Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Johnson and Johnson Drug Approved by FDA

Johnson and Johnson recently received approval from the FDA to market one of their newest drugs, Nucynta ER.  This extended-release pill is intended to be used for those suffering from moderate to sever chronic pain.  This drug will be available under a risk management strategy, in which consumers will be informed of the dangers of drug abuse and misuse, overdose, and addiction.

Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer serving western and central PA. If you would like to consult with him about a possible claim, please contact our law office.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

September is Pain Awareness Month

Unfortunately, many of Attorney Stoehr's clients have experienced sustained pain to one degree or another as the result of an accident.  According to the American Pain Foundation, September is National Pain Awareness Month.  Pain is said to affect more Americans than diabetes, heart disease, and cancer combined.  With this in mind, chronic pain is still a medical problem that many overlook or underestimate when making medical diagnoses.  It is extremely important to monitor your pain, especially after an accident, to see if the intensity and frequency of your pain is diminishing, or is something that needs to be seriously addressed by a professional.  This is also something that a caregiver or concerned family member could check in on in regards to their injured loved one, perhaps every day or certain times during the day. 

Attorney Doug Stoehr is a lawyer serving western and central Pennsylvania who specializes in personal injury. If you would like to set up a consultation with him involving a possible personal injury claim, please contact our law office.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Chronic Pain is More Prevalent Than You May Think

Chronic pain is an extremely debilitating and life-changing issues that a large number of Americans deal with on a daily basis.  According to the American Pain Society, 42% of American adults experience pain daily (chronic pain) and 89% experience pain monthly.  Nearly half of all Americans seek out a physician at least once a year for pain relief as a primary complaint.  If you consider those statistics in terms of raw numbers, that means that about 50 million Americans are living with chronic pain, and millions of others directly related to them that are dealing with their diagnosis along with the affected person. 

With all that in mind, it is important to realize what a major effect chronic pain can have on day to day life.  It is all-encompassing and can prevent a person from spending time with their family, contributing to their community through daily work or volunteering, and make them unable to perform physical activities which they previously enjoyed.  Often, this chronic pain comes as a result of an accident, whether it be motor vehicle, slip-and-fall, brain or spinal cord injury, or countless other situations.  Attorney Doug Stoehr has worked with many clients who experience chronic pain as a result of an accident at the fault of another.  If you would like to contact our office to set up a free initial legal consultation, please click on the above link to reach us.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Most Dangerous Times To Be On The Road

As most of us know, there are periods throughout the year when it seems to be more dangerous than normal to be traveling in your car.  Forbes Magazine researched this phenomenon using statistics from AAA and the National Highway Safety Administration to figure out which times actually are statistically more likely to result in car accidents.  Their results?  August is the most dangerous month in which to drive, and Saturday is the most dangerous day of the week to drive, especially in the evening.  The reason was attributed to driver distractability, intoxication, and speeding.

Our law firm has seen several serious accidents involving driver fatigue and driver distractability, which led to severe injuries. While you may be responsible, safe, and focused on the road, this does not mean that everyone you are sharing the road with is as well. Defensive driving is especially important on truck-heavy roads and highways. If you have been in a motor vehicle accident and have suffered significant personal injuries, please contact our office for a free consultation.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

New Lancaster Elder Abuse Unit Sees First Cases

Previously this summer, our blog wrote an article about Lancaster's growing elder abuse problem.  Now, the area has created a new elder abuse unit, and this unit is seeing its first cases come in.  Click on this link to read more about the specific cases and how the Lancaster elder abuse unit is running in its first summer. 

Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury attorney serving western and central Pennsylvania.  He also deals with elder abuse claims in both nursing homes and hospitals. If you suspect that your loved one has been mistreated or neglected by caregivers in a hospital or a nursing home, please contact our law office for a consultation to discuss possible action on your claim.

Monday, August 22, 2011

"Minor" Injuries Can Do Major Damage

When a person is injured, whether it it's a car crash, slip and fall, or another situation, the hurt party may feel that their injuries are minor or not significant.  Although this is sometimes the case, sometimes seemingly minor injuries can develop into serious and major problems. Many people initially write off their injuries as minor aches and pains that will decrease over time, but unfortunately, this is not always true.

An article originally published by Newsweek magazine talked about an excellent example of this phenomenon.  In this story, a woman had suffered from a "minor head trauma" as a result of a bike accident.  Although she seemed on the road to recovery at the start, she talked about persistent problems that lingered as a result of her accident.  It now is more difficult for her to communicate with others, perform her job, and even write legibly.  Keeping this story in mind, it is important to monitor your mental and physical problems after an accident to see whether you are actually recovering or whether you need to re-evaluated by a physician for possible lingering and worsening problems.

Friday, August 19, 2011

Tour Bus Turns Over On PA Turnpike

A Greyhound bus driving on the Pennsylvania turnpike last week, near the Lancaster/Lebanon exit, turned over on its side.  The crash injured 24 passengers and left one woman trapped in the wreckage; 29 people total were on board, including the driver.  Police are investigating the cause of the crash.  Greyhound declined to comment on the driver's record and driving performance.

