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When you buy a new or used vehicle for your family, you likely shop for good fuel mileage, roominess and perhaps most importantly – safety and crashworthiness.

The problem, though, is that your expectations may not meet the real-world safety and crash-worthiness of some of the vehicles out there, especially if you are shopping for a small SUV.

In new tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), only two widely-available small SUV models earned ratings of “good” or “acceptable” out of a field of 13 small SUVs that were run through certain frontal crashes called “small overlap” crashes.

Just how important is this? It’s huge, because your family’s safety is at stake.

An SUV lay overturned after a crash in this stock photo. Image credit: © iStockphoto.com/BrandyTaylor

In the IIHS tests, which were announced May 16, only the 2014 Subaru Forester earned an overall rating of “good” for protecting its passengers in a small overlap frontal crash amid a field of 13 vehicles, according to the group. The 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport earned an “acceptable” rating in the small overlap test, which gave it the runner-up spot in the safety tests.

For the other 11 competitors, frontal crash protection in a small overlap crash was a weak spot, earning each of the finalists a “poor” or “marginal” rating.

“With the redesigned Forester, Subaru’s engineers set out to do well in our new test, and they succeeded,” Joe Nolan, the Institute’s vice president for vehicle research, said in a statement. “This is exactly how we hoped manufacturers would respond to improve protection for people in these kinds of serious frontal crashes.”

The small overlap test was added to the IIHS safety evaluations last year to replicate what happens when the front corner of a vehicle strikes another vehicle or an object like a tree or a utility pole, according to the agency. “In the test, 25 percent of a vehicle’s front end on the driver side strikes a 5-foot-tall rigid barrier at 40 mph,” with a crash test dummy strapped into the driver’s seat.

The problem is that vehicles that test well in other frontal and side crash tests don’t necessarily do well in the small overlap crash tests, according to the IIHS. “In a 2009 IIHS study of vehicles with good ratings for frontal crash protection, small overlap crashes accounted for nearly a quarter of the frontal crashes involving serious or fatal injury to front seat occupants.”

When a vehicle is involved in a crash with a 25 percent overlap, the damage typically “misses the primary structures designed to manage crash energy,” which means that passengers aren’t protected, according to the group. “That increases the risk of severe damage to or collapse of the occupant compartment structure. Also, vehicles tend to rotate and slide sideways during this type of collision, and that can move the driver’s head outboard, away from the protection of the frontal airbag.”

While the small SUVs in the tests did well in other crash tests for side, rear, moderate overlap frontal and rollover impacts, the test results for small overlap crashes were disappointing, according to the agency.

The 2013 small SUVs that received “marginal” ratings for frontal crashes are the BMW X1, Honda CR-V, Mazda CX-5, Volkswagen Tiguan, Nissan Rogue and the Jeep Wrangler  2-door, according to the IIHS results.

The 2013 small SUVs that received “poor” ratings for frontal crash protection are the Buick Encore, Ford Escape, Hyundai Tucson, Jeep Patriot and the Kia Sportage.

“In one example of poor structure, the front pillar of the Nissan Rogue’s door frame was pushed far inside the occupant compartment and after the crash was almost touching the driver seat,” the report said. “The Jeep Patriot was among the worst for restraints and kinematics. The dummy’s head slid off the frontal airbag as the steering wheel moved 8 inches up and nearly 6 inches to the right. The side curtain airbag didn’t deploy, and the safety belt allowed the dummy’s head and torso to move too far forward.”

Despite the low marks in the small overlap crash tests, 11 of the 13 small SUV that were run through the test were still given the IIHS’ Top Safety Pick+ honors because of good performance in the other moderate overlap front, side, rollover and rear tests. To qualify, a vehicle must earn good ratings in 4 of the 5 tests and no less than acceptable in the fifth, according to the IIHS.

For prospective SUV buyers, these results should at least be considered when making purchasing decisions.

