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	<title>PInow.com Investigation News &#187; Accident / Reconstruction</title>
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	<description>Welcome to the PInow.com news and events page. Here you will find all sorts of information related to Private Investigations, what's going on in the industry and the events for all private investigator professionals.</description>
	<pubDate>Thu, 18 Mar 2010 21:12:13 +0000</pubDate>
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		<title>Family Hires PI to Clear Woman’s Name</title>
		<link>http://www.pinow.com/news/2009/08/20/family-hires-pi-to-clear-woman%e2%80%99s-name/</link>
		<comments>http://www.pinow.com/news/2009/08/20/family-hires-pi-to-clear-woman%e2%80%99s-name/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 2009 17:13:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>PInow.com Staff</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Accident / Reconstruction]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Criminal]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[News for PIs]]></category>

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		<category><![CDATA[Wrongful Death]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[LONG ISLAND, NY – Diane Schuler was in a tragic car accident that killed four children and four adults. Official police investigators concluded that she was drinking and driving at the time of the crash, but her family has insisted that an illness may have caused the accident. To clear her name, the family has [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>LONG ISLAND, NY – Diane Schuler was in a tragic car accident that killed four children and four adults. Official police investigators concluded that she was drinking and driving at the time of the crash, but her family has insisted that an illness may have caused the accident. To clear her name, the family has hired private investigator and PInow.com Advertiser Tom Ruskin. The PI has found a store clerk who spoke to Diane Schuler shortly before the accident.   At that point, Schuler seemed lucid and sober but was buying pain medication.</p>
<p><span id="more-1833"></span>To read more, <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/08/14/2009-08-14_she_stopped_for_pain_med_says_taconic_mom_lawyer.html">click here</a>. </p>
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		<title>PIs Look Into Explosion Case</title>
		<link>http://www.pinow.com/news/2008/06/26/pis-look-into-explosion-case/</link>
		<comments>http://www.pinow.com/news/2008/06/26/pis-look-into-explosion-case/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:35:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>PInow.com Staff</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Accident / Reconstruction]]></category>

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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pinow.com/news/?p=1286</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A team of private investigators converged Monday at the site of a home destroyed in an apparent natural gas explosion.
Last Thursday’s blast at 410 Wellingford Street, near West Sugar Creek Road and North Tryon, killed 4-month-old Synora Coleman and injured her parents.

Two men were seen Monday morning carrying a gas-fired water heater from the pile [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A team of private investigators converged Monday at the site of a home destroyed in an apparent natural gas explosion.</p>
<p>Last Thursday’s blast at 410 Wellingford Street, near West Sugar Creek Road and North Tryon, killed 4-month-old Synora Coleman and injured her parents.<br />
<span id="more-1286"></span><br />
Two men were seen Monday morning carrying a gas-fired water heater from the pile of furniture, wood and drywall where the home once stood.</p>
<p>A man wearing coveralls with the logo of Raleigh-based Accident Reconstruction Analysis, Inc., declined to say why the private investigators were examining the debris.</p>
<p>A Web site for the company says its employees are hired by major appliance manufacturers, attorneys and other clients to examine accidents.</p>
<p>The Web site says the company and its employees have been involved in several high-profile cases, including the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion and the collapse of the pedestrian bridge at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.</p>
<p>Fire investigators have not said what caused the explosion, but they have said it was fueled by natural gas.</p>
<p>A news conference that had been tentatively scheduled for Monday afternoon was postponed.</p>
<p>Charlotte Fire Department Spokesman Capt. Mark Basnight said authorities believe they have pinpointed a cause for the blast, but investigators still wanted to conduct additional interviews before releasing their preliminary findings.</p>
<p>Basnight could not say if investigators have interviewed the two adults who were in the home at the time of the explosion.</p>
<p>Courtney Chambers was listed in good condition Monday afternoon at Carolinas Medical Center.</p>
<p>Her boyfriend, Syl’Myles Demecio Coleman, 25, remained in critical condition at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.</p>
<p>Coleman’s uncle, Elbert Coleman, said doctors told the family his nephew would likely remain hospitalized for two months.</p>
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		<title>Private Investigation Ordered of Interstate 35W Bridge Collapse</title>
		<link>http://www.pinow.com/news/2007/08/09/private-investigation-ordered-of-interstate-35w-bridge-collapse/</link>
		<comments>http://www.pinow.com/news/2007/08/09/private-investigation-ordered-of-interstate-35w-bridge-collapse/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 09 Aug 2007 21:56:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>PInow Staff</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Accident / Reconstruction]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[News for PIs]]></category>

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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pinow.com/news/2007/08/09/private-investigation-ordered-of-interstate-35w-bridge-collapse/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[An outside firm will be hired to conduct a separate investigation into the collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge, the busiest bridge in the state.
