Personal injury

80-vehicle pileup in Pennsylvania caused by snow squall

Published on: April 5, 2022 | O'Connor Law

We urge anyone who was involved in this accident to contact our office immediately to protect your rights. Having a good car accident attorney on your side is essential to making sure your medical bills, lost wages, and any other damages are covered.

Recently, there was a major crash on Interstate 81 near Minersville, Pennsylvania. According to the police, 80 vehicles were involved in the crash — 39 commercial and 41 passenger vehicles. Six people were killed in the crash. Twenty-four people were injured and then later taken to local hospitals.

The pile-up began around 10:30 a.m. as a snow squall — an intense short-lived burst of heavy snowfall that leads to a quick reduction in visibilities and is often accompanied by gusty winds— blinded drivers, which led to the severe crash and pileup. Three tractor trailers caught fire and at least two other small fires were reported.

The Benefits of Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney

Published on: September 17, 2021 | O'Connor Law

There are numerous benefits to hiring a personal injury attorney. When individuals are injured and unable to manage their claims by themselves or are in need of additional assistance, attorneys will be able to help. At O’Connor Law, we have personal injury attorneys that have years of expertise in the practice area. To receive a free consultation of your case, call our office at 800-518-4LAW to talk to one of our personal injury attorneys.

Knowledge about Legal Laws and Processes

Filing an application and claim is a very extensive process that requires specific information. This can be a difficult task for people to conduct by themselves while recovering from injuries. Personal injury attorneys specialize in this type of practice area and can help clients receive the benefits that they deserve. With years of experience, our attorneys have gained expert knowledge of numerous types of personal injury cases. From statues of limitations to medical examinations, attorneys will make sure that applicants provide sufficient information that is required to receive benefits efficiently.

Gilberton Seeks Compensation from PennDOT

Published on: July 29, 2020 | O'Connor Law

Last month, Schuylkill County and the surrounding areas experienced an unusual and plentiful amount of rain; however, one small borough received a little more than most. With a population of just over 700 people, the main street of Gilberton was transformed into a river of eight feet of water. Since the water levels were progressively rising, multiple people had to evacuate their homes into boats to get to safety.

Officials reported that the peculiar amount of water was partially the result of construction and clogged drainage pipes on a bridge in the town. They believe that the bridge and its piping system was unable to contain the rushing waters of the Mahanoy Creek, which caused Main Street to flood. Gilberton’s drainage and piping system was severely damaged. Eventually, six pumps from New Jersey were used in draining the water levels and are currently serving as the primary way to move water through the town. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), an agency that supervises issues of transportation for the state, was working on construction for the bridge before the flooding occurred.

Local towns and organizations partnered together to supply the residents of Gilberton with life essentials, such as food, water, and clothing. Organizations, such as veteran groups and Boy Scouts, and businesses, like Lowe’s and Advanced Auto, have donated to the relief fund. Only 3 miles away, Girardville, another small community, donated cleaning supplies to help people restore and disinfect their homes. Items included gloves and cleaners, along with clothes, rags, and non-perishable food. The mayor and residents of Gilberton started a donation drive for the families of the damaged homes. They expect that the town will need a substantial amount of financial help in order to restore the town’s water system and appearance.

Tik Tok Trend Presents Danger To Participants

Published on: May 12, 2020 | O'Connor Law

Social media has created online communities, and continues to drive online communication. As this process occurs, the media adapts. The newest adaptation in this trend is an app known as “Tik Tok”. The app, which was started in China in 2016, launched in the United States in 2018 and has become an enormous hit with the country’s youth. As with the social media of the past and present, Tik Tok trends have become prevalent. Their flagship trend is called a “challenge”. During Tik Tok Challenges, the participants attempt to recreate previous videos made by other users. They all share the same general actions, music, dances, etc.

The newest, and most dangerous Challenge is titled “The Skull Breaker Challenge”. This consists of three individuals standing side by side. As the middle participant jumps into the air, the two outside participants kick the legs out from underneath him/her. As you may predict, this challenge has caused head, neck, and back injuries to many of its participants, which is how it received its charming name. Some of these injuries have been severe, causing serious complications.

While Tik Tok has requested its users not participate in dangerous challenges like The Skull Breaker Challenge, their requests have largely gone ignored. With COVID-19’s impacts driving online activity through the roof, Tik Tok users have continued to churn out these dangerous videos.

Vaping and Juuling

Published on: November 4, 2019 | O'Connor Law

Cigarettes, once a staple in American society and culture, reached a record low 14% usage rating among adults in 2017, according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). For comparison, at the height of U.S. adult usage, the CDC reported 42.4% of adults smoked. Many factors play into this decline, but perhaps the most relevant is the emergence of e-cigarettes or “vapes”.

Vapes, or vaporizers, act as an alternative nicotine option to cigarettes and chewing tobacco. They work as follows: 1.) A sensor in the device acknowledges an inhalation 2.) The sensor triggers a vaporizing device that heats up the nicotine-containing flavored liquid to such an extreme temperature, it turns into vaporized smoke 3.) The smoker extracts and inhales the vaporized smoke through a mouth piece.

