Pennsylvania Personal Injury Blog

Hundreds of people nationwide said they were poisoned by their denture cream. According to this article in the Philadelphia Daily News, lawsuits filed against GlaxoSmithKline, maker of Poligrip, and Procter & Gamble, manufacturers of Fixodent, allege that the companies knew their products were dangerous and did not protect consumers.

The suits allege that adding zinc to the products had adverse health effects on some users. Zinc helps bond dentures to gums.

Among the lawsuits is a woman who is now classified as a quadriplegic and others whose hands have deteriorated and look like claws.

According to the article, GSK launched a voluntary recall of Poligrip EX in Japan last week. However, the product was not recalled in the U.S.

A larger suit involving 75 plaintiffs is in federal court in Miami.

Plaintiffs in the lawsuits allege that they were unclear about how much product was safe to use until it was too late and their bodies had been damaged.

Late last year, GSK began including an insert in its denture packaging, noting that even the smallest size tube (0.75 oz). is meant to last about three weeks.

By the time the insert was released, many people’s bodies were already damaged.

Continue reading "Zinc in Dental Adhesives Can Cause Injuries" »

The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania reported a possible radiation error involving the treatment of a man for prostate cancer. According to this article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, a patient underwent a prostate brachytherapy procedure on Jan. 21 to implant 65 radioactive seeds to kill cancer cells in the acorn-size gland. On a follow-up scan on Feb. 23, doctors saw that the seeds were “outside the intended target.”

The incident is similar to problems at the Penn-run brachytherapy program at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center.

From February 2002 until June 2008, 97 veterans got incorrect radiation doses.

The article stated that the incident at Penn was reported to the state Department of Environmental Protection, which oversees the medical use of radioactive materials in Pennsylvania for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The incident may have been caused by a malfunction in a new ultrasound unit, which guides the needles used to place the radioactive seeds.

The problems at the Philadelphia VA raised questions about the Penn program’s quality.

Continue reading "Possible Prostate Case Error at Penn Hospital" »

According to this article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania was sued in federal court for allegedly refusing to accept Marcus Murray because he lacked health insurance.

Murray needed emergency surgery to treat a tear in a major artery. Marcus and his wife, Jean, claim that Penn initially said it would accept Mr. Murray’s transfer from Underwood Memorial Hospital in Gloucester County, NJ. Then, Penn refused after learning he had no health insurance.

The article stated that the suit named a Penn cardiothoracic surgeon, Underwood, and its emergency-room doctor on the case, alleging that Underwood failed to properly diagnose Murray’s condition and did not transfer him to a hospital capable of dealing with his problem soon enough.

Murray was experiencing chest pain and weakness and went by ambulance to the Underwood ER.

A CT scan revealed a “complex dissection of the thoracic and abdominal aorta” that would require treatment by a cardiothoracic surgeon.

Underwood does not have open-heart-surgery capability, so Murray needed to be transferred to another hospital.

According to Murray’s Underwood records, Penn had agreed to accept Murray, and he would get a helicopter to transport him to Philadelphia. Records showed that after speaking with the Penn surgeon, they were told Mr. Murray was not accepted. Nurse’s notes indicated that the reason for refusal was lack of medical insurance.

Continue reading "PA Hospital Sued Over Failure to Admit Patient" »

A Philadelphia jury ordered Pfizer Inc.’s Wyeth unit to pay $9.45 million to an Alabama woman who claimed that the company’s hormone-replacement drug caused her breast cancer. According to this article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the woman was awarded $3.25 million in compensatory damages and $6 million in punitive damages. The verdict also included $200,000 to the woman’s husband for loss of consortium.

More than six million women took the pills to treat symptoms such as hot flashes and mood swings before a 2002 study highlighted the drugs’ links to cancer.

Before 1995, many patients combined Premarin, Wyeth’s estrogen-based drug, with progestin-laden Provera, made by Pfizer’s Pharmacia & Upjohn unit. Wyeth combined the two hormones in Prempro.

Approximately 8,000 people who used Pfizer’s and Wyeth’s hormone-replacement drugs filed suit against the company. Many were filed as suits for dangerous drugs in Philadelphia.

The woman in this particular case, a mother of three, began taking Prempro in August 1997. Results of a mammogram at that time were normal. She stopped taking the drug in January 2004 after her breast cancer diagnosis.

Continue reading "Philadelphia Jury Awards $9.45 Million in Wyeth-Hormone Suit to Alabama Woman" »

State authorities suspended Kermit B. Gosnell’s medical license, a doctor whose practice in West Philadelphia was raided by federal drug agents. According to an article on Philly.com, the suspension was issued by the State Board of Medicine and came after a search of Women’s Medical Society practice.

The suspension order says the conditions of the clinic were “deplorable and unsanitary.”

The order called Gosnell’s continued practice of medicine a danger to the public health and safety.

Law enforcement sources said the FBI, DEA, and state drug agents who executed the search warrant had been investigating Gosnell, who is in his late 60s, on suspicion of illegal distribution of prescription painkillers.

The suspension order also alleges that on or about Nov. 20, a patient died after being treated at the clinic by an unlicensed employee. The woman was in the clinic for an abortion and was given 10 mg of Demerol and 12.5 mg of promethazine. When the patient began experiencing cramping, she asked for more pain medication, and Gosnell told the unlicensed employee to administer it.

The woman allegedly was given 75 mg of Demerol, 12.5 mg of promethazine, and 10 mg of diazepam, and later more anesthetic in preparation for the abortion.

Continue reading "Philadelphia Doctor's License Suspended after Patient Dies" »

On February 17, 2010, a 38-year-old school bus driver was driving a Perkiomen Valley school bus in Montgomery County when it collided with an oncoming car, killing a passenger in the car and seriously injuring its driver.

According to this article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the school bus driver had previous citations and was involved in a fatal accident.

When a prospective employer checked the school bus motorist’s driving record, there were only two 1999 citations listed, careless driving and failing to heed a stop sign.

But, in November 1999, the male school bus driver had been on his cell phone when his Ford Explorer went through a stop sign in Bucks County and caused an accident that killed a 2-year-old girl and injured her mother. The fatal car accident in Pennsylvania led to a lawsuit resulting in a six-figure settlement.

The November of 1999 accident resulted in two violations for the 38-year-old man, one of which carried points. Neither the criminal nor motor-vehicle reports showed any record of the man being charged with a crime or any details about the 1999 accident.

The February 17th accident killed a 27-year-old man and seriously injured a 41-year-old man.
The article said that the bus carrying 45 children was turning across traffic into the Perkiomen Valley Middle School West parking lot when it collided with a Honda Civic carrying the two aforementioned men.

The 38-year old school bus driver was not hurt, but five students were treated at the scene for minor injuries.

Continue reading "School Bus Driver in Montgomery County Fatal Crash Has Bad Record" »

Toyota and the government are looking into complaints that the Corolla is difficult to steer straight. This is raising another safety concern before the upcoming congressional hearing about the automaker’s recalls.

According to an article on Philly.com, the Toyota executive in charge of quality control said the company was reviewing about 100 complaints about power steering in the Corolla.

The executive said drivers may feel as though they were losing control over the steering, but it was unclear why. He mentioned problems with the braking system or tires as possible underlying causes. U.S. officials are also investigating.

The article stated that the company was prepared to fix any defects it found and that it would install a backup safety system in all future models worldwide that will override the accelerator if the gas and brake pedals are pressed at the same time. Acceleration problems are behind most of the 8.5 million vehicles recalled by the automaker since November of 2009.

Consumers have the right to assume that products they purchase or use have been produced in a manner that would ensure that they are safe and free from unreasonable risks. If a company manufactures a product that is hazardous to the user, the company must be held liable for any injuries or fatalities that occurred due to the faulty product.

Continue reading "Corollas Pose New Concern for Toyota" »

Patients not only have their health to worry about, but they also have to concern themselves with the medical devices that are used to diagnose and treat their ailments. According to an Latimes.com report, the well publicized CT Scan malfunction which resulted in accidental radiation overdosing to patients could be a national dilemma.The FDA found that a 3rd L.A area hospital, Providence St. Joseph, has overdosed 34 patients over a 20 month interval. The patients, who had gone to the hospital to have a brain scan performed, were found to have been exposed to unsafe levels of radiation.

The CT Scan, which scans those who have suffered a stroke, aids hospital officials in determining how much damage has been done to the brain. Another issue that raises concerns for FDA officials and the public is that the problem with the first two hospitals involved scanners from GE, but the scanner in the third hospital is manufactured by Toshiba. A doctor who is the acting director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health said, “Given the fact that we are dealing with two manufacturers and multiple institutions, we wouldn’t be surprised if there are more problems at other institutions”.

Hospitals throughout the country have been directed by the FDA to review radiation dosing guidelines when a CT perfusion scan will be performed. This means that CT technologists must be trained to check the display on the scanner prior to the scan. According to the FDA, an estimated 150,000 CT brain perfusion scans are carried out yearly throughout the country. It is of the utmost importance for all the machines to be checked properly and hospital personnel must be accurately trained to operate them as soon as possible. The FDA is continuing their investigation as to whether the overdoses are a result of human error, defective machines, or both.

Continue reading "FDA Orders National Review of Hospital Scanners" »

Parents of newborns should take special heed of the following story about faulty baby crib products. The Associated Press reported that government officials have ordered a second recall of two crib models from LaJobi Inc., a company based in Cranbury, New Jersey.

The first recall was issued back in 2001 because of potential entrapment and strangulation hazards. Officials at the Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that they had received a report of a one year old Mississippi girl lodging her head between the decorative cutouts on the headboard, causing her death. The accident took place in 2003 but officials declined to specify when they were made aware of this sad accident.

CPSC reports that the cribs were manufactured back in the year 2001 which could make it particularly difficult to inform parents as they probably have given or sold the crib to another individual or it may be being offered at second hand stores. The LaJobi models were made in Italy and are called Molly and Betsy Style. If you believe that you possess one of these cribs LaJobi urges you to contact them by phone for replacement panels at 1-800-266-2848.
Parents expect that their children will be completely secure in a crib, but unfortunately, this is not always the case. There are a number of ways in which the crib you choose could potentially harm your child. Although baby products are highly regulated to prevent injuries, some manufacturing problems and other mistakes can hurt your infant.

Continue reading "Crib Models "Betsy" and "Molly" Recalled" »

Most Pennsylvanians have heard the news of a hospital in Los Angeles, California that accidentally exposed CT scans patients to dangerous levels of radiation. Officials believe that patients received up to 8 times the prescribed dosage at the Cedars-Sinai hospital.

The troubling revelation has many experts proclaiming that there is too much reliance on medical machinery in the health industry and that this is a growing problem of modern technology.

Chief medical officer for Siemens, a manufacturer of CT scanners, said, “It’s in your face on the screen,” when describing the radiation levels during a CT scan. Investigators are trying to figure out why no one noticed the problem for 18 months. Director of the Center for Radiological Research said, “It’s pretty mystifying to me.”

The state Department of Public Health and the FDA are investigating while Cedars-Sinai claims that the overdoses happened as a result of the hospital reconfiguring a scanner in order to improve physicians’ capability to see blood flow in the brain. Cedars-Sinai released a statement that said they have “added double-checks to our process whenever a protocol is changed.”

Continue reading "Cedars-Sinai Overdoses at Least 206 CT Scan Patients With Radiation" »

Two bridge-builders working on the Pennsylvania Turnpike were injured when a ten-foot circle of steel tipped over and them along with parked cars. The two men were immediately taken to local hospitals with what was thought to be non life-threatening injuries, according to the Parryville Fire Chief. They are employees of Walsh Construction and were working on laying the steel framework for a column support for a bridge replacement project in its early stages. The fire chief, one of the first to respond to the accident, reported that he was not sure what the cause of the accident was, but that an investigation would be carried out.

Construction sites are very dangerous work places and the state and federal government have imposed safety policies and regulations to ensure worker safety. Construction accidents in Pennsylvania continue to be common, despite the many state and federal regulations, as well as industry standards, requiring owners, general contractors and sub-contractors to implement a wide variety of safety measures to ensure worker safety. Negligent general contractors, sub-contractors, vendors, and employees can cause many of these dangers, which often result in substantial injuries to construction workers at the job site. In fact, construction accidents often cause life-threatening conditions, require amputation or extensive reconstructive surgery, and tragically leave innocent victims with brain injuries, disfigurement, and other conditions that impact their ability to hold down a job or even pay for their own care.

Continue reading "Builders Injured While Working on PA Turnpike Bridge" »

The US government is attempting to prepare for an onslaught of aging baby boomers by passing a new long term care program that assists individuals with severe disabilities. Nytimes.com reports that more and more Americans are going to be earning the title of “Older Americans” as the significant number of baby boomers age. Congress wants to help by establishing a program in the National Health Care Bill that will assist older Americans with long-term care including assisted living care and nursing home care. The late Senator Edward Kennedy had drafted the program several years ago. Then-Senator Obama was a cosponsor. Vigorous debate regarding this huge new federal insurance program has been taking place on the senate floor.

A 45-year-old independent woman from Arlington Virginia who has cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis and works as a consultant stated that she has been able to live a normal life, but worries that if her conditions worsen she may be in serious need of long term care.

Advocates of the program claim it will help many aging Americans who may become severely disabled and require nursing home or assisted living care. Critics contend the program and say it will lead to grave financial troubles. As a large segment of society continues to age and the question over their long term care continues to play out on Capitol Hill, it is important to address the inherent dangers that can exist for those that choose nursing home care for their loved ones.

Continue reading "Baby Boomers Could Benefit From Long Term Care Program" »

According to a report by Fox News, 10 million cans of the popular diet drink Slim-Fast have been recalled by its parent company, Unilever PLC. Unilever claims that this move is strictly precautionary. They believe that the cans may possibly be contaminated with bacteria that can make consumers ill, but were quick to point out that the recall only affects their “Slim-Fast ready-to-drink” products; their snack-bars and powder products remain untainted with the bacteria.

Unilever describes the bacteria, called Bacillus cereus, as a micro-organism that can cause diarrhea, nausea and vomiting when ingested. The company spokeswoman did not have information on whether calls from consumers had prompted the recall or if consumers would be compensated for any problems. Unilever’s spokeswoman did say that, “The probability of serious, adverse consequences is remote.” The company also announced that, “Out of an abundance of caution, the company is recalling all ready-to-drink products in cans that are currently in distribution centers, on shelf or in back room retail outlets or in consumer’s homes.” Unilever asked the public to throw away any cans they have and contact them for a full refund.

Continue reading "10 Million Cans of Slim Fast Recalled" »

On January 26, a New York City sanitation worker died after he was pinned between a tractor trailor and his garbage truck. According to an article on NBC.com, the 41-year-old man worked for the department for 11 years. He was the father of two daughters and very well liked in his district.

This man’s family is eligible for worker’s compensation benefits through his employer. These benefits often are inadequate and may not be enough to cover a worker’s family. It may be in the worker’s family’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.

A“third party claim” may be considered in which a claim may be 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 "NYC Sanitation Worker Dies on the Job" »

An 18-year-old former female student at Central Bucks High School South who pleaded guilty to charges of vehicular homicide in the death of a schoolmate, was sentenced yesterday to an indefinite term at a disciplinary wilderness camp.

