Personal Injury

Subaru Recalls Outbacks and Legacy Models

Published on: April 3, 2013 | O'Connor Law

According to an article on CNN.com, Subaru is recalling about 200,000 Legacy and Outback model vehicles because of a problem with the brake line.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a recall notice that said the brake lines may corrode if they are splashed by salt water through a gap in the fuel tank protector. This can make it difficult to stop. The recall is limited to cars currently or formerly registered in a list of 20 states plus Washington, DC, that salt their roads. The list of states is available in the recall notice. The models years affected are from 2005 to 2009.

Subaru will notify owners and will fix the problem free of charge at dealerships. There have been no reports of accidents so far as a result of this issue.

Tips for Checking Infection Control Procedures at Your Dentist

Published on: April 2, 2013 | O'Connor Law

In the wake of last week’s news about cross infection at a Tulsa, Oklahoma dentist’s office, CNN.com has published some tips online to see how your dentist handles the issue of infection control procedures.

Watch the Gloves: Gloves should be changed in between patients. Dentists should only touch sterile instruments or your mouth; if anything else is touched or the dentist leaves the room, a new pair of gloves should be put on.

Check out the Office: How clean is the office? A cluttered, unclean office might mean there are sterilization issues.

Passengers Aboard Stricken Carnival Cruise Ship Could Have a Legal Case

Published on: February 17, 2013 | O'Connor Law

As we watched the stricken Carnival Cruise ship tugged to shore this week, and heard stories of sewage spilled into rooms and halls, we couldn’t help but think of what lawsuits might come about from this disaster.

According to an article on CNN.com, Carnival’s ticket contract says that the cruise line is not “liable to the passenger for damages for emotional distress, mental suffering/anguish or psychological injury of any kind under any circumstances, except when such damages were caused by the negligence of Carnival and resulted from the same passenger sustaining actual physical injury, or having been at risk of actual physical injury.”

But while no physical injuries have been reported, if a passenger contracted a disease, like hepatitis, from the unsanitary conditions on the ship, it is possible that they could have an argument for physical injury.

The Dangers of Medical Recovery Rooms

Published on: February 11, 2013 | O'Connor Law

Philadelphia news station WPVI published a startling investigative report last week about the dangers of medical recovery rooms.

The story begins in March of last year, when a female high school student went to a surgical center for a routine outpatient tonsillectomy. After initially being told that her daughter’s surgery went well, the young girl’s mother was then told that her daughter needed to be rushed to the hospital. The young girl was pronounced brain dead and later died.

The girl’s parents filed a lawsuit and their lawyer found out the truth about what happened that day. According to their attorney, the girl “died as a result of being abandoned, not monitored, and not watched by nurses, in the recovery room for a period of over 25 minutes.” It is believed that the painkiller, fentanyl, that was administered to her put her into respiratory distress. The nurse who was supposed to be watching her was tending to another patient.

California Tour Bus Crash Leaves 8 Dead and 42 Injured

Published on: February 5, 2013 | O'Connor Law

A crash involving a tour bus in California on Sunday has left 8 people dead and 42 injured and those numbers are expected to rise.

According to an article on CNN.com, the National Transportation Safety Board has sent a team to investigate the crash, in an effort to piece together what happened. So far, the bus driver is being questioned and witnesses say that the bus was going very fast. They also said that they saw smoke coming from the back of the bus. A spokeswoman for the California Department of Transportation said, “I heard that the driver, when interviewed by the CHP, indicated that he had problems with his brakes, but nothing has been proven so far.”

The bus rear-ended a sedan in San Bernardino County around 6:30 PM in a mountainous region. The top of the bus over the driver’s seat was caved in and part of the roof was ripped open. The sloping highway has made it difficult for rescue vehicles to reach the crash. They are still trying to get to bodies inside the bus.

New Report on Drowsy Driving

Published on: January 7, 2013 | O'Connor Law

Getting more sleep in the new year may be more important that you think: a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 15% to 33% of fatal crashes involve tired drivers.

We may be familiar with the dangers of drunk driving, but according to an article on CNN.com, drowsy driving can be just as deadly. When we are sleep-deprived, it slows our reaction time and we could hit something we might otherwise avoid.

We are also more impulsive when we are tired. According to Dr. Michael Howell, a sleep expert at the University of Minnesota, “We respond to things without thinking them through. Road rage happens because people are sleep deprived.”

Even with Hurricane Sandy Behind Us, PA Motorists Urged to Heed “Turn Around, Don’t Drive” Law

Published on: October 30, 2012 | O'Connor Law

Now that Hurricane Sandy has passed through our area, we hope that all of our staff, clients, and neighbors made it through with minimal damage. But as we recover from the storm, we’d like to remind everyone about the “Turn Around, Don’t Drive” law that was put in place in July.

Under this new law, it is a summary offense to drive past, around, or through a sign or traffic-control devise used to close a road because of an existing or potential hazardous situation. Violators can face a fine up to $250. If a violator must be rescued by first responders, emergency workers, or a tow truck, the fine can be between $250 and $500.

With roads in our area still closed due to the storm, we strongly urge motorists to heed the “Turn Around, Don’t Drive” law. Don’t put yourself in danger, or possibly any emergency personnel who may be required to rescue you.

Penn State Schuylkill Students Experience Distracted Driving Simulator

Published on: September 29, 2012 | O'Connor Law

This week, the students at Penn State Schuylkill got to experience first-hand the consequences of driving under the influence and distracted driving, compliments of a texting and DUI simulator.

According to an article on the RepublicanHerald.com, UNITE International’s Arrive Alive tour brought to campus the simultor which consists of a Mazda 5 on a platform, connected to sensors and a computer that creates the illusion of driving drunk.

“When you’re drunk, the signals from your brain to your hands are slower, so when you’re in the program, the signals from the computer program to the steering wheel are slower. It’s going to be simulating losing control when you’re drunk,” said Mitchel Verhage, independent contractor for UNITE.

American Academy of Pediatrics Warns Parents about Trampolines

Published on: September 25, 2012 | O'Connor Law

This week, the journal Pediatrics published an updated policy statement saying that although injuries from trampolines have been decreasing steadily over the past few years, there were 98,000 trampoline-related injuries in 2009, resulting in 3,100 hospitalizations.

In an article in CNN.com, Dr. Michele Labotz, a sports medicine physician and lead author of the statement, said that parents think, “Because the trampoline has this soft mat, kids can’t feel the impact. But they do.”

Common trampoline injuries include bruises, sprains, and strains. More serious injuries occur to the head and spine. And most accidents happen when a group of people are jumping together.

National Child Passenger Safety Week is Sept. 16-22

Published on: September 14, 2012 | O'Connor Law

Next week is National Child Passenger Safety Week. Both the state police and PennDOT are encouraging drivers to participate in free child passenger safety seat checkups throughout the state.

There will be 141 fitting stations across Pennsylvania where parents can learn proper installation and use of child safety seats.

In a press release from PennDOT, Secretary Barry J. Schoch said, “Only about one in every four child safety seats are installed correctly, so we’re urging those transporting our smallest passengers to get their seats checked.”