Legal Blog | Feldman Shepherd Law Firm | Philadelphia Personal Injury Lawyers

Search Resources

DOJ Launches Corporate Whistleblower Awards Pilot Program

In 2024, the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division launched the Corporate Whistleblower Awards Pilot Program to combat corporate crime. The Corporate Whistleblower Pilot Program will run through 2027, before being re-evaluated, and is modeled on other successful whistleblower programs like those administered by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The Pilot Program is designed …

Tabletop Fire Pits Can Explode, Cause Serious Burn Injuries and Death

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning consumers to immediately stop using alcohol-burning or other liquid fuel tabletop fire pits following two deaths and at least 60 injuries in the past five years. Tabletop fire pits — also called fire pots, miniature fireplaces and personal fireplaces — are small, portable fireplaces that can be placed on a tabletop or …

NHTSA Issues Final Rule for Auto Whistleblower Program

On December 12, 2024, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) published the final rule formalizing its whistleblower program, as required by the Motor Vehicle Safety Whistleblower Act. The final rule deviates little from the rule proposed by NHTSA in April 2023, which addressed definitions of key program terms, tip-filing requirements, award applications, how decisions are made on award applications, …

SEC Obtains Orders for a Record $8.2 Billion in Financial Remedies in Fiscal Year 2024

In fiscal year 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed 583 enforcement actions and obtained orders for $8.2 billion in financial remedies—the most ever obtained by the SEC in a single fiscal year. The $8.2 billion consisted of $6.1 billion in disgorgement and prejudgment interest and $2.1 billion in civil penalties. The SEC also obtained orders barring 124 individuals from serving …

When Fun Toys Kill: The Products Liability Case Against Water Beads

Water beads are sold for children as toys, educational materials, art materials, sensory tools, and as projectiles for “gel blaster” guns. Adults use them as decorative, crafting and gardening supplies. When these small, colorful beads are swallowed by children, they do not simply get digested and pass through a child’s body. Instead, they absorb fluids and expand to many times …

The Products Liability Case Against Tianeptine: The Deadly “Dietary Supplement” Found at Your Local Store

You see them displayed by the cash register. Neptune’s Fix and other tianeptine-based products promise to help brain function, treat anxiety and depression, and even manage opioid addiction. Unbeknownst to many consumers, these products have been associated with severe adverse medical events, including seizures and even deaths. This article, written by John M. Dodig and Jason A. Daria and published in …

Fisher-Price Recalls Snuga Swings After Five Infant Deaths

In a recall that one federal safety regulator has characterized as “doomed to fail,” Fisher-Price is offering its customers $25 to remove components from its Snuga Swings — which have been linked to five infant deaths — instead of offering a meaningful remedy that would get this unsafe product out of people’s homes. On October 10, 2024, Fisher-Price announced the recall …

Lawmakers Seek to Address Supersized Vehicles That Kill Pedestrians

Federal lawmakers have introduced legislation aimed at reducing the number of pedestrians who are killed and seriously injured in crashes with supersized passenger vehicles. Recent government data show that there are more than 40,000 fatal car crashes per year in the United States. Between 2013 and 2022, pedestrian fatalities increased 57 percent from 4,779 to 7,522, according to the National Highway …

CPSC Warns Against Two Cradle Swings That Pose Suffocation and Fall Hazards

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning parents and caregivers to stop using DNYSYSJ and OUKANING cradle swings due to the risk of suffocation and falls. According to the CPSC, the cradle swings violate federal safety regulations for bassinets and cradles. The warning, issued on August 15, 2024, states that the “folds” of the cradle swing’s segmented sleeping pad …

Medical Procedure

Top 6 Questions to Ask Your Doctor before a Medical Procedure

June 8th, 2018

Prior to undergoing any medical procedure, it is important to empower yourself with as much information as possible, which requires a candid conversation with your doctor. All procedures have risks, benefits, alternatives, recovery periods, and other factors to consider. An open and thorough discussion will …

birth injury

Was Your Baby Diagnosed with Kernicterus? Top 8 Questions to Ask Your Doctor

May 17th, 2018

If your newborn baby has been diagnosed with kernicterus, the news is devastating, and you are likely searching for answers as to how and why the condition occurred, whether it could have been prevented, and what the future holds for your child. Below are answers to …

Media Coverage – Olivia Kong

May 14th, 2018

Arizona Uber self-driving car

Fatal Uber Crash Highlights the Risks of Self-Driving Vehicles

March 20th, 2018

The tragic death on March 18, 2018 of a pedestrian in Arizona struck by an Uber self-driving car raises issues as to whether federal and state officials are prepared to deal with the self-driving vehicle technology that industry players are expected to deploy by 2020. Forty-nine …

Amtrak Derailment

Eight People Killed in Amtrak Crashes over Seven-Week Span; Hundreds Injured

March 1st, 2018

Federal investigators say a track switch locked in the wrong position appears to be the cause of the most recent Amtrak collision in South Carolina that killed the train’s conductor and engineer and sent about 115 Amtrak passengers to local hospitals. The Feb. 4, 2018 crash …

Pedestrian Accidents

Roosevelt Boulevard Strikes Again: Unlicensed Driver Kills Pedestrian

February 12th, 2018

Another victim has died attempting to cross Roosevelt Boulevard. Late Monday evening on Feb. 5, 2018, an unidentified woman in her 20s was struck and killed with such force that she came out of both her sneakers, police said. The accident, which occurred on the inner …

cap medical malpractice awards

Profitable “NonProfit” Insurance Companies: Hidden Factors in The Rising Cost of Healthcare

August 30th, 2017

Lawsuit reform is a highly controversial topic at the moment. There are many movements to try to cap medical malpractice awards since people blame doctors’ insurance costs as a reason for expensive healthcare. However, what people often don’t see is that the doctors’ insurance which …

Airbag Recall

Defective Airbags in Mazdas, Hondas, and 17 other automakers cause Largest and Most Complex Safety Recall in U.S. History

August 18th, 2017

Mazda recently issued a recall of nearly 80,000 cars and SUVs, shortly after an initial recall in January, to replace defective airbags. The defect arises from dangerous Takata airbag inflators, which are located in the front passenger side of certain 2007 through 2009 and 2012 …

August 16th, 2017

Neonatal Therapeutic Hypothermia, also known as “Cooling Therapy” is a treatment for newborns that lack oxygen due to birth complications. Infants sometimes lack sufficient oxygen at birth due to blood loss or other complications during delivery. This severe oxygen deficiency, known as birth asphyxia or hypoxic-ischemic …

August 14th, 2017

Pennsylvania has a new health statute requiring that all children be up-to -date with their vaccinations by the first day of school or schools can turn them away. Unlike the eight-month grace period in the past, schools will only permit a 5 day grace period. …