According to an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the girl will serve at least six months at the facility and will be evaluated at six-month intervals to determine when she can be released.

In September, the girl was traveling nearly 30 m.p.h. above the speed limit when she lost control of her car in Warrington, PA. The vehicle slammed into a tree, killing a 16-year-old girl who was a passenger in the backseat.

The 18-year-old girl and another student in the car sustained minor injuries.

In December, the girl entered an admission in a nonadversarial hearing, which is the Juvenile Court equivalent of a guilty plea. She is on house arrest and undergoing therapy.

The girl was also sentenced to community service and ordered to continue therapy sessions.

Her driver’s license is suspended indefinitely and she must pay a fine.

Continue reading "Bucks Student Sentenced in Car Death" »

On February 7, 2010, an explosion at the Kleen Energy Systems in Connecticut blew out the walls of an unfinished power plant and set off a fire during a test of natural gas lines. According to an article on Philly.com, the explosion killed at least five workers and injured a dozen or more.

The cause of the gas explosion was unknown and is under investigation. It left huge pieces of metal that once encased the plant peeling off its sides. A large swath of the structure was blackened and surrounded by debris, but the building, its roof and its two smokestacks were still standing.

The article said that 50 to 60 people were in the area at the time of the explosion, and multiple contractors were working on the project.

Workers for the construction company, O&G Industries, were purging the gas line when the explosion occurred.

At least a dozen people had injuries ranging from minor to very serious.

Safety board investigators have done extensive work on the issue of gas line purging since an explosion last year at a Slim Jim factory in North Carolina killed four people. They’ve identified other explosions caused by workers who were unsafely venting gas lines inside buildings.

The workers here who sustained any injuries and the families of the workers who died because of the explosion are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits through the 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/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.

Continue reading "Gas Blast at Connecticut Power Plant Kills at Least 5" »

Federal health officials announced the recall of 2 million medical needles last month because of a risk they can push bits of silicone into patients’ bodies. According to an article on Philly.com, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said Nipro Medical Corp. voluntarily recalled its Exel/Exelint Huber needles manufactured between January 2007 and August 2009.

The needles are used to access injection ports, which are devices implanted beneath the skin of patients who require frequent injections. The ports connect to a vein and allow easy delivery of chemotherapy, antibiotics, and other injectable drugs.

Huber needles are designed to be non-coring, or to penetrate an injected material without retaining any of it.

However, an FDA investigation found that the needles could dislodge bits of silicone from the ports, potentially pushing them into the patient’s bloodstream. The problem can also damage the ports themselves, resulting in problems delivering drug therapy.

According to the FDA, 60 to 72 % of the company’s needles had the design problem.

The FDA is working with 19 other manufacturers to determine if their needles have the same problem.

Doctors may have difficulty identifying the problem of silicone shards in patients. The FDA recommended that physicians watch for signs of tissue or nerve damage in patients, which could be a sign of damage to their port. And, they suggested throwing out the first syringe injected into a port, in an effort to discard any bits of silicone.

Continue reading "FDA Announces Recall of 2M Defective Needles" »

It is normal and a very common thing to take a walk when visiting a new city especially with your significant other. Unfortunately, a tragic story unfolded on the streets of New York City recently when a husband and wife from Britain were run down by a garbage truck driver who forgot to take his anti-seizure medicine, according to a story on the nypost.com website. The avoidable accident happened in February 2008 and now the 58-year-old driver of that truck has been found guilty by a jury and sentenced to 20 years to life in prison. The couple, both age 47, were enjoying a nice walk near Pennsylvania station when the driver lost control of the garbage truck, smashing his way onto the sidewalk where the couple happened to be walking.

The judge said that by not taking his medication, the man had become “a time bomb ready to explode.” Prosecutors stated that the man had failed to disclose his illness at the time of hiring. Without question, this story highlights the flawed hiring procedures by the city. How can a person be given the keys to a multi-ton vehicle without being tested to see if they are fit to operate such heavy duty equipment?

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, pedestrian and motor vehicle accidents are a serious problem throughout the world and the United States has a particular problem with pedestrian deaths and injuries. Not surprising is the fact that older pedestrians are more likely to be injured or killed when struck by a motor vehicle than younger pedestrians.

Continue reading "Garbage Truck Kills Two Pedestrians" »

A worker from Oneida, PA, died on February 1 after falling from a lift at the demolition site of a church.

According to an article on Philly.com, the Schuylkill County Deputy Coroner said the 53-year-old man died after the accident happened at St. George Roman Catholic Church in Shenandoah, PA.

The article reported that the man fell about 60 feet when he and another worker were shoring up a part of the church’s steeple. The other worker was treated at a nearby hospital.

The church was closed in 2006 because of structural problems.

Any worker who has sustained an injury arising out of and in the course of their employment has a potential 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.

Continue reading "Demolition Worker Dies after Pa. Church Accident" »

The family of the late Latino musician Joaquin Rivera is preparing to sue Aria Health System. According to an article in the Philadelphia Daily News, the state Department of Health released a report detailing numerous staff policy violations that occurred on Nov. 28, the night Rivera had a fatal heart attack in the waiting room of Aria Health’s Frankford campus.
Rivera, 63, sat dead for more than 40 minutes and was robbed by three vagrants before hospital personnel noticed.

Investigators found an extensive list of hospital errors that took place before, during, and after his death.

Rivera, a father of three who worked for years as a guidance counselor at Olney High School, complained of pain on his left side when he entered the hospital at 10:45 p.m.

Surveillance footage showed that he stopped moving 11 minutes later. According to the state report, a triage nurse called his name at 11:03 p.m. and noticed that he was staring at a wall and not moving.

However, the report shows neither the nurse nor other hospital personnel checked to see if Rivera was in need of help.

The report also shows that staffers responded to Rivera only when another patient said that he had died.

State investigators learned in subsequent interviews with the hospital staff that many were unaware of protocol that requires them to check on patients in the waiting area.

Continue reading "Family to Sue Aria Over Waiting-Room Death" »

Two brothers from Mooresville, N.C., who were injured in a deadly explosion at an International Paper Co. mill in Mississippi, have agreed to settle their federal lawsuit.

According to an article, the brothers were injured when a 12-story recovery boiler blew when workers tried to restart it after annual maintenance. The explosion happened at the Redwood plant on May 3, 2008. One man was killed and nearly two dozen others were hurt.

The boiler didn’t have adequate steam, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). OSHA fined International Paper $77,000 for two alleged violations.

The brothers, both in their late 20s, said they were burned on their faces and hands, suffered some hearing loss and were diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, among other things.

They sued in U.S. District Court in Mississippi on Jan. 26, 2009. The lawsuit claimed International Paper recklessly ignited the boiler when it was filled with combustible gas.

The article stated that the settlement will help the brothers recover from financial and emotional hardships they have faced since the explosion.

An International Paper spokeswoman said six cases related to the explosion have been settled. Two are still pending in federal court and two are pending in state court.

The worker here is entitled to workers’ compensation benefits through the 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/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.

Continue reading "Lawsuit Settled Over Deadly Miss. Paper Mill Blast" »

A bridge worker who fell about 50 feet into the Hackensack River, died from his injuries. According to an article, the 55-year-old man from North Arlington, NJ was working for the CSX rail line when he fell from the Wittpenn Bridge on January 29.

The worker made his way to some pilings but lost consciousness due to hypothermia.

Emergency service workers soon hoisted him to the bridge in a basket and took him to a nearby hospital. He died several hours later.

At the time of the accident, the male worker had been on the CSX bridge near the Wittpenn, which connects Jersey City and Kearny along Route 7 in New Jersey.

The worker here is entitled to workers’ compensation benefits through the 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/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.

Continue reading "Worker Dies after Fall from NJ Bridge" »

A nursing home in Oakmont has been punished by the state and given a provisional license after an 89-year-old woman committed suicide by jumping out her third-story window, reports the post-gazette website. Her son is left full of anguish as to what exactly happened to his mother who had been admitted to the facility in July with heart problems, glaucoma, dementia, and depression. State officials downgraded the Presbyterian Senior Care nursing home known as the Willows nursing home to a provisional license until March 28th because they failed to do enough to stop the death of the 89-year-old woman.

State Inspectors reported finding notes in the facility’s records that stated the woman had “attempted to exit the facility via the stairs in a wheelchair and had expressed a desire to jump out the window.” Where the nursing home failed is that the staff did not inform a physician responsible for her care and did not “develop measures to protect the resident and to prevent injuries”. A urinary tract infection is all that was reported but not her suicidal urges.

A spokeswoman for the nursing home said, “We believe the report has omitted several key facts ... looks like we went from Sept. 19 to Sept. 24 without any type of intervention and that is not accurate.” In addition, she stated that all the windows are now locked down and the staff has been retrained to inform physicians of any major behavior or mood changes in the patients.

Continue reading "PA Nursing Home Cited for Insufficient Safeguards " »

With healthcare becoming a national topic and the economy on a continuous downward spiral, doctors at Allegheny General Hospital have released a report detailing how motorcyclists are not only endangering themselves but are costing the state money when they are involved in an accident which requires transport, many times on helicopter, and medical treatment. The details outlined on the website pittsburghlive.com report that since the Pennsylvania helmet law was repealed in 2003 there has been an increase of motorcycle riders coming into the emergency room with serious facial and head injuries. A doctor at Allegheny General Hospital stated that treatment from facial and head injuries have doubled within the last five years.

Officials at AGH hospital reported encountering 122 motorcycle-linked facial injuries from September 2003 to August 2008, when they only had 10 from 1998 to September 2003.

Dr. Joseph E. Cillo, an AGH oral and maxillofacial surgeon, said, “Riding a motorcycle without a helmet is just risky behavior. Pennsylvania repealed the universal helmet law in 2003, but mandating helmet use to motorcyclists under 21 and riders having less than 2 years experience.”

Continue reading "PA Study Concludes Motorcyclists without Helmets at Greater Risk" »

The widow of a motorcyclist killed when he collided with a western Pennsylvania housing agency’s truck, has won more than $1.6 million in a wrongful death verdict. According to an article, a jury found the Mercer County Housing Authority and an employee negligent in the death of the woman’s husband who was 52-years-old.

The widow’s husband was killed May 8, 2007 when his motorcycle crashed into a housing authority pickup truck. The truck had started to turn left and stopped a few feet into the man’s lane when the crash occurred.

The driver was cited for a left turn violation and paid a fine. The man’s widow settled separate claims against PennDOT and other defendants.

Continue reading "Widow Wins $1.6M from PA Housing Agency" »

According to a recent article, federal safety officials are investigating a DuPont chemical plant after a series of leaks that resulted in the death of one worker.

The DuPont Belle plant in West Virginia is on safety shutdown after three leaks were reported. One leak, which released about 1,900 pounds of hazardous methyl chloride, went unnoticed for 5 days.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the U.S. Chemical Safety Board are investigating.

On January 23, 2010 a worker was taken to a Charleston hospital after being exposed to the chemical phosgene. The article reported that a 58-year-old man who was a 32-year DuPont employee died on January 24, 2010.

Phosgene is used to make plastics and pesticides, and can damage the respiratory system.
The company reported the methyl chloride leak to emergency officials on January 22. On the 23rd, the worker was taken to the hospital after being exposed to phosgene residue in a transfer line.

Continue reading "W. Va. DuPont Worker Dies after Phosgene Exposure" »

A devastated father and mother have filed a lawsuit against a 24-year-old New Florence driver who killed their 15-year-old son after visiting two bars, reports dailyamerican.com. The parents will be utilizing Pennsylvania’s “Dram Shop” law that permits victims to sue a liquor serving establishment. Under this law, any business or private host can be held responsible if they served to a minor, or to an individual who is already clearly intoxicated, who, later proceeds to cause an accident, as is the case in this story. The driver is being charged with a myriad of charges including homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, aggravated assault while driving drunk, homicide by vehicle, drunken driving, multiple counts of recklessly endangering another person and motor vehicle offenses.

The 15-year-old boy was travelling home after attending a Brittney Spears concert at approximately 1:40 a.m. when the car he was in was struck by a pickup. It turned out the driver had been at one bar from about 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. At midnight, he went to another bar and left only to return again, staying there until 1 a.m. The lawsuit alleges that both bars served the man drinks even though he was already drunk, and they should have prevented him from leaving their businesses.

Continue reading "Parents of Teenager File Suit Citing "Dram Shop" Law" »

On November 23, a 16-year-old crashed his SUV and killed two teenage friends. According to an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, he is accused of being under the influence of marijuana at the time of the crash.

The Chester County Court Juvenile Master decided that the teen should remain at the Chester County Youth Center until an adjudication hearing.

The Assistant District Attorney argued that the male teenager recently posted entries on Facebook indicating that he was unremorseful and still getting high. According to the article, the young man described using marijuana and getting drunk on New Year’s Eve.

A 17-year-old male and a 16-year-old male, both 11th graders at Pottsgrove, died in the crash.
The teen driver was charged with two counts of homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, six counts of reckless endangerment, and driving without proper insurance.

The young man was traveling westbound on Route 724 with five friends on November 23. He veered into the eastbound lane and traveled up an embankment. The SUV rolled over and landed in the eastbound lane, colliding with a Nissan sedan.

The teen motorist and three passengers were injured. The Nissan’s driver also was injured.

Continue reading "Teen Driver in Deadly Crash to Remain in Custody" »

A 33-year-old construction worker died in Southhampton Village, New York on January 4, 2010 when a foundation wall at a worksite collapsed and pinned him underneath. According to a report, the accident may have been the result of poor workmanship and attempts to cut corners.

The worker was trapped beneath the fallen concrete wall.

According the article, the victim was digging under the wall before the collapse to install footings, structural supports that should have been in place before the concrete wall was poured and the forms were removed.

An inspector for the Southampton Village commented that the concrete wall should have been reinforced with steel, but was not reinforced at all.

The construction site is being investigated by the Village Building department and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

The family of this deceased worker would be well advised to 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 Killed in Job Site Accident" »

Former NFL linebacker Ted Johnson suffered more than 100 concussions. According to an article on CNN.com, he got back-to-back concussions in 2002 and that is when his problems began. He began suffering from depression, sleep disorders, and mental fatigue.

The Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at Boston University is studying concussions in the brain. They have found that concussions confer tremendous brain damage, called Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). So far CTE has been found in the brains of six out of six former NFL players.

The damage affects the parts of the brain that control emotion, rage, hypersexuality, and even breathing. It is also a progressive disease that kills brain cells.

100 athletes have consented to have their brains studied after they die.

The NFL is planning its own independent medical study of retired NFL players on the long-term effects of concussion.

Continue reading "Dead Athletes' Brains Show Damage from Concussions" »

A man fell 25 feet and landed on concrete at a Waste Treatment plant in Oregon. According to an article, the man fell from what fire crews estimated to be at least 25 feet from a ladder into a concrete wall that was built on site.

The article reported that the worker was conscious when crews arrived, but suffered serious injuries.

The construction workers used a crane to lift their coworker out of the vault and were able to transfer him to an ambulance.

The worker here is entitled to workers’ compensation benefits through the 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/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 "Crane Used to Rescue Injured Worker" »

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has announced on its website that a record number of drivers are utilizing their seatbelts while on Pennsylvania roads, a whopping 88% of them. The previous high was reported in 2007 when 87% of drivers reported buckling up.

Secretary of Pennsylvania DOT, Allen D. Biehler, P.E., said, “The simple act of putting on a seat belt or properly restraining your child is the one step you can take to increase your chances of surviving a crash. PennDOT will continue to encourage every driver to buckle up and make sure everyone else in their vehicle does, too.”

Another factor for the record seatbelt use is that law enforcement has been boosted with 450 municipal and Pennsylvania State Police taking part in the statewide “Click It or Ticket” campaigns. Officials reported that more than 10,000 seatbelt citations were given this past year. Federal Funding provided the $2.5 million for the program that also included education in K-12 schools. Approximately 47,000 students are believed to have been reached.

Continue reading "Pennsylvania Buckles Up" »

The New York Times reported that former NHL player Reggie Fleming, who played for the Flyers among five other teams and died in July, had brain damage due to repeated head trauma. According to an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Times said that this links hockey for the first time to a condition usually found in boxers.

Fleming, who spent 12 seasons in the NHL, was found by Boston University researchers to have had Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, a disease that causes cognitive decline, behavioral abnormalities and ultimately dementia. Fleming is the first hockey player known to have been tested for the disease, which was also found in several former NFL players recently.
A neuropathologist at Boston University who also diagnosed CTE in the former football players, told the New York times that repetitive head injuries can have very serious long-term consequences, regardless of how you get them.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, an estimated 300,000 sports-related traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) of mild to moderate severity (1), most of which can be classified as concussions (i.e., conditions of temporarily altered mental status as a result of head trauma), occur in the United States each year. The proportion of these concussions that are repeat injuries is unknown; however, there is an increased risk for subsequent TBI among persons who have had at least one previous TBI (2,3). Repeated mild brain injuries occurring over an extended period (i.e., months or years) can result in cumulative neurologic and cognitive deficits (4,5), but repeated mild brain injuries occurring within a short period (i.e., hours, days, or weeks) can be catastrophic or fatal. The latter phenomenon, termed “second impact syndrome.”

Continue reading "Hockey Player's Brain Damage Report" »

A 45-year-old emergency worker was killed on January 11 as he helped a stranded motorist on I-76 in Camden County. According to an article by the Associated Press on Philly.com, the New Jersey Department of Transportation employee was assisting the driver of a broken-down minivan near the I-295 interchange when he was struck by a Dodge Magnum.

The Dodge was driven by a 28-year-old woman from Berlin, NJ. She also hit the broken down mini-van, injuring that vehicle’s driver and a passenger.

The worker was pronounced dead at Cooper University Hospital in New Jersey.

The family of this NJ DOT worker would be well advised to 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 Killed Aiding Motorist " »

On January 7, a Philadelphia law firm filed 10 lawsuits on behalf of boys and young men who developed serious side effects (including the growth of breasts) while taking the antipsychotic medications Risperdal and Invega. According to this article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the suits were filed in Philadelphia and one attorney said he expected to file an additional 20 to 30 similar cases in Philadelphia in the next two months. There are also cases involving boys who took Risperdal and another medication pending in New Jersey.

The drugs in the cases are made by Janssen (of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals) and are part Johnson & Johnson. All of the companies are based in New Jersey, but Ortho-McNeil-Janssen is incorporated in Pennsylvania.

One young man from Philadelphia took Risperdal in his teens. The lawsuit says he experienced rapid weight gain and developed breasts that will require surgical removal.
Some of the clients grew significant bosoms, a fact their doctors may not have taken seriously enough because of the weight gain.

The suits also named Excerpta Medica, Inc. and Elsevier Science Publishing Co., Inc. because the companies were involved in publishing ghostwritten studies that were misleading or exaggerated.

Continue reading "Lawsuits Filed Over Drug Side Effects" »

Auto accidents on Pennsylvania roads happen on a regular basis and it takes a confident and savvy investigator to evaluate all types of the accidents, ranging from a simple fender bender to multiple -car wrecks involving fatalities. The website timesleader.com reported that a 39-year-old patrol sergeant for the state police accident reconstruction unit at the Wyoming barracks was in Forty Fort, PA to train members of the Pennsylvania State Police Citizen’s Police Academy. In addition to his car accident expertise, he has been certified as an inspection mechanic.

The sergeant explained that following an accident, investigators must spot every tire mark and every bit of evidence along the road with paint. Accident reconstruction specialists must also, establish resistance and speed, plot out the scene, and of course write down and record everything. The sergeant stated that a state police general investigation report should include a summary, field notes, vehicles and persons involved, measurements, conclusions, and aerial shots. Prior to concluding the first part of his training, the sergeant explained how investigators can find out the speed of a vehicle involved in an accident.

Continue reading "Pennsylvania State Police Citizens' Police Academy Hosts Accident Scene Sergeant" »

According to an Associated Press article on Philly.com, Oxmoor House is recalling nearly 1 million home improvement books because of errors that could lead people to make risky mistakes while installing or repairing their electrical wiring themselves.

Although the Consumer Product Safety Commission said no incidents have been reported so far, the errors in diagrams and wiring instructions could cause people to be shocked or create a fire hazard.

The 951,000 recalled books have nine different titles, including “Lowe’s Complete Home Improvement and Repair” and “Sunset You Can Build, Wiring.”

They have been sold at bookstores and home improvement stores nationwide for as many as three decades.

Continue reading "Books with Bad Do-It-Yourself Advice Recalled" »

A man working as part of a construction company at Calise & Son’s Bakery in Lincoln, Rhode Island, was rushed to the hospital after an accident partially severed his leg on December 29. According to an article, the local Fire District Chief said that the victim is 50-years-old, and was working on a hole in the ground that was getting ready to be filled with concrete when he was injured.

The man was taken to a nearby hospital and police have turned the investigation over to Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Continue reading "Construction Accident Severs Man's Leg" »

A 30-year-old man from Connelly Springs, North Carolina, died at a construction site on December 24 when he fell in a hole and dirt collapsed around him.

According to an article, he was working for Neill Grading Co. of Hickory, NC when he died at a sewer line construction site near Shelby, NC.

Workers dug the man out and Emergency Medical Services workers took him to a Medical Center. He was pronounced dead about an hour after the accident.

A witness said he was changing some equipment when he heard a construction foreman yell out that the worker had fallen into the hole.

According to the article, workers were not ready to put a pipe in the hole. They do not yet know why the victim was in the area where he was.

An investigator from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration also was summoned to the site.

The family of this deceased worker would be well advised to 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 "North Carolina Man Dies at Construction Site" »

Last Spring, legislation was passed in Washington State that prohibits young players who show signs of concussion from participating in sports unless they receive clearance from a doctor. The NFL also began running public service announcements addressing the issue.

According to this article in The Philadelphia Daily News, efforts like these are being embraced by the Team Comcast Youth Hockey Club. The club has received funding from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to develop a concussion-management program. More than 120 players participated in an “ImPACT” neurocognitive test, administered at CHOP Specialty care in Vorhees, NJ.

The Coach of the Comcast Youth Hockey club, and former Philadelphia Flyer, Keith Primeau said that he was comforted to know that boys have been tested and he would have information to fall back on if he has to decide if a player can play again. Primeau also said if he has a doubt, he errs on the side of caution.

The parents and the players themselves have also become educated in what to look for.

Continue reading "Promoting Concussion Awareness in Hockey" »

A 16-year-old football player from San Jose, CA has been hospitalized since Thanksgiving when he sustained a hairline fracture of his skull during a traditional rival game. According to this article on a cbsSportsline.com website, he required life-saving surgery that day that included placing him into a drug-induced coma. He was in critical condition for one week until doctors took him out of the coma. Doctors say it is too soon to know if neurological damage that the teen sustained will be permanent.

Some of football’s most visible stars have also recently suffered head traumas.

Donovan McNabb, Ben Roethlisberger and Kurt Warner have all experienced head injuries this season.

The head injuries sparked a national awareness about the dangers, complexities and frequency of concussions in football.

According to the article, between 1.6 and 3.8 million sports and recreation related concussions occur annually in the United States or that 12 % of all high school sports injuries involve head trauma. Another 3.5 million concussions that occur annually go undetected.

About 1.2 million youth play football with the chance of a catastrophic neurological disability such as paralysis at 1.65 and death at 0.7 per 100,000.

High school and youth athletes, whose skulls and brains aren’t fully developed, risk serious injury by coming back to soon.

A large portion of the catastrophic head injuries occur following an unsafe amount of time from a previous head injury.

Continue reading "High School Football Player Suffers Head Injury" »

A news story on the latimes.com website reported that the California attorney general’s office has settled a toxic tort lawsuit with Toys R Us, Kmart, and Target. They were found to be guilty of selling toys with high levels of lead, exposure to which can be dangerous especially in young children whose nervous systems are developing.

The attorney general’s office and the Los Angeles city attorney filed a lawsuit against the three retailers, along with Mattel Inc. when it was discovered that they were selling or making toys with excessive amounts of lead paint.

The contaminated toys broke federal toy safety standards and California law Proposition 65, that deals with toxic substances, prompting a wave of recalls.

The California State deputy attorney said, “Our enforcement action will serve as a reminder to companies that they have a responsibility to make sure that children aren’t exposed to harmful chemicals from their toys.

Continue reading "Toys R Us, Kmart, and Target Will Pay Fines for Selling Lead Toys" »

According to this article on MSN.com, a criminal investigation may be launched to look into whether negligence was a factor in a fatal construction accident in Toronto, Canada. Four workers died and one was seriously injured in the accident that happened on December 24 at an apartment building. The work platform they were using to repair balconies split in two. The platform, also called a swing stage, was 13 stories up.

The president of the Ontario Federation of Labour said that a criminal probe might determine if the four workers who died were provided proper safety equipment and supervision.

A fifth worker suffered fractured legs and a broken spine and was in intensive care. The Toronto Star reported that this worker regained consciousness.

Continue reading "Workers' Deaths Need Criminal Probe" »

Construction is the second-most dangerous occupation in the nation. A Philadelphia worker’s fatal fall in October from 125 feet as his aerial lift toppled is one example.

According to a Philadelphia Inquirer article, the worker who fell was a highly trained union journeyman with an expertise in high work. However, the type of equipment he was using in Center City can pose problems on construction sites.

It carries the risks of any large piece of machinery, yet is used by all sorts of tradesmen.
The man was working on the stone exterior of a Philadelphia Church on October 12 when a wheel of his aerial lift broke through a utility panel on the sidewalk.

The lift swayed and then crashed to the street. He was killed by the impact.

Aerial lifts act as a mechanical and movable alternative to scaffolding.

Most apprentice programs offer basic training in using the lifts, which includes routine instructions on being harnessed properly, checking the ground surface, and not moving the lifts while they are extended.

Specific training on each machine is usually provided by the contractor or rental company. Sometimes the training is not extensive and OSHA regulations do not specify how much training is enough. Training costs can also be a factor.

The Inquirer reported that in 2008, 969 workers died in construction accidents nationally. Of those, 332 died in falls and 201 in contact with objects and equipment. Transportation accidents and exposure to dangerous environments killed most of the rest.

In the Philadelphia area, 15 construction workers died in 2008 — five from falls, four in transportation accidents, three from contact with equipment, and three from exposure to dangerous environments.

Continue reading "Center City Death Shows Hazards of Aerial Lifts" »

On December 18, a baby product manufacturer recalled about 447,000 of its infant car seat carriers, including some branded with Eddie Bauer and Disney logos, after dozens of reports of the carrier’s handle coming loose.

According to an Associated Press article on Philly.com, there have been at least three injuries to babies, including bumps, bruises, and a head injury. There have been 77 reports of the child restraint handle fully or partially coming off the products.

The government told consumers to immediately stop using the seat’s carrying handle. The bolts that attach the handle to the seat can loosen, causing the handle to possibly separate and create a fall hazard for babies.

The recall involves Safety 1st, Cosco, Eddie Bauer, and Disney branded infant car seat carriers with certain model numbers. They were sold at department and children’s product stores nationwide from January 2008 through this month.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the Dorel Juvenile Group announced the recall.

Consumers should not use the handle until a repair kit has been installed.

Continue reading "Baby Car Seat Carriers Recalled" »

The biggest city in America sets precedent on bike ridership which is great news to many of us who ride regularly. The examiner.com website reports that the New York Department of Transportation has released news that bike ridership in the city has gone up 26% in the last year. As we can imagine, parking a bike in the city could be a major issue for riders. New York City voters have made a great effort to make this problem a thing of the past by passing the “Bicycle Access to Buildings Law” in July which just went into effect on December 11th. Under this new law, riders who work in buildings that mainly consist of offices and have a freight elevator on the premises can ask for the building to allow the bicycle in.

After a building manager receives a request by a commuter or tenant, they have 30 days to allow access or deny by means of requesting an exemption. Although the new law allows bikes into buildings, individual offices are not forced to allow them.

New York City commissioner said, "While commuter cycling continues to grow, this new law unlocks a barrier that has stopped an untold number of bike commutes before they even started. While we launch a new era in bike commuting, we also recognize businesses that are making cycling a commuting and business priority for their employees."

Continue reading "Record Number of Bicyclists on the Road" »

On December 19, a contract worker at the Denver airport died after falling into about 20 feet of water at the bottom of a 40-foot-deep pit at the airport’s heating and cooling plant.

According to an article, the man fell in the morning and Denver Police Department divers recovered his body later in the day.

A spokesman for the Denver International Airport said the man was a paint inspector working for an outside company under contract with the airport.

The article stated that airport officials do not know how he fell. The pit’s opening is about 4 feet by 8 feet and the accident is under investigation.

Continue reading "Worker Dies after Falling in Pit at Denver Airport" »

A 49-year-old veteran Chester County school bus driver was killed in a three-vehicle collision on Route 322.

According to an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the bus driver was traveling east on Route 322 to her job at the Krapf’s bus companies. She had stopped her Dodge Caravan to make a left turn onto Highspire Road when she was struck from behind by a pickup truck.

The impact of the crash propelled the woman’s vehicle into the westbound lane, where it was hit from the side by a Cadillac. The driver was wearing a seat belt. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

The passenger and driver of the Cadillac and the pickup driver were taken to local hospitals for what appeared to be nonlife-threatening injuries.

The woman was an 11-year employee of Krapf’s. She drove Downingtown Bus 79, which served the Villa Maria Lower School in Malvern and SS. Peter and Paul elementary school in Exton. She drove school children of all ages.

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

Continue reading "Veteran School Bus Driver Killed in 3-Vehicle Collision" »

On December 18, a federal jury Friday awarded more than $100 million to 10 workers who claimed they were injured in 2007 when a toxic substance was released at BP PLC’s Texas City plant.

According to an article by the Associated Press, the jurors in Galveston, TX gave each contract worker $10 million in punitive damages. Nine of the workers were also awarded between $5,000 and $10,000 for pain and suffering and medical expenses, while the 10th got more than $240,000.

BP denied it had harmed any of the workers. They also rejected a proposal to settle for $10,000 for each worker.

The refinery was the site of a 2005 explosion that killed 15 people and injured 170, the worst U.S. industrial accident since 1990.

The refinery has a history of fires, chemical releases, and worker deaths.

The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board found that bad management at the plant and cost-cutting moves by BP were factors in the explosion.

In October, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration imposed a record $87 million fine against BP for failing to correct safety hazards after the 2005 blast.