Tour bus and commercial truck drivers are a significant cause of motor vehicle accidents . Often, these commercial drivers are fatigued and are driving above the mandated allotment of hours. Additionally, many of them are driving large vehicles that are not up to federal and state safety standards. As a result, passengers and other vehicles often bear the brunt of their illegal activity and are often seriously injured or die from a resulting collision. If you have been injured or a loved one has died as a result of a commercial vehicle accident, please contact our law office for a consultation at no cost to you at the Law Offices of Attorney Doug Stoehr.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Elder Abuse Growing Problem In Lancaster County

According to a recent article, Lancaster County is seeing a significant number of elder abuse allegations.  Police were becoming overwhelmed without official protocol in place to investigate such cases, and have since written explicit elder abuse investigation guidelines for law enforcement to follow.  According to the county Department of Aging, elder abuse allegations have tripled in the past decade; this is reflected in the National Center on Elder Abuse, which estimates that between 1 and 2 million people aged 65 and over are victims of elder abuse each year.  Lancaster County is working now to increase awareness about elder abuse and the steps one needs to take if they or someone else might be a victim of this kind of abuse.

Attorney Doug Stoehr deals with elder abuse in both nursing homes and hospitals. If you suspect that your loved one has been mistreated or neglected by caregivers in a hospital or a nursing home, please contact our law office for a consultation to discuss possible action on your claim.

Monday, August 15, 2011

UPMC/Highmark Argument Targets Media Markets

The highly publicized UPMC/Highmark health insurance disagreement highlighted heavily by our blog and most Western and Central Pennsylvania newspapers is now hitting the general public in full force. Both healthcare companies are heavily advertising their services via newspaper, radio, and magazine advertisements. Now that the two healthcare giants are unofficially competing for the same market, they are marketing towards the same patients for healthcare renewals and new business.  This advertisement barrage is not expected to slow or decrease in the immediate future, as current patients within the UPMC/Highmark healthcare system make their choice between which organization they want to stay with.

As mentioned in previous blog posts, if you have Highmark insurance and are also a patient within the UPMC Healthcare system, Attorney Doug Stoehr advises you to carefully examine any correspondence that your health insurance and medical provider may send you.  It is important to be as knowledgeable as possible about what you are entitled to from your insurance company and your healthcare provider, especially when major changes are occurring within those systems.  Attorney Stoehr is a lawyer specializing in personal injury and services the western and central Pennsylvania area.  If you would like to consult with him about a possible personal injury claim, please contact our law office.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Mercer County Awarded Grant to Advocate for Abused Elders

AWARE Inc, a human services organization aiding abuse victims, has recently been awarded a three-year Elder Victim Advocacy grant.  This new grant will help to form services for community members, aged 60 or above, who are living independently but may be the victims of physical, sexual, mental, and financial abuse.  The Organization will offer counseling services to the elderly, and will also speak at senior centers. Two detectives will also be working on the team in the case that an incident of elder abuse does need to be investigated.

Attorney Doug Stoehr deals with elder abuse in both nursing homes and hospitals. If you suspect that your loved one has been mistreated or neglected by caregivers in a hospital or a nursing home, please contact our law office for a consultation to discuss possible action on your claim.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Facebook

 Hi everyone!

Have you checked out Douglas V. Stoehr, Attorney At Law's facebook page? If not, "like" him and check out some of the updates we have posted recently. Most noticeably, make sure to look at the before and after pictures of our new office building!

Here's the link:

Facebook for Douglas V. Stoehr, Attorney At Law


Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Truck Accident Kills Perry County Woman

A Perry County woman was killed and her family injured in a motor vehicle accident this past week.  The family was driving on a road when a dump truck made a u-turn and crashed into their car.  The woman died and one of her children, also in the car, was critically injured and sent to Hershey Medical Center.  The crash is currently under investigation.

Truck drivers are a significant cause of motor vehicle accidents on major roads.  As a result of these collisions, other vehicles and motorcycle riders often bear the brunt and are seriously injured or die as a result of the crash.  If you have been injured or a loved one as died as a result of commercial vehicle accident, please contact our office to set up a free consultation with Attorney Doug Stoehr.

Monday, August 8, 2011

E-Legs In Action: Treatment for Spinal Cord Damage

Earlier in the summer, this blog touched upon a new treatment for people suffering from spinal cord injuries.  A new medical device called "E-Legs", originally developed by the military, is being used to help paralyzed clients walk on their own with the aid of a exoskeleton-like device.  A video was recently posted showing this device in action and also highlighted a human interest story about a patient trying out the new device after being confined to a wheelchair for over 15 years.  Hopefully this device will become more accessible and affordable for rehabilitation centers and hospitals to utilize in their treatment of patients with spinal cord damage.

