Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Lawyers Blog

Pittsburgh Chocolate Company Fined by OSHA

Published on: August 14, 2013 | O'Connor Law

Tsudis Chocolate Co. was fined over $87,000 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration after an accident at its Pittsburgh manufacturing facility.

According to an article on BizJournals.com, an employee sustained crushing injuries to his right hand and wrist in February after a machine activated while he was setting it up. That accident prompted an inspection by OSHA.

In a statement, OSHA said, “Tsudis Chocolate could have prevented this unfortunate incident by having the proper hazardous energy controls in place.”

Nursing Facilities Are 5th Most Dangerous Workplace in U.S.

Published on: August 2, 2013 | O'Connor Law

A new study from the insurance company Allsup, reports that nursing facilities are the 5th most dangerous workplace in the U.S. The report also says that nursing facilities are the most dangerous places to work in Maine.

According to an article on McKnights.com, the study analyzed serious workplace injuries that resulted in an employee being prevented from performing the usual functions of a job or from working a full day.

In the study, Maine had the most worker injuries in private and state-run nursing facilities. There was an average of five injuries per 100 workers. The study also reported that Iowa had the most injuries for facilities run by the state and Indiana had the most injuries occurring in private nursing homes.

Nursing home workers face the most risk when moving residents. In fact, the American Nurses Association is encouraging a reduction in manual handling of residents to help reduce worker injuries.

Explosion at Propane Plant in Florida Injures Workers

Published on: August 1, 2013 | O'Connor Law

At the height of the summer cookout season, a tragedy unfolded this week in central Florida, where propane tank cylinders exploded at a Blue Rhino refilling plant.

According to an article on CNN.com, eight plant workers were injured in the blasts that took place Monday night. An evacuation order for homes within a half-mile of the facility had been issued by the Florida Division of Emergency Management. The fire was put out three hours after the explosions began. The evacuation has since been lifted.

First reports said there were 15 workers missing, but later all workers were found safe. No residents were hurt.

Employees at the plant refurbish propane cylinders and load them on palates and vehicles. They refill propane tanks that are used in gas grills. The company has a tank exchange service that lets customers trade an empty propane tank for a full one at retail locations.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the explosions. But the article reported that a fire official said equipment failure and human error are likely to blame.

In 2011, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined Blue Rhine for a “serious” safety violation involving tools and equipment.

Back Pain is Increasing Drastically and It’s Straining Our Healthcare System

Published on: June 12, 2013 | O'Connor Law

According to an article on NCBI.gov, back pain and chronic back pain, as well as the cost associated with each has increased drastically over the past few years. The reason, according to the study, is because of the aging baby boomers, who are now in the stage of life where deteriorating joints can cause pain such as this.

Unfortunately this is putting more of a strain on the resources of the healthcare system. In a study running from the year 2000 they measured a 29% increase in back pain, as well as a 64% increase in chronic back pain, along with an increase of 129% in the amount of money spent on treating these patients! That’s $37.5 billion dollars in one year.

Since around 80% of Americans will experience back pain at some time in their life, here are some ways to make it a little less painful if you are suffering from short term back pain:

Judge Grants Temporary Judgment to Place Sarah Murnaghan on the Adult Transplant list

Published on: June 7, 2013 | O'Connor Law

In Pennsylvania a 10 year old girl is bravely facing a situation that most adults would not be able to handle with such strength and hope. The girl is dying of cystic fibrosis and needs new lungs in order to survive.

Her situation has been growing more desperate and has achieved national attention. Support for the girl’s situation has come from the public after the national media made the situation well known across the country. Judge Michael Baylson, a Federal Court Judge, passed a temporary decision allowing Sarah to be placed on the adult transplant list, which she was previously not allowed to be on according to the “Under 12 rule” which does not allow children under the age of 12 to be on the adult transplant list.

According to medical experts, lung transplants are the hardest transplants to perform, and giving adult lungs to children is even more difficult to do successfully. If the policy is changed there would be approximately 8-11 children added to the list of already over 1500 people waiting for lung transplants. Many are saying that it should not be up to a judge to decide what to do with transplant organs, especially when the decision goes against what the doctors say.

Winner of “Cutest Pet Contest” and New iPod Shuffle Announced

Published on: May 29, 2013 | O'Connor Law

The attorneys and staff of O’Connor Law had their pick of the litter last week when they announced that Jill Strunk of Pottsville and her Saint Bernard puppy, Boudreaux, were the winners of the “Cutest Pet Contest.” The content began in March when clients were asked to send a picture of their pets to the O’Connor Facebook page (www.facebook.com/mjoclaw). Pictures were posted on the Facebook page through May 1 and the picture of the pet that received the most “Likes” was named the winner. The prize was a brand new iPod Shuffle 2GB, an easy-to-use portable device for storing hundreds of songs.
Congratulations to Jill and Boudreaux! Who said you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?

Friday is National Donate Life Blue and Green Day in Support of Organ and Tissue Donation

Published on: April 19, 2013 | O'Connor Law

This Friday (April 19), remember to wear blue and green in honor of the second annual National Donate Life Blue and Green Day in support of organ and tissue donation and in celebration of National Donate Life Month.

Donate Life America is a non-profit alliance of national organizations across the U.S. with a mission to increase the number of designated organ, eye, and tissue donors in order to save and heal lives. They are encouraging the public to wear blue and green on this day, to bring attention to the need for organ and tissue donors.

According to DonorRecovery.org, more than 117,000 people are on organ transplant lists.

Staff of O’Connor Law Take Part in First Ever Yuengling Light Lager Jogger 5K

Published on: April 17, 2013 | O'Connor Law

On Saturday, April 13, staff from O’Connor Law laced up their running shoes to participate in the first ever Yuengling Light Lager Jogger 5K run/walk in Pottsville. Sponsored by America’s oldest brewery, Yuengling, the run/walk attracted 2,500 participants as well as hundreds of spectators. But it wasn’t just a chance to run or walk the race route — part of the proceeds from the participant registrations were donated to Operation Gratitude, an organization that sends care packages with snacks, entertainment items, and personal letters of appreciation addressed to individually named U.S service members deployed in hostile regions, as well as their children left behind, and to Wounded Warriors, veterans, and first responders. After the race, letter writing stations were set up so participants and spectators could write notes to be included in the care packages. It was a great community event that we were proud to take part in!

Pictured above from left to right: Mary Jo Link, Lorianne Link, Kathy Wagner, Bridget Burke, and Peggy Kellar

Pictured above from left to right: Samantha Cody, Kathy Wagner, Lorianne Link, and Bridget Burke

Thoughts and Prayers for Those at the Boston Marathon

Published on: April 15, 2013 | O'Connor Law

Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by today’s tragic events at the Boston Marathon.

Will a Supreme Court Ruling on Generic Drugs Affect Workers’ Comp?

Published on: April 9, 2013 | O'Connor Law

A ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court over generic drug deals could impact the cost of workers’ comp for employers and health insurance coverage for employees.

According to an article on BusinessInsurance.com, the high court is ruling on a case that involves whether or not it is legal for brand-name drug manufacturers to make payments to generic competitors for keeping cheapter medications off the market temporarily. The payments come from patent dispute settlements.

In March, the Federal Trade Commission argued before the Supreme Court that such payments violate antitrust laws and hurt consumers. On the flip side, the National Association of Manufacturers argued that a ruling favoring the FTC would discourage companies from doing expensive research and could damage the U.S. economy.