Pennsylvania Personal Injury Blog

One center city SEPTA bus killed a woman and another seriously injured a man in a wheelchair this week, according to a Philadelphia Daily News report. The 2 SEPTA bus accidents are currently under investigation. Angelina Conti, 74, of Porter Street, was running errands when she was struck by the bus at Broad and Oregon Avenue. She was rushed to the hospital with severe head trauma and died 2 days later.

Three hours before Conti passed away, a SEPTA bus struck and seriously injured a man in a wheelchair on 8th Street.

A SEPTA spokesperson said Conti was walking across Broad Street when she was hit by the bus as it turned onto North Broad. She was well within the crosswalk and officials do not know why the fatal Philadelphia bus accident occurred.

In the other incident, according to police, the Route 47 bus turned onto 8th Street from Girard Avenue just as Donald Jones, 47, rolled his wheelchair into the crosswalk.
One witness said he watched in horror as Jones was dragged screaming down the street. His legs and wheelchair were crushed under the weight of the bus. He was treated for injuries at a nearby hospital. SEPTA officials said that neither the driver nor the victim saw each other because of trucks parked near the corner. The officials also said the victims both had the right of way when they were hit.

Continue reading " Philadephia Bus Accident Victims Had Right of Way " »

Shortly before midnight on Saturday, September 20th a two alarm fire broke out in a Coatesville home, approximately 30 minutes west of Philadelphia. According to a CBS3.com news report, the home was engulfed in flames by the time the firefighters arrived on the scene.

Firefighters were able to rescue 2 adults from the blaze, but 3 children perished in the flames. Police did not release the names of the victims, but Red Cross spokeswoman Helen Blue said they were all boys, ages 3, 4 and 11. The blaze was extinguished shortly before 2 a.m. Sunday, police said. The cause has not been determined.

According to the CDC Deaths from fires and burns are the fifth most common cause of unintentional injury deaths in the United States (CDC 2005) and the third leading cause of fatal home injury (Runyan 2004). Children under the age of 4, the elderly, and low-income Americans are all especially susceptible to being killed in a fire. While smoking and cooking are the two greatest home fire starters, it is actually the inhalation of smoke or toxic gases that kills most fire victims, not the burn injuries.

Continue reading " Coatesville, Pennsylvania Fire Kills 3 Children " »

Over the past 6 years, 114 prostate-cancer patients at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center may have been given radiation doses below what was prescribed. According to an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, these men were undergoing brachytherapy, where radioactive rods or seeds were implanted in or around the prostate to destroy cancer cells. Two patients have since died. Many patients who undergo this type of treatment are those with a low-risk prostate cancer. A hospital spokesperson told officials they are conducting an investigation to find out if hospital negligence contributed to the errors.

According to Dr. Eric Horwitz, clinical director of the radiation/oncology department at Fox Chase Cancer Center, the worst case scenerio is that the patients’ cancer was not adequately treated, and it never went away or came back.

Officials are also investigating a separate incident at the VA Medical Center where patients had blood drawn without their consent and were placed in a research study. Marc Holmes, an Air Force Veteran, was one of 6 patients who had his blood drawn and then placed in a study without his knowledge. The hospital later claimed they were conducting a study on Warfarin Dosing and it was approved by the hospital institutional review board as a “noninvasive, retrospective view of records.” Because this study did not receive federal funding, the rules for conducting the study were not as strict. However, according to bioethics Professor Jon Merz of the University of Pennsylvania, ethical lines were crossed.

Spokesmen for the hospital claimed that the 2 incidents are unrelated and caregivers are taking steps to fix both problems. However, the VA is being questioned on its current quality control issues.

Medical malpractice and hospital negligence are serious and distressing situations. Cherry Fieger and Marciano, LLP are experienced Philadelphia PA medical malpractice attorneys. If you feel you or a loved one has been the victim of medical malpractice, please call for a free consulation. Our Pennsylvania personal injury lawyers will answer your questions and/or put you on a list to update you with information.