Maring Williams Law Office, P.C. - 1661 Capitol Way, Suite 103 LL, Bismarck, ND 58501

Man From Williston Killed in Traffic Accident

February 28, 2016 By

On Friday, February 5, a man from Williston was killed in a traffic accident near Alexander.

According to the North Dakota Highway Patrol, the accident happened when a GMC Sierra pickup truck was heading north on U.S. Highway 85 about 18 miles north of Alexander just before 8 a.m. The roads were icy and 28 year old Forkpa Woniewala, a resident of Williston but originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was driving a 2001 GMC Jimmy when he lost control, the vehicle rotated and crossed into the northbound lanes, where it was hit on the passenger side by the Sierra. Woniewala died at the scene of the crash and neither of the two men in the pickup was injured.

The North Dakota Highway Patrol says that the crash remains under investigation.

If you have been injured in an auto accident please call the Bismarck accident attorneys of Maring Williams Law Office, P.C. at (800) 492-5297 or contact us online today to schedule your free initial consultation.

Filed Under: auto accident

Safety Tips For Driving Alone

January 30, 2016 By

Many people are used to driving alone, but there can be more risks so take note of these special tips to ensure you reach your destination safely.

The first thing to bear in mind is that potential attackers look for people who are vulnerable and if someone is alone in the car it does make them more vulnerable. When you walk to your car, make sure that your keys are in your hand but keep them in a fist with the key pointing out between your thumb and forefinger. This way if someone does try to attack then, you do have some sort of weapon.

When you leave your car, put the passenger seat forward which will allows you to see if anyone is in the back seat when you return to the car. In addition, before you get into the car, walk around it and check for obvious problems such as an open trunk or a flat tire.

If you have been injured in an auto accident please call the Bismarck accident attorneys of Maring Williams Law Office, P.C. at (800) 492-5297 or contact us online today to schedule your free initial consultation.

Filed Under: Driver safety

Single Vehicle Accident in Big Stone County

December 29, 2015 By

On Wednesday afternoon, December 2, 2015 three people were involved in an single vehicle accident after the car they were travelling in hit an icy patch on U.S. Highway 12 in Big Stone County,

Authorities have stated that the incident happened at approximately 12.30 p.m. when 29 year old Tausha Rogers, of Clinton was driving a 1998 Pontiac transport van Westbound on Highway 12. She then hit an icy spot causing her to lose control of the vehicle. The vehicle careered into a ditch and rolled over. The force of the impact caused Rogers to be ejected from the vehicle. She was not wearing a seat belt.

One passenger, 46 year old Angela Doren of Clinton who was wearing a seat belt, was transported to the Big Stone Hospital in Ortonville suffering from minor injuries. Roger’s daughter, Arhlyn Cousineau, aged 2, who was also in the vehicle escaped injury. Rogers was airlifted to Sanford Hospital in Fargo with serious injuries.

Police are continuing their investigations in to the accident.

If you have been injured in an auto accident please call the Bismarck accident attorneys of Maring Williams Law Office, P.C. at (800) 492-5297 or contact us online today to schedule your free initial consultation.

Filed Under: auto accident

Winter Arrives in North Dakota with a Lack of Winter Driving Skills

November 27, 2015 By

In mid November in North Dakota people were trying to remember their winter driving skills as the rain fell and the temperatures dipped below zero.

On top of the rain and the icy roads, snow and sleet fell and accompanied by heavy winds the drivers were having a hard time staying in their lanes.

All of the patrol officers were attending accidents nonstop and on Thursday, November 19 there were 23 accidents within the city limits of Grand Forks with the collisions increasing as the day went on. Things improved a little as the sanding crews went through the intersections.

Luckily most of the accidents were fender benders and there were no major injuries but even a minor accident can lead to thousands of dollars of expense and a great deal of inconvenience. Hence the need for everyone to brush up on their winter driving skills.

If you have been injured in an auto accident please call the Bismarck accident attorneys of Maring Williams Law Office, P.C. at (800) 492-5297 or contact us online today to schedule your free initial consultation.

Filed Under: road safety

How to Be Safe With Airbags

October 29, 2015 By

Airbags are known for helping to lessen the number of fatalities in vehicle collisions, but there are also concerns about their safety.

They work by combining an igniter and a solid propellant which works a little like a rocket booster to make the bag burst out from where it is stored at speeds up to 200 mph, and then seconds later the gas in the bag goes out from tiny holes in the material so that the person in the vehicle can move.

However, since they have been fitted, experts have always said that they must be used together with seat belts as air bags only work in front end crashes at speeds of more than 10 mph and unless there are side airbags fitted, seat belts are needed for rear and side collisions.

In addition, the force with which an airbag deploys can hurt those who are too close, and drivers or passengers need to be at least 10 inches away. In the case of a steering wheel mounted airbag, the driver should measure the distance from the middle of the steering wheel to the breast bone and if not far enough away, then the driving position should be adjusted. The seat should be moved backwards but still so that the pedals can be easily reached and then reclined to achieve the appropriate distance from the steering wheel.

When it comes to children, those aged 12 and under should be in the right car seat for their age in the rear seat. Babies under a year old and less than 20 pounds in weight must never ride in a rear facing child seat with an air bag as it can be fatal if it deploys.

If you have been injured in an auto accident please call the Bismarck accident attorneys of Maring Williams Law Office, P.C. at (800) 492-5297 or contact us online today to schedule your free initial consultation.

Filed Under: Driver safety

Truck Drivers Tested for Sleep Apnea

September 29, 2015 By

Joey Romero, aged 26, who works for Fargo Cargo, went for his required annual physical as a truck driver and he was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea, a condition in which breathing stops and starts while sleeping and causes drowsiness the next day.

