Personal Injury

Drunk Driving

Published on: August 13, 2014 | O'Connor Law

Driving under the influence is one of the worst offenses that a driver can commit. Every day, people are getting killed and seriously injured after people decide to drive while intoxicated. These people who commit the dangerous crime of “driving under the influence” are putting themselves and other people at great risk.

In 2012, a man crashed his car in Rhode Island while he was driving while intoxicated. The crash caused the death of his girlfriend and the loss of his legs. The man was wanted in Florida prior to the crash for a probation violation related to drunk driving and not having a driver’s license. The man was charged for killing his girlfriend and for driving under the influence. He is currently waiting to be sentenced and he is facing 25 years in prison.

Drivers should always be aware of the dangers that occur on the roadway. Incidents that are similar to the one in Rhode Island happen every day in this country. Everyone should know that each crash does not just impact the people in the crash but their family, friends, coworkers and more. According to MADD.org, $132 billion is spent every year from the result of drunk driving.

Car Accidents Affect Everyone: The Story of Paul Walker

Published on: May 22, 2014 | O'Connor Law

Every year, people are killed in car accidents and crashes. Some cars are not always properly equipped to keep their drivers and passengers safe. In 2013, the “Fast and Furious” star, Paul Walker, and his friend, who was driving the vehicle, were killed in a terrible crash. Walker’s friend, Roger W. Rodas, was driving a 2005 Porsche Carrera GT. The car crashed into a light pole and three trees before catching on fire. The car was traveling at about 55 miles per hour when it went out of control and went off the road.

The lawsuit filed claimed that the car did not have the proper safety equipment and crash protection that could have prevented the deaths of the two men. The suit also stated that the car company involved was aware of the lack of protection and did not notify the owner about these safety issues. The families of the victims are seeking an unspecified amount in damages.

There are accidents that occur every day that are similar to the one that took the lives of Paul Walker and his friend. At O’Connor Law, we work hard to support the victims of accidents caused by third party negligence. Everyone should be confident that they are driving a safe vehicle. Nobody should die the way Walker and Rodas did. We are here to protect and fight for your rights. We want you to always be safe.

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

Published on: April 17, 2014 | O'Connor Law

With Spring warming up (and here’s to hoping we don’t get any more snow) April is distracted Driving Awareness month. Each year thousands of people are killed and many more are injured because of distracted driving. It isn’t always the person who is driving distracted who is injured in these accidents, but sadly an innocent person in another vehicle.

While distracted driving does include texting while driving, which is what most people think of when they hear “distracted driving,” many other actions can distract drivers that they may not think about while they’re doing it.

Other things that can distract drivers:

Legislation Being Pushed to Require Truck Drivers to Remove Ice and Snow from Top of Trailers

Published on: March 5, 2014 | O'Connor Law

The calendar may be edging slowly toward spring, but the temperatures here in Pennsylvania are anything but spring-like. Although the weather forecasts have yet to show if we may see any more snow this month, that’s not stopping one PA senator from pushing for legislation involving snow and ice on top of big trucks.

In an article on WFMZ.com, Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-Northampton/Leghigh, is backing a bill that will require big truck drivers to remove ice and snow before they take to the road.

Currently, under Pennsylvania law a driver can be fined if snow or ice that comes off of his or her vehicle either causes bodily injury or death. But in New Jersey, a driver can be fined for failing to clear their vehicles before driving.

Concerns Surround New Prescription Painkiller Zohydro

Published on: March 4, 2014 | O'Connor Law

A new prescription painkiller is causing alot of concern among health care and consumer groups. The drug is called Zohydro and it’s a opioid analgesic that was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last fall to treat chronic pain. It will become available to patients this month.

In an article in CNN.com, one addiction expert is quoted as saying, “It’s a whopping dose of hydrocodone packed in an easy-to-crush capsule. It will kill people as soon as it’s released.” Health care and addiction treatment groups are appealing to the FDA to revoke their approval before tragedy strikes.

In late 2013, 29 state attorney generals as well as members of Congress sent letters to the FDA asking them to review their approval of the drug. The feeling is that Zohydro could be the new OxyContin, another prescription painkiller that is often abused because of its high concentration of oxycodone.

General Motors Expands Recent Recall

Published on: February 26, 2014 | O'Connor Law

General Motors announced today that it would be expanding a recent recall of compact cars due to ignition issues.

According to an article on CNN.com, the recall affects 1.37 million vehicles, including Chervolet Cobalts, Pontiac G5 cars, Saturn Ions, Chevrolet HHRs, Pontiac Solstices, and Saturn Skys manufactured between 2003 and 2007. The ignition can possibly switch out of “Run” while the car is being driven, shutting off the car’s engine and disabling the brakes, power steering, and airbags.

As a result of this malfunction, there have been 13 deaths and 31 frontal crashes.

U.S. Department of Transportation Orders Trucking Company Off the Road

Published on: February 15, 2014 | O'Connor Law

According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has ordered a Tennessee truck driver and his trucking company to cease operations, following an accident in Pennsylvania in November of 2013.

In November, the truck driver was travelling along Interstate 81 in Franklin County when veered onto the shoulder of the road, hitting a car and 2 pedestrians. He then hit a dump truck and his tractor-trailer overturned. The truck driver fled the scene and was later apprehended. He was charged with driving while intoxicated, reckless driving, failure to stop at an accident involving death or personal injury, as well as other charges.

In 2009, the driver was convicted of driving under the influence in Utah, where he also attempted to flee the scene.

Graco Recalls Over 3 Million Car Seats

Published on: February 13, 2014 | O'Connor Law

On Tuesday, Graco voluntarily recalled 3.7 million car seats due to a buckling issue.

According to an article on WNEP.com, the red release button that is found at the center of the harness may become difficult to unlatch, or may get stuck. This can make it difficult to remove a child from the car seat quickly in the event of an emergency. In the article, Graco is quoted as saying “that food and dried liquids can make some harness buckles progressively more difficult to open over time or become stuck in the latched position.”

Models affected include harness buckles on toddler car seats and harnessed booster seats produced from 2009 to July 2013.

Despite the Lingering Cold, Drivers Are Advised to Clean Snow and Ice from Their Cars

Published on: February 9, 2014 | O'Connor Law

With temperatures here in Pennsylvania refusing to move above the teens and 20’s, it’s easy for drivers to want to hop into their cars once they are warmed up and simply take off. But according to PA law, all drivers must clear any remaining snow and ice from their vehicles before taking to the road, or else face penalties.

According to an article on the RepublicanHerald.com, if snow or ice dislodges from your vehicle and strikes a pedestrian or another vehicle, causing death or serious bodily injury, you could face fines of $200 to $1,000 for each offense. Also, police can issue citations of $25 for each offense plus costs if you don’t clear your vehicles of snow or ice.

Troopers encourage motorists to clean all windows so you can see out of them clearly, rather than clearing off just a portion of a window.

PennDOT Shuts Downs Part of Scranton Expressway Due to Subsidence

Published on: February 5, 2014 | O'Connor Law

This morning, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) shut both directions of the Scranton Expressway down to one lane after a subsidence was discovered.

According to WNEP.com, the subsidence was found when a plow truck hit it this morning. The hole is in the passing lane of the North Scranton Expressway . It is about 4 feet wide and goes down several feet, according to the article.

Officials are calling the hole a subsidence although they have not confirmed if it was caused by a mine. The hole has been filled in before but the fill has washed away. A subsidence was discovered in the same area of the expressway in 2007.