Philadelphia Personal Injury Attorney Blog | Pomerantz Perlberger & Lewis LLP

Wal-Mart to Pay for Cheating Employees

2008-12-30T16:33:00.001-05:00

Christmas came a little early for many current and former Wal-Mart employees. On December 23, Wal-Mart agreed to settle 63 wage- and hour-abuse class action lawsuits filed by their employees. In the process, they probably saved billions of dollars by avoiding a jury trial.

For years, Wal-Mart has been stealing time and money from their employees. They had denied workers rest breaks and meal breaks, they failed to pay proper overtime wages, and they shortchanged employees on hours. Many employees had a few minutes cut from each pay-period's work hours. This "time-shaving" reportedly saved Wal-Mart millions of dollars on their payroll.

As part of the settlement, Wal-Mart must abide by new accountability standards to ensure that future employees don't suffer from the same abusive practices that the company has committed in the past. They will be forced to use electric monitoring systems to prove that they are adhering to wage laws.

Wal-Mart will pay their employees somewhere between $352 million and $640 million, depending on how many employees file claims.

If you live in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area and have been the victim of workplace abuse, please contact the law office of Pomerantz, Perlberger, & Lewis, LLP today to schedule an initial consultation.

Three Workers Injured in Silo Explosion

2008-12-29T17:41:00.001-05:00

Three workers suffered severe burns in a corn dust explosion at a silo in Phoenix, Arizona. The workers were loading the corn dust into a pit at the time of the accident. They were flown by helicopter to a local hospital burn unit and treated for second-and-third-degree burns to their faces, arms, and hands.

The explosion was powerful enough to tear steel anchoring rods from their concrete moorings. Currently, investigators are not sure what caused the incident.

Due to the dangerous nature of the work, construction accidents are an all-too-common occurrence in our country. Frequently, these accidents lead to serious, often life-threatening injuries.

If you have been injured in a construction accident, you are entitled to receive workers' compensation to cover your medical expenses and lost wages. Unfortunately, many insurance companies will try to low-ball you on your claim. In order to ensure that you receive a proper settlement, it is important to hire an experienced workers' compensation attorney who can skillfully stand up to the insurance company for you.

If you have been involved in a construction accident or have a workers' compensation claim in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area, please contact the law office of Pomerantz, Perlberger & Lewis, L.L.P. today to schedule a consultation.

Court Approves Lawsuit Against Good Samaritan

2008-12-24T11:47:00.003-05:00

The California Supreme Court is allowing a personal injury lawsuit to proceed against a woman who rescued her friend from an auto accident.

In 2004, Alexandra Van Horn was a passenger in a car that crashed into a pole. Lisa Torti was in a car nearby which stopped to offer assistance. Torti believed the wrecked car was about to explode, and pulled Van Horn out in an attempt to save her life.

Van Horn was paralyzed in the accident. She is suing Torti for negligence, claiming that Torti pulled her out of the car "like a rag doll." She insists that Torti's rescue was responsible for her paralysis.

The California Supreme Court ruled that the state's Good Samaritan Law only applies in situations where a person is administering emergency medical care. They ruled that Torti's rescue does not fall under these conditions.

The court ruling was unanimous. The justices stated that a person is not obligated to come to the aid of another in need, and if such aid is offered, it must be done with the utmost care to prevent other injuries.

Van Horn's lawsuit will now be able to go to court. It is uncertain whether a jury will find Torti guilty of negligence for her Good Samaritan actions.

If you have a personal injury claim in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area, please contact the law office of Pomerantz, Perlberger & Lewis, L.L.P. today to schedule a consultation.

Winter Weather Wreaks Havoc on Roads

2008-12-22T15:26:00.001-05:00

The abundance of winter weather across the country has taken its toll on drivers. Driving conditions everywhere have become increasingly hazardous over the past few weeks, as the first wave of blizzards and ice storms hit many regions of the nation.

In many states, the Department of Transportation has urged drivers to stay off the road as visibility and slick roads have made safe driving nearly impossible. Many parts of the country have witnessed a serious increase in auto accidents as a result of these poor road conditions.

