to the Utah Department of Public Safety, 27 year old Victor Muller of Idaho Falls was in a car which ran out of gas at around 10.40 p.m. on Friday near 7500 South on northbound I-15.

He left the vehicle, jumped the barrier and ran across the northbound I 15 to get some gas. The man was able to get the gas, but as he was running back to his car, carrying the gas can, he was hit and killed by a vehicle traveling in the left lanes.

Authorities say that a friend and a child were waiting for Muller in the car.

The driver who hit the victim was unhurt but Muller died at the scene.

According to officials, all of the vehicles involved in the crash returned to the scene. Officials have not revealed whether any citations may result from the incident.

If you, or someone you know, have been injured in a serious auto accident involving the negligence of another driver,  please call the at Hirschi Steele & Baer, PLLC at 801-990-0500 or contact us online today. We have the experience and expertise needed to help you get the compensation you deserve.

A crash on Monday night on Bangerter Highway in West Valley City led to a man losing his foot.

According to West Valley City police Lieutenant LaMonte Cox, the accident happened at about 11.15 p.m. when a man was driving south on Bangerter in a pickup and he tried to turn left onto 3500 South. He then collided with a northbound car which apparently ran a red light.

The driver of the pickup, who has not been named, was critically injured and lost a large amount of blood as his foot was severed. However, latest reports state that he is expected to survive.

According to police, the driver of the car and a passenger in the pickup only suffered minor injuries.

The accident led to the northbound lanes of Bangerter Highway remaining closed throughout Monday night into Tuesday morning.

Police say that the crash remains under investigation.

If you, or someone you know, have been injured in a serious auto accident involving a bicycle,  please call the at Hirschi Steele & Baer, PLLC at 801-990-0500 or contact us online today. We have the experience and expertise needed to help you get the compensation you deserve.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx has announced a new initiative to try and reduce the increasing number of injuries and fatalities to pedestrians and bicyclists.

The campaign, due to last 18 months, will begin with road safety assessments conducted by U.S. Department of Transportation field offices in every state in the country, and will then provide the resources to help communities build streets that are safer for people walking, bicycling, and taking public transportation.

Injuries and fatalities to pedestrians and those bicycling have steadily increased since 2009, at a faster rate higher than motor vehicle fatalities.  From 2011 to 2012, pedestrian deaths rose by 6 percent and bicyclist fatalities went up by almost 7 percent.

Secretary Foxx said that the initiative was aimed at reversing the trend of increasing deaths and injuries among those who bicycle or walk to work.

The new initiative will look to introduce safer routes for pedestrians and cyclist and educate them on how to make safer travel choices. It will also use current road crash avoidance technologies which can alert auto drivers to the presence of bicyclists and pedestrians.

If you, or someone you know, have been injured in a serious auto accident involving a bicycle,  please call the at Hirschi Steele & Baer, PLLC at 801-990-0500 or contact us online today. We have the experience and expertise needed to help you get the compensation you deserve.

There was a rollover accident on Friday on Interstate 15 south of Blackfoot which left a California woman seriously injured and receiving treatment at a Salt Lake City hospital.

Mengxi Zhang, aged 21 was in a 2013 Chevy Traverse being driven by Kai-En Yap, 29, of Ann Arbor, Michigan, at the time of the wreck. According to State police, Yap approached slow moving northbound traffic on Interstate 15 and then abruptly moved from the right lane to the left lane. He overcorrected and rolled his vehicle, coming to rest in the right northbound lane.

Yap was not hospitalized following the wreck but Zhang was transported via ground ambulance to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls for treatment of serious injuries. She was then airlifted to the University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City. So far there have been no updates on her condition.

If you, or someone you know, have been injured in a serious auto accident,  please call the at Hirschi Steele & Baer, PLLC at 801-990-0500 or contact us online today. We have the experience and expertise needed to help you get the compensation you deserve.