NJ/PA Personal Injury Blog

Sleeping Pill Manufacturers to Reduce Doses, as per FDA

Richard Console — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 17:08:00 GMT

If you have insomnia, your inability to sleep may consume more and more of your life over time. It may be difficult to function properly without getting the sleep your body needs. You talk to your doctor and begin taking a prescription sleep aid. Little do you know, the medication can actually worsen your physical and mental functioning. The excessive morning drowsiness that affects some medication users actually ups your risk of sustaining injuries during the day, according to a recent announcement by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The Problem with Prescription Sleep Aids

Specifically, the FDA warning refers to medications that contain zolpidem. These sleep aids are available in generic forms but are widely known by their trade names, Ambien, Ambien CR, Zolpimist and Edluar.

Zolpidem makes users sleepy, which is exactly what you want in a sleep aid. Unfortunately, the dosage amount currently prescribed is too often high enough that the chemical remains in the blood of users long after a full night's sleep, reducing their alertness and turning routine tasks like driving into potential dangers.

"Drowsy driving," or driving while overtired or otherwise not fully alert, is a hazard in any situation. An estimated 40,000 injuries and 1,550 fatalities occur each year as a result of drowsy driving, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. With drugs containing zolpidem, patients may face an additional problem. This lack of alertness is not always accompanied by other feelings of sleepiness, the FDA reports. Even if you don't feel drowsy or tired, you may still display impaired alertness on the roadway, unintentionally endangering yourself and others.

This is not a theoretical danger, but a proven one. National Public Radio (NPR) reports that drowsiness caused by prescription sleep aids has been linked to as many as 700 automobile accidents.

Lower Doses and Label Changes

The recommended dosage change is drastic. The FDA reports that immediate-release zolpidem-containing medications currently are prescribed at 10 mg and their extended-release counterparts are prescribed at 12.5 mg. Now, the FDA suggests that both of these dosages be cut in half for female patients, who process the medication more slowly than male patients and so are more heavily impacted by the problem of morning drowsiness. Men should also discuss the benefits of decreasing their dosage with their physicians, according to the FDA. Additionally, the FDA is requiring label changes, calling for stronger warnings for consumers.

Pharmaceutical manufacturers have a responsibility to clearly inform patients of potential risks and recommend that physicians prescribe safe doses of their products. When pharmaceutical companies neglect this responsibility and the resulting drowsiness causes accidents, innocent people get hurt. If you have been injured in a car accident and believe someone else may be at fault - whether that other party is a careless driver or an irresponsible medication manufacturer - you have the legal right to seek compensation. Console & Hollawell's car accident lawyers in Philadelphia can help your family. Contact us today at (800) 455-2746.

Distinguishing Public Events from Public Safety Threats

Richard Console — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 17:22:00 GMT

An incident at a Louisiana mall sent shoppers and employees scurrying for the exits. No, it wasn't a shooting, a bombing, or even a stabbing. It was a flash mob.

The mass performance turned into a panicked evacuation for many employees and guests of the Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge when a fight allegedly broke out in the food court, according to ABC News. An estimated 200 teenagers had gathered in the area, presumably as a result of social media directives inviting people to participate in the flash mob. While no information has yet been shared on what caused the fight, the situation quickly got out of control. Witnesses reported crowds running and yelling. Some even allegedly heard rumors that one of the participants in the brawl had a gun, though investigations uncovered no weapons. MSN News reported that police arrested six teenagers, ages 3 to 15, for charges that included battery, disturbing the peace, and resisting an officer.

With the amount of panic that surfaced as employees and guests evacuated the mall, it's very fortunate that no injuries have been reported. In this circumstance, it would be easy for people to be knocked down or trampled during the chaos. The incident also raises other concerns about public safety and public events.

Recent History of Violence in Public Places

While the claim that there was a gunman in the mall turned out to be just a rumor, it sounds all too real. On December 11, 2012, a gunman did open fire on shoppers in the Clackamas Town Center shopping center in Portland, Oregon. The shooting claimed the lives of two victims and severely injured a third. This tragedy may have ended in even more casualties had the gunman's rifle not jammed. Ultimately, the gunman, Jacob Tyler Roberts, turned the gun on himself.