Early winter storms are typically the most dangerous. Many drivers have not experienced these road conditions since early last spring, resulting in many cars skidding off the road as drivers struggle to regain their winter driving skills.

When you are involved in an auto accident caused by another person's negligence, it is important to consult an experienced personal injury lawyer who can help you receive compensation for bodily injuries and damage to your vehicle. Frequently, insurance companies will try to low-ball you on a settlement after an accident. Hiring an attorney will help prevent these insurance companies from bullying you around in your time of need.

If you have been injured in an auto accident in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area, please contact the law office of Pomerantz, Perlberger & Lewis, LLP today to schedule a consultation.

Woman Awarded $20 Million in Malpractice Suit

2008-12-19T15:05:00.001-05:00

Heather Grow, an Ohio woman, was awarded $20 million dollars in her medical malpractice lawsuit against the doctors who delivered her baby in 1997. Her baby was stuck in her birth canal for 13 hours before a Caesarean section was finally performed.

Grow's lawsuit claimed that the doctors were negligent in their decision to try and push her baby through the birth canal, especially since they were aware of the fact that she had a narrow pelvic arch.

The baby's head was compressed while stuck in the birth canal, causing brain injuries. Grow's daughter has restricted use of her arms and legs, and suffers from vision problems and mild retardation.

The doctors deny all wrongdoing in the birth of Grow's baby, and insist that they "did everything medically possible to facilitate a healthy delivery." Unfortunately, "everything medically possible" did not include performing a Caesarean section until it was too late to prevent major damage to the baby.

If you have a medical malpractice claim in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area, please contact the law office of Pomerantz, Perlberger & Lewis, LLP today to schedule a consultation with one of their litigation experts.

AMO Recalls Another Eye Product

2008-12-17T18:10:00.001-05:00

Advanced Medical Optics (AMO) has issued a recall for yet another product. They were recently forced to recall their Complete MoisturePlus contact lens solution after it was found to be contaminated. Users of the product had been developing serious eye infections. In severe cases, the contact lens solution had caused permanent eye injuries.

The new recall is for AMO's Healon D Ophthalmic Viscosurgical Device (OVD), a syringe used in various eye surgery procedures. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), eye surgeons found that many of their patients developed an inflammation when the Healon D OVD was used in surgery.

This is a Class I recall, reserved by the FDA for only the most serious cases. A Class I recall implies that the product presents a strong likelihood of serious injury or death.

The Healon D OVD is used as a surgical aid in cataract surgery, corneal transplant surgery, and glaucoma filtration surgery. The contaminated Healon OVD syringes placed patients in danger of developing Toxic Anterior Segment Syndrome (TASS), a condition that causes permanent eye problems in victims.

If you have developed an infection after a recent eye surgery procedure, contact your ophthalmologist immediately to make sure that he didn't use the Healon D OVD syringe in your surgery. You should also contact an experienced product liability attorney to see if you are eligible to receive compensation for your damages.

If you live in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area and have suffered an injury due to the AMO Healon D OVD, please contact the law offices of Pomerantz, Perlberger & Lewis, LLP today to schedule a consultation.

Medtronic Recall Spurs Lawsuits

2008-12-16T12:34:00.001-05:00

More than 225 product liability lawsuits have been filed against Medtronic following their 2007 voluntary recall of their Sprint Fidelis lead. The product is used with heart defibrillators to administer treatment.

Medtronic's Sprint Fidelis leads were recalled because they had a tendency to fracture. The fractured leads would either deliver unnecessary shocks to patients or fail to administer a shock when required. As a result, patients have been experiencing excruciating pain from needless shocks, or suffering from heart conditions that could have been prevented by a properly-functioning defibrillator.

The FDA has designed software to help detect fractures in Sprint Fidelis leads. This software, called the Lead Integrity Alert, sounds a warning signal when your lead has fractured. The warning will repeat at regular intervals until the defibrillator is reset. If you have a Medtronic lead hooked up to your defibrillator, you should consult your doctor immediately to make sure the lead hasn't fractured.

Plaintiffs in the pharmaceutical injury lawsuits against Medtronic are alleging that the company is guilty of manufacturing a defective product, and that it falsely marketed the product as safe.

If you live in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area and have suffered an injury from a Medtronic Sprint Fidelis lead, please contact the law offices of Pomerantz, Perlberger & Lewis, LLP today to schedule a consultation.

Dangers of Police Taser Use Becoming More Apparent

2008-12-10T13:32:00.001-05:00

For several years, Taser International has been marketing their electronic control devices to police officers as a very safe, non-lethal method of controlling and restraining resistant suspects. However, evidence is mounting quickly to indicate that the company's claims about its devices could not be farther from the truth.

False information and incorrect marketing by Taser International has led many police officers to use the device in inappropriate situations. While many of these officers should exercise better judgment in their use of the device, their actions are still based on misinformation provided by Taser International. For that, the company should be held accountable. In reality, excessive Taser use is just as much an example of police brutality as extreme physical force administered with a baton.

Several police officers and police departments have filed product liability lawsuits against Taser International after their officers sustained severe, long-term, life-altering injuries while receiving Taser blasts at police trainings. While the company was able to win many of these cases by flexing serious legal muscle against the plaintiffs, the tide seems to finally be turning against the company.

In June, Taser International lost a multi-million dollar wrongful death lawsuit when a California man died after receiving roughly 25 Taser blasts. The company is currently defending another wrongful death claim over a man who died after receiving 9 Taser blasts from a police officer.

There have been more than 59 product liability and wrongful death lawsuits filed against Taser International since the device was issued to police officers. Plaintiffs have claimed that the company misrepresented the safety of their weapon and disregarded research data when marketing their device to police forces.

If you have been injured from a Taser in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area, please contact the law offices of Pomerantz Perlberger & Lewis, LLP today to schedule a consultation.

Brain Injuries to Troops Pose Long-term Health Risks

2008-12-09T12:28:00.001-05:00

Traumatic brain injuries have always been a common condition afflicting soldiers. The Iraq War is no different. Approximately 22% of wounded troops have suffered a brain injury.

However, many of the brain injuries sustained in the Iraq War are different in nature to those suffered by soldiers in previous wars. Many of these injuries were previously caused by gunshot wounds to the head. In such a situation, the damage is apparent instantly and doctors can quickly evaluate the best course of treatment.

In the Iraq War, many of the traumatic brain injuries to soldiers have been caused by skull damage resulting from the pressure wave of an explosion. These injuries do not always manifest symptoms immediately. As a result, many soldiers can be suffering from a serious brain injury for a long time before it is detected.

The consequences for delayed diagnosis of these brain injuries can be dire for affected soldiers. Victims of serious head injuries are at serious risk of long-term health issues such as depression and Alzheimer's disease. Many soldiers who have returned from Iraq after suffering a major head injury have reported symptoms including headaches, dizziness, memory loss, confusion, irritability, insomnia and depression.

Studies conducted on soldiers of previous wars who suffer from brain injuries have found that these conditions are linked with:

Increased risk of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, seizures, and problems with social functioning
Future employment problems
Aggressive behavior

The military is required to provide medical care for soldiers injured in the line of duty. However, too frequently, soldiers are not receiving proper treatment. If the military tries to deny your claim or fails to provide you with adequate treatment, you must consult an experienced brain injury attorney at once. The consequences are too severe to go for an extended period of time without proper care.

If you have suffered a traumatic brain injury while serving overseas and live in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area, please contact the law offices of Pomerantz Perlberger & Lewis today to schedule an initial consultation.

Hospital Sued after Woman Loses Both Hands and Feet

2008-12-08T13:13:00.002-05:00

A New York City woman is suing the Brooklyn Hospital Center for medical malpractice, after a botched operation forced doctors to amputate both of her hands and both feet.

Two months ago, Tabitha Mullings was treated at Brooklyn Hospital Center for a kidney stone. She developed an infection from the operation which wasn't treated by doctors. The infection blocked blood flow to her hands and feet and caused her to go into a semi-coma for two weeks.

When Mullings came out of her semi-coma, she had lost sight in one eye. Doctors also informed her that they would have to amputate her hands and feet.

Mullings claims that the doctors are guilty of malpractice for failing to administer a blood test which would have detected the infection. She is suing the hospital for $100 million.

If you have been a victim of medical malpractice in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area, please contact the law offices of Pomerantz Perlberger & Lewis today to schedule a consultation with one of our experienced medical malpractice attorneys.

Botched LASIK Leaves Man's Eyes Damaged

2008-12-02T12:59:00.002-05:00

A West Virginia man was recently awarded over $1 million dollars by a jury due to botched eye surgery. Dr. Mark Whitten from Rockville, Maryland was ordered to pay $850,000 to David N. Cantalupo after operating on the man’s eye and leaving him with permanent eye damage.

Mr. Cantalupo alleged that Dr. Whitten knew about his unusually thin corneas prior to LASIK surgery but did not inform Cantalupo of the risk involved in LASIK with thin corneas.

Dr. Whitten is known for performing laser eye surgery on pro golfer, Tiger Woods.

If you or a loved one has suffered due to medical malpractice in Philadelphia or anywhere in Pennsylvania, please contact Pomerantz Perlberger & Lewis today to schedule your confidential consultation.

Man Dies After Long Wait in ER

2008-12-01T12:35:00.000-05:00

An Arizona woman is suing the emergency room of St. Mary’s Hospital in Tucson, Arizona following the death of her husband. The suit claims “reckless disregard” by hospital staff led to the death of her 39-year-old husband. The hospital is denying any wrongdoing.

According to the claim, Robert Sweitzer went to the emergency room of St. Mary’s with symptoms of coughing, loss of energy and severe back pain. The ER was very crowded at the time due to an outbreak of the flu.

Rachel Sweitzer says her husband was assessed at 7:00 p.m. but was never re-assessed over the next eight hours. A report from the CDC states that Sweitzer died of necrotizing pneumonia, which is caused by Staphylococcus aureus.

The investigation is ongoing.

If your loved one has died due to medical malpractice in Philadelphia or anywhere in Pennsylvania, please contact Pomerantz, Perlberger & Lewis today to schedule your confidential consultation.

Women Loses Both Hands and Feet Due to Medical Mistake

2008-11-25T10:35:00.000-05:00

In New York City, a woman had to have both hands and both feet amputated after an egregious medical mistake left her with blocked blood flow to the limbs. Tabitha Mullings, 32, went to Brooklyn Hospital Center where she was admitted two months ago for a kidney stone. She was given painkillers and sent home but an infection went untreated and blocked blood flow to the hands and feet. She lapsed into a coma for two weeks. When she awoke, she was told by doctors that they had to amputate both hands and both feet. The mother of three is also blind in one eye now.

Mullings is suing the hospital for $100 million and claims she was never even given a blood test to check for the infection that led to her having her hands and feet amputated.

She faces a very long, difficult rehabilitation process.

If you have suffered due to medical malpractice in Philadelphia, please contact Pomerantz, Perlberger & Lewis, LLP today to schedule your confidential, no-cost consultation.

Avandia May Cause Bone Thinning

2008-11-24T12:32:00.000-05:00

The once-popular diabetes drug Avandia (generic rosiglitazone), in addition to causing serious heart risks, may also increase bone thinning, a discovery that could help explain why diabetics can have an increased risk of fractures.

New research raises the possibility that long-term use of this drug could lead to osteoporosis. Researchers have found that in mice, the drug increased the activity of cells that degrade bones, according to information published in this week’s online issue of Nature Medicine.

Avandia was recently in the news again when it was labeled with a second black box warning for its risk of heart failure in some patients. GlaxoSmithKline, manufacturer of Avandia, has already acknowledged that a study found a higher risk of fractures among women who take the drug.

If you or a loved one has been harmed by a defective drug or some other defective product in Philadelphia, please contact the product liability attorneys at Pomerantz Perlberger & Lewis today to schedule your initial consultation.

Driver May Be At Fault in NY Bus-Van Collision

2008-11-20T16:41:00.000-05:00

In New York state, the Queens district attorney has dropped charges against the driver of a private van carrying a group of young children to school that crashed into a city bus in Queens last week, injuring seven children, one of whom was critically injured.

The driver of the van, Gene Boyd, 60, faced charges of reckless endangerment and endangering the welfare of a child in the accident. “The charges have been dropped at this time,” said Capt. Kevin Ryan, a spokesman for the Queens district attorney’s office. “There was not enough evidence to sustain criminal charges.”

The police said that Mr. Boyd did not have a license to transport children to school. While the district attorney dropped the more serious charges against Mr. Boyd, he still might face lesser charges, the police said.

Mr. Boyd, who neighbors said was a very careful driver, turned the van into the path of an oncoming Q46 bus at 184th Street and Union Turnpike in Fresh Meadows around 8 a.m. the day of the collision.

The most severely injured child, Rebecca Frazier, 9, had head injuries and had been listed in critical but stable condition at Long Island Jewish Medical Center. A hospital spokeswoman said on Monday that the girl’s family had asked that they not share information on her current condition.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a vehicle accident in Philadelphia or anywhere in Pennsylvania, please contact the accident attorneys at Pomerantz Perlberger & Lewis today to schedule your initial consultation.

Longtime NFL Players Suffering Brain Damage

2008-11-19T10:34:00.000-05:00

Some of you may remember Pittsburgh Steeler linebacker Justin Strzelczyk who was killed in a fiery automobile crash in 2004 at the age of 36. Autopsy reports showed that the former football star had a condition similar to that generally found only in boxers with dementia or people in their 80s.

Strzelczyk was found to have brain damage in post mortem studies due likely to the persistent head trauma he suffered playing football. Since Strzelczyk's findings were released, at least five other former NFL players have been found to have similar brain damage. These findings add to the growing evidence that longtime football players, particularly lineman, are enduring hidden brain trauma and permanent brain damage.

The condition that has been found in the NFL players (and has been found in many boxers) is called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a condition evidenced by neurofibrillary tangles in the brain's cortex, which caused memory loss, depression and eventually Alzheimer's disease-like dementia.

Unfortunately, the tests that show someone has CTE cannot be performed on a living person other than through an intrusive tissue biopsy. For now, NFL players, even those who have never had a concussion like Strzelczyk, will not being able to find out if they have suffered brain damage until it is too late.

Age Limits on Malpractice and Wrongful Death

2008-11-18T10:37:00.001-05:00

According to Florida law, adult children over 25 years of age cannot file lawsuits for the wrongful death of their parent caused by medical malpractice. Only spouses and adult children under 25 can seek damages caused by medical malpractice. Even Florida trial attorneys are outraged by this law and have sought to fight it for years but to no avail.

In 2000, the Florida Supreme Court upheld the lower court’s decision; however, Justice Barbara Pariente claimed that the age restriction was unjustified and likened the decision to limiting the rights of survivors with blue eyes over brown. Pariente asked the legislature to reconsider the decision, but her request was ignored.

Trial attorneys have found one possible way to get around the law, but it’s not easy. In order to pursue a medical malpractice claim on behalf of adult children older than 25, the attorneys must first prove the conduct of the healthcare professional was so outrageous that “it goes beyond all bounds of decency.” There is only one case on record where the outrageous conduct argument was used successfully. That case involved siblings suing after their mother died during routine eye surgery and was eventually settled out of court.

How can the value of someone’s life be measured by the age of her children? How can a court tell a 26-year-old man that his father’s death due to medical malpractice is not legally worth fighting for?

If you or a loved one has suffered or died due to medical malpractice in Pennsylvania, please contact a Philadelphia medical malpractice attorney at Pomerantz Perlberger & Lewis today to schedule your initial consultation.

Males More Prone to Traumatic Brain Injury

2008-11-13T11:43:00.000-05:00

Males are much more likely to suffer a traumatic brain injury than women, a new report by The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows. One in 45 people have an acquired brain injury, and more than two-thirds of those people are male, and males are more than twice as likely as females to be hospitalized for a TBI (traumatic brain injury).

The report found that incidents such as accidents and blows to the head were common causes for brain injuries in younger males and that more than half of the brain injuries in people under 65 were caused by vehicle accidents.

If you or a loved has suffered a traumatic brain injury in Philadelphia or anywhere in Pennsylvania, please contact the traumatic brain injury attorneys at Pomerantz Perlberger & Lewis today to schedule your initial consultation.

Birth Control Ring Presents Serious Side Effects

2008-11-12T10:40:00.000-05:00

NuvaRing is a fairly new birth control method for women; it is a small flexible contraceptive ring about the size of a silver dollar. NuvaRing contains the same hormones as many birth control pills and is inserted into the vagina, where it stays for three weeks. Once inserted, there is a continuous low dose of hormones being released. The ring is then removed for one week, and that is the week women will have their period.

NuvaRing was approved by the FDA in October 2001 and has been linked to blood clots in women. In December 2007, the American Society of Hematology reported three cases of women who developed complications including blood clots while using the ring.
Side effects include:

Heart attacks
Myocardial infarction
Stroke
Blood clotting
Pulmonary embolism
Death
Our Nuvaring injury lawyers have concluded that the high number of injuries associated with Nuvaring is the result of a dangerous type of hormone emitted by the device. The use of this hormone makes NuvaRing one of the most dangerous contraceptives on the market.

In 2007, the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen asked the FDA to ban oral contraceptives that contained forms of desogestral because this dangerous progestin has been implicated in a higher risk of strokes, blood clots and other cardiovascular problems. NuvaRing releases approximately 120 micrograms of etonogestral - an active desogestral metabolite - per day, a relatively high dose of this dangerous hormone. The NuvaRing injury lawyers at our firm believe this high dose of etonogestral is responsible for the high number of cardiac side effects reports associated with NuvaRing.

Judge Rules Breast Implant Covered Under Workers’ Comp

2008-11-11T10:31:00.000-05:00

A woman claiming her breast implants were damaged in an on-the-job car accident is only getting compensation enough to replace one of the two implants, according to a state appellate judge’s ruling recently.

The North Carolina Court of Appeals issued the decision in a workers’ compensation claim filed by Penny Rumple Richardson who claims the 2001 accident caused rippling and a decrease in the size of her breast implants. Not surprisingly, this case was the first of its kind heard by the judges.

Greensboro plastic surgeon Dr. David Bowers testified that the woman’s right implant had ruptured and the left implant showed signs of rippling, so he replaced both of her implants. But he later testified that the left implant most likely had rippling because it was under-filled.

Judges ruled that Richardson would be compensated for the one ruptured implant and that it be covered under workers’ compensation because they are a “prosthetic device that functions as part of the body.”

If you have been injured on the job and feel you may be entitled to Workers’ Compensation benefits, please contact the experienced Workers’ Compensation lawyers at Pomerantz Perlberger & Lewis in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania today to schedule your initial consultation.

Dental Malpractice Victim Awarded $14.8 Million

2008-11-05T15:01:00.000-05:00

Kimberly Kallestad, a former cheerleader, was recently awarded almost $15 million by a Spokane County, Washington court after she was left disabled and disfigured following a series of surgeries performed by Dr. Patrick C. Collins, an oral surgeon. Collins’ and his lawyers are planning an appeal.

Kallestead, now 29, claims she is permanently disabled and suffers chronic pain; she cannot work and is now being cared for by her parents. She initially went to Dr. Collins after injuring her jaw while sledding. Collins claimed he had a “near-perfect” success rate with the surgery technique he would employ and that he’d be her “hero” after “fixing” her jaw.

At trial, many other patients testified that Collins had made similar promises to them and that they suffered with chronic pain now, too. Collins’ lawyer, John C. Versnell III said he intends to appeal because other patients were allowed to testify and jurors heard a reference to a previous lawsuit against Collins.

If you or a loved one has suffered due to medical malpractice in Philadelphia or anywhere in Pennsylvania, please contact the experienced medical malpractice attorneys at Pomerantz Perlberger & Lewis, LLP today.

Even at Low Speeds, Rear-End Collision Can Cause Damage

2008-11-04T18:41:00.001-05:00

Luckily, rear-end collisions rarely result in the catastrophic injury that a head-on collision with an SUV or truck causes, but they are still dangerous. Rear-end collisions most often result in serious neck and back injuries that sometimes don’t show symptoms right away. Some whiplash injuries may not show symptoms for months. If you are hit from behind, even at a low speed, your injuries cannot be ignored as they affect your ability to live a healthy life down the road.

The accident injury attorneys at Pomerantz Perlberger & Lewis, LLP represent accident victims in the Philadelphia and surrounding areas. Our attorneys have over 100 years of combined experience representing vehicle accident victims who have suffered life-altering injuries through no fault of their own. We handle accident claims involving victims who were:

Hit while stopped at a red light
Hit from behind while at a stop sign
Hit from behind while paying a toll
Rear-ended while stopped in traffic
Rear-ended by a large truck who didn’t brake in time

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a rear-end collision in Philadelphia or anywhere in Pennsylvania, please contact the experienced vehicle accident attorneys at Pomerantz Perlberger & Lewis, LLP today.

Car Accidents Due to Cell Phone Use

2008-11-03T15:08:00.001-05:00

There are over 260 million cell phone accounts in the United States alone – nearly one for every person. Considering that most of these cell phone users also use automobiles on a regular basis, it is no wonder that we are seeing more and more car accidents that are caused by driver distraction due to cell phone use.

Current statistics place the number of car accidents caused by cell phone use (link to new web page) as high as 25 percent. This number is only expected to rise in years to come as cell phones become more commonplace. A recent survey by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company found that nearly three-quarters of drivers use cell phones while driving and 20 percent send text messages while driving.

Despite these statistics, there are only a handful of states (California, Washington, Connecticut, Utah, New York, New Jersey and Washington D.C.) that have banned the use of hand-held cell phones while operating a motor vehicle. Alabama currently has no such law. However, if you have been injured in an auto accident caused by another motorist’s cell phone use, you may be able to sue for damages if you can prove the other driver liable. Proving liability can be a challenge in these cases, but we have handled several of them successfully.

If you live in Pennsylvania and have been in a car accident due to someone else's negligence or wrongdoing, please contact Pomerantz Perlberger & Lewis, LLP today.

Number of MRSA Cases and Lawsuits Continues to Grow

2008-10-30T11:02:00.001-04:00

Expect to hear more about MRSA ever since the government’s first assessment of the potentially deadly staphylococcus infection finds its growth is out of control. No one knows why it is mutating into strains with unique properties that make it a more virulent form of infection.

Many people would rather not worry. MRSA has been identified in hospital settings for the past two decades. What has changed is that the drug-resistant bacteria is increasingly found outside of hospital settings and affecting more than the weak and vulnerable.

In the latest reports - four siblings attending public school in Far Rockaway, New York have been diagnosed with the bacterial infection. The school is being cleaned.
The mother of a boy who died from the so-called “superbug” is filing a $25 million lawsuit against New York City alleging negligence in the death of 12-year-old Omar, her only child.

Aileen Rivera says Kings County Hospital showed recklessness and carelessness when an emergency room attending physician failed to diagnose Omar with MRSA. Instead, they prescribed an antihistamine and sent him home. Omar died two days later.

If you or a loved one has suffered or died due to a medical issue, please contact the experienced medical malpractice attorneys at Pomerantz, Perlberger & Lewis today.

Fatal Misdiagnosis Victim Awarded 4 Million

2008-10-29T10:23:00.002-04:00

The Mississippi Supreme Court recently upheld a $4 million award to the family of a woman who was misdiagnosed with cancer and then given a dose of painkillers that killed her. Reith Sanders, the daughter of the victim, Ersel Allen sued Hospice Ministries and Dr. William Causey; the hospice settled mid-trial for $1 million. Ms. Sanders claims that a simple lab test could have prevented this tragedy.

In 2001, the 66-year-old woman was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at the University of Mississippi and was sent to Hospice Ministries in June. She died a month later. She had been receiving massive doses of painkillers though she never even had cancer. Dr. William Causey was the medical director of the hospice at the time. He is currently serving a 25-year prison sentence for sexually assaulting a young boy in 2002.

If you or a loved one has suffered or died due to medical malpractice in Philadelphia or anywhere in Pennsylvania, please contact the experienced medical malpractice attorneys at Pomerantz, Perlberger & Lewis, LLP today.