Munley Law Blog

How Does Distracted Driving Put Pedestrians at Risk Around Wilkes-Barre’s Public Square?

Wilkes-Barre’s Public Square draws heavy foot traffic into a tight downtown grid where drivers are already threading through narrow streets, around parked cars, and across frequent crosswalks. When drivers become distracted, this increases pedestrians’ risk of an accident.

A driver glancing at a phone for even a few seconds has less time to notice someone stepping off a curb, and Public Square concentrates exactly that kind of pedestrian activity into a few compact blocks. Pennsylvania has specific laws addressing both distracted driving and a driver’s duty to pedestrians, and these laws intersect directly in a setting like this.

Understanding how those two laws work together is crucial right after a crash when insurance companies are already deciding who to blame.

How Much Foot Traffic Does Public Square Actually Draw?

Public Square is a two-acre park at the historic center of downtown Wilkes-Barre, […]

Pennsylvania Nursing Home Staffing Requirements and How They Affect Patient Safety

Families trust nursing homes to have enough trained staff on duty to care for residents around the clock.

The number of staff on duty affects nearly every part of a resident’s day, from basic care to supervision. When staffing levels are too low, residents may not be checked on as often as they should be, and everyday care tasks can be delayed or missed.

If this happens, problems such as preventable falls, medication errors, and residents wandering away without being noticed begin to arise.

Pennsylvania Nursing Home Staffing Laws

Pennsylvania nursing homes must meet both federal and state staffing standards. These rules are meant to match staffing levels with resident needs, not just facility size.

Federal law, 42 C.F.R. § 483.35, requires nursing homes to have sufficient licensed nurses and aides on duty to provide proper care for every resident. […]

Why Does a Truck’s GVWR Matter for Drivers on I-81 Near Scranton?

Commercial trucks are a common sight on Scranton’s highways and throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania. Because these vehicles can weigh up to 40 times as much as the average passenger car, even small violations of federal safety standards can have serious consequences.

One of the most important safety measurements for any commercial truck is its gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR). While most drivers never think about GVWR, it plays an important role in preventing crashes and can become a critical factor when investigators determine why a truck accident occurred.

What Does a Truck’s GVWR Cover?

A truck’s Gross Vehicle Weight Rating is the maximum amount of weight a vehicle is designed to carry safely. This number is assigned by the manufacturer after engineers evaluate the truck’s frame, suspension, axles, brakes, tires, and other components.

Federal law, at 23 U.S.C. […]

What Philadelphia Construction and Union Workers Need to Know About Workers’ Comp When a Contractor Disputes the Claim

A contractor disputing your workers’ compensation claim does not mean that you lose your right to benefits. It just means someone, usually the contractor’s insurance company, is questioning part of your claim. This query could be whether you were hurt on the job, whether your injury is work-related, or whether you should still be receiving benefits.

From commercial buildings in Center City to roadwork along I-95 and neighborhood redevelopment projects across Philadelphia, construction workers do some of the toughest jobs in the city. The work is physically demanding, and a single accident can leave someone unable to work for weeks or even months.

Pennsylvania’s workers’ compensation system is meant to cover medical benefits and wage-loss benefits after a work injury. Unfortunately, the process is not always as simple as filing paperwork and waiting for benefits to arrive. Contractors and insurance companies sometimes challenge claims, especially when an injury could keep someone out of work for months or longer. […]

How Wrongful Death Claims Work After a Fatal Crash on Route 22 in the Lehigh Valley

A fatal crash on Route 22 can leave surviving family members facing funeral expenses, lost household income, and difficult questions about how the collision happened. When another driver’s negligence caused the crash, Pennsylvania law may allow certain family members to pursue a wrongful death claim.

Not every fatal crash is simply an accident. Some occur because a driver was distracted, speeding, impaired, or otherwise acting carelessly. When that happens, Pennsylvania law gives certain family members the right to pursue a wrongful death lawsuit.

When a fatal crash occurs, determining exactly how it happened is often the first step toward understanding whether a wrongful death claim may be available.