Gov. Tim Pawlenty said that although he has faith in the investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board, he wanted a parallel investigation. A forensic engineering firm, Wiss, Janney and Elstner, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span id="default"><span id="print">An outside firm will be hired to conduct a separate investigation into the collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge, the busiest bridge in the state.</span></span></p>
<p>Gov. Tim Pawlenty said that although he has faith in the investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board, he wanted a parallel investigation. A forensic engineering firm, Wiss, Janney and Elstner, will lead the investigation.</p>
<p><span id="more-844"></span></p>
<p>&#8220;We want redundancy,&#8221; Pawlenty said, at an afternoon press conference.</p>
<p>Pawlenty also said the Minnesota Department of Transportation will hire an outside firm to evaluate its inspection practices and conduct emergency inspections of three similar bridges: trunk Highway 23 in St. Cloud, trunk Highway 123 in Sandstone and trunk highway 243 is Osceola/St. Croix.</p>
<p>The 35W bridge was the busiest bridge in the state, with 141,000 cars traveling on it every day.</p>
<p>Dan Dorgan, bridge engineer for MnDOT, said the bridge has been inspected yearly since 1993. In 1999, it was classified as &#8220;structurally deficient.&#8221;</p>
<p>That didn&#8217;t mean it wasn&#8217;t safe to use, Dorgan said.</p>
<p>Inspections in 2005 and 2006 inspections found no evidence of additional cracking or growth of existing cracks.</p>
<p>&#8220;For those reasons, we considered the bridge fit for service,&#8221; Dorgan said.</p>
<p>Looking ahead to 2020, the long-term plan was to replace or redeck the bridge.</p>
<p>An outside study suggested two alternatives: 1) add steel plates or 2) do a thorough inspection of the wells. MnDOT decided to go the inspection route, which began in May.</p>
<p>The inspection was partially finished and was expected to be done in the fall. It had found no evidence of additional cracking or growth of existing cracks.</p>
<p>Recovery efforts at the site of Interstate 35W bridge collapse continue at full throttle today, but dive teams were pulled from their work less an hour after entering the water due to debris and fast-moving currents.</p>
<p>Earlier, Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Nolan said the recovery of wreckage from the river and the surrounding banks would be slow.</p>
<p>&#8220;We&#8217;re dealing with the Mississippi River. We&#8217;re dealing with currents,&#8221; Dolan said. &#8220;We&#8217;re going to have to do that slowly and safely.&#8221;</p>
<p>Late Wednesday, seven people were reported dead, 20 were missing and more than 60 were injured, authorities said. This morning officials lowered the number dead to four, but they expect the death toll to rise as the search effort turns to recovery today.</p>
<p>People pinned and dying in the wreckage of the 35W bridge Tuesday night asked rescue workers to say their goodbyes to their families, Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan said Thursday morning.</p>
<p>&#8220;There&#8217;s people pinned, severely injured. We couldn&#8217;t move them. It was an obviously dangerous situation with stuff still falling.&#8221; Dolan said. &#8220;The decision was made to leave them.&#8221;</p>
<p>Dolan said number vehicles remain in the river this morning.</p>
<p>&#8220;We have all the license plate numbers of cars we can see,&#8221; Dolan said, adding that divers would try to collect that information from submerged cars.</p>
<p>The Coast Guard has closed the Mississippi River for five miles both upstream and downstream from the site.</p>
<p>Near the collapse site, more than a dozen recovery workers including divers from a variety of agencies gathered around for a briefing early this morning.</p>
<p>A Coast Guard boat patrolled the river. The Army Corps of Engineers is analyzing the remaining bridge structure to see if it&#8217;s safe for divers descend on the wreckage, according to sources near the collapse site. Dolan said the corps has surveillance footage of the actual bridge collapse.</p>
<p>Recovery boats continued this morning to survey the wreckage. Divers were expected to soon enter the water, sheriff officials said just before noon. Dolan said crews were first plotting the location of the submerged vehicles.</p>
<p>Crews are taking some kind of sonar reading to get a sense of what structure remains underwater, a rescue worker said.</p>
<p>Dolan estimated the river depth at 7 to 8 feet at the collapse site at a press conference.</p>
<p>There are at least a dozen vehicles visible in the water, with some totally submerged and others seen sticking out of the river, said Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek.</p>
<p>Authorities have tried to regulate the flow of water through the nearby loch, but Stanek said the currents are strong and unpredictable because of the structure in the water.</p>
