Pennsylvania Personal Injury Blog

The parents of an 18-year-old boy who suffered a brain injury in a 2007 snowboarding accident say his doctors “intentionally killed” him to harvest his organs. According to an article that appeared on www.abcnews.com, Michael and Teresa Jacobs of Ohio filed a lawsuit in March in the U.S. District Court of Western Pennsylvania, claiming that doctors “hastened” their son Gregory’s death by delaying treatment and ultimately pulling his breathing tube.

Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs said their son had not been formally declared brain dead when surgeons began the transplant procedure and are seeking $5 million in damages.

The medical malpractice lawsuit in Pennsylvania said that he would have lived, or, at the very least, his life would have been prolonged. The family claims that if their son had been properly treated, he would have had a chance of substantial recovery.

They have charged doctors at Hamot Medical Center in Erie, Pa., and a representative of the Center for Organ Recovery and Education (CORE) in Pittsburgh.

The Hamot Medical Center and the organ center maintained that the treatment administered was “timely, appropriate and well-documented.”

The suit also alleges that the Center for Organ Recovery and Education benefited by obtaining Gregory Jacobs’ organs “for transfer and sale to other individuals, who then paid money, a portion of which went to CORE, for the wrongful procurement of the organs.”

It also alleges that Mr. Jacobs was pressured into signing a do-not-resuscitate order and authorizing the organ transplant. The teen's heart, liver, and kidney were donated.

Continue reading " Parents' Hospital Lawsuit Says Teen was "Killed" for Organs " »

A worker was injured after an explosion at a plant in Maryland earlier this month. According to an article in USA Today, the explosion happened on April 6 at the Tobacco Tech in Skykesville, MD.

Maryland Police said that the lid of a tank used to make tobacco flavoring blew off and fluid and vapors were expelled. A worker who fled the scene fell and hit his face on the concrete floor. He was pulled to safety by the plant manager and another worker and then flown to Shock Trauma.

The tobacco plant worker is entitled to workers’ compensation benefits through his employer, Tobacco Tech. These benefits often are inadequate and may not be enough to cover a worker and his family, especially if the incident involves serious injuries that could keep the worker away from his/her job for a long time. It may be in the worker’s best interest, however, to also contact an experienced worker’s compensation attorney who can carefully examine the incident to identify any negligence or wrongdoing.

An experienced attorney would also look into a “third party claim.” These are claims that are filed against parties that are not the worker’s employer. It could be a contractor, a sub-contractor, or even the manufacturer of a defective product. If it is determined that one of those parties was responsible for the accident and any injuries, then they could be held liable.

Continue reading " Worker Injured at Tobacco Plant " »

A former plant manager for a Warren County, NJ pipe company was sentenced to prison for a conspiracy to violate environmental rules and compromise worker safety.

According to an article by the Associated Press on Philly.com, John Prisque, of Bethlehem, Pa was sentenced this week in U.S. District Court in Trenton to a 70-month term.

Four other employees of Atlantic States Cast Iron Pipe Co. also face sentencing.

Prisque was convicted of obstructing a federal investigation and violating clean air and water regulations.

Atlantic States was convicted of polluting the Delaware River in addition to lying to investigators about safety conditions at its Phillipsburg plant where one worker was killed and several others suffered serious injuries.

The Atlantic States workers who were killed or injured at work in Pennsylvania are entitled to Workers Compensation benefits through their employer. These benefits often are inadequate and may not be enough to cover a worker and his family, especially if the incident involves serious injuries that could keep the worker away from his or her job for a long time. It may be in the best interest of the workers and their families, however, to also contact an experienced worker’s compensation attorney who can carefully examine the incidents to identify any negligence or wrongdoing.

Continue reading " Worker Safety Compromised by Manager at New Jersey Pipe Plant " »

A LaSalle County, Illinois jury awarded $1 million to Jack Hughes Sr., a Tonica, Il. man who sued an orthopedic surgeon for medical malpractice for mishandling his knee surgery.

According to an article in USA Today, Hughes sued Dr. Mark Kelley of Peru for allegedly being negligent in performing a total knee replacement that required seven surgeries over 2 years.

Dr. Kelley argued that a prosthetic device used in the initial surgery was appropriate. According to the article, Hughes was unable to return to his job as a vocational automotive instructor at Streator Township High School because of a chronic pain syndrome.

