Philadelphia Injury Lawyer Blog

The facts are unfolding in a deadly car crash that took place in the Philadelphia area recently. A Chrysler slammed into a parked minivan and eventually into a home in Upper Moreland, Pennsylvania during early morning hours. The crash set off an explosive fire that completely destroyed the Upper Moreland home.

The driver in the crash has been identified by authorities as Laura Stevens, 26, of Philadelphia. Laura Stevens died of the severe burns and smoke inhalation she during the accident. Upper Moreland Police Chief Thomas Nestle could not comment on exactly how fast Stevens was driving when her car spun out of control after a slight turn in the road. Nestle did say based on the condition of the vehicle at the scene, however, that there was likely no attempt to break and there is a good possibility that the vehicle was traveling at a significant speed.

Police have also identified Steven’s passenger as Wayne Foulke, 27, of Pennsylvania. Foulke suffered thermal burns, multiple injuries, and smoke inhalation at the time of the accident, according to Vicki Firth, chief investigator for the Montgomery County Coroner’s office. Chief Nestle indicated that Foulke and Stevens were on their way back from watching the Fourth of July fireworks in Philadelphia before the crash occurred.

The victims of the fire caused by the deadly crash, fortunately, were able to escape their home uninjured. James and Jill Cummins, their three children, and their dog escaped the home around 1:30 am, shortly before it became fully engulfed in flames.

This tragic crash and the resulting house remind us that accidents happen when we least expect them. If you’ve been the victim of an accident, you’ll want to contact a Philadelphia injury lawyer like Edith Pearce who is understanding and experienced. Let your lawyer make sure that everything is in order while you collect yourself during the emotional time that inevitably results from most accidents.

A little girl was injured on a carnival ride two summers ago during the Scottdale Firemen’s Fair. Now, her family is suing the operator of the amusement ride, claiming it was unsafe from the start.

Brittany Mongell, who was 11-years-old at the time of the accident, suffered an electrical shock for 10 seconds when she put her hand on a rail bordering the ride. This statement was taken from a Pennsylvania lawsuit filed last week in Westmoreland County common Pleas Court.

The only defendant named in the lawsuit so fair is Ned Nakles Jr. of Riverview Florida was was an employee of Tropical Amusement Inc. of Riverview Florida. The Mongell family is saying that Nakles was a negligent ride operator.

A spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture who oversees the fair, Nicole Bucher, told reporters that most accidents that happen with carnival rides and amusements can be attributed to ride error.

Unfortunately Mongell was shocked while standing in water and touching the “umbrella ride fence,” according to an incident report filed with the state during the 2009 fair. Mongell’s accident is one of nearly 270 amusement ride injuries that were filed with the state of Pennsylvania last year. A whopping 240 of those 270 were considered “very serious.”

Mongell's injuries are thought to have occurred due to damaged wiring that the amusement company allowed to sit exposed to an environment of water just near metal railings.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a premises liability accident in Philadelphia or anywhere in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, call an expert Philadelphia injury lawyer right away.

Five people were injured last weekend on a ride at a New Jersey beach front Amusement park. The accident occurred just ten weeks after Abiah Jones, an 11-year-old girl from Philadelphia, was killed after falling from the Giant Wheel at Morey’s Pier in Wildwood, NJ.

Police were called to Mariner’s Landing in response to a “partial ride collapse” at around 9:15 p.m. on Friday August 19th. Police arrived to an eerie scene. The entire center mast of the Sea Dragon ride had snapped while the ride was in motion.

It was extremely fortunate, that although five passengers suffered injuries, no one was killed by the amusement ride malfunction. One 13-year-old boy’s injuries were so severe that he had to be transported to Cape Regional Medical Center for treatment while the other four injured passengers were able to be treated by fire and rescue teams at the scene.

Shirley Taylor, a Philadelphia resident, who was spending her last moments of her summer vacation at the seaside resort, told reporters “It’s a bad tragedy; an accident… [The Sea Dragon is] one of my favorite rides,”

Morey’s Pier offered an official statement saying that “…a section of steel scenery became detached from the Sea Dragon attraction on Mariner’s Landing and struck at least one rider…” Local and state authorities are continuing an investigation into the accident.

Another tragic bus accident has occurred in the Philadelphia area. A Greyhound bus overturned on a central Pennsylvania highway causing 14 people severe injuries.