<p>Authorities are still trying to sort out the number of missing. Dolan said they&#8217;re using estimates of the number of vehicles on the bridge at the time of the collapse, information from families, number of injured and license plate number.</p>
<p>&#8220;We are estimating 20 to 30 people who could be unaccounted for,&#8221; Dolan said.</p>
<p>The bridge spanning the Mississippi River collapsed around 6:05 p.m. Tuesday near the height of rush hour traffic. Portions of the massive bridge plummeted 64 feet.</p>
<p>Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, Gov. Tim Pawlenty, state and federal authorities descended on the collapse site today. They are touring the disaster site this morning with officials from several federal agencies.</p>
<p>&#8220;The recovery efforts are going forward,&#8221; Rybak said. &#8220;The longer, more important work is going to be giving support to family and loved ones.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;We had just a horrific, awful situation,&#8221; Pawlenty said.</p>
<p>The 64-foot-high bridge was undergoing maintenance and had a Minnesota Department of Transportation crew on it when the collapse occurred shortly after 6 p.m., authorities said. It was unclear Wednesday night the full number of cars or people affected by the collapse.</p>
<p>A school bus also was on the bridge at the time it fell, according to officials. Sixty children were taken from the bus. Up to 10 were transported to area hospitals.</p>
<p>Aerial shots showed the entire span of I-35W had crumpled into the river below. Some of the injured were carried up the riverbank, while emergency workers and volunteers tended to others on the ground. A BNSF train was on the tracks below the bridge and hit by pieces.</p>
<p>It was unclear Wednesday night the total number of cars or motorists involved in the collapse.</p>
<p>&#8220;Obviously, this is a catastrophe of historic proportions for Minnesota,&#8221; Gov. Tim Pawlenty said.</p>
<p>While authorities didn&#8217;t rule out any cause Wednesday, they indicated structural failure as the likely cause. Federal transportation officials are expected to arrive today to investigate.</p>
<p>Contradictory reports surfaced Wednesday about the bridge&#8217;s inspection history.</p>
<p>Inspectors in June 2005 reported the bridge might be in need of replacement, according to data from the Federal Highway Administration.</p>
<p>Pawlenty said the bridge&#8217;s three spans were inspected in 2005 and 2006, and no structural deficiencies were found. The bridge deck was scheduled to be replaced in 2020 at the earliest, the governor said.</p>
<p>Contractors were doing concrete, lighting, guardrails and joint repair work on the bridge Wednesday. All but one contractor had been accounted for as of 9 p.m.</p>
<p>The heavily traveled bridge gave way at 6:05 p.m., dumping at least 50 vehicles into the water and onto the river&#8217;s banks, 64 feet below.</p>
<p>Travelers included daily commuters, fans heading to a Minnesota Twins baseball game at the Metrodome and a bus carrying kids returning from a field trip.</p>
<p>The scene just east of downtown Minneapolis defied belief.</p>
<p>Cars lay smashed amid jutting concrete and steel or submerged in the river as rescue workers and volunteers raced to pull people from the wreckage. Black columns of smoke rose from a burning tractor-trailer rig wedged under a collapsed section of concrete.</p>
<p>Ryan Hagness, 23-year-old University of Minnesota student, heard the collapse. He and five other students rent a house on University Avenue that directly overlooks 35W. He was home at the time of the collapse.</p>
<p>&#8221; I felt it. The whole house shook,&#8221; Hagness said. &#8220;I went out and I got an idea of what happened. I am still a little in disbelief. The bridge isn&#8217;t there any more. It&#8217;s kind of a scary feeling.&#8221;</p>
<p>The media is now camped out on Hagness&#8217;s front lawn with TV trucks parked in the driveway.</p>
<p>Janet Stately, of Minneapolis, was driving southbound on I-35W from Duluth with her daughter, Brianne. Stately said she exited onto University Avenue just before reaching the bridge. On the overpass, she heard the cracking of the structure and saw smoke rising from below.</p>
<p>&#8220;I was driving the car, and I screamed when I heard it crack,&#8221; Stately said. &#8220;It&#8217;s like it went in slow motion. I heard the crack and I saw the cars going straight in. There was not a space between the cars on that bridge. I tried to tell people on the road if you can swim get down there and help.&#8221;</p>
<p>Bicyclists rode down to the scene, Stately said. Motorists were honking their horns.</p>
<p>&#8220;I just saw concrete dust and I don&#8217;t know if it was water flying up in the air,&#8221; Stately said. &#8220;And the noise, I don&#8217;t even know how to describe it to you.&#8221;</p>
<p>Stately broke into tears thinking about a school bus with children driving next to her on I-35W before she exited.</p>