Severe brain and spinal cord injuries, especially as a result of a motor vehicle accident, can be extremely debilitating and disheartening to experience and overcome. Attorney Stoehr has experience working with those suffering from brain and spinal cord injuries as a result of an accident at the fault of another. If you would like to consult with Attorney Stoehr at the Law Offices of Attorney Doug Stoehr at no cost to you, please contact our law office.

Friday, August 5, 2011

Bankers Being Trained to Spot Financial Elder Abuse

Banks in Illinois are training its employees on red flags in bank account activity that would suggest exploitation of an elderly person's finances.  Some of the red flags include a change in the method of bank activity and a new signature on cards and deposit slips. This mandatory training was implemented as a part of Elder Abuse Awareness Month.  We hope that other states, especially Pennsylvania, will follow suit and institute mandatory bank training like this as well.

Elder abuse can come in many forms, not just physical abuse.  Other, equally as damaging forms, of elder abuse can occur in settings such as nursing homes or hospitals.  Mental and psychological abuse, as well as financial and sexual abuse occur all too often to the elderly population.  If you feel that a loved one has been a victim of elder abuse, please contact Attorney Doug Stoehr to set up a free consultation.  Attorney Stoehr has experience and knowledge pertaining to elder abuse legal claims, and will work hard to fight for the rights of your family or friend.

Thursday, August 4, 2011

UPMC and Highmark Cannot Reach Agreement

As highlighted earlier in our blog this summer, healthcare provider UPMC and health insurance company Highmark still have not reached a decision regarding their contract.  UPMC has chosen not to negotiate with Highmark after news was broken that Highmark was trying to acquire UPMC's biggest competitor in western PA: Western Penn Allegheny Health System.  Since Highmark is now operating Western Penn, they can be considered to be in direct competition with UPMC.  The groups are in talks about how to best disperse patient records in case a patient wants to switch healthcare systems.

If you have Highmark insurance and are also a patient within the UPMC Healthcare system, Attorney Doug Stoehr advises you to carefully examine any correspondence that your health insurance and medical provider may send you.  It is important to be as knowledgeable as possible about what you are entitled to from your insurance company and your healthcare provider, especially when major changes are occurring within those systems.  Attorney Stoehr is a lawyer specializing in personal injury and services the western and central Pennsylvania area.  If you would like to consult with him about a possible personal injury claim, please contact our law office.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

State Police Recognized for Good Crash Inspection Performance

The Pennsylvania State Police was recently recognized for provided accurate and timely data from crash scenes, as well as random inspections of truck and other commercial drivers.  They were recognized nationally by the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for their outstanding work in addition to their day-to-day work of enforcing roadside safety and state and federal driving laws.

The Pennsylvania State Police work very hard for our state's citizens, especially on site at crash scenes.  Motor vehicle accidents occur suddenly and can be overwhelming for an accident victim.  The State Police do an excellent job of assessing the crash scene while helping to get accident victims the medical assistance that they may need. Their crash report may also become important if a crash victim decides to open a personal injury claim accident against the person who caused the accident. 

Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer serving western and central PA. If you would like to consult with him about a possible claim, please contact our law office.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Vicious Dog Ordinance in Pottsville

Earlier in the summer, this blog talked about the possibility of changing dog laws in Pottsville, PA after a wave of dog attacks hit the area. As a result of a town hall meeting, the city has introduced a new "vicious dog ordinance".  This ordinance is not breed-specific, but would require owners of dogs viewed as vicious to take extra measures, such as paying a fine, applying for a special license, and putting up signs around their property.  If these measures, along with others listed in the ordinance, are broken three times, the dog must be euthanized at the owner's expense. This ordinance will be voted on by the City Council on August 8th.

Most of the time, dogs are faithful and loving household pets that interact well with family, friends, and neighbors.  However, sometimes dogs can attack others without warning.  These attacks can be extensive and lead not only to physical injury, but also psychological issues.  If you have been the victim of a dog attack and would like to consult with a lawyer, Attorney Doug Stoehr would be willing to meet with you. Please contact our law office to get more information or to set up a time for your consultation.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Wrong-Way Crash Kills Passenger and Injures Driver

A New Rochelle, PA woman is being arraigned after she drove over 6 miles on the wrong side of the highway while intoxicated, crashing into an oncoming car.  The crash killed the passenger in the other car and injured the driver.  The woman who crashed the car is in the hospital after suffering injuries as well.  She will be charged with second-degree manslaughter.


Car accidents are a very real danger when driving, no matter on the highway or on a secluded country road.  The physical and psychological damage caused by car accidents can be extensive and result in years of medical and professional care.  If you or a loved one has been injured in a car crash that was the fault of another, Attorney Doug Stoehr would be willing to set up a free consultation to discuss a possible legal claim involving your accident.  Attorney Stoehr has experience litigating personal injury claims relating to car crashes, and if you would like to meet with him, please contact our law office.