Child Passenger Safety Week 2018

September 23-29 is Child Passenger Safety Week

Car accidents are a leading cause of death in children and teenagers.  Child Passenger Safety Week is designed to raise awareness of common safety mistakes, and give parents and caregivers the information they can use to keep their children safe on the road. PennDOT and safety advocacy groups will be working with the public to spread awareness. There will also be free “car seat checks” set up all throughout Pennsylvania to help parents ensure that their seats are installed properly.

Children are particularly vulnerable in car accidents, but many injuries can be prevented, or at least made less severe. One easy way to help keep your child safe is by making sure they are in the right seat. All children under 12 should ride in the back seat, as air bags can cause harm to a child’s small body in the event of a crash. […]

National Truck Driver Appreciation Week

Thank a Trucker: National Truck Driver Appreciation Week

September 9 through September 15, 2018, is National Truck Driver Appreciation Week (NTDAW). This week, we show our respect and gratitude for the 3.5 million men and women who keep our economy moving.

Truck drivers do a demanding, important, and often thankless job. We depend on truck drivers every single day to transport goods across the country. Most of us take for granted those who bear the enormous responsibility of safely moving 70,000 lb vehicles safely across the nation’s highways. They even train to combat human trafficking in the United States as the “eyes and ears of our nation’s highways”. They often sacrifice time with their own families to make their deliveries on time to ensure that we have the goods we need. Some truck drivers sacrifice far more: A recent government report on workplace fatalities showed that truck drivers had the highest number of workplace fatalities.  […]

Priest abuse lawsuit seeks to extend the statute of limitations in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania lawsuit seeks to extend statute of limitations in priest abuse cases

A lawsuit against the Diocese of Pittsburgh aims to extend or eliminate the statute of limitations in civil cases against the Catholic Church stemming from sexual abuse allegations against clergy members and religious administrators. The lawsuit involves a man who, as a young child, was allegedly abused by a priest named in the grand jury report released earlier this month. The suit further alleges that because these accusations were not made public within the statute of limitations, the victim did not have the opportunity to seek justice.

The statute of limitations typically limits the amount of time a victim has to file a civil case against the person or organization that caused them harm. However, the statute has been extended in cases where there has been “fraudulent concealment of evidence. […]

J&J ordered to pay $4.69 billion to cancer victims in talcum powder lawsuit

Johnson & Johnson ordered to pay $4.69 billion in talcum powder lawsuit

A St. Louis jury returned a $4.69B verdict in favor of 22 women who claimed Johnson and Johnson’s products contained asbestos which caused them to develop cancer.

The verdict is the latest in a series of massive wins for women and their families who have filed cancer-related lawsuits against Johnson and Johnson. In August, 2017, a Los Angeles jury awarded a $417 million verdict in favor of a woman who claimed that Johnson and Johnson’s baby powder caused her to develop ovarian cancer, and in February 2016, a Missouri jury awarded $72 million to the family of a woman died of ovarian cancer after decades of using J&J’s baby powder.

In its natural form, talc (a common ingredient in cosmetic and personal care products, […]

Summer grilling safety tips

Keep your backyard barbecue free of fire hazards

Grilling is a summertime staple, but it’s also an extremely common cause of house fires. Keep your family, friends, and party guests safe from harm by making sure you’re up to speed on grill safety.  It is very important to be aware of how dangerous grills are, what to do before you use a grill, and how to handle a grill when it is on, to prevent serious fires or injuries.

According to the National Fire Protection Agency, gas grills were involved in an average of 7,900 home fires per year, including 3,300 structure fires, and 4,700 outdoor fires.  Leaking and breakage were the top problems with gas grills.  Five out of six grills involved in home fires were fueled by gas, while 14% used charcoal or other solid fuel.  Grills not only are causing many structure, […]