Personal Injury Cases – Flager & Yockey, P.C.

According to OSHA, more than 250,000 crane operators and a large number of other workers, as well as the general public, are at risk of suffering an injury from one of more than 125,000 cranes currently in operation. Unfortunately, a Western Pennsylvania employee recently became one of the many victims of a crane accident. The worker was performing tasks at a manufacturing plant when he was killed in an industrial accident.

Our Philadelphia, PA personal injury attorneys believe that this tragic incident should serve as an important reminder to employers and employees about how dangerous cranes can be. The fatal industrial accident is still being investigated by OSHA, but crane accidents often occur when safety rules are not followed to the letter.

Crane Accidents Put People at Risk

According to ABC News 27, the recent Pennsylvania crane accident occurred when the worker was moving a large steel coil at an industrial warehouse that produces siding and metal roofing products. The crane was a 15-ton overhead crane and the coil weighed an estimated 10,000 pounds.

As the heavy coil was moved, another coil – this one weighing 5,000 pounds – moved from its position and struck the worker. The worker was trapped by the large coil and a stack of other coils that were located nearby. He suffered chest injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. OHSA is currently investigating how the accident occurred to determine if there were any safety violations or if anything could have been done to prevent this tragedy.

OSHA Tips on Crane Safety

Recognizing how dangerous cranes can be, OSHA has provided extensive guidelines on crane operation and maintenance. OSHA has also published some important safety tips for crane operation. Some of these tips include the following:

• Allow only authorized and trained personnel to operate cranes.
• All crane parts and crane controls must be inspected by a designated and qualified person before the crane is used for any purpose.
• When operating, cranes must be level, and they must be located on a surface that is solid and stable.
• Pins should not be removed or unlocked during either assembly or disassembly until you have made sure that all sections are stable, secure and blocked.
• Before operating a crane, survey the area to determine if there are overhead electrical power lines.  There must be a distance of no less than 10 feet from the electrical power lines and the crane in order to ensure safety.
• The load chart capacity of the crane should never be exceeded. The correct load charge must be chosen and utilized given the current setup and configuration of the crane as well as the lift path.
• Before delivering the load, it should be raised slightly by a few inches, and it should be verified that the crane will hold.
• Loads should never be moved over the heads of workers.

These are just a few of the key tips that OSHA provides to protect those who are using cranes or who work in the environment where cranes are located. Following these tips is very important to protect workers and the public.

If you have been injured in an accident contact our Philadelphia personal injury lawyers at Flager & Yockey at 1-215-953-5200.

When we visit unfamiliar places, personal injuries become more likely. Whether it’s a business trip in New Jersey, a weekend get-away in Bucks County or long-planned family vacation in Philadelphia, the last thing on our minds is an injury due to negligence (premises liability injuries), but accidents happen—and sometimes in the oddest of locations.

According to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 234,000 people over 14 years old were treated in U.S. emergency rooms in 2008 for injuries that took place in bathrooms. Nearly every bathroom accident is a slip and fall injury —which can mean broken bones, scrapes or cuts that my require surgeries.

The understanding and reliable Philadelphia personal injury lawyers at Flager & Yockey, who serve all of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, know it can be embarrassing to slip and fall in a friend’s bathroom or while at an elegant hotel or restaurant. But most bathroom accidents are the property owner’s responsibility due to some bathroom hazard, such as a dangerously wet floor, broken tiles, slippery shower stall or absence of a rubber bathtub mat. Premises liability insurance is there to cover medical bills, loss of income or other financial impacts of accidents such as slip and falls.

Wherever slip and fall accidents take place, the victim may be severely injured, such as an older person who slipped and fell on a wet floor at a mall, a hiker who tripped on a poorly maintained city trail or a child slipped and fell in an amusement park playground accident. Slip and fall accidents can sometimes  even be fatal. If an elderly person slipped and fell down crumbling steps at a motel, for instance, it could become a wrongful death lawsuit, simply due to the older person’s fragility and difficulty recovering.

So, when traveling, whether by car, plane, train or bus, be extra cautious about the condition of the floors, paths, stairs and sidewalks. And if you do slip and fall, remember: The property owner’s premises liability insurance is there to provide compensation for your injuries—and you should pursue every penny you have coming to you.

If you or a loved one had a slip and fall accident, whether at the corner store or in another city, you need strong legal representation to help you recover any associates costs. Contact the experienced  Philadelphia and New Jersey personal injury lawyers at Flager & Yockey by calling 1-215-953-5200 or contact us online for a free consultation. Don’t put up with pain from slipping and falling—call today.