“Small SUVs have become an increasingly popular choice for families, with sales of all SUVs and sport wagons rising 13.6 percent this year through April,” based on statistics from auto researcher Autodata Corp., according to a recent story from Bloomberg News. “Total vehicle sales were up 11.3 percent for that period.”

The new small overlap crash test was introduced by the IIHS “because that type of accident accounts for almost one-fourth of frontal crashes that seriously injure or kill people in front seats,” according to Bloomberg. “Last year was the first year since 2005 when deaths on U.S. roads increased, rising 5.3 percent to 34,080, according to preliminary estimates from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.”

Vehicle safety is a critical factor to consider today when buying any new or used vehicle for your family. In fact, by considering vehicle safety and crashworthiness BEFORE a crash in a real-life situation on our nation’s roads, we can work to prevent more serious injuries from happening in the first place.

In the meantime, we here at MyPhillyLawyer want to make sure that you have all the information you need when considering a vehicle purchase. And of course, we stand ready to assist you with your legal case if you or a loved one is ever seriously injured in a vehicle accident anywhere in the United States. We represent the families of victims who die in such tragedies as well, to ensure that their families receive every penny of damages that they are eligible to receive.

Call MyPhillyLawyer at 215-227-2727 or toll-free at 1-866-920-0352 anytime and our experienced, compassionate, aggressive team of attorneys and support staff will be there for you and your family every step of the way as we manage your case through the legal system.

When Winning Matters Most, Call MyPhillyLawyer.

It was to be a fun, celebratory, fabulous night celebrating a recent wedding with friends by taking a limousine ride to a gala evening at a local hotel outside San Francisco. Instead, the new bride and four of her best friends died on the night of May 4 when a flash fire broke out inside the moving limousine, causing them to be overcome by dense smoke and flames.

The horrific fire spared four other women in the bridal party after they were able to somehow escape from the burning stretch 1999 Lincoln Town Car limousine, according to a story in The (San Jose, Calif.) Mercury News. The blaze broke out in the moving limousine just as it was crossing the San Mateo Bridge. It took some 12 minutes before firefighters arrived to fight the fire that was consuming the 28-foot-long vehicle, according to reports. The driver of the vehicle escaped the blaze.

In addition to capturing headlines due to the tragedy, the incident also raises many questions which will likely be taken up by police accident investigators, attorneys and others as they dissect what happened and why it occurred.

A stretch limousine like the one in which five women died and four others were seriously injured in a vehicle fire on May 4, 2013 in California. Image credit: © iStockphoto.com/Terraxplorer

“It wasn’t clear what sparked the fire, but it seems to have started in the rear of the vehicle and then spread quickly,” the paper reported. “The driver managed to pull over the limo, but only four of the passengers were able to escape, police said.”

A follow-up story by The Mercury News on May 8 disclosed that the limousine in question wasn’t required to go through any kind of scheduled state safety inspections because it was licensed to carry fewer than 10 people. Such inspections are required in California every 13 months for vehicles that carry more than 10 passengers, including large limos, airport shuttles and buses, the story said.

At the same time, amazingly, the limo wasn’t even required to carry an on-board fire extinguisher, the story reported.

“Like most stretch limos, the 1999 Lincoln Town Car had been modified — cut in half, its fuel and electrical lines severed and rebuilt with a large passenger compartment in the middle,” the paper reported. “The inspection loophole – and the lack of fire extinguisher requirements – raised new concerns … as authorities continued what they say will be a lengthy investigation into what caused … [the] horrific inferno. And it provided little comfort during the heart of the spring prom and graduation season to people asking just how safe are California’s limos.”

One state legislator in California has already announced that he will introduce a bill “requiring fire extinguishers in limos and would also explore why the cars carrying 10 or fewer people, including the driver, are not inspected,” the story said.

One transportation expert interviewed by The Mercury News, Clarence Ditlow, the executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, which was founded by consumer advocate Ralph Nader, called the limousine business “a very under-regulated industry.”

