Automobile Accidents

Jeep recalls 230,000 Grand Cherokees.

Published on: February 5, 2015 | O'Connor Law

A recent software problem has come to light that has brought Jeep, owned by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, to recall almost a quarter of a million Grand Cherokees. The issue could cause the airbags to deploy in the car when there hasn’t been an accident, a dangerous situation for anyone driving.

The models affected are the 2014 and 2015 Grand Cherokees, most of which were sold in the U.S., but some of which have been shipped worldwide.

The issue is that sensors in the Jeep will deploy the airbags because they have sensed that the Jeep is rolling when it isn’t. The cause of this is typically what they are referring to as “extreme driving maneuvers” that may happen because of winter conditions, or driving off-road.

Icy Road Conditions Across PA

Published on: January 20, 2015 | O'Connor Law

The freezing rain and overall icy conditions on Sunday created a dangerous situation for drivers in PA, especially in the Philadelphia region. Interstates 95, 76, 476 and the Roosevelt Boulevard all saw accidents on Sunday. At least three people tragically died from these accidents.

Around 60 cars were involved in a pileup on the Schuylkill Expressway not far from the Gulph Mills exit. One person was killed in this wreck and at least 30 others were injured. The road was closed in both directions for part of the day Sunday as crews worked to clean up the damage.

On 476 in Delaware County, two people were killed in another multivehicle crash near Marple Road. This accident began when a tractor trailer lost control and slid on the ice. The area of 476 was closed for the remainder of the morning Sunday.

PennDOT’s Winter Driving Awareness Week

Published on: January 12, 2015 | O'Connor Law

PennDOT is kicking of their Winter Driving Awareness Week by reminding drivers that extra preparation and care needs to be taken while driving during the next few months.

Winter Driving Awareness Week is January 11^th through January 17^th. The state’s Department of Transportation wants everyone to make sure they are prepared for snowy and icy roads through the rest of the winter.

Being prepared means making sure your tires have enough traction to grip slippery roads, having items you may need such as an ice scraper, or rock salt in your car, and giving yourself enough time to get where you need to go if you need to slow down due to road conditions.

PennDOT Urges Family To Talk To Older Drivers

Published on: December 3, 2014 | O'Connor Law

The first week of December has been deemed “Older Driver Safety Awareness Week.” With over 20% of PA drivers being over the age of 65, and around 15% of all accidents involving an older driver, PennDOT is stressing the need for families and friends of elderly drivers to speak openly about driving safety.

Most drivers who have been driving for years are afraid to lose their mobility as they get older. Not all older drivers need to give up their license however. PennDOT offers driver improvement courses to help sharpen driving skills. A list of these courses are available at www.JustDrivePA.com. Many insurance companies will even give a discount to older drivers who complete one of these approved courses.

If someone does need to consider giving up their driver’s license, there are resources available to them and their family at www.PACommutes.com. Just because someone can’t drive, doesn’t mean they need to give up their mobility.

Watch Out for Fall and Early Winter Driving Hazards

Published on: November 10, 2014 | O'Connor Law

Since daylight savings time is now over and the clocks have rolled back we are pretty deep into the fall season. As winter approaches and we get less sunlight each day, there are some driving hazards that come up this time of year that we didn’t have to deal with during the summer.

Sun glare now coincides with many people’s morning and evening commutes. For many this is during rush hour traffic, the amount of people on the roads and the dangers of being blinded by the sun while driving can make for a pretty bad situation.

Keep your sunglasses handy where you don’t have to reach or look around for them while driving and remove items from your sun visor so you can put it down when needed. Also remember that dirty windshields can reflect sunlight and cause a glare that can be hard to see though, so keep your windshield clean.

PennDOT plan to help teen drivers. safety and save over $70,000

Published on: October 20, 2014 | O'Connor Law

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has teamed up with State Farm Insurance and Sheetz to give a resource to teen drivers and their parents to help keep young drivers safe. The program, titled “The Parents Supervised Driving Program” was created by the Safe Roads Alliance to provide a book and app to the parents of teen drivers to encourage safe driving habits on the road.

According to PennDOT the best way to prevent teen driver accidents is to have as much supervised driving experience as possible before the teens start driving on their own. Practice on proper turning, maintaining a safe speed and driving without distractions can help limit the number of accidents for drivers between the ages of 16 and 19.

This will save the commonwealth over $70,000 because the new program will replace and existing publication by the commonwealth which will now be produced and printed by the new program and it’s sponsors.

Allstate Pays $22 Million to Car Accident Victim in Bad Faith Lawsuit

Published on: October 16, 2014 | O'Connor Law

The car accident, which took place in 2009, ended with Allstate having to pay $22 million dollars instead of the $250,000 the claim originally asked for.

The victim of the accident won the verdict at the Philadelphia court of Common Pleas in 2013, but was delayed until 2014 by Allstate until the verdict was upheld.

The victim was a passenger in a car that rear-ended another vehicle in 2009. As the victim and the driver were pushing the car off the road, the victim was hit by another car and crushed his limb. He eventually lost his right leg below the knee because of it.

Drunk Driving

Published on: August 13, 2014 | O'Connor Law

Driving under the influence is one of the worst offenses that a driver can commit. Every day, people are getting killed and seriously injured after people decide to drive while intoxicated. These people who commit the dangerous crime of “driving under the influence” are putting themselves and other people at great risk.

In 2012, a man crashed his car in Rhode Island while he was driving while intoxicated. The crash caused the death of his girlfriend and the loss of his legs. The man was wanted in Florida prior to the crash for a probation violation related to drunk driving and not having a driver’s license. The man was charged for killing his girlfriend and for driving under the influence. He is currently waiting to be sentenced and he is facing 25 years in prison.

Drivers should always be aware of the dangers that occur on the roadway. Incidents that are similar to the one in Rhode Island happen every day in this country. Everyone should know that each crash does not just impact the people in the crash but their family, friends, coworkers and more. According to MADD.org, $132 billion is spent every year from the result of drunk driving.

Car Accidents Affect Everyone: The Story of Paul Walker

Published on: May 22, 2014 | O'Connor Law

Every year, people are killed in car accidents and crashes. Some cars are not always properly equipped to keep their drivers and passengers safe. In 2013, the “Fast and Furious” star, Paul Walker, and his friend, who was driving the vehicle, were killed in a terrible crash. Walker’s friend, Roger W. Rodas, was driving a 2005 Porsche Carrera GT. The car crashed into a light pole and three trees before catching on fire. The car was traveling at about 55 miles per hour when it went out of control and went off the road.

The lawsuit filed claimed that the car did not have the proper safety equipment and crash protection that could have prevented the deaths of the two men. The suit also stated that the car company involved was aware of the lack of protection and did not notify the owner about these safety issues. The families of the victims are seeking an unspecified amount in damages.

There are accidents that occur every day that are similar to the one that took the lives of Paul Walker and his friend. At O’Connor Law, we work hard to support the victims of accidents caused by third party negligence. Everyone should be confident that they are driving a safe vehicle. Nobody should die the way Walker and Rodas did. We are here to protect and fight for your rights. We want you to always be safe.

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

Published on: April 17, 2014 | O'Connor Law

With Spring warming up (and here’s to hoping we don’t get any more snow) April is distracted Driving Awareness month. Each year thousands of people are killed and many more are injured because of distracted driving. It isn’t always the person who is driving distracted who is injured in these accidents, but sadly an innocent person in another vehicle.

While distracted driving does include texting while driving, which is what most people think of when they hear “distracted driving,” many other actions can distract drivers that they may not think about while they’re doing it.

Other things that can distract drivers: