Philadelphia Injury Lawyer Blog

Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chris Henry's family was shocked when West Virginia University researchers announced that a tissue analysis of the 26-year-old's brain indicated he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a serious brain disease. Henry died last winter after suffering severe brain trauma and multiple head injuries when jumping from a pickup truck. Researchers speculate that his condition may have contributed to the severity of the injuries Henry suffered and his subsequent death.

Henry's family and coaches were unaware of Henry's brain condition. Brain injuries are common in football players who suffer multiple concussions, but Henry had never been diagnosed with a concussion during his playing career. Neurosurgeon Julian Bailes, co-director of the WVU Brain Injury Research Institute, a former team physician for the Pittsburg Steelers, and lead researcher in the WVU study, said researches believe chronic traumatic encephalopathy results from multiple head impacts whether or not concussion occurs. Direct impact with another football player or the ground is not necessary to cause brain injury. The quick spurts and sudden stops typical of the game can also cause brain damage. "The brain floats freely in your skull. If you're moving very quickly and suddenly stop, the brain bounces," California medical examiner and WVU researcher Bennet Omaki explained on Philly.com.

The implications of Henry's death and brain injury research findings are a cause of concern to Philadelphia parents whose children play on high school and college football teams. The toll football takes on the brain has long been suspected. Retired NFL football players suffer a higher than average incidence of Alzheimer's disease and memory problems. However, Henry's tragic death at such a young age emphasizes the potential risk of serious brain injury.

Traumatic brain injury can have life-altering consequences. A Philadelphia personal injury attorney can provide the legal advice you need and work aggressively to protect your rights and obtain fair compensation for your injury.

A 3-year-old Philadelphia boy died yesterday from severe burn injuries suffered in a tragic home fire that sent four other family members to area hospitals with smoke inhalation damage and serious burn injuries. Nicholas Budzilo was trapped with his 5-year-old older brother in an upstairs bedroom when fire raced through their Port Richmond home. Their grandfather and pregnant mother were able to escape the burning home with 1-year-old toddler Jacob. Both the mother and grandfather made repeated attempts to reenter the house and rescue the older boys but were repelled by the blaze.

When Philadelphia firefighters arrived on the scene they were able to rescue the boys, but the injuries sustained by Nicholas' small body were too great and he died early yesterday morning. His brothers remain in stable condition at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children; his mother and grandfather, also in stable condition, at Temple University Hospital.

The fire which left the home gutted and uninhabitable is under investigation. Neighbors said it appeared that the blaze might have started in a second story bedroom, and one man speculated that a room air conditioner may have overheated in Philadelphia's record-setting heat.

Loss from fire is traumatic. This Philadelphia family lost a son and their home. The four surviving family members face a long, painful, expensive recovery. Burn injuries are the most painful of traumatic personal injuries, requiring a slow, painful rehabilitation that often involves multiple surgeries and skin grafts. Recovery can take months, even years. Even after recovery, nerve damage can cause lifelong pain, loss of function and disfiguring scarring that cannot be repaired.

Expert legal advice from a Philadelphia personal injury attorney experienced with burn injury claims is critical in recovering damages for medical and hospital bills, ongoing health care, future surgeries, pain and suffering, counseling, loss of income and other issues burn victims and their families will have to deal with for years to come.

In a victory for Philadelphia breast cancer patients, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a $2.75 million jury award to an Arkansas woman who claimed hormone replacement drugs caused her breast cancer. Donna Scroggin was diagnosed with breast cancer after taking hormone replacement drugs widely-prescribed to ease menopause symptoms. On Scroggin's behalf, personal injury product liability attorneys sued drug makers Wyeth Pharmaceuticals and Upjohn Co., both now subsidiaries of Pfzier Inc., claiming that hormone replacement drugs they manufactured were responsible for Scroggin's breast cancer.

The jury agreed, awarding Scroggin $2.75 million in compensatory damages and $27 million in punitive damages. On appeal, the punitive damage award was struck down by a federal judge who ordered a partial retrial solely to address punitive damages. In a victory for Philadelphia cancer victims, the Supreme Court upheld the decision to limit the partial retrial to punitive damages, rejecting the drug company's argument that the retrial should review all aspects of the cause, including the court's finding that hormone replacement drugs contributed to Scroggin's cancer.

After taking hormone replacement drugs for 15 years, Scroggin eventually lost both breasts to mastectomy after the discovery of cancerous lumps. More than 6 million women in Philadelphia and across the U.S. have been prescribed hormone replacement drugs to relieve menopause symptoms that can include night sweats, hot flashes and mood swings. Prescribed for decades, hormone replacement therapy was standard medical treatment for menopausal symptoms until 2002 when researchers discovered a 26% higher incidence of cancer among women taking the drugs. Scroggin's successful product liability suit sets the stage for more than 8,000 personal injury lawsuits related to menopause drugs that have been filed against drug maker Wyeth to date.

Philadelphia women who develop cancer after taking hormone replacement drugs are urged to consult a knowledgeable Philadelphia product liability attorney about their rights.

On the day he was scheduled to appear in court to face a DUI charge, an off-duty Pennsylvania state trooper was killed in a head-on auto accident while driving the wrong way on the Schuylkill Expressway. Police investigators said Cpl. John Quigg of Wyndmoor in Montgomery County drove his Honda Accord the wrong way up the Spring Garden exit ramp onto I-76 shortly after 1 a.m. early Wednesday morning. Driving into oncoming eastbound traffic, he crashed head-on into a Mercury Marquis driven by 23-year-old Philadelphia resident Chantelle Harper. Severely injured, Quigg, a father of four, died at Hahnemann University Hospital shortly after the accident. Harper, who also suffered serious personal injuries in the crash, was transported to the University of Pennsylvania hospital where she was reported to be in good condition after surgery to repair several broken bones.

In one of those odd twists of fate, the 24-year Pennsylvania State Police veteran was an accident reconstructionist and drug-recognition expert. Quigg routinely supervised State Police sobriety checkpoints. The officer had been on desk duty since running his car into a guardrail last December. At the time of that accident, Quigg was found to have a blood-alcohol level of 0.30, well over Pennsylvania's legal limit of 0.08. Quigg's attorney in that DUI case, Timothy Woodward, Sr. has previously reported to the court that Quigg completed alcohol rehabilitation following his DUI arrest.

Police investigators are not yet certain whether Quigg drove onto the freeway in the wrong direction inadvertently or intentionally. Investigators have stated that neither driver showed obvious signs of impairment. Toxicology tests have been ordered and the motor vehicle accident is still under investigation.

When people are seriously injured or die in car accidents, experienced Philadelphia personal injury lawyers conduct their own, independent investigations to verify the circumstances surrounding the accident and protect the rights of the injured victims and their families.

A group of budding pre-teen scientists has come up with an idea that deserves recognition -- the TEXTerminator. The brain child of a team of Bucks County middle school students from the Council Rock School District, the TEXTerminator shuts down a cell phone's texting capabilities. Despite local laws banning texting while driving and its extreme dangers, 60% of teens and 50% of drivers between the ages of 18 and 24 admit to texting while driving. Distracted driving kills more than 6,000 Americans every year, accounting for nearly 80% of serious personal injury car accidents in Philadelphia and across the country, according to the National Safety Council.

Talking on a cell phone is the equivalent of driving drunk. Texting is like shutting your eyes while driving drunk! When drivers talk or text on their cell phones, their attention is not focused on traffic and the road ahead. Distracted driving causes the reflexes of young drivers to slow to those of 70-year-olds. According to the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, people who talk or text on their cell phones while driving are at least four times more likely to be involved in a serious persional injury accident. Texters, however, are 23 times more likely to crash, a recent Virginia Tech study revealed. Philadelphia banned cell phone driving and texting in December 2008 and added a hefty $75 fine in May 2009, but many Philadelphia residents, particularly those under 30, continue to ignore the dangers of driving and texting.

Pennsylvania middle schoolers are hoping to put a halt to that hazardous practice. Their TEXTerminator earned them a finalist spot in the national Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation competition, a government-sponsored contest that seeks to unite community service with scientific problem solving. The winning team will receive $25,000 to help turn their invention into reality. Over the contest's 14-year span, five winning teams have earned patents for their ideas. Here's hoping these innovative Bucks County students are next!

Concerned about the potential personal injury risk posed by millions of cadmium-laced Shrek Forever After promotional glasses sold in their stores, McDonald's in Philadelphia and across the U.S. have started offering $3 refunds to Philadelphia consumers to return the glasses. Sold by McDonald's stores for $2, more than 7 million of the colorfully-painted glasses have been purchased by Philadelphia and other American consumers since going on sale May 21.

Last Friday, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced the voluntary recall of 12 million defective product Shrek glasses when painted designs were found to contain the toxic substance cadmium which has the potential to cause injuries to children. This week, the burger giant started offering $3 refunds. Philadelphia consumers can return the defective glasses to any McDonald's.

A known carcinogen, cadmium has been implicated in several recalls of metal jewelry since the first of the year. In January, laboratory tests ordered by the Associated Press revealed the potential personal injury risk of cadmium-tainted products made in China. Christmas-themed and best friends charm bracelets marketed to young children were found to contain up to 90% cadmium. More recently, Miley Cyrus jewelry marketed to teens and young women was recalled when it was found to contain cadmium.

