Pennsylvania Injury Lawyer Blog

A recent article published in the Philadelphia Daily News details the dangerousness of Ion smoke detectors. Although they are supposed to be life-saving machines, these detectors, which are the cheapest and most commonly used, can often prove to be useless in home fires.

Ionization detectors are less sensitive to the smoke produced by smoldering fires. It has been estimated that they can take at least a half-hour or longer than their competitor – photoelectric detectors – to alert residents of smoke and fire. Ion detector’s affordable price (as low as $7) make them a popular choice in households across America. This despite the fact that they have been documented to not be nearly as effective as photoelectric alarms.

Continue reading " Dangerous Product Update: Ion Smoke Detectors " »

Jarrad Rocheleau and Loren Welsh, two former University of Rhode Island (URI) students, have settled a lawsuit that accused them of causing the death of a college student from Richboro, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The wrongful death lawsuit alleged that the two students were responsible for the death of Francis J. Marx V who was crushed by a bus in Newport five years ago.

According to an account from philly.com, the wrongful death lawsuit began two weeks ago in Superior Court and was resolved prior to final arguments. Financial terms of the settlement were not disclosed, but Rocheleau and Welsh admitted no wrongdoing as part of the settlement.

Marx was out at a formal dance with friends when he got into an argument with a group of URI students who were out celebrating graduation. According to the lawsuit, the argument escalated to the point that Marx was pushed to the ground and fell beneath the wheel of a bus carrying students on a bar tour. Lawyers for the defendants said they never pushed Marx and suggested that he had been drinking heavily and fell backward on his own, resulting in the fatal pedestrian accident.

While there are many variables involved in this instance, the sad truth is that bus, pedestrian and auto accidents in Pennsylvania are an everyday occurrence. The details surrounding a pedestrian accident are complicated and should not be handled alone, especially while you are trying to recover from your injuries. Contact Anapol Schwartz today for your free consultation with a skilled Pennsylvania pedestrian accident lawyer. We will tell you whether you have a case and whether the best way to proceed is through your insurance company or through a court of law, or maybe both.

An article published on philly.com discussed the revelations contained in the deposition of Jim Sullivan III. Sullivan is a Gloucester County real estate broker who acquired a contaminated building and rented it out as a day-care center.

The deposition revealed that Sullivan did not feel an environmental cleanup was necessary despite the fact that the building was once home to a thermometer factory with a history of mercury spills. Testing later revealed that the property contained hazardous vapors 27 times the acceptable limit. Mercury was also detected in cracks and crevices of the floors and ceilings.

Mercury and most of its compounds are extremely toxic and can be inhaled and absorbed through the skin and mucous membranes. Exposure to mercury vapors has been known to cause profound central nervous system effects. In children, the vapors have been known to cause neurological and kidney dysfunction.

Continue reading " Deposition Of Landlord In Toxic Day Care Revealed " »

Over the course of one day on Friday, February 20, two car accidents in Pennsylvania left one pedestrian dead and one driver in critical condition, according to an article from philly.com.

Around 7pm, Kurt Spielberg, 81, was hit by a car driving westbound on Kelly Drive as he walked into oncoming traffic, according to a police spokeswoman. Spielberg was taken to Hahnemann University Hospital where he was pronounced dead due to the serious injuries. It was reported that it is unknown why Spielberg walked into oncoming traffic and the driver who hit him will not face charges.

Later that night, Lewis Leon, 26, was driving westbound on Somerset Street when he allegedly hit a car stopped at a traffic signal. The woman in the hit vehicle suffered head trauma, extensive bruising, and broken bones from this auto accident in Philadelphia. She was reported to be in critical condition on Monday February 23. Leon was arrested and charged with recklessly endangering another person, driving while under the influence of intoxicants, aggravated assault, and related offenses.

Continue reading " Philadelphia Pedestrian Accident Kills Man While Auto Accident Injures Another " »