Birth injuries and your legal rights
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on October 26th, 2010
The birth of a child is a joyous and wonderful event as a new life comes into the world and into our lives. Sometimes, though, complications and medical errors can arise, with catastrophic consequences for a family. Doctors can make critical mistakes, hospitals and nursing staffs can introduce errors in patient care and other problems can arise during births, leaving a family unsure of their legal options and responsibilities. Last week, a Pennsylvania Superior Court...
What to do if you are injured in an accident: take notes, get witness corroboration and talk with a competent attorney
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on October 12th, 2010
Life is uncertain, and accidents do happen. But if an accident happens to you and results in a serious injury, then you need to be your own best advocate and get the help and support that you need to collect damages for your medical bills, lost wages and for your pain and suffering. That means taking all the right steps right after a serious injury so that you protect your rights and any future legal...
Update: School district reaches settlement in lawsuit over search of teen’s cell phone in sexting case
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on September 15th, 2010
Student's case against the district attorney still being pursued Remember that teen texting incident in the Tunkhannock Area School District in Pennsylvania's Wyoming County last year, where several teens became embroiled in a legal controversy over some naked and semi-naked photos taken with a cell phone camera? In a statement today, the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, which represented one of the teens in a lawsuit against the school district and the district attorney's...
The Megabus crash: Inadequate training and insufficient oversight lead to four tragic deaths
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on September 14th, 2010
The tragic Megabus accident that killed four passengers early Saturday morning just outside Syracuse, N.Y., didn't have to happen. The crash occurred when a Megabus driver became lost along his intended route and was apparently using his personal GPS unit to figure out where to go next. The bus was headed to Toronto from Philadelphia, according to a story in The Philadelphia Daily News. As the driver made his way in the dark, he followed...
U.S. traffic accident deaths down, but there is still plenty of room for improvement
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on September 9th, 2010
For the first time in almost 60 years, fewer people died in traffic accidents on U.S. roadways last year than in any year since 1950, according to new statistics released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The death toll for 2009 was 33,308 people, which was a 9.7% decline from 2008 when 37,423 people died on U.S. roads, according to the NHTSA figures. The 2009 death toll was the lowest in our nation since...
Your Online Privacy – the whole world is watching
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on June 29th, 2010
Just how much about your life are you divulging on Facebook, Twitter or MySpace or other social media Web sites every day? Well, here's some sobering news: what you say on Facebook or any of the other sites could some day come back to haunt you in a legal proceeding from a divorce case to an accident investigation to a workplace injury settlement. How so? Well, it seems that attorneys across the nation are finding...
Hospitals that make sick people sicker: hospital-acquired infections continue to be a big risk for patients
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on June 24th, 2010
Being a patient in a hospital can help extend your life through excellent medical care, but at the same time, hospitals can be one of the most dangerous places to get a life-threatening infection that can complicate your treatment. A new state report from the Pennsylvania Department of Health concludes that 25,914 patients undergoing surgeries and other treatments in hospitals last year had their conditions complicated by infections they picked up during their stays, according...
Summer Safety: Sharing the Road with Bicycles and Motorcycles means Being Careful
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on June 18th, 2010
With the warm, lovely weather of summer upon us, it's a great time to remind drivers that we're sharing the road with others who aren't wrapped protectively in vehicle cocoons of steel, plastic and rubber. Thousands of others are out there on the roads with only two wheels on bicycles and motorcycles and are much more vulnerable to serious injury. As motorists, we all need to be careful and more aware to protect ourselves from...
Summer Safety Tips: Home Swimming Pools and Your Responsibilities
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on June 9th, 2010
Summer is almost here, but your home swimming pool has probably been open for a few weeks and life is feeling pretty good. That's great, but don't be complacent. There are a myriad of safety and legal issues for you to be thinking about in connection with your pool, and it's much better to think about them before something tragic happens. [caption id="attachment_799" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Image credit: © iStockphoto.com/jane"][/caption] Swimming pools, hot tubs and spas...