Investigators are already looking at the vehicle that burned and at the fact that it was licensed to only carry eight passengers, according to The Mercury News. That night, there were nine passengers in the extended rear of the limo.

The California PUC issued recommendations in 2009 suggesting that prospective limo passengers should always do some basic research to be sure they are dealing with a reputable and safe company when hiring such a vehicle. Among the PUC’s recommendations are to shop carefully for a limo provider by inquiring about the vehicle’s capacity and ensuring it legally meets your needs.

Also recommended is that renters check to be sure that the limo operator is licensed by the agency by calling or checking the PUC’s website and that the company has liability insurance. Renters should also be sure that the charter-party carrier (TCP) number is displayed on the limousine, which designates that the vehicle is definitely registered with the state PUC.

The tragedy in cases like this one is that this incident, the tragic deaths of five female passengers and the serious injuries suffered by the four survivors, could have happened in a limousine anywhere in the United States.

While investigators painstakingly work to recreate what happened inside the stretch limo on that California bridge, others will likely be looking at whether new, more stringent regulations are needed for modified vehicles that carry paying passengers. Certainly the issue of a lack of mandated fire extinguishers and the lack of mandatory safety inspections will also be examined.

Those are the kinds of issues that skilled attorneys will be diving into if lawsuits are filed in this case on behalf of the dead victims and the passengers who survived.

One minute a group of celebratory friends are heading in a stretch limousine to a bridal shower, and the next instant five women are dead and another four women are hurt after a flash fire ignites the vehicle’s interior.

These kinds of incidents and injuries happen every day when innocent victims are hurt in vehicle accidents through no fault of their own due to the actions or indifference of others.

That’s where having a legal team on your side that uncovers every fact to bolster your case and maximize your damage award is key.

We here at MyPhillyLawyer stand ready to assist you with your legal case if you or a loved one is ever seriously injured in a vehicle incident or accident anywhere in the United States. We represent the families of victims who die in such tragedies as well, to ensure that their families receive every penny of damages that they are eligible to receive.

Call MyPhillyLawyer at 215-227-2727  or toll-free at  1-866-920-0352  anytime and our experienced, compassionate, aggressive team of attorneys and support staff will be there for you and your family every step of the way as we manage your case through the legal system.

When Winning Matters Most, Call MyPhillyLawyer.

Maryland became the 18^th state to repeal its death penalty on May 2, after Gov. Martin O’Malley signed a long-awaited bill to rid its criminal code of capital punishment, according to a story in The Baltimore Sun.

O’Malley had supported the repeal since 2007 and failed in a previous attempt to overturn the law in 2009. This time, though, state legislators backed the measure and passed it in both the state Senate and House before sending it on to the governor for his signature. The new law goes into effect on Oct. 1.

“With the legislation signed today, Maryland has effectively eliminated a policy that is proven not to work,” the governor’s office said in a statement following the signing. “Evidence shows that the death penalty is not a deterrent, it cannot be administered without racial bias, and it costs three times as much as life in prison without parole. Furthermore, there is no way to reverse a mistake if an innocent person is put to death.”

Justice sign on a courthouse. Image credit: © iStockphoto.com/hatman12

Instead, “working together with law enforcement partners, Maryland has driven down violent crime and homicides to three decade lows,” the statement continued. “The Administration will continue to move forward with the things that work to save lives – more effective policing, better technology, information sharing and coordination, and smarter strategies to reduce crime.”

We here at MyPhillyLawyer applaud Maryland’s courageous repeal of this barbaric old law, which has been on the books there for more than 300 years. Maryland’s toughest punishment on crimes will now be a sentence of life imprisonment with no chance of parole.