Flager & Yockey
One Northbrook Corporate Center
1210 Northbrook Drive, Ste. 280
Trevose, PA 19053

Here’s a startling statistic about the link between pedestrian accidents and texting. If you’re texting while crossing the street, you’re four times more likely to be hit by a car than someone who’s not texting. Specifically, you have a 25 percent chance of being hit by a car while crossing the street if you’re texting. If you are not texting, you have a 6 percent chance of being hit by a vehicle, according to scientific study conducted by the Youth Safety Laboratory at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Have you been injured in a pedestrian accident in Pennsylvania? Injured by a driver talking on a cell phone in New Jersey? You need a tough Pennsylvania personal injury attorney who will fight for your rights. You need Flager & Yockey. Serving clients in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, our knowledgeable personal injury attorneys near Philadelphia thoroughly understand each state’s unique laws concerning texting and pedestrians. We then use this information to help you decide the best course of action in your case. No one deserves to suffer because of someone else’s reckless behavior. Put your trust in a New Jersey personal injury attorney who puts people first. Contact Flager & Yockey.

Pedestrian accidents result in serious injuries – and even death – every day across America. More than 59,000 pedestrians are injured each year in accidents on average nationwide. In 2009, a total of 4,092 pedestrians were killed in U.S. auto accidents, according to the latest statistics compiled by the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration.

Serious accidents demand serious attention. Take back control. If you’ve been injured in a pedestrian accident, contact a Pennsylvania attorney who will work tirelessly for you. Contact Flager & Yockey. We’re on your side.

News involving drivers over 65 years old used to focus on their high accident rate. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported, “In 1997, older people (over 70 years old) made up 9 percent of the resident population but accounted for 14 percent of all traffic fatalities and 17 percent of all pedestrian fatalities.”  But a recent study has discovered that older drivers are often the safest drivers. Specifically, children are twice as safe when their grandparents are driving instead of their parents. “What we learned was that grandparents drive very, very cautiously when their grandchildren are on board, making a special effort to drive safely,” Dr. Fred Henretig, who conducted the study, told Time Magazine.

Accidents happen fast. Instantly, your life can change. Your accident could require you to spend weeks in a hospital. You might need physical therapy. Even then, your life might not return to normal because of someone else’s reckless behavior.

Don’t suffer in silence. Take back control. Contact a Pennsylvania personal injury attorney who can help get you back on your feet after your accident. Contact Flager & Yockey. Serving clients in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, our knowledgeable personal injury attorneys near Philadelphia have dedicated their careers to helping auto accident victims. We know what it takes to win a case. We carefully sort through all the facts others often overlook after an accident. We then use this information to build a rock-solid case with one goal in mind: get you the maximum compensation you rightfully deserve. Put your trust in a New Jersey personal injury attorney who puts people first. Contact Flager & Yockey.

Accident statistics vary for older drivers. The odds of getting in a fatal accident increase noticeably each year for drivers over 75 years old, according to the Centers for Disease Control. And yet older drivers are some of the most responsible drivers. An estimated 77 percent of drivers over 65 years old wear their seatbelts compared to 63 percent of drivers 18 to 64 years old. They also have far fewer drunk driving accidents compared to drivers 21 to 64 years old.

Don’t leave your future to chance. If you’ve been injured in an auto accident, contact an attorney who means business. Contact Flager & Yockey.

What would you do if you were injured while riding in a car with a drunk driver? How would you pay your medical bills? What are the laws in Pennsylvania and New Jersey regarding your right to be compensated for your injuries? Knowing what to do can be confusing. We can help.

Passengers often sustain injuries in car accidents. On average, 9,668 people die each year in accidents while riding in a vehicle. And often, drunk drivers cause these accidents. In 2008, drunk drivers killed 578 people in Pennsylvania and 197 people in New Jersey. That’s 39 percent of all fatalities in Pennsylvania, 33 percent in New Jersey.

What does all this mean if you were injured while a passenger in a drunk driving accident? Any time passengers sustain injuries in a car accident, passengers almost always have a personal injury claim against one of the drivers.

Another important factor to consider is who supplied the alcohol to the driver. If a bar or liquor store knowingly sold alcohol to the driver in an intoxicated state, you may be able to pursue a case against the bar or liquor store.

Liability laws vary by state. Pennsylvania and New Jersey are “no fault” insurance states. That means your insurance company pays your medical bills regardless of who’s at fault. But getting insurance companies to cooperate can be hard.

Drunk driving accidents are complicated. Knowing what to do can be difficult. You need someone who thoroughly understands the law. You need an experienced legal team in your corner. You need Flager & Yockey.

Our knowledgeable attorneys have years of experience defending clients seriously injured in drunk driving accidents in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. We tenaciously investigate every case and work tirelessly to obtain the full compensation you deserve for your accident.

We understand how traumatic drunk driving accidents can be. We can help. Contact Flager & Yockey today. We’re on your side.