Personal Injury

AAA Projects Record-Breaking Travel Numbers for This Independence Day Weekend

Published on: June 30, 2016 | O'Connor Law

Travelers this holiday weekend will be out in full force. In fact, AAA is projecting that over 43 million people will be hitting the road, air, rails and waterways to celebrate Independence Day somewhere other than the comfort of their own home. That figure is the highest total of any previous year and exceeds this year’s Memorial Day total by 5 million.

Of the 43 million travelers, a whopping 36 million (84%) of them will be traveling on the roadways by car. That figure is a 1.2% increase over last year. AAA President and CEO, Marshall Doney, says that lower prices at the fuel pump are the reason for the increased traffic. “Spurred by the lowest gas prices since 2005, more people than ever are planning to travel this Independence Day weekend.”

And Doney is right. National gas prices, on average, are 47 cents lower than they were over 4^th of July weekend in 2015.

Summer Travels Safety Reminders

Published on: June 20, 2016 | O'Connor Law

Summer brings many exciting things – warm weather, beach trips, days by the pool and more. However, it also brings a new list of potential dangers to the road.

This summer, stay safe by keeping these points in mind:

Increase in Younger Drivers

June is National Safety Month

Published on: June 10, 2016 | O'Connor Law

“Safety first” may seem like an old and perhaps cliche phrase, but, this month it means so much more.

According to the National Safety Council, June is annually deemed National Safety Month. This includes safety at home, at work, on the road and in the community. The focus of the month is to prevent injuries and deaths in each of these environments.

Each week in June, the NSC will be providing online materials for anyone to download and utilize during the month. Every week corresponds with a new safety topic:

Ready to Ride: Five Ways to be a Clutch Copilot

Published on: April 30, 2016 | O'Connor Law

You and your friends are about to pile into the car to embark on a day trip that is sure to be packed with all sorts of fun and adventure. The driver knows their role, but the fight for the front has only just begun as the passengers try to wage their arguments for who deserves the highly-coveted front passenger “shotgun” seat in the car.

After numerous futile “dibs” calls, a footrace that likely ended with a physical struggle in front of the car door, and pleas for sympathy from one friend claiming severe car sickness, a victor emerges and assumes their rightful throne while the less fortunate squeeze into the back where they will immediately begin barking for more leg room.

The story illustrated above is a familiar occurrence for friends and groups as they prepare to travel, but there’s actually a lot more that goes into “riding shotgun” than just full control over legroom and air vents.

EvenFlo Recalls Popular but Defective Children’s Car Seat

Published on: March 4, 2016 | O'Connor Law

A popular children’s car seat manufacturer has decided to recall thousands of car seats due to easily loosened internal harnesses.

The company, EvenFlo, will recall 56,000 harnesses that possess a front button on the harness that can be adjusted by the child wearing it if it is in reach.

Tampering with such a harness can lead to increased chance or more severe injury should the car get into an accident.

Volkswagen Facing Another Recall; This Time for Fatal Airbags

Published on: February 25, 2016 | O'Connor Law

After facing major consequences for faulty emissions tests, Volkswagen faced yet another vehicle recall for potentially fatal airbags.

The car manufacturer initially refused a government mandated recall to fix the defective airbags, claiming that recalling the vehicles was unnecessary. Eventually, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website, Volkswagen cooperated and went through with the recall.

The recalled vehicles include U.S. Audi and VW vehicles between the years 2006 to 2014. There are roughly 850,000 vehicles involved in the recall. In a letter to the safety agency, Volkswagen argued against the recall by stating that many of the vehicles had perfectly functioning airbags made at the Takata factory in Germany.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Recalling Two Popular SUV Models After Reports of Electrical Fires

Published on: January 29, 2016 | O'Connor Law

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles recently announced that they will be recalling more of their SUVs in response to the potential threat of fire-related incidents associated with electrical shorts in the cars’ sun visors.

The car manufacturers have planned to recall nearly 390,000 Jeep Grand Cherokees and Dodge Durangos from the years 2011-2013. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have found these cars to have electrical difficulties.

Another recall of the same models happened back in 2014, where electrical issues were once again the culprit. With that recall, wiring in the mirror lights were subject to electrical problems. This recall was launched after the government led an investigation of the vehicles, where eight incidents of visor fires had been reported.

Store Brand Children’s Cough Syrup Pulled from Shelves Amid Recall

Published on: January 27, 2016 | O'Connor Law

Two different flavored cough syrups for children from several national pharmacy chains and grocery stores are being recalled due to a chance of overdose.

The affected flavors are cherry and grape, and are being recalled by nine large retailers in the country including CVS, Rite-Aid, Kroegers, Dollar General, Sunmark, Topcare, Care One and GoodSense. The syrup itself is made by Perrigo Company Medicine but according to reports, it is sold under a variety of store-brand names.

The danger of overdose comes into play with incorrectly labeled dosage cups that come with the four-ounce bottles of syrup. Thankfully, no overdoses have yet to be reported.

PennDOT’s Winter Driving Awareness Week Reminds Us To Exercise Caution While Driving This Winter

Published on: January 11, 2016 | O'Connor Law

January 10-16 is PennDOT’s annual Winter Driving Awareness Week and the department is urging all drivers to exercise winter-appropriate driving practices and to have their cars checked by mechanics as temperatures drop and winter conditions take hold of our roadways.

In order to stay safe this winter and prevent automobile accidents that could endanger your life as well as the lives of others, PennDOT is urging drivers to have vehicles professionally serviced. The unseasonably warm weather that blanketed the state earlier this winter has seemingly ended, with 2016 already proving to be colder in the first few weeks. That being said, a visit to the local mechanic is highly encouraged for all.

Mechanics are able to inspect things such as your car’s cooling system, battery, hoses, drive belts, tires and windshield wipers to confirm that they all are working correctly and doing their jobs to keep passengers safe. In addition to a professional inspection, drivers themselves are asked to keep an eye on their own tires, fluid levels, lights and other things that can be easily checked.

The U.S. Department of Transportation

Published on: December 19, 2015 | O'Connor Law

U.S. regulators have proposed an updated version of the five-star crash-test rating systems that will incorporate new technology and test dummies. The five-star crash-test ratings has been in place by The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration since the late seventies and although they have proven themselves highly credible among both car dealers and buyers, this update seeks to even further improve safety.

Some changes to the rating system include testing collisions that happen in the front at an angle in the hopes of decreasing pedestrian accidents, as well as adding half-star rating options so as to more closely gauge the accuracy of the rating. Dummies will also be updated to more truthfully simulate the human body, with bendable spines and necks. The NHTSA does not want to make things more complicated, but rather, more safe.

Safety can never be taken too seriously, especially when it comes to the road.