The problem with the death penalty is that its finality is truly its major flaw. While its supporters may think that it brings justice in the aftermath of a hideous crime, the problem is that sometimes justice doesn’t work the way it’s supposed to work. Sometimes, people who are innocent of crimes are found guilty of offenses and are sentenced to death or life in prison. And that’s one of the key reasons that the death penalty today is outmoded, unreasonable and unsupportable by a nation of laws based on personal freedom, due process and justice. If executions take place, there is simply no going back in the event or legal errors, omissions or false testimony.

Supporters argue that the death penalty is an important deterrent against crime. They often also argue that it has always been justly handed down and that never has an innocent person been put to death.

The latter may not be true, however.

In Texas in 2004, Cameron Todd Willingham was executed after he was convicted of setting a fire in his home that killed his three young daughters in 1991. He continuously maintained that he had not committed the crime, according to The Innocence Project, a group that works to assist prisoners who can be exonerated of charges through DNA testing. A 17-page analysis of the case, published in The New Yorker in 2009, detailed how many of the arson analysis methods used to convict Willingham were later found to be flawed.

The Willingham case continues to haunt death penalty opponents.

Only 18 of the 50 U.S. states – now including Maryland – forbid executions. That leaves the 32 remaining states, including Pennsylvania, which still allow the death penalty, according to the Washington-based Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC), a group that opposes the death penalty. There is also no death penalty in the District of Columbia or Puerto Rico.

Since 1976, according to the DPIC, 1,330 prisoners have been executed in the U.S., including 10 so far this year.

In Maryland, there still is a slight catch. The newly-signed death penalty repeal could be subject to repeal if supporters of the death penalty carry out their threats and seek to overturn the state’s action through a referendum, according to The Baltimore Sun story.

“If opponents of repeal can gather 55,736 valid signatures by June 30 — the first third are due May 31 — the law would go to voters to decide in the November 2014 election,” reported The Sun.

One man who witnessed the signing of the bill in Maryland was Kirk Bloodsworth, who was convicted of the murder of a 9-year-old girl in Baltimore County but later exonerated by DNA evidence, according to the story. “Twenty-eight years ago I was sitting in a death row cell, and it became clear to me we could execute an innocent man,” Bloodsworth said. “No innocent person will ever be executed in this state ever again.”

In September 2011, Georgia prison inmate Troy Davis was put to death by lethal injection after the U.S. Supreme Court denied a request for a last-minute stay of execution. Davis had been convicted in the 1989 slaying of an off-duty police officer but right up until he was put to death, he insisted that he was innocent of the crime. Sure, that’s what suspects usually say after they are apprehended, but in this case, many thousands of people questioned the accuracy of the case against Davis, according to a story in The Washington Post.

“But his conviction was based on eye witness accounts and no physical evidence,” reports a blog post on the NPR.org website. “Through the years, some of the witnesses have walked back their testimony and doubts have emerged about the case. So much so that the Supreme Court gave Davis a chance to prove his innocence. The AP reports that was the ‘first time it had done so for a death row inmate in at least 50 years, but he couldn’t convince a judge to grant him a new trial.’”

Here at MyPhillyLawyer, we wrote on this very blog back in December 2009 about the terrifying case of James Bain, who spent 35 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit.  Bain was freed after DNA testing determined that he was not the man who kidnapped and raped a nine-year-old boy in Florida back in 1974.

At the time of his release from prison, Bain was the 248th person exonerated of crimes due to DNA testing in our nation, according to The Innocence Project.  Today, that number stands at 306 former prisoners who have been freed.

“No one can give James Bain those 35 years back, but his experience underscores again that our system of law is not without flaws and can allow innocent people to be imprisoned for decades,” we wrote in this blog at that time.

The horrific reality, though, is that had Bain’s alleged crime been subject to a death penalty, he could have been wrongly executed before his ultimate release.

That would have meant that an innocent man would have been put to death for a crime he didn’t commit.

And that is why we do not support the death penalty in the United States. Despite all the emotional reasons and excuses supporters voice, from providing a real punishment for cop-killers and horrific murders, terrorism and the like, there is no way to bring an executed prisoner back to life in the event of a mistake by the criminal justice system.

Justice is more important in our free nation than vengeance.

In March 2011, the state of Illinois repealed its death penalty. In a MyPhillyLawyer blog post at the time, we wrote that “Gov.  Pat Quinn of Illinois said so eloquently when he signed the bill, “We cannot have a death penalty in our state that kills innocent people.  If the system cannot be guaranteed 100 percent error free, then we cannot have the system.  It cannot stand.  It just is not right.”

There are no easy answers on these issues. But putting innocent people to death – or even allowing the possibility of innocent people being put to death – goes against everything in our laws and way of life in this country. We as a nation need to continue to discuss this issue rationally, intelligently and openly.

If even one innocent person is wrongly executed in this country, that is too many. We hope that the remaining 32 states that still have these archaic and inhumane punishments on their books, including our great state of Pennsylvania, will soon follow suit.

Riding a motorcycle is fabulous. The freedom, the lure of the open road, the beauty of being one with the weather, with the earth, with the world, are all incredible attractions of this enjoyable sport.

For some riding a motorcycle is just a way to get to work or school, while for others it is a great vehicle for saving costly gasoline expenses. For others it is just about riding and being alive.

As a motorcyclist of more than 20 years, and as the managing partner of MyPhillyLawyer, I share many of those passions.

Sadly, though, the number of motorcyclists killed each year in crashes on public roads in the United States continues to climb, according to a new study released by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), and it is something we all need to work on as a community.

A destroyed motorcycle lays in a roadway while an ambulance stands by. Image credit: © iStockphoto.com/Orientaly

In 2012, the fatality rate for motorcyclists increased about nine percent, to more than 5,000 lives lost, the report states. “This is greater than the overall traffic fatality increase projected by the federal government and would be the 14th out of the last 15 years in which motorcyclist deaths increased,” according to the GHSA. “Notably, this level of deaths closes in on an all-time high, and motorcyclists remain one of the few roadway user groups where no progress can be shown over the last decade.”

In Pennsylvania, 184 motorcyclists were killed in crashes in the first nine months of 2012, the report states, compared with 171 who died in crashes in the first nine months of 2011, an increase of 7.6 percent.

“All of the trends with motorcyclist deaths are really going in the wrong direction,” said GHSA Chairman Kendell Poole, who serves as director of Tennessee’s highway safety program. “This report is an urgent reminder that we must do more to address a problem that will only get worse with increased ridership. We are talking about 5,000 tragedies a year with no sign of progress.”

What’s needed, said Poole, is more rider training, stronger helmet laws and increased awareness by other vehicle drivers about the presence of motorcycles sharing the road.

What’s also needed, though, are programs to encourage motorcyclists to reduce their speeds and to stop operating their motorcycles while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, Poole added. According to GHSA figures from 2010, 35 percent of motorcycle riders in fatal crashes were speeding, compared to 23 percent for passenger car drivers and 19 percent for light truck drivers. At the same time, 29 percent of fatally injured motorcycle riders had a blood alcohol content above the legal limit of .08 percent.

Both of those figures are outrageous.

More needs to be done by states to include motorcyclists in impaired driver programs, according to the GHSA, and more comprehensive rider training is needed to teach riders the dangers of speeding on public roadways.

“The good news is that we know how to prevent crashes and the resulting injuries and fatalities involving motorcycle riders and their passengers,” said Poole. “There are effective strategies that, when implemented, can make a difference.”

Across the nation, the number of motorcyclist fatalities increased in thirty-four states, decreased in sixteen states and remained the same in the District of Columbia, in the first nine months of 2012 compared to the first nine months of 2011, according to the report.

“The fatality increase is disheartening,” said Troy Costales, GHSA’s immediate past chairman and head of Oregon’s highway safety program. “Every motorcyclist deserves to arrive at their destination safely. These numbers represent real people – they are family, friends and neighbors.”

