Local News Blog | Harrisburg, PA

Tips for Avoiding a Crash With a Semi-Truck in Pennsylvania

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on September 22, 2023 in Truck Accidents

Traveling on any U.S. highway increases your risk of being in a traffic accident. Trucks can be especially dangerous to drive around due to the long hours their drivers are on the road. Despite these risks, there are some defensive driving steps you can take to avoid a semi-truck accident. Below, we discuss the inherent […]

What Factors May Impact the Value of Your Claim After a Car Crash?

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on September 19, 2023 in Car Accidents

It goes without saying that being involved in a collision is a traumatic experience, both physically and emotionally. In the aftermath, victims often feel overwhelmed by their injuries, as well as the unexpected onslaught of medical costs. To add to the stress, these injured victims will need to seek compensation to help pay for those […]

Can You File a PA Injury Claim After a Brake-Checking Collision?

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on September 14, 2023 in Car Accidents

Road rage is a nationwide problem. Many drivers are quick to anger when they feel they have been wronged by another motorist, especially when traffic is heavy. Some drivers may even deliberately slam on their brakes when they feel another car is following them too closely. Slamming on the brakes in this way is an […]

Schmidt Kramer September 2023 Newsletter – A Summer Recap

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on September 11, 2023 in News

As we head into the fall season, it seems the perfect time to look back over all the news and events that took place over the summer. In this edition of our quarterly newsletter, you will find the full scoop on the Schmidt Kramer attorneys who were selected for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in […]

Coping With Loss After a Tragic Crash: Legal Mistakes to Avoid

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on September 08, 2023 in Car Accidents

The thought of losing a loved one in a tragic crash is something no one wants to think about. However, crash data shows that the number of fatal crashes continues to increase year after year. The number of fatalities from traffic accidents in 2023 looks like it will surpass those in 2022, according to early […]

Scott Cooper Speaks to the Legal Intelligencer About the Use of AI in Insurance Claims

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on August 30, 2023 in General

A bill is being developed in Harrisburg to address concerns about the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the insurance industry. The bill, to be introduced by Rep. Arvind Venkat, aims to require insurance companies to disclose when they use AI in their claims process. The use of AI in insurance claims may have […]

Reasons You Should Take Notes After a Harrisburg, PA Car Crash

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on August 24, 2023 in Car Accidents

You may be surprised at how quickly crash victims can forget important details about their accidents. They may struggle to remember aspects of the collision just hours after it happened. That is why you should not rely solely on your memory of the incident. Many crash victims find it helpful to take notes soon after […]

Distracted Driving Crash – What Evidence Could Help Prove Your Claim?

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on August 21, 2023 in Car Accidents

Many people are alarmed at how often they see other drivers staring down at their phones or not looking at the road while their vehicles are in motion. These individuals do not seem to care about the danger they are creating for themselves and others on the road. While some drivers get away with being […]

Best Lawyers Selects Seven Schmidt Kramer Lawyers for the 2024 Edition

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on August 17, 2023 in General

Schmidt Kramer proudly announces that several attorneys at our firm have been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2024 edition. Scott B. Cooper was selected as Lawyer of the Year for Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs. Charles E. Schmidt, Jr. was selected as Lawyer of the Year for Medical Malpractice Law – […]

Scott Cooper Discusses Appeals and Other Legal Challenges on Podcast

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on August 16, 2023 in News

Schmidt Kramer’s own Scott Cooper was on the first episode of a new podcast called “Inside the Lawyers Studio”. This episode of the podcast focused on appeals and other legal challenges. The podcast is inspired by the TV show “Inside the Actors Studio”, in which host James Lipton interviewed actors in a room filled with […]

