Pennsylvania Injury Attorneys Blog

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of those who have lost their lives in the horrific accident this weekend on the Costa Concordia, the cruise ship that ran aground off the coast of Italy. We hold on to the hope that those still missing are found alive. We also applaud the efforts of the rescue workers who risked their lives to save passengers.

As the details of this tragedy continue to unfold, liability appears to lie with the actions of the captain who strayed off course and caused the ship to hit rocks near Italy’s coast. He remains in jail in Italy as authorities continue to investigate his role in the disaster. In an article on CNN.com, Costa Cruises said in a statement, “Preliminary indications are that there may have been significant human error on the part of the ship’s master, Capt. Francesco Schettino, which resulted in these grave consequences.” Transcripts of the conversation between the captain and an Italian port official have shown that the captain had abandoned ship and was ordered to return a number of times.

What may be frustrating for any American travelers involved in the accident who might try to pursue a case against Costa is the fact that they will need to file in Italy, because that is the port of call for the cruise line. The sheer number of victims may also help any cases that are filed.

A startling report was published on Friday by WPXI.com, stating that Allegheny County has more accidents involving tractor-trailers than any other county in Pennsylvania.

Channel 11 was able to obtain paperwork through the Freedom of Information Act that confirmed crashes involving big rigs and buses are increasing in the city of Pittsburgh.

The article mentioned that, in an effort to stop the increase in commercial truck crashes in the city, Pittsburgh Police filed a grant application requesting $230,000 from the U.S. Transportation Department. As a result, the U.S. Transportation Department agreed to give Pittsburgh nearly $1,000,000 over three years. Funds would be used to help pay for more officers to patrol for aggressive driving, inspect tractor-trailers, and to conduct safety patrols near tunnels.

According to an article on CNN Money, 89,000 Mini Coopers have been recalled by BMW due to a fire risk. A computer circuit board that controls the turbocharger cooling system can fail, causing the water pump to smolder, or in more serious cases, can cause a fire in the engine department.

This same problem affected BMW cars and Rolls-Royces, prompting an earlier recall of those vehicles.

There have been 81 cases of water pump failure in Mini Coopers globally, including 4 engine compartment fires. Worldwide, 235,535 Mini Coopers have been recalled.

Although distracted driving has becomie a nationwide problem, Pennsylvania officials are eliciting the help of high school students in a campaign to keep driver focus on the road.

The PennDOT Radio Safety Public Service Announcement (PSA) Contest gives high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors the opportunity to create a 30-second radio PSA aimed at discouraging distracted driving. The winner will have his or her announcement professionally produced and sent to the student’s local media market.

According to PennDOT, there were 14,294 auto accidents involving drivers who were distracted or were using a hand-held cellphone in 2010. Nearly 37 percent of those accidents involved a driver who was between the ages of 16 and 25.

We were shocked and saddened to read an article in the Reading Eagle (ReadingEagle.com) that reported a 19-year-old Reading man was killed in a crash Wednesday evening involving his car and a tractor trailer. The accident is still under investigation, but preliminary reports say that the truck ran over the vehicle near Route 73 in Berks County. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of this young man.

In another part of Berks County, a tractor trailer was reported to have struck the median barrier on I-78 in Greenwich Township. The crash scattered chunks of concrete on both sides of the highway, blocking one lane in each direction. Traffic was slowed as PennDot crews worked to clear the scene. No report yet as to how many vehicles were involved or if there were any injuries.

We know that unfortunately these accidents do happen. So we did some research in order to provide our clients with some safety measures that they can use when they find themselves sharing the road and highway with big trucks.

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives recently passed a bill allowing easier reclamation of mines and creating more jobs in anthracite coal mining.

House Bill 1813, authorized by Rep. Mike Tobash, R-125, now goes to the senate for consideration.

State law requires mine operators to obtain bonding insurance to ensure sufficient funds are available to reclaim a mining site if the operator defaults. The bill, if passed, will make bonding more readily available and operators will be able to reinvest their own money into growing their business.

Restrictions on cell phone use while driving is a growing trend across the country and one that we at the O’Connor Law Firm have put into practice. So we were encouraged by a recent article in our local paper, the Republican Herald, that reported that Pottsville City Council approved an ordinace restricting cell phone use during city business.

According to the article, the ordinance states that the driver of any vehicle from the city or any vehicle being used for city business is “prohibited from using a mobile communication device, cell phone or computer of any type while the vehicle is in motion.” It states that drivers must park if they need to use such a device.

The ordinance was suggested by city Police Chief Joseph Murton, as the result of a monthly safety committee meeting. It does not, however, apply to police or fire fighters who are responding to emergency situations.

When we send our children to school, we trust that the adults who watch over them in our absence are looking out for their safety. But last week some Florida parents found out that was not the case when a school bus driver ran into the back of a tractor trailer.

The driver was dismissed from his duties on Friday when school officials reviewed a video of the accident that showed the driver was at fault.

According to an article on Bradenton.Patch.com, the video shows that just before the accident the driver was seen handing a piece of paper back to a student behind him. After passing the note, students on the bus screamed at him to watch out – warning him that he is about to crash.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is reviewing the safety of a popular back-pain relieving procedure after severe side effects were reported.

According to a Dec. 28 article in Bloomberg Business Week, a surge in steroid injections into the epidural space near the spinal cord used to alleviate back and neck pain in the U.S. is bringing with it an increase in severe complications, including paralysis and death.

The FDA is reviewing the procedure in consultation with an advisory group.

A Muhlenberg Township woman was killed on Friday afternoon when her vehicle was struck from behind by a tractor-trailer.

The accident occurred Friday afternoon in the southbound lanes of Broadcasting Road in Berks County.

According to an article in the Reading Eagle, Spring Township police said an investigation is continuing into the cause of the four-vehicle crash, with the assistance of the county district attorney’s crash reconstruction unit.