<p>&#8220;I kept screaming, &#8216;There&#8217;s kids on that bus!&#8217; &#8221; she said. &#8220;I just said, &#8216;That bus is going to go in.&#8217; I hope those kids are OK.&#8221;</p>
<p>According to officials, 60 children were taken from the bus, which did not land in the river. Up to 10 were transported to area hospitals.</p>
<p>&#8220;It sounded like a huge rumble, like two big airplanes were flying overhead at the same time,&#8221; said Kathleen Joseph, who lives on the top floor of the Riverview Tower and has a bird&#8217;s-eye view of the bridge.</p>
<p>Michael Vechell, 25, of Minneapolis, was traveling along I-35W heading into Minneapolis when traffic came to a dead stop.</p>
<p>&#8220;There was a huge dust cloud moving to us,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>When he saw what was happening, he went to help get people out of their cars and later, with others, helped carry injured people to ambulance. He described seeing cars in the river with huge cement slabs on them.</p>
<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s pretty sad, man,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>Officials dismissed the notion that the disaster was anything other than an accident.</p>
<p>&#8220;It is not likely that this was a terrorist incident,&#8221; Pawlenty said.</p>
<p>Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff issued a statement late Wednesday saying there was no indication of terrorism.</p>
<p>The steel arch truss bridge was built in 1967 and stretched 1,900 feet, including a 458-foot main span across the river.</p>
<p>Eighteen workers from Progressive Contractors Inc. of St. Michael, Minn., had been repairing the eight-lane bridge&#8217;s surface as part of improvements along that stretch of the interstate. Two lanes were closed in each direction.</p>
<p>As of 8 p.m., one worker was unaccounted for and three injured, said Tom Sloan, head of the firm&#8217;s bridge division.</p>
<p>PCI workers rolled down the bridge as it collapsed. At least one worker fell into the water and managed to swim to the surface.</p>
<p>&#8220;What my workers went through and witnessed is incomprehensible,&#8221; Sloan said.</p>
<p>Sloan said there was at least one Minnesota Department of Transportation official at the scene inspecting their work when the bridge collapsed.</p>
<p>PCI officials said they could think of no reason why their work would have caused the bridge to collapse, said David Lillehaug, the company&#8217;s attorney.</p>
<p>The survivors, pulled from crushed cars and carried from the river, were taken away by emergency personnel and volunteers, loaded on backboards and in the back of pickup trucks.</p>
<p>There were scenes of people rushing to the bridge to help. Crews from area police and fire departments gave them grateful taps on the back.</p>
<p>A few were helping unload the injured from rescue boats. One group, from the Maranatha Christian Fellowship Church, set up water coolers to provide ice water to anyone who would need it.</p>
<p>&#8220;We&#8217;re out here because we think that&#8217;s what Jesus would do,&#8221; said John Gill.</p>
<p>Jay Reeves was no more than 150 yards from the bridge on West River Parkway when it collapsed. Reeves, the public safety director of the American Red Cross Twin Cities chapter was driving home from work on West River Parkway. He was heading west and about to drive under the bridge.</p>
<p>&#8220;It basically collapsed right in front of me,&#8221; Reeves said. &#8221; I thought, &#8216;This isn&#8217;t happening because this doesn&#8217;t happen,&#8217; &#8221;</p>
<p>He described seeing green metal from the trusses of the bridge and a plume of rust-colored dust. When he got out of his car, he heard kids screaming.</p>
<p>He helped children get off a bus that was on the bridge at the time of the collapse.</p>
<p>&#8220;I whistled as loud as I could,&#8221; Reeve said. &#8220;I said, &#8216;if you can hear me and you can walk, get out.&#8217; &#8221;</p>
<p>Reeve said he heard the bridge groaning. He didn&#8217;t know what would happen and he feared for good Samaritans running toward the bridge. He was trying to move people away from the bridge.</p>
<p>&#8220;Good intentions, but you&#8217;ve got to get away. Move way,&#8221; Reeves recounted.</p>
<p>A Twins game against the Kansas City Royals went on after the collapse.</p>
<p>With rescuers rushing to the collapsed freeway bridge just four blocks from the Metrodome, &#8220;the last thing those first responders needed was an audience,&#8221; Twins president Dave St. Peter said.</p>
<p>Today&#8217;s game, however, won&#8217;t be played until the Royals return to Minneapolis in a month. After consulting with the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, St. Peter said, the team postponed the finale of the four-game series.</p>
<p>No decision has been made about this weekend&#8217;s four-game series with Cleveland.</p>