Fatal Crashes on Route 22 Often Leave Families With Questions

Families are often left wondering whether the other driver was distracted, speeding, impaired, or engaging in some other dangerous behavior before the collision. […]

Why Slip and Fall Claims on SEPTA Platforms Are More Complicated Than a Standard Premises Case in Philadelphia

A slip and fall on SEPTA property often involves issues that do not arise in a typical premises liability case. Unlike a fall at a grocery store or shopping center, a SEPTA claim may involve questions of governmental immunity, disputes over control of the property, and challenges to the preservation of key evidence.

SEPTA stations can pose hazards not found in many other premises liability cases. A fall may occur on a crowded platform, a stairway leading to the tracks, or an outdoor station exposed to rain, snow, and ice. Broken stairs, poor lighting, uneven walking surfaces, and slippery platforms are among the conditions that can lead to serious injuries.

The challenge is that proving a SEPTA claim is not always as simple as showing that a hazard existed. Determining who was responsible for the area and preserving evidence before it disappears are often important parts of the case. […]

Dan Munley Featured on SiriusXM Road Dog Trucking Radio

Truck accident attorney Daniel W. Munley was recently featured as a guest on “On the Move with Dan Ronan”, airing on SiriusXM Road Dog Trucking Radio (Ch. 146). Munley joined host Dan Ronan to discuss the legal implications of the U.S. Supreme Court’s unanimous decision in Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, LLC, a landmark ruling that allows injured parties to bring state negligence claims against freight brokers for negligently hiring unsafe motor carriers.

The May 14, 2026, ruling resolved a long-contested legal question about whether the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act (FAAAA) preempted state tort claims against brokers. The Supreme Court held that it does not, allowing cases to proceed in state courts when a broker’s carrier selection contributed to a truck crash.

Dan, who has lobbied Congress on trucking safety issues and tried truck accident cases across the country, […]

Who Is at Fault in a Parking Lot Crash at a Scranton Mall or Downtown Garage?

You were easing out of a space at the Marketplace at Steamtown, or inching through a packed lot off Commerce Boulevard in Dickson City, when another car crashed into yours. Now, the other driver is insisting it was your fault because “everyone knows parking lots are 50/50.”

Parking lot crashes are not automatically shared fault, and they are not too small to matter. A low-speed collision can still leave you with a back or neck injury, a totaled vehicle, and an insurer looking for any reason to pay less.

Munley Law has represented Lackawanna County drivers for nearly 70 years, and we know how fault is determined when a crash occurs on private property.

If you were injured in a parking lot crash anywhere in the Scranton area, call our Scranton office at 570-865-4699 for a free consultation. You pay nothing unless we win. […]

Who Is Liable When a Guest Gets Hurt at a Backyard Pool Party in Allegheny County?

A backyard pool is the center of an Allegheny County summer. It is also where a relaxed afternoon can turn into a serious injury in seconds, and where a host who never imagined being sued can suddenly face a claim. When a guest is hurt at a pool party, the question of who is responsible is rarely as simple as it first seems.

Pool injuries range from a slip on a wet deck to drowning, and the legal answer depends on what the homeowner did or failed to do. Munley Law’s Pittsburgh premises liability attorneys have handled cases throughout Allegheny County, and we help injured guests and concerned hosts understand where responsibility lies and how these claims work.

If you or your child was hurt at a pool party in the Pittsburgh area, call our Pittsburgh office at 412-534-5133 for a free consultation. There is no fee unless we win. […]

Who Is Responsible If You’re Hurt at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza?

Under Pennsylvania law, an injury at a venue like Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre Township falls into one of two very different categories. A risk inherent in the event itself, such as a puck clearing the glass at a hockey game, is usually treated as the spectator’s own risk. Almost everything else, such as a fall in a crowded concourse, a slick restroom floor, or an injury in the parking lot off Highland Park Boulevard, is the venue’s responsibility, because the operator owes its guests a high duty of care.

Knowing which side of that line your injury falls on is what decides whether you have a claim. If you were injured at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza, our Wilkes-Barre personal injury attorneys can help. Contact Munley Law for a free consultation.

