Federal Agency Investigates Amtrak Train 89 Crash That Killed Two, Injured 37 in Chester
Two rail workers and 37 Amtrak passengers were injured after a Amtrak train 89 derailed after crashing into a maintenance vehicle in Chester on Sunday reports the Philadelphia Inquirer. This is the second fatal Amtrak derailment in the Philadelphia area within a year. In May 2015 an Amtrak train derailed in Philadelphia killing six and injuring more than 200 people. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the cause of the accident. It recovered the train’s event-data recorder as well as video from cameras in the train. They will be analyzed by the agency to determine what caused the…
Amtrak 89 Accident: A Personal Message
Mike Kelly is the chief investigator in our office. This morning he sent the following email: “Two guys I’ve known for 40 yrs lost their lives today. No one at this point knows yet what happened. I just want to remind all my railroad friends and relatives that it a dangerous place to work. Be careful and ever vigilant out there.” Amtrak train 89 crashed just south of Philadephia over the weekend. It has been reported that a backhoe was somehow responsible, but details have not been released. We thank Mike for keeping us informed. Like many, we are very concerned…
Injuries on a Construction Site
There can be many dangers on a construction site, depending on the size, complexity and the nature of the work being done. Although less than one percent of the American workforce is involved in construction 20.5% of fatalities among private employees in 2014 were in the construction industry, according to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Injuries on a construction site should be taken seriously. There may be a wide variety of parties involved at a construction site with different responsibilities, including, The site’s owner, General (or prime) contractor and subcontractors, Construction managers, Equipment and material suppliers, and Architects…
In the Spirit of Giving
At this time of year we find ourselves reflecting on 2015. Here at Myers Lafferty we are always honored to have the opportunity to help others in need. This past year our staff has stepped up making a difference in the world and we have supported their giving efforts. Operation Gratitude sends 150,000 care packages to service members deployed overseas. The boxes are filled with snacks, entertainment, personal hygiene and hand-made items. Pictured above is our paralegal, Kathy Ho-Piccone standing with an operation Gratitude Team. Jennifer delivered a care package for our troops overseas to the effort. Kathy’s own…
How to Protect Yourself From Defective Products
Let the buyer beware. It’s an old saying that started back before the days of consumer protection and safety laws but it’s still good advice. Thanks to the internet it’s never been easier to obtain information about product safety but you should also use low tech common sense. If you think something’s wrong or something might be unsafe, don’t use it. Under the law a defective product is a product that’s unsafe to use for its intended purpose. It may have insufficient warnings or instructions, be marketed for an unsafe use or be negligently designed, manufactured or maintained. It’s an…
What Should I Do If I’m Injured at Work?
We have worked with clients from Philadelphia to Boston when they have been injured at work. While each case has been different there is one theme, as soon as the injury occurs the injured always immediately worry about losing time and possibly their paycheck as they recover and sometimes if they are going to be able to return to work at all. When an injury first occurs, the most important thing to do is to take care of yourself. Whether you need a first aid kit or an ambulance, make sure you get the help you need. The second…
What Birth Defects are Caused by Medical Mistakes?
Birth defects impact one in every 33 babies born in the United States each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That means every four and a half minutes a baby is born with a birth defect in this country, totalling about 120,000 children each year. Birth defects can occur at any time during pregnancy. Most birth defects are thought to be caused by a number of factors including genetics, maternal behavior and the environment. Although relatively rare, for too many children in this country the cause of their birth defects was medical malpractice. These mistakes could…
Why There Should be Two Engineers on Each Passenger Train
Errors made by engineers kill and injure passengers, contractors and other employees. While all trains would be safer if two people were making sure the train was being operated safely, given that hundreds of lives are potentially at risk with every passenger train, the need for safety on these trains is at its highest. Why are two needed? Probably because of mistakes made by the engineer responsible for Amtrak train 188 in May, the train was travelling at over twice the posted speed limit around a curve and derailed, killing eight and injuring dozens. The accident in Philadelphia clogged the…
What Should You Do After Being Injured in a Vehicular Accident?
If you’ve been injured in a vehicle accident, take the situation seriously. What you do after an accident could impact how quickly you recover from injuries and your ability to obtain compensation for those your injuries. 1. Contact law enforcement. Assuming you haven’t lost consciousness, call 911 to get emergency responders to the scene. The faster police arrive at the scene, the sooner anyone injured can get treatment, the better the accident scene should be documented and a police report on the accident should be more accurate. 2. Seek medical attention. If an ambulance is called to the…
What are Punitive Damages?
“Damages” is a legal term for a measurement of what a plaintiff has suffered due to the negligence or intentional acts of another. There can be damages for physical pain and suffering, damages for economic losses due to the injury and if the defendant’s conduct that caused an injury was intentional or reckless punitive damages may be awarded to go beyond compensating the injured party and punish the party for its acts. Punitive, or exemplary, damages could be awarded by a jury or a judge to punish the defendant in a civil lawsuit because it’s in the interests of society…