The workers’ lawsuit claimed that in April 2007, more than 100 contract employees at the plant were sent to hospitals after claiming they were exposed to a toxic substance released at the refinery.

Continue reading "Jury Awards BP Workers $100 Million in Lawsuit" »

According to an article in The Philadelphia Inquirer, a car that was speeding ran off the road on Route 70 in Cherry Hill and slammed into a utility pole recently, killing the motorist and a man who just happened to be there.

The article reported that witnesses saw a red Pontiac GTO “traveling at a high rate of speed” on the westbound lanes of Route 70 on December 14.

The vehicle ran off the road then hit the pole and struck the pedestrian before the wreckage came to a halt in a driveway.

Both men were pronounced dead shortly after the accident.

Continue reading "Motorist and Pedestrian Killed in Cherry Hill Crash " »

According to an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Camden County Prosecutor’s Homicide Unit is investigating the death of a Cherry Hill man who suffered a fatal head injury when he was pushed and fell at a popular tavern in Westmont, NJ.

The 65-year-old man died December 12 three days after he was hurt.

The article reported that a 27-year-old Haddonfield man pushed the man on Wednesday, December 9 at P.J. Whelihan’s on Haddon Avenue. It was not disclosed why the 27-year-old allegedly pushed the other man.

The 65-year-old man’s death was ruled a homicide yesterday and the individual who pushed him faces possible homicide charges.

The decedent was married and had two sons and two grandchildren.

This decedent’s family would be well advised to contact a wrongful death attorney. The 27-year-old man could be held both criminally and civilly responsible for his death.

Continue reading "Cherry Hill Man, Hurt in Westmont Bar Dispute, Dies" »

On December 15, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the window covering industry recalled more than 50 million Roman-style shades and roll-up blinds because of the risk children may be strangled by the cords.

According to an article by the Associated Press, the CPSC said five deaths and 16 near-strangulations from Roman shades have been reported since 2006, while three deaths connected to roll-up blinds have been reported since 2001.

Roman shades can become dangerous if a child’s neck gets stuck between the exposed inner cord and the fabric on the backside of the blind, or if the cord gets wrapped around a child’s neck.

Roll-up blinds pose a strangulation threat if the lifting loop slides off the side of the blind and a child's neck becomes entangled on it, or if a child’s neck gets between the lifting loop and the roll-up blind material.

The CPSC urged parents to examine all shades and blinds in the home and make sure they have no accessible cords. Cribs, beds or other furniture should not be placed close to windows because children can climb on the furniture and reach the cords.

Continue reading "50 Million Blinds Recalled as Strangulation Hazard" »

According to an Associated Press article on Philly.com, a California winery will pay $3 million to settle a lawsuit brought after a teen driver was served beer at a wedding reception there. He later crashed his car, causing brain injury to his friend.

The teen motorist was convicted of drunken driving and served time for the 2006 crash.
The victim’s family sued Paradise Ridge Winery and the owners of a 7-Eleven, where the 19-year-olds reportedly later bought beer.

The injured friend also will get $500,000 from 7-Eleven and $105,000 from the driver. The money covers attorney fees and the injured boy’s care and will buy him a house equipped for the disabled.

The teen driver said that a bartender at the winery served him six to eight beers after he told them he left his identification in the car.

Continue reading "Sonoma Winery Pays $3M to Settle Teen DUI Case" »

A 20-year-old Chester County man plead not-guilty on December 8 to charges that include homicide by vehicle, driving under the influence of drugs, and fleeing an accident.

According to an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the charges were from a crash on September 6 that killed a couple from Norristown.

The article said that the young man was found running from the scene and had been driving the wrong way on Route 202 (in Exton) when his 2006 Dodge Dakota collided with the victims’ Suzuki Sidekick.

Toxicology tests indicated that the 20-year-old driver had marijuana in his system to a degree that made him “unfit to safely operate a motor vehicle.”

The families of the victims said they would like him to be accountable and expressed concern that he may have received preferential treatment. The young man has been free on $50,000 bail since his arrest last month.

Continue reading "Chesco Man Pleads Not Guilty in Fatal Car Crash" »

Two infant deaths led to the recall of about 24,000 Amby Baby Motion Beds, hammock-like beds. The beds were marketed to parents of fussy babies with colic or reflux.

According to an Associated Press article that appeared on Philly.com, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) said that the side-to-side shifting or tilting of the hammock can cause an infant to roll and become trapped or wedged against the hammock’s fabric or mattress pad, posing a suffocation risk to babies.

Two infants suffocated this past summer. One was a four-month old in Georgia and one a 5-month-old in Oregon.

The beds look similar to a baby swing and are recommended for babies ranging from newborn to 9 months old, but have mesh and fabric sides, resembling a hammock. The bed hangs from a spring and every time the baby moves or stirs in his sleep, the bed gently moves up and down, back and forth, or side to side. The idea is to mimic the motion of a baby in the womb.

The beds have been sold online through Ambybaby.com and other Internet retailers since 2003.

The CPSC urged consumers to immediately stop using the motion beds and find a safe place for baby to sleep.

Continue reading "2 Deaths Lead to Hammock Recall" »

According to an Associated Press article that appeared on Philly.com, one worker was killed and two others were injured on December 4 when a boiler failed at a Valero petroleum refinery in eastern Texas. The refinery employs about 480 people.

The article reported that the two people who were injured in the incident were in good condition.
A Valero Energy Co. spokesman did not confirm whether there had been an explosion or a fire during the failure without further investigation.

The worker who died and one of the injured were Valero employees. The other injured person was a contract worker who was taken to a hospital in Texas City.

After the boiler failed, the plant continued operating and there was no environmental damage.
The workers here as well as the family of the worker who died, would be well advised to 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 "1 Killed, 2 Injured in Texas Refinery Accident" »

On December 3, two workers doing maintenance on the roof of Cowboys Stadium fell at lest 50 feet before landing on a rain gutter. According to an Associated Press article that appeared on Philly.com, both workers suffered significant injuries.

The workers were working on the top hatch of the retractable roof venue when they fell.

One worker lost consciousness after breaking a leg and suffering injuries to his head and chest. The other suffered a back injury.

They fell down to what is called a “parapet” (large rain gutter), which likely caused their injuries.
Because temperatures were near freezing at the time, it may have been slick on the roof.

The injured workers were iron workers from Birdair, Inc., who are roofing subcontractors for the stadium.

The article stated that there have been previous accidents at the site, including the death of an electrician who came in contact with a high voltage line.

Continue reading "Fall from Cowboys Stadium Roof Injures Two Workers " »

The mother of an Illinois high school football player is suing his football coach and the district. According to an article in USA Today, she claims her son sustained permanent, stroke-causing brain injuries during a game after the linebacker’s complaints of a headache and signs of a concussion went ignored.

The mother has accused the high school coach of recklessly endangering his players by such tactics as contact drills without proper protection.

The lawsuit claims that the coach taunted his players for not playing or complaining of symptoms consistent with concussion.

The mother also claims that the coach created an atmosphere in which injuries were not reported or were underreported.

The suit seeks compensation for at least more than $200,000 the injured player has incurred, as well as at least $50,000 for each of the petition’s four counts.

According to the lawsuit, the football player sustained a broken collarbone in July 2008 when the coach ordered him to tackle a teammate while neither wore protective gear. The other player suffered a broken neck.

Three months after the July injury, during a game the player complained of a headache and showed symptoms of a concussion. He was told by the coach to continue playing. The boy collapsed later in the game on the sidelines after a blood vessel in his brain apparently burst. It caused the 5-foot-11, 190-pound linebacker to have several small strokes and seizures, according to the lawsuit.

The injured football player had to receive Speech and Occupational Therapy and began home-schooling after his injuries.

Continue reading "Illinois High School Football Player's Injuries Draw Lawsuit" »

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that eight workers were injured in an explosion at a middle school in southeastern Virginia on November 29.

According to the article, the workers suffered varying injuries in the blast at Crittenden Middle School.

The workers were employees of T.R. Driscoll Inc. of Lumberton, N.C., a contracting company that had been doing repair work at the school for about five weeks.

Workers were using propane to heat the tar, but the cause of the blast was not determined.
Five workers were taken to nearby trauma centers, and three to emergency rooms.

The explosion sparked a fire and caused a large wall to collapse in the school’s shop area.
The workers here would be well advised to 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 "Workers Injured in Explosion at Virginia School" »

Toyota Motor Corp. announced on November 25 that it would replace accelerator pedals on about 4 million recalled vehicles in the United States because the pedals can get stuck in the floor mats.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that, temporarily, Toyota will have dealers shorten the length of the gas pedals beginning in January. The company is going to develop replacement pedals for their vehicles. New pedals will be available beginning in April, and some vehicles will have brake override systems installed as a precaution.

The Toyota Camry and the Toyota Prius are among those recalled. Also included is the luxury Lexus ES350, the model in a fatal accident in California that focused public attention on the danger.

Toyota announced the massive recall in late September and told owners to remove the driver’s side floor mats to prevent the gas pedal from potentially becoming jammed. The recall has prompted Toyota’s top executives to push for improved quality controls.

The recall involving the accelerators was Toyota’s largest recall in the U.S. It was prompted by a high-speed crash in August involving a 2009 Lexus ES350 that killed a California Highway Patrol officer and three members of his family. The Lexus hit speeds exceeding 120 mph, struck a sport utility vehicle, launched off an embankment, rolled several times and burst into flames.

A family member in the Lexus made a 911 call moments before the crash and told emergency responders that the accelerator was stuck and the driver couldn’t stop the car.

Continue reading "Toyota to Replace 4 Million Gas Pedals that Could Jam" »

The Delaware County Times reported that La Salle university will pay $7.5 million to provide lifetime care to 23-year-old former football player who suffered a severe brain injury in a 2005 game, allegedly after an earlier concussion went untreated.

The football player’s family, of Marlboro, N.J., settled their lawsuit against La Salle University on November 30.

The settlement came as the NFL, the NCAA and other governing bodies review rules about when athletes should return to play following concussions. Research suggests that returning too soon can lead to brain damage.

La Salle did not admit wrongdoing with the settlement, which is covered by its insurance.

The young player was injured when he took a hit while covering a punt in a 2005 game at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. He was briefly knocked unconscious, then awoke and was combative for three to five minutes before lapsing into a coma.

The article reported that his brain was already contused from a prior concussion. The athlete had emergency surgery in Pittsburgh to relieve brain swelling.

The family claimed that the earlier injury made him more vulnerable to the second, catastrophic blow. La Salle contends the injury stemmed solely from the Duquesne hit.

According to the lawsuit, the young man endured helmet-to-helmet contact in an Oct. 4 practice, and took himself out of the next game in the fourth quarter, complaining of a headache.

Continue reading "La Salle Pays $7.5M Over Football Brain Injury" »

On November 24, the head of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) promised swift action to get dangerous products off the market. According to an Associated Press article that appeared on Philly.com, the CPSC chairman acknowledged that her agency did not move quickly enough on a record recall of 2.1 million cribs linked to four infant suffocations.

The recall involves drop-side cribs made by Stork Craft Manufacturing of Canada, affecting 1.2 million cribs in the United States and almost one million in Canada. Sales of the affected cribs date back to 1993.

Stork Craft has insisted that its cribs were safe if used properly. Their chief executive claimed the deaths were found to be a result of improper use and that parents should install a free kit from the company that converts the drop-side to an immovable side.

Drop-side cribs have one side that moves up and down to allow parents, especially shorter adults, to lift children from the cribs more easily. The CPSCS said that there have been 110 incidents of the drop-side detaching from the Stork Craft cribs.

More than five million drop-side cribs have been recalled in the last two years — recalls associated with the deaths of a dozen children.

Continue reading "Crib Design Standards May Become More Strict" »

On November 24, a woman swerved across three lanes on Marshall Road in Upper Darby, PA to get around a traffic jam and slammed her car into two school children. She then drove on at high speed and hit a third boy, which threw him against a building and left him in a coma. According to an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, a 12-year-old is in critical but stable condition at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

A 13-year-old and another 12-year-old were in serious condition being treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The boys were leaving Beverly Hills Middle School when they were hit. Two of the boys were waiting to cross Marshall Road. The woman driving a Dodge Charger then swerved. When her car plowed into the two boys crossing Marshall Road, one of the boys was tossed into the air and bounced off the windshield, shattering it.

The car continued 15 yards and struck the other boy. The impact sent him into the side of an auto-parts store. The car did not stop.

The Dodge returned to the eastbound lanes, where it traveled 50 more yards before striking a Subaru station wagon. The force drove the Subaru into a parked Mercedes-Benz. The Dodge continued for an additional 20 yards before stopping. According to the article, police believe she was trying to get away. Police took the woman into custody and took her to Upper Darby police headquarters.

Every eight minutes a pedestrian is hurt in a traffic accident – that’s up to 65,000 injuries a year. And 5,000 or more pedestrians die every year in pedestrian accidents.

Continue reading "Darby Crash Injures 3 Boys" »

A 33-year-old woman of Magnolia, NJ was driving her Ford Escort in the interstate through Haddon Heights when a tractor-trailer following behind her failed to brake for traffic that had slowed for a construction zone. According to an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, she was pinned in her car, crushed between two trucks and suffered serious injuries below her waist.

The accident occurred when a tractor-trailer veered to the left and slammed into a concrete barrier. It bounced back into the center lane of traffic and plowed into the rear of the woman’s Ford Escort. The impact drove her car into the rear of a box truck carrying liquor.

The box truck collided with several more vehicles before it came to a stop.

The female motorist was sandwiched between the two trucks and pinned by the engine block of her car. Rescue workers had to pull her from the wreckage.

The driver of the tractor-trailer was not injured. The box truck driver suffered neck and back pain.

The article said the tractor-trailer driver would receive a traffic summons for careless driving. Other charges may be forthcoming after an investigation and an inspection of the truck by state police.

Continue reading "Trucks Crush Car and Pin Woman on I-295 in Camden County" »

A Cherry Hill woman riding a bike in Medford, NJ was hospitalized with multiple fractures because of a driver texting about a drug deal. According to an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the bicyclist was riding along Route 70, wearing a reflective vest and a helmet on November 16 when she was struck by a car.

The male motorist told police he was texting when his 1994 Oldsmobile Cutless wandered onto the shoulder.

The article said that the text message related to a deal for a “controlled dangerous substance.”
Police were seeking the man’s car before the accident happened and had reports he was driving erratically.

The biker suffered multiple injuries, including fractures to her face, a vertebrae and a leg.

Unauthorized prescription drugs were found in the car, and the motorist was charged with possession with intent to distribute.

Continue reading "Driver Injures Biker While Texting about Drug Deal" »

A new study raises new concerns about Zetia and Vytorin, drugs taken by millions of Americans to lower cholesterol. According to an article by the Associated Press on Philly.com, Zetia failed to shrink buildups in artery walls while a rival drug, Niaspan, did so significantly. Zetia users also suffered more heart attacks and other problems although the numbers of these events were too small to draw firm conclusions.

A preventive cardiology chief at Johns Hopkins University said that in the seven years Zetia has been on the market, it hasn’t proven that it improves clinical outcomes.

Lipitor and Crestor (statins) have long been used to lower LDL, or bad cholesterol, and are known to cut the risk of heart problems. Because many statin users still suffer heart attacks, doctors have been testing adding a second medicine to further lower risk.

