Report Reveals High Number of Youths Injured at Work
When most Americans consider the issue of workplace injuries, they imagine adults getting injured while on the job. Child labor issues rarely receive much attention in the U.S. Every year, however, many young people die or are injured in workplace accidents. A recent report points to poorly regulated workplaces as...
CDC to baby boomers: Get tested for hepatitis C now
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made a startling recommendation to baby boomers earlier this month: Get a blood test to see if you have hepatitis C, a disease that attacks the liver and if left untreated, can lead to cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer, all of which...
Pennsylvania hit-and-run drivers to see higher penalties soon
Pennsylvania motorists who drive away from a fatal car accident without stopping to render aid will soon face stiffer penalties under a law that takes effect Sept. 4. The current maximum prison sentence of seven years will be raised to 10 years under the new law, which was inspired by...
Hospital technician may have exposed many patients to hepatitis
A newly hired radiology technician at a Pennsylvania hospital was accused in 2008 of stealing an addictive painkiller in a syringe from hospital premises, taking the syringe right out of an operating room. Subsequently, an investigation and drug test found him in possession of a number of other such syringes,...
Recent Court Decisions Impacting Pennsylvania Workers’ Comp – Part 2
Last week we discussed two recent Pennsylvania cases dealing with workers’ compensation issues. This week we will highlight two additional decisions. In Rhonda Walker v. Workers’ Compensation Appeal Board a worker fell at work and injured her nose. This resulted in the woman having a slightly crooked nose, and the...
Pennsylvania motorcycle crash with sedan kills driver
As we’ve discussed before on this blog, motorcycle accidents have the ability to cause serious injury or death. But sometimes in the aftermath of a crash that kills a motorcyclist, it can be extremely difficult to accurately determine the circumstances that led up to the accident, often because the driver...
TV star’s estate sued for wrongful death over fatal car accident
When a fatal car accident happens, it’s common for the family members of the person who died to file a wrongful death lawsuit if they suspect a driver’s negligent actions caused the crash. But what if that driver also died? In many cases, there are still options for recourse. One...
Recent Court Decisions Impacting Pennsylvania Workers’ Comp – Part 1
So far in 2012 Pennsylvania Courts have decided several important workers’ compensation cases. We will highlight some of these cases during the next two weeks. One recently decided case is Lancaster General Hospital v. Workers’ Compensation Appeal Board. This case dealt with how a worker’s average weekly wage is calculated....
Disease affecting veterans makes Social Security disability list
One of the many frustrating aspects of war for veterans is a disability that prevents them from working after returning home to civilian life. While prosthetics to replace limbs are getting better all the time and conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder are now more widely acknowledged as obstacles to...
‘Jackass’ star’s estate sued after fatal Pennsylvania crash
The accident occurred in Pennsylvania just over one year ago in June 2011. The accident involved Ryan Dunn, a star on the reality television show “Jackass,” which is known for its inappropriate, daring or often reckless stunts. While it was the television star’s death in the accident that was widely...
Energy Plant Workers Received 8 Billion in Workers’ Comp Since 2000
The U.S. Department of Labor has acknowledged that some work environments, such as nuclear power plants and energy powered facilities, pose a special risk to workers. Over the last 12 years, in fact, the risks associated with nuclear energy facilities have resulted in the granting of over eight billion dollars...
Are teen driving laws enough to keep Pennsylvania motorists safe?
For generations parents have been reluctantly handing their teens the keys to the family car and urging them to be careful, all the while worried that their sons or daughters will get into an accident as a result of too little experience, too many distractions or both. In recent years...
Pennsylvania study focuses on avoidable patient injury
Many Pennsylvania residents who have a doctor, nurse, or medical student in their families are aware of the long hours and exhausting shifts that healthcare providers endure. Once taken as just a part of the job, there is growing awareness that overworked and under-slept staff at hospitals has real consequences...