November 8, 2013

PA appeals court draws a line on question of negligence There is a Pennsylvania statute on the books that declares that vehicles can’t park on sidewalks. The intent of the law, according to the state Superior Court, is to keep pedestrians safe. That’s all. Because of the ruling, a woman who had sought to obtain compensation under a personal injury…

November 1, 2013

Some safe steps for avoiding slips and falls Portions of southwestern Pennsylvania got nailed with some high winds and wet weather overnight. The Post-Gazette reports that officials have issued warnings for people to be cautious. Slick surfaces because of the mix of water and downed leaves could make for some slip and fall hazards. Property owners have an obligation to…

October 25, 2013

World Series prompts warnings against bars over-serving fans There’s no Pennsylvania team in the World Series this year, but that doesn’t mean that baseball fans here won’t be watching to see how the annual Fall Classic plays out. For bar owners across the state, it may be a moment to reinforce in their own minds and those of their employees…

October 16, 2013

Popular hair dryer being recalled for fire and burn risk It’s a common, everyday thing. You climb out of the shower and grab the hair dryer to get your coif in proper shape. The last thing anyone expects is that the device will short out, shoot out an internal part that could injure the user or catch fire and burn…

October 10, 2013

Government shutdown may mean some hazards going unchecked The law is clear. The federal government is supposed to keep those workers on the job who are deemed essential for protecting the lives and property of the people. That does not mean that the staffing of various monitoring agencies is being maintained at full capacity during the current partial shutdown of…

October 4, 2013

Safety reforms after fatal building collapse spark contention The whole of Pennsylvania reeled this past June when a building wall being demolished in Philadelphia toppled and crushed a Salvation Army thrift store. Six people died. Fourteen were injured. Lawsuits over issues of premises liability have launched and are pending. Meanwhile, a special committee of the City Council in that city…

September 27, 2013

 Probe of apparent fatal fire in York County, PA underway Pennsylvania state police and other officials, including members of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, are investigating an explosion and fire that apparently killed one person this week. At the time this is being written, authorities hadn’t been able to confirm whether the person, whose remains were…

September 19, 2013

Fast food chain faces $20M bill in inadequate security suit Four people are serving time in prison for beating a man into a coma three years ago. Now the fast-food restaurant chain in whose parking lot the attack occurred has been told by a jury to pay the victim more than $20 million in compensation. The jury found that operators…

September 12, 2013

Waxed floor looks good, until someone slips and falls There is a tenet in the production of fine cuisine that states that presentation is everything. If it looks good, it will be good. The concept is meant to apply to how food appears on the plate. But retailers, including grocers, will tell you that it applies to how their stores…

September 6, 2013

Pittsburgh area fire called suspicious Following a recent fire in North Huntington that is just southeast of Pittsburgh several individuals were taken to the hospital. Officials state that the circumstances of the fire were suspicious. Police officers were continuing to interview witnesses at the time that this fire was reported, and there apparently have been a number of different accounts…