Pennsylvania Injury Attorneys Blog

For three consecutive years, O’Connor Law has been honored to participate in donating to Project Cheer. Last year, Project Cheer was able to help 6 local families, including 13 children. The families were invited to a holiday celebration, including the chance to meet with Santa and Mrs. Claus. The photo above was taken at this year’s holiday party.

Project Cheer is a local project that aims to bring cheer, happiness, and assistance to families during the holiday season. Created in 2018, the project has expanded from originally helping one family to multiple families. Businesses or groups in the community can also support a family and donate items, such as gifts or holiday meals. Project Cheer accepts donations for a variety of items, including children’s toys, canned food, and monetary donations. Companies, businesses, families, and members of the community are welcome to donate to Project Cheer.

For more information about Project Cheer or to learn more about how you can help, email goprojectcheer@gmail.com or check out their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/projectcheer.

There have been recent developments in the news regarding product liability and mass tort lawsuits. Mass tort litigation cases arise when a large number of people report having injuries or illnesses from a dangerous or defective product. CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) sleep apnea machines by Phillips Respironics have been recalled after many reports of injuries. Millions of people have been affected by this dangerous product and are looking to receive compensation from their injuries and for medical expenses.

Phillips Respironics has recalled multiple products as a result of the same cause, including CPAP, BiPAP (bilevel positive airway pressure), and ventilator machines. Philips Respironics stated that the CPAP apnea machine was intended to “send a constant flow of airway pressure to your throat so that the airway stays open during sleep, which was intended to treat spontaneous pauses in breath associated with sleep apnea”. However, there have been reports of a foam deconstructing into tiny pieces or becoming a contaminated vapor that could be inhaled by users. If this were to occur, numerous and potentially severe health complications can arise.

The recall is due to a component in the machine called a polyester-based polyurethane (PE-PUR) foam. As stated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the foam was intended to reduce noise and vibrations that may come from the machine. Instead of helping and benefiting users, the foam has caused people to develop severe medical symptoms that can detrimentally affect their health. As quoted by the U.S. Food and Drug Association, potential risks of the degradation of PE-PUR foam may include “irritation to the skin, eye, and respiratory tract, inflammatory response, dizziness, headache, asthma, hypersensitivity, and toxic and carcinogenic effects”. In severe circumstances, degradation and exposure to the PE-PUR foam may have the potential to be linked to developing cancer or lung diseases. Researchers are still looking into the severe effects.

During the winter months, Pennsylvania receives large amounts of snow that usually last for a long period of time. Ice typically follows after snow, which causes roads to be extremely dangerous for drivers. The Federal Highway Administration states that more than 1,300 people are killed and more than 116,800 people are injured in vehicle crashes during snow and ice conditions annually. The chance of causing or being involved in a winter auto accident increases as weather conditions become more severe.

AccuWeather states that there are three common accidents that can occur in the winter, including spin out collisions, rear end crashes, and lane drifting accidents. Icy conditions can potentially cause drivers to lose control and drift off the road or in the opposite lane of traffic. Spin out collisions are very dangerous and any slight movements of the wheel can make the problem worse. It is recommended for drivers to turn the wheel in the direction that they are spinning. Black ice is a transparent layer of ice on roads and paved areas, which is especially dangerous while driving. It is difficult for drivers to see black ice and can potentially cause an accident. In fact, icy roads are one of the top common winter auto accident contributors. In extreme weather conditions, drivers can lose control and crash off the road or into other cars.

Once cars start to slide on ice, they can also slide into other people and cause a rear end crash. Cars should keep a safe distance between each other, especially when driving in the winter. Generally, staying two to three car-lengths away from the car in front is a safe distance. Driving through a snowstorm or blizzard also has many problems. In this occasion, it can be very hard to see the lines on the road. As a result, lane departures can be common. Following tracks made by previous cars can be an easy solution to prevent moving into another lane.

An organization that protects safe and healthy work conditions for employees in the United States, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), has failed its mission in a meat packaging plant in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Three workers have filed a lawsuit in a federal court against the agency claiming that they have caused the plant to become dangerous and potentially fatal to all the employees.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is an agency of the United States Department of Labor. The organization was created under the Occupational Safety and Health Act by President Richard M. Nixon in 1970. The primary goal of OSHA is to protect employees by observing and verifying that working conditions are updated and safe to work in. However, the government foundation was unsuccessful at ensuring secure environments at a meat packaging franchise. Maid-Rite Specialty Foods is a frozen food manufacturer that produces meat products, such as chicken, pork, turkey, beef, and veal. Recently, their plant in Scranton has experienced an influx of attention, due to its questionable practices.

In July, three meatpacking workers decided to file a lawsuit against OSHA for unsafe working conditions after they failed to respond to the incident previously. The employees stated that the company has produced an “imminent danger” throughout the plant by inadequately implementing codes and procedures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Originally filed in May, the suit states that Maid-Rite did not supply workers with appropriate equipment and failed to implement social distancing guidelines. In response, Maid-Rite reported to OSHA that they are not able to maintain a 6 feet distance between workers on the production lines, but they have provided workers with masks, given them staggered breaks, and performed deep cleanings of the plant. As a result, OSHA closed the case. Since then, one person who spoke out against the manufacturer claims that they did not separate sick workers in the plant, and people failed to tell the company that they were infected. In addition, the employee claimed that Maid-Rite provided workers with an incentive to work by providing bonuses to people who did not miss a day of work. According to public health officials, this decision encourages people to work when they are potentially sick. All the evidence described has led workers to go to a federal court in order to receive changes in their current working conditions.