Pennsylvania Injury Attorneys Blog

Friday is National Donate Life Blue and Green Day in Support of Organ and Tissue Donation

Published on: April 19, 2013 | O'Connor Law

This Friday (April 19), remember to wear blue and green in honor of the second annual National Donate Life Blue and Green Day in support of organ and tissue donation and in celebration of National Donate Life Month.

Donate Life America is a non-profit alliance of national organizations across the U.S. with a mission to increase the number of designated organ, eye, and tissue donors in order to save and heal lives. They are encouraging the public to wear blue and green on this day, to bring attention to the need for organ and tissue donors.

According to DonorRecovery.org, more than 117,000 people are on organ transplant lists.

Staff of O’Connor Law Take Part in First Ever Yuengling Light Lager Jogger 5K

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

On Saturday, April 13, staff from O’Connor Law laced up their running shoes to participate in the first ever Yuengling Light Lager Jogger 5K run/walk in Pottsville. Sponsored by America’s oldest brewery, Yuengling, the run/walk attracted 2,500 participants as well as hundreds of spectators. But it wasn’t just a chance to run or walk the race route — part of the proceeds from the participant registrations were donated to Operation Gratitude, an organization that sends care packages with snacks, entertainment items, and personal letters of appreciation addressed to individually named U.S service members deployed in hostile regions, as well as their children left behind, and to Wounded Warriors, veterans, and first responders. After the race, letter writing stations were set up so participants and spectators could write notes to be included in the care packages. It was a great community event that we were proud to take part in!

Pictured above from left to right: Mary Jo Link, Lorianne Link, Kathy Wagner, Bridget Burke, and Peggy Kellar

Pictured above from left to right: Samantha Cody, Kathy Wagner, Lorianne Link, and Bridget Burke

Thoughts and Prayers for Those at the Boston Marathon

Published on: April 15, 2013 | O'Connor Law

Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by today’s tragic events at the Boston Marathon.

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.

Deadline for Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program Extended

Published on: April 4, 2013 | O'Connor Law

Funding is still available for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), so the federal program’s deadline has been extended to April 26.

According to an article on the RepublicanHerald.com, LIHEAP provides financial assistance each year to low-income Pennsylvania families that meet its criteria. Families can use those funds to pay heating bills through a crisis exception program and a regular crisis program.

According to the Department of Public Welfare, the crisis exception program provides money if a heat source has been shut off or if a household is almost out of fuel. The regular crisis program provides funds in an emergency situation, such as lack of fuel, termination of utility service, danger of being without fuel and having a less than 15-day supply, having utility service being shut off within a 60-day time frame, and broken heating equipment or leaking lines.

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.

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.