They are trying Niaspan, a slow-release version of niacin, a type of B vitamin that raises HDL, or good cholesterol. The other is Zetia, which lowers bad cholesterol in a different way than statins do, by blocking its absorption in the gut.

Vytorin is a pill that combines Zetia with a statin.

Abbott Laboratories sponsored the new study in which researchers enrolled 363 people with heart disease or a high risk for it who had been taking statins for six years on average.

Half were given Niaspan and the others, Zetia. Ultrasound images of neck arteries showed that Niaspan shrank buildups by about 2 percent, while Zetia had no effect on this even though it lowered bad cholesterol as expected.

Continue reading "Study on Merck Pill Zetia Raises New Questions" »

Federal health regulators have found tiny particles of trash in drugs made by Genzyme, a biotechnology company. This is the second time this year the company has been cited for contamination issues. According to an Associated Press article, on November 13, the Food and Drug Administration said that bits of steel, rubber, and fiber found in vials of drugs used to treat rare enzyme disorders could cause serious adverse health effects for patients.

The FDA said the products would remain on the market because there are few alternative treatments. They also said doctors should closely inspect vials for particles before injecting them into patients. Doctors should return the defective pharmaceutical to Genzyme if they suspect contamination and watch for potential allergic reactions, blood clots and other problems in patients.

In June, Genzyme was forced to shut down a key production facility due to viral contamination.
The drugs affected by the latest announcement include: Cerezyme, Fabrazyme, Myozyme, Aldurazyme and Thyrogen. All are manufactured at a biotech plant in Allston Landing, Mass., where FDA regulators are conducting an inspection.

Genzyme specializes in biotech drugs to treat rare diseases.

Continue reading "FDA Discovers Pieces of Steel and Rubber in Genzyme Drugs" »

On November 17, federal health officials said that a popular variety of heartburn medications can interfere with the blood thinner Plavix, a drug taken by millions of Americans to reduce risks of heart attack and stroke. The Associated Press reported in an article that the Food and Drug Administration said the drugs Prilosec and Nexium cut in half the blood-thinning effect of Plavix, known generically as clopidogrel.

Regulators said the key ingredient in the heartburn medications blocks an enzyme the body needs to break down Plavix, muting the drug’s full effect. Procter & Gamble’s Prilosec OTC is available over-the-counter and AstraZeneca’s Nexium is only available with a prescription.

The FDA said that patients at risk for heart attacks or strokes who use clopidogrel to prevent blood clots would not get the full effect of this medicine. Because Plavix can upset the stomach, it is often prescribed with stomach acid-blocking drugs.

The FDA recommended that patients who need to reduce their acid should take drugs from the H-2 blocker family. These include Mylanta and Zantac. FDA scientists said there is no evidence those drugs interfere with Plavix’s anti-blood clotting action.

FDA regulators said they don’t have enough information to say whether other drugs in the same class as Nexium and Prilosec (proton pump inhibitors) shouldn’t be used with Plavix. The warnings on Plavix have been strengthened based on a 150-patient study submitted over the summer. Some consumer advocates argued that regulators should have placed the information in a “black box” warning label.

It was reported last year that taking Plavix with Nexium significantly increased patients’ chances of being hospitalized for a heart attack, stroke or chest pain. Plavix’s labeling was updated to advise against using it in combination with certain heartburn drugs.

Continue reading "FDA Says Heartburn Drugs Can Interfere with Plavix" »

Two Pennsylvania Turnpike bridge builders were injured on October 29 when a steel structure they were preparing collapsed near the Lehigh River at Parryville. According to an article in The Morning Call, several circles of steel, each with a diameter of about 10 feet, tipped over, hitting the men. The two men were pulled from the steel and taken to an area hospital. Fortunately, they did not suffer life-threatening injuries.

The men were employees of Walsh Construction Co. and were putting together the steel framework for a column to support a Northeast Extension replacement bridge between the Lehigh Tunnel and the Mahoning Valley interchange.

The article said that the cause of the accident was unknown.

Continue reading "Turnpike Bridge-Building Accident Injures 2 Workers" »

A man from Ambler, PA was charged with third-degree murder in connection with a fatal car crash in Delaware County on November 10. According to an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the 18-year-old man allegedly was traveling at a high speed northbound in the southbound lanes of Route 352. He then drove his Ford Explorer though a red light at the intersection of Knowlton Road in Middletown Township. He collided with a car and broke the smaller Honda Accord into two pieces. The driver in the other vehicle died at the scene. The charged man was treated for injuries.

Drivers of two other cars caught in the pileup and a passenger also were hurt, but the Inquirer reported that their injuries were not life-threatening.

The 18-year-old also faces charges including aggravated assault, involuntary manslaughter, and recklessly endangering another person.

The 18-year-old should be held both civilly and criminally responsible for the motorist’s death and for injuring the other victims. The families of these victims would be well advised to seek the advice of an experienced wrongful death/personal injury attorney.

Continue reading "Ambler Resident Charged for Fatal Delco Car Crash" »

One worker was killed and another injured on November 10 when a crane tipped over at the construction site of a Kansas City, Missouri performing arts center. According to an article on KansasCity.com, the two men were in the bucket of the 100-foot-tall JLG Lift when it fell away from the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. It then landed across a platform of steel beams.

One of the men was pronounced dead at a hospital and the other was listed in serious but stable condition.

The men were installing steel panels on the building for Detroit-based subcontractor Midwest Steel.

According to the article, the center will be the home of the Kansas City Symphony, the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, and the Kansas City Ballet.

Crane accidents kill up to 82 construction workers each year in the United States, according to the U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration.

Continue reading "Kansas City Crane Accident Kills Worker" »

On November 9, about a million Maclaren strollers sold by Target and Babies “R” Us were recalled after 12 reports of children having their fingertips amputated by a hinge mechanism.
According to an Associated Press article, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said the recall includes all nine models of single and double umbrella Maclaren strollers (Volo, Triumph, Quest Sport, Quest Mod, Techno XT, TechnoXLR, Twin Triumph, Twin Techno and Easy Traveller).

The amputation risk occurs when a child’s finger is placed in the hinge mechanism of a stroller while it is being unfolded. When the opened stroller locks into place, it can cut off the tip of the child’s finger.

The company is offering free hinge covers to prevent future incidents. The covers should not be removed unless the stroller is being cleaned, according to the CPSC.

Continue reading "Stroller Recall Over Fingertip Amputation Danger" »

According to an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, a Levittown man whose car allegedly slammed into a parked police car, causing the cruiser to fatally run over an Officer, was “impaired.”

A paramedic and a police traffic investigator testified that the suspect behaved “oddly” right after the accident on January 29.

The 37-year-old officer became wedged under his cruiser and suffered a skull fracture and multiple fractures of the left leg.

He died of multiple injuries.

The driver went on trial November 9.

According to a fellow Officer and accident reconstructionist for the Middletown police force, the driver’s eyes were “red and glassy” and he was incoherent when interviewed by first responders.

The man is charged with homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance. Court records have alleged that the man was high on methadone, marijuana, opiates and benzoylecgonine, a substance related to cocaine use.

Continue reading "Trial Over Officer's Traffic Death Address Impairment" »

On November 5, a SEPTA track inspector was struck and killed by an R3 West Trenton train in East Oak Lane. According to an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, a 34-year-old from Sharon Hill was struck by a southbound train near the Philadelphia-Montgomery County line just south of the Melrose Park station. He died at the scene.

The man was part of a team inspecting tracks that normally carry northbound trains. It was unclear yesterday how fast the train had been traveling.

According to the article, inspecting tracks is a set procedure. SEPTA officials said trains often switch tracks because of equipment issues.

The family of this deceased man would be well advised to contact an experienced Philadelphia 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 "Track Inspector Hit and Killed by Regional Train" »

On November 3, 8-year-old twins were mowed down by a hit-and-run driver in Crescentville, PA. According to an article in the Philadelphia Daily News, the sisters were on their way to a corner store at Cheltenham Avenue and Colgate Street when they were struck by a gray Lincoln Town Car that sped from the scene.

One of the girls suffered only bumps and bruises and was treated for minor injuries at St. Christopher’s hospital.

The other child’s injuries are much more severe than her sister’s.The article said that the Lincoln rolled over the little girl, leaving tire marks on her clothes and abdomen. She was listed in critical condition.

An arrest in the case is expected to come soon, as police found a car that they believe might have been involved.

The driver of the Lincoln should be held both civilly and criminally responsible for the girls’ injuries. The twins’ family would be well advised to seek the advice of an experienced personal injury attorney.

Continue reading "8-Year-Old Twins Injured in Hit-and-Run Accident" »

A man from central Pennsylvania has been charged with drunken driving and homicide by vehicle in a crash that killed a taxicab driver and one of his passengers in October. According to an article on Philly.com, the 31-year-old man is also charged with aggravated assault by vehicle while driving under the influence and other counts.

The article said that his blood-alcohol level was above the legal limit, he tested positive for marijuana, and he told officers that he was texting at the time of the crash.

Police said the man’s car crossed the center line on Harrisburg’s Market Street Bridge on October 3 and hit the taxi head-on. The crash killed the 34-year-old male driver of Harrisburg and the 28-year-old female passenger of Camp Hill, PA. Her husband, a 31-year-old man, was injured.

Continue reading "PA Man Charged in Collision with Taxi that Killed 2" »

Two Penn State fraternities and two students were charged with misdemeanors in connection with the death of an 18-year-old freshman who fell onto a concrete stairwell after a night of drinking.

According to an article on Philly.com, University and State College police charged the Alpha Tau Omega and Phi Gamma Delta fraternities each with one count of selling or furnishing alcohol to minors and one count each of unlawful acts relative to alcohol. The 18-year-old freshman was found dead in September with a blood-alcohol level of 0.169 percent, more than twice the legal limit for a 21-year-old to drive. He was found about 75 yards from Phi Gamma Delta.

A 21-year-old female student and a 21-year-old male student are facing charges. According to the article, the female student bought vodka for her underage sister and for the teen who died earlier in the weekend. The male student hosted the deceased teen and his friends in his room at the Phi Gamma Delta house.

Continue reading "2 Penn State Students, 2 Fraternities Face Charges for Drinking Death" »

A New Jersey truck driver involved in a Route 9, NJ accident that led to the death of three people, has pleaded guilty to a felony charge of grossly negligent operation resulting in death. According to an article by The Associated Press, attorneys said they will ask a Vermont District Court judge to sentence the Deptford, N.J. man to one to 10 years in prison.

On April 16, 2008, the truck driver was driving a tractor-trailer on Route 9 in Woodford, NJ that overturned on a sharp, downhill curve. The truck hit two cars in the opposite lane, killing two men. A third man died five months later of injuries suffered in the crash.

The families of these victims deserve to be rightfully compensated for their tremendous loss. Every day throughout the country families are devastated when innocent loved ones are injured or even die as the result of traffic accidents.

Continue reading "Deptford Truck Driver Pleads Guilty in 2008 Triple Fatal Accident" »

The family of a Connecticut woman who died after her chenille bathrobe caught on fire has filed a federal lawsuit against a Pennsylvania-based retailer. According to an article by the Associated Press on Philly.com, attorneys for the estate of an 80-year-old woman filed suit last week in U.S. District Court in Hartford, CT against Blair LLC. They are claiming wrongful death and product liability and are seeking $30 million.

The woman was severely burned on Feb. 12, 2005, when her robe ignited as she made tea in her home. She died two weeks later.

The robes were linked to nine deaths. Blair recently expanded its recall of more than 300,000 chenille products it imported from a Pakistani manufacturer.

As a consumer, you have the right to assume that products you purchase or use have been produced in a manner that would ensure that they are safe and free from unreasonable risks. If a company manufactures or sells a product that is hazardous to the user, the company must be held liable for any injuries or fatalities that occurred due to the faulty product.

Continue reading "Bathrobe Fire Death: Connecticut Family Sues" »

A Philadelphia jury is weighing punitive damages against drugmaker Wyeth. According to an article by the Associated Press, there is link between the Illinois woman’s breast cancer and the hormone-replacement drug she took.

The woman’s case is one of many Prempro lawsuits to go to trial out of several thousand filed across the country. About 1,500 are pending in Philadelphia.

The Philadelphia jury awarded $3.75 million in compensatory damages on October 23. According to the article, they said the company’s actions were willful and warrant punitive damages.

The 64-year-old woman is a retired hospital records clerk from Peoria, Illinois. She took Prempro for five years before her 2002 cancer diagnosis.

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. To help innocent consumers who have been injured by a defective or dangerous pharmaceutical receive the compensation they need, experienced PA drug injury attorneys may be of great assistance.

Continue reading "PA Prempro Cancer Case: Jury Weighs Damages" »

A 40-year-old paralegal died after apparently being hit by a bicyclist in Center City, Philadelphia earlier in October. According to an article on Philly.com, the Center City law firm where the man worked has offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person who struck the paralegal.

The man was taken to a nearby hospital on October 15, after police picked him up near the intersection of 16th and Locust. He was found on the street, bleeding from severe head injuries. The article said that he was put into a medically induced coma to prevent further brain swelling.
At first, police reported the incident as a transport to the hospital. They later learned that several people in the area heard a loud noise, then saw two men on the ground, one of whom had been riding a bicycle and apparently crashed into the paralegal. Witnesses told police that the cyclist then fled the scene.

The bicyclist should be held both criminally and civilly responsible for the death of this male paralegal. The family of any victim who dies in Pennsylvania due to someone’s negligence would be well advised to seek the advice of an experienced Philadelphia wrongful death attorney.

Continue reading "Paralegal Dies of Injuries from Being Hit by Bicyclist" »

A 75-year-old woman was injured on October 12 when an aerial lift crashed into the roof of a Center City apartment building, causing debris to fall on her. According to an article in the Philadelphia Daily News, the woman tried to protect her head, but the impact of the 125-foot boom broke her left arm and crushed her elbow. She fell face-first to the ground and debris and bricks from the roof hit her, fracturing her spine.

She, along with her attorneys, filed a notice of plans to sue Masonry Preservation Group, Inc., of Merchantville, N.J., and First Presbyterian Church, of 21st near Walnut. The aerial-lift operator was killed in the accident and two others besides the woman were injured.

The operator was repairing loose masonry on the church, when a huge wheel of the lift platform ran over a fiberglass and cement TV-cable box embedded in the sidewalk.

The weight of the heavy machinery broke the cover of the cable box and destabilized the lift, causing it to slowly fall, taking down a streetlight, taking out a section of the roof of an apartment building and landing on a Verizon truck.

The woman fell under the lift and tried to push it off of her. She fractured vertebrae in her back when debris and bricks fell on her. Her attorneys are looking into whether proper permits for the work were obtained for the masonry repair, or if there were violations by the city Licenses and Inspections Department or the U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration.

Continue reading "Lift Accident's 75-Year-Old Victim Files Suit" »

A Philadelphia jury awarded $2.5 million to a woman from Bensalem. The jury found that Paxil had caused heart problems in her 3-year-old son who required several surgeries after his birth to fix his heart. They ruled out additional punitive damages.

The case was the first of about 600 lawsuits to go to trial on claims that the GlaxoSmithKline’s Paxil antidepressant caused birth defects in children whose mothers took the drug during pregnancy.