Across the United States, only 19 states currently require all riders to wear helmets, down from 26 in 1997, according to the report. Regrettably, there is a strong push in many states to repeal these laws, the report continued, and no state has enacted a universal helmet law since Louisiana reinstated its requirement in 2004.

That must also change to help reduce the number of motorcyclists who die on our roads each year, according to the group. Helmets are proven to be 37 percent effective at preventing fatal injuries to motorcycle operators and 41 percent effective for passengers, according to the group’s figures.

With spring here and summer fast approaching, this is a great time for all vehicle drivers to remember that we share the road with motorcyclists and their motorcycles, which are no match for the weight, mass and power of our cars, SUVs and trucks when crashes occur.

As motorists, we all need to be careful and more aware to protect ourselves from legal liability in the event of an accident involving a motorcycle and its riders as well. A good way to accomplish this is to make adjustments for motorcycles and to be more aware and observant of their presence as we drive on seemingly quiet streets in our neighborhoods or along busier roads where hazards may be less obvious.

You and your loved ones certainly don’t want to become one of those tragic statistics. The monetary losses from those injuries and deaths are also significant and you certainly don’t want to be on the wrong end of any legal judgments in such cases.

As drivers of cars, trucks and SUVs, we always need to remember to watch carefully for smaller, less visible vehicles like motorcycles as we drive. Remember to double-check the blind spots surrounding your vehicle and try to anticipate what motorcyclists are going to do as they cross your path.

Motorcyclists have their own special safety needs on our roadways. When operating a motorcycle, you should wear full protective gear including a helmet, jacket, gloves, long pants and boots to protect you in the event of an accident, according to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF). The MSF also offers excellent rider training programs for beginning motorcyclists as well as advanced classes for expert riders to help build and maintain your survival skills on the roads. All motorcyclists should take advantage of such opportunities.

In addition, motorcyclists should always remember that one of the best ways to protect yourself on the road is to ride as though you are invisible to other motorists. Imagine that they can’t or don’t see you and ride defensively to protect yourself at all times.

Safety is the responsibility of all of us, from motorists of the four-wheeled kind to motorcyclists, too.

As you drive this summer, remember to practice safe driving habits by carefully watching for vehicles of all sizes and be sure to maintain adequate following distances. In addition, be sure to use caution around slower-moving vehicles and drive defensively rather than aggressively to help minimize the dangers to yourself and others on the roads.

A lawsuit or major injury from a collision or crash involving a bicyclist or motorcyclist would turn the joys of summer into a nightmare. Yes, accidents and injuries can happen anywhere and anytime, but if we all use more caution and remain more aware of the traffic situation around us, we can improve safety for everyone.

In the meantime, we here at MyPhillyLawyer stand ready to assist you with your legal case if you or someone you love is ever seriously injured in a motorcycle accident caused by someone else anywhere in the United States. At MyPhillyLawyer, you can consult with a qualified, experienced and compassionate attorney to explore all of your legal rights.

We represent the families of victims who are killed in such tragedies as well, to ensure that their families receive every penny of damages that they are eligible to receive.

Call MyPhillyLawyer at 215-227-2727 or toll-free at 1-866-920-0352 anytime and our experienced, compassionate, aggressive team of attorneys and support staff will be there for you and your family every step of the way as we manage your case through the legal system.

When Winning Matters Most, call MyPhillyLawyer.

By Dean I. Weitzman, managing partner, MyPhillyLawyer

Five years ago, a Reading, Berks County man was working as a temporary employee in a Berks County recycling plant when he attempted to clear a paper jam in a shredding machine by reaching in to remove the jammed paper.

But as he reached in with his left hand to remove the clog, a co-worker put the machine into reverse, pulling the victim’s glove and arm into the powerful mechanism, which didn’t have a safety guard attachment, according to a recent story in The Legal Intelligencer. “The worker did not know [the victim] was behind the machine and [the victim] was unaware the co-worker was putting the machine into reverse,” the story stated.