<p>St. Peter said all of the team&#8217;s front-office employees and the players&#8217; families had been accounted for. But he acknowledged that the bridge was likely carrying several carloads of fans headed for the baseball game, and he said there were concerns that some concession employees may have been involved.</p>
<p>&#8220;Certainly there were Twins fans impacted by this,&#8221; St. Peter said. &#8220;Yeah, it&#8217;s a tough night to play baseball.&#8221;</p>
<p>Groundbreaking ceremonies at the site of the Twins&#8217; new stadium, planned for Thursday afternoon, have also been postponed.</p>
<p>In response to the disaster, Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor canceled tonight&#8217;s scheduled news conference, which had been called to introduce players acquired in Tuesday&#8217;s trade of Kevin Garnett to the Boston Celtics.</p>
<p>Taylor&#8217;s eyes welled up as he met with the media at Target Center not long after the bridge collapse. He said his granddaughter was near the scene but was safe. Taylor didn&#8217;t elaborate.</p>
<p>Following the collapse, the pedestrian bridge to the south of the accident filled with bicyclists, inline skaters and pedestrians - many of them students at the University of Minnesota.</p>
<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s weird. It&#8217;s not comprehensible,&#8221; said Tessa Gudmestad, 20, of Minneapolis. The University of Minnesota student said that she instinctively called her mother when she saw the aftermath of the collapse.</p>
<p>The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis planned two prayer services today at noon for the victims, survivors and families of the bridge disaster, at St. Olaf Catholic Church in Minneapolis and the Cathedral of St. Paul.</p>
<p>Steve Treichler, senior pastor at Hope Community Church in downtown Minneapolis, showed up at the Holiday Inn Metrodome to help survivors.</p>
<p>The pastor said that more than a dozen other spiritual leaders had shown up to lend an ear.</p>
<p>&#8220;Mostly, you just listen. &#8230; We live in a world that&#8217;s not perfect,&#8221; he said. &#8220;They&#8217;re asking &#8216;Why me?&#8217; &#8221;</p>
<p>The landmark bells of the Minneapolis City Hall and Hennepin County Courthouse will ring from noon to 1 p.m. Friday in remembrance of the casualties of the collapse.</p>
<p>The last major bridge collapse in the Twin Cities happened on April 24, 1990, when the Lake Street-Marshall Avenue bridge between Minneapolis and St. Paul. One person died in the collapse.</p>
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		<title>Investigation earns officer 15 minutes of fame</title>
		<link>http://www.pinow.com/news/2007/03/29/investigation-earns-officer-15-minutes-of-fame/</link>
		<comments>http://www.pinow.com/news/2007/03/29/investigation-earns-officer-15-minutes-of-fame/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Mar 2007 21:51:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>PInow.com Staff</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Accident / Reconstruction]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[PIs in the News]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[A cable television network this weekend will feature the work of a Duluth police officer whose investigation helped determine who was driving a vehicle that crashed and killed a 28-year-old woman.
Duluth traffic investigator Tom Stolee will portray himself, with actors playing other roles in an episode titled &#8220;Mystery Driver&#8221; on the Discovery Health Channel&#8217;s (cable [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>A cable television network this weekend will feature the work of a Duluth police officer whose investigation helped determine who was driving a vehicle that crashed and killed a 28-year-old woman.</strong></p>
<p>Duluth traffic investigator Tom Stolee will portray himself, with actors playing other roles in an episode titled &#8220;Mystery Driver&#8221; on the Discovery Health Channel&#8217;s (cable Ch. 110 in Duluth) &#8220;<a href="http://www.pinow.com/investigations/accident_reconstruction/">Accident Investigator</a>&#8221; series.</p>
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		<item>
		<title>Do You Need An Accident Investigator?</title>
		<link>http://www.pinow.com/news/2006/12/20/do-you-need-an-accident-investigator/</link>
		<comments>http://www.pinow.com/news/2006/12/20/do-you-need-an-accident-investigator/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 20 Dec 2006 22:25:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>PInow.com Staff</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Accident / Reconstruction]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[PInow.com Exclusives]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pinow.com/news/2006/12/20/do-you-need-an-accident-investigator/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[After a car accident, there are many situations that can require an accident investigator. Hiring a professional investigator in these instances can ensure justice and a fairer settlement.
