Injury News From 2018
Injury News From 2018
Injuries happen all the time because of negligence. 2018 was no different. Here, we share some of the major injury news stories from our region and across the nation.
Drunk CDL Driver Kills 3 Including Baby
In October, Jake Satterfield left a Mexican restaurant in New Jersey. He had several alcoholic drinks before getting behind the wheel of his truck. A short time later in PA, he came upon slowed traffic on I-83. But, his impaired judgment didn’t have enough time to react. He was a drunk truck driver. His truck slammed into a total of 12 vehicles stopped on the highway.
After realizing he caused such a large crash, Satterfield fled the scene on foot. He watched from a nearby hotel parking lot as police and first responders arrived. Never once did he do anything to help the victims. Luckily, a police officer was able to find Satterfield and arrest him.
Many people were hurt that evening. Sadly, three people died on the scene, including a 16-month-old infant. There’s no question that Jake Satterfield is responsible for his actions. But, Dram Shop law also holds bars and restaurants responsible when they over-serve a customer.
Catholic Church Grand Jury Report
A two-year investigation leads to another report about sex abuse in the Catholic church. A grand jury found over 300 Catholic priests across Pennsylvania had sexually assaulted children. The report collected evidence of over 1,000 identified children assaulted by priests. Though the investigation found there are likely thousands of other victims. The report covers 70 years of lies and cover-ups performed by the church to protect child-raping priests. It is dumb-founding.
I don’t want to use nice words to describe what these priests have done. I’ve read parts of the report, and it’s very stomach-churning. I couldn’t finish it. As a parent, it is deplorable how the Catholic church failed these children and their families. Personally, I feel the church and the priests involved should come to justice regardless of the statute of limitations.
Catholic Church Survivor’s Compensation Fund
After covering up sexual assaults for decades, and being caught red-handed the Catholic church made an announcement. The church announced they are setting up a fund for victims of priest sexual assaults. Dubbed the “Survivor’s Compensation Fund” the church wants to make money available to those children raped by priests.
We think the children deserve better. But, lawmakers did not vote to extend the statute of limitations for these victims to seek justice. Think about that the next time you go to vote. The church and insurance companies lobbied against extending the statute and proposed this fund instead.
The survivor’s compensation fund will be $200 million. Of course, the church will require recipients to sign a release before funds are paid. Anyone seeking compensation should consult a lawyer before signing anything from the church.
Warwick Crash Kills 2 Students
Tragedy struck Warwick High School in Lancaster County. Several drivers reported a woman driving erratically on 772. She crashed into a school bus. Police were able to get behind the driver and attempted to pull her over. The driver did not pull over but maintained a slow speed with her car. As the driver approached the school zone, police backed off to continue the pursuit away from the school.
The driver became more erratic near the school. At one point, her car was going 80 mph. The driver swerved and hit parked cars before landing on top of another car. Her car crushed 2 high school students and severely injured another.
A community waited for over a week, waiting for news. At this time, the driver claims no knowledge of what happened. She was in the hospital for several days before gaining consciousness. But, police have charged her with several crimes related to the crash.
MGM Grand Sues Victims Of Las Vegas Shooting
The survivors and victims of a 2017 mass shooting at the Mandalay Bay learned MGM Grand was suing them. 1,977 people are named by MGM Grand as defendants in their lawsuit. MGM Grand is using this maneuver as a way to avoid liability.
MGM Grand claims the mass shooting was an act of terrorism. If the act was, in fact, terrorism they would avoid liability. You see, MGM Grand hired security that was certified by Homeland Security. As such, they would be released of liability if the incident was declared an act of terrorism.
Johnson’s Baby Powder Causes Ovarian Cancer
Johnson’s Baby Powder was again in the spotlight this year. Newly released documents show the company covered up tests that showed amounts of asbestos in the talc powder used in their product.
One case awarded 22 victims $4.7 billion in damages caused by the powder. Several other cases reported large sum awards for victims. Of course, Johnson & Johnson claims their product is completely safe. And, the company plans to appeal any and all judgments against them.
Other Related News
2017 Personal Injury News – If you enjoyed this post, check out others on our site. You might want to check out our post about 2017 Personal Injury in the News. Every year seems to bring crazy and outrageous stories to our attention and 2017 was no different. Check it out!
Banksy Art Self-Destructs – This isn’t injury news, but the story was interesting. After a piece of Banksy art was sold at auction, the art shredded itself. This Banksy art self-destructing made big news. We link this to how some personal injury verdicts play out after making big news.
Dish Network Class Action – Dish Network illegally called phone numbers on the Do Not Call Registry. As a result, they owe every phone number $1,200 as part of a class action settlement.
Dog Groomer Injury – PetSmart found themselves in the news after several dogs died while at their grooming service. Others reported serious injury to their dogs. Owners scrambled for answers. How could their healthy pet die at a grooming appointment? How common is a dog groomer injury?
Personal Injury Cases
At Kane & Silverman, we only handle personal injury cases. We practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Our offices are located in Philadelphia, PA and Marlton, NJ. If you have any questions about an injury, call or text us anytime at 215-232-1000. Or, fill out our online contact form and schedule a free consultation today. If you need a lawyer outside PA or NJ, we can help you find one. Or, if you need a lawyer for something outside of personal injury cases, we can help with that too.