May « 2012 « Lundy Law | Injury Law Blog

Archive for May, 2012

May

Officials Shut Down Dozens Of Bus Lines Due To Safety Violations

May 31, 2012

For many Americans, traveling by bus is the most economical and efficient method of travel. However, some buses are unsafe and aren’t inspected closely enough for potential problems to be recognized before an accident happens.

According to Action 6 News, these problems prompted the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to shut down 26 passenger transportation operations nationwide, including several in the Philadelphia area.

The article stated that officials served paperwork to companies in six states on Wednesday, ordering that all operations halt immediately. The shutdown is part of an earlier operation that aimed to put two companies out of business that were responsible for crashes caused by unsafe vehicles that left dozens of passengers dead or injured; however, the companies just began doing business under another name to avoid being shut down. Officials say that all the companies who were given stop work orders yesterday were affiliated with these two companies.

Some of the violations that were mentioned included bus operators who didn’t have valid commercial driver licenses and hadn’t been given a proper drug and alcohol screening prior to employment. One of the drivers in question had also had his bus driving privileges revoked 18 times over the last 20 years due to problems with his logbook.

The Philadelphia Personal Injury Lawyers with Lundy Law hope that the shutdown will help to prevent another Pennsylvania Auto Accident that hurts more innocent victims.

May

Survey finds support for special courts to hear medical malpractice suits

May 31, 2012

The Hill (5/30, Baker) reports in its “Healthwatch” blog on a poll conducted for Common Good finding that “75 percent of those polled believe malpractice suits are contributing to the high cost of insurance and medical care” and that “large majorities…believe medical malpractice lawsuits are driving away good doctors.” The survey also found that 66 percent favored “creating special ‘health courts’ to hear medical malpractice suits.”

May

More companies adopting ban on employees' cellphone use while driving

May 30, 2012

The New York Times (5/29, Mohn, Subscription Publication) reported on companies that have instituted a ban on cellphone use by employees while driving , noting that one year ago, the non-profit National Safety Council queried Fortune 500 companies about their policies. Out of “the 150 or so companies that responded, 20 percent had a full cellphone ban in place, said David Teater, the group’s senior director of transportation strategic initiatives.” He also said “that the council had seen an increasing number of companies adopt the policies in recent years.” The council has “recommended a complete ban for all cellphone use while driving, because of more than 30 studies that found hands-free devices were no safer than hand-held because they did not eliminate distractions.” The article also notes the recommended ban on cellphone use for drivers by the NTSB.

May

CDC: about nine percent of asthma cases caused, worsened by work-related exposures

May 29, 2012

HealthDay (5/25, Preidt) reports, “About nine percent of all asthma cases in the United States are caused or made worse by work-related exposures,” according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report, which was published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, indicates that “state-by-state rates of workplace-related asthma ranged from 4.8 percent (Arizona) to just over 14 percent (Florida).” The report, which used “2006-09 data from 38 states and the District of Columbia, also suggests that older workers and those in certain ethnic or minority groups are most at risk.”

May

Two Pennsylvania Auto Accidents Leave One Dead And Four Injured

May 24, 2012

Action 6 News indicates that a car accident happened Wednesday at 12:30 a.m. at the corner of Upper Gulph and Fletcher Roads in Tredyffrin Township.

Police say that the 25-year-old driver and his 23-year-old passenger were riding in a 2005 Mercedes Benz CLK 500 sedan along Gulph Road when the driver lost control of the vehicle and veered off the road. The car then struck a tree, which ignited an engine fire. The impact of the collision caused both passengers to be ejected from the vehicle, leading to injuries that required the men to be airlifted to a local hospital to receive treatment.

Then, at 7:00 a.m., another accident occurred along Route 29, outside Charlestown, Pennsylvania. A Ford Explorer was struck on the driver’s side by another vehicle, leaving one passenger dead and two others seriously injured. The victims were then taken to a local hospital. In the meantime, state police say that they will continue to investigate what may have been contributing factors in both crashes, including alcohol and speed.

Hearing about serious crashes makes many people wonder what one should do if you are injured in a Pennsylvania Auto Accident. The Philadelphia Personal Injury Lawyers with Lundy Law say to REACT:

REPORT- the accident to the police
EXPLAIN-the accident only to police and your lawyer.
ACCUMULATE- information about the accident
CONTACT- our law firm immediately for a free consultation
TELEPHONE- your insurance company

May

NHTSA adds 2012 model year to Chevy Cruze fire investigation

May 24, 2012

The Seattle Times (5/24, Krisher) reports that, “in documents posted on its website this week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration asked GM for information about fires in 2011 and 2012 Cruzes” as a part of their investigation into the matter that was based on “two complaints of fires that engulfed and destroyed the cars.” The Times reports “no one was hurt in the two 2011 Cruze fires that were reported to the government. In addition, the government has received one complaint of a fire in a 2012 Cruze.”

