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May 10, 2021
May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month

May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month

Motorcycles are more likely to be involved in fatal crashes than cars, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA),who takes a closer look in May at protective protocols for bikers during Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. Based on miles traveled, motorcyclists are “about 27 times more likely than people in passenger cars to die […]

April 19, 2021
Motorcycle Crashes in Pennsylvania Increase

Motorcycle Crashes in Pennsylvania Increase

Motorcycle accidents are on the upswing, according to the 2019 Pennsylvania Crash Facts & Statistics, a publication of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. While PA crashes in general were at a record low in 2019, motorcycle crashes and fatalities each increased 10 percent from the previous year. Pennsylvania’s roads and highways cover more than 120,000 […]

New PA Bill Would Protect Tow Truck Drivers, First Responders

New PA Bill Would Protect Tow Truck Drivers, First Responders

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 […]

New Data: PA Roundabouts Reduce Crashes

New Data: PA Roundabouts Reduce Crashes

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 […]

Municipal Liability – Sovereign Immunity – Governmental Immunity – When You Can Sue the City and for What

Municipal Liability – Sovereign Immunity – Governmental Immunity – When You Can Sue the City and for What

In Pennsylvania, the law limits when you can sue the state or a municipality, including the City of Philadelphia. The concept of “sovereign immunity” provides a defense for both the state, or Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and municipal governments, unless a statutory exception applies. The exceptions to the state’s immunity are detailed at 42 Pa.C.S. § […]

Jurisdiction: Where Can a Corporation Be Sued and Why Does It Matter?

Jurisdiction: Where Can a Corporation Be Sued and Why Does It Matter?

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 […]

PA High Court: No Immunity for PennDOT in Guardrail Injury Claims

PA High Court: No Immunity for PennDOT in Guardrail Injury Claims

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 […]