An investigation into the last weekend’s crash appears to reveal that the crash was caused by driver error. The accident happened around 6 a.m. last Saturday near the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s Lebanon-Lancaster exit. There were eighteen passengers aboard the bus at the time. Fortunately, the fourteen passengers who were injured were treated for their injuries and have now all been released from area hospitals.

Police say driver Kareem Edward Farmer, 24 of Pennsylvania, lost control while traveling in the passing lane. The front end of the bus struck a concrete barrier and the left rear side of the bus rode up against the barrier. The bus crossed over lanes eventually striking an embankment and traveling up it before flipping onto its left side.

Farmer has been cited with two summary offenses including not staying in his lane and causing a commercial vehicle to overturn. The accident is one of many that have occurred in the Philadelphia area this past year. He has been working with Greyhound since March and has only had positive reviews up until this incident.

Greyhound corporate offices, which are based in Dallas, have begun investigation into the accident and are working on determining what may have contributed to causing the crash. The company is interviewing Farmer and Passengers and looking at readings from the vehicle’s GPS system. Greyhound also plans to do a thorough inspection of the bus.

As Philadelphia Injury Lawyer, Edith A. Pearce, Esq. notes, bus accident claims cause more complex issues than car accidents. There are often questions about the condition of the bus, federal safety standards, and about the driver’s proper licensing to operate the vehicle, and more. If you have been injured in a bus accident, you should contact an attorney to get answers to your questions right away.

Two tragic slip and fall accidents occurred throughout the country last week. In Bushkill, PA an unidentified victim fell from a steep embankment in a Pocono Mountain nature park.

According to police reports, the victim and a friend were walking off the marked trails at Bushkill falls when the victim lost his footing and fell into the falls at around 2:30 p.m. last Saturday. Sadly, the victim was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.

Bushkill Falls, just 80 miles north of Philadelphia, is one of the favorite natural tourist attractions in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The park features a series of eight waterfalls accessible by a network of trails and bridges, which are beautiful, but can be quite dangerous for hikers who leave the designated walking trails.

In another trip and fall incident, a 15-year-old girl suffered severe injuries while hiking in the Cascade Mountains in Granite Falls Washington.

Police say the girl was hiking with a Marysvile church group in the Robe Canyon area off Mountain Loop Highway. The victim’s father told reporters that she lost her footing and slide down a steep embankment.

The girl suffered a leg injury as well as a broken wrist and scratches to her face. Fortunately, professional rescuers arrived quickly to the scene and had to splint the victim’s injuries.

As Philadelphia injury lawyer Edith A. Pearce, Esq. reminds us slip, trip, and fall accidents can have dire consequences. Broken bones and other debilitating injuries are common after such incidents. Slip and fall accidents are just second to motor vehicle accidents when it comes to injuries caused. If you have been injured in a slip, trip, or fall accident, it is important that you ask the right questions and know your rights. An expert injury lawyer will be able to help.

Lo Wah Chu, 56, of King of Prussia Pennsylvania is suing after being injured in the now infamous Philadelphia Megabus crash. Chu’s is one of several filed so far against the Coach Bus company, the bus driver, and others. Her suit was transferred to federal court in Philadelphia last week.

The bus was traveling from Philadelphia to Toronto carrying 29 people including the driver when it crashed around 2:30 a.m. on September 11th. Before the accident, driver John Tomaszewski missed a turn late at night and failed to clear a low 10-foot-9-inch railroad bridge. A New York grand jury found that Tomaszewski allegedly missed 12 warning signs, some with flashing yellow lights that would have prevented the approximately 13-foot bus from crashing into the low railroad bridge.

Lo Wah, who was sitting on the upper deck of the bus, now suffers from catastrophic brain injury, spinal injury, and pain and suffering after being injured in the September 2010 crash. Her lawsuit alleges that the accident could have been prevented by a company installed GPS system that would have prevented the driver from getting lost and slamming into the bridge.

The accident proved fatal to some and injured many others. The crash killed a New Jersey teenager as well as a college student from Kansas, a Malaysian preacher, and an information technology specialist from India.

Chu’s cases as well as the other civil cases surrounding the Megabus crash are being put on hold pending a criminal case. If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, contact a Philadelphia injury lawyer you can trust. Edith A. Pearce, worked for an accident defense firm for years and knows the tricks of the trade. She will use her expert knowledge from inside the industry to help you recover expenses.

