Personal Injury

Watch for Students and School Buses as the School Year Begins

Published on: August 26, 2013 | O'Connor Law

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) urges motorists to be alert for students and school buses now that school has begun here in the state.

In a press release, PennDOT secretary Barry Schoch said, “As students return to the classroom, drivers who haven’t had to drive around buses or students for months must be alert for bus stops and school zones. The consequences of just a moment of distraction could prove to be tragic.”

PennDOT reminds motorists that if they approach a school bus when its red lights are flashing and its stop arm is extended, their vehicle must stop at least 10 feet from the bus. Only when a school bus is stopped on the opposite side of a highway clearly separated by a divider such as concrete barriers or grass medians. Still, motorists should be watching for students crossing the road. A motorist who violates the school bus stopping law faces a $250 fine, five points on their driving record, and a 60-day license suspension.

Motorcyclist Killed in Collision with Jeep in Erie

Published on: August 13, 2013 | O'Connor Law

An accident that took the life of a motorcyclist in Erie is a stark reminder that all drivers must look out for motorcycles on the road.

According to an article on GoErie.com, a woman driving a Jeep Liberty struck a man on a motorcycle early last week in Union City. The crash took place about 2 PM at Wager Road. The woman stopped at an intersection and then proceeded to turn left, turning into the path of the motorcycle. When she realized she had pulled in front of the motorcycle, she swerved her vehicle sharply to the left. The motorcyclist tried to pass the Jeep on its driver’s side, but collided with the Jeep instead. The man was thrown from the bike, struck an embankment, and died instantly.

Children Injured When Truck Strikes Bus

Published on: July 29, 2013 | O'Connor Law

About 25 children were injured on Friday when the bus they were riding in was struck from behind by a tractor trailer on Interstate 81 in Hazle Township.

According to an article by the Associated Press, the children were part of a summer program through the Hazleton YMCA. They were on a day trip when their bus was hit by the truck as it traveled in the southbound lanes of 81. The children suffered only minor injuries.

The Times-Tribune reports that the accident happened when the school bus slowed as it entered a construction area along 81.

Is Television Causing People to Drown?

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

It may seem like a far-fetched accusation, but what we see is what we believe.

Think of what it looks like when you see a person who is drowning. It’s pretty easy to bring to mind, isn’t it? They flail their arms and splash as they are trying to stay above water, they yell for help and they cause a big scene, right?

Wrong. This is what most of us picture when we think of someone drowning, but this is completely wrong. Television and movies have taught us to think this way because they exaggerate real life events. It’s called “dramatic conditioning.” Guns don’t make a cocking noise every time you point them at something; knives don’t make that sinister “schling” sound every time you lift them, and people don’t really flail and scream when they are drowning… in fact they can’t.

May Is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month

Published on: May 24, 2013 | O'Connor Law

Traditionally, Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start of summer. As the weather begins to warm up here in Pennsylvania, we begin to hear the rumble and roar of motorcycles as they parade down our highways. So we’d like to take a moment to share an important message from our friends at the Alliance of Bikers Aimed Toward Education (ABATE) by reminding everyone that May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month in the state.

During this month, ABATE encourages motorists and motorcycles to share the road safely and to “Look Twice to Save A Life.” When you see lawn signs that read “Watch for Motorcycles,” those have been placed by ABATE to help bring motorcycle safety and awareness to the forefront of everyone’s attention.

Earlier this month, Governor Tom Corbett proclaimed May at Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month and said, “If car, truck and motorcycle operators follow simple steps like looking out for each other and obeying speed limits, we can work together to reduce the number of crashes and highway deaths we see each year.”