Unfortunately, the Oregon mall incident isn't the only public shooting in recent months. In another much-publicized tragedy, a gunman, James Holmes, allegedly opened fire on a crowd of moviegoers in Aurora, Colorado, during a midnight showing of the Batman franchise's most recent film, The Dark Knight. This July 20, 2012, shooting killed 12 people and injured an additional 58.

If there's a chance that people are getting panicked or even acting paranoid as a result of these senseless acts of violence, can we blame them? It seems no public place is safe. In what may well be the most horrifying tragedy of 2012, a gunman, Adam Lanza, opened fire on children and staff at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Twenty-six people died in the December 14^th attack, most of them young children.

No Easy Answers

The matter of public safety has been the subject of much discussion in politics and in the news, and if this incident is any indication, our society is afraid of violence in public places. Should all malls, movie theaters, and schools be equipped with metal detectors and armed guards? Could improved communication systems help prevent people from panicking and reduce chaos? Are flash mobs - which have famously, if infrequently, been accompanied by violence and theft - a danger to public safety?

The question of how to manage this fear is, unfortunately, too complex and multifaceted to have an easy answer. For those responsible for protecting public safety, it's a difficult balance. For personal injury lawyers, these public safety issues call for advocates to stand up for the legal rights of victims.

If you or a loved one has been hurt during any threat to public safety and you believe a negligent party may be to blame, call (800) 455-2746 today get the help you need.

New Technology Allows 3D Imaging of Accident Scenes

Richard Console — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 14:14:00 GMT

A serious car accident leaves in its wake substantial property damage, devastating injuries, and potentially even a loss of life. For surviving victims, loved ones, and investigators, it can also produce a number of unanswered questions.

When they arrive on the scene, first responders focus on rescuing and providing medical care to victims. Taking photographs of the accident scene and gathering evidence to try to understand what happened are secondary goals. New technology creates the potential for investigators to better understand the causes of accidents through 3D depictions.

How 3D Technology Works

Traditional photographs are two-dimensional, and while they present an accurate view of accident scenes or damaged vehicles, they are not interactive. On the other hand, the type of 3D imaging technology that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) intends to begin using could allow investigators to analyze many more details of a car accident and answer those sometimes haunting questions.

Joseph Kolly, Director of the Office of Research and Engineering, explained the use of technology to create these 3D depictions in a recent post on the NTSB’s blog. The photographs will be taken by a laser scanner that rotates 360 degrees in order to record the scene from every angle. These scanners are designed to rotate automatically as needed, taking into account the correct timing and position of recording images, so human error will never prevent clear images from being taken. Trained engineers will have the responsibility of setting these scanners up on tripods in assorted positions so that no area of the accident scene will be overlooked.

Recording the images is only step one of the process. Engineers will then compile these recorded images to create the complete 3D representation. Using this technology, engineers can analyze and assess such otherwise lost details as the length of tire skid marks and the extent of vehicle damage, according to Kolly’s blog post.

The Impact of 3D Depictions on Accident Investigations

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of this technology is the potential to create computer simulations of how the accident occurred. This may help investigators understand what caused the accident and how the driver responded to any dangers that arose.

By studying accidents in this way, investigators can discover the causes and contributing factors that lead to automobile accidents. This can help provide answers for injured drivers and passengers who cannot recall the events of the accident and offer closure to the loved ones of victims that were fatally injured. On a public safety level, understanding the causes of accidents is the first step toward helping to educate drivers and prevent those accidents from continuing to occur.

If you have sustained a serious injury because of someone else’s careless behavior on the road, the answers to your questions about the accident only go so far toward giving you peace of mind. You may be struggling to cope with pain, medical bills, and anxieties about the future. Contact Console & Hollawell and let our car accident attorneys in New Jersey help you get the compensation you deserve.

New Jersey Group Homes Under Fire

Richard Console — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 14:41:00 GMT

It can be hard for adult children to cope with the health decline of an aging parent, particularly when a debilitating, degenerative disease, such as Alzheimer’s, is involved. When you are responsible for the care of an aging Alzheimer’s patient, you may look for an assisted living facility where your loved one will get the required medical care and still be able to live as happy and full a life as possible.

Unfortunately, not all of these group homes provide the level of care required for Alzheimer’s patients. Memory Care Living at Potomac Homes, which operates group homes throughout Somerset and Bergen Counties in New Jersey, has been the subject of several complaints, according to NorthJersey.com’s The Record.

