Pennsylvania Injury Attorneys Blog

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with The Pampered Chef, of Addison, Ill., announced Dec. 20 the voluntary recall of ice cream dippers manufactured by The Zeroll Company, Fort Pierce, Fla.

According to CPSC, when the liquid filled ice cream scoop is exposed to warm water, the cap and seal at the end of the scoop handle can fly off with substantial force, posing an impact hazard to anyone nearby.

The Pampered Chef received 16 reports including damage to kitchen items and six reports of personal injuries including lacerations, bruises and redness caused by caps coming off the base of the handle.

Pennsylvania’s Attorney General Linda Kelly cautioned consumers in a recent news release to be wary of aggressive financial scams involving calls or electronic messages from criminals who pretend to be family members in need of assistance, especially during the holidays.

“The holiday season is a popular time for distant family members to reach out and connect with loved ones and some scam artists are trying to twist that to their advantage,” Kelly said in the news release. “A call, email or text message for help from someone claiming to be a relative in need can be used to convince potential victims to act quickly, sending money without carefully evaluating the situation.”

Kelly said the telephone scams often target older residents, with callers often claiming to be grandchildren. Internet scams typically target younger victims, often using hijacked Facebook or email accounts to solicit help from “friends.”

The Associated Press has reported that an out of control tractor trailer smashed into four cars and two houses in western Pennsylvania on Monday afternoon.

The truck flipped on its side and skidded about 50 yards before hitting the homes in Connellsville, Fayette County. Although a family of five was in one of the homes, no one was hurt but the truck driver, who was flown to a Pittsburgh hospital.

State police said that the truck driver faces several citations, including driving too fast for conditions.

Last week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released a study that said one in 20 drivers observed at any given moment is holding a mobile phone to his or her ear, and that almost one in 100 can be observed sending a text message to otherwise manipulating a digital device.

CNN.com reported about the study in a recent article. The NTSA said there is evidence that 3,092 deaths – one-tenth of all roadway fatalities last year – involved distracted drivers. In an effort to follow trends and focus research in the future, officials are new measurement of fatalities, called “distraction-affected crashes.” It will focus more narrowly “on crashes in which a driver was most likely to have been distracted.”

According to the NHTSA, eight states (California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Washington) as well as the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands ban driving while talking on a hand-held cell phone. Thirty-two states, the District of Columbia and Guam ban text messaging for all drivers.

Now is the time of year when influenza or “the flu” strikes.

The Pennsyvania Departments of Health and Aging are encouraging people to get flu shots and the week of Dec. 4 through 10 has been designated National Influenza Vacination Week when free flu vaccines are being offered across Pennsylvania to those who qualify.

The special week was established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to emphasize the importance of continuing influenza vaccination throughout the holiday season and into January.

The Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare is stepping up its efforts to stop Welfare fraud by creating an Office of Program Integrity.

Gary D. Alexander, state Secretary of Public Welfare announced recently that since January the department reviewed its processes in order to enforce and tighten rules and regulations.

“Preventing waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars is a top priority, and it is time for a culture change to instill and infuse integrity into the department’s programs and services,” Alexander said in a news release. “We have an obligation to the truly needy as well as to taxpayers. There is simply no room for any waste, fraud or abuse.”

State police are wrapping up their report of a fatal crash in New York state and have determined that the truck driver’s inattention caused the accident.

The crash happened last summer and involved a Canandian tour bus and a tractor trailer. The truck driver was killed and 30 of 52 passengers on the tour bus were injured.

According to an article on Syracuse.com, the primary contributing factor to the accident was driver inattention, or incapacity. State Police Investigator James Hunt said, “Either he fell asleep, or he was inattentive in some way. Maybe he spilled coffee on himself, or was reaching around in his sleeper berth to get something and he wasn’t paying attention and didn’t see or realize the bus was in the roadway up ahead of him.”

The Lebanon Daily News reported that an accident on I-78 on Sunday killed 2 people when a truck struck their vehicle.

The accident happened early Sunday morning near mile marker 16.4 in Bethel Township. The tractor-trailer stuck the back of the passenger vehicle, sending it off the roadway to the shoulder. No further details were given as police continue to investigate the crash.

While we wait for more information on this tragic accident, our thoughts and prayers go out to the family who lost their loved ones during the holiday. We caution all of our clients to be vigilant as they travel this holiday season. We are all too familiar with similar accidents where truck drivers have become too sleepy to drive due to long hours on the road, or have lost become distracted while driving. The best way to protect yourself and your family is to drive defensively and keep an eye out for fellow travelers over the road.

As deer season opens today in Pennsylvania, motorists are warned to keep an eye out for deer crossing roadways.

In an article on the RepublicanHerald.com, Cheryl Trewella, information an education supervisor with the Pennsylvania Game Commission Southeast Region, Reading, cautions, “Slow down a little bit this time of year. If you see one deer, assume there are more coming. Really try and keep that side vision.”

According to data from PennDOT, there were 52 crashes involving vehicles and deer in Schuylkill County last year, resulting in 13 injuries. In 2009, there were 36 crashes and eight injuries.

If you suffered damage during Hurricane Irene or Tropical Storm Lee, you may still qualify for help. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has extended the registration deadline to December 14.

“We’ve extended the registration deadline because the number of new registrations remains high and we want to ensure that everyone who needs to register and has not yet done so has the opportunity to register for assistance,” said FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Thomas J. McCool. “Our goal is to ensure that all eligible Irene and Lee survivors have ample time to seek disaster aid.”

Disaster assistance includes grants to help pay for temporary housing needs, essential home repairs and other disaster-related expenses not covered by insurance. Low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration are also available for homeowners, renters, and business owners to repair or replace property.