According to an article in The Philadelphia Inquirer, legal experts saw the 10-2 jury decision as a big win for plaintiffs in the remaining cases, even though the jurors awarded only compensatory damages.

Jurors linked the plaintiff’s problems to Paxil and said GlaxoSmithKline was negligent in not properly warning the woman’s doctor of the drug’s risk. They did not find the company’s behavior “outrageous,” which would have been necessary to award punitive damages.

The standard for finding punitive damages requires evidence that a company knew about problems but ignored them or covered them up because the product was so profitable.

Continue reading "First Paxil Lawsuit Results in Plaintiff's Favor" »

A man from Tabernacle, PA said a defective Toyota seat belt contributed to his paralysis. According to an article in The Philadelphia Inquirer, he thinks that the company may be withholding crash data that could prove it.

The injured man’s attorneys argued in court that Toyota had been evasive when asked whether crash-test videos still exist for the 1991 short-bed, deluxe pickup.

On January 4, 2005, as the plaintiff was heading to work, he stopped to make a left turn onto in Barnegat, Ocean County, NJ and was struck from behind and then by a second vehicle. He filed a year later against the first driver, Toyota, and the seat-belt manufacturer. The man’s legs are paralyzed, although he does have some upper-leg strength that allows limited walking with a walker or crutches.

The seriously injured man claims that he was wearing his seat belt because he always buckled the restraint before starting the vehicle, as required by his employer.

There are allegations in California accusing Toyota of withholding and destroying evidence during civil litigation in unrelated cases. The man’s attorneys said this may be indicative of a widespread practice to conceal damaging evidence.

On October 9, a Superior Court Judge ruled that the company had an obligation locally to clarify whether videos or other electronic information exist showing that vehicles have been properly tested and met all safety standards.

The plaintiff’s lawyers allege that the seat belt, with a design defect, opened upon impact and that he was thrown into the dashboard with such force that he fractured vertebrae. Had the seat belt worked properly, the man would not have been thrown from his seat.

One of his attorneys also alleges that Toyota engineers knew in 1991 the seat belts installed in some vehicles were defective and that they later installed a properly designed belt. But the company never issued a recall.

The case is scheduled for trial in February.

According to the article, attorneys for the injured man are questioning if the company has a broad practice of withholding evidence.

Continue reading "Burlco Man's Suit Has Toyota Safety Data at Its Center" »

Metrolink, a commuter rail agency, agreed to pay about $30 million to settle most of the lawsuits from a derailment that killed 11 people and injured another 180 on January 26, 2005. A driver, Juan Alvarez, was trying to commit suicide and parked his gas-drenched SUV on the tracks.

A fast-moving Metrolink train struck the SUV, derailed and struck a parked Union Pacific locomotive before colliding with another Metrolink train traveling in the other direction.

According to an article, an attorney for the plaintiffs said Metrolink agreed to settle nearly 90 % of the cases, including nine wrongful death claims and 15 serious injury cases. Both sides are trying to resolve the remaining cases ahead of trial set for January 4.

Alvarez was convicted last year of murder for causing the crash and sentenced to 11 consecutive life terms.

If the civil trial proceeds, attorneys will argue the wreck could have been prevented if the engineer had hit the emergency brake. The engineer said he applied the emergency brake as soon as he realized the SUV was parked across the tracks. However, data from the train showed the engineer applied the service brake for six seconds, instead of immediately hitting the emergency brake.

It was the deadliest rail disaster in California history until last year, when a Metrolink train collided with a freight train in suburban Chatsworth, killing 25 people. A federal investigation revealed a number of safety violations, including a text message sent by the commuter train’s engineer seconds before the collision.

Continue reading "California Train Derailment Victims Settle for $30M" »

An October 9th explosion and fire at an asphalt plant in eastern Pennsylvania injured three workers, two of them critically.

According to an Associated Press article, an electrical panel burst into flames in the control room of the H&K Group’s South Reading Blacktop plant at 11 a.m. on October 9. A male electrical contractor was eating lunch in front of the screen. Two workers, a 57-year-old man and a 49-year-old man were injured after they and others rushed to help the worker who was eating in front of the screen.

The man eating lunch and the 57-year-old were in critical condition October 10 at a nearby hospital. The 49-year-old was treated for smoke inhalation.

The company called the blast a flash electrical fire and says it was the first such accident at the facility. State police and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration have also been investigating.

The families of these injured workers would be well advised to contact an experienced Philadelphia workers' 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 "Pennsylvania Flash Electrical Fire at Asphalt Plant Injures 3" »

A freshman student at Delaware County’s Williamson Free School of Mechanical Trades died after he was electrocuted during a class on October 9th at the school’s power plant.

According to an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, an 18-year-old male student from Darby Township apparently was wiring a large lamp when he was hit by a jolt of electricity.

The male student was rushed by ambulance to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead.

The school is still gathering information about the tragic accident. The college also will bring in accident experts to determine the exact cause and make sure the school’s accident prevention policies are adequate.

The Inquirer reported that other students were with the 18-year-old in the power plant. It was not clear how many or how close they were to him when the accident happened. There are about 40 students in this particular student’s electrical program who are typically together in the power plant.

The student’s family would be well advised to obtain a wrongful death attorney who could determine if there was any negligence or wrongdoing. When needless death occurs due to negligence of another party, wrongful death lawsuits can be filed. In these lawsuits, the decedent’s heirs sue the negligent party or parties for damages related to the loss of life and their own pain and suffering. It is recommended that families who think their family member’s death was wrongful first contact a wrongful death attorney for a case assessment. If the case is valid, the attorney can help investigate the claim, gather evidence, represent them in court, and collect the compensation they deserve.

Continue reading "Electrical Accident Kills College Freshman" »

A 27-year-old man from Maple Shade, NJ has been charged with killing his passenger and an oncoming motorist while driving under the influence of marijuana.

According to an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the driver was charged with two counts of vehicular homicide and one count of assault by auto in the Aug. 9 deaths of a 63-year-old from Mansfield, and a 22-year old from Maple Shade.

He was driving west on Route 38 in Mount Laurel, NJ on Aug. 9 when he accelerated to prevent a sedan in the lane to his right from merging ahead of him.

According to the article, he lost control, struck the median, and went airborne into oncoming traffic. His Chevrolet pickup truck struck two vehicles, killing the driver of a Toyota Highlander. The man’s passenger died later that day.

Police determined that the man’s vehicle had exceeded 80 miles per hour just before the crash and that he was under the influence of marijuana at the time of the collision.

Continue reading "Fatal Route 38 Collision: Driver Charged with DUI" »

On October 12, a mobile crane working on a church steeple toppled near Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, killing the crane operator and injuring a woman standing nearby.

According to an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the orange aerial lift, working at the First Presbyterian Church at 21st and Walnut Streets, fell at about 1:15 p.m. that day. It knocked down a streetlight, sheared off a stoplight, and clipped the roof of a building on the north side of the street.

The crane operator was turning the machine when one wheel rolled over a cable access cover, the heavy lid gave way, the machine wobbled then fell. He was taken to a hospital, and was pronounced dead at 1:42 p.m.

The church had hired Masonry Preservation Group, of Merchantville, N.J. to perform a survey of the church’s stone exterior.

MPG does extensive work in Philadelphia on the maintenance and restoration of historic stone and masonry structures. It brought several of the truck-mounted cranes and set them up around the church.

According to article, the operator turned the crane, one of the four enormous wheels at the base rolled over a cable access panel. It started to tilt and it swayed out about 20 feet into the street. Then it swayed back towards the church. The second time it swung out, it toppled over.
The type of equipment involved in the accident, known as an AWP or aerial lift platform, is not technically considered a crane, and is not subject to the strict regulations put in place by Philadelphia last year.

The family of the crane operator would be well advised to contact an experienced Philadelphia 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 "Rittenhouse Square Crane Accident Kills Operator" »

The Obama administration reported on September 30 that nearly 6,000 people were killed and a half-million injured last year in vehicle crashes connected to driver distraction, an indication of the dangers of using mobile devices behind the wheel.

According to an article, the Transportation Department was bringing together experts over two days for what was called a “distracted driving summit” to take a look at the highway hazards caused by drivers talking on cell phones or texting from behind the wheel. Secretary Ray LaHood said the administration would be developing ways of curbing distracted driving.

Transportation officials said in a research report that 5,870 people were killed and 515,000 were injured last year in crashes where at least one form of driver distraction was reported. Driver distraction was involved in 16 percent of all fatal crashes in 2008.

The panel of government officials, safety advocates, researchers and lawmakers hoped to develop a consensus on the roadway hazards and hear warnings from young adults who caused car accidents because they were texting while driving.

The new data underscored the major problem of distractions involving young drivers. The greatest proportion of distracted drivers were those age 20 and under. Sixteen percent of all under-20 drivers involved in fatal crashes were reported to have been distracted while driving, the government said.

Continue reading "Almost 6,000 Deaths Caused by Driver Distraction" »

The widow of the small-plane pilot killed on August 8 in a collision with a helicopter over the Hudson River between New York and New Jersey has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit. According to an article by the Associated Press on Philly.com, she is accusing the helicopter operators of operating an aerial “bumper car.”

The crash killed nine people aboard the two aircraft, including the pilot from Ambler, Pa. The federal lawsuit filed this week in Philadelphia seeks more than $1.3 million in damages.
The woman sued tour company Liberty Helicopters, helicopter owner Meridian Consulting I Corp., manufacturer American Eurocopter and several of their insurers.

Her suit charges that Liberty and Meridian have a history of accidents and that American Eurocopter failed to equip the helicopter with sufficient safety equipment.

The crash also killed the pilot’s brother and nephew, along with the helicopter pilot and five Italian tourists.

The family also plans to sue the Federal Aviation Administration, which employed the controller, and a supervisor who had allegedly left on an unauthorized errand.

When needless death occurs due to negligence of another party, wrongful death lawsuits can be filed. In these lawsuits, the decedent’s heirs sue the negligent party or parties for damages related to the loss of life and their own pain and suffering. It is recommended that families who think their family member’s death in Pennsylvania was wrongful first contact a wrongful death attorney in Philadelphia for a case assessment. If the case is valid, the attorney can help investigate the claim, gather evidence, represent them in court, and collect the compensation they deserve.

Continue reading "Wrongful Death Suit Filed Against Chopper Owner, Maker Over Hudson Crash " »

A 79-year-old man accused of hitting a female cyclist was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and leaving the scene of an accident. According to an article on Philly.com, the female bicyclist was hit on October 2 by a truck in Center City and is in critical condition. Initially the driver was charged with suspicion of driving under the influence.

The woman who was injured is believed to be in her 40s. She was hit about 7:30 p.m. at 22d and Market Streets. The article stated that SEPTA police stopped the truck at 22d and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

The driver of the truck should be held both civilly and criminally responsible for the woman’s injuries. She and her family would be well advised to seek the advice of an experienced Pennsylvania bicycle accident attorney.

Continue reading "Cyclist Injured in DUI Hit and Run Accident" »

The trial is going to begin in a medical malpractice lawsuit following the death of a University of Pennsylvania sophomore. She died in September 2007 of meningitis. According to an article on Philly.com, her family claims that the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania was negligent in performing a lumbar puncture on a patient with brain swelling, and that her brain herniated, killing her.

The hospital maintains that the sophomore received outstanding care and that the lumbar puncture, commonly known as a spinal tap, is the standard test for meningitis.

The suit is being heard in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court.

If you or someone you love has been treated with substandard care by a doctor or healthcare provider and has suffered an injury or disability as a result, that 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.

Continue reading "Trial Begins in Medical Malpractice Suit for Penn Student's Meningitis Death" »

A bankruptcy court judge overseeing certain Chrysler assets approved a $24 million settlement in the death of a California longshoreman run over by a Dodge pickup. According to an article, the settlement comes more than two years after a Los Angeles Superior Court jury awarded damages of more than $55 million to a deceased man’s family. The family argued the automaker had failed to fix and adequately warn consumers about a transmission defect that made it appear trucks were in park position, when they actually were between gears.

An appeal of the jury verdict by the former DaimlerChrysler was delayed by Chrysler’s Chapter 11 bankrupcty filing in April, leading to negotiations that resulted in a settlement.

The 38-year-old suffered fatal head injuries when he was run over by a 1992 Dodge Dakota at the Port of Los Angeles on April 13, 2004. Both sides in the lawsuit said he had left the truck running without setting the parking brake, but they differed on who was to blame for the accident.

Attorneys for the man’s family argued that the truck slipped into reverse after the man got out. Those attorneys said DaimlerChrysler had received more than 1,000 “park-to-reverse” complaints involving 1988 through 2003 model Dakotas. The family’s attorneys argued that the company issued a recall in 2000 but it was for repairs that failed to fix the problem.

Jurors found in March 2007 that DaimlerChrysler was negligent in the truck’s design, and for failing to warn consumers or adequately recall the vehicle.

Continue reading "$24M Chrysler Wrongful Death Settlement Approved by Judge" »

A 42-year-old man was critically injured on Jan. 11, 2008 after getting hit by a car right after stepping off a SEPTA bus in Frankford, PA. According to an article in the Philadelphia Daily News, he is suing the transit agency and the drivers of the bus and car.

The injured man was struck unconscious and is now confined to a wheelchair with limited mobility in his arms and legs.

The article stated that instead of pulling over into the bus lane, the driver stopped in the traveling lane to let passengers off at Bridge Street.

After the man got off the bus, he was struck by a Mazda that was trying to pass the bus on the right.

The lawsuit says that as a result of the defendants’ negligence and intentional acts, the man suffered “neurological damage, paralysis, speech impediment, loss of motor function, excruciating and agonizing pain.” The lawsuit was filed September 22 in Common Pleas Court. The suit seeks a jury trial and more than $50,000. The injured man said he has and will incur enormous medical bills in excess of one million dollars.

Continue reading "SEPTA Drivers Sued Over Auto Accident" »

According to an article on Philly.com, a $4.85 billion fund was set up so that Merck & Co. Inc. can compensate kin of those who died of heart attacks or strokes.

The claims are from the families of more than 3,100 users of its Vioxx painkiller who died of heart attacks or strokes because of the drug.

The fund will pay about 3,000 claims for heart-attack deaths and at least 122 for strokes.
Merck launched Vioxx in 1999 and withdrew it in 2004 when a study showed the drug doubled the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Merck set up the fund in 2007 after reserving $1.9 billion to fight 26,600 Vioxx lawsuits.

The facts of each case determine the extent of Merck’s liability, which analysts once estimated to be as much as $20 billion overall.

Families of heart-attack victims who died will get an average payment of about $374,000. The amount will depend on the Vioxx user’s age, how long he or she took the drug, and whether the person had health risks such as obesity or hypertension.

Continue reading "Merck to Pay 3,100 Vioxx Claims" »

Rider University has settled a lawsuit with the family of a California student who died from alcohol poisoning at a fraternity event in 2007.

According to an article by the Associated Press, financial terms were not disclosed.

The university has agreed to ban alcohol in dorms and at on-campus fraternity and sorority social events, strengthen sanctions for alcohol violations, and tell parents about incidents.
Other changes already in practice include imposing stiffer sanctions for hazing, putting live-in directors in Greek houses, and posting information about fraternity misconduct on a Web site.