The Nature of Complaints

Potomac’s group facilities are designed to offer residents an atmosphere reminiscent of home, complete with comfortable surroundings and the freedom to spend time in the facilities’ yards or on porches. Though it sounds like a happy alternative to a nursing home, The Record cautions that the aides employed by the facility assist residents with personal care, not medical care. Potomac’s facilities are not staffed with 24-hour nurses like a traditional nursing home, and are not even considered health centers. Instead, they fall into the category of boarding homes for dementia patients.

Some of the alleged incidents involved serious injury or even death that resulted from safety hazards. Residents have been injured, sometimes fatally, while leaving or attempting to leave the premises without supervision. Some residents were found knocking at the doors of nearby houses, wandering several blocks away from the home, or even standing in high-traffic intersections.

Some complaints include deaths and injuries caused by falling from windows. At least one resident died from sustaining hypothermia due to one such accident. Other residents allegedly suffered because proper medical care was not sought following falls inside the building or because doctors’ instructions to change the dosage of medications were not followed promptly.

Safety Hazards and Nursing Home Abuse

Potomac’s group homes are not alone in allegedly allowing residents to sustain injuries. Elder abuse is, sadly, a widespread phenomenon. In its most recent report, the National Center on Elder Abuse reported that more than 20,000 allegations of abuse occurred in nursing homes and boarding facilities.

Many cases of nursing home abuse result from negligence. In Potomac’s facilities, those in charge of the group homes allegedly failed to provide an appropriately safe environment, including supervision and security devices, like alarms, that could help prevent residents from leaving the premises and risking injuries.

If your loved one has been injured in a nursing or group home, you have legal rights to pursue a claim against the negligent facility. You put your trust in these caretakers, and when they have failed your family, filing a personal injury or wrongful death claim is one clear way to show them that their negligence is unacceptable. Contact Console & Hollawell’s nursing home abuse lawyers at (800) 455-2746 today and get the justice your loved one deserves.

Increased Travel Could Make for a Hectic Holiday

Richard Console — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 19:23:00 GMT

If you’re heading home for Christmas, you’re not alone. AAA anticipates that as many as 93,300,000 Americans will join the ranks of holiday travelers – those making a 50 mile or longer trek at some point during the December 22, 2012, to January 1, 2013, time period. If this sounds like a massive amount of people, that’s because it is. More than 25 percent of Americans – that means more than one in four United States residents – will take to the road, rails, or skies this holiday season. That added roadway and foot traffic could mean an increased risk of accidents.

Sure, the winter holiday season is always a busy travel time, but this year expect higher volumes of traffic than usual. As many as 1.6 percent more people than last year are expected to make the trip over the river and through the woods to grandma’s house – or other family gathering places, vacation spots, and New Year’s Eve party locales. That 1.6 percent might not sound like a high number, but it equates to an additional 1,500,000 travelers sharing the already jammed roads, train stations, and airports.

On the Road

A full 90 percent of these holiday travelers are expected to drive, which means that 84,400,000 more Americans, or more than 26 percent of all Americans, will be on the road during this week and a half of travel madness. If you plan to be one of these voyagers, or even if your holiday festivities take you only a few miles from home, use extra caution. Give yourself extra time to reach your destination so that traffic doesn’t derail your holiday plans. If caught in traffic, pay attention and drive defensively. Watch out for drivers that are inattentive, distracted, or under the influence of alcohol.

In the Air

Though most holiday travelers will stay on solid ground, air travel rates are also projected to show a respectable increase of 4.5 percent. That means 5,600,000 passengers as compared to last year’s 5,400,000 passengers last year. Expect more crowds at the airport. Again, give yourself extra time so you don’t miss your flight. Be especially careful navigating parking lots and garages. Inside the airport and aboard the plane, watch out for obstructions like improperly stored luggage that could cause you to slip or trip and sustain an injury.

Safety precautions can help protect your family, but ultimately, you can’t prepare for or prevent every possible accident. If an injury that results from someone else’s carelessness puts a damper on your holiday spirits, the serious consequences could last well into the New Year and beyond. Let Console & Hollawell’s dedicated personal injury attorneys help you get through the aftermath of an accident and win the compensation you deserve to get your life back on track.