In March 2006, a Seattle teenager hired a forensic investigator to prove that a Sheriff&#8217;s deputy caused a car accident for which she was blamed. While not every [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>After a car accident, there are many situations that can require an accident investigator. Hiring a professional investigator in these instances can ensure justice and a fairer settlement.</strong></p>
<p>In March 2006, a Seattle teenager hired a <a href="http://www.pinow.com/investigations/forensic_investigations/">forensic investigator</a> to prove that a Sheriff&#8217;s deputy caused a car accident for which she was blamed. While not every car accident victim hires an accident investigator to prove their case, many victims could empathize with the teen. The deputy had a long record of disciplinary problems but the Sheriff&#8217;s office refused the teens version of events - a version supported by many witnesses - and refused to conduct an internal investigation of the problem.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, car accidents claim more than 40,000 lives in the U.S. each year. In 2003 alone, more than 2.9 million injuries were reportedly caused by car accidents. Even though many states have passed “no fault” laws that try to keep the amount of lengthy lawsuits to a minimum, many car accidents do eventually end up in court. Partly, this stems from the fact that many car accident – up to 90%, according to some statistics – are caused by driver negligence and so are not really “accidents” at all.</p>
<p><span id="more-317"></span> Many people see an attorney when they are involved in an accident that leads to loss of life or personal injury, but there are instances when hiring an investigator as well as an attorney makes sense:</p>
<ol>
<li>If evidence from the attorney is unsatisfactory. Most legal professionals and insurance companies hire their own investigators. However, some victims may be unsatisfied with the evidence an attorney’s investigator comes up with. If what the victim knows about an accident differs from the official findings about the accident, hiring an investigator ensures that the victim remains in control of the investigation and gets the answers they need.</li>
<li>If the accident is expected to result in a large settlement. If the victim requires a settlement in order to pay for medical expenses, time lost at work, damage, or other expenses that insurance will not cover, hiring an investigator helps ensure that the victim has the evidence in hand in order to get a fair settlement.</li>
<li>The accident involves someone in an important position. As with the Seattle teenager, accidents sometimes involve someone who is in power. In these cases, investigations from official sources may be slightly skewed or may be denied entirely in order to protect the important individual. Hiring an investigator helps ensure that politics or money do not affect the victim’s right to justice.</li>
<li>The victim is being sued after an accident. In these cases, an investigator may be needed in order to protect the victim’s interests. In these cases, an investigator can offer a degree of protection from inflated interest rates and from frivolous legal action.</li>
<li>The accident was caused by neglect. If the victim believes that someone has caused accidents by neglect, a private investigator can gather evidence to prove this. This can help ensure a fairer settlement and can help ensure that the same person does not cause another accident through neglect again.</li>
<li>The victim is having trouble collecting insurance for an accident. In cases where it appears that insurance companies are stalling or defrauding the victim of the money that the victim deserves, an investigator can help get the insurance payout.</li>
</ol>
<p><strong>What an investigator can do </strong></p>
<p>There are many things that an <a href="http://www.pinow.com/news/category/accident-reconstruction/">accident investigator</a> cannot do. They cannot turn back the clock and ensure that an accident does not take place. On the other hand, they can ensure that victims have the evidence they need to show what really happened in an accident. An accident investigator can reconstruct the scene of an accident and show exactly what happened, step by step. A private investigator with accident reconstruction experience can also act as an expert witness in court.</p>
<p>The PInow.com Worldwide Directory of Private Investigators can help accident victims find local investigators with experience. Plus, the PInow.com Worldwide Directory of Private Investigators offers free accident investigation resources that can help victims understand their situation so that they can make the right decisions for them.</p>
<p><strong>About PInow.com</strong><br />
PInow.com (<a href="http://www.pinow.com/">http://www.pinow.com/</a>) is a Worldwide Directory of Private Investigators that enables law firms, corporations and the general public to find investigators anywhere. PInow.com strives to be the most trusted resource on the web to locate qualified investigators. All investigators listed on PInow.com are pre-screened and must meet specific listing requirements.</p>
<p>PInow.com was developed by the team that brought you the ServeNow.com Process Servers Directory (<a href="http://www.serve-now.com/">http://www.serve-now.com/</a>).</p>
<p>Visit PInow.com to find investigators who can help with all your investigation needs.</p>
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		<title>Domestic Investigations - When There is Trouble in the Home</title>
		<link>http://www.pinow.com/news/2006/08/22/domestic-investigations-%e2%80%93-when-there-is-trouble-in-the-home/</link>
		<comments>http://www.pinow.com/news/2006/08/22/domestic-investigations-%e2%80%93-when-there-is-trouble-in-the-home/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Aug 2006 18:29:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>PInow.com Staff</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Accident / Reconstruction]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Background Checks]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Cheating / Infidelity]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Child Custody]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Missing Persons]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Surveillance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pinow.com/news/2006/08/22/domestic-investigations-%e2%80%93-when-there-is-trouble-in-the-home/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Domestic investigations are one of the most common reasons private investigators are hired, and they can give you the results you need to get real peace of mind.
