As demonstrated in the below infographic created using Pennsylvania Department of Transportation data, not only does where you live play a factor in the likelihood you will be involved in an accident, but other factors are at play as well. For example, did you know:

• Car crashes involving speed account for more accidents than those involving distracted driving, drunk driving and illegal passing combined
• Fridays in the month of October account for more accidents than Sundays between April and June
• More accidents happen in broad daylight than at any other time of the day, including complete darkness
• More than 65 percent of all accidents in Pennsylvania occur on Interstate highways, more than on all other types of roads combined
• Out of more than 125,000 accidents, approximately 30,000 could be tied to rain or snow
• You are 18 times more likely to be involved in a crash when the roads are dry versus when they are icy
• There are more than 8 times the number of accidents caused by hitting a fixed object than those involving a head-on collision
• Of more than 1000 accidents involving buses, more than two-thirds involve commercial buses
• Injuries resulting from a car accident occur approximately every six minutes on Pennsylvania roadways
• Accidents occur far less frequently as drivers age. In fact, those aged 61 and over have fewer accidents combined than those aged 16-20

It is evident that regardless of how careful you might be, you have to be defensive when driving on Pennsylvania roadways. The potential that you or one of your loved ones will be involved in an accident increases greatly if you live in one of the ten counties where more than half of all accidents occur.

Regardless of where in Pennsylvania you live, if you are involved in one of the thousands of car accidents involving distracted drivers, drunk drivers or simply careless drivers, the Pennsylvania car accident lawyers at Solnick and Levin are here to assist you. We have years of experience helping drivers who are injured or those who have lost a family member in an automobile accident obtain compensation for their injuries.

Pennsylvania Car Accident Statistics – An infographic by the team at Pennsylvania Car Accident Statistics

Embed Pennsylvania Car Accident Statistics on Your Site: Copy and Paste the Code Below

<img alt="" src="http://www.solnicklevin.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Pennsylvania-Crashes-1st-Draft.jpg" width="540" />Pennsylvania Car Accident Statistics – An infographic by the team at <a href="http://www.solnicklevin.com">Solnick & Levin, LLC</a>

Pennsylvania Car Accident Statistics is a post from:

Many construction sites depend on scaffolding instead of ladders to allow workers to reach high areas. The scaffolding may be constructed by other members of the construction team or may be contracted out to a third-party. Scaffolding accidents can occur for a number of reasons including:

• Improperly installed scaffolding
• Improper operation of scaffolding
• Defective scaffolding
• Failure to train workers
• Failure to use safety equipment
• Failure to provide safety equipment
• Safety equipment failure

Possible victims of scaffolding accidents

In many cases, the person most at risk is the person who is actually working on scaffolding that collapses. However, this is not always the case. While a person who is standing on scaffolding that collapses may suffer injury from a scaffolding collapse, pedestrians who are in the area of falling scaffolding and other construction site workers may also suffer injuries or even death due to falling scaffolding.

Employer requirements

As an employee, a worker must receive proper training before being asked to perform his or her job on a platform. Unlike when you are standing on solid ground, when you are working on scaffolding  you are literally hanging at least several feet in the air in order  to complete certain tasks. In addition to ensuring you understand how to maintain your balance, employers generally must also provide needed safety equipment, such as harnesses, and make sure that their employees understand how to use such equipment.

Obvious dangers and minimizing risk

While performing any tasks from scaffolding presents some dangers, safety equipment is designed to help minimize the risk. Regardless of how well you are trained, faulty scaffolding is a dangerous place to be working.

Scaffolding accidents can cause catastrophic injuries including broken bones, crushed bones and, in extreme cases, death. Victims of scaffolding accidents should hire a personal injury attorney. It is important to note that employees who are injured are entitled to collect Workers’ Compensation, but may still be entitled to additional compensation if the accident was caused by the negligence of  a third-party, such as another contractor or company which is not the injured worker’s employer.

If you are the victim of a scaffolding accident, whether you were working on the scaffolding or simply because you were in the wrong place at the wrong time, you should always contact an attorney who is familiar with scaffolding accidents and the various laws which govern your rights. Pedestrians can suffer many of the same injuries that employees face when they were simply an innocent passer-by.

