Archive for December, 2010

Older Driver Deaths in Pennsylvania Increasing

Posted on: December 29th, 2010       Attorney Thomas Newell

A December 17, 2010 article in The Times Herald focused on a topic rarely publicized: the increasing mortality rate of Pennsylvania’s seniors who drive. According to the article, in 2009 there were nearly 17,000 PA car accidents involving drivers 65 and up. These car crashes resulted in 276 deaths – 22% of Pennsylvania’s accident fatalities. However, PA’s senior citizens only make up 16% of our registered drivers.

There are many factors which can cause an older driver to be more prone to be in accidents: decreased visual acuity, slower response time, inability to quickly process multiple driving factors and nighttime driving. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has various driver education programs available to assist older drivers to become better drivers.

As a PA car wreck attorney , I have represented many auto accident victims who have been injured due to the negligence of an older driver. If you or a loved one has been injured in a PA car crash, please call me at 800-980-4842 to set up a free home consultation. You can also reach me via my website of www.NewellLaw.com.

Bucks County Boro Council Debates Law Muzzling All Pit Bulls

Posted on: December 28th, 2010       Attorney Thomas Newell

A Dec. 22, 2010 article from The Intelligencer highlighted a debate in Bristol Boro, Bucks County regarding an ordinance requiring all pit bulls to be muzzled when on Borough property and/or public streets. The genesis of this legal debate was the latest pit bull attack in Bristol. In November of 2010, a pit bull escaped from its owner and killed a Pomeranian that was in its owner’s yard. The PA pit bull owner faces multiple charges under the PA Dog Law, including harboring a dangerous dog.

Numerous pit bull owners have contacted the Bucks County politicians to object to the pit bull being singled out. Others claim that the law would be impossible to enforce since there is no such thing as a specific pit bull breed. Most people refer to an American Staffordshire Terrier or a Staffordshire Terrier as a pit bull. Another area of concern would be who would enforce this law requiring pit bulls to be muzzled in public? It is doubtful that the Bucks County Dog Warden, Verna North, would have the legal authority to cite a pit bull owner for a violation of a local Bucks County ordinance.

If you or a family member is in need of a Pennsylvania pit bull attack lawyer, please call me ASAP @ 800-980-4842. I provide a free home consultation. More information regarding my 30 years of experience can be found at PADogAttackLawyer.com

Successful Surgery for Pit Bull Attack Victim

Posted on: December 21st, 2010       Attorney Thomas Newell

A Dec. 15, 2010 surgery for a pit bull attack victim was deemed a success by the surgeons at Yale-New Haven Hospital. An 8 year-old boy had been visiting with friends of his mother in Hanover PA. On June 1, 2010 he was catching fireflies in a side yard when he was nearly mauled to death by 2 vicious pit bulls.

The PA dog bite victim was hospitalized for a week at Penn State Hershey Medical Center. He underwent multiple operations to his head and ears. The most recent surgery involved opening up his scalp and placing balloons next to his head wound in order to promote a new growth of scalp. There is a great danger of infection and the dog bite victim’s lifestyle will be greatly affected by this latest surgical procedure.

As a Pennsylvania dog bite attorney with 30 years of experience, I fight to obtain the maximum settlement amount possible for my personal injury clients. Please call me at 800-980-4842 to set up a free home consultation. You may also contact me thru my website of PADogAttackLawyer.com

Should PA Reinstate Mandatory Helmet Laws For Bikers?

Posted on: December 16th, 2010       Attorney Thomas Newell

Motorcycle riders pushed for a repeal of Pennsylvania’s motorcycle helmet laws based upon the theory of individual biker rights. The Pennsylvania Legislature acted on those protests and helmetless bikers became legal in 2003. The result of this change has been more deaths, financial losses for hospitals and emergency personnel and, more medical bill payments made by PA taxpayers.

Studies have shown that in 2008 there were 114 helmetless motorcycle rider deaths. That is a 600% increase from the number of such fatalities in 1998 – five years before the change in PA’s helmet law. Pennsylvania law does not require motorcycle owners to pay for medical health insurance. As a Pennsylvania motorcycle accident attorney, I have represented many bikers who did not pay for private health insurance. Their bills are paid by the taxpayers of Pennsylvania thru the Department of Public Welfare. The hospitals, surgeons and emergency personnel are paid just pennies on the dollar for their medical services – sometimes at a 10% reimbursement rate!

A December 9, 2010 editorial in The Reading Eagle noted that the National Transportation Safety Board just released its report regarding 2009 fatalities. Last year, 4,400 riders died in the United States. That is nearly 2x the number of biker deaths in the years before the U.S. Congress repealed a federal law requiring states to mandate the use of helmets by bikers. Medical studies show that the leading cause of rider deaths was head trauma. The majority of those bikers were not wearing helmets.

Wearing helmets saves lives, reduces the financial burden on health providers and saves taxpayer dollars. As a Pennsylvania motorcycle crash lawyer who has seen devastating biker injuries, I urge the 2011 Pennsylvania Legislature to pass a bill mandating that all occupants of motorcycles wear helmets. If you are the victim of a PA motorcycle accident, you may contact me for a free home consultation at 800-980-4842 or via my website of www.NewellLaw.com.

Pit Bull Mauling Victim to Undergo Head Surgery

Posted on: December 14th, 2010       Attorney Thomas Newell

On Dec. 15, 2010, an 8 year-old pit bull attack victim will be placed under general anesthesia to undergo the first of a number of reconstructive surgeries. This tissue expansion procedure will begin with the surgeon cutting into his scalp and inserting balloons adjacent to both sides of his head wound. The balloons will be filled with saline solution which will stretch portions of his skin to, hopefully, cover the hole that currently exists in his scalp.

The child had been viciously attacked by pit bulls in York County PA on June 1, 2010 and received extensive medical care at Hershey Medical Center. Surgeons at Yale-New Haven Hospital will perform the latest surgical procedure. The PA dog attack victim will miss at least 2 months of school as he will be confined to his home to help prevent infection.

If you or a loved one has been attacked by a dog in Pennsylvania, please contact your PA dog bite lawyer at 800-980-4842. Information concerning my representation of Pennsylvania personal injury victims for the last 30 years can be found at PADogAttackLawyer.com

Bucks County Pedestrian Accident Victim Killed on Street Road

Posted on: December 10th, 2010       Attorney Thomas Newell

On Dec. 6, 2010, a Bensalem PA resident was hit and killed on Street Road. As described in The Trentonian, a 30 year-old Bensalem Police Department Community Service Officer was driving eastbound on Street Road near Hulmeville Road at approximately 8:30 p.m. A 45 year-old Bensalem man was trying to cross Street Road from a nearby McDonald’s when he was hit.

Photographs taken after the pedestrian accident indicate that the pedestrian was struck by the left front of the driver’s Ford Crown Victoria automobile. Results of a blood alcohol test performed on the driver have not been released as of yet. Bucks County Detectives are investigating the accident.

If you or a family member need an experienced Pennsylvania pedestrian accident lawyer, please call my toll free number: 800-980-4842. I have been aggressively representing PA personal injury victims for nearly 30 years. I provide a free home consultation. For more specific information regarding my experience, please see my website: www.NewellLaw.com.

Dangerous Dog Charges Filed vs. Pit Bull Owners

Posted on: December 7th, 2010       Attorney Thomas Newell

On Dec. 2, 2010, multiple charges regarding PA Dog Law violations were filed against a Pittsburgh resident. She is the owner of pit bulls that are allegedly terrorizing her Pittsburgh neighbors. According to wpxi.com, the pit bull owner was found guilty of harboring dangerous dogs by a district justice. An appeal was filed by the defendant and the case will go to trial in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas.

As a Pennsylvania pit bull attack lawyer I am familiar with situations where irresponsible dog owners cause injuries to totally innocent victims. Neighbors of this pit bull owner told the reporter that they are afraid to go outside because of these aggressive pit bulls. Pittsburgh police have cited the negligent defendant alleging a failure to properly restrain and register the pit bulls. Even if an appeal has been filed, the dog owner must comply with the PA Dog Law requirements regarding dangerous dogs.

If you or a loved one has been attacked and injured by a dog, please telephone me at 800-980-4842. I am available to set up a free consultation in the comfort of your home. My website, PADogAttackLawyer.com. provides detailed information regarding the rights of PA dog bite victims.

Erie Denies Insurance Benefits to Slain Good Samaritan

Posted on: December 3rd, 2010       Attorney Thomas Newell

On Nov. 29, 2010, Erie Insurance Company filed a legal action versus the family of a Good Samaritan requesting that a Westmoreland County Judge approve its denial of auto first-party benefits. On June 1, a 42 year-old woman from Mt. Pleasant Township was driving when she was flagged down by an injured woman seeking assistance.

As described in the Tribune-Review, the driver was then shot dead by the injured woman’s husband. Erie claims that since its insured died from a gunshot wound to the head, not as the result of an accident, they should not be responsible to pay for any first-party benefits, including medical bills. The defendant has been charged with first degree murder.

The victim’s family had undoubtedly paid Erie auto insurance premiums for years totaling thousands of dollars. She stopped her car to give assistance to a fellow human being in need. Yet her insurance company thinks the proper thing to do is to add insult to injury and deny the claim based upon a legal technicality! This case underlines the necessity of hiring an experienced and aggressive Pennsylvania car accident attorney who will fight the car insurance companies.

If you or a loved one has a personal injury claim due to an accident, please contact me at 800-980-4842. I can put my 30 years of experience to work for you. I provide a free home consultation. For more information, please see my website: www.NewellLaw.com.