When a patient has been treated with substandard care by a doctor or healthcare provider and has suffered an injury or disability as a result, the patient has been the victim of medical malpractice. Misdiagnosis, failure to diagnose, surgical errors, prescription drug errors, failure to treat diseases, delay in treatment, negligence, and birth injury in Pennsylvania are just a few examples of medical malpractice. People of all ages are at risk for medical malpractice, including children, adults, and the elderly.

Continue reading " Man Awarded $1 Million for Doctor Error " »

A Scott County, Iowa jury awarded more than $7 million to a Wisconsin man who fell three stories in a construction accident.

According to an article that appeared in USA Today, Allen Frohne was a sub-contractor who had been doing gutter work at a Holiday Inn Express in Leclaire, Iowa in 2005. The hotel was under construction at the time. Frohne fell when a lift tipped over and he suffered permanent injuries.

The award was made against Leclaire Hotel Group, LLC and Gibbs Construction.

Any worker who has sustained an injury arising out of and in the course of their employment has a potential PA workers’ compensation claim. The injury can occur while traveling on business, doing a work-related errand, attending a required business-related social function, or even while on a break or using restroom facilities and you are still legally covered by workers compensation.

Workers compensation benefits often are inadequate and may not be enough to cover a worker and his family, especially if the incident involves serious injuries that could keep the worker away from his/her job for a long time. It may be in the worker’s and their family’s best interest, however, to also contact an experienced worker’s compensation attorney in Philadelphia who will carefully examine the incident to identify any negligence or wrongdoing.

Continue reading " Injured Worker Awarded $7 Million by Jury " »

On April 6, 2009, a federal appeals court ruled that a Michigan hospital can be sued for medical malpractice for releasing a man who killed his estranged wife with an ax 10 days later.

According to this Associated Press article that appeared on Philly.com, this decision reinstates a lawsuit filed by the estate of Marie Moses Irons against Providence Hospital.

The 3-judge panel cited a federal law that requires hospitals to stabilize patients if an emergency condition exists and said that it applies to “any individual” who suffers personal harm.

When a patient has been treated with substandard care by a doctor or healthcare provider and has suffered an injury or disability as a result, the patient has been the victim of medical malpractice. Misdiagnosis, failure to diagnose, surgical errors, prescription drug errors, birth injuries, failure to treat diseases, delay in treatment, and negligence are just a few examples of medical malpractice. People of all ages are at risk for medical malpractice, including children, adults, and the elderly.

Marie Moses Irons brought her husband, Christopher Howard, into the Emergency Room at Providence Hospital in December 2002 because he was physically ill, making threats, and showing signs of mental illness.

Although a doctor recommended that Howard be transferred to a unit for the mentally ill, the transfer never occurred. Howard eventually was discharged and 10 days after he was released, he murdered Irons while she slept at her home. Howard is now serving a life sentence for first-degree murder.

Continue reading " Estate Can Sue Hospital that Discharged Killer " »

An explosion at a chemical plant near St. Louis, MO left a worker badly burned and the plant damaged.

According to this article by the Associated Press on Philly.com, the explosion happened on April 12 at the SantoLubes LLC plant. It occurred in a building that housed different chemicals to produce insecticides after workers began a mixing process.

The injured worker was hospitalized and has burns over 30% of his body.

Like any worker who has sustained an injury arising out of and in the course of their employment, this chemical plant worker has a potential workers’ compensation claim. A workplace accident in Philadelphia and throughout the nation can occur while traveling on business, doing a work-related errand, attending a required business-related social function, or even while on a break or using restroom facilities and you are still legally covered by workers compensation.

It is required that every company in Pennsylvania carry Worker’s Compensation Insurance in the case an employee is injured on the job, becomes ill due to circumstances surrounding their job, or even if death results from their job. Benefits can include medical expenses, lost wages and death benefits. Workers’ compensation exists both as a way to benefit injured workers and as a way to protect employers. Workers’ compensation in Pennsylvania is a no-fault insurance system, which means that no guilt needs to be proved in a case; only that the injury sustained occurred while on the job.

Continue reading " Worker Injured by Blast at Chemical Plant " »

A New Jersey family injured in a head-on car crash in 2006 was awarded more than $17 million by an Ocean County jury in a civil trial. According to an article, Jennifer Roden, her husband, Alvin, and their three young children were driving to a car dealership in August 2006 when another car crossed over the center line on Route 9 in Tuckerton, NJ and struck them.

All three children were hurt. One suffered a spinal injury that left her with permanent leg paralysis.

The other driver, Corey Clifford, was on his way home to Little Egg Harbor, NJ. He wasn’t criminally charged.

Every day throughout the country families are devastated when innocent loved ones are injured or even die as the result of traffic accidents.

The aggressive and experienced Philadelphia auto accident attorneys at Cherry, Fieger and Marciano, LLP, represent clients who have been seriously injured in motor vehicle accidents throughout the state of Pennsylvania. They have the skills and knowledge necessary to represent clients involved in even the most complex car accident cases.

Continue reading " $17 Million Awarded to Family Injured in NJ Car Crash " »

Bristol Township police officers Michael Egan and Mark Buzby suffered debilitating leg injuries on Aug. 27, 2005. They were severely injured by a drunken and uninsured driver and then cheated out of insurance benefits by their own township manager and three insurance company employees. Egan and Buzby were entitled to Workers’ compensation benefits. However, in many Pennsylvania workers compensation cases, workers and their families do not receive adequate compensation for any lost income. In such cases, a skilled Pennsylvania personal injury lawyer will be able to look into whether there are any “third-party claims.”

According to this article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the officers had been investigating an accident on Route 13 in PA when the drunken and uninsured driver struck them. Egan had to have one of his legs amputated and Buzby underwent at least 18 operations. Now, both officers can perform only light administrative work.

The officers sought uninsured motorist liability benefits from the township, but were denied.

They were told the township had turned down such coverage before the accident, and were shown rejection documents to prove it.

Suing a third party in Philadelphia could include a party or entity other than an employer, such the bar who served the driver who hit the officers. If that bar knowingly served him alcohol while he was intoxicated, they could be held liable for the injuries he caused after he got into his car.

According to the article, the documents had been fabricated and backdated to deny the officers benefits. A Bucks County grand jury found a former Township Manager and three USI-Mid-Atlantic employees (Bristol’s insurance broker) guilty of forgery, tampering with public records, and other crimes.

Continue reading " Bristol Township Police Officers Injured On-the-Job, Cheated Out of Benefits " »

On March 25, Philadelphia City Council members and community groups held a conference to urge the city’s law department to take action against CVS drugstore for repeatedly selling expired products.

According to this article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the State of New York sued CVS in December over the chain’s sale of expired products and California is in the process of suing the drugstore. The purpose of the press conference on the 25th was to seek help from the city. Philadelphia council members want to encourage the city solicitor to follow the similar legal actions of those two states.

Council members are willing to take necessary legislative action including fines for the sale of expired medicines causing adverse drug reactions in Pennsylvania.

The conference had a display of 36 expired items bought at 15 CVS drugstores around Philadelphia from January to March. They included over-the-counter medications and infant formula to dairy products.

Allergy tablets had expired over a year before purchase and an infant’s gas relief medicine was close to two year’s outdated.

According to one of the Councilmen, legal action is needed to protect the community from the dangerous products in Pennsylvania sold at CVS drugstores. Citizens are at risk.

Continue reading " Philadelphia Seeks Action against CVS for Selling Expired Products " »

About 5,000 people in northeastern Pennsylvania were evacuated on March 21 after a tanker truck carrying more than 16 tons of hydrofluoric acid overturned near Wind Gap, PA. According to this article in the Delaware County Times, hazardous material teams managed to stop the slowly dripping liquid.

Hydrofluoric acid in low doses can irritate the eyes, nose, and respiratory tract. Inhalation can be fatal and those who have suffered similar injuries would be advised to contact a skilled Pennsylvania environmental toxins attorney after seeking medical treatment.

The driver was treated for injuries and released.

Anyone who may have suffered a serious injury due to the chemical spill would be well advised to speak to Philadelphia's top personal injury attorneys. When someone is determined to be legally responsible for injuring someone else, they are liable for the injury, and may be made to pay the injured person compensatory damages.

Continue reading " Pennsylvania Chemical Spill Results in Evacuation of 5,000 People " »

For the second time in less than a year, a carbon monoxide leak at the Superfresh in Havertown, PA on March 30 caused the evacuation of 26 employees. According to this article in the Delaware County Times, three of the employees were hospitalized as a result of their workplace injury in Pennsylvania.

