New York Man Killed By Runaway Pickup Truck While Eating His Lunch Outside in Financial District

In what can only be called a freak accident, a 70-year-old clerk for the State Attorney’s Office was fatally injured last week when he was struck by a runaway truck as he ate his lunch outside a building on Broad Street in the Financial District of New York City. Witnesses said the 2008 Honda pickup accelerated out of nowhere onto the sidewalk and pinned the victim against the building. Although bystanders tried to administer CPR, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to news reports, the truck was driven by an employee of a security company that works in the area. Trucks are often used to keep vehicular traffic out of the pedestrian-only financial district. No charges were filed against the 50- year-old driver of the truck, who is a retired police lieutenant.

The fatal accident was a tragedy. The victim’s 29-year-old daughter said he was “a great father, […]

Pennsylvania Drivers Urged to be Aware of Information Exchanged After a Car Accident

Our Pennsylvania car accident attorneys encourage all drivers to do the right thing after a car accident: stop, assist others involved, call the police, exchange information with others, and contact your doctor.  All of these are key steps to help minimize the stresses associated with being in a car crash and to help ensure that all legal processes are completed.

However, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) while it is important that anyone that has been in an accident shares appropriate information, it is critical that they not share too much information and risk putting themselves in jeopardy of identity theft.

The NAIC, the U.S. standard-setting and regulatory support organization created and governed by the chief insurance regulators in the U.S., reports identity theft is one of the fastest-growing crimes in the U.S. Federal statistics estimate nearly 9 million Americans have their identities stolen each year. […]

Pennsylvania Drunk Drivers Target of Police Crackdown

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is once again getting the message out to Americans to “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.” Pennsylvania State Police and law enforcement agencies across the country are joining in the latest campaign, that runs through Labor Day, in an effort to get impaired drivers off roads.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s 2010 State Motor Vehicle Fatalities statistics, there were 10,228 alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities nationwide in 2010. Pennsylvania saw 433 alcohol-related highway deaths in 2010.  These deaths represented 24 percent of the 1,324 fatal accidents in the state that year.  Pennsylvania Department of Transportation reports preliminary data shows there were 428 alcohol-related accident fatalities and approximately 11,700 alcohol-related crashes statewide in 2011.

In a ceremony in Berks County where officials unveiled a memorial for victims of DUI accidents, Trooper Ethan Brownback said, “We’re having checkpoints all over the county, […]

Pennsylvania Car Accident Lawyer Warns that Higher Unemployment Could Mean Fewer Insured Drivers

Scranton, PA, August 18, 2012 — An uptick in the number of people in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre who are out of work could heighten the risk for those behind the wheel, says Pennsylvania car accident attorney Caroline Munley.

This summer, the unemployment rate for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area broke the nine percent mark for the first time since September 2011, according to the Scranton Times-Tribune. That was a full percentage point above the national average and two points above the rate for Pennsylvania as a whole.

“Unfortunately, when people lose their jobs, one thing they may do to cut costs is to cancel or reduce their car insurance,” said Munley, managing partner of the nationally recognized Pennsylvania personal injury firm of Munley Law, which has its headquarters in Scranton and offices across the state.

The law firm represents car accident victims in Pennsylvania and across the Northeast in matters that often involve car insurance issues. […]

Pennsylvania Politician Critically Injured in Head-On Crash

Pennsylvania’s Republican candidate for the 112th District is in critical condition after a collision Monday morning. Raymond Nearhood swerved to avoid a pickup truck that had run out of gas and was stopped on the highway in front of him, according to the Times-Tribune. His car swerved into oncoming traffic crashing head-on into another vehicle.  Nearhood and all three occupants from the other vehicle were taken to the hospital with serious injuries.