What Injuries Does the Arena Have to Answer For?

When you buy a ticket, […]

Why Summer Tourist Traffic in the Poconos Makes I-80 More Dangerous for Truck Crashes

Every summer, the Poconos is filled with families heading to water parks, resorts, and lakes. Most of them reach Monroe County via Interstate 80, the same road that carries a steady stream of commercial trucks day and night. But this mix of unfamiliar vacation traffic and heavy freight is what makes I-80 through the Poconos so dangerous in the summer months.

A truck crash is rarely a simple accident, and one that occurs in heavy tourist traffic is even more complicated. Munley Law has handled truck accident cases across Monroe County and the Poconos for decades, and we know how quickly a trucking company moves to protect itself after a crash on I-80, often before the injured driver has even left the hospital.

If you were injured in a truck crash on I-80 or anywhere in the Poconos, call our board-certified Stroudsburg truck accident attorneys for a free consultation. […]

How to Spot Nursing Home Neglect in Berks County

A nursing home is meant to provide care and support for people who can no longer live safely on their own. We put our trust in these facilities to help with medications, meals, hygiene, mobility, and medical needs.

However, sometimes this trust is broken when a home fails to meet basic standards of care, whether through neglect, understaffing, or outright abuse, leaving Berks County residents vulnerable to preventable harm and distress.

Many Neglect Cases Start with Small Changes

Families are often the first people to notice that something is wrong.

A loved one who used to look forward to visits may seem quieter than usual or stop wanting to spend time with family. You may notice they’re wearing dirty clothes, haven’t been shaved or bathed, or their room isn’t being kept up the way it once was. […]

Are Uber and Lyft Drivers in Pittsburgh Held to a Higher Legal Standard Than Regular Motorists?

Uber and Lyft drivers transporting passengers in Pittsburgh are required to operate their vehicles safely and responsibly, just like every other driver on Pennsylvania roads.

The state regulates rideshare companies as Transportation Network Companies, not as common carriers. This means that the higher duty the law places on taxis and Port Authority buses does not automatically attach to the rideshare driver who picks you up in Oakland or on the South Side.

What changes after a rideshare crash is not the standard of care. It is the insurance behind the driver, and the question of who you can hold responsible.

What Does a Higher Legal Standard Actually Mean?

A higher legal standard refers to the common carrier doctrine. Under Pennsylvania law, businesses that hold themselves out to carry the public for a fee, traditional taxis and buses among them, have long owed their passengers the highest degree of care. […]

Why Atlanta’s I-285 and I-75/85 Connector Are Among the Most Dangerous Truck Corridors in the Southeast

Atlanta moves freight like few other cities in the country. I-285 rings the metro, the Downtown Connector funnels I-75 and I-85 into one of the busiest stretches of interstate in the Southeast, and trucks pour through both at every hour. When one of these trucks is involved in a crash, the people in the passenger vehicles are the ones who get hurt.

A truck crash on an Atlanta interstate is not a routine fender bender, and the trucking company knows it. Munley Law has built its reputation on truck accident cases, and our Atlanta truck accident lawyers help people who were seriously injured on the region’s most dangerous corridors hold the right parties accountable under Georgia law.

If you were injured in a truck crash on I-285, the Connector, or anywhere in metro Atlanta, call our Atlanta office for a free consultation. We charge no fees unless we win. […]

Why Luzerne County Emergency Room Mistakes Are Harder to Prove Than Other Malpractice

An emergency room visit is meant to be the moment a medical crisis is recognized and treated.  When a Luzerne County ER misses a heart attack, misreads a CT scan, or sends someone home with an untreated infection that later turns septic, the harm can be permanent, and the family is left wondering whether anyone will be held accountable for it.

Emergency room malpractice is real, but in Pennsylvania, it is harder to prove than almost any other kind of medical negligence. Munley Law has handled medical malpractice cases across the Wyoming Valley for decades, and the first thing we tell families is that a bad ER outcome is not automatically a winnable case. The law sets a higher bar in the emergency room, and you need to understand it before you decide what to do next.

