Home Horrors: Child Loses Feet in Lawn Mower Accident in Her Yard
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on May 9th, 2012
In just an instant, a five-year-old Maryland girl lost both of her feet when she walked up behind her father as he mowed the grass with his ride-on lawn tractor in their yard. The horrific accident is a stark reminder of the need for safety around lawn maintenance equipment, especially with spring yard work firmly underway in communities across our nation. The accident occurred in Forest Hill, Maryland, when the girl's father didn't see her...
Springtime Driving Safety: Be Extra Cautious for Pedestrians, Bicyclists and Motorcyclists
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on May 4th, 2012
Children darting in front of moving cars, runners out getting a good workout, bicyclists migrating onto the roads after a winter layover and motorcyclists back out on their machines, enjoying the warmer weather as it arrives again – these are sure signs that spring is truly upon us. With that, it's also a great time as drivers to remember that we share the road with pedestrians and smaller two-wheeled vehicles that are no match for...
Bronx SUV crash kills 7 family members, leaving unanswered questions
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on May 2nd, 2012
The investigation is continuing into a horrific SUV crash near the Bronx Zoo in New York that killed seven people from three generations of one family. Now the questions into the crash begin as authorities work to figure out what happened. The family members were traveling south on the Bronx River Parkway next to the grounds of The Bronx Zoo when the 2004 Honda Pilot SUV they were riding in "bounced off the median, crossed...
Court Radio: New Methods of Fighting Gun Violence in Our Cities, tune in at 7 a.m. Sunday
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on April 28th, 2012
Finding effective ways to sharply reduce gun violence in our cities is the aim of a national "CeaseFire" program that spread to Philadelphia last July. On “Court Radio” at 7 a.m. tomorrow, Sunday, Marla Davis Bellamy, the director of Ceasefire Philadelphia, the latest of 12 U.S. cities to host the effort, will be our special guest to talk about the program and how it is being used in one of the city's most dangerous police...
Life Insurance Companies Reach Settlements For Failing to Pay Beneficiaries
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on April 25th, 2012
Imagine buying a life insurance policy to protect your family if something should happen to you, and then imagine that your insurance company fails to notify your beneficiaries that they have money coming to them when you die. That's what has been happening across the United States when insurers haven't always been doing all they can to locate life insurance beneficiaries, according to a story on BusinessWeek.com. In fact, MetLife Inc., one of the nation's...
$4.2 Million School Bullying Settlement A Reminder of the Dangers of Violence Against Students
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on April 21st, 2012
A single punch to the stomach in a horrific case of school violence by a bully and the life of a 12-year-old boy was turned upside down back in May, 2006. Within two days, the punch caused a blood clot in a major artery, causing a blockage and leaving him paralyzed from the waist down, according to a story by The Associated Press. Now, almost six years later, the boy, Sawyer Rosenstein, and his family...
N.Y. Construction Crane Accident Fatality Underscores Workplace Dangers
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on April 19th, 2012
The death of a 30-year-old Burlington, N.J., construction worker earlier this month at a New York City worksite was a stark reminder of the real dangers that construction workers face every day on the job. The man was killed when a construction crane being operated near him became dislodged from its base and crashed to the ground, according to a story by The Associated Press. Four other people were hurt at the accident scene, where...
Court Radio: Talking About PA’s Controversial New Voter ID Law – Should You Have To Show ID to Vote? Listen In 7 a.m. Sunday
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on April 14th, 2012
When voting in elections in Pennsylvania in the past, all you needed to do was to show up at the polls, give a poll worker your name and address, and sign your signature on a voter registration list before getting your credentials to cast your ballot. Not anymore. As of last month, the Republican-led state Legislature passed a law that now requires voters to present a photo ID to prove their identity before being allowed...
Medical Device Worries: More Government Oversight Coming to Ensure Heart Defibrillator Wires Are Safe
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on April 10th, 2012
The alleged failure of some tiny heart defibrillator wires that help to keep ill heart patients alive have led to the deaths of 20 patients and are raising the ire of doctors who are calling on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to have tighter oversight over such medical devices, according to a story in The Wall Street Journal (WSJ). Some doctors are asking the FDA to strengthen safety reporting requirements for such medical...