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Pedestrian safety tips for kids this Halloween

Oct 30, 2013

This week, millions of children will don masks and costumes and converge upon neighborhoods across the U.S. While most children are focused on getting candy and having fun this Halloween, a night of trick or treating presents many safety concerns for parents, drivers and children. Overwhelmed by the excitement and sugar high which often accompany Halloween night, children are less likely to watch for approaching cars. Many children, however, are out and about much later...

Boardman, OH accident send two drivers to area hospitals

Oct 29, 2013

Two people were hospitalized this morning after a car accident in Boardman, Ohio. The accident happened around 10 a.m. on Market Street. The accident involved two vehicles. One car is reported to be an early 2000s Pontiac Grand Am and the other vehicle has not yet been identified. The accident took place on Market Street (Ohio State Route 7), opposite Ridgewood Drive, between Meadowbrook Avenue and Gertrude Avenue, just in front of the Sunoco. Ohio...

New workers’ compensation website a thorn in the side of many

Oct 25, 2013

Complaints about Pennsylvania's new online workers' compensation appeals system are stemming from many who say that the site often erases paperwork they've already taken an extended amount of time to fill out and will not allow them to download other necessary documents. On October 21st, a spokesperson from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry said that her agency is diligently working to fix the problems and that it may be more of a systems...

Falling object injures Pennsylvania worker’s arm

Oct 25, 2013

When a worker in the state of Pennsylvania is hurt in an on-the-job accident, it is possible that the injured worker will seek workers' compensation benefits. These benefits may be accessed via a workers' compensation claim. Though the process of obtaining these benefits is not a legal matter that is worked through in the legal system, there are situations where injured workers may find it beneficial to work with a lawyer to secure the benefits...

Jurors agree defective tire caused rollover accident, award $10M

Oct 25, 2013

Imagine driving to work only to have a tire on your vehicle suddenly fly off. For one 39-year-old woman, this nightmare scenario became a reality in 2009. As a result of the defective tire, the wife and mother of three lost control of her car which careened out of control and came to rest after rolling over three times. As a result of the rollover accident, the woman was in a coma for a month...

Botched cosmetic surgery leaves patient with burns, deformities

Oct 25, 2013

Not everyone needs or wants cosmetic surgery, but imagine if you did. Some cosmetic surgeries, such as facial reconstruction, are necessary after a person suffers a serious injury, but most people assume that procedures like tummy tucks and liposuction are minor and generally safe. However, the reality is that major mistakes can occur in just about any medical scenario, as one recent medical malpractice lawsuit illustrates. A 26-year-old woman wanted to get rid of some weight...

Dallas W. Hartman, P.C. donates hundreds of trick-or-treating book bags to Erie Safe Kids

Oct 24, 2013

With Halloween less than a week away, communities throughout our region are getting ready to dress their kids up like monsters and super heroes. This is always a great time of year. Fires burning, children playing outdoors, and leaves falling are all signs of another beautiful autumn in western Pennsylvania. As you get ready for upcoming trick-or-treaters, or you're busy making a costume for your own little one, there are some safety precautions that the...

A look back at the McDonald’s coffee spill

Oct 23, 2013

Many probably remember the "McDonald's coffee spill" that literally shocked the world twenty years ago. Liebeck v. McDonald's Restaurants became one of the most talked about defective product cases in history. And Mrs. Liebeck became the brunt of jokes on talk-radio, sitcoms, late night television, and even country music. However, what has escaped most Americans over the past 20 years is that the facts of this case were so distorted that lies have become ingrained...

UPMC argues it can’t pay taxes because it has no employees

Oct 23, 2013

According to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), in their first of many hearings that will determine whether or not they keep their tax-exempt status, they do not officially have any employees. Lawyers for UPMC have explained to Common Pleas Judge R. Stanton Wettick that for the purposes of Pittsburgh's annual wage tax, all of UPMC's thirty-seven subsidiaries each file separate forms. It was thus explained that because every employee works for a separate...

Woman hit by campus bus settles lawsuit for $50,000

Oct 23, 2013

Drivers who travel in and around densely populated areas must pay extra attention to the whereabouts and rights of pedestrians. This is especially true near schools and on and around college campuses where students are hurrying to and from class and may dash across the street in an attempt to beat a light. Most college campuses throughout the state of Ohio have some type of college buses or shuttles. The men and women who drive...