Used in the production of batteries, metal coatings and plastics, cadmium can also be used in paint to produce the colors red and yellow. Long-term exposure to cadmium is known to cause cancer, bone softening, severe kidney problems and may hinder brain development in young children. The McDonald's recall is the first cadmium incident involving American-made products. The glasses were made by Arc International at its New Jersey plant. Previous cadmium recalls have involved Chinese-manufactured consumer products. The CPSC is currently developing consumer product standards to limit the use of toxic metals in U.S. consumer products.

The tragic blowout at the Deepwater Horizon oil well in the Gulf of Mexico and the resulting destruction has focused national attention on the hazards of oil and gas drilling. Closer to home, a blowout last week at a natural gas drilling site near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania raised fears of an explosion. The blowout sent gas and polluted drill water shooting 75 feet into the air for more than 16 hours before the drill crew was able to bring the blowout under control. Calling the incident a serious Pennsylvania construction accident and vowing a full investigation, Department of Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger told the Associated Press, "The event at the well site could have been a catastrophic incident that endangered life and property."

Pennsylvania construction workers were fortunate to avoid serious personal injury at the Harrisburg blowout. Construction accidents in other states point out the potential hazards drill crews face. Yesterday, a natural gas line erupted south of Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas, sparking a massive fireball and explosion. One utility worker was killed in the construction accident and several workers were hospitalized with severe personal injuries. Earlier that day, at a West Virginia natural gas site located 55 miles southwest of Pittsburg, seven members of a natural gas drilling crew suffered serious burn injuries when they hit a pocket of methane gas that exploded.

Natural gas and Philadelphia construction accidents can have devastating consequences for workers and their families. Due to the involvement of multiple defendants, these cases can be a challenge to pursue. An experienced Philadelphia construction accident attorney can cut through the red tape and insurance paperwork to ensure that you get the settlement and help you are entitled to if you are injured on the job.

Kitchen accidents are a common occurrence in Philadelphia. But when dinner is over and you plunk that last dish into the dishwasher and press the start button, most Philadelphians think they've gotten safely through another meal. Unfortunately, a new recall indicates that turning on the dishwasher could just be the start of your problems.

Today, Philadelphia personal injury attorneys warned that the Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced the recall of 1.7 million Maytag dishwashers sold in Philadelphia and across the United States. Maytag-manufactured dishwashers have been implicated in 12 reported electrical failures that have caused fires resulting in significant property damage. While no serious Philadelphia personal injuries have been reported, the potential for disaster exists. Many Philadelphians turn on their dishwashers on their way to bed. Should a fire break out while a family is sleeping, smoke inhalation and flames could cause severe personal injury and even death, say concerned Philadelphia personal injury lawyers.

The recall applies to Maytag dishwashers sold under the following brand names: Maytag, Amana, Jenn-Air, Admiral, Magic Chef and Performa; as well as Crosley brand dishwashers with plastic tubs. The recalled dishwashers were sold at Philadelphia and other U.S. appliance and department stores between February 2006 and April 2010. Maytag is a division of appliance manufacturer Whirlpool Corp.

Philadelphia product liability lawyers advise Philadelphia consumers to immediately stop using recalled dishwashers and disconnect the appliance from its power source by turning off the circuit breaker or fuse that governs the dishwasher. Philadelphia consumers can call their local Maytag service center to schedule a free in-home repair. Whirlpool is also offering affected Philadelphia consumers rebates toward the purchase of a new Maytag dishwasher. To find out if your dishwasher is among those recalled serial numbers of the defective dishwashers are posted on the CPSC website.

If you have suffered damage or personal injury from a defective product, ask a Philadelphia personal injury attorney to review your case.

A Philadelphia woman was killed in a bizarre three-car crash in southwest Philadelphia recently. The 40-year-old woman was stopped at a red light when she was forcibly rear-ended by another car. The force of the collision propelled the woman's car into the intersection of 61st and Passyunk and into the path of a third car. The oncoming car was unable to stop; the resulting collision ejecting the woman from her car and killing her. The drivers of the two other cars involved in this tragic Philadelphia car accident and a passenger in one of those cars were transported to the hospital in critical condition with serious personal injuries. The twice-hit car was demolished.

Serious Philadelphia auto accidents like this one cause catastrophic changes in the people's lives. When severe Philadelphia traffic accidents are fatal, families can be left without the love and support of a spouse and parent. Serious personal injuries can result in overwhelming medical bills, expensive prescription drug charges and lengthy loss of income during recovery and rehabilitation. Job loss can occur when personal injuries are disabling, further impacting a family's income and well-being.

Families struggling to put their lives back together and care for injured family members can find dealing with insurance companies exhausting. Deluged by mountains of confusing paperwork and besieged by insurance representatives pressuring them to make a quick settlement, injured Philadelphia motorists and their families can be easy targets for insurance companies committed to paying out as little as possible. A Philadelphia personal injury lawyer experienced in litigating auto accident personal injury claims can insure that car accident victims and their families recover medical expenses and are adequately compensated for lost income, personal injuries, property damage and suffering.