When needless death due to the negligence of another party occurs, like the death of the student in the above case, wrongful death lawsuits can be filed. In these lawsuits, the decedent’s heirs sue the negligent party or parties for damages related to the loss of life and their own pain and suffering. It is recommended that families who think their family member’s death was wrongful first contact a wrongful death attorney for a case assessment. If the case is valid, the attorney can help investigate the claim, gather evidence, represent them in court, and collect the compensation they deserve.

Continue reading "Student's Wrongful Death Settled in Rider University Suit" »

On September 12, a Lower Township, NJ man was killed, and his wife and teenage daughter critically injured, when a man’s car crossed the center line on a curve and hit their car. According to an article in The Philadelphia Inquirer, the driver of the vehicle responsible for the accident was charged with death by auto and driving while intoxicated. This is his eighth drunken-driving arrest since 1996.

For 13 years, the legal system has tried to stop this particular man from drinking and driving. He was sent to alcohol treatment and to jail and his driver’s license was taken away. Yet the Philadelphia resident continued to get arrested.

On Saturday, September 12, a 50-year-old father of four was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, minutes from his home on Route 9 in New Jersey.

His wife was taken to Atlantic City Regional Trauma Center, and their 13-year-old daughter was taken to Cape Regional Medical Center. Both remain in critical condition.

According to the article, the man who caused the accident had been through the system many times in Philadelphia and had been given numerous opportunities for rehabilitation. They took the man’s license away, but he was still driving. Many people have been killed by repeat offenders.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving is pushing for tougher legislation to target repeat offenders because the recidivism rate among drunken drivers is so high. After a third conviction in New Jersey, drivers are required to install ignition locks that prevent anyone from starting a car without first passing a breath test.

Continue reading "Man Responsible for Fatal Accident Had Series of Arrests" »

On September 15, an attorney told a Philadelphia jury that GlaxoSmithKline P.L.C. ignored evidence for years that its antidepressant Paxil may have caused birth defects. According to an article in The Philadelphia Inquirer, this attorney represents a woman who says that taking the drug during her pregnancy caused her three year-old son’s heart problems.

The Bucks County resident, a former cheerleader for the Philadelphia 76ers, is making the claim for her son who appeared briefly in the courtroom this morning. According to her attorney, Glaxo told its scientists to avoid disclosing possible risks associated with the drug’s use by pregnant women.

An attorney for GlaxoSmithKline is claiming there is no evidence that Paxil caused the child’s heart problems. The case is being heard in Common Pleas Court.

The woman’s attorney showed the jury a series of documents that showed that Glaxo knew before Paxil went on the market that rats administered the drug were more likely to have pups that didn’t survive past four days and that the rate of death increased with higher doses of Paxil.

In the late 1980s, at about the same time as the rat study, an internal Glaxo scientist warned that “there remains the possibility that this compound could be teratogenic (meaning can cause birth defects) at higher dose levels.”

The trial is the first of more than 600 cases alleging that Glaxo knew Paxil caused birth defects and hid those risks to pump up profits. Approved for U.S. use in 1992, the drug generated about $942 million in sales last year, 2.1 percent of Glaxo’s total sales.

Continue reading "Trial Opens in Philadelphia in Paxil Lawsuit" »

A Philadelphia man was arrested and charged with vehicular homicide in the deaths of a 91-year-old man and his 84-year-old wife in a Sept. 21 crash in Bensalem. According to the an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, he was also charged with reckless endangerment and other offenses.

The article stated that the charged man “was the direct and substantial cause” of the crash that fatally injured the couple on their way home.

The man responsible for the wrongful death car accident should be held both criminally and civilly responsible for the death of the two individuals. Their family would be well advised to seek the advice of an experienced wrongful death attorney.

Continue reading "Philadelphia Man Charged for Double Fatal Crash in Bucks" »

An 18-year-old from Delaware County was asleep in the backseat of a friend’s car when an SUV driven by a drunken driver crashed into the car, severely injuring his spinal cord and leaving him paralyzed.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that on September 22, the driver of the SUV was sentenced to three years and eight months to 14 years and six months in prison. On Aug. 17, the driver pleaded guilty to aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI, fleeing police, and other charges. He has been ordered to pay about $35,000 in restitution.

According to the article, the driver had numerous legal charges, including underage drinking, curfew violations, fighting, and harassment. He was truant from school and had his driver’s license suspended for juvenile drug charges. He was ordered twice by the courts into drug rehabilitation.

On April 29, 12 days after getting out of rehab, the man stole the family SUV and drove drunk. The police followed him for 1.7 miles and attempted to stop him as he swerved back and forth and blew through stop signs and a red light before crashing into the car carrying Jewell and two other Ridley High School teens.

The injured victim is still in pain from the accident and is dependent on others for most of his care.

The driver in this incident should be held both criminally and civilly responsible for the victim’s injuries. His family would be well advised to seek the advice of an experienced personal injury attorney.

Continue reading "DUI Crash Leaves Victim Paralyzed: Delco Driver Sentenced" »

On September 16, the FDA ordered the drugmaker Wyeth to put the strongest warning possible about the risks of IV push and Phenergan (promethazine) on the drug label. According to an article that appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the drug caused one woman, a Vermont musician, to lose her arm. Levine fought drugmaker Wyeth all the way to the Supreme Court and won.

In the spring of 2000, this particular woman had a migraine headache and got the drug Phenergan to treat associated nausea. The drug was administered via a method known as intravenous push, which can cause infection and gangrene. That happened to her and doctors amputated her lower right arm.

She sued Wyeth and the Supreme Court decision in her favor was viewed as upholding all consumers’ rights to sue drug companies.

The article stated that although Wyeth no longer sells Phenergan, many makers of generic drugs still do, and the FDA ordered them to put the strongest warning possible about the risks, sometimes called a “black box,” on the label.

The stronger warning would let medical professionals know that the preferred way to administer promethazine is through intramuscular injection.

Continue reading "Phenergan Ordered to Display Black Box Warning" »

The operator of a motorcycle whose passenger was ejected from the rear seat and thrown over the railing of a highway bridge into the Schuylkill has been charged with vehicular homicide in her death. According to an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the 21-year-old man was speeding on a stolen motorcycle when he struck the rear of a car while trying to pass it. The accident happened on the Dannehower Bridge on Route 202 in Norristown on June 23. The 19-year-old passenger from Norristown was thrown off the bike and over the side of the bridge, suffering fatal injuries.

The operator of the motorcycle suffered serious injuries but survived. He was charged with vehicular homicide, driving with a suspended license, receiving stolen property, and other offenses.

The man in this motorcycle wrongful death accident should be held both criminally and civilly responsible for the death of his female passenger. Her family would be well advised to seek the advice of an experienced Pennsylvania wrongful death attorney.

Continue reading "Motorcyclist Charged for Wrongful Death of Passenger" »

A federal investigation concluded that a bus driver is to blame for a school bus crash in Bucks County, PA that injured 20 students, including a girl whose leg had to be amputated.

According to an article from phillyburbs.com, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said the January 2007 accident happened when the driver hit the wrong pedal.
The bus drove into a crowd outside Pennsbury High School. It hit a retaining wall and injured the students.

In March 2007, police said the accident happened due to unintentional acceleration after the bus driver confused the gas and brake pedals. The driver said that he didn’t hit the wrong pedal and that the bus suddenly lurched forward.

The families of the injured victims here would be well advised to obtain the services of an experienced, skilled, and knowledgeable personal injury attorney who will do a thorough investigation.

Continue reading "Federal Board Blames Driver for 2007 Bus Crash in Bucks" »

A construction worker from Eatontown, Monmouth County, NJ was injured after falling 20 feet while making repairs to a home in Barnegat. According to this article in the Press of Atlantic City, the construction worker was working in an attic at 12 Carriage Way and fell through a ceiling.

He landed on a stairway, breaking his left arm and inuring his elbow.

Police, fire, and paramedic crews responded right away to help him and he was airlifted to Jersey Shore Medical Center.

The construction worker would be well advised to 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 "Construction Worker Injured After Fall at Barnegat, NJ Home" »

The Delaware County driver who lost control of her car while reaching for an iPod, killing one woman and injuring another, was found to have drugs in her system. According to an article in The Philadelphia Inquirer, the 20-year-old female of Havertown tested positive for marijuana and Difluoroethane, an ingredient found in Dust-Off, a can of compressed air used to clean computers.

The Upper Darby superintendent of police said they are recommending the District Attorney’s office charge the young woman with homicide by vehicle involving DUI, manslaughter, and other related charges. On August 15, two females, a 19-year-old and a 20-year-old, were struck from behind by the car the intoxicated driver was operating.

The 19-year-old was killed instantly; and the 20-year-old was hospitalized with multiple injuries. She is now at home recovering. According to police, the driver was heading south on Lansdowne Avenue when she lost control of her car, crossed two lanes of traffic, drove onto the sidewalk for 30 feet before striking the women. There were no skid marks at the accident scene.

The driver in this case should be held both criminally and civilly responsible for the death of the young teenage woman and for the injuries of the other female. Their families would be well advised to seek the advice of an experienced wrongful death attorney.

Continue reading "Driver Who Killed Woman Had Been “Huffing”" »

The Ford Motor Co. has settled a lawsuit filed by residents of a northern New Jersey town over toxic waste dumped there nearly 40 years ago. According to an article, the settlement was announced in state Superior Court. The residents of Ringwood, about 25 miles northeast of New York City, will receive about $10 million.

An attorney for the Plaintiffs alleged that they had been injured by exposure to toxic chemicals at the Ringwood landfill site. After more than three years of litigation, the parties have entered into a settlement that will resolve all the claims in the litigation.

Under terms of the settlement, Ford and two other defendants, URS Corp. and Arrow Group Industries, admitted no liability for the residents’ claims of health problems caused by the waste.

The article stated that during the 1960s and 1970s, contractors hired by Ford dumped thousands of tons of paint sludge and heavy metals from a car manufacturing plant in nearby Mahwah into landfills, open pits and an abandoned mine that dates back to the 18th century.
The Ringwood site was placed on the federal Superfund list, a ranking of the country’s worst environmental dump sites, in 1983.

Large amounts of hardened paint sludge and other waste were discovered. A joint federal-state report released that year found the site contained potentially unsafe levels of metals and chemicals.

Residents blamed the toxins for serious illnesses including certain cancers and skin diseases, and about 700 of them joined a lawsuit in 2006.

Continue reading "NJ Toxic Waste Exposure Lawsuit Settled by Ford" »

The family of two workers sued International Paper (IP) after an explosion killed a contract worker and injured 22 others at its Redwood, Mississippi plant on May 3, 2008.
According to this Associated Press article on Philly.com, the blast killed a 28-year-old male employee. The two workers who filed the lawsuit and several other workers were severely burned when the 12-story boiler exploded during an attempt to restart it after annual maintenance.

In the lawsuit filed last year, the IP plant acknowledged that the boiler had been shut down for maintenance, there was an explosion, and the company knew workers would be present that day. The company argued that workers did not exercise reasonable care for their own safety.
One of the employees, who was burned over 60 percent of his body, said that workers should have been cleared from the area before the boiler was restarted.

OSHA fined International Paper $77,000 in the months following the explosion for one alleged willful violation and one alleged serious violation.

OSHA also found that some company officials did not share an internal memo about starting the boiler with workers in the facility’s control room, the report said.

A settlement conference is scheduled for Sept. 15 in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.
Any worker who has sustained an injury arising out of and in the course of their employment has a potential 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.

Continue reading "IP Mill Explosion Settlement Proposals Due" »

On September 6, two firefighters were hurt after a ladder they were climbing collapsed in western Pennsylvania. According to an article, the accident happened Sunday morning at a fire scene in Monongahela, just outside Pittsburgh.

The men were on a 100-foot ladder when it collapsed and they fell. Fortunately, the injuries are not life-threatening. The article said that the fire started at a downtown pizza shop and then spread to two adjacent buildings.

The injured workers are entitled to Worker’s Compensation. 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 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 "PA Ladder Collapse Injures 2 Firefighters" »

A 29-year-old male motorcyclist was killed in a crash on September 5 on Route 1. State police are searching for a vehicle that may have caused the accident. According to this article in The Delaware County Times, the motorcyclist from the Drexel Hill section of Upper Darby, lost control of his motorcycle on Route 1 north approximately a quarter-mile north of Route 352.

A witness told police that a black sedan changed into the right lane and cut the motorcyclist off, causing him to brake hard and lose control of the motorcycle. The motorcycle did not make contact with any other vehicles. The Pennsylvania State Police (Media Barracks) are still investigating.

The motorcyclist’s family deserves to be rightfully compensated for their tremendous loss. They would be well advised to contact a skilled Philadelphia motorcycle accident attorney.

Though motorcycle accidents in Pennsylvania have a variety of causes, common causes include unsafe road conditions, inclement weather, defective motorcycle parts, driver fatigue, drunk drivers, and driver error. The latter is the most common cause of motorcycle accidents.

Continue reading "Route 1 Accident Kills Motorcyclist" »

On August 21, attorneys filed a lawsuit against the Chicago Cubs on behalf of the mother of a 21-year-old who died after a wall near the team’s stadium collapsed on him during a storm in 2007. According to a report, the lawsuit says the Cubs owned the structure near Wrigley Field that fell on the young man.

The suit claims the wall was slated for demolition but the Cubs failed to cordon off the area.
The man who was killed took shelter by the wall after a powerful storm struck. Workers found the badly injured man while clearing the rubble and he died a week later of head and neck injuries.

When needless death occurs due to negligence of another party, wrongful death lawsuits can be filed. In these lawsuits, the decedent’s heirs sue the negligent party or parties for damages related to the loss of life and their own pain and suffering.

Continue reading "Chicago Cubs Face Lawsuit Wall Collapse that Killed Man" »

Two men were injured while working with electrical cables in downtown Washington.
According to an article, D.C. fire crews had received a report of an explosion at the site of several high-voltage feeds.

A utility company (Pepco) spokesman said the contractors were pulling an old underground cable when it touched a live cable, triggering an electrical shock on August 24. One man suffered facial burns and the other suffered smoke inhalation.

The injured utility company workers would be well advised to 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 "Electrical Accident Injures 2 Workers in Downtown DC" »

On August 27, a worker for a lawn irrigation company was trapped for nearly five hours before being rescued from a muddy hole in Burlington County, NJ. According to an Associated Press article on Philly.com, a 24-year-old of Berlin, NJ was pulled out of the 6-foot deep hole by members of Task Force 1, the state police urban search and rescue unit.

The worker was airlifted to a nearby hospital. Fortunately, his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

The worker became trapped shortly before 1 p.m. on August 27 while trying to repair a leaking water line in a Southampton Township retirement community. Soil and mud around him collapsed, covering him up to this thighs.

The worker in this incident would be well advised to 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 "Construction Worker Trapped in Muddy Hole Rescued" »

Six companies recalled millions of window blinds and shades after the deaths of three children who got caught in cords that help the coverings move up and down.

According to this article by the Associated Press on Philly.com, the recalls were announced on August 26 by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The recalls involve Pottery Barn Kids and IKEA as well as smaller companies that sold their window covers at retailers such as Target.

No deaths were associated with the blinds and shades from Pottery Barn Kids and IKEA, but CPSC says there have been six reports of children becoming entangled in the inner cord of the Pottery Barn Kids shades.