He had to spend $2,500 to undergo an expensive sleep study and was told to purchase an AutoPAP machine that was supposed to regulate his breathing, but Romero said that it made no difference.

And Romero is not alone, as many local truck drivers have had to have expensive sleep studies since the federal policy changed last year which affects every trucking company in the state of North Dakota.

Last year, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration established a list of doctors who are qualified to conduct physicals for truck or bus drivers after taking an online course.

However, many recommend the sleep apnea tests based solely on the driver’s neck size with different doctors saying the cut off is 16, 17 or 18 inches. Romero was recommended for a study after his neck was measured at 18.5 inches. Some think that many clinics are just trying to make additional money and local trucking companies are outraged with up to 20% of their drivers having to take the test and very few have actually been diagnosed with sleep apnea.

Obviously if a driver does have sleep apnea it can be dangerous to themselves and others on the road but Romero maintains he feels exactly the same whether he uses the machine or not and in addition, given that the mask is uncomfortable, when people first start using it they actually get less sleep as it take a while to get used to.

If you have been injured in an auto accident please call the Bismarck accident attorneys of Maring Williams Law Office, P.C. at (800) 492-5297 or contact us online today to schedule your free initial consultation.

Filed Under: road safety

Toddler was Killed in North Fargo

August 24, 2015 By

On Sunday afternoon, August 2, a young toddler was killed in north Fargo.

According to police, the accident happened around 12.30 p.m. in an alley behind the child’s home near the 1100 Block of 18th Street North.

The child was 20 month old Easton H. Schlicht and he appears to have been hit by a Cadillac Escalade SUV being driven by his 28 year old father, Kyle R. Schlicht. The boy died from head injuries shortly after he was hit but police were waiting for the results of an autopsy for confirmation.

Although the driver was alone in the vehicle at the time of the incident, the child’s mother and some other relatives were in the home, when the vehicle hit the boy at low speed. It is not known whether the SUV was reversing or going forwards when it hit the toddler. In addition it is not known why the child was in the alley.

Fargo police have said that criminal charges are not expected in the case and that drugs and alcohol do not appear to be factors in the boy’s death.

The Cass County Coroner’s Office is working with Fargo Police on the investigation.

If you have been injured in an auto accident please call the Bismarck accident attorneys of Maring Williams Law Office, P.C. at (800) 492-5297 or contact us online today to schedule your free initial consultation.

Filed Under: auto accident

Man From New Rockford Killed in Accident

July 31, 2015 By

On Friday, July 3, a man from New Rockford was killed in an accident.

According to the North Dakota Highway Patrol, the accident happened in the early hours of Friday morning when 24 year old Adam Allmaras was driving a 2014 Ram pickup truck southbound on U.S. Highway 52/281. He was around three and a half miles north of Carrington and at the same time 56 year old Bernard Gorman of Adrian, N.D. was driving north on 52/281 in a 2007 International semi which was pulling an enclosed trailer.

The pickup truck then veered into the northbound lane and although Gorman tried to avoid the crash, there was a head on collision. Allmaras was declared dead at the scene and Gorman was taken to the Carrington Health Center and from there on to Fargo for treatment of his injuries.

The highway was closed for two hours and the crash remains under investigation by the North Dakota Highway Patrol.

If you have been injured in an auto accident please call the Bismarck accident attorneys of Maring Williams Law Office, P.C. at (800) 492-5297 or contact us online today to schedule your free initial consultation.

Filed Under: auto accident

Fargo Brothers Were Killed in a Rollover Crash

June 30, 2015 By

On Tuesday, June 23, two brothers were killed in a rollover crash on Interstate 94.

According to the police, the accident happened on Interstate 94 near Fergus Falls, Minnesota when the brothers were on their way to a basketball camp in Wisconsin along with two other Moorhead Park Christian students.

Authorities think that 18 year old Zach Kvakvog was driving the pickup eastbound when he hit the shoulder on the north side of the road, overcorrected to the right and rolled into the median, killing both himself and his 14 year old brother Connor. The other two boys were Jimmy Morton from Mississippi who was taken to Sanford Health with a head injury and Mark Schwandt from Moorhead who was taken to Lake Region Healthcare in Fergus Falls.

However, the Minnesota State Patrol are asking for help in finding a semi trailer which was apparently very close to the pickup and may have been involved in the accident.

The funeral for the boys was held on June 29, and the survivors of the accident attended in wheelchairs.

If you have been injured in an auto accident please call the Bismarck accident attorneys of Maring Williams Law Office, P.C. at (800) 492-5297 or contact us online today to schedule your free initial consultation.

Filed Under: auto accident

Fargo Man Died in Tractor Trailer Accident

May 29, 2015 By

Early on Monday evening, May 4, a Fargo man died in a tractor trailer accident on U.S. Highway 2.

According to the North Dakota Highway Patrol, the accident happened shortly before 6 p.m. about two and a half miles east of Niagara in western Grand Forks County. The driver, 45 year old Christopher Thorseth from Fargo, was taking a load of cement bags from Fargo to Williston. He was driving west on U.S. Highway 2, when, for reasons as yet unknown, his 2007 International semi drifted into the median. He tried to turn the truck back onto the road but the vehicle rolled over and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

His name was not released immediately until his family had been informed, and the crash is still under investigation by the Highway Patrol.

If you have been injured in an auto accident please call the Bismarck accident attorneys of Maring Williams Law Office, P.C. at (800) 492-5297 or contact us online today to schedule your free initial consultation.

Filed Under: Truck accident
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