Pennsylvania Injury Attorneys Blog

Beginning Nov. 1, Pennsylvania residents having trouble heating their homes may not have to chose between food or fuel this winter.

The federally –funded Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, known as LIHEAP, offers cash grants to pay heating bills and are sent directly to the family’s utility company to offset costs.

Crisis grants are also available to families who may be in danger of being without heat and may be used to buy fuel or repair heating equipment.

Here’s a scary statistic: About 12 million Americans, roughly 4% of the population, suffer from food allergies. And according to a study in the journal Pediatrics, about 8% of children under 18 in the US have at least one food allergy.

To keep your Halloween festivities fun, an article on CNN.com has some suggestions for parents of trick or treaters:

If your children do have food allergies, check to make sure your medicine is up-to-date before leaving the house. If you carry an epinephrine auto-injector to treat anaphylactic shock, they typically expire within one year.

They may enhance your Halloween costume, but contact lenses sold without a prescription may pose serious health risks.

According to a statement issued recently by the Pennsylvania Department Health, contact lenses sold at flea markets, Halloween specialty stores, online and other outlets can cause damage from improper fit if not dispensed from a trained and licensed health care professional.

“Every eye has its own unique shape and curvature and many of these decorative lenses lack proper instruction for use,” state Department of Health Secretary Dr. Eli N. Avila said in the agency warning.

The staff of O’Connor Law took advantage of the warm autumn weather recently, taking a hike along the Broad Mountain.

Led by “Porcupine Pat” McKinney, Education Coordinator for the Schuylkill County Conservation District, the group walked several miles enjoying some of the beautiful scenery of Schuylkill County.

The hiking tour began at the State Game Lands entrance on Route 61 just north of Saint Clair and traveled along the former Reading and Philadelphia railroad lines.

The Social Security Administration announced Oct. 19 benefit recipients will receive a 3.6 percent cost of living adjustment.

This is the first time since 2009 that monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income has been raised.

The adjustment will be seen beginning with Social Security benefits received in Jan. 2012 and SSI benefits received Dec. 30, 2011.

In an article on Parenting.com, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is urging parents to discontinue the use of bumper pads in infant cribs.

The recommendations were issued as part of an update and expanded set of guidelines on safe sleep and SIDS prevention for babies. This is the first time that the APP has officially come out against the use of crib bumpers.

According to the article, the AAP says that although there is no evidence that crib bumpers protect against injury, they may cause suffocation, strangulation, or entrapment if an infant’s breathing becomes obstructed by rolling into a bumper.

Earlier this week, an accident involving a tractor-trailer and a van closed 35 miles of the southbound lane of the New Jersey Turnpike for nearly 5 hours.

An investigation into the crash is underway. It reportedly involved a tractor trailer that rear-ended a van towing canoes just south of Interchange 1, the exit for the Delaware Memorial Bridge. Officials closed the southbounds lanes from there to Interchange 4, Mount Laurel. The accident occurred around 2:30 AM.

The truck driver was not injured, but state troopers performed CPR on the van’s driver. She was flown to a hospital in stable condition.

It’s hard to believe that this Sunday is the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on our country. But so many of us remember all too clearly that tragic day when nearly 3,000 lives were lost in the destruction of the Twin Towers, the attack on the Pentagon, and the plane crash in Western Pennsylvania. And we remember the heroic efforts of the firefighters, police officers, and emergency responders who sacrificed their own lives to save others. The heart-wrenching stories of loss and survival are ones that we still remember and must never forget.

So this Sunday, we join with all those across our country and around the world as we watch the National September 11 Memorial rise from the ashes of the World Trade Center site. And we ask you to join with the staff of O’Connor Law as we remember those who perished on 9/11/2001, as well as their families.

United we stand, together in memory. We must never forget!

With a flood warning still in effect and a disaster emergency declared for our county, we hope that everyone is taking precautions as rain continues to fall. We found these tips on Flood Safety that were provided by FEMA.gov and NOAA.gov that we thought we’d pass along to you.

1. Flash floods can come rapidly and unexpectedly. They can occur within a few minutes or hours of excessive rainfall, or when a dam or levee fails and even a sudden release of water held by an ice or debris jam. Be cautious during storm seasons, or any time that flooding is common in your area.
2. You may not have warning that a flash flood is approaching.

In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, a Latino art exhibit titled “From the Heart of Latino Art” is being held at Googleworks Center for the Arts in Reading, PA.

Over 70 works of art created by Hispanic artists from Berks County will be on display now through the end of September.

In an article on WFMZ.com, photographer Lizette Mendez explained that a medical missionary trip to Honduras served as the inspiration for her photography. “Trying to allow the person who sees my photos to see what I saw at that moment. To be able to capture it in a way where they can walk away from that photo and say wow that was pretty deep,” says Mendez.