Starting Dec. 24, the fines for underage drinking in Pennsylvania rose from $300 for a first offense to $500, and for subsequent offenses the fine soared to a cool $1,000, all in a new attempt to reduce underage drinking in the Commonwealth. The law, which was passed by the state Legislature and signed by the…

The holidays are here and sadly, alcohol-related vehicle accidents, fueled by holiday parties where drivers drink too much and then get behind the wheel, are already taking their deadly toll on America’s roadways. Four people were killed Dec. 23 in Cincinnati, Ohio, “when a minivan carrying a family leaving a Christmas party went the wrong…

When the power went out in her house in June 2009, Carrie Goretzka, an Allegheny County, Pa., mother of two children looked outside and saw flames in some pine trees in her backyard. Frightened by the power-related tree fire, she went out to her car to get her cellphone so she could call the electric…

The family of a boy who suffered severe brain damage during childbirth in Philadelphia in 2009 was awarded a $12.6 million verdict after a jury ruled that the negligence of their midwife contributed to the baby’s injuries. The child, Braydon Hoffer, the son of Roseann and Donald Hoffer, suffered from a lack of oxygen to…

When Superstorm Sandy slammed into the East Coast in late October, it decimated the New Jersey shore, lower Manhattan and Staten Island in New York and severely damaged property and homes in a wide swath of states. The clean-up continues, often slowly, as winter quickly approaches, complicating the recovery process for thousands of families and…

Car crashes happen every day when drivers least expect them. But knowing what to do if you, your passengers and your vehicle are struck by a distracted, drunk, inattentive or dangerous driver piloting another vehicle is critical. Just last week, five people were injured, including three seriously, when a speeding car ran through a stop…