Pennsylvania Injury Attorneys Blog

Frozen Foods Recalled Due to Possible Link to E. coli Contamination

Published on: March 31, 2013 | O'Connor Law

On Friday the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that 24 cases of E. coli O121 have been reported in 15 states, including Pennsylvania, with one case linked to the Farm Rich brand of frozen foods. Although no deaths have occurred, one third of the cases have required hospitalization.

According to an article on CNN.com, illnesses related to this particular strain have been reported in Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. Of those who are sick, 78% are under the age of 22.

The New York State Department of Health was able to identify the strain of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O121 (STEC) in an open package of frozen chicken quesadillas that were in an ill person’s home. As a result, Rich Products Corporation has recalled over 196,000 pounds of Farm Rich Mini Quesadillas, Philly Cheese Steaks, Mini Pizza Slices and Mozzarella Bites produced from November 12-19, 2012.

New Warnings for Those Taking Zithromax

Published on: March 18, 2013 | O'Connor Law

Last week the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning to doctors and patients regarding the antibiotic Zithromax. The popular medicine can cause rare but deadly heart rhythms in some patients.

The drug is produced by Pfizer and is commonly used to treat bronchitis, pneumonia, and other infections. It is popular because it can be taken for fewer days. According to an article from the Associated Press, patients at risk of heart problems, including those with irregular heartbeats or low levels of potassium or magnesium in their blood should be prescribed other antibiotics. New warnings will be added to the label of Zithromax.

This news is a result of a study released by Vanderbild University that showed a slightly higher chance for deadly heart problems in patients taking the drug. The results suggested there would be 47 extra heart-related deaths per 1 million courses of treatment with Zithromax, compared with another antibiotic, amoxicillin. A treatment course with Zithromax is about five days, and treatment with amoxicillin is around 10 days.

Recent Accidents Highlight Need for Teen Safety When Driving

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

Two tragic car accidents that happened on Sunday in Ohio and Texas that took the lives of 11 teenagers have brought heartache and grief to the families, friends, and classmates of those involved. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all the families whose sons and daughters had their lives cut way too short.

The first accident happened in the early morning hours of Sunday in Ohio when an SUV with eight teenagers struck a guard rail and flipped into a pond. Only two boys survived. Reports say that none of the teens in the accident in Ohio were wearing seatbelts. The second accident happened later that day in Texas when the teen driver of an SUV with four passengers failed to stop at a stop sign. A truck entering the intersection smashed into the SUV killing all five teens.

According to an article on CNN.com, motor vehicle accidents continue to be the number 1 killer of youths in the United States. In fact, in 2010, car accidents took the lives of about a quarter of the 15- to 24-year-olds who died that year, as reported by the most recent numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Texting While Driving Ban Shows Progress in PA

Published on: March 9, 2013 | O'Connor Law

A year after it was implemented here in Pennsylvania, the texting while driving ban seems to be taking effect. Preliminary data from the state Department of Transportation shows that crashes involving drivers with phones is decreasing.

Officials say that for most people, just knowing the law is in place might prevent them from pulling out their phones when driving. The law went into effect on March 8, 2012 and bans drivers from all text-based communication while the driver’s vehicle is in motion, including text messages, instant messages, and emails. According to an article on PennLive.com, an officer can conclude that a driver has broken the law based on sight, statements made by the driver or passengers, or by obtaining cell phone records if necessary. Pennsylvania is the 35th state to ban texting while driving.

However, distracted driving continues to be a problem. Crashes resulting from distracted driving have increased from 14,259 across the state in 2011. According to an article on the RepublicanHerald.com, distracted driving includes putting on makeup to switching radio stations to using a phone.

Subaru Recalls Nearly 50,000 Cars

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

This week, Subaru recalled 47,419 of its Legacy, Outback, Impreza, and models because they could start themselves without human intervention.

An article on CNN.com reports that if the key fob with remove engine start is dropped, it could malfunction and send a message to the engine to start on its own, without pressing the remote start button.

The recall includes Legacy, Outback and Impreza models produced from 2010 to 2013 and also includes Crosstrek models from 2013.

Scam Alert Regarding Your Electric Provider

Published on: February 21, 2013 | O'Connor Law

We’ve been hearing reports of Schuylkill County residents receiving calls from scam artists pretending to be employees of their local electric utility provider. In some cases, the caller is asking for personal information, account information, and money. In other cases, the caller is threatening to have electric service to a home shut off if an additional payment is not made immediately.

According to PPL Electric’s January newsletter, don’t be fooled by these scammers. If you have a question about someone who called you claiming to represent PPL or any other utility provider, call PPL or the utility provider to verify what you are being called about. If things don’t check out, call your local police department.

PPL advises that although someone representing their company could come to your door, most visits to customers are scheduled ahead of time, so you know when they will be coming to your home. If someone claims to be from PPL and comes to your door, they recommend you follow these safety tips:

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.

O’Connor Law Support the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women Campaign

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

On Fri., Feb. 1, the attorneys and staff of O’Connor Law donned red sweaters, shirts, and scarves in honor of National Wear Red Day to raise awareness of heart disease, the leading killer of women.

National Wear Red Day was started 10 years ago by the American Heart Association (AHA), as part of its annual Go Red for Women campaign. The AHA offers some startling statistics about women and heart disease:

One woman dies from heart disease each minute.

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.