Victims of scaffolding accidents are likely to face long periods of time in the hospital, having broken bones set and may also suffer internal injuries that require time to heal. In addition, after they are released, they may suffer ongoing pain and be facing weeks or months of rehabilitation therapy. This means they also have to deal with increased medical bills and potential loss of wages. A qualified scaffolding attorney can help ensure you are not also victimized by an insurance company seeking to force you to settle for less than what you deserve. Contact us today.

Why hire an attorney after scaffolding accidents is a post from:

Few of us ever think about electrocution as a threat. However, people who work at construction sites are often subjected to the threat of potential electrocution from any number of sources including faulty electrical wiring, unprotected wiring or faulty equipment.

Electrical hazards are numerous

While electrocution is not as common as other construction site accidents, there are as many as 400 deaths related to electrocution on construction sites annually. Not every victim of an electrical accident succumbs to their injuries but may still suffer long-term problems as a result of an electrical accident.

Common electrical accidents

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has determined that there are four specific types of electrical accidents which occur most commonly on construction sites. They are burns, shock, falls caused by shock and fatal electrocutions. While “shocks” may sound minor, they can cause significant health problems since they may cause damage to internal tissues and organs.

Electrocution causes

Electrocution injuries are the most serious and can impact electrical workers, construction laborers, carpenters, roofers and others who are doing work at a construction site. More than one half of electrocution injuries are caused by faulty electrical wiring or equipment while less than five percent are caused by faulty machinery. Standing water at a construction site opens the possibility of a worker being electrocuted when extension cords touch the water while workers are operating power equipment.

Employer role in accidents

At a construction site, the supervisor has an obligation to ensure that rain and melted snow are thoroughly dried to reduce the potential of an electrocution accident. In addition, proper training of everyone on the job site can help reduce the potential of all types of electrical accidents. Working on a construction site requires that you always have to be aware of the location of power lines. When you are injured due to electrocution while working, you have the right to collect Workers’ Compensation. In addition, depending on the circumstances, you may also be able to pursue a claim under the liability insurance policy of the property owner of the work site, general contractor or one of the other contractors on the premise  to obtain compensation for medical bills, rehabilitation bills, as well as for your physical and emotional pain and suffering. Contacting an attorney who is familiar with construction site accidents immediately after an injury occurs is extremely important as this is the only way you can ensure you will obtain the maximum possible compensation for your injuries.

For those who have lost a family member due to an electrocution accident at a construction site, contacting an attorney is a must. While there is no amount of money that can compensate for your loss, you are still entitled to pursue a claim on behalf of your loved one. Such compensation  can help ensure that those left behind  can maintain their  lifestyle and pay their bills  after such a loss.  Pursuing a claim, or filing a lawsuit, is also the way in which the negligent party is held responsible for their negligence and, hopefully, will prevent other people from being injured or killed in the same way. Contact a construction accident attorney who understands the laws as they apply to construction site electrocutions.

Electrocution While on the Construction Site is a post from:

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Philadelphia Region office recently conducted a series of no-notice inspections of construction sites across the state.  As a result of this initiative, 243 citations were issued, and the agency assessed more than $650,000 in penalties and fines. The initiative was called the Construction Incident Prevention Initiative, and the campaign lasted over a period of 4 months.  The agency conducted 545 no-notice inspections across the state, and most of these inspections were focused on education and detection of fall and trench hazards, and silica exposure hazards.

OSHA Inspections Expose Multiple Workplace Hazards at Construction Sites is a post from:

In Pennsylvania, persons who are convicted of a 2^nd or 3^rd drunk driving offense are require to get an ignition interlock device installed in their vehicle.  However, the National Transportation Safety Board would like to see that law modified to include all drunk driving offenders, including those who have been convicted for the very first time of drunk driving.

The National Transportation Safety Board is quoting from a study that it conducted recently, which indicates very clearly that drunk driving is a serious hazard, and is linked to most wrong way driving accidents.  According to the Board, approximately 65% of the wrong way driving-related accidents that the Board studied were linked to intoxicated driving.

