Pennsylvania Injury Lawyer Blog

Anapol Schwartz believes in not only helping accident victims find justice in their cases, they also believe in educating and helping those victims, and others like them, recover and lead happy, productive lives, as reported in The Legal Intelligencer.

The Anapol Schwartz Foundation was founded in 2008 and recognizes and awards local nonprofit organizations who “serve victims and their families and fund research and programs which advance health and safety.” The firm believes it’s important to contribute to local charities as their goal is to give back to the Philadelphia community.

The firm’s lawyers utilize their clients’ interests in order to determine where the focus of the foundation will be. For example, the first grant that the Anapol Schwartz Foundation ever awarded was to the Burn Foundation. In an auto product liability case where a young child sustained catastrophic burns, the firm took its earnings from the verdict settlement and granted $25,000 to the Foundation, which created a mentorship program that placed burn victims with burn injury survivors in order to help victims and their families lead more fulfilled lives.

In addition to local charities, Anapol Schwartz has also donated to larger nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Susan G. Komen for the Cure Philadelphia, the Make-A-Wish Foundation and more.

As plaintiffs’ attorneys, we see a need to help those who have suffered and who are suffering. Looking ahead, the Foundation hopes to fund educational programs for those who have sustained brain or spinal cord injuries and would like to go back to school for occupational therapy, nursing or physical therapy. That way, those victims who have suffered can help others who are currently dealing with the injuries that they themselves endured.

Anapol Schwartz isn’t in just to win cases, we’re in it to give back and ensure that the Philadelphia community thrives. To learn more about who we are and the causes we support, visit our website at www.anapolschwartz.com.

After a study of New York City pedestrian accidents revealed that nearly 7,000 crashes occurred between 2002 and 2006, law makers, personal injury attorneys and families who have lost a loved one due to these types of accidents pushed for new laws to pass. In New Jersey, a new law is in place which legislators and residents hope will make pedestrian accidents a much less likely occurrence.

In New Jersey, signs at crosswalks used to say “Yield to Pedestrians”. Now, the signs say “Stop for Pedestrians” with penalties for not stopping increasing from $100 to $200 and two points on the driver’s license. Anapol Schwartz’s own Joel Feldman, who lost his daughter in a pedestrian accident last summer, is an advocate for the new law and played a role in helping to get it passed.

Pennsylvania, which has not passed the law, still has signs that say “Yield to Pedestrians” and Mr. Feldman is in favor of the law passing there as well. In an interview with Fox29 news that can be viewed here, Mr. Feldman notes that culture plays a key role in how many drivers view their rights and the rights of pedestrians.

In states like Colorado and California, drivers MUST stop for pedestrians if they even get close to a crosswalk. In other states where drivers only have to yield, it is the pedestrians who must watch out for cars, not the other way around. Ultimately, when a pedestrian auto accident happens, the pedestrian is the one who will suffer more as they do not have the metal protection surrounding them like a driver does.

It is the responsibility of all motorists to be alert and aware of pedestrians; however, many people still suffer serious injury and even death due to these types of accidents. The dedicated Pennsylvania pedestrian crash injury attorneys at Anapol Schwartz understand the pain that a victim of an auto accident and pedestrian accident goes through. Not only are you worried about your injuries, but you may be worried about mounting medical bills, loss of income due to having to miss work and other financial burdens. Our skilled Philadelphia personal injury attorneys can help you understand your rights and will fight to ensure that you are compensated fairly for the injuries you sustained. To learn more about our firm or to schedule a free consultation, please call Anapol Schwartz at 866-735-2792.

Prescription drugs are supposed to be designed and manufactured to help people with medical conditions, not make those conditions worse or cause an individual to develop new ailments. While every pharmaceutical drug, both over the counter and prescription, runs the risk of side effects, some drugs carry much more serious side effects that outweigh their benefits.

One medication that has the potential to cause serious injury in some patients is Zocor, a popular prescription drug that is taken to lower cholesterol. Zocor is manufactured by Merck & Co. and is included in a family of pharmaceutical drugs called statins. These drugs are used to treat patients with high cholesterol as well as some people with cardiovascular disease. According to reports from the FDA, the serious risks associated with Zocor include:

• kidney damage or failure


• rhabdomyolysis, which is the breakdown of muscle fibers than can weaken muscles, making even the simplest daily tasks difficult or even impossible


• death

It is estimated that about 24 million Americans take Zocor every day. While the serious side effects occur in a small number of consumers, any number is unacceptable when the drug is supposed to help people, not harm them. Other, less serious side effects of Zocor include:

• jaundice


• chest pain


• dark urine


• red, swollen, blistering or peeling skin


• muscle pain (if this symptom is experienced, it would be wise to see a physician immediately as this could be a sign of rhabdomyolysis)

If you or a loved one has developed rhabdomyolysis or if a loved one has passed away after taking Zocor, please contact an experienced Zocor attorney like the ones at Anapol Schwartz. Our lawyers have handled and continue to handle a wide variety of pharmaceutical litigation cases and will ensure that you know your legal rights and are compensated justly for your injuries. For more information and to schedule a free consultation, call Anapol Schwartz today at (866) 735-2792.

A Pennsylvania man is recovering after his truck was involved in a three-car crash with a dump truck carrying 300 degree molten black top in Dean Township, according to ThePittsburghChannel.com. Officials say the dump truck tipped over, crushing the cab on the driver’s truck and then began pouring molten asphalt inside. The man was buried up to his waist when a construction worker began quickly shoveling the black top out and keeping the man conscious. Had the crew not acted as promptly as they did, the man may not have survived.

The driver’s identity has not been released, but he is recovering at a local hospital. The details surrounding the crash are not known at this time.

The circumstances surrounding this accident may be unusual, however, the fact remains that this unfortunate series of events began with an auto accident. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), over 2,575,000 million people were injured in vehicle crashes in 2006.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an auto accident in Pennsylvania involving a large truck or other vehicle, you may be able to seek compensation if it’s found that another person’s negligent or reckless actions caused the accident. The skilled Pennsylvania auto accident attorneys at Anapol Schwartz have the experience it takes to ensure you’re represented fairly in a court of law. You deserve to know your rights and our attorneys will discuss all of your options with you so that you may begin to heal and move forward. Call Anapol Schwartz today at (866) 735-2792 to learn how we can help.

The Chevrolet Camaro has been one of America’s favorite vehicles for many years due to its sleek, muscular design dating back to its inception in 1966. However, a potentially dangerous defect has been discovered in some of the newer models with V6 manual transmissions. These vehicles have low mileage and no abuse which could mean that a possible flaw in either the design or manufacturing processes is responsible. General Motors is aware of the Camaro clutch disintegration problem but has yet to issue a recall to repair it.

The clutch is an integral part of a manual transmission vehicle. It receives the torque transfer from the engine and transmission and separates the two while the vehicle is in motion. A manual transmission automobile cannot work without a clutch. Should the clutch disintegrate while the vehicle is moving, the car will stall, leaving the driver completely helpless. If a stall occurs while the vehicle is traveling at high speeds, such as on a freeway, there is high risk of an auto accident that could potentially cause catastrophic injury and even death.

If you or a loved one has been injured or if you have lost a loved one in an accident involving a Chevrolet Camaro with a V6 transmission, please contact the clutch disintegration attorneys at Anapol Schwartz. Our experienced lawyers have the skill and knowledge required to navigate through the complex laws that surround auto product liability litigation and can inform you of your legal rights. If it’s determined that your injuries or loss of a loved one was caused by a defective clutch, you could be entitled to compensation. Contact us today at (866) 735-2792 for a free and comprehensive evaluation of your case.

The Pennsylvania personal injury firm of Anapol Schwartz is proud to announce its new website, www.ct-scan-radiation-overdose-lawsuits.com.

The new website is designed to help those who have suffered radiation overdose and other serious side effects after undergoing brain perfusion CT scans, which help physicians determine whether or not a patient has had a stroke or heart attack based on the amount of blood flowing to the brain. Reports of hair loss in the shape of a ring around the head are cause for concern as this is a sign of a CT scan radiation overdose. High amounts of radiation can lead to brain damage and an increased risk of cancer, among other serious health conditions. So far, over 400 cases of radiation overdoses have been reported in six hospitals in California, one in Alabama and one in Florida, with the potential for more cases nationwide.

Patients who have had this type of CT scan will find valuable information on the new website including CT scan radiation side effects, possible design defects of the GE Healthcare scanners that were used, improper training of hospital technicians who performed the scans, health problems associated with radiation overdose, pertinent news developments and CT scan radiation overdose litigation.

If you or a loved one has had a brain perfusion CT scan and have shown signs of possible radiation overdose, the skilled GE CT Scan lawyers at Anapol Schwartz may be able to help. You deserve to understand your legal rights and seek compensation for your losses.

To learn more about the GE CT Scanner radiation overdose, visit www.ct-scan-radiation-overdose-lawsuits.com or call us at (866) 735-2792.

A Pennsylvania man from Baden was killed when he fell 30 feet down an underground shaft where he was working at a sewage treatment plant in Sewickley, an Associated Press article reported. The man had radioed for help after becoming faint and tried to climb out of the shaft, but fell. Three workers who tried to help the man were hospitalized after they were overtaken by fumes. At the time of the article’s release, it was unclear whether the deceased man’s cause of death was due to toxic fumes or the fall.

Although officials are not sure what type of gas it was that the workers inhaled, emergency crews found a small amount of methane in the area. The plant is owned by the borough of Sewickley and is in the process of getting a $5 million upgrade to the area that the deceased man was working on.

Workplace accidents in Pennsylvania can occur in any profession, but are more common in occupations that require employees to work at high altitudes, around heavy machinery or where there are chemicals or other environmental toxins present. Unfortunately, serious injuries and, in some cases, wrongful death can be the end result of these types of on the job accidents.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured or killed in a workplace accident, it would be in your best interest to contact an experienced Pennsylvania fall at work injury attorney. Workers’ compensation law is complex and the attorneys at Anapol Schwartz will be able to explain your legal rights and the best course of action. Serious injuries don’t just affect the victim; they affect the victim’s family as well. To learn more about how we can help you with your case, call Anapol Schwartz at (866) 735-2792.

The mother of a 14-year-old boy who was killed in a single car rollover crash in Erie County is being held on drunk driving and other charges, a news article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported. The crash occurred on Sunday, August 1 when the car that the woman was driving swerved off the roadway, rolled over in the median and ejected the boy from the vehicle. The boy was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police investigators say that the mother’s blood alcohol level was 0.14%, which is nearly double the legal limit in Pennsylvania. Currently, the woman is being held without bail until her August 11 hearing before a District Judge. The woman faces charges of homicide by vehicle while driving drunk, reckless driving and other serious charges.

Drunk driving accidents injure and kill hundreds of people every year. In 2008, the NHTSA reported that 578 people were killed in drunk driving crashes in Pennsylvania alone.

Pennsylvania dram shop laws are implemented to help curb drunk driving accidents. These laws hold businesses that sell liquor and hosts of private parties liable when serving alcohol to those who take to the road and cause injury or fatal crashes.

Continue reading " Erie County Drunk Driving Accident - Mother Charged with Teen Son's Death " »

The CT scan has been used as a method of detecting strokes in patients for many years. However, according to a recent New York Times article, the level of radiation used in some of the CT scan machines may be too high, causing potentially serious side effects in patients.

So far, eight hospitals have found that the amount of radiation that some patients received was far too high, causing these patients to lose their hair in a distinctive ring pattern around the diameter of the head. In addition to hair loss, patients may potentially face confusion, loss of memory, brain damage and an increased risk of cancer. Of the eight hospitals, six were in California with the other two located in Huntsville, AL and Florida. At the time this article was written, the number of patients affected by the dangerous CT scan radiation levels was exceeding 400.

Officials from the hospitals say that the majority of machines used were manufactured by GE Healthcare with a couple of machines coming from Toshiba. Many technicians who administered the tests say that they were not properly trained on all of the functions of the machines, as the GE Healthcare machines are manufactured with an automatic setting that lowers or heightens the radiation levels according to the patient’s size and body part. On top of that, officials from the Hunstville, AL hospital say that they used higher levels of radiation in order to produce higher quality scans. The medical community is embracing the use of only enough radiation to properly diagnose a condition.

Continue reading " Patients Over Exposed to CT Scan Radiation, Serious Side Effects " »