According to statistics, private investigators spend the majority of their time working on domestic investigations. Despite this fact, investigators report that clients coming to them for help with [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Domestic investigations are one of the most common reasons private investigators are hired, and they can give you the results you need to get real peace of mind.</strong></p>
<p>According to statistics, private investigators spend the majority of their time working on domestic investigations. Despite this fact, investigators report that clients coming to them for help with domestic matters often are reluctant or are embarrassed to share personal problems. The truth is that there is no reason to be shy about seeking out a <a href="http://www.pinow.com/investigations/domestic/">domestic investigator</a>. Not only are many investigators very experienced in this type of case, but the results from domestic investigations can dramatically improve your life.  Consider the types of investigations that can help you:</p>
<p><span id="more-177"></span></p>
<p><strong>Infidelity and Divorce</strong><br />
Divorce investigations and infidelity investigations can help you determine whether your spouse or partner is unfaithful.  With more than 85% of women, and 80% of men correct in their suspicions about their partner’s unfaithfulness, the truth is that if you have a sneaking suspicion, you may be right, and an investigator can tell you for sure.  Rest assured that private investigators are very discreet about trailing unfaithful spouses.  They can even provide you with visual or audio evidence if that is what you need to put your</p>
<p>mind at ease.  Private investigators deal with hundreds of these cases each year and can help you find out what you need to know.</p>
<p><strong>Child Custody Investigations</strong><br />
Child custody and child support investigations help to keep your child safe and well-cared for. Investigators can run asset searches and missing persons searches in order to obtain the child support you have been awarded by a court.  With the Department of Health and Human Services reporting that more than 46% of non-custodial mothers and more than 26% of non-custodial fathers totally default on support, these services are very common across the country today. Child custody investigations also can help ensure that the non-custodial parent does not neglect or abuse the child while they are in their care.  This is a critical when you consider that since between 1976 and 1997, 11,000 children were murdered and thousands more were injured by parents or caregivers, according to the Present Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics.</p>
<p><strong>Background Checks and Criminal Investigations</strong><br />
Background and <a href="http://www.pinow.com/news/2006/08/02/criminal-investigations-is-television-affecting-how-you-see-crime/">criminal investigations</a> allow you to research those you trust in your home.  According to statistics, 14% of child abuse cases involve a baby-sitter, nanny or other caregiver. With up to 10% of the American population having a criminal background, running criminal and background checks on anyone you trust inside your home just makes sense. Only an investigator can run these sorts of checks thoroughly, accurately, and with every concern for discretion.</p>
<p><strong>Missing Persons Investigations</strong><br />
Missing persons investigations can help you find deadbeat parents, children, and other members of your family who have disappeared.  Over 2300 Americans are reported missing each day under various circumstances, so that private investigators hear about many types of cases.</p>
<p><strong>Surveillance and Home Security </strong><br />
Surveillance cameras and services can improve your home’s security, according to some case studies.  You can work with <a href="http://www.pinow.com/news/2006/10/12/what-can-private-eyes-do-when-watching-you/">private investigators</a> to work out a good balance between your security and your privacy so that you can feel completely comfortable and safe.</p>
<p><strong>Paternity Testing</strong><br />
Biological parent and child locator services help adoptive families find their biological roots.  With more the National Adoption Information Clearinghouse reporting that more than one million children in the country live with two adoptive parents, finding biological parents or children is big business. It can also be a key investigation because it can provide adopted children with needed medical family histories.</p>
<p><strong>Accident Investigation</strong><br />
Accident and abuse or incident investigation can help determine exactly what happens in a domestic incident.  With 2/3 of homes affected by domestic violence and with domestic violence being the number one cause of emergency room visits by women, according to Woman’s Rural Advocacy Programs, these investigations are very common. These investigations can provide the evidence that women need to face their attackers in court.</p>
<p><strong>Drug Abuse</strong><br />
Drug screening can help determine whether anyone in your family is abusing drugs.  According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 3.8% of minors aged 12 to 13 reported use of illegal drugs, and that percentage grows with age.  An investigator can help run a thorough and discreet investigation that gets you answers about what is happening under your own roof.</p>
<p>No matter what type of domestic investigation you need, hire the best investigator you can and work closely with them for the best possible outcome.  You can find a local investigator who can help you right now through the PInow.com Worldwide Directory of Private Investigators (<a title="http://www.pinow.com/" href="http://www.pinow.com/">http://www.pinow.com/</a>).</p>
<p><strong>About PInow.com</strong><br />
PInow.com (<a title="http://www.pinow.com/" href="http://www.pinow.com/">http://www.pinow.com/</a>) is a Worldwide Directory of Private Investigators that enables law firms, corporations and the general public to find investigators anywhere. PInow.com strives to be the most trusted resource on the web to locate qualified investigators. All investigators listed on PInow.com are pre-screened and must meet specific listing requirements.</p>
<p>PInow.com was developed by the team that brought you the ServeNow.com Process Servers Directory (<a title="http://www.serve-now.com/" href="http://www.serve-now.com/">http://www.serve-now.com/</a>).</p>
