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. […]

Apple’s iOS 11 Includes “Do Not Disturb While Driving”

New iPhone feature “Do Not Disturb” helps you be a better driver

This week at the Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose, Apple introduced its new operating system, iOS 11, available this fall. Among the many new features, there’s one we’re particularly excited about. The “Do Not Disturb While Driving” feature can detect when you’re driving, and silence notifications and disable certain apps that may tempt you to look at your phone.

Here’s how it works

When the phone is connected to your car via Bluetooth or a cable, it detects that the car is moving, turning on the feature will mute notifications, texts, and updates and lock your phone screen to deter you from using unnecessary apps behind the wheel. If you still have anxiety about letting calls and messages go unanswered, you can set up an auto-reply for your favorite contacts. […]

Tips and Reminders for Summer Driving

Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of the summer driving and road trip season. 

As you plan your summer travels, bear in mind that the summer is the most dangerous time of year to drive. Teenagers face an increased crash risk in the summer months, also known as the “100 deadliest days” beginning after prom and graduation. The overall highway fatality rate peaks in the summer as well. We’ve gathered some essential safety tips and reminders to help keep your summer travels accident-free.

Summer months are the most dangerous for driving

A study by Michelin revealed that most drivers worry less about car accidents in the warmer months. In winter, adverse weather conditions draw our attention to the possibility of a crash. But in the summer, clear road conditions and pleasant weather can lull drivers into a false sense of security. […]

Trucking companies to increase testing for deadly sleep apnea

Truck drivers face high risk for sleep apnea

Trucking companies may more frequently screen their drivers for sleep apnea in an effort to combat drowsy driving accidents.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a disorder that causes breathing to start and stop during sleep, leading to less restful sleep and increased drowsiness. For drivers, especially truckers, bus drivers, or train engineers, drowsiness can become deadly.

Why test truck drivers for sleep apnea?

Truck drivers’ concern with sleep apnea is twofold. Their profession makes them both more likely to develop sleep apnea, and more at risk of death from its effects.

Driving a truck involves sitting for long periods of time, eating at truck stops along the road, and irregular sleeping schedules. Factors that can contribute to sleep apnea include obesity, smoking, bad diet, and poor sleep habits. […]

Munley Lawyers named 2017 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers

Munley Law: Six Super Lawyers and a Rising Star

We’re pleased to announce that once again the personal injury lawyers at Munley Law have been included in the annual list of Pennsylvania Super Lawyers.

Only 5% of the attorneys in Pennsylvania earn this title. For more than a decade, the Munley lawyers have earned a spot on the Super Lawyers list. This year, we’re thrilled to announce that our own Katie Nealon has been named a Rising Star. Super Lawyers Rising Stars must be under the age of 40 and in practice for less than 10 years. This list is highly selective; only 2.5% of the young lawyers in Pennsylvania make the cut.

Robert W. Munley, Sr., Personal Injury – General: Plaintiff, Personal Injury;  Products: Plaintiff

Marion K. Munley, Personal Injury – General: Plaintiff, […]

Side Underride Guards May Be the Difference Between Life and Death

First-Ever Side Underride Crash Tests

A new crash test from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows exactly how side underride guards on tractor trailers can mean the difference between life and death.

A side underride crash occurs when a passenger vehicle collides with the side of a trailer or heavy truck. The results are grisly. The impact can shear the top of the smaller vehicle and kill the occupants.

The IIHS has long been measuring rear-underride guard effectiveness, but this is the first test of side guards.  Researchers ran two midsize cars into the sides of two semi-trailers at 35 mph. One trailer was equipped with a fiberglass side panel, and the other with the “AngelWing” underride protector from Airflow Deflector, Inc.

Tractor Trailer Side Underride Guard Test Results:

Fiberglass panel – As the above photo shows, […]

Construction workers say productivity trumps safety

In America’s deadliest industry, construction workers say safety takes a back seat

A recent National Safety Council survey found that more than half of construction workers (58%) perceive that safety takes a back seat to productivity on their job sites.

To gauge employee perceptions about workplace safety, the NSC interviewed 2,000 American workers across 14 industries.

Of construction workers surveyed, 51% say management does the bare minimum when it comes to safety; 47% say they’d feel afraid to report a safety issue. These numbers are alarming, especially considering the fact that construction has more workplace fatalities than any other industry in the U.S.

No worker should feel stuck between losing their job, or losing their life. Marcy Goldstein-Gelb, co-executive director of the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health said,“When workers can’t speak up, […]

Drugged driving a greater concern than drunk driving

Opioid addiction, drug use, and reliance on pain medication have come into the national and local spotlight as they claim more and more lives. A new study has illuminated another side of this issue: drugged driving is on the rise.

“The number of American drivers killed in car crashes in which drugs were detected has eclipsed those killed in crashes where only alcohol was found.”

The Governors Highway Safety Association and the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility found that 43% drivers killed in crashes tested positive for drugs, illegal and prescription, compared to 37% who tested positive for just alcohol.

Drugged driving more complicated than drunk driving

The data in this study is imperfect.  The study only reflects drivers who were tested; not all drivers in all states get tested after a fatal crash; this doesn’t include fatal accidents in which the driver was not killed, […]

Study: US drivers use a smartphone behind the wheel 90% of the time

Largest distracted driving study shows American drivers use a smartphone nearly every trip

A new report from ZenDrive found nearly 9 in 10 drivers used their phone while driving. It’s a startling statistic, but not hard to believe.

ZenDrive is a driving data and analytics company that uses smartphone sensors to collect information about driving behavior and safety. Theirs is the largest distracted driving behavior study to date.  They analyzed 3 million drivers over 3 months, for more than 5 billion miles. Instead of relying on self-reporting, ZenDrive tapped into phones’ sensors to determine usage. They found that in 88% of the trips analyzed, the driver used a smartphone. 

The study also ranks U.S. states by their level of distraction, mile for mile. With 1 being the least distracted and 51 being the most, Pennsylvania came in at #33.

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month

Traffic fatalities are rising at a rate that exceeds the increase in miles driven nationwide, […]

Pennsylvania Among the U.S. States with the Most Dog Bites

Dog Bite Prevention Week

April 9-15 is Dog Bite Prevention Week. The American Humane Association, the U.S. Postal Service, and other groups observe this week each year in an effort to help reduce the number of dog bites nationwide.

This year, multiple reports have come out indicating that dog bites increased in 2016. According to the USPS, More than 6,700 postal workers suffered a dog bite last year. That’s 200 more than in 2015. Some researchers connect this increase with the growing popularity of online shopping and home delivery services.

The Insurance Information Institute and State Farm also report that dog bites increased by as much as 18% overall last year. Note that this number may other types of include dog-related incidents – not just bites.

Which states experience the most dog bites? Pennsylvania ranks #4 in the country, […]