Pennsylvania Injury Attorneys Blog

Representatives of the state’s Commission on Crime and Delinquency, State Police, and Board of Probation and Parole met recently with officials from Maryland and West Virginia to discuss using technology to share information about dangerous offenders.According to a news release issued by the governor’s office, the cross-border partnership enables law enforcement and parole and probation officials to exchange information with one another on arrests and will make it possible for the PA Board of Probation and Parole to take action if the offender violates the terms of his or her release even if the parolee has relocated to another state.

A June summit is planned to discuss information-sharing opportunities with leaders from Delaware, Washington, D.C., Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

According to a recent news release, the state Department of Health is encouraging residents to join the Emergency Registry of Volunteers.

SERVPA is a secure, statewide database of pre-credentialed volunteers who can be called upon during major disasters or public health emergencies.

According to the Health Department, about 10,500 medical and non-medical volunteers are registered across the state.

Today’s uncertain economy has nearly everyone looking for ways to save money. But unfortunately, it also brings out criminals such as petty thieves. So we’re posting the following tips to help you limit the potential for car break ins.

1. Keep Things Out of Sight: If you have any valuables, such as an iPod, purse or video camera, store it under the seat or in the glove compartment. Most of the time, a thief will smash and grab to make some quick money. You’ll also want to put anything that looks like it could contain something valuable, such as a box or briefcase, in the trunk to prevent car break-ins. If the box on your front seat says “Apple Computer, Inc.” on it, it doesn’t matter what’s inside – it looks valuable. Sometimes keeping your car clean will do more than just impress your friends.
2. Get a Detachable Stereo Face: A car thief won’t steal a stereo that he can’t use. Purchasing a car audio receiver with a detachable front panel will make your stereo useless to any would-be crook. That is, of course, presuming you actually detach the face of the head unit and take it with you. Even if you don’t want to carry the face plate with you, detach the front panel and hide it away to prevent car break-ins. Criminals want things quick and easy, so a missing face plate may make them move on to the next car.

Dole Food Co. today recalled over 700 cases of bagged salad due to possible salmonella contamination, including cases that were distributed here in Pennsylvania.

According to an article on FoxNews.com, a random test by the State of New York showed that the Seven Lettuces bagged salad was positive for Salmonella.To determine if you have a recalled bag of salad, look for the use-by date of April 11, 2012, UPC code 71430 01057 and product codes 0577N089112A and 0577N089112B. The product code and use-by date can be found in the upper right-hand corner of the package.

In addition to Pennsylvania, cases of the Seven Lettuces salad were also distributed to Alabama, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recently announced a voluntary recall of the Office Depot Brand Biella Leather Desk Chair. The chair was manufactured by Wonderful Year Inc., China, and imported by Swinton Avenue Trading, Boca Raton, Fla.

According to a news release, the weld connecting the seat plate to the gas lift can fail, causing the chair to separate from the base and poses a fall hazard to the user.

Office Depot has received 11 reports of the chairs breaking and users falling while seated resulting in injuries including contusions and abrasions.

An advisory medical panel recommended more than 30 types of cancer be covered by the Zadroga 9/11 health care act for those injured or sickened by exposure to Ground Zero toxins.

According to workers compenstation.com, data shows a variety of cancers including blood, digestive, skin, oral and respiratory are linked to dust at the World Trade Center after the 2001 attack. Cancer was not included in the original Zadroga health care bill.

The administrator of the health care program, however, has asked for more conclusive evidence. The committee was scheduled to present its findings April 2. If the government accepts the recommendations, cancer victims would be eligible to apply for a share of the $2.8 billion compensation fund.

New requirements for additional immunizations for students went into effect last Aug. 1, 2011. According to an article on the RepublicanHerald.com, if a student does not have the required vaccinations, they may not be able to attend school.

The new regulations require that all children receive a second dose of mumps and a complete three-dose serious of the hepatitis B vaccine. Also, seventh-grade students must have a dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine and one dose of tetanus diphtheria and acellular pertussis, or Tdap, vaccine, according to the state Department of Health. The Tdap is required if five years have passed since the last vaccine. Additionally, if children have never had chickenpox, a second vaccine is required.

An eight-month provisional period started from the first day of school in each district as of last year. It is up to the individual school districts to decide if they want to admit students who are not current on their vaccines.

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett announced recently that the state has been selected to take part in the National Foundation for Governor’s Fitness Councils’ National Champion School campaign.

According to a news release, the foundation will select three schools in Pennsylvania to receive state-of –the art fitness centers.

Any public and charter elementary and middle schools can participate in the contest and the winners will be chosen based on their commitment to student body physical fitness and wellness.

This past week had more than its share of school bus accidents in the US: in Indiana, the driver of a bus hit an overpass without braking; in Washington, a bus rolled over after it went off the road; in Ohio, a bus rolled over onto its right side into a ditch. Here in Schuylkill County we had our own bus accident when a driver failed to follow a right curve and went off the road, striking an embankment. According to the RepublicanHerald.com, the driver will receive a citation for failure to drive on roadways laned for traffic.We’re happy to report that there were no students on the bus at the time of the accident that happened in Butler Township. Also, the driver was not injured. The bus was on its way to pick up students when the driver said she swerved to miss an animal. Staff from our law offices have children who travel by bus to schools within the North Schuylkill School District, so this story especially hit home for us.

These accidents have also raised concerns about school bus safety, according to an article on the Huffington Post. Federal law requires seat belts on school buses weighing less than 10,000 pounds, but 80 percent of the nation’s school buses don’t fall into that category. Only six states (New York, New Jersey, California, Florida, Texas, and Louisiana) have laws that require seat belts on school buses.

The article also notes that seat belts aren’t the only safety issues on school buses. It can be difficult for bus drivers to steer the bus and monitor children’s behavior. But it is the driver’s responsibility to report misbehavior to the school. The article said when school districts own a fleet of buses and the drivers are district employees, they are usually better screened, supervised, and monitored than if the district contracts with a private company for buses and drivers. If you believe a bus driver is engaging in dangerous or suspicious behavior, report it to the school district immediately. Or, if your child tells you about misbehavior on the bus, report it to the principal, as it can be a potentially dangerous situation for all those riding on the bus.

Gov. Tom Corbett signed House Bill 934 into law Wednesday, requiring all Pennsylvania residents to produce photo identification when they vote.

Gov. Corbett said in a news release he signed the bill because it protects the principal of one person, one vote and sets a standard to protect the integrity of elections.

The law goes into effect immediately, but the photo ID will not be required for next month’s primary election. It will be required for November’s general election.