Butler Personal Injury Law Blog

Sudden blindness: Eye injuries on the job

On behalf of Conlon Tarker, P.C. on Sunday, July 7, 2019.

Blindness is a disorder that is difficult for anyone to overcome. Even those born blind have to adjust to a world in which, in many ways, sight is taken for granted. Those with degenerative diseases or blindness due to aging have time to adjust as their vision fades, though it is still difficult.

However, you could make the argument that those who encounter a sudden onset of blindness or extreme vision loss have it the hardest of all. They have to relearn many skills. They are not prepared -- mentally, physically or emotionally -- for this change. It all happens so quickly.

Can ADR processes be used in workers' compensation cases?

On behalf of Conlon Tarker, P.C. posted in workers' compensation on Thursday, June 27, 2019.

Being injured on-the-job is no picnic. It means having to take time off to heal, which can sometimes put a person out of commission for weeks or even months. Most people can't make ends meet financially if they cannot work.

Fortunately, workers' compensation benefits are available to workers in Pennsylvania who have suffered a workplace injury and cannot work for an extended period.

Drowsy driving is a factor in many truck accidents

On behalf of Conlon Tarker, P.C. posted in Truck Accidents on Wednesday, June 19, 2019.

Semi-trucks are an important part of interstate commerce in our nation, but it is not unusual for truck drivers to take risks while on the road. For example, truckers in Pennsylvania may be financially incentivized to make as many deliveries as possible as quickly as possible.

This could lead them to spend long hours on the road, leading to truck driver fatigue. However, drowsy driving is a major factor in many truck accidents. In fact, the Large Truck Crash Causation Study found that 13% of accidents involving commercial motor vehicles involved a truck driver who was fatigued when the collision occurred.

Constant availability could lead to more car accidents

On behalf of Conlon Tarker, P.C. posted in Car Accidents on Tuesday, June 11, 2019.

Smartphones may have made personal communication easier, but they may have also had an unintended side-effect -- constant availability. It used to be the case that work was done in the workplace, and at the end of the day workers went home. A workers time was their own until the next workday. However, now that we can make phone calls, send texts, reply to emails and post on social media all through one hand-held device, many people feel they must be "on-call" when it comes to work at all hours. The personal stress this constant availability causes aside, there is a major issue that is making roadways in Pennsylvania and across the nation more dangerous -- distracted driving in the form of cellphone use.

According to a recent survey, 37 percent of respondents between the ages of 18 to 34 reported feeling pressure to respond to work-related messages while behind the wheel. Across all age groups in this survey, that number sat on average at 25 percent. This is significant, since around 3,500 people each year lose their lives in car accidents involving distracted drivers.

Gathering evidence after a truck accident

On behalf of Conlon Tarker, P.C. on Saturday, June 8, 2019.

Building a personal injury claim after a car accident is rarely a simple or quick process, especially when the accident involves a commercial truck. Victims who rush the process often miss out on compensation that they deserve, because they need help getting back on their feet as soon as possible.

Truck accidents may involve multiple parties, including the truck driver, their employer, and possibly manufacturers or others who contributed to causing the collision. In many cases, it is more complicated to build truck accident claims than other accident claims, and the victims often end up losing.

Can you drive away from an angry driver?

On behalf of Conlon Tarker, P.C. on Wednesday, June 5, 2019.

Road rage is unpredictable and dangerous. When someone lashes out at you, you may suddenly fear for your own safety or even your life. There is something about driving in a car that makes some people furious, and crossing paths with them is not fun.

But what can you do? Can you just drive away from the situation?

What are common injuries in slip-and-fall accidents?

On behalf of Conlon Tarker, P.C. posted in slip-and-fall accidents on Friday, May 17, 2019.

Slip and fall injuries can occur due to a spill on a grocery store floor, uneven pavement in a parking lot or torn carpeting in a hotel, among a myriad of other causes. Some people in Pennsylvania are lucky enough to walk away from such incidents without much more than a bruised ego. However, other people suffer serious injuries in slip-and-fall accidents.

One type of slip-and-fall injury are soft tissue injuries such as sprains, torn ligaments and torn tendons. Sometimes, people do not realize they have these injuries until days or even weeks after the incident occurred.

What are some common injuries in slip-and-fall accidents?

On behalf of Conlon Tarker, P.C. posted in slip-and-fall accidents on Monday, May 6, 2019.

Pennsylvanians could suffer from slip-and-fall injuries in a variety of ways. While it may seem obvious that a spill on the floor or an icy sidewalk could present a slip-and-fall hazard, slip-and-fall accidents can take place in other ways as well. For example, a person could slip on an oil slick in a parking lot or trip over torn carpeting in a hotel. No matter how they happen, however, slip-and-fall injuries can be very serious.

One type of injury a person could suffer in a slip-and-fall incident is a soft tissue injury. Because these are internal injuries, they may not be immediately apparent. In fact, it could be days after the incident occurred before a person discovers they are injured. Sprains, torn tendons and torn ligaments are all types of soft tissue injuries. They can lead to chronic pain and make a person susceptible to further injuries.

10 people who help with rehab after a brain injury

On behalf of Conlon Tarker, P.C. on Friday, May 3, 2019.

A family member suffers a traumatic brain injury in a car accident in Butler. It's a devastating event. A helicopter airlifts them from the scene and takes them to the hospital. They stay there for weeks before finally getting released.

In that time, you start reading up on TBIs and learning about the types of treatments your loved one -- maybe it's a spouse or a child -- is going to need after they come home. What you find is that long-term rehabilitation with trained professionals goes a long way toward recovery.

Don't let a Workers' Compensation opportunity pass you by

On behalf of Conlon Tarker, P.C. posted in workers' compensation on Friday, April 19, 2019.

When bad things happen, many people say to look for the silver lining. Well, the silver lining when you are injured and unable to work is Workers' Compensation. Workers' Compensation is available to all workers when they are temporarily unable to work due to injury or illness. It helps to cover lost wages when injury or illness strikes a worker.

The key to obtaining Workers' Compensation benefits is understanding when they are available to you. Under state and federal law, Workers' Compensation acts as a mandatory insurance policy for employers that allows employees to bring claims of illness or injury when they are unable to work. However, these claims will not bring themselves to you, so to speak. It's something a person needs to initiate based on their need.