Wrong way driving accidents occur when a motorist drives in the wrong lanes, or in the opposite direction.  These are typically high-impact, high-speed crashes with a devastating fatality and injury toll.  Intoxicated driving is very often the reason why people end up driving the wrong way.

The National Transportation Safety Board is recommending that all states adopt all-driver ignition interlock laws that would require all DUI offenders, even first-time offenders to install these devices in their vehicles.  The device works like a breathalyzer to detect the amount of alcohol in a person’s system.  If the alcohol level exceeds a preset limit, then the system shuts the ignition down, preventing the motorist from driving.  The device will also administer random alcohol tests while the person is driving, to ensure that the person does not drink while he’s driving.

With all the focus on distracted driving, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that drunk driving contributes to the 2^nd highest number of fatalities every year.  Approximately 30% of accident fatalities every year occur in accidents linked to persons driving under the influence of alcohol.

Photo Credit: SteveRhode

NTSB Suggests Ignition Interlock Laws for All Drunk Driving Offenders is a post from:

A new bill proposes the establishment of a pilot program to evaluate the use of hair from commercial truck drivers for drug tests.  The bill, HR 6641 has been introduced by Rep. Reid Ribble, Republican-Wisconsin.

His bill proposes that the United States Department of Transportation conduct a pilot program to evaluate whether hair can be extracted from commercial truck drivers for the purpose of conducting drug tests on these.  Currently, drivers are required to provide a urine sample to test for drugs. The American Trucking Associations has supported the use of hair follicle drug testing.

Drug use is a serious problem among truck drivers, and contributes to thousands of truck accidents every year.  Many truck drivers are addicted to drugs like methamphetamine, because these help them stay awake and alert for long periods of time.

However, conventional urine tests are easy for truck drivers to beat.  All you need to do is drink plenty of water to wash traces of the drug out of your system.  Many drivers take pills that can remove traces of the drug, ensuring a clean test.

However, testing on hair follicles is much more reliable, because traces of the drug remain in the hair follicles for longer periods of time.  A single half inch of hair from the head of a truck driver can provide a history of drug use going back up 30 days.  However, a urine test only provides a picture of drug use going back up to 3 days before the test.  Obviously, hair follicles tests are harder to beat, and are more reliable.

Hair follicle tests are not exactly unheard of.  Many trucking companies currently rely on these, when they conduct random drug tests on their fleet drivers.

Photo Credit: fstorr

Proposed Pilot Program to Evaluate Feasibility of Hair Drug Tests for Truck Drivers is a post from:

Persons with disabilities, who have filed Social Security disability claims, may find that processing of the claim takes a very long time.  However, persons who suffer from certain conditions, and are included in a special Social Security program may have their claims processed much faster.  Under the Compassionate Allowances program, persons who suffer from certain medical conditions may be eligible to have their claims processing accelerated.

The Social Security Disability Administration recently added several new conditions to the Compassionate Allowances program.  At least 52 new conditions have been added to the program.  Most of these are neurological disorders, cancers as well as rare medical conditions.

The Compassionate Allowances program was established in 2008.  At the time, there were 50 medical conditions that were included in the list.  That list has now been expanded to include close to 200 conditions.

Typically, a person who has filed Social Security disability claims find that the processing of the claim may take months, and sometimes, even years.  However, a person who suffers from one of the medical conditions or disorders that are included in the Compassionate Allowances program may have their claims processed much earlier.  In some cases, these claims can be processed in a matter of days.

The new conditions that have been added to the Compassionate Allowances program include several new cancers including adult Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, and alveolar soft part sarcoma.  Other conditions also include Adult Onset Huntington Disease, Dravet Syndrome, and Fryns syndrome.

Here’s a complete list of the new conditions that have been added to the Compassionate Allowances program, as well as all the conditions included in the program.

Photo Credit: rachelcreative

New Conditions Added to Social Security Compassionate Allowances Program is a post from:

Sleep deprivation is common for medical residents who are expected to be on call several hours a day, working long shifts, and getting very little sleep.  That sleep deprivation causes fatigue, increasing the risks of being involved in an accident while they’re driving home.

