Pennsylvania Injury Attorneys Blog

Today begins the first official day of summer. And for many adults and children, it also means it’s time to hit the pool. But according to a new study in the journal Pediatrics, parents should be aware of the potential danger with portable swimming pools.

Portable pools include wading pools, inflatable pools, and soft-sided pools. According to an article on CNN.com, the study looked at deaths and injuries that occurred in portable swimming pools among children younger than age 12 in the United States. Between 2001 and 2009, 244 incidents were reported among that age group. The study found that 86%, or 209 cases, were fatal. And 94 percent of the incidents involved children younger than age 5. The article noted that incidents can occur in less than 2 feet of water.

When looking at portable pool submersion incidents, the study found that the cases increased 500% from 2001 to 2005, but that the injury rate held steady from 2005 to 2009.

In 2003, Pennsylvania abandoned its universal motorcycle helmet law, allowing riders over the age of 21 with two years experience or safety training to make the decision about wearing a helmet. But according to an article on NewsWorks.org, motorcycle accident deaths and head injuries have gone up. They noted that in 2008 there was a 32 percent increase in head injury deaths and a 42 percent increase in head injury-related hospitalizations. They also reported that there were 4016 motorcycles crashes in Pennsylvania in 2010 with 233 fatalities.

Democrat Dan Frankel is backing legislation that would mandate all riders to where helmets. There can be an enormous cost for care when someone suffers a head injury. Frankel feels that taxpayers end up paying the hospital bills for many riders who either don’t have health insurance or long-term care insurance. Dr. Guy Fried of Magee Rehabilitation in Philadelphia is quoted in the article as saying, “You can have a head injury where the person is comatose or in a vegetative state for the rest of their life. Or, you can have someone who is dazed and confused and needs quite a bit of rehabilitation to reorient them, or relearn how to walk or how to think.”

However, the article points out that many riders feel it is their choice whether they should wear a helmet or not. They feel police should do more to enforce the exisiting rules with young riders.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued new warnings about the cholesterol drug, Zocor. They caution that the highest dose of the drug can cause muscle damage and in rare cases kidney damage.

The warning applies to patients taking 80 milligrams, the highest dose of the drug. Patients who have been taking this dosage for more than a year without signs of injury can continue to do so. It is recommended that new patients should start on a lower dose.

Dr. Michael Rosenblatt, chief medical officer for Merck, the maker of Zocor, is quoted in an article on MSNBC.com as saying, “This is an important medicine for these patients because they are at the highest risk for heart disease. Patients shouldn’t stop taking this medicine on their own. They should talk to their doctor.”

Attorney O’Connor was featured in the May 25 edition of USA Today as one of the Legal Elite. Read more about it in the following article by Jonathan Widran.

“Michael J. O’Connor Returns to Pennsylvania to Become One of His Home State’s Top Workers’ Comp Attorneys”

When it came to pursuing his career in law, Michael J. O’Connor could have easily established himself as a high powered attorney in almost any area of expertise.

The DailyGazette.com of Schenectady, NY reported that a man and woman were killed when they were hit by a metal construction beam while riding a motorcyle.

A flatbed tractor-trailer carrying box bean guard rails stopped quickly and swerved to the left to avoid hitting motorcycles stopped on his side of the roadway. That caused an unsecured metal beam to swing out into the southbound lane, hitting and killing the motorcyle driver and his passenger, who were in the area for a motorcycle rally.

Police said there was no indication that excessive speed or alcohol were contributing factors in the crash. However, an investigation continues.

Our local paper, the RepublicanHerald, published an article on Wednesday about a tractor-trailer accident in the town of Shenandoah.

According to borough police, the truck was traveling south on Main Street and had its turn signal on to make a right onto West Centre Street. A driver and passenger in a Mitsubishi Galant were also heading south on Main Street in the right hand lane. According to the article, as the truck turned right, it struck the Galant, causing damage to the driver’s side and windshield and the passenger-side rear tire was pushed off its rim. There were no injuries.

Drive Safe PA states in their Safe Driving Facts that driver behavior accounts for more than 80 percent of all Pennsylvania crashes. They also note that because trucks are so long, they need to swing wide when making a tight right turn. Drive Safe PA cautions: Don’t be fooled by thinking you can squeeze by on the right. So when you are out on the road, pay attention to large trucks that are around you. We all need to share the road!

A New Jersy man was charged with death by auto when he ran into the back of a motorcycle, killing the motorcycle driver.

The motorcycle driver was a Pennsylvania man who was stopped at a light in the early morning hours on July 31, 2010. The driver of the auto claims that the motorcylce driver’s foot was off the brake, so that a small running light on the back of the bike was the only visible sign that he had stopped at the light.

According to NJ.com, the attorney for the driver of the car plans to recreate the conditions of the crash scene so an expert can determine the visibility on the road the night of the crash.

As we enter into summer, we’re reminded of the unfortunate accidents that can happen while our children are at play. This weekend the news reported 2 such accidents in neighboring states to Pennsylvania.

In New York, a heavy gust of wind appears to be the culprit in an accident that left 13 people injured, according to an article on CNN.com. As a soccer tournament was held in Long Island, 3 inflatable bounce houses floated away when wind blew across the field and sent them airborne. A Nassau County police officer is quoted in the article as saying, “Once they hit the ground, they began rolling and struck several people on the ground.”

One person who was about to enter the bounce house said her neck got hooked on a rope connected to the house. A total of 13 people were treated for minor injuries at local hospitals. Although there may not be any criminal charges, it is thought that there could be civil cases stemming from the accident.

WGAL.com reported a fatal accident on Monday involving a passenger car and two tractor trailers that took place on I-83 in Manchester Township, York County.

State police reported that a tractor trailer going northbound on I-83 merged into the left lane, forcing a Subaru that was already in the left lane into the concrete median. As the tractor trailer continued to merge left, the Subaru traveled up and over the median wall, and fell into oncoming traffic in the southbound lane. Another tractor trailer traveling in the southbound lane tried unsuccessfully to avoid the Subaru, and jack-knifed across both southbound lanes.

According to the article, state police believe the hood of the Subaru unlatched and flew back onto the windshield of the car, killing the driver.

As a law firm that maintains an active personal injury practice, we work hard to stay up-to-date on recent cases involving automobile and truck accidents where individuals who have been injured. We read a story that appeared on NJ.com this month where a woman was awarded a $600,000 settlement from Gloucester County because of a severe car accident in which she lost her near-term fetus.

The accident occurred nearly six years ago, when a tractor-trailer went through a stop sign, striking the woman’s car. The truck driver claimed that a storm the night before caused branches and sagging leaves to block the sign from view. However, a township police officer noticed the obstructed stop sign two weeks before the accident and had contacted the county about it. The county solicitor, Matt Lyons, said testimony from police indicated that shortly before the accident, the stop sign was no longer blocked.

In addition to losing her 8-month-old fetus, the woman suffered a punctured lung and a broken ankle. She sued the county, East Greenwich Township, the driver of the truck, the trucking company, and the owner of the property at the intersection where the accident occurred.