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$10,043,952.13 Personal Injury
Schmidt Kramer, P.C.partner Gerard C. Kramer won a personal injury action for $10,043,952.13 in Northumberland County on behalf of a volunteer firefighter who was the victim of Intentional Tort. The 50-year-old volunteer firefighter was seriously injured when a barn collapsed, causing a spinal injury which left him a paraplegic. The claim was brought against the arsonist who intentionally started the fire. It is believed that the verdict is the highest ever in Northumberland County.
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$4,034,000.00 Personal Injury
Yesterday a Judge in Union County (Lewisburg, PA) awarded a couple from New Berlin, Pennsylvania, over $4,000,000 because the husband was shot while turkey hunting.You might ask yourself, how does a turkey hunting accident end up with that type of verdict? In order to understand the verdict you would have to know our clients. They are good people who had their life wrecked. Plus, you would have to know the defendant, who should not have been hunting with a gun because he was prohibited after a previous criminal conviction.It is a good verdict, because the Judge was able to do two things with his decision. First, he communicated to two very good people that their losses were something that those of us on the outside could appreciate and value. Mike Hobbins (our client) is a 51 year old guy who lost his sight because a convicted felon --who should not have even possessed a gun-- went hunting illegally, and broke with impunity the most fundamental rule in hunting: identify your target before you pull the trigger. The Judge accepted the financial loss Mr. Hobbins' suffered, but listened closely to the evidence of less tangible losses. When Mike broke down on the stand, because his daughter would end up walking him down the aisle at her wedding, as opposed to how it was supposed to go, the Judge was listening. When Mike could not keep it together, because of how emasculating it was for him not to be able to provide financially for his family, the Judge was listening. It was facts like these that the Judge cited to support the $2,000,000 award for non-economic damages. Second, the Judge wanted to send a message. Union County is a hunting county. Many of the residents hunt there, and people from outside the area come to Union County to hunt. It was my impression, from the Judge's statements as he rendered his decision, that he wanted to send a message to the people in Union County to protect them in their sport. The rules in place to restrict people convicted of crimes not to have a gun are not to be broken. Hunting is serious and you have to identify your target before you shoot. When you turn your back on the rules that are set to provide safety in a sport, you risk being an example. Here, the $1,000,000 punitive damage award sends that message loud and clear.When it really comes down to brass tacks, the right action was taken against a Defendant who may never truly appreciate what kind of impact his reckless choices caused.At Schmidt Kramer, we are injury lawyers. That means we work with people who were hurt in car accidents, who were hurt by the neglect of nursing homes, or those that were seriously injured because of the reckless, thoughtless acts of others. If you or a loved one have been injured in Pennsylvania, we may be able to help. While the verdict yesterday is not one that is representative of every case we do, it does show that serious and dedicated representation can bring good results.Joe ChapmanJanuary 18, 2013
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$2,200,000.00 Auto Accidents
On Monday, January 6, 2014, Schmidt Kramer accident lawyer Scott Cooper obtained a verdict on behalf of his client who is the widow of a man who died in a fiery crash on Interstate 78 in Lebanon County. The awarded verdict of $2.2 million was in a nonjury proceeding before a federal judge in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. That verdict includes $100,000 in punitive damages assessed against the owner of the trucking company.Kamilah Claxton won summary judgment in November after the defendants, Sukhwinder Singh and the trucking company for which he worked, failed to file a brief in opposition to Claxton's motion, which was made in September. The verdict in Claxton v. Singh was issued after the court held a non-jury assessment of damages earlier this month."Mr. Sukhchan Singh, the employer, is liable on the basis of respondent superior, but was also grossly negligent in failing to maintain his vehicle in compliance with state and federal law, particularly with regard to having required safety inspections and correcting defects in its braking equipment," said U.S. District Judge William W. Caldwell of the Middle District of Pennsylvania in his opinion accompanying the verdict."He was also grossly negligent in entrusting his vehicle to Sukhwinder Singh, an inexperienced truck driver who had failed the written test and driving test multiple times before finally earning his commercial driving license," Caldwell said.
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$1,200,000.00 Personal Injury
A Dauphin County jury has awarded a $1.2 million verdict to the parents of a 5-year-old who had an anoxic brain injury and stopped breathing after he had a tonsillectomy.2012-06-26 10:00:00 AMDate of Verdict: June 19. 2012Court and Case No.: C.P. Dauphin County No. 2009-CV-14003-MMJudge: Scott EvansType of Action: Medical malpracticeInjuries: Anoxic brain injuryPlaintiffs Counsel: Terry S. Hyman, Schmidt Kramer, HarrisburgPlaintiffs Experts: Dr. Anna H. Messner, liability; Lucille Packer, Pediatric Otolaryngology, Palo Alto, Calif.; Terry P. Leslie, vocations and earning capacity, Lancaster; Dr. Hilary B. Berlin, pediatric psychiatry, Great Neck, N.Y.Defense Counsel: Andrew H. Foulkrod, Darlene K. King, Foulkrod Ellis, Camp Hill, PADefense Experts: James C. Reilly, Pediatric Otolaryngology, Wilmington, DEComment: A Dauphin County jury has awarded a $1.2 million verdict to the parents of a 5-year-old who had an anoxic brain injury and stopped breathing after he had a tonsillectomy.The entire verdict came against Dr. Andrew M. Shapiro, the doctor who plaintiffs Reginald Graham and Tykeisha Metz alleged chose to have the boy monitored at a pediatric ward. The plaintiffs argued Shapiro failed to tell nurses caring for the baby about, and how to care for, the boy's enhanced risk for respiratory failure.The jury came back on June 19 and awarded Reginald Graham and Tykeisha Mets $500,000 in non-economic damages and $686,170 in loss of future earning capacity, according to the plaintiffs counsel.According to the statement, the baby's mother brought him to Shapiro because she was "'afraid that he might stop breathing during his sleep,'" the plaintiffs' pretrial statement said. Shapiro performed a sleep study and observed the baby's Apnea Hypopnea Index to be 43 — four times higher than what's considered severe. A tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy were performed.According to the plaintiffs, the baby's sleep study results put him at an increased risk for post-operative respiratory complications. Despite this, they argued in the statement, Shapiro ordered the pediatric nurses at the Harrisburg Hospital general pediatric ward to observe the boy as they would any other patients — about once every four hours.The pretrial statement said that one in four children who have an AHI in the 40s and oxygen desaturation below 80 have some type of respiratory problem. The younger the child, the greater the risk of a respiratory problem, the statement said.According to the statement, Shapiro took off the child's pulse oximeter, the finger-mounted device used to measure blood oxygen, and ordered a heart and respiratory rate monitor. The child was 11 months old at the time.The plaintiffs pled that the baby was last seen at 4 a.m. There was no record of his oxygen saturation for the next hour and 45 minutes. He stopped breathing a 6:40 a.m., and his brain was without oxygen long enough to cause demonstrable injury on an MRI."Immediately prior to his surgery, [the child] was a normal child, who could say mama, eat finger foods, and was just on the verge of walking," the statement said. "After his code, [he] was like a newborn. He could not lift his head or sit up. He could not talk. He could not move."In his pretrial statement, Shapiro argued that he recognized the child's pre-operative sleep study showed he was driven to breath by decreased blood oxygen saturation, which he said was typical in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.He argued the American Academy of Otolaryngology dictates that admission to the intensive care unit is not the standard of care. In the statement, he said nurses did not observe signs of respiratory distress. No alarms sounded until the child arrested, the statement said.He said the baby likely arrested as a result of hypoglycemia and/or an acute aspiration, which he argued would not have been identified by blood oxygen saturation.— Ben Present, of the Law Weekly
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$1,024,040.80 Auto Accidents
Scott Cooper settled a wrongful death case on behalf of the widow of a police office who was killed in a car accident in the line of duty for $1,024,040.80. The claim against the other driver was amicably resolved before suit was filed for the entire available policy limits for the other driver. The case took place in Adams County, PA.
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Testimonials