Attorney Miller of O’Connor Law Attends NJ Association for Justice’s Boardwalk Seminar 2013

Published on: April 20, 2013 | O'Connor Law

The attorneys and staff of O’Connor Law pride themselves on keeping up-to-date on their areas of practice. This week, Attorney Dave Miller is attending the New Jersey Association for Justice’s Boardwalk Seminar 2013 in Atlantic City, NJ. The two and a half day training event includes in-depth educational lectures on trial strategies and litigation techniques, including personal injury, nursing home neglect, and medical malpractice, just a few of the firm’s areas of practice. The seminar also provides attorneys the chance to visit with over 160 legal vendors and network with almost 2,000 other attorneys.

3.4 Million Honda, Nissan, Toyota, and Mazda Models Recalled for Airbag Defects

Published on: April 13, 2013 | O'Connor Law

Around 3.4 million cars are being recalled due to airbag defects, according to an article on CNN.com. The recall includes models from the 2001, 2002, and 2003 model years. The total count includes 1.7 million Toyotas, more than 1.1 million Hondas, 480,000 Nissans and 45,000 Mazda’s.

According to a statement by Honda, “It is possible that the passenger front airbag inflators in affected vehicles may deploy with too much pressure, which may cause the inflator casing to rupture and could result in injury.”

Honda reported one crash where the passenger front airbag ruptured after being deployed with too much pressure. Toyota said it was aware of five airbag malfunctions.

April Is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month

Published on: April 12, 2013 | O'Connor Law

April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month and motorists across the country are urged to drive distraction free.

In a news release from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), PennDOT Secretary Barry J. Schoch said, “Driving is a serious job the requires your full attention, all of the time. Distractions come in all forms, and we all need to take personal responsibility for our actions behind the wheel — that includes avoiding distractions.”

Some examples of distractions includes:

talking on a cell phone or texting
eating
grooming
adjusting devices such as radios and GPSs
attending to children or pets
interacting with other passengers in the vehicle

It’s especially important for young, inexperienced drivers to avoid distractions, as they can increase the risk of a crash. In 2012, more than 14,600 crashes involved distracted driving with 57 deaths in those crashes. Last March, a state law went into effect that bans text-based communication while driving, with a $50 fine for violating the law.
PennDOT offers some safety tips for avoiding distracted driving:

Store or turn off cell phones while driving. If you must make an emergency call, safely pull over to the side of the road.
If traveling alone, set your GPS, radio and temperature controls before hitting the road.
If traveling with pets, be sure that they are properly restrained. Better yet, leave them at home. Even a minor crash can result in a major injury to a pet if it is not properly restrained.
Never operate your vehicle and attend to a child at the same time.
If you drop an object while driving, leave it until you reach your destination.

Statistics Show Increase in Deaths on Pennsylvania Highways Last Year

Published on: April 8, 2013 | O'Connor Law

According to statistics from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, 1,310 people were killed on PA highways last year, 24 more than the previous year. Increases included senior driver deaths, which were up by 32, pedestrian deaths which were up by 19, and motorcycle deaths, which were up by 11.

According to an article on PhillyBurbs.com, a spokeswoman with the American Automobile Association said that a theory behind the increase in deaths for motorcyclists and older driver could be that there are more of them on the roads. The increase in pedestrians deaths could be related to increases in traffic in urban areas and more people walking to save gas.

However, the number of teen traffic deaths was down across the state, perhaps due to tougher state laws. Also, numbers show that there are fewer younger drivers on the road. Among 16- and 17-year-old drivers, there was a decline from 99,234 in 2011 to 79,393 in 2012.

Recall of Over 1.6 Million Hyundai and Kia Vehicles

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

Hyundai and Kia announced today that they are recalling over 1.6 million vehicles due to a defect in their brake lights.

According to an article on CNN.com, bad signals from the brake lamp can cause the gear selector to become stuck in park. They can also cause the push-button engine start feature to not work and create intermittent interference with the cars’ cruise control systems.

Models involved in the recall include 2007 through 2009 Hyundai Accents and Tucsons, 2007 through 2010 Elantras, 2010 through 2011 Genesis Coupes, 2007 through 2011 Santa Fes, 2011 Sonatas, and 2008 through 2009 Veracruzes.