Pennsylvania Injury Attorneys Blog

Teen Driver Safety Week: Oct. 14-20

Published on: October 12, 2012 | O'Connor Law

Gov. Tom Corbett announced that next week will be Teen Driver Safety Week here in Pennsylvania, to coincide with the safety week’s national observance.

A press release from the governor’s office explained his commitment to ensuring teen driver safety by two pieces of legistation that Gov. Corbett signed into law just this year.

“Over the past year we’ve made great strides in ensuring our youngest drivers have as much experience as possible on our roadways,” said PennDOT Secretary Barry J. Schoch. “PennDOT is wholeheartedly invested in traffic safety, and the bills the governor has signed emphasize the state’s commitment to future generations of safe drivers.”

The O’Connor Law Firm Celebrates with the Hispanic Community at the 9th Annual Latin Festival

Published on: October 9, 2012 | O'Connor Law

Attorneys and staff of O’Connor Law helped to celebrate with residents of Berks County during the 9th Annual Latin Festival held at the First Energy Stadium in Reading, held on Sat., Sept. 29.

The law firm’s booth, located next to the stage, provided a perfect view of the event while handing out free t-shirts, pens, and other giveaways to festival attendees.

Ana Cruz was the big winner of the day, leaving with a 32″ LCD high definition TV compliments of O’Connor Law. Jaime Diaz won a backpack filled with school supplies. Another lucky attendee won an O’Connor Law umbrella.

Honda Recalls CR-Vs for Potential Fire Hazard

Published on: October 7, 2012 | O'Connor Law

On the heels of last week’s recall of over 500,000 Accords for a potential engine fire risk, Honda is now recalling about 268,000 CR-V SUVs because of a problem with the power window master switch that could cause a fire.

In a statement from Honda, the company explained that in severe conditions, rain water that might enter the driver’s side window can enter the master power switch. This exposure to water can cause an electrical resistance in the switch, which could cause it to overheat, smoke, and start a fire. Four switch fires have been reported, but no crashes or injuries.

According to an article on CNN.com, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that the recall affects model years 2002 to 2006.

Pennsylvania Among CDC’s List of 23 States That Received Products from Drug Company Linked to Meningitis

Published on: October 5, 2012 | O'Connor Law

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have reported that patients in 23 states could have been exposed to medications that may be tainted with a fungal form of meningitis.

It is reported that 35 people in six states have a non-contagious, fungal form of meningitis. What is common among all the patients is that each had been injected with a steroid called methylprednisolone acetate, which is made by New England Compounding Center (NECC) in Massachusetts.

Officials say that approximately 75 medical facilities in those states have received products by the NECC. Pennsylvania is one of those states.

PennDOT Celebrates Walk or Roll to School Day

Published on: October 3, 2012 | O'Connor Law

A press release from PennDOT has announced that Wed., Oct. 3 is Walk or Roll to School Day across Pennsylvania.

“Celebrating walking and bicycling safely is a great way to establish safe habits in our youth, increasing their safety and fostering future generations of safe travelers,” said PennDOT Secretary Barry J. Schoch.

This event is part of International Walk to School Day, which builds awareness of the advantages of walkable communities across the world.

Honda Recalls Over 500,000 Accords

Published on: October 2, 2012 | O'Connor Law

According to an article on CNN.com, Honda has recalled about 572,000 Accord V6 models from 2003-2007 due to a potential engine fire risk.

The power steering hoses in these cars are at risk for leaking, creating smoke, and possibly sparking engire fires. No crashes or injuries have been reported so far. Only one engine fire has been documented.

Honda is also expanding on an earlier recall of over 50,000 Acura TL’s from 2007 and 2008 for the same problem.

Penn State Schuylkill Students Experience Distracted Driving Simulator

Published on: September 29, 2012 | O'Connor Law

This week, the students at Penn State Schuylkill got to experience first-hand the consequences of driving under the influence and distracted driving, compliments of a texting and DUI simulator.

According to an article on the RepublicanHerald.com, UNITE International’s Arrive Alive tour brought to campus the simultor which consists of a Mazda 5 on a platform, connected to sensors and a computer that creates the illusion of driving drunk.

“When you’re drunk, the signals from your brain to your hands are slower, so when you’re in the program, the signals from the computer program to the steering wheel are slower. It’s going to be simulating losing control when you’re drunk,” said Mitchel Verhage, independent contractor for UNITE.

Scam Targets Social Security Disability Recipients

Published on: September 28, 2012 | O'Connor Law

Just as the Social Security Administration is encouraging recipients to switch to direct deposit of funds, a new scam has been discovered that is targeting senior citizens and the disabled. According to an article on CNN.com, identity thieves are rerouting Social Security funds to their own bank accounts and prepaid debit cards.

Identity thieves simply need to get a person’s full name and bank account number. They then contact the Social Security Administration and have the payments changed to their own accounts.

According to the article, as of Aug. 31, the inspector general’s office received more than 19,000 reports of “questionable” changes or attempts to change a Social Security beneficiary’s direct deposit information.

O’Connor Law Joins 9th Annual Latin Festival in Reading, PA

Published on: September 25, 2012 | O'Connor Law

The attorneys and staff of O’Connor Law are proud to be a sponsor of the 9th annual Latin Festival being held this Sat., Sept. 29 at the First Energy Stadium in Reading, PA. Admission is free for the event that will be held from noon to 8 PM. Parking for the event is also free. The family-oriented festival is coordinated by the Daniel Torres Hispanic Center and brings together thousands of Latinos from different countries, all in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month that runs from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15. The event includes food and live music, as well as a chance to enjoy exhibits, and the culture and folklore of the Latino community. You can enter for a chance to win a flat screen TV and a book bag filled with school supplies. We hope you can join us this Saturday!

American Academy of Pediatrics Warns Parents about Trampolines

Published on: September 25, 2012 | O'Connor Law

This week, the journal Pediatrics published an updated policy statement saying that although injuries from trampolines have been decreasing steadily over the past few years, there were 98,000 trampoline-related injuries in 2009, resulting in 3,100 hospitalizations.

In an article in CNN.com, Dr. Michele Labotz, a sports medicine physician and lead author of the statement, said that parents think, “Because the trampoline has this soft mat, kids can’t feel the impact. But they do.”

Common trampoline injuries include bruises, sprains, and strains. More serious injuries occur to the head and spine. And most accidents happen when a group of people are jumping together.