A proposed bill in the Pennsylvania General Assembly will mean increased fines for drivers not complying with the commonwealth’s law on cautionary driving near accidents. The current “steer clear” law requires that drivers approaching accident scenes on state highways either slow down or move over by one lane to protect first responders. However, increased crash […]
In several Pennsylvania locations with roundabouts, the average numbers of fatalities and crashes dropped 100% and 21% respectively over a 20-year period, according to recent data from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). PennDOT’s data was based on police-submitted crash reports from 2000-2019. The data also showed, however, that by 2019 property damage-only accidents were […]
Sadly, more than 70,000 Americans under the age of 19 died in automobile accidents between 2004 and 2018 in a recent study on the latest available data. Of those numbers, 84% were in the driver or passenger seat. Where are these accidents most common and why? States with the most child and teen fatalities (per […]
September is the deadliest month for traffic fatalities and October is a close second, according to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal. The article reviewed two independent studies that found late summer/early fall to be the riskiest for US traffic deaths, and late winter/early spring to be the least dangerous time to be […]
Pennsylvania law requires that all drivers maintain at least a minimum amount of liability insurance, in case they cause an accident. However, studies have shown that approximately 7% of Pennsylvania drivers do NOT have car insurance. Many more have only the state minimum coverage, which is $15,000 per injured person and $30,000 total per accident. […]
One of the determinations to be made before filing a lawsuit is where can each of the parties be sued so as to determine where a lawsuit is best filed. Recently, the Eastern District of Pennsylvania held that general jurisdiction by consent my be established where a Defendant’s only contact with Pennsylvania is the Defendant’s […]
Whether it be in the employer-employee setting or in the permissive user/family member situation, persons driving cars are often not the actual, listed owner. In those circumstances, after an accident, it is possible to sue the owner and assert a claim for negligent entrustment and sue the driver and assert a claim for negligence. Pennsylvania […]
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has made it easier for individuals to sue over injuries caused by government vehicles. Generally, the state has immunity from personal injury lawsuits. One exception is if someone is hurt by a government agency vehicle when it’s “in operation.” Last month, the Supreme Court broadened the meaning of “in operation.” Past […]
You lose control of your car on a roadway in Pennsylvania and slam into a guardrail. The guardrail pierces your car and you’re injured. Can you sue PennDOT? Yes, you can, says the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. In a recent ruling, the high court held that sovereign immunity doesn’t protect the state against lawsuits that allege […]
Last week, the Philadelphia Inquirer ran a story about “bikelash.” Bicyclists in Philadelphia want a better cycling infrastructure. Motorists, already frustrated with having to share the city’s narrow, traffic-clogged roadways with cyclists, are pushing back. Jockeying for space on city streets can lead to crashes, and when bikes and cars collide the result can be […]
