Tag: personal injury lawyer

WILKES-BARRE, PA – August 12, 2024 – Distasio, Kowalski &Yelen LLC (DKY Law) is pleased to announce that Attorney Jeffrey Yelen has been recognized among the 2024 Lawyers of Distinction. With over 25 years of experience in the general practice of law, Attorney Yelen has built a reputation of his exceptional legal expertise and dedication to clients.

Lawyers of Distinction recognizes excellence in the practice of law in approximately 30 areas of practice, including Elder Law, Estate Planning and Trust law, General Practice Law, Criminal Law, Medical Malpractice Law, Personal Injury Law, and more. Lawyers of Distinction members are selected based upon a review and vetting process by a selection committee, which factor in achievements and peer recognition.

About DKY Law

Distasio, Kowalski & Yelen LLC is located at 15 Public Square in Wilkes-Barre. The law firm specializes in Personal Injury, Auto & Truck Accidents, Medical Malpractice, Birth Injury, Wrongful Death, Criminal Law, Business Law, Real Estate, Workers’ Compensation, Estates & Wills, Family Law, and Elder Law.

To contact Jeffrey Yelen or for more information on Distasio, Kowalski & Yelen LLC, please visit dky.law or call 570-970-5400.

Freezing temperatures have brought snow, sleet and icy road conditions to Pennsylvania and other areas of the country. This has caused many winter weather related crashes. Just this month, a crash involving more than 75 vehicles occurred on the Interstate 90 at the Pennsylvania Ohio border. On that same road, a 13-vehicle pileup occurred. Snowy driving conditions were said to have played a part in the crashes, according to CBS News. Another pileup involving 40 vehicles occurred in Michigan last week as well. This past weekend, a multi vehicle wreck also closed part of Interstate I 80 near Luzerne County.

Many motorists are killed and injured in winter weather related crashes every year. With the snowy weather just starting, hazardous road conditions and crashes will be all too common in months ahead.

Five winter driving safety trips

  1. Slow down. Adjust your driving speed according to conditions. Give yourself extra time to get to your destination.
  2. Increase the distance between you and the car in front of you. It takes longer to stop in snowy conditions.
  3. Brake and accelerate slower than normal to avoid sliding.
  4. Winterize your vehicle. Have tires, brakes, heater/defroster, wipers, battery and other items checked on your vehicle before driving this winter.
  5. Keep on the lookout for slippery spots and black ice on the road.

Winter storms will continue to cause unsafe driving conditions in the northeast and throughout Pennsylvania. It is imperative that drivers prepare and stay alert. Snowy conditions can result in winter weather related crashes from minor fender benders to fatal multi-vehicle collisions. Be aware of the possibility of black ice when driving, especially when driving on bridges, on and off ramps, and at intersections. Be particularly carefully when driving near snowplows and tractor-trailers. Visibility may be low and trucks have blind spots.

The car accident lawyers at Distasio, Kowalski & Yelen encourage drivers to keep a winter emergency kit in their vehicles at all times when driving. The kit should include items such as jumper cables, a flashlight, blankets, flares and water.

Winter accident statistics

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, 445,303 people were injured and 5,897 people killed in weather vehicle related crashes in a 10-year period from 2005-2014. Following safety precautions and being alert when driving in winter conditions can help reduce your chance of a car accident. Winter crash studies have found that a high percent of winter season crashes involve driving too fast for conditions. This can definitely be a factor when looking at cases of multi-vehicle pileup crashes.

If you have been injured in winter car accident or truck accident, call the car accident lawyers at Distasio Kowaslski in Wilkes-Barre today. Call 570-970-5400 if you need an attorney who is experienced in vehicle accidents to fight for your rights.

 

Every day an average of 13 workers die on the job in the United States working dangerous jobs. According to the most recent statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor, 4,821 workers died on the job in 2014. 20.5% of the worker fatalities in private industry were in construction. That’s one in five worker deaths coming from the construction industry.

Falls were the leading cause of construction worker deaths, accounting for nearly 40%. Other leading causes included electrocution, struck by object and caught-in/between. Referred to as the “fatal four” for construction workers, these causes were responsible in total for more than half (60.6%) of construction worker deaths in 2014.

Improving safety on construction sites can save lives. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) estimates that 545 workers’ lives could be saved every year just by eliminating deaths occurring as a result of construction’s fatal four. OSHA’s number one cited violation in 2015 was fall protection. Considering that falls were the leading cause of death in construction, a strong focus on safety surrounding fall protection in construction is warranted. the third most cited violation had to do with scaffolding, which also ties into the fall hazard in construction.

Within the construction industry, Forbes reporting of the Most Dangerous Jobs has specifically mentioned roofers, steelworkers, electrical power line installers/repairers and general construction workers. Forbes information came from CareerCast using data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and the CDC. Here is the complete list.

Ten Most Dangerous Jobs of 2016

  1. Taxi Drivers
  2. Nursing Assistant
  3. Construction Worker
  4. EMTs
  5. Truck Drivers
  6. Corrections Officers
  7. Firefighters
  8. Police Officers
  9. Farmers
  10. Veterinarians

Transportation-related incidences are the most common cause of work-related deaths. There are a reported 11 accidents involving semi trucks every day. Driving a truck is a dangerous job for truck drivers, as well as a danger for others on the road.

Taxi drivers also face the danger of accidents, in addition to a high rate of robberies. Nursing assistants and others in the medical field have a high chance of exposure to various contagions. This leads to a high rate of work-related illnesses. EMTs, firefighters, police officers and corrections officers all face work-related dangers every day. They are called on to go forth into hazardous situations that sometimes result in their injury or even in death, as we’ve seen in many news reports. Farmers also have a very high instance of fatalities. On farms throughout this country, there is the operation of with heavy farm machinery that can sometimes be dangerous. Finally, the danger to veterinarians is the result of injuries sustained from large animals and sometimes-dangerous animals.


construction-1A Focus on Job Safety

Policies and procedures must be put into place to protect American workers. Although OSHA and other agencies have done much to improve job safety, there is much more to be done. In a labor department report on the topic of workers’ compensation, Thomas Perez, the secretary of labor, said “A nation built on the dignity of work must provide for workers’ safety, as well as take care of them if they get hurt on the job.”

We need to focus our attention on better job safety and the enhancement of safety precautions to help prevent worker fatalities, injuries and illnesses. We must also focus on ensuring that we provide adequate workers’ compensation benefits to injured workers.

Have you been injured on a construction site or anywhere on the job in the Wilkes-Barre, Scranton or Northeast PA? Call the Workers’ Compensation lawyers at Distasio & Kowalski today at 570-970-5400. We will schedule a free consultation with a personal injury lawyer in our Wilkes-Barre office. Your safety is our top priority.