Cars May Soon Be Required to Have Their Own Black Boxes

Richard Console — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 17:00:00 GMT

After a serious car accident, victims, loved ones, and investigators can be left with a number of questions. What caused the accident? Did the car experience a mechanical malfunction? Could the accident have been prevented?

Last week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revealed its intention to propose a new regulation that could potentially help answer these questions, according to The New York Times. The announcement went public on Friday, December 7, 2012. If implemented, NHTSA's proposal would require manufacturers to install event data recorders (E.D.R.'s) in all light passenger automobiles - those that weigh less than 8,500 pounds. The regulation will not come into effect until September 1, 2014.

How Do E.D.R.'s Work?

E.D.R.'s, the roadway equivalent to airplanes' black boxes, temporarily log vehicles' information, including

Speed
Seat belt usage
Brakes usage
Airbag deployment
Engine throttle conditions
Force of impact in a collision

In most cases, this information is stored for only seconds. If the vehicle becomes involved in an accident, certain events, such as the deployment of airbags, trigger the E.D.R. to continue storing the information.

The Use and Effects of E.D.R.'s

Though the mandatory inclusion of E.D.R.'s is a good step toward helping investigators answer questions after an accident, it's not the first initiative in that vein. NHTSA reports that as many as 96 percent of all 2013 cars and light-duty vehicles are already using E.D.R. technology. The systems currently cost only about $20, according to New York Times. Despite the relative affordability of these systems, as many as 1.32 million passenger vehicles still do not use E.D.R.'s.

Part of the appeal of E.D.R.'s is that information obtained following a collision not only answers specific questions that investigators and family members may have about a singular crash, but it also can show any patterns in accidents. The hope is that the information regarding what happened during an accident could ultimately be used to help prevent future collisions.

Car Safety Features

Automobile safety features have come a long way in recent years. The New York Times cites examples such as rear-view cameras, blind spot monitoring systems, and adaptive cruise control. Still, these safety features have not been enough to stop people from sustaining serious and sometimes fatal injuries on the road. In 2009, 10.8 million automobile collisions occurred, according to the United States Census Bureau. Tragically, 33,800 people died in car accidents in the United States in that one year. Of those deaths, 583 occurred in New Jersey, 1,156 occurred in New York State, and 1,256 occurred in Pennsylvania. This loss of life is heartbreaking, with the deaths leaving behind thousands of grieving friends and family members.

If you or a loved one has sustained injuries as a result of someone else's negligence on the road or a vehicle malfunction, you need the help of Console & Hollawell's car accident attorneys to get the compensation you need. Call (800) 455-2746 today and start getting your life back on track.

Construction Zone Auto Accident Injures One near Allentown

Richard Console — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 21:41:00 GMT

A collision in a construction zone caused one man to sustain injuries and resulted in a two-hour road closure in Greenwich Township, Pennsylvania. The accident occurred on the morning of Monday, December 3, 2012, when 50-year-old Harvey W. Henry's tractor-trailer hit a construction vehicle stopped in the right lane of Interstate 78 eastbound, according to The Reading Eagle. Employee Joseph Hall was reportedly knocked from the construction truck as a result of the impact. The 23-year-old sustained head and back injuries, but Lehigh Valley Hospital near Allentown lists his condition as stable. Hall's coworkers on the construction truck, 32-year-old David Yagalla and 33-year-old Derek Brown, were not injured. Henry, who reportedly had not seen the construction signs as he approached the vehicle, then collided with the concrete median. The article does not report whether or not Henry sustained injuries in the accident.

Joseph Hall and his friends and family are in my thoughts and prayers at this time. Being in an accident can be a truly traumatic experience for both victims and their loved ones. I hope that his injuries are not too extensive and that he experiences a speedy recovery that allows him to get on with his life. Considering the size of tractor-trailers and construction vehicles, it is fortunate for all involved that no one sustained life-threatening injuries in this accident.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that roadway construction zones can pose safety hazards to both drivers and workers, due to the presence of construction and detour signs, lane change requirements and barrels intended to keep motorists out of work areas. The Federal Highway Administration reports that in 2010, 576 motorists died as a result of collisions in a work zone, which translates to one death every 15 hours. Workers in roadway construction zones face the danger of being hit by inattentive motorists, either while on foot or, like Joseph Hall, while on a stopped construction vehicle.

