Pittsburgh Personal Injury Law Blog

A woman was listed in critical condition at a Pittsburgh hospital after a horrific crash near the Mansfield Bridge in Glassport that left her 21-year-old passenger dead. The car accident occurred in the early morning hours of Jan. 25 when a vehicle crashed through a concrete barrier on the bridge before landing some 40 feet below on West 5th Avenue. While the accident investigation is likely ongoing, police believe the driver was speeding when she approached the bridge and failed to navigate a sharp right turn, leading to the tragic collision.

The passenger was later declared dead at UPMC McKeesport. The driver was airlifted to a Pittsburgh hospital in critical condition. She was said to have suffered a subdural hematoma as well as broken arms, legs and a fractured pelvis. While police think that speed was the primary factor in the car accident, they do not as yet believe that alcohol or drugs played a part in the crash.

One Salem Township woman is being held accountable for her role in a drunk driving car accident which killed three Pennsylvania teens. The car accident happened shortly after a high school graduation party that the woman hosted for her son. The woman bought a half-keg of beer for the underage recent graduates and one of the drunk party goers caused a serious crash a short time later.

The woman told police that she checked to make sure that the drivers at the party were not drinking, but it turns out that the 19-year-old driver who attended the party had a blood alcohol level of 0.0147 percent. The legal limit for adult drivers is 0.08 percent and the legal limit for minors is 0.02 percent.

A cellphone can be one of the most dangerous things for Pittsburgh drivers and pedestrians. Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicate that over 3,000 people lost their lives in 2010 in car accidents that were attributable to cellphone use.

Calling and texting on a phone diverts a driver's attention from the road and makes it more likely that an accident will occur. Even drivers who are using hands-free devices are shown to be distracted from the task of driving and more likely to cause an accident. Distracted drivers can be held accountable for the damage that they cause by an experienced Pittsburgh personal injury attorney.