Local News Blog | Harrisburg, PA | Schmidt Kramer, P.C.

Can Parents be Held Liable for a Crash Caused by Their Teenage Child?

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on February 18, 2022 in Car Accidents

Teenage drivers cause a lot of auto accidents each year, and not just because they often engage in extremely reckless behavior, like texting or posting to social media while they are behind the wheel. Teenagers are inexperienced and do not always make the best decisions because of that lack of experience. When a teenager causes […]

Are Injury Victims Required to Submit to an Independent Medical Exam?

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on February 10, 2022 in Personal Injury

This is a complex question, which is why it should be discussed with a licensed attorney. The answer may depend on the type of accident you were involved in and the terms of the insurance policy you are seeking compensation from. The licensed attorneys at Schmidt Kramer are available to answer your questions after getting […]

Avoiding Line-of-Sight Car Crashes in Pennsylvania

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on February 08, 2022 in Car Accidents

You need a clear view of the road and the traffic around you to safely operate a car, especially when you are making a turn or pulling onto a busy roadway. Unfortunately, there are many types of obstructions that could block your line of sight and make it much more difficult to operate your vehicle […]

How an Airbag Can Injure a Driver During a Harrisburg Collision

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on February 03, 2022 in Car Accidents

Car crashes have the potential to cause serious or even life-threatening injuries. The body and especially the head are often jostled around quite forcefully during a collision, increasing the likelihood of severe injury. While airbags save thousands of lives each year, they can sometimes cause injuries too — especially if the airbag is defective or […]

Schmidt Kramer Attorney Jessica Mitchell Presenting at Social Security Disability Law Retreat

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on January 31, 2022 in News

Jessica Mitchell will be presenting at a Social Security Disability law retreat by the National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives. The NextGen Retreat is for those under the age of 40 who have less than 10 years of experience in Social Security Law. The event takes place March 3-6 in Boulder, Colorado, and Mitchell […]

Dangers of Speeding and Why It Leads to So Many Crashes on U.S. Roads

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on January 31, 2022 in Car Accidents

Each year, thousands of people are killed in car crashes that involve one or more vehicles that were speeding. (In 2019 alone, 9,748 people were killed in crashes involving speeding.) A significant number of these crashes also involve distracted driving, as distracted drivers often do not realize how fast they are going. So many drivers […]

Common Types of Head/Traumatic Brain Injuries Suffered in Car Accidents

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on January 28, 2022 in Car Accidents

Some of the worst injuries caused by car accidents are head and traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Even a moderate brain injury could end up affecting you for the rest of your life. The damage could affect you physically and psychologically, creating numerous daily challenges. Below, Schmidt Kramer’s experienced attorneys discuss some of the most common […]

Scott Cooper Named Dauphin County Bar Association President for 2022

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on January 27, 2022 in General

Schmidt Kramer is proud to announce the appointment of Partner Scott Cooper as Dauphin County Bar Association (DCBA) President for 2022. Cooper was elected as President-elect last January when the DCBA held its annual meeting. Cooper is also a former president of the Pennsylvania Association for Justice and a member of the National Trial Lawyers […]

Does Tendinitis Qualify for Social Security Disability Benefits?

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on January 24, 2022 in Social Security Disability

Sudden injuries and repetitive movements made over a long period can cause people to develop tendinitis. This refers to inflammation of the tendons that connect your bones to your muscles. For example, people could develop tendinitis from typing on a keyboard, sweeping, mopping, writing or other repetitive movements they make at their job. While you […]

Who Could Be at Fault for a Crash That Occurs When a Vehicle is Backing Up?

Posted on behalf of Schmidt Kramer on January 20, 2022 in Car Accidents

There are many types of accidents that happen on our nation’s roads every year. However, you might be surprised at how many crashes occur while backing up. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates there are about 30,000 accidents per year that involve one or more vehicles backing up. You may be thinking this […]

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Recent Results

$175,000.00 Auto Accidents

When the case was originally referred to him, the attorney referring it believed that the available UIM coverage was only $100,000. However, Scott realized that the insurance company did not comply with the Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility Law when it obtained a rejection of stacking waiver. The insurance company admitted the mistake and then changed the policy to $200,000 available coverage. This allowed the client to recover even more monies than were originally thought to be available. Also, Scott amicably resolved the client's original third party case.

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$500,000.00 Auto Accidents

The victim of a Cumberland County car accident suffered leg fractures that required the insertion of hardware.

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$250,000.00 Auto Accidents

Mike Kosik successfully pursued an under insured motorist case against State Farm. After reaching a settlement with the driver responsible for the accident, a claim for under insured motorist benefits was pursued against the clients own insurance policy. The claim was pursued because the other driver was under insured and the client were not fully compensated. State Farm refused to settle and after suit was filed removed the case to the Federal Middle District of Pennsylvania. State Farm made several small offers of settlement which were rejected by the clients and the case proceeded to trial. The jury rejected State Farm’s position and awarded $250,000 against State Farm which the court molded to $150,000 based on the previous settlement.

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$0.00 Personal Injury

A Schmidt Kramer lawyer recently reached a confidential settlement on behalf of the estate of an 80-year-old nursing home resident who died due to the negligence of the nursing home. The nursing home failed to monitor changes in the resident's condition and report it to the treating physician. This caused a severe internal injury which led to the resident being rushed to the hospital where he underwent emergency surgery that revealed even more injuries and damages. He ultimately was admitted to the hospital and died 2 months after the incident.

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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 AM Date of Verdict: June 19. 2012 Court and Case No.: C.P. Dauphin County No. 2009-CV-14003-MM Judge: Scott Evans Type of Action: Medical malpractice Injuries: Anoxic brain injury Plaintiffs Counsel: Terry S. Hyman, Schmidt Kramer, Harrisburg Plaintiffs 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, PA Defense Experts: James C. Reilly, Pediatric Otolaryngology, Wilmington, DE Comment: 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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Testimonials

One of the best decisions I ever made was choosing Schmidt-Kramer as my personal injury representative. I was given Scott Cooper's name through a family member shortly after my accident in July of 2024. After contacting the Schmidt-Kramer office, Scott came out and visited me in the hospital the very next day. From the very beginning, he was compassionate, upfront, and honest. He ALWAYS responded to my calls, texts, and/or e-mails in a timely manner and kept me up to date on developments in my case. I am very pleased with the outcome and highly recommend this law firm.
Very caring and compassionate
Debra Zervanos
Gerry and his team were very caring and compassionate. Gerry was always very responsive to me whether it be phone calls or emails. He kept me updated every single step of the way. His team and himself worked tirelessly to get me the best possible outcome to my situation. He was able to wrap everything up within two years with a nice bow on it. I will forever be grateful and will recommend him to everyone.
Dakota Cravener
Solid, trustworthy and lucky to have on your side! Dennis Kergick represented me and I was very impressed. Finally a down to earth and easy to talk to attorney . When the time came he was a junk yard dog and I could see the opposing counsel was intimidated. All while maintaining a professional level of respect and courtesy. Would recommend to friends and family. Keep up the good work!!
It’s hard to believe it’s been four years already, but I’m still deeply thankful for my experience with Dennis. Now living in Illinois, I’ve had some similar encounters, and people here are often surprised — and even a bit shocked — when they hear my story. They always end up admitting just how good Dennis truly was. It’s something I didn’t fully realize at the time, but the more I share, the more it’s confirmed to me. God bless, and thank you I came back stronger than ever.

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