A Pennysylvania man suffered serious personal injuries after being injured during a propane tank explosion near Philadelphia. The propane tank exploded on a forklift at the Kimberly-Clark facility that produces tissues and paper towels in Chester, PA.

Officials say the man was hospitalized with second-degree burns after the Sunday afternoon incident. According to the Delaware County Times the man was refueling the tank when he noticed a leak. When attempting to shut down the propane tank, it flashed on him and the tank ruptured.

Firefighters used foam to put out the blaze within minutes but the forklift was completely destroyed. A Kimberly-Clark spokesman said the company was grateful for its first responders and the Chester Fire Department for rescuing the employee after the forklift exploded.

The incident was not the first large explosion that injured workers and rocked the Philadelphia area this year. Back in January a 19-year-old PGW worker was killed by a giant blast in the Tacony Section of Philadelphia.

That deadly blast occurred while workers were working to patch a high-pressure gas main break. The traumatic incident was caught on tape by onlookers who saw flames and sparks shooting high into the sky.

Aside from the fatality caused by this accident, three other gas workers as well as one city firefighter were injured and sent to a Temple University Hospital Burn Unit. The explosion took down one building and partially destroyed another causing at least 15-20 Philadelphia residents to evacuate their homes.

Both Sunday’s propane explosion and January’s deadly gas explosion remind us just how dangerous construction job sites can be. Construction workers who have been injured in a construction accident as well as their families may be entitled to recover damages. Workers should protect their legal rights by contacting a Philadelphia injury attorney with experience. Edith A. Pearce, Esq. knows how to navigate through the complexities of construction accident lawsuits to get victims full and fair compensation for their injuries, losses, and suffering.

A young boy was mauled by a dog just hours away from Philadelphia last May. Police arrived to the scene to hear a four year old boy’s mother screaming after her four year old son lie seriously injured after being attacked by a a Cane Corso Mastiff.

Tragically, the little boy suffered from catastrophic injuries to his head, neck, and boy that were so serious that he was pronounced dead upon arrival to Brookdale University Hospital in New York.

The New York Times reported that the Cane Corso Mastiff that attacked the boy belonged to his mother’s boyfriend. The dog was later removed and placed with the New York Animal Care and Control Agency for investigation into why the attack may have occurred.

Ironically, this vicious attack, which made news headlines across the country, occurred just one week after National Dog Bite Prevention Week. Five to six million people are bitten by dogs each year. An alarming 60% of dog bite victims are children.

Victims who have been mauled by dogs are often left with emotional trauma, permanent scarring, catastrophic injuries, disfigurement, and as in the case of the four year old boy in New York, often die as a result.

In Pennsylvania, dog owners can be held responsible for injuries inflicted onto another individual as a result of their dog’s bite. If you or your child has been the victim of a dog bite or attack, contact a Philadelphia injury lawyer right away. As the daughter of a veterinarian, Philadelphia dog bite attorney Edith Pearce, has a unique understanding of dog breeds and issues regarding animals.

A new development has come about in what is becoming an epic Philadelphia personal injury case. The first mate of the tugboat found to be responsible in last Summer’s Ride the Ducks accident that killed two Hungarian tourists has plead guilty.

Matthew R. Devlin, 35, of Catskill, N.Y. plead guilty in Philadelphia federal court to misconduct of a ship operator causing death this Monday – a maritime offense equivalent to involuntary manslaughter.

According to reports, Devlin was talking on his cell phone with his wife when the barge his vessel was towing smashed into a Philadelphia Ride the Ducks tourist boat. An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board showed that Devlin was distracted by the cell phone as well as by laptop use prior to the accident, before which he had just received news that his 5-year-old son had suffered potential complications during routine eye surgery.

Student tourists Szabolcs Prem, 20, and Dora Schwendtner, 16, were killed during the accident. Members of the victims’ families have filed wrongful death lawsuits against the city of Philadelphia, the operators of both vessels, and others. A total of 37 passengers were ousted into the Philadelphia harbor during the incident. Fortunately, most of them only sustained minor injuries or no injuries at all.

The accident caused Ride the Ducks operations to be temporarily ceased in the Philadelphia harbor for more than one year while safety investigations went underway and new precautions were put in place.

Matthew Devlin’s coast-guard-issued credentials have been permanently revoked. Devlin will face an advisory sentencing guideline range of 37-46 months in prison. The U.S. District Court Judge Legrome D. Davis is scheduled to hear the case on November 1, 2011.