Car Accidents Blog Page 4 of 56

Brain Stem Injuries From Crashes and Why They Are Serious

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

Brain stem injuries from motor vehicle crashes, while rarer than other types of head injuries, are extremely severe. Since the brain stem controls critical body functions, this injury often leaves victims with devastating and permanent physical consequences. Schmidt Kramer discusses brain stem injuries from crashes below, including typical symptoms and types of treatment. We also […]

Zoning Out Behind the Wheel and How It Could Cause a Crash

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

Zoning out behind the wheel is a trance-like state that could happen to any driver on the road. People may commonly relate this state to driving at night. Yet, as surprising as it may sound, highway hypnosis can occur even when you are driving during normal daytime hours. So what exactly is this phenomenon, what […]

What is the Difference Between a Personal Injury Claim and a Lawsuit in Pennsylvania?

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on July 12, 2023 in Car Accidents

If you suffered a personal injury due to negligence, you may be eligible to seek compensation. If you have a case, do you know what legal process to use? Should you file an injury claim or a lawsuit in Pennsylvania? What is the difference between the two? Schmidt Kramer discusses the difference between an injury […]

How Emotional Driving Greatly Increases the Risk of a Pennsylvania Crash

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on June 26, 2023 in Car Accidents

Getting behind the wheel while you are feeling angry or upset is a bad idea. More than that, it is a dangerous distraction because it takes your focus off the road. In fact, multiple studies show that emotional driving greatly increases the risk of a crash. Schmidt Kramer discusses the intense emotions drivers may experience […]

Crush Injuries After a Car Crash and Why They Are So Dangerous

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on June 22, 2023 in Car Accidents

Crush injuries from a car crash are very common and can occur even in a seemingly minor collision. At first, victims may have no idea their injuries are severe. This is especially true if the damaged area involves a smaller body part, like a hand or leg. Complications from a crush injury, however, are extremely […]

Broken Ribs From a Car Crash – What You Need to Know

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

Broken ribs from a car crash are very common, but since there may not be visual evidence of an injury, some victims may think the pain is normal muscle soreness. Rib fractures, however, can quickly lead to life-threatening complications if not diagnosed and treated. Below, Schmidt Kramer talks more about broken rib injuries and the […]

How Overly Cautious Drivers Create a Serious Crash Risk

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on June 12, 2023 in Car Accidents

Many people think being extra careful on the road makes them better drivers. However, what if you have crossed that fine line from driving safely to being too timid, nervous or overly cautious behind the wheel? At Schmidt Kramer, we understand there are valid reasons people may feel nervous or anxious when driving. Today, we […]

How Children Distract Drivers and Increase the Risk of a Crash

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on June 07, 2023 in Car Accidents

Every parent can relate to the challenges of driving with children in the car. Even the best-behaved kids are bound to have moments when they are cranky, irritated, sick or out of sorts. But children in the back seat can distract drivers, which could quickly lead to a tragic outcome. At Schmidt Kramer, many members […]

Who is Liable if Following Too Closely Leads to a Crash in PA?

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on May 28, 2023 in Car Accidents

We have all experienced those impatient drivers who tailgate to get you to go faster or move out of their way. These individuals may think there is no harm and that they are just gently pressuring you. However, following too closely to another vehicle is illegal and considered aggressive driving behavior. It could also lead […]

Electric Vehicles – Do They Pose a Higher Crash Risk?

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on May 23, 2023 in Car Accidents

Electric vehicles have become a lot more popular over the past decade. People concerned about the environment appreciate that they put out fewer greenhouse gasses and pollutants than other vehicles. Consumers also believe electric vehicles to be safer, but could they actually pose a higher crash risk? From improved driving performance to lower fuel costs, […]

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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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