Butler Personal Injury Law Blog

Is Uber really making the roads safer for everyone?

On behalf of Conlon Tarker, P.C. posted in Car Accidents on Wednesday, November 14, 2018.

One of the advantages of using a ride-sharing app like Uber or Lyft is that a person is practically guaranteed that they will be able to get a ride to their destination in a relatively short amount of time. Throughout Pennsylvania different communities have adopted ride-sharing as a good way to keep unsafe drivers off of the roads and to reduce the number vehicles in operation at any given time. However, a recent study on the impact that ride-sharing services are having on general safety has revealed that they may actually being causing more harm than good.

The study brought together researchers from Rice University in Texas and the University of Chicago to examine what impacts ride-sharing has had on traffic, accidents, and roadway fatalities. The results suggest that rather than decreasing accidents and fatalities from collisions, ride-sharing has actually caused these incidents to increase since the related apps' inceptions.

Drinking and driving during this holiday season

By Conlon Tarker, P.C. on Monday, November 12, 2018.

As soon as the summer ends, we enter a string of holidays that makes the fall and beginning of winter fun and exciting. It's really a festive time for family and friends. The run of holidays lasts all the way until New Year's Day, when we move forward into the next year with those warm holiday memories now behind us.

Short-term accident trends are concerning

On behalf of Conlon Tarker, P.C. on Sunday, November 4, 2018.

When you look at long-term accident trends, you'll quickly find that fatalities have been on the decline over the decades. It appears that safety technology -- everything from your standard airbags to new lane-departure warning systems -- has been working. People still crash, but they appear more likely to live through those accidents than they were a few decades ago.

However, experts warn that the statistics can be misleading. If you shrink the scale down a bit, you'll see some worrying trends. The roads may not be as safe as these large-scale reports lead you to believe.

A pedestrian accident can cause long-term physical harm

On behalf of Conlon Tarker, P.C. posted in Car Accidents on Monday, October 29, 2018.

When they are young, Pennsylvania children are taught to look both ways before walking onto streets. They are given this important lesson so that they are prepared to avoid coming into the paths of moving vehicles and so that they may protect themselves from the serious harm that can result from auto-pedestrian accidents. As children grow into adults many still remember this important piece of wisdom but despite their best efforts, individuals of all ages are often made victims of collisions with motor vehicles.

Pedestrian accidents happen for many reasons including driver distraction and intoxication, speeding, and other traffic infractions. When a person is hit by a car the driver of the involved vehicle should stop to offer the victim aid; if the driver continues without stopping their vehicle then the accident which caused the victim harm may be known as a hit-and-run accident.

Semis don't have strong underride guards, and that can be deadly

On behalf of Conlon Tarker, P.C. on Wednesday, October 24, 2018.

Have you ever gotten stuck in a traffic jam behind a semitruck? It's actually one of the most vulnerable places you can be on the road. It's very hard to do anything to avoid an accident if someone does not stop in time and runs into the back of your vehicle.

For instance, imagine that another truck driver gets distracted by a radio call and doesn't see the back-up in a construction zone. You stop in time and wait for the line to move forward, but that second semi comes up behind you far too quickly. You see the glare of the headlights, but you have nowhere to go and it slams into the back of your car.

Why are workers' compensation claims denied?

On behalf of Conlon Tarker, P.C. posted in workers' compensation on Monday, October 15, 2018.

Workers' compensation provides injured individuals with financial support when they suffer harm due to their jobs. A worker should not experience detrimental effects to their health when they perform tasks for their employer, and as such their employer should compensate them when that harm keeps them out of work. However, getting workers' compensation requires satisfying certain requirements and from time to time Butler residents may see their applications denied.

There are many reasons that can serve as the basis of denied workers' compensation claims. Some of them are procedural. For example, if a hurt worker does not tell their employer about their injury, thus depriving the employer of notice of the incident, then the worker may not be able to pursue workers' compensation support.

Are stretch limos more dangerous than you think?

On behalf of Conlon Tarker, P.C. on Friday, October 12, 2018.

You're well aware of the dangers of drinking and driving. That's why, when planning your wedding, you decide to rent a stretch limousine for you and the bridal party.

With the limo, everyone can drink as much as they want during the day. Though most drinking happens at the reception, you know that some people drink before the ceremony or in the downtime between the ceremony and the reception. No matter what, you just want to make sure everyone is safe.

Truck drivers are prohibited from texting while behind the wheel

On behalf of Conlon Tarker, P.C. posted in Truck Accidents on Tuesday, October 2, 2018.

A Butler driver who chooses to use a handheld device while operating their automobile can face serious penalties if they are caught in the act. However, this may a minor problem for them compared to the serious damage they can inflict on others if their texting and driving causes a vehicle accident. Like regular drivers, commercial drivers like truckers are also banned from using handheld devices while driving their rigs because the practice is unsafe.

The regulations of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration prohibit truck drivers from using handheld devices while operating their vehicles. A driver who is caught engaging in such practices may lose their license to drive and may be fined. The driver's employer may also be penalized if their workers engage in the dangerous practice of texting and driving under the employer's direction or requirement.

What is distracted driving?

On behalf of Conlon Tarker, P.C. posted in Car Accidents on Monday, September 17, 2018.

Most Pennsylvania residents have experienced distractions at some points in their lives. For example, they may have been trying to get work done at home but found that their children prevented them from focusing on their tasks. Or they may have created extensive "to do" lists for their days off but found that football or other television programming provided an enjoyable distraction from their plans for productivity.

Not all distractions are bad but all distractions do one specific thing: take people's attention off of specific points of focus and place them onto others. Depending upon the context in which distractions happen this may or may not be dangerous. When distractions pop up in the context of a person operating a motor vehicle, the dangers are very real and pose significant threats to individuals on the roadways.

3 types of premises liability lawsuits

On behalf of Conlon Tarker, P.C. on Saturday, September 8, 2018.

Premises liability is a type of law that holds the owners of property financially liable for injuries and/or accidents that happen on their property. Most readers have probably heard of the most common type of premises liability incident, the slip-and-fall accident, but this is a broad area of law that covers numerous topics.

Here are three "categories" of accidents covered by premises liability law in Pennsylvania: