Annual UCP Golf Tournament
Schmidt Kramer’s sponsorship of the 20th Annual UCP Golf Tournament carries on for 2008. The golf tournament will be held at the Country Club of Harrisburg again and is set for Monday, August 25, 2008. The Schmidt Kramer staff is looking forward to volunteering their time for the day to raise money for the United Cerebral Palsy of Central Pennsylvania. The firm is looking for another record-breaking year!
Appointment with Schmidt Kramer?
Schmidt Kramer PC would like their clients to be aware of the parking available for any appointments at the firm. We acquired a parking validation package from the South Street garage located behind the firm office. We will validate your stub so parking is paid by the firm. If you are injured and need to park at the meters, we will put quarters in the meter for you. Just let the receptionist know whether we will need to plug your meter or validate your parking ticket. Call the office for more specific directions for the parking garage or to get to the firm. Please contact the office at (888) 476-0807 and we will send the information to you.
In Support of the Fight Against Cancer
Schmidt Kramer again supports the American Cancer Society by participating in Daffodil Days. This year’s Daffodil Days campaign takes place from March 24-30. Schmidt Kramer staff members placed their orders for daffodils and are anticipating a touch of spring with fresh flowers being delivered on March 25. Funds raised by Daffodil Days have helped the American Cancer Society’s mission of preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from the disease through research, education, advocacy, and patient services.
Gerry Kramer Awarded
Gerry Kramer has been awarded an AV Peer Review Rating by LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell as a result of an extensive confidential review by members of the Bar. This award includes a select group of lawyers who have been recognized for their legal expertise and professional stature. Gerry’s rating is included in the Martindale-Hubbell Lawyer Locator at www.martindale.com. CONGRATULATIONS, GERRY, from everyone at the firm!
For Your Safety: Recalled Product Roundup
Here are some recently recalled products you may have in your home or at work:
- Simplicity Inc. has recalled about one million cribs whose drop-side may detach and entrap and suffocate infants.
- Back to Basics Products, L.L.C., voluntarily called back 10,000 IT400 Iced Tea Makers. Components can fail and burn users.
- Wal-Mart, Inc., asks buyers to return 138,000 Ceramic Oil Torch Lamps with ceramic torch heads that can loosen or dislodge and lacerate or burn consumers.
- Robert Bosch Tool Corporation has recalled 811,000 Skil® circular saws. Users may turn the power tools on without a safety lockout, causing unexpected operation of the saw and injury.
- Keystone Manufacturing Co., Inc., and QVC called back 32,000 Cook’s Essentials Convection Ovens with Pull-Out Rotisserie and Deni Convection Ovens with Rotisserie. The control panel can overheat and pose fire and electric-shock hazards.
Auto Seatback Failure Injuries
National safety standards fail to require sufficiently strong seatback construction in some cars and SUVs. Vehicle makers tend to design, construct, and install less expensive seatbacks, recliner apparatus, and seat tracks in lower-end models. As a result, drivers and passengers may be injured when seatbacks collapse, as seat-mountings or floors buckle and deform. When a car’s seats collapse, the driver and passengers may not be able to get out of the vehicle quickly or safely. Passengers involved in seatback failures may suffer serious injuries, including head trauma, spinal cord injury, broken bones, organ damage, disfigurement, and scarring.
Defectively designed SUV seats
A front-seat SUV passenger was rendered paraplegic when her seatback collapsed in a rear-end collision, throwing her into the back seat and breaking her neck. When her attorney demonstrated that the SUV’s design and manufacture, different from higher-end models, were defective and unreasonably dangerous, a jury awarded significant damages. Anyone involved in an accident in which seats collapsed should contact an attorney. No one should suffer because of an automobile manufacturer’s negligence.
Child Day Care
When both parents must work, they want their young children to enjoy safe, educational, and productive experiences at day care. Parents should investigate children’s day-care centers to be certain that providers understand child learning and growth, administer discipline consistently and positively, recognize when a child is ill, and maintain a clean and safe operation. On occasion, a parent may drop in on day care to feel assured that the center has sufficient and well-trained and motivated caregivers, to observe activities and programs, and to examine books, toys, and facilities.
When there’s a problem
When day care fails to meet expectations, parents can usually work out problems by speaking with operators or caregivers, writing letters, or filing complaints. When his child was injured after being pushed from a slide by another child, a father had to sue a day-care center for resolution. His attorney demonstrated that caregivers failed to provide adequate supervision and discipline for an aggressive child who had previously pushed other children during activities. The parties settled on the day of trial.