May

Report: States' injury-prevention laws, policies vary widely

May 23, 2012

USA Today (5/23, Lloyd) reports, “Millions of injuries could be prevented every year if states adopted and enforced a set of laws and health policies with proven track records for saving lives, says a report out Tuesday, but many states are reluctant to do so when personal freedoms are at stake and as revenue continues to decline.” Linda Degutis, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Injury Center, which was not involved with the new report, stated, “We know injuries are preventable and we’d certainly rather prevent them than deal with the aftermath, which often results in death or long-term disability.”

Bloomberg News (5/23, Klopott) reports, “Poisoning, primarily by drugs, kills more people than car accidents, making it the biggest injury-related cause of death in the US, said” the “report by the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.” Across the US, “13.3 people per 100,000 died from poisoning between 2007 and 2009, compared with 12.4 from motor-vehicle accidents during the same period, the report found.” Over “90 percent of unintentional poisoning deaths in 2007 were caused by drugs and medicine, the report said.”

The National Journal (5/23, Sanger-Katz, Subscription Publication) reports, “The researchers compared per-capita injury death rates with the number of injury-prevention laws in all 50 states and found that, by and large, the states with the most laws had the fewest injury deaths.” That “trend didn’t hold uniformly, however. New Hampshire also ranked as relatively safe, with 50 deaths per 100,000 residents, even though it only has four of the 10 public-policy laws tracked by the report.”

CQ (5/23, Norman, Subscription Publication) reports, “The report found that 29 states don’t require bike helmets for all children, 31 don’t require motorcycle helmets for all riders and 14 lack strong laws to protect young people involved in sports against concussions.” Some “new trends in injuries include those connected to bullying, texting while driving, prescription drug abuse and falls among aging members of the baby boom generation.”

US made no overall progress in reducing motorcyclist deaths in 2011. The Los Angeles Times (5/23, Simon) “Nation Now” blog reports, “No progress was made last year in reducing motorcyclist deaths, even though overall motor vehicle fatalities dropped to their lowest level since 1949, according to the Governors Highway Safety Assn.”

HealthDay (5/23, Preidt) reports that, according to “an analysis of preliminary data from 50 states and the District of Columbia…there were about 4,500 motorcyclist deaths last year, the same number as in 2010.” However, “some individual states did see decreases in these fatalities in 2011, while rates rose in other states, according to the report.”

May

Hybrid silence poses dangers, brings NHTSA response

May 21, 2012

CNET News (5/20, Matyszczyk) reports that hybrids’ “silent factor has become so difficult that the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration is being forced, by this summer, to begin creating rules that will stipulate the minimum noise enjoyed by any car on the road.”

May

Honda recalls over 50,000 Acura TL sedans to replace power-steering hose

May 18, 2012

The Los Angeles Times (5/18, Hirsch) reports, “American Honda Motor Co. said it will recall 52,615 model year 2007-2008 Acura TL sedans in the United States to replace the power-steering hose.” Honda said that the “hose may deteriorate and leak fluid” which could “cause a loss of power-steering assistance or, if it leaks onto a catalytic converter, may result in smoke or in the worst case, fire.” The Times adds that “no crashes, injuries or fires have been reported related to this issue.”

May

Philadelphia Mother and Son Hit and Killed by SUV

May 17, 2012

A Philadelphia mother and son who were tending to their broken-down car on Route 309 near the Camp Hill Road overpass were hit and killed Monday afternoon by a passing SUV.

NBCPhiladelphia.com reports that a 54-year-old woman and her 21-year-old son were attempting to push their disabled silver Lincoln Town Car out of the northbound lanes of Route 309.

According to a medical examiner, the son was looking under the hood of the car, and the mother was around the back of the car when the vehicle was hit at 1:20 p.m. by a red Lexus SUV.

Both the mother and son died, and the driver of the SUV was transported to Abington Memorial Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The tragedy is causing some to ask: What’s the proper procedure to follow when your car breaks down on a busy roadway?

A AAA spokeswoman told Philadelphia’s CBS affiliate that after calling for help, the most important thing is to be aware of your surroundings. It’s also helpful to turn on your emergency flashers and pop the hood of your car to notify oncoming motorists. Then exit the car and wait for help on the side of the road.

The Philadelphia Personal Injury Lawyers at Lundy Law know that a Pennsylvania Car Accident can be devastating. If you have been injured in a car accident, Lundy Law can help. We fight to recover compensation from negligent drivers for the costs of recovery so you can focus on healing.

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