N.J. School Bus Crash Kills One Child, Leaves Many Legal Questions
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on February 17th, 2012
In one horrific moment, a family with triplet 11-year-old daughters had its whole world turned upside down this week when the school bus the girls were riding in was struck by a dump truck in an intersection in Chesterfield, N.J., just south of Trenton. One of the girls died at the scene following the crash and one of the other two girls remains in critical condition in a hospital, according to an Associated Press (AP)...
Don’t Get Sued: Shovel Your Sidewalks After It Snows To Prevent Lawsuits
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on February 11th, 2012
It's been a relatively mild winter across the Philadelphia region this season, but this weekend's forecast for a light snowfall is a great reminder to remain vigilant about keeping your sidewalks clear of snow and ice for pedestrians. Just a couple inches of snow was expected here, according to a story in The Philadelphia Inquirer, but a lot could still fall in the next six weeks of winter that lie ahead. So what's the big...
11 Die in I-75 Chain-Reaction Crash in Florida: How Could It Have Been Avoided?
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on February 8th, 2012
Blinded by smoke from a large brush fire combined with fog in the early-morning darkness, the drivers of at least a dozen cars, six tractor-trailers and a motorhome crashed in a chain-reaction collision on Interstate 75 near Gainesville, Fla., late last month, killing 11 victims. Now the questions begin – did the Florida Highway Patrol, which had closed the highway three hours earlier due to the smoke and fog, re-open the highway too soon? [caption...
Court Radio: Top 10 Tips on What To Do If You Are in a Car Accident
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on February 4th, 2012
We drive our cars, SUVs, motorcycles and trucks miles and miles every day and nary think about that would happen if we were involved in a vehicle accident from a fender-bender to a serious crash. But accidents do happen and it's not a bad idea occasionally to review what you should do if you become involved in a vehicle accident. [caption id="attachment_1593" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="An accident scene after emergency vehicles have arrived to aid victims....
$2.37M Settlement After Horrific Fatal Accident Photos Leaked by Police, Bringing More Grief to a Family Mourning Their Daughter
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on February 3rd, 2012
As if losing their 18-year-old daughter in a terrible car crash weren't enough, a California family then had to suffer all over again when investigating officers from the California Highway Patrol (CHP) took photos of the gruesome scene which were later distributed to others in emails. The photos then spread wildly across the Internet on some 1,600 Web sites, according to an investigation. And these were no ordinary photographs. The teen, Nicole "Nikki" Catsouras, took...
Court Radio: What to Do if You Are Wrongfully Fired or Discriminated Against in the Workplace
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on January 28th, 2012
If you've ever been fired from a job or discriminated against by an employer and wondered if you could sue for damages, you are not alone. People get fired or laid off all the time, but when it comes to determining whether you are illegally terminated, that's where it gets tricky. Workplace discrimination happens, too, but proving it can be difficult. In both cases, after the event happens you need to talk to a lawyer...
Teens and alcohol never mix: Mom who hosted beer party faces prison after three teens died in DUI crash
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on January 27th, 2012
It was a high school graduation party gone wrong after the mother of a high school grad served a half-keg of beer to her son's friends in celebration of their accomplishment. Tragedy struck after three of the teens were killed in a car crash less than a mile from the party, according to a story in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review earlier this week. The 19-year-old driver of the vehicle had been drinking alcohol at another party...
Court Radio: Cruise Ship Accident in Mediterranean Highlights What You Need to Know About Travel Law
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on January 21st, 2012
The grounding and capsizing of the huge Costa Concordia cruise ship off the Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy, on Jan. 13 is a reminder to all of us that when you travel, it's good to know your legal rights when disaster strikes. At least 12 people died in the disaster, and another 20 are still missing, according to news accounts, after the ship struck a rocky ledge just off the island, causing it to quickly...
Test drive tragedy: A routine car test drive turned deadly
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on January 20th, 2012
How excessive speed and a car salesman under the influence of alcohol and drugs led to the death of a customer, devastating two families. For a Lancaster County man, it was to be an enjoyable day spent taking his son out to local car dealerships to help him test drive various cars so they could choose one to buy. Instead, it became a horrific nightmare when the man was killed after a car salesman chose...