Words We Live By
The late U.S. Supreme Court Justice William H. Rehnquist had immense respect for each American’s right to trial by a jury of peers. Here are some of his words we can all live by:
- The right to trial is “so fundamental and sacred to citizens, where guaranteed by the Constitution or provided by statute, [it] should be jealously guarded.”
- “Those who oppose the use of juries in civil trials seem to ignore [that] the founders of our nation considered the right of trial by jury in civil cases an important bulwark against tyranny and corruption, a safeguard too previous to be left to the whim of the sovereign, or, it might be added, to that of the judiciary.”
- “The guarantees of the Seventh Amendment [right to civil jury trial] will prove burdensome in some instances…but as with other provisions of the Bill of Rights, the onerous nature of the protections is no license for contracting the rights secured by the Amendment.”
In short, our firm is committed to preserving the right to a jury trial for each of our clients, just as we are dedicated to battling large corporations, which, every day, try to whittle away rights protected by our Constitution. If you are a victim of personal injury from another’s negligence, please call us.
Assisted-Living Residences
When concerned family members search for a care residence for a beloved grandparent or parent, they need to look past pleasant décor.
They should investigate the resident-care assessment and planning, medication treatment, dressing and bathing assistance, nutrition needs and dining experiences, discomfort assessment, and social engagement and activity plans.
Bed side rails
A 66-year-old nursing home resident suffering from Parkinson’s disease fell from her bed and was asphyxiated after becoming wedged between the bed and a wall. Her two children, individually and on behalf of their mother’s estate, sued the nursing home, alleging the facility failed to provide their mother with a bed equipped with side rails, in contravention of her care plan. A jury awarded damages and court costs.
Recreation Product Liability
Our nation’s civil justice system can hold manufacturer’s of defective products liable for harming users. Consumers injured by products with serious defects in design, manufacture, or improper or incomplete explanation of dangers or proper use can hold manufacturers and marketers accountable. The long list of recreational products that have harmed consumers include all-terrain vehicles, bicycle, boats, campers, helmets, playground equipment, pools, snowmobiles, swing sets, trampolines, and many more. Children, who may assume products are always safe and who may impulsively take risks, are in particular jeopardy.
Staff Corner
All the Schmidt Kramer support staff, the bookkeeper, and office manager accompanied partners Chuck Schmidt and Gerry Kramer to an all-day seminar in Baltimore, Md., to learn the best ways of providing great service to Schmidt Kramer clients. The featured speaker was John DiJulius. Mr. DiJulius is a nationally known consultant on customer service. He has worked with companies such as Starbucks on customer-service issues. Everyone profited from the knowledge that was shared and came away with several ideas to make your Schmidt Kramer experience more relaxing and personal. Each employee is focused on giving clients the service they deserve.
Dana Shanaberger, Scott Cooper’s Administrative Assistant, was featured in the February issue of Harrisburg Magazine in an article about young adults in Central Pennsylvania.
Birthdays celebrated so far this year: Melissa Leininger on January 1, Dawnn Trostle on January 31, Chuck Schmidt on February 15, and Scott Cooper on March 20. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EVERYONE!
“Update on Subrogation in Civil Cases”
Scott Cooper will be the featured speaker on Tuesday, March 11, at the Dauphin County Bar Association program regarding the “Update on Subrogation in Civil Cases.” Scott has spoken at many different continuing education programs in an effort to share his expertise with his peers.
Mass Tort Updates/Warnings
Contaminated heparin syringes: Health officials are investigating cases of people across the country getting sick after being exposed to dangerous bacteria that contaminated heparin-filled syringes in several states. The syringes are used to clear out catheters and IV lines of sick patients. The contaminated syringes have since been recalled by the manufacturer.
Chantix dangers: According to the FDA, the anti-smoking drug Chantix, a prescription drug to help adults quit smoking, has been linked to depression, suicidal thoughts, and violent behavior in some users. The FDA issued a report that states: “A preliminary assessment reveals that many of the cases reflect new onset of depressed moods, suicidal ideation, and changes in emotions within days to weeks of initiating Chantix treatment.”
Dauphin County Bar Association
Scott Cooper was elected to the Dauphin County Bar Association Board for the 2008 term. This is another outstanding achievement for Scott, and it will give him the opportunity to discuss issues affecting members of the Dauphin County Bar.
Free Initial Consultation
When you’ve been seriously injured, you have questions turn to Schmidt Kramer and speak with a lawyer today. Our attorneys and paralegals will walk you through the legal process and get you back on your feet. Call (888) 476-0807 or fill out a free online consultation form to request a free consultation