The vehicles were traveling on Casey Highway near Scranton, PA when Nearhood’s Toyota Camry slammed into an oncoming Cadillac CTS carrying an 8-year-old girl and two women.  The driver and the front-seat passenger of the Cadillac both had to be cut out of the vehicle.  The girl was in the back seat of the car and was safely pulled from the vehicle by other motorists.  Police report that Nearhood was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident. […]

Triple Fatal Accident Serves as a Reminder to Pennsylvania Drivers of the Dangers of Drowsy Driving

An early morning accident on Saturday left three people dead and two others seriously injured after the driver apparently fell asleep behind the wheel.  The single-car crash occurred around 2:15 a.m. on I-81 north near Butler Township after the car traveled across the grass median and slammed into the concrete bridge support beam.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that drowsy driving accidents cause more than 100,000 crashes a year, resulting in 40,000 injuries and approximately 1,550 deaths.  However, the NHTSA believes these numbers are actually much higher due to underreported drowsy driving accidents.

One of the leading causes of drowsy driving is shift work.  With irregular hours, long shifts, and disrupted sleep patterns, the NHTSA reports shift workers run a particularly high risk of drowsy driving crashes.

However, anyone that is sleep deprived is a danger on the highway.  […]

Pennsylvania Students Given Firsthand Account of the Dangers of Distracted Driving

Recent television commercials by AT&T are aimed at educating drivers of the hazards of texting behind the wheel. The campaign is meant to appeal to the audience by showing the devastation distracted driving can cause by having real-life victims, or family members of deceased victims, tell their personal stories of how a distracted driving accident changed their lives.

Recently, students at Central Penn College in East Pennsboro Township received a firsthand account of the tragedy of distracted driving.  Amanda Kloehr, who was distracted while driving in 2008, was in an accident that “cost an eye, nearly cost her life and led to more than 20 surgeries to rebuild her smashed face,” according to PennLive.com.

Kloehr doesn’t remember the details of the night, but said that during her drive from New Jersey to Virginia she was constantly distracted. She said she passed the time by talking on her cellphone, […]

PA Drivers Should Call 911 to Report Dangerous Texting Drivers

Our Pennsylvania car accident attorneys have continued to provide information to educate drivers of the dangers of texting while driving.  The National Safety Council (NSC) reports that nationwide almost 25 percent of car crashes involve cell phone use and nearly 1.3 million crashes each year can be attributed to cell phone usage while driving. If you are a focused, defensive driver, however, the USA Today reports that you should get away from distracted drivers to help prevent yourself from becoming one of these statistics.

According to the USA Today, police not only recommend distancing yourself from the offensive drivers, but also suggest calling 911 if you believe the drivers are a danger to others.  Auburn Police Division Capt. Tom Stofer told USA Today that drivers should give a wide berth to texting drivers — and to call 911 in the worst cases.

“If I was a citizen and if I saw an extreme case, […]

Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Are Targeting Aggressive Drivers

Pennsylvania law enforcement will be out in force until August 16 targeting aggressive drivers on PA highways.  In a partnership with PennDOT, the PA State Police, the Montgomery County Health Department and Buckle Up PA are taking on dangerous drivers on the highways through the statewide aggressive-driving campaign.

According to a press release issued last week by PennDOT, law enforcement will be focusing on motorists who exhibit key aggressive driving behaviors including tailgating, speeding and running red lights.  Last year, police issued 142,013 aggressive driving-related citations across the state.

Philly.com reports that inPennsylvania, aggressive drivers caused 6,300 crashes in 2011, killing 168 people.

PennDOT has been actively targeting aggressive driving through its Pennsylvania Aggressive Driving Enforcement and Education Project. The project is funded through $2.3 million in federal funds from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The NHTSA notes that aggressive driving has become a serious problem on our nation’s roadways. […]

Deadly Pennyslvania Accident Serves as a Reminder of the Importance of Seatbelts

A deadly car accident in Wells Tannery last month serves as a reminder that seatbelts are not an inconvenience – they can be lifesavers.  Two teens died and two were seriously injured when the driver of their car apparently lost control sending the vehicle off the roadway and into several trees.  Sadly, none of the four occupants were wearing a seatbelt.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that while the use of seatbelts saved 356 lives in Pennsylvania in 2010, another 136 could have been saved if all of the people had buckled up. The NHTSA reports that 868 people (aged 5 and over) died in PA accidents in 2010. Of those, 273 were properly restrained, whereas 505 did not have their seatbelts on at the time of the crash.