This accident is a good reminder that both motorists and construction workers should use the utmost caution in construction zones. In its most recent analysis of construction zone car accidents, the Federal Highway Administration reported that 31 percent of these accidents were associated with speeding, 20 percent involved the use of alcohol, and over half included a failure to utilize seatbelts.

If you have been involved in a truck accident or a roadway construction zone accident, your physical pain and financial stress may be overwhelming. You may feel like your life has been disordered completely. To regain control and protect your rights, you will need the help of Console & Hollawell's first-rate legal team. For a free consultation to find out how we can assist you, call our skilled car accident attorneys in Allentown today at (800) 455-2746.

FDA, CPSC investigate bed rail dangers

Richard Console — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 16:49:00 GMT

The same rails intended to prevent elderly and disabled patients from falling out of bed have contributed to more than 150 deaths and 36,000 injuries since 2003, according to a recent article in The New York Times. These deaths can occur in hospitals, nursing homes and other health care facilities meant to keep patients safe, even if they provide 24-hour care. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is investigating the claims in order to determine the best way to stop accidents from happening.

Bed rails are designed to keep patients from rolling or falling out of bed and sustaining injuries, such as hip fractures and head trauma. Unfortunately, they can sometimes trap, strangle or suffocate patients. This may happen when patients fall into the space between a mattress and the metal bars of the bed rails or get their head and neck stuck in the gaps between the bars. If an accident like this occurs, it may be over before a care provider even realizes that it's happening. When a patient gets stuck in a position that makes it difficult to breathe, he or she may die from asphyxiation within a matter of minutes.

The FDA has known about the danger since 1995, when they issued a warning to health care providers but stopped short of regulating the safety of bed rails or demanding that manufacturers include a warning label on the products. No regulations were passed at the time, reportedly due to the political climate and manufacturer opposition. Since then, 550 deaths have been associated with bed rails. The FDA announced a set of guidelines for bed rails in 2006 that recommended size limits for the gaps in the bed rails, determined which body parts were most likely to become trapped, and specified proper usage of bed rails for nursing homes and other facilities. However, manufacturers were not required to follow these recommendations, because they were voluntary.

The present investigation is partially an accomplishment of a victim's family member. Since 81-year-old Clara Marshall died as a result of a bed rail-related accident in a nursing home in 2007, her daughter Gloria Black has pushed for the FDA and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to investigate the matter. Part of the problem, according to The New York Times, is that bed rails are a gray area in terms of regulation. If considered a medical device, the FDA would have the responsibility of regulating bed rails. If considered a consumer product, regulations would fall under the CPSC's authority.

The use of bed rails, and especially older and more potentially dangerous models of bed rails, has diminished in recent years but is still common enough that 27 patients died last year because of a bed rail accident, according to The New York Times.

It will be interesting to see how this investigation plays out and what it means for hospital patients, nursing home residents and their families. In the meantime, protect your loved ones. If a nursing home or hospital makes extensive use of old models of metal bed rails, consider placing your loved one in another facility. If you or a loved one has already been the victim of a bed rail accident, you can do something about it. Our experienced personal injury lawyers can help you recover compensation from negligent manufacturers or facilities to cover medical expenses, pain and suffering and other damages.

Thankful for your good health? Keep it that way!

Richard Console — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 18:44:00 GMT

Chances are, you're looking forward to quality time with your family, a mouth-watering meal and the kickoff of the holiday season. Thanksgiving is a time to be grateful for who and what you have in your life, but it's also a time of safety hazards for many people. Check out these tips from the American Red Cross on how to keep your family healthy and your holiday festive.

Travel safety

You know that the mass of people traveling to family's homes will create a mess on the highway. Don't start your holiday by getting into an accident. Safety begins before you even pull out of the driveway. Get plenty of sleep before your trip, so you're not overtired while driving. Fill up on gasoline and check other fluids and controls before you leave, and verify that your vehicle is clean and well-maintained. Make sure everyone in the vehicle is properly restrained in a seat belt or children's car seat.

As always, obey traffic laws and speed limits, and don't allow any distractions to interfere with your ability to pay attention to driving. After all, nothing is more important than reaching your destination safely. Be especially careful in construction zones, on dark roads and in wet or icy road conditions. Most importantly, never drive a car, motorcycle or other vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.