According to the CPSC, the three deaths, which date back to 2006, involved blinds or shades made or imported by Vertical Land Inc., of Panama City Beach, Fla., and Lewis Hyman Inc., in Carson, California.

A one-year-old was killed in 2007 when he became entangled and strangled in the lift cord loop of a roll-up blind from Lewis Hyman that had fallen into his portable crib, The company is recalling about 4.2 million of the blinds.

Continue reading "Wrongful Deaths Cause Blinds and Shades to be Recalled by Six Companies" »

According to court documents obtained by The Associated Press, drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline used a “ghostwriting program” to promote its antidepressant Paxil. This allowed doctors to take credit for medical journal articles mainly written by company consultants.

An internal company memo instructs salespeople to approach physicians and offer to help them write and publish articles about their positive experiences prescribing the drug.

The document was uncovered by a Los Angeles law firm, which is representing hundreds of former Paxil users in personal injury and wrongful death suits against GlaxoSmithKline. The firm alleges the company downplayed several risks connected with its drug, including increased suicidal behavior and birth defects.

Ghostwriting is legal in principal, but that said, it could contribute to illegal activity if the information is misleading and causes harm.

Articles from the company’s program appeared in five journals between 2000 and 2002, including the American Journal of Psychiatry and the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Continue reading "Ghostwriting Used by Glaxo to Market Paxil" »

A Georgetown couple and their daughter died after a crash in Milton, DE. The couple’s other daughter remains in critical condition. According to an article in the Delaware County Times, a New Castle, DE man crossed into oncoming traffic on Del. Route 30 on August 23 and hit the family’s car.

The 33-year-old man and his wife, 32-year-old, were pronounced dead at the scene. Their 14-year-old daughter was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. Their other daughter, an 8-year-old, was listed in critical condition at another hospital in Delaware.

The driver of the other car, a 22-year-old man, is charged with three counts of vehicular homicide and one count of vehicular assault. The accused driver should be held both criminally and civilly responsible for the deaths of the parents and their daughter. The victims’ family would be well advised to seek the advice of an experienced wrongful death attorney.

Continue reading "Delaware Couple and Their Daughter Die in Crash" »

On August 13, two construction workers working on a residence hall at Montclair State University in New Jersey were injured when the hydraulic lift they were working from tipped over.
According to an article, a University spokeswoman said the workers suffered “broken limbs” in the accident and were taken to a nearby hospital.

The building under construction is an unnamed six-story residence hall. It was not immediately clear how high the workers were when the accident happened and the cause is under investigation.

The injured workers at Montclair State University would be well advised to 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 "2 Construction Workers Injured at NJ University" »

The Little Tikes Co. is recalling about 1.6 million toy workshops and trucks, after an 11-month-old boy got a plastic nail lodged in his throat. According to an article, the Consumer Product Safety Commission says the boy from Goose Creek, S.C., recovered after being hospitalized.

The recall includes a variety of toys manufactured by Little Tikes of Hudson, Ohio, in both the United States and China. They were sold with red or blue plastic toy nails that are about 3 1/4 inches long.

The recalled toys were sold on the Little Tikes Web site and by retailers around the country, including Toys ‘R’ Us, between March 1994 and June 2009.

Dangerous toys and defective child products can cause serious injuries, even death. Products may be dangerous because of design defects, manufacturer defects, incomplete instructions, and failure to provide danger warnings.

Continue reading "Children Products Recall Alert: Little Tikes Toy Workshops and Trucks" »

On August 14, a 20-year-old driver who was distracted by her iPod struck two young women who had just walked out of Delaware County Memorial Hospital in Upper Darby, PA, killing one. According to an article in The Philadelphia Inquirer, the car struck a 19-year-old from Clifton Heights, and a 20-year- old from Lansdowne, from behind.

The 19-year-old was killed instantly and the other pedestrian was stabilized at the hospital and then transferred to an area Medical Center and was in “extremely critical condition.”

The driver, who is from Havertown, was treated for minor injuries.

According to police, the driver was heading south on Lansdowne Avenue when she lost control of her 2003 Hyundai Accent, crossed two lanes of traffic, traveled up onto the sidewalk for 30 feet, and struck the women. The car became trapped between a large tree and a brick wall.

The driver told police she was reaching down for the iPod, wasn’t paying attention, and lost control of the car.

The female driver could be held criminally and civilly responsible for the accident and for the death of the pedestrian. The families deserve to be rightfully compensated for their tremendous loss. They would be well advised to contact a Philadelphia wrongful death attorney who will file a wrongful death claim on their behalf and fight for their rights.

Continue reading "Driver Distracted by IPOD Hits Pedestrians" »

A Walt Disney World employee died during a stunt show practice on August 17. This is the theme park’s third worker killed on the job this summer. According to an article by the Associated Press on Philly.com, the worker suffered a head injury late August 17 while rehearsing an acrobatic move in the “Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular” and died shortly after. The move required the worker to jump into the air, dive over another performer and land in a tuck and roll onto a mat. The 30-year-old performer had only been with the show a week.

Earlier this month, 47-year-old died four days after being injured in a Magic Kingdom show. He was sword-fighting in “Captain Jack Sparrow's Pirate Tutorial” when he slipped and hit his head on a wall.

In July, a 21-year-old monorail driver was killed when his train and another monorail train collided.

An Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigator traveled to Disney World this week to begin an investigation that could take up to six months. The probe would be conducted separately from investigations into the two other deaths this summer.

According to the article, some union leaders at the theme park said they were concerned that the resort’s hiring of fewer workers this summer might affect safety. The work force this summer did not increase like it normally does during the busiest time of the year for Orlando’s theme parks. Because of longer park hours and longer lines, they need more staff to cover---this has not been the case this summer.

Continue reading "3rd Worker Killed This Summer at Disney World" »

According to this article in the Delaware County Times, officials in Ocean City, MD said three people were hospitalized after high levels of carbon monoxide were found at the Americana Hotel on the boardwalk.

No carbon monoxide detectors had been installed in the building, even though the law in Ocean City requires them.

The hotel was evacuated the morning of August 11 and three people with symptoms of possible carbon monoxide poisoning are being observed at a local hospital. Tests found relatively high levels of carbon monoxide on the seven-story building’s three highest floors.

The source of the leak is still under investigation. A fire department spokesman said that the hotel had no carbon monoxide detectors.

Carbon monoxide poisoning is a serious and potentially life threatening condition and can lead to life-long health problems. Symptoms are often mistaken for other problems, such as nausea, flu-like symptoms, and lightheadedness.

Continue reading "Carbon Monoxide Leak Hospitalizes 3 in Ocean City Hotel" »

A top executive at TD Bank died of brain injuries on August 7 after falling out of a moving golf cart at a fund-raiser for a NJ high school.

According to this article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, a 44-year-old man of Moorestown, NJ was a passenger in the cart at Rancocas County Club Golf Course in Willingboro Township, NJ. He fell out of it and was airlifted to a nearby hospital, where he later died.

The man was a senior vice president at TD Bank and was helping to raise money for a local high school’s football team.

Police are investigating the incident. The County Medical Examiner confirmed that the man had died of head trauma and that the death was accidental.

The family of the deceased man would be well advised to contact an experienced personal injury attorney. This attorney would be able to identify any negligence or wrongdoing. The accident may have been the result of an unsafe cart, driver error, or defective equipment.

Continue reading "Golfer Dies of Head Injuries after Fall from Cart" »

A patient sued a New Jersey oncologist who health officials suspect was responsible for a hepatitis B outbreak this year. According to this article by the Associated Press on Philly.com, one man from Manchester, NJ said he contracted the disease after being treated for prostate cancer at the office of suspected doctor this year and last year.

The affected man sued the doctor for medical malpractice in a state court in Ocean County, NJ in July. His attorney said that the man was tested before the doctor treated him and was not infected with the virus.

The state warned nearly 3,000 of the suspected doctor’s patients in March to get tested after five cancer patients tested positive for hepatitis B, which is transmitted through exposure to infected blood and can cause serious liver damage.

According to the article, the state Health Department refused to say how many more patients tested positive after the warnings were issued.

The oncologist’s medical license was suspended in April because of conditions at his Toms River office. There was blood on the floor of a room where chemotherapy was administered, blood in a bin where blood vials were stored, open medication vials, and unsterile saline and gauze.

Continue reading "Patient Sues N.J. Oncologist Over Hepatitis Infection" »

The University of Utah has settled a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the families of seven Chinese scholars killed in a 2003 van rollover auto accident in Pennsylvania.

According to an article, State officials agreed to pay nearly $500,000 to the plaintiffs, including three men injured in the crash.

In April 2003, the crash occurred in Pennsylvania during the Chinese delegation’s trip in the U.S., which the university organized. It involved a cross-country road trip from Utah.

The suit sought at least $3.5 million in damages, and claimed the university acted negligently by contracting with an unlicensed travel business in New York, which in turn hired an unqualified van driver.

Continue reading "University of Utah Settles Suit Over Deadly Pennsylvania Crash" »

The Food and Drug Administration issued a public health advisory warning consumers to stop using products containing steroids or steroid-like substances, many of which are labeled as dietary supplements. According to an article, the advisory came after FDA investigators raided the offices of American Cellular Labs, looking for evidence the company sells steroids under the guise of a supplement.

The FDA sent a warning letter to the company, saying it was selling unapproved and misbranded drugs and telling the company to explain how to prevent the recurrence of violations. Those products include TREN-Xtreme, MASS Xtreme and six others. The FDA received several reports of adverse effects over two years, including serious liver injury, from the American Cellular products and 15 from similar products made by other manufacturers.

These defective products may be popular among athletes in high school, especially football players, who may not be subjected to a thorough drug-testing program. The FDA warned consumers to be cautious when they buy any dietary supplements, not just the ones that claim to build muscle. Many can be contaminated with potentially dangerous substances.

Continue reading "FDA Warns About Supplements with Steroids" »

A man of Kennett Square pleaded guilty to a vehicular homicide that happened on October 2, 2008. He crashed his car into a tree, killing his friend, while allegedly fleeing from police. According to this article on Philly.com, the 22-year-old was charged with homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, DUI, and causing an accident involving death. He was not properly licensed and he also fled or attempted to elude an officer.

The young man was high on marijuana and driving without a license that day when an officer tried to pull him over in Chester County for an expired registration. When the officer approached the car, he accelerated suddenly and forced the officer to move out of the way to avoid being struck. The car crashed soon afterward.

The man’s front-seat passenger and friend died from the car crash in Pennsylvania.

The driver in this case should be held both criminally and civilly responsible for the death of his passenger. The DUI victim’s family would be well advised to seek the advice of an experienced wrongful death attorney. The amount that can be claimed and the heirs who are allowed to file a Pennsylvania wrongful death lawsuit can vary widely depending on jurisdiction. In addition, statutes of limitation may come into play that limit the time a family has to file a wrongful death lawsuit.

Continue reading "West Chester DUI Accident Kills Driver’s Friend" »

A blast at an explosives manufacturing plant in Ohio injured 10 workers on July 28. According to an article, the blast was caused by a broken detonating cord. The explosion, which occurred at the Austin Powder Co.’s Red Diamond plant, blew off part of the roof and a wall. This plant employs about 200 people and makes explosives for the mining and construction industries.

The article said that a partially filled spool of cord exploded when a detonating cord broke during the manufacturing process.

The injured workers at the Ohio plant would be well advised to 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 "Broken Cord Caused Blast Injuring Workers at Ohio Plant" »

The parents of a toddler who died in the backseat of his caretaker’s locked minivan, sued the day care center in July, alleging negligence by those who “were under a legal and moral duty to provide competent and safe care.” According to this article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the toddler was forgotten and left in the van for hours on July 1 when the temperature outside was more than 80 degrees. The temperature in the closed van could have been at least 40 degrees higher than it was outside.

By the time he was discovered outside the Fairy Tales Day Care Center in Penndel, Bucks County, PA, he was dead.

One of the defendants in the Pennsylvania wrongful death lawsuit is the family’s neighbor, an owner of Fairy Tales who drove the toddler to the day-care center but failed to take him inside. The police are weighing possible charges against the neighbor and driver. State regulators closed the center on July 7, but it reopened on July 10 after it appealed in court.

Many day care centers have policies for checking on an absent child, such as calling the parents. If this day-care center did have a policy like that, it did not follow it in this case because the family did not receive a phone call.

State regulators from the Department of Public Welfare have been trying to close the day-care center, citing safety and record-keeping violations.

Continue reading "Pennsylvania Day Care Center Sued for Negligence" »

A man was killed in a Montgomery County car accident in PA after a driver crossed into opposing lanes of traffic and struck his vehicle. According to a CBS news report, a 23-year-old man was heading west in a 2002 Buick station wagon when for an unknown reason, he crossed over to the eastbound lanes striking a 2006 Suzuki sedan. The driver of the Suzuki was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Buick and a 50-year-old passenger were hospitalized with injuries.

Traffic accidents occur for a variety of reasons. In this particular case, it's not clear what caused the driver of the Buick to cross over to opposing lanes of traffic. These accidents could occur due to driver error – possibly an impaired, speeding, reckless or distracted driver. Or they could occur because the car had a mechanical problem. If such an accident were to be caused as a result of the driver's fault, the injured party or his family could seek compensation from the "negligent" driver.

Continue reading "Fatal Montgomery County Auto Accident" »

Federal officials are investigating a death from a workplace accident in Pennsylvania of a 19-year-old man who was killed during a July 4 fireworks display at Quakertown's Memorial Park in New Castle. According to this news report, the man had been an employee of the fireworks company for only six weeks and was part of a three-person team that worked on the fireworks display.

He was in the process of setting up the fireworks exhibition when a single shell malfunctioned causing an on-ground explosion. The explosion reportedly destroyed the containment bunker and the wooden debris struck the worker killing him. He died of blunt force trauma. In addition to local police, agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are involved in the investigation of the circumstances of the young man’s death.

In cases where workers are injured on-the-job, the injured workers and/or their families will be entitled to receive worker's compensation benefits to cover medical expenses, lost earnings and other costs related to the injury or death. Worker's compensation in Philadelphia exists both as a way to benefit injured workers and as a way to protect employers. It is a no-fault insurance system which means that the only thing that needs to be proved is that the injury was sustained while on the job.

Continue reading "Investigation into Worker Killed at July 4 Fireworks Display" »

Eight people suffered injuries in a two-car accident in Pennsylvania’s Peters Township, according to this news report. According to Pennsylvania State Police, a 44-year-old woman suffered moderate injuries while four children suffered minor injuries. A 60-year-old man in a Ford Taurus sustained minor injuries while his passenger – a 22-year-old man – suffered moderate injuries. A baby girl in the car, who was secured in a car seat, escaped with minor injuries. Police are still investigating the cause of this injury auto accident in Pennsylvania.

If you have been injured in an auto accident, you would be well-advised to consult with a skilled Philadelphia car accident attorney, who can analyze all aspects of the accident, identify the negligent parties and hold them accountable. If the other party was driving negligently, recklessly or under the influence, then you may be able to seek compensation for medical expenses, loss of wages, physical therapy and even long-term care where catastrophic injuries are involved.

Continue reading "Pennsylvania Car Accident Injures Eight" »