<p>Visit PInow.com to find investigators who can help with all your investigation needs.</p>
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		<item>
		<title>How to help in an accident investigation</title>
		<link>http://www.pinow.com/news/2006/06/06/how-to-help-an-accident-investigation/</link>
		<comments>http://www.pinow.com/news/2006/06/06/how-to-help-an-accident-investigation/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 06 Jun 2006 17:31:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>PInow Staff</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Accident / Reconstruction]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pinow.com/news/2006/06/06/how-to-help-an-accident-investigation/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[What to do when the worst happens
Most of us dread the idea of an accident, but whether work-related, car-related, or simply related caused by generic events, accidents occur every minute of the day.  Unfortunately, no matter how careful we are, chances are good that we will one day be affected by an accident.  [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>What to do when the worst happens</strong></p>
<p>Most of us dread the idea of an accident, but whether work-related, car-related, or simply related caused by generic events, accidents occur every minute of the day.  Unfortunately, no matter how careful we are, chances are good that we will one day be affected by an accident.  If the worst does occur, knowing what to do can help ensure that you get the compensation as well as a help you need.<span id="more-15"></span><br />
Accident investigators suggest that in case of an accident you:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Stop everything and offer help to anyone who appears to need it.</strong>  Whether you are in a work-related accident or a car accident, no matter who is at fault, the first priority is always to take care of those who may have been injured.  If someone seems to have internal injuries or is seriously injured, do not attempt to move the person.  You may lightly cover them with a blanket, but avoid jostling them, as it can cause further damage.</li>
<li><strong>Call for help right away. </strong> Today, with cell phones, calling help is often very simple.  You&#8217;ll want to contact the police as well as an ambulance right away.  Of course, you also want to wait until help arrives and you want to encourage anyone who was witness to the accident to do likewise. If there is time, call your insurance company as well.</li>
<li><strong>Exchange contact information with others at the scene.</strong>  Again, whether the accident is a personal injury, car accident, or a workplace accident, you may need witnesses or assistance during an investigation.  Witnesses can help accident investigators re-create an accident scene and can also be useful in court.  In case of a car accident, make sure that you exchange insurance information with the other driver &#8212; even if the accident only appears to be minor.</li>
<li><strong>Avoid assigning blame or becoming enraged.</strong>  Even if you feel that someone else has caused a serious accident, try to keep your cool.  Leave it up to the experts and professionals to determine exactly what happened.  At the early stages, assigning blame will not likely to you any good and may make the situation far more unpleasant than it has to be.</li>
<li><strong>Start keeping a paper trail.</strong>  Write down your impressions and memories of the accident as soon as you have a spare minute.  Keep a journal of any effects you suffer from the accident and keep your proof as well as your records in one file.  This file may be invaluable if you seek help in court.</li>
<li><strong>If you&#8217;ve been injured, no matter how slightly, be sure to visit a hospital or doctor right away.</strong>  Ask your doctor to gather evidence &#8212; including statements, photographs, x-rays, and other materials.  This can help you make a claim later on and can help prevent lawsuits against yourself.  You may need to sign a release form to ensure that your medical information is available to your investigator or your insurance company.</li>
<li>Once you been released from the hospital and are back at home, make sure that you contact your insurance company, employer, friends and family, and anyone else you need to contact let them know but the accident.  Be sure to continue to cooperate with police, law enforcement, and your insurance company to resolve the matter.  If it seems as though the situation is not being resolved to your liking, consider a lawyer or private investigator to protect your interests.  If you need evidence gathered for your insurance company or for court, a private investigator is probably your best choice.  If the evidence is clear and simply needs to be presented in court, a lawyer may be a good option.</li>
<li><strong>Hire a private investigator.</strong> If you have been injured in an accident or you fear being blamed for an accident you should look into hiring a private investigator who specializes in accident investigations and accident reconstruction. Having an independent third party who is an expert can assist in supporting your claims or defending you from unwarranted claims. PInow.com (<a target="_blank" title="Find a Private Investigator" href="http://www.pinow.com">http://www.pinow.com</a>) is an online investigator directory that can help you locate private investigators anywhere in the United States or Worldwide.</li>
</ol>
<p>Being able to keep a clear head and cool temper in the moments after an accident and in the days following can help ensure that an accident does not end up costing you excess amounts of money and stress.</p>
<p><strong>About PInow.com</strong><br />
PInow.com is a Worldwide Directory of Private Investigators that enables law firms, corporations and the general public to find investigators anywhere. PInow.com strives to be the most trusted resource on the web to locate qualified investigators. All investigators listed on PInow.com are pre-screened and must meet specific listing requirements.</p>
<p>PInow.com was developed by the team that brought you the ServeNow.com <a target="_blank" title="Find Process Servers" href="http://www.serve-now.com">Process Servers</a> Directory.</p>
<p>Visit PInow.com (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.pinow.com">http://www.pinow.com</a>)to find investigators who can help with all your investigation needs.</p>
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