M&M Law Blog of Northeastern Pennsylvania

A trip to the hospital may already be a frightening experience if your reason for going is an injury, illness or surgery. You already have a lot on your mind as you worry about your health, and you certainly don't want to wonder about the safety rating of your hospital.

Unfortunately, with hundreds of thousands of patients dying in U.S. hospitals from preventable medical errors, concern over your hospital's rating may be more important in recent years. Public safety advocate groups, like Leapfrog, routinely publish ratings for hospitals across the country. While some recent news is encouraging, for those who only have access to low-rated hospitals, the situation is getting worse.

Even when Northeastern Pennsylvania has a mild winter, construction workers will face life-threatening hazards -- maybe even more because weather conditions might allow more activity on construction sites. Although the Occupational Safety and Health Administration says all construction accidents are preventable, noncompliance with safety regulations often lead to serious on-the-job injuries -- some of which are fatal. However, if you establish safe work policies for yourself, you might avoid spending the holidays in the hospital.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics says the most common workplace injuries result from slips, trips and falls. If you start your safety regime with a focus on those hazards, you will already be significantly safer than if you put all your trust in your employer to protect you. Awareness of potential dangers will allow you to take precautions.

With summer break coming up, scores of teenagers will be driving on the already busy Pennsylvania highways. If you are the parent of a teenager, handing over the keys to the family car might cause anxiety. Not only for the safety of the child but also for your liability if your teen causes an accident that injures or kills others.

Along with inexperience, distractions cause many teen crashes. Communicating about this problem may help to keep your child safe. Cellphones are not the only thing that can distract young drivers — anything that takes the mind off driving, the hands off the steering wheel or the eyes off the road can cause an accident.

If hurt at work, you know how difficult it can be to get better while you are worrying about paying your bills and taking care of your family during your time away from work. This is why workers' compensation benefits exist -- to care for individuals who suffered an injury at work or who became ill due to occupational exposure. While you may have a rightful claim to these benefits, it can actually be quite complex to secure them.

Many first-time applicants find that their initial claim came back denied. This certainly feels like a setback, and while it is frustrating, it is not the end of the road for you. You have the right to continue to fight for the full amount of workers' compensation benefits you need and deserve.