Two people were hurt when a balcony collapsed on an Allentown apartment building on January 20, 2012. The accident occurred when the balcony broke away from the building with two men on it. The injured were taken to the hospital. Nobody on the ground was injured. According to neighbors, their injuries did not appear to be life threatening.

Officials are investigating what caused the balcony to fall. Building inspectors have determined the building is safe for residents to occupy. The building is owned by Allentown Metro Holdings.

Our accident and injury lawyers wish the two victims of this accident a full and fast recovery.

According to a British insurance company, it could be more dangerous than you think. The British insurance company Young Marmalade recently released the results of a study that found driving with a bad cold or the flu is like driving after taking four shots of whiskey.

The study used black boxes in cars to measure drivers’ actions and found that drivers with bad colds and flus:

• Had slower reaction times.
• Hit the brakes more suddenly.
• Were less aware of surrounding traffic.

The drivers studied did not take cold or flu medication before driving. Those medications are known to have a potential impact on driving abilities.

As the Pennsylvania winter cold and flu season continues, it is important to avoid driving if you feel that you are unable to do so safely and to contact an experienced Reading personal injury attorney if you have been hurt in a crash.

Pennsylvania State Police have released accident information for the recent four day New Year’s holiday weekend. The results indicate a slight drop in holiday fatalities and injuries when compared to the 2010-2011 New Year’s Period.

Over the 2011-2012 New Year’s holiday weekend:

• State Police responded to 552 crashes. That is down from 693 accidents over the 2010-2011 New Year’s holiday period.
• 10 people died compared to 11 people last year.
• 172 people were injured compared to 220 people last year.
• 79 of the crashes were alcohol related.
• 285 arrests were made for driving under the influence.
• 3,408 speeding tickets were issued.

As a PA auto accident lawyer, I hope that this trend of fewer accidents, fewer injuries and fewer fatalities continues throughout 2012 and I wish everyone a Happy and Safe New Year.

Flashing lights are supposed to warn motorists to slow down. Often they are used in conjunction with stop signs. However, according to a recent study, more accidents happen at intersections with flashing lights than at intersections with only stop signs.

What the study could not determine, however, was whether the flashing lights confused motorists or if flashing lights were placed at the most dangerous intersections. More research may be necessary to determine why the accidents are occurring and how to prevent them.

Do you find flashing lights at Pennsylvania intersections to be confusing? Have you been hurt in a Pennsylvania intersection accident? If so, please contact an experienced Reading personal injury lawyer today for more information about your rights.

Since the odd pre-Halloween snow storm we have dodged icy and snowy winter weather. Yet, as Pennsylvanians, we know that our luck can’t continue. The worse of the 2011 – 2012 is likely yet to come.

If you have a new teen driver in your house then you may be especially apprehensive about this winter season. Will your teen know what to do to stay safe when the snow starts to fall? AAA Mid-Atlantic has specific advice for parents of teen drivers. AAA recommends that parents take teen drivers to a big (and empty!) parking lot after a recent snow to allow their child to practice driving in slippery conditions. Parents should also go over safe driving tips including slowing down in inclement weather, avoiding sudden braking and avoiding side roads to the extent possible.

Our attorneys for personal injury victims agree with AAA’s advice and hope that your teen has a successful and safe first winter behind the wheel.