There has been an immense amount of controversy surrounding the flavored liquids; those who oppose them argue that companies like San Francisco-based Juul, and their flavors, target minors and young people. Juul, who named its vaporizing device “juul” as well, made headlines recently when it pulled its tasty flavors, limiting its production to just “Virginia Tobacco, Classic Tobacco, Mint, and Menthol”.

Children’s Scooter Recall is a Deal-“Braker”

Published on: October 24, 2019 | O'Connor Law

Once thought to be a fad of the late 1990s and early 2000s, “scooting”, or the act of riding a scooter, has once again become popular among young teens. It’s also become a popular mode of transportation in cities among business professionals, tourists, and citizens alike. All summer, rural and urban communities alike saw an influx of rentable and purchasable scooters being ridden around their communities, creating yet another obstacle for pedestrians and motorists. Because of the popularity of scooters, manufacturers have increased production; this increase has resulted in a manufacturer’s recall for a particular model.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that fluidfreeride, the maker of popular kids’ scooters, began recalling their Mercane WideWheel electric kick scooter, due to hazardous malfunctions of the brake caliper, on October 4^th, 2019. When this malfunction occurs, riders have been found to lose the ability to brake, lose control of their scooter, and suffer injuries. The injuries reported thus far include flesh wounds, deep bodily bruises, and lower body sprains.

The problematic scooters were manufactured in China and sold online at fluidfreeride.com, Amazon.com, and ebay.com for $1,000 to $1,200. Fluidfreeride has decided to remedy the situation by offering to repair all scooters free of charge. If you or someone you know has a fluidfreeride scooter, you should immediately stop using it and check to see if yours is one that’s been recalled. Telltale signs include: scooter is foldable and electric, has “WideWheel” and “Mercane” printed on its platform, made of gray aluminum alloy, and includes a single 500W motor with an 8.8Ah battery or dual 500W motors with a 13.2Ah battery.

Distracted Driving Citations on the Rise in Pennsylvania

Published on: April 12, 2018 | O'Connor Law

Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of avoidable motor vehicle accidents. The most common form of distraction behind the wheel is cell-phone use while driving. This is why so many states have enacted laws to cite those that drive while using their cell phone in a hope to decrease distracted driving accidents.

From 2016 to 2017, distracted driving-related citations increased by 52% in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania law enforcement officials issued 5,054 distracted driving citations in 2017, up from 3,336 citations in 2016. 15,542 citations have been issued in Pennsylvania since 2013.

According to the NHTSA, 3,477 people were killed and 391,000 were injured in crashes involving distracted drivers in 2015. They estimate that around 660,000 drivers are using an electronic device while driving daily.

Study Shows Rear-Facing Car Seats are Safe in Rear-End Crashes

Published on: April 5, 2018 | O'Connor Law

Previous studies have shown that properly installed rear-facing car seats will protect children in front end and side impact accidents. However, a new study performed at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center shows that rear-facing car seats are also effective in protecting children in a rear end accident.

According to the university, the research team performed crash tests with multiple rear-facing car seats and found all the seats were effective in absorbing the force of the crash and controlling the child when properly installed. The study was authored by Julie Mansfield who is a Research Engineer for the Injury Biomechanics Research Center at The Ohio State University College of Medicine.

Pennsylvania law requires that children under the age of 2 must be secured in a rear-facing car seat until the child outgrows the maximum weight and height limits designated by the car seat manufacturer.

Self-Driving Car Involved in Fatal Accident in Arizona

Published on: March 29, 2018 | O'Connor Law

A 49 year old woman was fatally hit, while crossing the street by a self-driving Uber vehicle in Tempe, Arizona earlier this month. The crash happened around 10 p.m. Sunday March 18^thnear Mill Avenue and Curry Road. This incident is believed to be the first pedestrian death involving an autonomous or self-driving vehicle.

The vehicle was a Volvo that was in autonomous mode when the accident happened. It did however have a backup driver behind the wheel, which is common for Uber in case the vehicle has to be taken out of self-driving mode. The victim was walking her bike across the street when she was struck by the vehicle and suffered fatal injuries. The vehicle captured a video that Tempe police released that shows the moments before the pedestrian was struck. According to the police, the vehicle was going 40 miles an hour in a 45-mile-an-hour zone and it did not slow down before impact.

Police in Tempe and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident. This incident adds to the ongoing debate of the safety and feasibility of autonomous vehicles and how close they are to becoming more common on the roadways.

Designate a Sober Driver this St. Patrick’s Day

Published on: March 14, 2018 | O'Connor Law

Most holidays, alcohol consumption increases for many people. St. Patrick’s Day is one of the holidays where alcohol consumption is at its highest level. This also makes it one of the deadliest times of year on the roadways. This is because many individuals make the unfortunate decision to get behind the wheel after drinking. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are promoting their annual campaign to avoid the dangers of driving impaired as part of a national Saint Patrick’s Day “Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving.”

The NHTSA reports that drinking and driving account for nearly 1/3 of vehicle fatalities in the United States. NHTSA also reports that St. Patrick’s Day is one of the deadliest holidays on our nation’s roads.

PennDOT data shows there were 28 alcohol related motor vehicle accidents on Saint Patrick’s Day in 2017. That was an increase from 26 in 2016 and 23 in 2015. size0