In August 2008, 32 people were hospitalized after an elderly woman collapsed. Authorities found carbon monoxide poisoning coming from a malfunctioning bakery oven.

The supermarket was evacuated in the early a.m. of the 30th and sealed off for a couple hours as paramedics ascertained the condition of employees. Three store employees have elevated counts of carbon monoxide poisoning. According to the article, the cause of the leak was a malfunctioning exhaust fan in the bakery area of the store.

Many of the nearby stores in the shopping center were also closed and employees were prevented from entering.

Any worker who has sustained an injury arising out of and in the course of their employment has a potential workers’ compensation claim. A Philadelphia personal injury or work related accident can occur while traveling on business, doing a work-related errand, attending a required business-related social function, or even while on a break or using restroom facilities and you are still legally covered by workers compensation.

Continue reading " Pennsylvania Superfresh Employees Hospitalized after Carbon Monoxide Leak " »

Caraco Pharmaceutical Laboratories Ltd. is recalling all lots of Digoxin tablets because the defective product in Pennsylvania and throughout the nation might vary in size and deliver different doses of the drug.

According to an article that appeared on FoxBusiness.com on March 31, there have been “several adverse events” linked to the recalled heart medication. The adverse events include complaints reported by patients about side effects and may or may not be attributable to the product. So far there have been no reported deaths.

Digoxin is a prescription drug used to treat heart failure and abnormal heart rhythms. A higher than labeled dose might pose a risk of toxicity in patients with renal failure. According to the company, this can cause nausea, vomiting, dizziness, low blood pressure, and cardiac instability. Excessive digoxin intake can result in Philly wrongful death. A lower than labeled dose could cause decreased drug effectiveness, possibly resulting in cardiac instability.

The recalled items include Caraco Digoxin, USP, 0.125 milligrams and Caraco Digoxin, USP, 0.25 milligrams.

People of all ages take prescription drugs, non-prescription drugs, and supplements on a daily basis in the United States to prevent and treat various illnesses. Although these medications are supposed to help people, many people have suffered serious side effects, and even death.

If you or a loved one has been injured as the result of a dangerous drug reaction in Pennsylvania, the skilled Pennsylvania pharmaceutical drug litigation attorneys at Cherry Fieger and Marciano, LLP may be able to help you recover the monetary compensation that you deserve.

Continue reading " Digoxin Heart Drug Recalled " »

An explosion in a plastic manufacturing plant in Orange County, CA has killed two people and injured a third person. According to the article by the Associated Press that appeared on Philly.com, the force of the blast on March 19 blew a concrete wall in the Solus Industrial Innovations building and shook a fire station across the street.

Firefighters rushed inside and found two bodies. Another worker was taken to a hospital for severe work injuries. There were three workers who were outside the building who declined treatment.

The cause of the explosion is still under investigation.

The injured worker and the families of the workers who died are entitled to Worker’s Compensation through the manufacturing plant.

By law, it is required that every company in Pennsylvania carry Worker’s Compensation Insurance in the case an employee is injured on the job, becomes ill due to circumstances surrounding their job or even if death results from their job. Benefits can include medical expenses, lost wages and death benefits. Workers’ compensation in Philadelphia exists both as a way to benefit injured workers and as a way to protect employers. Workers' compensation is a no-fault insurance system, which means that no guilt needs to be proved in a case; only that the injury sustained occurred while on the job.

Any worker who has sustained an injury arising out of and in the course of their employment has a potential workers’ compensation claim and the right to seek a skilled personal injury attorney in Pennsylvania. The injury can occur while traveling on business, doing a work-related errand, attending a required business-related social function, or even while on a break or using restroom facilities and you are still legally covered by workers compensation.

Whether your injury was a simple slip and fall, or involves serious injuries, Cherry, Fieger & Marciano can help you. Our dedicated and experienced PA work injury lawyers will do everything possible to get the monetary compensation that is owed to you to help pay for medical bills, physical therapy, loss of work and more.

A voluntary recall of Raptiva (efalizumab) from the U.S. Market has been initiated by the drug’s manufacturer, Genetech Inc. Raptiva is used as a once-weekly injection for adults eighteen years old and over suffering from chronic plaque psoriasis; a disease with no known cure that affects 2.3 million Americans.

A report has stated that Genetech has recalled Raptiva due to a potential risk of patients developing progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), which is a rare and typically fatal disease caused by a virus that affects the central nervous system.