Cooking and fire safety

NBC News reports that Thanksgiving Day traditionally has the largest number of accidental home fires, according to the American Red Cross. Again, preparation is key. Long before you put that turkey in the oven, you should have enough working smoke detectors in your home, with one close to the kitchen. You should also have a fire extinguisher easily accessible from the kitchen in case a cooking fire should occur.

During meal preparations, wear clothing that won't get in your way or catch on fire. Move other potential fire hazards, such as food packaging, paper products, kitchen towels and potholders out of range of any open flame or hot surface. When you have multiple pots and pans on the stovetop, make sure any handles are turned toward the stove and not obstructing the path where you or a family member might need to walk. Keep any young children or pets away from the potential hazards of the kitchen, specifically warm stoves and sharp objects. During your cooking downtime, clean any surfaces that could come into contact with grease to avoid fire. Cleaning during the cooking process may also help you avoid food safety issues like cross-contamination.

Perhaps most importantly, make sure that you or a responsible family member is present at all times during the cooking process, especially when grilling, broiling or frying your meal. NBC News states that of all Thanksgiving home fires, 90 percent result from food being left unattended while cooking. If you realize during your meal preparations that you forgot an item, do not leave the house while stoves and other cooking tools are in operation, even for a few minutes. Attentive human supervision is necessary to ensure that a fire does not start or that, if one does, its consequences are minimal. After all of the cooking is completed, double-check that you have shut off all cooking tools. In case a fire occurs, know your options for getting out of the house, stay low until you can escape to decrease the amount of smoke you inhale, and call 9-1-1 only after you get to safety.

In a perfect world, you would never have to worry about a car accident, a fire or a personal injury on Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, these are all realities. If you or a loved one experiences a personal injury of any time this holiday, our experienced injury attorneys in New Jersey are here to help.

The difference between civil claims and criminal charges -- as illustrated by BP Oil

Richard Console — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 16:48:00 GMT

Unlike criminal charges, a civil claim seeks compensation for damages that result from negligence. When a person or business has not broken the laws applicable in a criminal case but has caused a victim significant suffering through their carelessness, civil claims are the way to right that wrong. Consider the example of the April 2010 BP oil spill.

BP made international headlines when a catastrophic explosion occurred at the company's oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, spilling approximately 206 million gallons of oil over a period of more than 85 days in what British newspaper The Telegraph has confirmed is the largest accidental oil spill in history. The disaster left 11 people and countless wildlife dead and crippled the fishing industry. More than two years later, BP is now setting another record, this time for the largest penalty ever paid in a criminal settlement. Facing such serious charges as manslaughter, BP has reportedly agreed to pay a penalty of $4 billion, according to The Washington Post.

This $5 billion penalty answers to criminal charges only. The penalty for civil violations of the Clean Water Act alone could cost BP between $5.4 billion and $21 billion, according to The Wall Street Journal. That's not including the $22 billion BP has spent to clean up the spill and compensate the businesses and individuals affected by the accident for their financial losses or the compensation needed to settle wrongful death claims on behalf of the families of the workers who were killed in the accident. BP continues to face civil claims for compensation from local governments, financial institutions, insurance companies and tourism enterprises like casinos and racetracks.

In the world of personal injury law, civil claims revolve around injuries sustained in car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, bus accidents and bike accidents. Medical malpractice situations, in which a medical professional was negligent in caring for a patient and the patient experienced damage as a result, fall under personal injury law. Premises liability cases are common personal injury claims that arise anytime a property owner fails to keep the property safe and a person slips, trips, falls or otherwise gets injured as a result. Anytime a person is killed as a result of someone else's negligence, the tragic event is known as "wrongful death" and it, too, can be the basis for a personal injury claim.

Damages sought in personal injury cases typically include compensation for medical expenses related to the accident and future medical expenses in cases where the injuries are chronic or lifelong, wages that were lost due to the victim's inability to work and payments to help make amends for the pain and suffering and emotional trauma that victims experienced.

If you or a loved one has been hurt in an accident, on an unsafe property or by a negligent medical professional, our injury lawyers in New Jersey and Pennsylvania can help you get the compensation you need to get your life back on track.