Pennsylvania Injury Lawyer Blog

Some lines of work are just inherently more dangerous than others. Construction sites are always dangerous, but depending on what is being built, the danger can certainly vary. As exemplified by a recent 620-megawatt gas-fired power plant explosion in central Connecticut, the severity of construction site accidents can be great, and can often result in significant personal injury or even workplace wrongful death.

A recent CNN.com article talks about an accident that took the lives of five people and injured at least 12 more. Reportedly, a Middletown power plant that is currently under construction was the site of a gas explosion. Officials from Kleen Power Plant explained that workers were purging a natural gas pipeline when the explosion occurred, but offered little explanation as to what caused the incident to occur in the first place. It is estimated that 50-60 workers may have been at the site at the time of the explosion, and urban search-and-rescue teams were sent in to comb the rubble in an attempt to find accident victims. Middlesex Hospital received 11 accident victims from the explosion, and injuries ranged from minor to more severe, with some patients sustaining broken bones and blunt trauma.

Continue reading " Connecticut Power Plant Explosions Kills 5, Injures 12 " »

The structures we work and live in are built to be safe. However, during the construction process, when materials are haphazardly strewn about and a building's frame is exposed, building sites are some of the most dangerous places individuals can be employed at. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of construction site owners and foremen to provide their employees with work environments that are as safe as they possibly can be.

The single most prevalent type of accident on a construction site centers around slip and fall incidents. According to an orlandosentinel.com news article, a construction worker was recently injured after he fell from the second floor of the physical science building at the University of Central Florida. The injured construction worker sustained head injuries and was transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center for treatment. Reportedly, the building is under construction.

Continue reading " UCF Construction Worker Sustains Head Injuries in Fall " »

A refinery fire in Great Falls, Montana recently resulted in a worker sustaining first-and second-degree burns. In an article by uk.reuters.com, the fire is described as having broken out late one night in Montana Refining Co's Great Falls location. The facility in which the blaze took place is a 10,000 barrel per day refinery, and the fire occurred inside a unit that was being repaired at the time of the incident. According to the article, the fire ignited when propane began leaking past one of the check valves. The cause of the ignition is still being investigated by the Great Falls fire marshal.

The more potentially dangerous a work environment is, the greater the precautions that should be put into place in order to ensure employee safety. In the above mentioned incident, it has yet to be determined whether or not negligent action on the part of the employer or a third party (i.e. contractor, sub-contractor, etc.) took place and contributed towards the workplace injury accident. In the event that the employer or a third party did act negligently, the injured employee may be able to seek compensation for his injury. These damages can be used to help cover the costs associated with the accident, such as medical bills, physical therapy fees, and even wages lost as a result of time off of work.

Continue reading " Great Falls Refinery Fire Leaves Worker With 1st and 2nd Degree Burns " »

When we walk our children to the bus stop before school, we take for granted that sound judgment has been made in regard to the bus driver selection process. As a recent Los Angeles Times article explains, a driver's history is often a good indication of future action, and paying attention to that history, at least in this case, could have prevented both injury and the senseless loss of life.

Reportedly, a school bus was involved in a fatal accident after its driver turned in front of and collided with a Honda Civic. The accident resulted in serious injury to the driver and took the life of the vehicle's passenger. What makes this incident even more problematic is that the driver was previously involved in a cell phone related accident in 1999 in which he ran a stop sign, consequently taking the life of a 2-year old girl.

According to the article, the bus company that employs the man, Student Transportation of America, reasoned that while they knew of a traffic infraction in the driver's past, they did not investigate it because the statute of limitations for investigations of such driving infractions is only five years. The driver had an otherwise clean driving record, came highly referred from his previous employer, and even completed safe-driver training prior to employment. However, regardless of whether or not such statutes had expired and such an exemplary driving record after the fact existed, one could argue that transporting children is a job that requires a more thorough background check, and that a complete driving record should have been fully taken into consideration.

Continue reading " Reckless Driving Leads to Fatal, Allentown School Bus Accident " »

The personal injury law firm of Anapol Schwartz is pleased to introduce the debut of its workers' compensation website: http://pa-workerscompensation.com. In having dedicated over 30 years to helping individuals injured while on the job seek compensation for their injuries, Anapol Schwartz offers the experience and know-how that injured workers need to hold negligent companies accountable for unsafe work conditions. The launching of Anapol Schwartz's workers' compensation website serves as a credible resource for workers seeking information pertaining to compensation, eligibility, benefits, and lawsuits centering-around workers' compensation issues.

The workers' compensation website seeks to serve as a valuable source of information for all things workers' comp related. Visitors to the website can browse a variety of topics, including: Low Wage Workers Compensation, Workplace Injuries (including positional and repetitive activity injuries and slips and falls), and PA Workers Compensation Law. They may also request a free copy of The Book on Comp: A Guide to PA Workers Compensation, written by the lawyers of Anapol Schwartz, that further discusses a variety of helpful facts, including: 6 common workplace injuries eligible for workers comp, 4 factors that workers' compensation is based on, 3 questions on every injured employee's mind, and 6 reasons to consult a workers' compensation lawyer.

Workers' compensation affects far too many individuals each and every year. Employers have an obligation to provide their employees with safe working conditions, and any deviation away from that can and should be deemed as negligent behavior. Injured employees have a variety of rights that protect them against negligent employers and third parties, and should never feel as though injuries sustained while on the job are completely their fault. For more information about New Jersey workers' compensation laws or to have one of our attorneys calculate your estimated compensation rate through our Workers Compensation Benefits Calculator, please visit http://pa-workerscompensation.com or call (866) 735-2792 for a free consultation with one of the skilled Pennsylvania workers' compensation lawyers at Anapol Schwartz.

Medical transplants are extremely difficult procedures that patients expect doctors and other medical professionals to be adequately prepared to perform. According to a pittsburghlive.com article, such caution was supposedly not taken in a transplant case involving a California man and his brother. Reportedly, the 45-year-old man and his 43-year-old brother claim that they were not informed of the complications and risks involved with live-donor liver transplants. The brothers now suffer from procedural complications as a result.

Medical professionals have an obligation to provide their patients with all available information regarding procedures and the potential risks involved so that they are as well informed as they possibly can be. In instances where professionals do not provide such information, or where they administer care that is not up to par, those medical professionals are exhibiting medical negligence and can be held liable for their actions in a court of law.

Continue reading " Liver Transplant Brothers Claim Malpractice " »

According to a courierpress.com news report, a 47-year-old man from Loogootee, Indiana was recently injured while on the job in Daviess County. Reportedly, the man was working with others to release pressure on a gas line when the pipe being worked on hit the man in the upper arm. According to the article, the pipe's threading gave way and, when combined with the pressurized gas, moved out of position, striking the man and resulting in a compound fracture of his left arm.

Thankfully, the man was stabilized and flown to Evansville hospital for further treatment. More details surrounding the incident were not made available; however, a more thorough investigation into the matter will undoubtedly take place. It is important for all work-related accidents and injuries, especially those involving pressurized gas, to be investigated in order to determine whether or not negligent action of some kind may have taken place.

If it is determined that negligence played a role in this man's injury, he may be able to seek compensatory damages from the party deemed responsible for the incident. On the job injuries affect Pennsylvania residents much more often than they should. All instances of such injuries should be thoroughly examined by an experienced Central Pennsylvania injured at work attorney who will fight to ensure that the rights of the injured are not infringed upon in a court of law.

Continue reading " Pressurized Gas Pipe Injures Loogootee Man in Daviess County, IN " »

We tend to take for granted that doctors and medical professionals can sometimes be wrong and make mistakes. After all, they are human just like we are. However, when protocol is ignored and an individual suffers as a result, the question is no longer why did a doctor not know something; but rather, why that doctor did not do something when they very well should have.

A story featured on pittsburghlive.com discusses a case of medical misdiagnosis that resulted in loss of life. Reportedly, a 51-year-old Fayette County woman, after visiting Uniontown Hospital and complaining of chest pains, was discharged after examination, but then died of a myocardial infarction just five days later. Allegedly, the hospital released the woman with a diagnosis of non-cardiac pain, even though the hospital was made aware of family history which indicated that a heart condition may be likely. Now, the woman's daughter is filing a wrongful death suit against the hospital, claiming that their negligent care played a determining factor in allowing the mother's heart condition to claim her.

Continue reading " Misdiagnosis at Uniontown May Have Led to Woman's Fatal Heart Attack " »

Electromagnetic interference (EMI) is being taken into consideration by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) as a possible cause for the influx of acceleration-related vehicle issues plaguing Toyota Motor Corporation and its vehicles. The issue was recently highlighted in a usatoday.com article that discussed the problems associated with EMI and how auto manufacturers have known about these issues for quite some time. While faulty floor mats and gas pedal malfunction have been the more closely examined causes of unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles, EMI could end up being cited as a contributing factor in at least some crashes which, at this point, have not been assigned a definite cause.

The theory of EMI explains that electronic devices emit a certain amount of electronic radiation, and it may be possible for that radiation to interfere with electronic control systems that all modern day cars now rely on. In regard to the unintentional acceleration issue, it is being examined whether or not the electronic throttle systems in Toyota vehicles are experiencing interference which is causing them to malfunction. However, regardless of whether or not this issue or another is found to be the cause of motorist accidents involving Toyota vehicles, it is safe to say that negligent action of some kind may be greatly contributing towards the numerous auto vehicle recalls that seem to be taking place on a weekly basis.

Continue reading " NHTSA Investigating EMI as Possible Cause of Toyota Acceleration Issues " »