"The risk that an individual patient taking Raptiva will develop PML is rare and is generally associated with long-term use," the FDA said. "Generally, PML occurs in people whose immune systems have been severely weakened and often leads to an irreversible decline in neurologic function and death. There is no known effective treatment for PML."

FDA officials have asked prescribers not to start new Raptiva treatment and to initiate discussion with patients currently using the medication on an appropriate alternative management plan. Abrupt discontinuation of Raptiva may worsen severe psoriasis conditions, which is why a transition period for the drug is in place with Raptiva being no longer available by June 8, 2009.

Continue reading " Raptiva Recalled, Linked to PML " »

Dominick Tenuto, a 61-year-old New York man with polio, has won a multimillion-dollar pharmaceutical drug litigation lawsuit against a drug maker claiming he contracted the disease 30 years ago from the polio vaccine given to his infant daughter. According to the article on Philly.com, he was awarded $22.5 million in March in a New York state court.

Tenuto’s lawsuit claimed that the live virus oral vaccine given to his daughter passed through her body and infected him while he was changing her diaper. He filed the suit after contracting polio and losing his job.

Representatives of drug maker Lederle Laboratories said it plans to appeal.

If you or someone you know has been injured due to negligence, the top personal injury lawyers in Pennsylvania of Cherry, Fieger & Marciano can assist you in evaluating your case. They will use their knowledge, their aptitude, and their ability in pursuit of obtaining considerable damages for the injured party.

Pennsylvania personal injury law encompasses a vast assortment of injuries ranging from burns to spine injuries, brain injuries, and wrongful death. When someone is determined to be legally responsible for injuring someone else, they are liable for the injury, and may be made to pay the injured person compensatory damages. Compensatory damages attempt to put an injured person back in the position he or she was in before being injured.

Continue reading " Pharmaceutical Litigation of Drug Injury Won by NY Man with Polio " »

An Irish Pub bar employee in Atlantic City was fatally stabbed and a colleague suffered serious work injury when they tried to break up a fight at the establishment.

According to the article on Philly.com, authorities do not know what started the brawl at the pub, which broke out at about 4:30 a.m. on Saturday March 21. Investigators remained at the scene for several hours collecting evidence, and the bar remained closed as of early Saturday afternoon.

The Atlantic County Prosecutors Office did not identify either employee, but they did say the injured worker had been hospitalized.

The injured worker, as well as the worker who died at the Irish Pub, are entitled to worker’s compensation. The family of the decedent may even seek a skilled wrongful death attorney. By law, it is required that every company in Pennsylvania carry Worker’s Compensation Insurance in the case an employee is injured on the job, becomes ill due to circumstances surrounding their job or even if death results from their job. Benefits can include medical expenses, lost wages, and death benefits. Workers’ compensation exists both as a way to benefit injured workers and as a way to protect employers. Workers' compensation in Philadelphia is a no-fault insurance system, which means that no guilt needs to be proved in a case; only that the injury sustained occurred while on the job.

Continue reading " Worker Killed, Another Hurt in NJ Bar Brawl " »

According to the article by the Associated Press on Philly.com, this week there have been several recalls due to defective products in Pennsylvania and throughout the nation.

Baby Necessities pacifiers, manufactured in China and imported by OKK Trading of Los Angeles, Calif. were recalled because they failed federal safety tests. The pacifiers can separate from the base and pose a choking hazard. The recalled pacifiers were sold between August 2007 and January 2009.

About 24,000 3-in-1 high chairs, imported by Fisher-Price of East Aurora, N.Y. and manufactured in Mexico were recalled because the seat can fall backward from the frame if the release is unlatched while a child is inside. The seat back can also detach if not snapped fully into place. The company has received one report of a detached seat back that resulted in a fractured skull.

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. recalled one lot of Propafenone HCL 225 milligram tablets, a prescribed drug used to treat cardiac arrhythmia, sold in 100 count bottles in the United States. Some of the tablets may contain higher levels of the active ingredient than specified, causing serious drug injury in Philadelphia and in any other states where the drug is used. Some patients who are particularly sensitive to small variations in dose might experience serious side effects, including irregular heartbeat or low blood pressure.

Torres Hillsdale Country Cheese LLC is recalling Asadero and Oaxaca soft Mexican-style cheeses due to possible listeria contamination. Eating food contaminated with listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, a potentially fatal disease.

Continue reading " Defective Product Recalls Update: Pacifiers, High Chairs, Heart Drug " »

The parents of 18-year-old Gregory Jacobs have filed a Pittsburgh wrongful death lawsuit against a hospital alleging that doctors at the hospital intentionally killed him to harvest his organs. According to this Associated Press news report, Jacobs was taken to Hamot Medical Center because he suffered a brain injury while snowboarding. His parents – Michael and Teresa Jacobs – allege that the doctors caused his death by administering medication and removing his breathing tube, which caused Jacobs to suffocate and die.

Gregory Jacobs was alive before the doctors began surgery, but the hospital's doctors suffocated him in order to harvest his organs including his heart, liver and kidneys. Although his parents, who were at the hospital, wanted Jacobs to live, the hospital's Center for Organ Recovery and Education (CORE) directed that Jacobs' organs be removed without a valid consent. The suit also alleges that Jacob’s heart and brain were functioning when surgeons began the procedures for removing his vital organs.

If you believe that you lost a loved one because of negligence on the part of someone else, then you are entitled to file a wrongful death claim in Pennsylvania. When unnecessary death occurs due to the negligence of another party, wrongful death lawsuits can be filed. In such a claim, the decedent's heirs or immediate family members sue the negligent party or entity for damages related to the loss of life, medical/funeral expenses incurred, pain and suffering.

If you have lost a loved one as a result of someone else's negligence please call an experienced Pennsylvania wrongful death attorney at Cherry Fieger & Marciano for a free consultation. We will help you secure the justice and compensation you rightfully deserve.

Three people were hospitalized on March 15 after a natural gas explosion destroyed a truck and sent a flaming tank hurtling into the air near a busy street in Pasadena, CA. According to the article on Philly.com by the Associated Press, one person was critically injured by the blast and two others were seriously hurt. The truck belonged to Dy-Dee Diaper Service, part of California Linen, and all three victims were company employees.

The article stated that the explosion occurred when a worker at the California Linen Services textile rental business was transferring natural gas. A tank was blasted 1,000 feet into the air and then landed 200 feet away across the street.

The injured workers will be entitled to workers compensation benefits from their employer. It may be in their best interest, however, to also contact an experienced workers compensation attorney, who will carefully examine the incident to identify any negligence or wrongdoing.

Continue reading " Workers Injured On the Job in Natural Gas Blast in California " »

Survivors of a crane crash, neighbors, and elected officials gathered on March 15 to mark the one-year anniversary of the deadly construction accident that killed six construction workers and a tourist. They observed a moment of silence for the victims.

According to the article on Philly.com by the Associated Press, the crane collapsed as it was being lengthened during the construction of a high-rise apartment building.

Three separate investigations blamed faulty rigging of an 11,000-pound crane part in the collapse. According to the article, workers attached the wrong number and type of protective slings to the steel brace meant to attach the crane to the tower under construction. This caused the brace to fall, which knocked out lower attachments to the building, resulting in the crane toppling into the quiet residential neighborhood near the United Nations.

A four-story town house was demolished and more than a dozen other buildings were damaged. After the crane accident, the city’s buildings commissioner resigned and the city passed dozens of new rules overseeing construction and cranes.

Continue reading " Anniversary of Deadly NYC Crane Collapse " »

On Jan. 23, a tractor-trailer plowed into stalled traffic on the Schuylkill Expressway, killing a father of three. According to the article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the tractor-trailer had been cited repeatedly for faulty brakes and was operating with a fraudulent inspection sticker.

After a seven-week investigation of the truck accident, authorities charged the driver, Valerijs Belovs of Northeast Philadelphia, as well as the co-owner of the 18-wheeler and a garage owner, with vehicular homicide.

Montgomery County District Attorney said the truck’s worn-out brakes prevented it from stopping in time before it plowed into halted east-bound traffic on the Schuykill. The truck went over the top of one car, killing its driver, David Schreffler, and injuring an occupant, Joseph John Maylish, and smashed into three other vehicles in this fatal auto accident.

Although the 18-wheeler bore current state inspection stickers certifying the tractor and trailer to be in good working order, the crash police mechanics found the rig’s brakes to be defective. None of the 10 brake assemblies worked efficiently, and three brake assemblies “failed completely.”

Continue reading " Montgomery County Truck Accident Charges Driver " »