The victim, Kerry Liebensperger, lost his left hand and forearm which were “chewed up” in the accident that happened on Oct. 29, 2007 at the Cougle’s Recycling facility. The shredder had been manufactured by the Allegheny Paper Shredder Corp.

Workplace accidents demand careful and thorough investigation by your legal team to protect your rights. Image credit: © iStockphoto.com/alexskopje

He sued the manufacturer of the device, alleging premises liability, negligence and breach of warranty, and in a settlement on April 1, Liebensperger was awarded $2.45 million for his injuries, according to The Legal Intelligencer story. The shredder processes paper through a conveyer and a series of cutters as it operates.

During the investigation into the case, it was learned that the Allegheny Paper shredder was originally sold to Vertis Inc. (formerly known as WebCraft Technologies) in 1988, which then traded it in Recycling Equipment Corp. (REC) REC five years later, the story stated. REC later sold the shredder to Cougle’s. The shredder had gone through a series of repairs and reconditionings over that span, during which the original-equipment safety guard was not re-installed, the story reported.

In the settlement, defendant Cougle’s paid $60,000 in the case, while REC paid $1 million and Allegheny Paper paid $1.39 million.

A key issue in the case was that the recycling center’s pretrial memorandum said that neither “Allegheny Paper nor REC advised it that a rear output guard should have been on the machine,” according to the story.

Workplace injuries like this happen every day in the United States. There were 3.06 million nonfatal workplace injuries in private industry in 2010, the last full year in which complete statistics are available, according to statistics from the U. S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. Those cases involved 933,200 missed work days, 370,130 cases involving sprains, strains and soft tissue tears, 185,270 cases involving back injuries and 208,470 cases involving falls, according to the statistics.

For workers hurt on the job, the legal fight for compensatory damages to cover your injuries and pain and suffering starts with knowing your rights and have the best legal representation.

If you are hurt in your workplace, you have legal rights to ensure that you get proper medical treatment and are compensated for your wages in the event you are unable to work.

The AFL-CIO labor union has several tips for injured workers, including getting the medical treatment you need. You may be required to see a doctor selected by your employer. If you are injured on the job, your employer’s insurance company is obligated to pay for reasonable and necessary medical treatment. Also, iIf your employer has written an incident report, get a copy of it for your records. You may need this information if you seek Workers’ Compensation benefits.

OSHA has several tips for injured workers as well, including that you should report any injuries or workplace accident incidents immediately and carefully document everything and keep good records about the incidents that led to your injuries.

If you are seriously injured at work, you should immediately talk with a competent, professional and compassionate attorney about your case. You have a myriad of legal options, including filing for Workers’ Compensation or filing a lawsuit to recover damages if your case warrants additional legal action.

The best way to review your legal strategy is to know your legal options from the start so that you can make the best choices for you and your family.

In the meantime, in the workplace, you can be you own best advocate. If you or someone you love is asked to do something in a workplace that appears to be dangerous or life-threatening, then you need to thoroughly and completely discuss it with the person asking you to perform the dangerous task.

You need to be sure that all safety procedures are being followed to the letter and that you are minimizing any and all risks to yourself and others.

And if you still have concerns, then you need to discuss them immediately with others in the workplace until you get a satisfactory reply regarding safety and proper procedures.

If you or someone you love is suffers a workplace injury, you certainly know that a serious work-related accident can be deadly or debilitating for the rest of your life, affecting your personal mobility, earning potential and your livelihood. That’s not something that you want to take lightly.

We here at MyPhillyLawyer stand ready to assist you with your legal case if you or someone you love is ever seriously injured in a worksite, workplace or construction accident anywhere in the United States. At MyPhillyLawyer, you can consult with a qualified, experienced and compassionate attorney to explore all of your legal rights.

We represent the families of victims who are killed in such tragedies as well, to ensure that their families receive every penny of damages that they are eligible to receive.

