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...
Fatal RV Crash in Kansas a Good Reminder About Safety When Operating Oversized Vehicles
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on April 7th, 2012
A horrific recreational vehicle crash killed five members of a Jordan, Minn., family this week while they were traveling home from a Texas vacation, providing a stark reminder for the need for extra safety procedures when driving these oversized vehicles. As summer vacation time approaches, it's a good time to review safety rules and special things to keep in mind when operating RVs, especially if you also are towing a trailer behind them. In the...
Pennsylvania Drivers: New Law Means You Need To Give Bicyclists More Room on the Road
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on April 4th, 2012
Starting this week, a new Pennsylvania law requires drivers to give bicyclists at least four feet of room when passing bicycle riders on public streets. It seems like such a basic rule of the road – to give a bicyclist a safe, wide berth when passing – but in real life drivers often don't give cyclists much space because of worries about breaking other laws by crossing the center yellow lines on roadways when passing,...
Workplace harassment case lands victim $168 million, the largest harassment award in U.S. history
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on March 28th, 2012
For two years while she worked as a physician's assistant in a California hospital, Ani Chopourian said there had been at least 18 incidents of vile workplace harassment from co-workers, including a doctor who would tell her each morning that he was horny. Recently, the 45-year-old woman's case was heard in a California courtroom, with a jury awarding her $168 million in damages, which is believed to be the largest workplace harassment/discrimination verdict in U.S....
Court Radio: Dual Topics – Birth Injuries, and the Trayvon Martin Case, Self-Defense and “Stand Your Ground Laws.” Tune in at 7 a.m. Sunday
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on March 24th, 2012
On “Court Radio” tomorrow on Sunday morning, join MyPhillyLawyer managing partner Dean Weitzman and his co-host David Rapoport as they tackle two issues in the news – birth injuries and the tragic case of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, who was gunned down in a Sanford, Fla., neighborhood one night last month as he walked home wearing a hoodie and carrying a bag of Skittles candy and a bottle of iced tea. Court Radio is broadcast live...
‘Wrongful Birth” Cases Have No Easy Answers for Families or the Legal System
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on March 21st, 2012
A Portland, Ore., couple was awarded $2.9 million earlier this month by an Oregon court after their daughter was born four years ago with Down syndrome following prenatal testing that failed to turn up the genetic abnormality. The couple sued after "doctors misdiagnosed their daughter as not having the condition," according to a story on ABCNews.go.com. "Ariel and Deborah Levy of Portland, Ore., filed a 'wrongful birth' lawsuit against Legacy Health System, claiming that they...
Court Radio: A Tax Expert Explains How Debt Reduction Programs Can Affect Your 2011 Tax Returns, Listen In at 7 a.m. Sunday to Court Radio
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on March 16th, 2012
Have you been laid off from a job for an extended time? Have mortgage companies, banks or credit card companies forgiven part of what you owe them? If so, here's what you need to know about how such debt forgiveness programs can affect your tax returns. That forgiven debt could be viewed as income and you might owe taxes on it. You've surely seen all those ads on television and in newspapers about "debt reduction"...