Westmoreland County, PA -- Motorcycle Accident
A 37-year‑old man from Latrobe, Pennsylvania, suffered serious lacerations of his leg and crush injuries of his left foot in a motorcycle accident on State Route 982 near Kecksburg. A truck owned by a construction company coming around the curve when an unsecured 55 gallon drum filled with liquid flew off of the back of the truck, striking our client's motorcycle and impacting his foot. The motorcyclist was thrown from his bike onto the roadway. Our client was life flighted to a Pittsburgh hospital for surgical treatment of several comminuted metatarsal fractures and metatarsophalangeal joint dislocations, also known as a Lisfranc fracture/dislocation. Part of the treatment involved K-wire fixation of the fractured bones. Our client's prognosis included arthritic changes and probable future fusion of his mid foot. A lawsuit was filed in Westmoreland County and a substantial settlement was reached before trial began.
Derry Township, Westmoreland County, PA -- Motorcycle Collision
Our client was traveling on State Route 217 near Blairsville, PA, on a motorcycle when a vehicle pulled out onto the roadway directly into his lane of travel. On impact, our client was ejected from his bike. His injuries included head, neck and back injuries, as well as a fracture of the right fibula, a displaced fracture of the left medial malleolus, a significantly comminuted fracture of his left great toe, and other multiple injuries. Repair of these injuries included percutaneous pinning and placement of hardware to aid healing. This hardware had to be surgically removed several months after the accident. The personal injury attorneys at QuatriniRafferty obtained the maximum limits of bodily injury liability insurance as well as underinsured motorists benefits.
Indiana County, PA -- Fatal Accident Caused by Drunk Driver
QuatriniRafferty represented the Estates of two young parents who were traveling on State Route 422 in Indiana County, PA, on a Sunday evening when a drunk driver traveling the opposite direction crossed the center line and collided head-on with their vehicle. The drunk driver survived, but both of his victims were pronounced dead at the scene. They left behind one son and other family members devastated by this tragic, but preventable accident. The drunk driver was sentenced to a multiple-year prison term. Our office represented the Estates of the husband and wife in a lawsuit filed in Indiana County for the benefit of their son. As a result of the civil action, we were able to reach a settlement short of trial for the policy limits available to the drunk driver as well as all underinsured motorist coverage available to the family vehicle involved in the accident. Our firm also assisted the family in applying for benefits through the Victims Compensation Assistance Program and in seeking restitution from the drunk driver through the criminal proceeding.
Westmoreland County, Washington Township, Pa -- Head-on Car Collision
Our client was a 32 year old teacher traveling to work at 7:00 a.m. on State Route 66. She was a front seat passenger car pooling with a co-worker. A vehicle coming the opposite direction struck a tractor-trailer which was on the road ahead of the vehicle our client occupied. After impacting the rear of the tractor-trailer, the oncoming car continued to cross the center line and strike our client's vehicle head-on. Our client had to be cut from the wreckage after being trapped for nearly 40 minutes. She had emergency surgery at a Pittsburgh hospital for extensive internal injuries, including lacerations of her liver and a perforated small intestine. She also sustained multiple injuries including trauma to her knee which resulted in chondromalacia. Months after her initial hospitalization, she had additional abdominal surgery to repair an umbilical hernia. She also had surgery to repair her Achilles tendon after that tendon ruptured due to the trauma of the accident which reduced the blood supply to that tendon. After months of rehabilitation, she was able to return to work. After filing a law suit, the attorneys at QuatriniRafferty fought to get her a substantial settlement prior to trial.
Westmoreland County, Greensburg, PA -- Social Security Disability (Multiple Impairments)
QuatriniRafferty represented a 50 year-old Social Security Disability individual from Greensburg, Pennsylvania who suffered from several impairments, including a granuloma of the lung, arthritis, fibromyalgia, hiatal hernia, ovarian mass, chronic depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, Raynaud's phenomenon, and chronic fatigue. Individual was originally denied on her initial application. QuatriniRafferty represented the individual at a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The ALJ agreed with our argument that the individual' severe and non-severe impairments prohibited her from competitive, full-time work (i.e. eight hours per day and five days per week), and awarded the claimant full social security disability benefits.
Westmoreland County, Latrobe, PA -- Social Security Disability (Right Rotator Cuff)
Our social security disability client from Latrobe, Pennsylvania sustained a right rotator cuff tear at work. While representing him on the workers' compensation matter, we also applied him for social security disability benefits. Our client was awarded benefits on application. However, the social security chose an onset date approximately 9 months after the client left work and had surgery on his right shoulder. We instituted an appeal to challenge the onset date and represented our client before an Administrative Law Judge in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. We argued that our client was entitled to nine additional months of benefits because after his surgery he was only capable of sedentary work and was therefore disabled pursuant to Medical Vocational Rule 201.12 in light of his age (54) at the date of onset, education and work history. Alternatively, we argued that our client was entitled to five additional months of benefits because even where the ALJ believed our client to be capable of light work, he was within six (6) months of 55 and a finding of disabled would be compelled by Medical Vocational Rule 202.04. The ALJ agreed with our alternative argument and awarded our client five additional months of benefits.
Westmoreland County, Jeannette, PA -- Social Security Disability (Diabetes)
QuatriniRafferty represented a 37 year-old individual from Jeannette, Pennsylvania suffering from insulin dependent diabetes and depression after she was denied on an application for social security disability benefits. Our attorneys represented the individual at a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. We informed the ALJ that the client suffered from repeated bouts of ketoacidosis, which required three separate hospitalizations in one year, in addition to severe fatigue, muscle weakness, rotator cuff tendonitis, skin sores, blurred vision, and episodes of anxiety and depression. We argued that due to the many exertional complications our client was unable to perform full-time substantial gainful activity in the form of either her past work or any future work, regardless of the level of such future work. The ALJ agreed with our argument and awarded our client full social security disability benefits.