According to new research from the Mayo Clinic, medical residents have a much higher risk of being involved in an accident.  The researchers surveyed 300 medical residents, and found that 11% of them had been involved in accidents while driving home, while 43% reported that they had nearly been involved in an accident while driving.

The residents also reported frequently suffering from stress, depression as well as burnout.

It’s not that hospitals and doctors are not aware of the high health risks and injury risks to medical residents who work such long shifts.  Unfortunately, many hospitals have not taken the risk seriously, and continue to believe that working under such intense pressure and long shifts ultimately goes into making a better doctor.

The Mayo Clinic researchers want that situation to change.  They believe that it is important to develop interventions that can address resident fatigue and stress, not only to protect residents from accident risks, but also to enhance patient safety.  There’s no denying that patients are at risk from doctors who are stressed and more liable to make mistakes.

In fact, it’s not just auto accident risks that medical residents should be worried about.  It’s also the risk of exposure to infectious blood or body fluids.  In fact, at least 8% of the medical residents admitted that they had been exposed to patient blood or body fluids as a result of fatigue.

Photo Credit: Mercy Health

High Car Accident Risks for Sleepy Medical Residents is a post from:

Across the globe, musculoskeletal conditions that include back pain and arthritis are the biggest cause of disability, affecting millions of people across the world.  The results of a new study that has been published in The Lancet Journal indicate that back pain is the number one cause of disability across the world.

Chronic back pain is very often the result of a repetitive stress injury caused in the workplace.  Besides back pain, osteoarthritis is also emerging as one of the biggest causes of disability.

The study titled The Global Burden of Disease is believed to be the first comprehensive study into the global impact of all diseases and risk factors.  The study found that musculoskeletal conditions affect as many as 1.7 billion people across the world.  In fact, the impact from musculoskeletal conditions has actually increased by as much as 45% over the past 20 years. The authors of the study insist that there is an urgent need to dedicate resources to the diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal conditions, because often, these conditions are undiagnosed.

Chronic back pain can arise when a person is working in a job that requires him to stand for long periods of time, or twist his body, or bend or stoop repeatedly.  When a person performs these activities over a long period of time without a break, it causes repetitive stress injuries that can injure the back muscles.

A person who suffers from these injuries can experience chronic back pain, and the pain can become so unbearable that the person may not be able to perform his old job anymore.  The risk of a repetitive stress injury can be reduced through worker training, by providing the worker sufficient tools and equipment to make his job easier, and by providing sufficient rest opportunities for the worker.

Global Study Finds Musculoskeletal Conditions Biggest Cause of Disability is a post from:

Persons who have suffered a spinal cord injury may not always have their injuries diagnosed by a supine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan or computed topography (CT) scan.  New research suggests that an erect radiograph may be necessary to diagnose cervical spine injury.

The report published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery claims that cervical spinal injuries were not diagnosed in a few patients who had been subjected to a magnetic resonance imaging scan and computed topography scan.

The researchers based their findings on 4 patients, who had suffered cervical spine injuries, and whose injuries had not been diagnosed either by MRI scans of CT scans.  The injuries were only diagnosed after an erect radiograph of the cervical spine.  These scans were able to detect anomalies that were not present on the CT scans or MRI scans.

The researchers therefore are recommending that erect radiographs be used in cases involving patients who have suffered blunt trauma to the spine in a workplace accident or a car accident.  This may ensure that unstable cervical spine injuries are diagnosed in time.

Persons who suffer a spinal cord injury may not be able to enjoy the same kind of independence that they used to earlier.  If the injury involves paralysis of the hands, arms, or legs, the person may no longer be able to return to the kind of work that he performed earlier.

Persons who have suffered a spinal cord injury may be eligible for Social Security Disability benefits.  However, every person with a spinal injury is not eligible for benefits.  In order to qualify for SSD benefits, it’s important that you be able to prove that your spinal injury has prevented you from working in any capacity.  The injury must also have lasted for one year, or must be expected to last for at least one year.

Photo Credit: mhaithaca

Researchers Recommend Erect Radiographs to Diagnose Spinal Cord Injury is a post from: