Lansdale Personal Injury Law Blog

Physical injury due to a fiery accident in western Pennsylvania yesterday appears to be limited to just one person. The financial impact of the semitrailer truck crash and blaze are going to be huge, however; so huge, in fact, that the governor has issued a disaster emergency proclamation.

For readers who may not be aware, the trigger of the emergency was the crash yesterday morning of a fully loaded semitrailer tanker truck. Authorities say the truck carrying diesel fuel was taking an on-ramp that crosses over Interstate 81 just north of the Susquehanna River. 

If only all motorcycle riders would wear helmets, a lot of lives would be saved. That’s the cry coming from state and federal safety experts as the 2013 motorcycle season opens in Pennsylvania and other northern tier states.

Based on current available statistics, the number of fatal injury motorcycle accidents across the nation is expected to top out at about 5,000 for all of 2012. The estimate is based on a state-by-state count of motorcycle accident deaths for the first nine months of the year. If it proves to be accurate, it would be an increase of about 9 percent over 2011.

In case you haven't heard about it yet, there's a major recall of a variety of Farm Rich labeled frozen foods subject to recall. The issue is that at least 27 people in 15 states, including Pennsylvania, have been infected with E. coli bacteria and possibly dangerous food products made by Rich Products Corp. are deemed to be one likely source.

The federal government says that the food products affected by the recall are sold under a number of brand names including Farm Rich, Market Day and Schwan's. The specific types of foods noted include quesadillas, cheese steaks, mini pizza slices and mozzarella snacks. All the products in question were produced between July 2011 and March 2013.

The many big rigs that ply the interstates and back roads of Pennsylvania and the rest of the United States represent perhaps the greatest boon to the commerce of our country. But they also represent some of the greatest threats in terms of motoring safety.

The pressure to avoid truck accidents that so often result in horrible injuries or death is so great that state and federal regulators have created a comprehensive set of rules to cover the industry. Drivers are held to a higher standard of driving competence than the average passenger motorist. Trucking companies are under the onus of standards that require proper maintenance, loading and regulation of driver working hours to ensure maximum safety.

When something is overlooked, people can die, raising questions about possible wrongful death.