Car Accidents Blog Page 16 of 56

Pennsylvania Traffic Laws That Often Impact Car Accident Claims

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on April 30, 2021 in Car Accidents

Pennsylvania is known as a no-fault state because drivers are required to purchase personal injury protection coverage to provide compensation after a crash, even if the policyholder is at fault. However, fault can still be a factor in a Pennsylvania car crash claim. For the most part, drivers are found to be at fault for […]

Should You Call the Insurance Company Before Speaking to a Lawyer?

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on April 28, 2021 in Car Accidents

You can call the insurance company to inform them of the accident and your need for medical treatment. However, it is important to be aware of the risks of talking to the insurance company before speaking to a qualified lawyer. If you have questions after being injured in a car crash, give Schmidt Kramer a […]

Despite Increase in 2020, Traffic Deaths in Pennsylvania Were Second Lowest on Record

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on April 22, 2021 in Car Accidents

There was less traffic on the roads in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, this did not result in a decrease in traffic deaths. In fact, there were 70 more traffic fatalities in 2020 compared to 2019, according to statistics cited by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). That said, traffic fatalities in Pennsylvania […]

Distracted Driving Citations in Pennsylvania Decreased by 47 Percent from 2019 to 2020

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on April 02, 2021 in Car Accidents

2020 was a year with a lot of bad news, but there is some good news about last year. For example, data from the Pennsylvania court system shows the number of distracted driving citations was down 47 percent compared to 2019. This may indicate there was less distracted driving in 2020 compared to the previous […]

How a Car Insurance Company May Twist Your Words to Hurt Your Claim

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on March 29, 2021 in Car Accidents

Crash victims often make a variety of mistakes that could hurt their claims for compensation. One of those mistakes is oversharing with the car insurance company. When they get on the phone with the insurance company, the representative may make them feel at ease. Victims may start revealing details about their injuries, the pain they […]

Report Says Distracted Driving Deaths are On Rise; Encourages Tougher Laws

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on February 26, 2021 in Car Accidents

According to a new report released by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), deaths from car accidents involving distracted driving have increased. The report also encourages states to pass tougher distracted driving laws to help prevent this behavior and punish offenders. The report, titled Using Electronic Devices While Driving: Legislation and Enforcement Implications, says there […]

Seeking Another Opinion About the Severity of Your Car Accident Injuries

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on February 04, 2021 in Car Accidents

People often seek a second opinion about a cancer diagnosis or a diagnosis of many other serious or life-threatening injuries. However, when an injury results from a car crash, people tend to make a lot of bad decisions afterward. Sometimes people do not seek medical treatment right away, if at all – accident victims have […]

Can I Seek Compensation After a No-Contact Collision?

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on December 30, 2020 in Car Accidents

No-contact car accidents are accidents where the at-fault driver’s vehicle never touches yours. The other driver’s actions caused you to crash into another vehicle or object. Sometimes the at-fault driver is unaware of the result of his or her actions and he or she simply drives away. Crash victims already have many questions about what […]

Can You Decide Where to Take Your Car for Repairs After a Crash?

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on December 07, 2020 in Car Accidents

Insurance companies may suggest taking your car to certain repair shops after a crash. Insurance companies choose these shops because they have worked with them in the past and they believe these shops will evaluate vehicle damage in a way that favors the insurance company. However, victims are often unsure about whether they are required […]

What You Need to Know About Stacking Uninsured Motorist Benefits in Pennsylvania

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on November 20, 2020 in Car Accidents

Your car insurance policy has coverage limits. For example, if you have $100,000 in uninsured motorist coverage, that is the limit on the amount of compensation you can recover for damages. However, Pennsylvania allows you to stack uninsured motorist benefits, which could significantly increase your coverage limits. Below, learn more about what it means to […]

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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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