Clergy abuse report blocked by PA Supreme Court

PA Supreme Court blocks grand jury report’s public release

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court stopped the release of a grand jury report investigating decades of sexual abuse in six Catholic dioceses across the state as a result of challenges filed by unnamed parties.  While the report was issued to six dioceses under investigation, no estimated date has been provided for when the 800 plus-page report will be made public.

The grand jury spent nearly two years investigating allegations of sexual abuse by the clergy in Allentown, Erie, Greensburg, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh and Scranton.  These dioceses have roughly 1.7 million members.

The investigation covered not only claims of child sexual abuse, but also failure to report to law enforcement and obstruction of justice.  In addition to the clergy, clergy community leaders, local public officeholders, and church officers were investigated.  The jurors reviewed over 500,000 pages of diocesan archives.  […]

The Most Common Medical Errors

What are the most common medical errors?

Medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States, after cancer and heart disease. According to a Johns Hopkins study, medical mistakes kill more than 250,000 people every year. These numbers are scary for patients who quite literally place their lives in the hands of medical professionals every day.

Even in the best hospitals in the country, mistakes can happen. But, that doesn’t mean you should avoid getting necessary medical treatment for fear of something going wrong. Instead, equip yourself with knowledge. Be aware of the most common types of preventable medical errors:

1. Misdiagnosis

Error in diagnosis is a common medical error. Incorrect diagnosis can result in unnecessary or harmful treatment. A wrong diagnosis also means that the patient’s true illness won’t be treated right away, […]

How to choose the right personal injury lawyer for you

Choosing the right personal injury lawyer

When you find yourself in need of legal advice or representation, it can be hard to know where to begin. You may never have had to seek a lawyer before. You may be unfamiliar with how the legal system works, or whether you even have a case. With so many lawyers to choose from, how do you know who you can trust? How do you know who will get the best results? We have some advice on how to choose the right personal injury lawyer for your unique case.

Not all law firms are created equal. In fact, your choice of personal injury lawyer can make all the difference in the success of your case. When you’ve been injured, or lost a loved one in a tragic accident, you want to know that your case is in the right hands. […]

New York’s MTA Orders Sleep Apnea Screenings After Deadly Crashes

A seldom-diagnosed health condition has been blamed for multiple deadly mass-transit crashes in recent years.

In 2014, a Metro-North train derailed in the Bronx, killing four people. In September of 2016, one person died when a commuter train crashed in Hoboken. The engineers in both of these accidents suffered from sleep apnea. Earlier this month, a Long Island Railroad Train crashed in Brooklyn; the engineer in this accident will test for sleep apnea as well.

This week, New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced they will begin testing all train engineers and bus drivers for sleep apnea in hopes of preventing more tragedies like these.

What is Sleep Apnea, and Why is it Such a Problem?

Sleep apnea, also called obstructive sleep apnea or OSA, is a condition that causes the throat muscles to relax during sleep, […]

How to Set a Meaningful New Year’s Resolution in 2017

As 2016 draws to a close, we hear a lot about people’s goals for the year ahead. The most common ones are to lose weight, eat healthier, save more money (and, a lot of the time, these resolutions don’t last).  But what if you made a new year’s resolution that would benefit not only yourself but also everyone around you?

This year, try setting a New Year’s resolution that will truly make a difference. Here are three.

Put the phone away

This may be the most important New Year’s resolution you can make. When you’re behind the wheel, leave your phone alone. Texts, snaps, and notifications can all wait, and not one of them is worth a life. Car accident deaths increased again last year, and all evidence points to driver distraction as the main culprit. Choosing to keep your focus on the road and not on your phone can help reverse that pattern. […]

Some Valuable Information about Nail Gun Accidents

Nail guns are extremely valuable tools to both the construction industry and regular consumers. Unfortunately, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that nail gun accidents account for approximately 37,000 emergency room visits each year. Of those injured, nearly seventy percent were injured in the course of their employment. The balance of the people were consumers using the nail guns for non-business related tasks.

It’s not difficult to imagine how a nail gun accident might occur. For those who are injured while at work, it is important to file a workers’ compensation claim. You can find answers to many of your questions concerning workers’ compensation procedures here.

What if there was a problem with the nail gun? Whether you were injured in the course of your employment or not, you may have another type of claim. This is known as a products liability action and may be pursued if there is evidence that the nail gun caused the dangerous condition resulting in injuries. […]

One Killed, More Than 100 Hurt in New Jersey Train Crash in Hoboken

A New Jersey train crash  has left at least one person dead and more than 100 injured.

At the peak of rush hour Thursday morning, New Jersey Transit train no. 1614 on the Pascack Valley line derailed and crashed into the station in Hoboken, NJ. The crash caused massive damage and injured scores of people.  Jersey City Medical Center reports that at least three people are in serious condition. Previous reports said that three people died in the crash, but hospital officials later corrected that number.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Railroad Administration will be investigating.

What We Know About the New Jersey Train Crash

Preliminary investigation suggests that the crash was an accident, caused by operator error, but it is still too early to ascertain a definitive cause.

The train was not equipped with positive train control, […]

School Bus Safety for the New School Year

A new school year is starting, and millions of kids in the United States will be taking the bus to and from school each day. We’re sharing a some school bus safety tips to help your child get to school and home again safely. Share these with young children riding the bus for the first time, or older kids who can use a reminder…

School Bus Safety Tips

For kids…

1. When waiting for the bus, stay about six feet (three big steps) away from the curb to stay clear of traffic. Wait for the bus to come to a complete stop before approaching. Look both ways before crossing the street to get on the bus. It’s best to walk your child to the bus stop and stay with them until it arrives.
2. When getting off the bus, be sure to look left, […]

Common Car Seat Mistakes

New laws & common car seat mistakes

Pennsylvania’s new car seat law goes into effect next month. The new law will require  all children to be restrained in a rear-facing car seat until at least two years of age.

Why is rear-facing safer?

A rear-facing car seat supports the head and neck, and is designed to distribute the force of a crash across the shell of the car seat in the event of a car accident. Babies’ necks and spinal cords aren’t yet strong enough to withstand the force of a crash or sudden stop. Children under two are five times less likely to die or suffer serious injury in a car accident when restrained in a rear-facing seat.

Switching to a front-facing seat too soon is one of the most common car seat mistakes parents make. […]

5 Swimming Survival Skills to Teach Your Child

Prevent swimming accidents with these 5 tips!

Swimming season is well underway!

Swimming can be good exercise and a great way to beat the heat, but it can also be dangerous, particularly for young children. Approximately 800 children drown each year. Safe Kids Worldwide has more information on how to stay safe in the water!

We’re sharing 5 essential swimming survival skills you can teach your child to make them more confident swimmers and to help keep them safe in the water. These tips are simple, but they could save a life.

1. Step or jump into water that is over your head and return to the surface. Help your child practice rising/kicking to the surface of the water, but ONLY when you are there to supervise.

2. Tread water for one minute. Treading water for a longer amount of time will help your child become a stronger swimmer and be less afraid in deep water. […]