JustDrivePA.org maintains key educational material on its website related to seatbelt usage. […]

Pennsylvania Drivers Asked to be On the Lookout for Joggers

Running is one of the most popular forms of exercise among Americans. In fact, according to Running USA, there are over 35 million recreational runners in the United States.  Although there are numerous health benefits to running including, weight loss, improved cardiovascular health, natural stress relief and increased strength, runners also risk serious injuries from being struck by a vehicle.

Just this month, a 20-year-old woman was jogging in Blooming Grove, just 35 miles east of Scranton, when she was struck and killed by a car, according to news reports.  The driver apparently intentionally ran his vehicle onto the shoulder of the highway and struck and killed the woman as she jogged on Route 507. Although this was an extreme case, it does serve as an example of the dangers Pennsylvania runners face when running on the roadways and highways.

Runners and pedestrians face the same risks when around traffic – distracted drivers, […]

PennDOT Offers PA Residents Key Safety Resources

Although you may have heard of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) in regards to road construction projects throughout the state, PennDOT is also tasked with keeping the Pennsylvania roadways safe through various programs and campaigns.  As part of National Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April, PennDOT launched “Just Drive PA,” a new initiative aimed at improving safety on Pennsylvania roadways.

According to a PennDOT notice:

The ‘Just Drive’ slogan reinforces that distractions, driving impaired and other unsafe driving behaviors have no place on our roadways.” said PennDOT Secretary Barry J. Schoch. It reinforces the need to drive properly, wear seat belts, look out for other travelers and always avoid distractions. Remember “when you’re behind the wheel, your biggest and only responsibility is to focus on safe driving.

The Just Drive PA website, www.justdrivepa.com, features a “Distracted Driving” […]

PA Drivers Have Opportunity to Participate in PennDOT Survey

Our Pennsylvania car accident attorneys have continuously urged PA drivers to drive safely when on our highways.  We also strive to present articles regarding safety initiatives and campaigns aimed at improving highway safety.  Now, Pennsylvania residents have the opportunity to be heard regarding the efficacy of the state’s traffic safety enforcement and their peers’ driving behaviors.

PennDOT has published its Highway Safety Planning Survey online at www.JustDrivePA.com.  The survey questions focus on several key safety initiatives: seat belt use, impaired driving, speeding, motorcycles, distracted driving.  Each state is required to complete this survey by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Residents have until July 27 to complete their feedback.  The survey is anonymous, although information is maintained on gender and zip code of residence.

Palmer-Forks Patch reports that more than 3,500 people responded to last year’s survey.

According to PennDOT’s website, […]

Pennsylvania Drivers Encouraged to Observe National Cell Phone Courtesy Month

Just last week we reported on the U.S. Department of Transportation’s initiative to combat distracted driving – the Blueprint for Ending Distracted Driving.  Our Pennsylvania car accident attorneys are committed to raising awareness of the dangers of distracted driving, most often caused by cellphone use behind the wheel.  Now, “National Cell Phone Courtesy Month” runs through July, and PA drivers have yet one more opportunity to put down their cellphones when driving.

Jacqueline Moore, an international etiquette expert, began the cellphone courtesy initiative in 2002 when she realized that many Americans were unsure of the etiquette around cellphone use.  Although her intent of the campaign is to encourage others to be more respectful of their surroundings while using their cell phone, as distracted driving becomes more widespread, cellphone courtesy should extend to vehicles.   According to government statistics, over 3,000 Americans lose their lives every year on U.S. […]

Pennsylvania Fourth of July Car Accident Statistics Point to Risky Behavior

Pennsylvania State Police released the traffic accident statistics from the long Fourth of July weekend. Sadly, too many people lost their lives due to risky driving behaviors such as drunk driving and not buckling up.

According to the press release, nine people were killed and 312 people were injured in a total of 845 Pennsylvania car crashes during the Fourth of July holiday driving period.  Seven of those killed were not wearing seat belts.  85 of the car crashes were alcohol-related, including four of the fatalities. During the same period, state troopers arrested 432 people for driving under the influence.

