Butler Personal Injury Law Blog

Slip-and-fall accidents during the winter season

On behalf of Conlon Tarker, P.C. posted in slip-and-fall accidents on Monday, December 23, 2019.

Slip-and-fall accidents are common during the winter, and not even the most careful Pennsylvania residents may be able to avoid dangerous injuries and incidents when they encounter slick surfaces. When individuals fall outdoors, their losses may be compensable through personal injury litigation based on the liability of others. This post will briefly touch on some of the ways liability may result from outdoor slip-and-fall accidents, but readers should always secure their own attorneys to advise them on their specific claims.

One of the biggest contributors to outdoor slip-and-fall accidents during the winter is precipitation. Precipitation can include snow, rain, sleet and even hail. When it falls and accumulates on outdoor surfaces, it can cause individuals to lose traction and to lose their balance. This can result in dangerous falls that may cause victims extensive injuries.

Common causes of motor vehicle accidents

On behalf of Conlon Tarker, P.C. posted in Car Accidents on Thursday, December 12, 2019.

Car accidents are a common occurrence on Pennsylvania roads, and they often happen when drivers fail to meet their duty of care to others. This can mean that they are unprepared to follow the rules of the road or that they are incapable of driving safely for a number of reasons. This post will look at some of the reasons that motor vehicle accidents happen but readers should be aware that it is not a comprehensive assessment of all accident causes.

One major cause of car accidents is the failure of drivers to follow the rules of the road. This can mean that drivers ignore road signage or fail to use important safety features in their own vehicles, like turn signals. Drivers who ignore traffic laws and who speed, run red lights, and commit other traffic violations may also cause dangerous and sometimes deadly car accidents.

Can you actually prove that the other driver texted at the wheel?

On behalf of Conlon Tarker, P.C. on Friday, November 29, 2019.

Distracted driving crashes related to mobile phone use have certainly increased in recent years with the proliferation of touchscreen mobile devices, but that doesn't mean it's a new risk on the road. Distracted driving has been a problem for as long as people have had to commute.

Drivers can easily distract themselves with many things other than phones including a meal, conversations with passengers, grooming, music on the radio and even just daydreams in their heads. Unlike most other forms of distraction, distraction related to texting and driving leaves behind evidence.

Who can be sued after a dangerous truck accident?

On behalf of Conlon Tarker, P.C. posted in Truck Accidents on Monday, November 25, 2019.

Now that the holidays are approaching, Pennsylvanians may see more commercial trucks out on the roads. Delivery trucks may be rushing around neighborhoods to deliver packages and gifts to residents of Butler, and large cargo trucks may clog highways as they move between distribution centers and retail outlets. Trucks help move goods throughout the nation and are an important component in the stream of commerce, but they can also be hazards to other drivers when they are negligently operated and maintained.

Truck accidents harm many Americans each year, and some victims lose their lives because of collisions with large commercial vehicles. When a truck accident happens, a victim may be inclined to believe that the only party they can sue is the driver of the involved truck. However, there are other potential defendants that a victim may wish to consider before they file their personal injury pleadings with the court.

The holidays bring increased travel

On behalf of Conlon Tarker, P.C. on Wednesday, November 20, 2019.

The holidays bring a lot to our lives. Fun. Family. Relaxation. Time together. However, they also mean a lot of extra travel to spend them with the people we love.

And we're not alone. Holiday travel spikes all over the United States. From Dec. 23, 2017, to Jan. 1, 2018, Americans set a record as 107.3 million people -- about a third of the entire country -- decided to travel for the holidays.

What to do after suffering a slip-and-fall injury

On behalf of Conlon Tarker, P.C. posted in slip-and-fall accidents on Thursday, November 14, 2019.

Personal injury accidents, are serious legal matters. While a victim may waive off their losses in order to quickly move past their ordeal, they should be aware that they may have rights to compensation if liability for their harm rests on another party. A Pennsylvania personal injury attorney can advise a person in such a situation of their options and ways to protect their rights.

One common way that individuals suffer personal injuries is through slip-and-fall accidents. When a person falls due to inadequately maintained premises, they may have a right to sue for compensation if the owner of the property or the individual responsible for maintaining the premises was negligent.

Thanksgiving Eve is the deadliest holiday

On behalf of Conlon Tarker, P.C. on Sunday, November 3, 2019.

When you think of Thanksgiving, you probably think of spending time with family, eating turkey, watching football and lounging around on a lazy day off from work. It's a family-oriented, food-based holiday that is fairly relaxed. It's not a party holiday like New Year's Eve. Would you assume that means it's pretty safe?

While Thanksgiving may be, the truth is that "Thanksgiving Eve" is one of the deadliest days in the United States. Some reports claim that there are more DUI accidents resulting in death on this night than on any other holiday. That includes New Year's, St. Patrick's Day and other holidays more commonly associated with alcohol. The long Thanksgiving weekend takes an incredible toll.

Poor driving in bad weather can result in serious injuries

On behalf of Conlon Tarker, P.C. posted in Car Accidents on Wednesday, October 30, 2019.

Fall has arrived in Pennsylvania and with it cooler temperatures. Though children have yet to don their costumes and head out for trick-or-treating on Halloween, some residents may be looking ahead to more serious and sinister weather on the horizon. Snow, ice, sleet, and rain are all dangers that Pennsylvanians have to put up with when the winter months come at the end of the year.

The weather can impact many activities and events. In particular, bad weather can change the way that drivers approach operating their motor vehicles. This post will offer some insights into how the weather may alter driving conditions for individuals, but it does not provide driving recommendations or legal advice to its readers. No legal advice should be derived from the contents of this post.

Three steps to protecting one's workers' compensation options

On behalf of Conlon Tarker, P.C. posted in workers' compensation on Thursday, October 17, 2019.

Workers' compensation is an important form of support for men and women who get hurt on Pennsylvania jobsites. Through this program, rather than pursuing the sometimes long and drawn out process of litigation as a way to recover damages, workers can seek compensation for their losses from their employers in a more direct and timely way. In order to protect one's rights and options for seeking workers' compensation after a jobsite accident, a worker may wish to undertake three important steps.

First, they should inform their employer as soon as possible of their injury. Notice is a requirement of the workers' compensation process, and waiting to report an accident may result in a denial of the employee's claim. Second, the worker must complete a claim form to begin the process of determining eligibility for benefits. Until a claim form is filed the worker's employer has no obligation to provide them with financial support.

Is driving at night more dangerous than during the day?

On behalf of Conlon Tarker, P.C. on Saturday, October 5, 2019.

Think of your evening commute home from work. Chances are that the sun was a whole lot brighter in the summer months than it is now in fall. Over the coming weeks, the sun is going to continue setting earlier than it already is. The earlier sunset can affect everything from your mood to your after-work activities, but did you know it affects your safety on the road?

Just 42 percent of non-alcohol-related fatal crashes in Pennsylvania in 2017 happened between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. While this information applies to the entire year and not just the colder months, the sun will have barely risen on your way to the office and begun setting by the time you head home in the evening. That means you will be spending more time driving in the dark, which is riskier than commuting in the daylight.