Dear Jessica,This is late in coming but heartfelt nevertheless.It's been a while since my case was closed but I thank God for your help and your dedication to your job that helped me through my case.Every day I am grateful that you took care of me in an unfamiliar situation. I feel confident that the outcome was the best for me. I don't know anything about the legal side of things and my rights. I can start your IV though.If it would ever come up, I would recommend you and your firm to represent anyone seeking a good and honest attorney.
Aniko B, Workers' Comp Client of Jessica L. Mitchell
My family and I would like to personally thank you and Schmidt Kramer for everything you did and provided to us, as well as a big thank you for taking and reviewing our situation and taking on our case. We cannot express how satisfied and how much we appreciate your guidance and leadership on how you handled the case and updating us on what was going to happen next and the updates within our case as they became available. In closing, we wish you the best in your career and in life. Wherever it takes you, you will succeed and we are fortunate to have met you and those we met at Schmidt Kramer. As I continue my journey, I hope I continue to heal from minor issues associated with the accident and keep moving forward. My family appreciates everything you have done, even though you may feel you may only have been doing your job. Thank you and take care.
Chad S., Workers' Compensation Client of Jessica Mitchell from Manchester, PA
Thank you for your excellent service and assistance during a very overwhelming time for me. Your assistance was much appreciated!
Josh D., Client of Gerry Kramer
Thank you for all your assistance, even coming to our home. Keep in touch.
David R., Client of Scott Cooper from Mechanicsburg, PA
From start to finish, everything was outstanding.
Robert B., Dog Bite Client of Gerard C. Kramer

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