Petrillo & Goldberg Law

Pennsylvania Turnpike truck accident triggers typical vicarious liability claim

By Petrillo & Goldberg / January 6, 2015 / Comments Off on Pennsylvania Turnpike truck accident triggers typical vicarious liability claim

Motor vehicle accidents involving two passenger vehicles or a vehicle and a pedestrian that result in personal injury usually focus on the potential liability of the driver who precipitated the accident. When a commercial vehicle is one of the parties, though, the question of liability often has a broader scope. And that is illustrated very…

Overturned tractor trailers in Philadelphia, South Jersey add to truck crash statistics

By Petrillo & Goldberg / December 30, 2014 / Comments Off on Overturned tractor trailers in Philadelphia, South Jersey add to truck crash statistics

Two major incidents involving the overturning of a tractor trailer marred commutes in South Jersey and the Philadelphia area during Veterans Day week. Fortunately, there were no fatalities, and only minor injuries have been associated with the two incidents. But they served as a reminder of how common accidents involving large trucks are in the…

Pennsylvania case reminds Americans that holiday season presents prime slip-and-fall conditions

By Petrillo & Goldberg / December 27, 2014 / Comments Off on Pennsylvania case reminds Americans that holiday season presents prime slip-and-fall conditions

With autumn drawing to a close, the holiday season has begun in earnest. And so have the often extended, winter-like conditions that get people in the mood for shopping and for visiting friends and relatives. However, the holiday season can be a perilous one for people who walk on the often icy or snowy surfaces…

In region where many structures have crumbled, Jersey City building spurs evacuation

By Petrillo & Goldberg / December 22, 2014 / Comments Off on In region where many structures have crumbled, Jersey City building spurs evacuation

As crews worked to stabilize the ground in a vacant lot next to a four-story building in Jersey City, New Jersey, that was deemed in danger of collapsing, the city Building Department declared the structure unsafe and ordered it, as well as seven other buildings, temporarily evacuated.  The agency’s decision bespoke an abundance of caution…

Stateside arrival of Ebola raises concerns, questions of workers’ rights

By Petrillo & Goldberg / December 11, 2014 / Comments Off on Stateside arrival of Ebola raises concerns, questions of workers’ rights

Facing Ebola’s limited spread among a handful of people in United States, questions are being raised about how, in spite of precautions, the deadly virus could have been transmitted to healthcare workers who were entrusted with the care of the patient in Dallas, Texas who died of the disease.  The sudden stateside appearance of Ebola…

Drowsiness can have tragic consequences behind the wheel

By Petrillo & Goldberg / December 2, 2014 / Comments Off on Drowsiness can have tragic consequences behind the wheel

When Maria Fernandes, 32, of Newark, New Jersey, died on August 25, she was overcome by fumes from an overturned gas can mixed with carbon monoxide from her running car while she was napping inside it. Her sad demise came as she was trying to make ends meet by working at four jobs, driving from…

Harness driver’s negligence lawsuit against racetrack proceeds in Philadelphia court

By Petrillo & Goldberg / November 27, 2014 / Comments Off on Harness driver’s negligence lawsuit against racetrack proceeds in Philadelphia court

When athletes compete in sports, injuries unfortunately but inevitably happen. Among sports, horse racing, with its combination of fleet equines and the humans who guide them around a racing oval at a high velocity, can be particularly risky. As a result of a recent decision made by a Pennsylvania common pleas judge, one jockey in…

Philadelphia man sues Starbucks, cup manufacturer over scalding coffee incident

By Petrillo & Goldberg / November 17, 2014 / Comments Off on Philadelphia man sues Starbucks, cup manufacturer over scalding coffee incident

In a case that is reminiscent of a landmark personal injury lawsuit from the 1990s, a Philadelphia man is suing Starbucks for severe burns that he allegedly suffered as a result of spillage from a defective coffee cup that a Starbucks employee gave to him. Solo Cup, the manufacturer of the coffee cup that was…

Giving weight to risk factors, NJ high court denies workers’ compensation case

By Petrillo & Goldberg / November 10, 2014 / Comments Off on Giving weight to risk factors, NJ high court denies workers’ compensation case

On July 30, the New Jersey Supreme Court overturned a lower court decision awarding workers’ compensation benefits to the widower of an AT&T employee who died one hour after completing her work.  The facts behind the case are unusual, and the high court’s decision, which accounted for a number of newly argued risk factors that…

Pennsylvania high court’s ruling sets high bar for slip-and-fall cases

By Petrillo & Goldberg / October 31, 2014 / Comments Off on Pennsylvania high court’s ruling sets high bar for slip-and-fall cases

Recently, the Pennsylvania Superior Court denied the appeal of a man who claimed that a judge in the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas had given improper jury instructions.  As a result of the Superior Court ruling, the verdict rendered against the man in his personal injury lawsuit has been upheld. The verdict has also offered…