If you believe an emergency room mistake in Luzerne County seriously injured you or a loved one, […]

Who Is Responsible When a Visitor Gets Hurt at a Berks County Farm or Agricultural Event?

Berks County summers and falls bring families out to farm markets, pick-your-own fields, corn mazes, hayrides, and petting areas. These visits feel about as far from a legal problem as you can get, until a child falls from a wagon, a guest steps in a hidden hole, or a piece of equipment injures someone who came to enjoy the day.

When this happens, families are often surprised to learn that a special Pennsylvania law can limit a farm’s responsibility, and just as surprised to learn that the same law does not excuse a farm that was genuinely careless with the safety of the families it invited onto its property.

The Basics of Premises Liability in Pennsylvania

When a farm opens its property to paying visitors, those visitors are owed the highest level of care recognized by the law. A business that invites the public onto its land has a duty to inspect for hazards and either fix them or warn about them. […]

Who Is Responsible When a Rented ATV or a Pocono Rafting Trip Ends in an Injury?

A summer trip to the Poconos often includes a rented ATV, a guided whitewater run on the Lehigh or Delaware River, or an afternoon on a zipline. Most visitors hand over a credit card, sign a form without reading it, and never think about it again.

However, when a ride ends in a broken leg or a head injury, the questions come fast. Who is responsible for what happened, and does the form you signed at the counter really mean you have no options? The answer depends on what failed and why, and it is rarely as simple as the rental company would like you to believe.

More Than One Party May Be Responsible

An injury on rented equipment in Monroe County can involve several different parties, and determining who is at fault is the first real step. 

Those who may be responsible include:

•  The outfitter or rental operator may be responsible if it failed to maintain its equipment, […]

How a Traumatic Brain Injury From a Route 22 Crash Changes a Family’s Legal Claim

A crash on Route 22 happens in a few seconds, but the effects of a traumatic brain injury can last for the rest of a person’s life. When a Lehigh Valley family is dealing with both at once, the legal claim that follows looks nothing like a routine car accident case, and treating it like one is a costly mistake.

A traumatic brain injury, or TBI, changes the medical picture, the financial stakes, and the way the entire claim has to be built. Munley Law has represented catastrophically injured clients across Lehigh County for nearly 70 years, and we know that a TBI case is measured in decades, not in repair bills and a few missed paychecks.

If your family is facing a brain injury after a Route 22 crash, call our Allentown injury lawyers for a free consultation. There is no fee unless we win. […]

Do Pedestrians Always Have the Right of Way?

No, pedestrians do not always have the right of way in Pennsylvania. Under the state Vehicle Code (75 Pa.C.S. § 3542), a driver must yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk, but a pedestrian cannot step off a curb into the path of a car that is too close to stop, and must obey walk signals.

Outside a crosswalk, the pedestrian yields to traffic. Munley Law has represented pedestrians struck by vehicles across Pennsylvania, including a $20 million recovery for a client who suffered catastrophic injuries. Call today to schedule a free consultation with our experienced pedestrian accident lawyer.

When Do Pedestrians Have the Right of Way?

Pedestrians have the right of way in several situations in Pennsylvania, but it always comes with a shared duty to avoid a collision. The clearest cases are marked crosswalks with a walk signal, […]

Staying Safe in Scranton Traffic During the Big Boy Reunion at Steamtown

From June 15 through June 30, thousands of people will head to downtown Scranton to see two Union Pacific Big Boy locomotives lined up side by side at Steamtown National Historic Site. This is a once-in-a-lifetime event for the city. It is also two weeks of heavy traffic, packed parking garages, and crowded crosswalks in downtown Scranton.

The National Park Service has issued warnings of increased traffic throughout Scranton during the reunion, and with crowds this large, the risk of crashes and pedestrian injuries is rising.

Munley Law has called Scranton home for generations, and we want everyone who comes downtown for the Big Boys to get home safely. If you are injured in a crash or fall during the event, call our Scranton office for a free consultation.

Why Will Scranton Traffic Be So Heavy During the Big Boy Reunion? […]