Call MyPhillyLawyer at 215-227-2727 or toll-free at 1-866-920-0352 anytime and our experienced, compassionate, aggressive team of attorneys and support staff will be there for you and your family every step of the way as we manage your case through the legal system.

When Winning Matters Most, call MyPhillyLawyer.

Every hour, every day across the United States, a house or business fire breaks out, causing injuries, deaths and property loss.

On April 24, a man died when his rowhouse in the 1200 block of South 46^th Street went up in flames, according to a story in The Philadelphia Inquirer. The house had no smoke alarms, according to firefighters.

On April 6, a veteran Philadelphia firefighter was killed in the line of duty as he was battling a three-alarm blaze in a fabric store in Queen Village, according to another Inquirer report. Capt. Michael Goodwin was killed inside the building as he fought the blaze with other firefighters, the story said.

A firefighter battles a house fire in this stock photo. Image credit: © iStockphoto.com/chuckmoser

In Bridgewater, N.J., lightning caused a blaze that destroyed a home but caused no injuries on April 10, according to a report on NJ.com.

In Charlotte, N.C., a toddler died in a house fire April 11 that was sparked by a portable fan, according to a report from television station WBTV 3.

Unattended hot dogs left cooking on a stove ignited a house fire April 8 in Birmingham, Ala., that claimed the lives of an 80-year-old woman and her 63-year-old son, according to a report from AL.com. Some 25 other fires in Birmingham also started the same way in the first three months of 2013, the report said.

All of these tragedies are stark reminders of the need for everyone, including homeowners, tenants, businesspeople and employees, to take steps to prevent fire injuries, deaths and property damage by using caution, common sense and awareness wherever they live, work and play.

A full range of fire prevention and safety tips, including ensuring that homes have at least one functional smoke alarm, maintaining fire extinguishers on site to help put out small fires before they spread, and having planned fire escape routes for your family home in the event of a blaze, are available online from the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA).

More than 3,500 Americans die each year in fires and approximately 18,300 are injured, with a majority of those fires occurring in the home, according to the USFA. “There are time-tested ways to prevent and survive a fire,” the group says on its website. “It’s not a question of luck. It’s a matter of planning ahead.”

Other key fire safety rules include being sure not to ever overload circuits or extension cords and never allowing cords and wires to lay under rugs, over nails or in high traffic areas. “Immediately shut off and unplug appliances that sputter, spark or emit an unusual smell” and have them professionally repaired or replaced, the group states.

Nearly 600 deaths a year are caused by fires in bedrooms, the agency states, many of which are caused by misuse or poor maintenance of electrical devices, such as overloading extension cords or using portable space heaters too close to combustibles. Residents should never smoke in bed and should use lots of care when using portable heaters, which can ignite fires in blankets and other bedding materials.

Cooking fires also cause many deaths, and people always must remember to never leave food cooking unattended, according to the USFA.

Fire safety is critical in every community and only when all residents are aware of the dangers of fire and are working to minimize them can our neighbors and communities be safer.

We here at MyPhillyLawyer want to remind all of our neighbors about the insidious and deadly dangers of fires and highlight the measures we can all take to prevent fires and the tragic loss of life that they bring.

Blogger’s Note:

This MyPhillyLawyer blog post on fire safety is dedicated to a dear friend who died April 1, 2013, due to severe injuries sustained in a house fire that happened in Philadelphia on Jan. 23 in the 4600 block of Larchwood Avenue.

Miki N. Takamori was a 48-year-old medical administrator at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania whose passion for life and exuberance for her friends and her work touched everyone she met.  On the early morning of the blaze, she jumped from a second-story window to escape the flames that filled her home. She was hospitalized for more than two months battling severe burns and other major injuries.  The fire was apparently caused by “non-permanent electrical wiring” on the premises, according to her obituary in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Miki and her energy and good nature will always be missed and loved by her friends and family.