“I’m disappointed that so many drivers still get behind the wheel after drinking,” State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan said. And it’s clear that far too many people don’t buckle up when they travel. The numbers illustrate once again that risky behavior, […]

The IIHS Suggests Toughening Up Pennsylvania’s Graduated License Program

Pennsylvania’s graduated licensing (GDL) program has been identified by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) as one of the best GDL programs in the nation.  In a recent study, the IIHS honed in on five components of GDL’s that can improve safety among teen drivers.  Although PA meets many of the requirements, there is still room for improvement.

In March, we offered detailed information about the GDL after the USA Today did a featured story on teen driving.  In 2010, Governor Tom Corbett tightened the restrictions for teen drivers by enhancing the GDL.  However, the IIHS believes that by adding even stricter requirements in Pennsylvania, the state could see a 27% reduction in teen accidents.

In 2010, there were 27,149 crashes involving drivers between the ages of 16 and 20.  There were 57 car crash deaths in accidents in 2010 that involved a 16- or 17-year-old driver. […]

Pennsylvania Drivers Urged to Read DOT’s Blueprint for Ending Distracted Driving

Our Pennsylvania truck accident attorneys have continually stressed the dangers and the tragedy of distracted driving.  Just last month we presented information about a young teen who is now serving jail time due to a distracted driving accident that resulted in the death of a 55-year-old man.  For some, unfortunately, a serious jolt such as an accident is what it takes to wake them up to the dangers of distracted driving.

However, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who has been steadfast in his battle to end distracted driving in the United States, hopes to end accidents caused by distracted drivers.  Now, under his direction, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has launched its Blueprint for Ending Distracted Driving.

The blueprint, according to LaHood’s blog, Fast Lane, “is putting critical safety information into the hands of those who can make the biggest difference. Parents, teens, driving instructors, […]

PA Car Accident Attorney Says Expected Increase in Fourth of July Car Travel Raises Need to Keep Safety in Mind

Scranton, PA, June 29, 2012 — Pennsylvania car accident lawyer Caroline Munley today urged the state’s residents to keep safety in mind as decreasing gas prices fuel an expected upsurge in drivers on the road this July 4th holiday.

“As more people hit the road to celebrate Independence Day and for early summer vacations, the increase in traffic congestion raises the need to be mindful of safe driving practices,” said Munley, managing partner of the Pennsylvania personal injury firm of Munley Law in Scranton.

“We urge travelers to refrain from fatigued driving, drinking and driving and distracted driving, such as using cell phones for talking or texting while driving, which are all major causes of car accidents,” she said.

The AAA auto club said it expects 42.3 million Americans to travel more than 50 miles from home over the Independence Day period, […]

Pennsylvania Accident Victims Should Request a Copy of Their Vehicle Accident Report

Earlier this month our PA truck accident lawyers offered some information regarding vehicle accident investigations.  However, we did not include information on the crash report and what happens with all the information that is compiled – and how you can access that information.   Below we explain the importance of a Pennsylvania crash report.

The Pennsylvania State Police, along with the state’s nearly 1,300 local municipal police departments, have a duty to investigate each traffic accident that occurs on the Pennsylvania roadways.  That is no easy task with over 120,000 miles of roads and highways in the state.  According to the 2010 Pennsylvania Crash Facts and Statistics, in 2010, PA police investigated 121,312 traffic crashes.  Of those accidents, 1,324 people died and 87,949 were injured.

When police come upon accidents the scene is often chaotic.   The police must first make sure all of the accident victims are properly attended to and then they need to redirect traffic.  […]

Facebook and Twitter to be Offered as Features in New Cars

Earlier this year U.S. automakers unveiled their latest features, including improved airbags and seatbelts, focused on saving lives and preventing serious injury in automobile accidents.  These features were applauded by safety advocates for helping to keep car occupants safe on America’s highways. However, as carmakers unveil their latest Internet-based features, safety advocates fear automakers are contributing to the distracted driving epidemic.

According to the New York Times, automakers are planning on offering high-tech features in some of their 2013 models allowing drivers to stay ‘wired’ while in the car, without accessing their smartphones.  Some of the apps that will be offered by Mercedes-Benz, Acura, Honda, Lexus, and Subaru, among other automakers, include GPS, Pandora streaming music, movie ticket ordering and even restaurant reviews from Yelp.  However the carmakers aren’t stopping there.  Some of the dealers will be offering access to social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter.  […]