Munley Law Blog

Travel Safely This Thanksgiving!

According to AAA, the number of Americans traveling for Thanksgiving will increase 11% as compared to last year. This means that almost forty million people will be reaching their holiday destination by driving. With more vehicles on the roads, travel risks increase. Poor weather conditions and distracted driving can cause serious accidents. Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys offers these tips to keep you and your family safe this holiday travel season.

Know your route and the risks before you leave your home. Make sure you know the latest weather forecasts and road conditions along your route. Have your directions mapped out in your mind, as well as plugged into your GPS. This will keep you on the most direct, traffic-free path, which can reduce your risk of being in an accident.

Before you get on the highway, prepare your vehicle for long-distance travel. […]

Fatigue in the Workplace: A Deadly Occupational Hazard

Generally speaking, American workers aren’t getting enough sleep. In some industries, fatigue at work can be deadly. And some workers are more at risk than others.

According a 2017 NSC report, fatigue is any sensation of tiredness, sleepiness, reduced energy and an increased effort needed to perform tasks. Fatigue can be caused by many factors, the most common being a poor night’s sleep or the product of a grueling work schedule. Fatigue decreases one’s ability to think clearly and can result in dangerous decision-making and reduced productivity. It is important for employers to understand the underlying causes of fatigue in order to minimize and mitigate those factors that affect the health and safety of their employees.

The 2017 NSC report polled workers and the data resulted in nine main fatigue risk factors for employers to note: shift work, high risk hours, demanding jobs, long shifts, […]

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. […]

The next IVC filter case goes to trial this week

Next IVC filter trial begins this week

The third bellwether trial involving C.R. Bard IVC filters began Tuesday, September 18 in Phoenix, AZ.   

Of the more than 9,000 lawsuits alleging that IVC filters have caused patients serious harm, C.R. Bard Inc. and Cook Medical Inc. face the largest number of cases, with about 4,000 each. 

Thus far, the first cases to go to trial have yet to yield a clear victor; there have been wins and losses on both sides, so it is difficult to say how this next trial will end. Cook won the first IVC filter trial last year, but then lost two substantial monetary verdicts in May 2017 and March 2018. Cook’s last win occurred on June 1st.

In Tuesday’s trial, a federal judge will oversee the multi-district litigation over C.R. Bard’s IVC filters. The plaintiff‘s attorney, Ramon Lopez was quoted as saying this case could be “ […]

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.  […]