This summer, my law firm is partnering with Live Nation to sponsor a great program at the First Niagara Pavilion (formerly Post-Gazette Pavilion) in Burgettstown.
If you're at any of the pavilion's concerts this summer, make sure to check out the Designated Driver Booths. They're located at the Guest Services Booths in the East and West Plazas. You'll have the opportunity to sign a pledge to become a designated driver for the evening. In return, you'll get a wristband for two complimentary non-alcoholic beverages.
We're all aware of how dangerous drunk driving is, and it can be especially easy to lose track of how much you've had to drink when you're at an event like a concert. Please make the conscious decision to be a designated driver – often this one small action is the first step in saving lives.
If you're a biker, you should check out the motorcycle lot as well. Our firm will be handing out free kickstand pads along with a motorcycle resource guide. Make sure to pick this up – it contains a lot of useful information, including motorcycle safety and accident tips and state-by-state helmet laws and insurance requirements.
Celebrate Safely During Prom and Graduation Season!
April 20, 2010
Posted by: Attorney Edgar Snyder
As the school year comes to a close, many of you are looking forward to prom night and graduation parties. This is a time in your life to treasure and enjoy with friends and family, and because you want to make exciting memories to look back on one day, I'd like to encourage you to exclude alcohol from your festivities.
My law firm has seen firsthand the devastating consequences of underage drinking and drunk driving, and I'm sure many of you have as well. So please celebrate safely without alcohol, because you certainly don't need it to have fun or to make this time a special one.
If you live in the Erie area, you should also check out Prom Promise, a program that we sponsor with JET-TV. All you have to do is take a pledge that you'll keep your prom experience alcohol-free, submit your favorite prom photo, and you could win one of three great prizes: a flip video camera, a laptop, or dinner for six at Joe Root's Grill.
American Academy of Pediatrics Urges Docs to Discourage Teen Drinking
April 16, 2010
Posted by: Attorney Edgar Snyder
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has issued a new policy statement that I think is really important and would like to share. The academy said that pediatricians need to work hard to discourage children and teens from drinking alcohol because it carries a number of significant risks.
Is the primary contributor to the leading causes of teen deaths – accidental injury (especially car accidents), homicide, and suicide.
Greatly increases the likelihood that teens will engage in other risky behaviors like substance abuse.
Is more likely to result in binge drinking than alcohol use among adults. Binge drinking can be fatal and for young people means three or four drinks on one occasion.
Can have significant health effects, like affecting developing brains. It can also harm liver function and reduce the ability to fight infection.
I'm happy to announce that we had another successful Take A Cab event this year – 81 people took 42 cab rides in Blair County New Year's Eve. Thank you to everyone who took advantage of the free cab rides – you played a big part in keeping the roads safe.
Take A Cab is a program that my law firm sponsors along with WTAJ-TV and Pyramid Healthcare. The program began over 10 years ago, and since that time, there hasn't been a single drunk driving fatality in Blair County during New Year's Eve festivities.
Unfortunately, this wasn't the case across the whole state. Pennsylvania police said that at least six people were killed on the state's highways during the New Year's holiday, four of whom died in crashes involving drivers who were legally drunk. Overall, troopers responded to more than 1,100 crashes from Thursday, December 31 through Sunday, January 3.
While not every accident is avoidable, drunk driving accidents are avoidable. Please don't drink and drive – the risks just aren't worth it.
My law firm works hard to spread the "Don't Drink and Drive" message because drunk driving accidents are something that we see all too often, and the consequences of those accidents can be devastating. We think that any effort to combat this dangerous behavior is worth it, no matter how big or how small the impact. Still, we've received some great emails and phone calls recently from people who have noticed our efforts and say they're making a difference. Thank you to everyone who has called or emailed about our TV ads and billboards – we truly appreciate your feedback.
We all know that drinking and driving is a dangerous combination. But did you know that drinking and walking can be deadly as well?
This is especially true on New Year's Day – studies have found that more pedestrians are killed on the first day of the year than on any other day, and many of those killed have high blood alcohol levels.
So if you are going to drink on New Year's Eve, please stay in one place, call a cab, or arrange for a designated driver. And, if you'd like more information on drinking and driving during the holidays, you can check out this previous blog post.
Holiday parties are in full swing, and I'm sure many of you will be out celebrating with friends and family in the weeks to come. I hope that the festivities are fun, but remember that part of making the season a good time for everyone is not drinking and driving.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, December 22, 23, and 24 rank in the top five deadliest driving days of the year. AAA reports that Christmas averages 385 vehicular deaths a year and New Year's is one of the deadliest days to be on the road, averaging 421 deaths a year.
My law firm is proud to contribute to the fight against these statistics with a number of programs. In addition to our yearly holiday advertising on the dangers of drinking and driving, we also sponsor Take a Cab in Blair County with WTAJ-TV and Pyramid Healthcare. Not one single fatality has occurred in the county during New Year's Eve celebrations since this program began over 10 years ago. If you'll be in Blair County for the New Year, call 814-944-3210 ext. 120 to get a free ride home if you've been drinking and need transportation.
If you'd like more information on drinking and driving, you can check out my firm's website. You can also take our drunk driving quiz to see how much you know about alcohol and driving under the influence. Above all else, please don't drink and drive!
Did you know that in Pennsylvania, a "loophole law" permits people arrested for drunk driving to legally get back behind the wheel? Did you also know that many times, despite state laws, people caught driving with a suspended license don't go to jail?
According to Pittsburgh news station WTAE, our state's drunk driving laws are drawing criticism for keeping dangerous drivers on the road. Essentially, the law says that a person's license can't be seized until there is a DUI conviction. This means that a drunk driver can cause a deadly crash, be arrested by the police, and then get right back on the road.
Furthermore, the article says that even a conviction and suspended license don't keep many drunk drivers off of the road. WTAE reports that one local family knows this all too well. Fifteen-year-old Alexzandra Loos was walking home from school five years ago when a car struck and killed her. It was the driver's 17th citation for driving with a license that had been suspended due to a DUI.
As a result, Alexzandra's father created "Alex's Law," which says that if someone is caught driving with a suspended license three or more times, their car would be seized. Though the bill has been stuck in the state Legislature since 2004, it has the support of state police, and WTAE says that Mr. Loos is hopeful about its future.
It would be wonderful if our state's drunk driving laws were strengthened. My law firm is all too familiar with the ramifications of drunk driving, and if anything can be done to prevent even one accident from happening, it should. Please read WTAE's article for more information on Alex's story and her father's efforts. If you'd like more information on drunk driving, you can check out my firm's website. And above all else, please don't drink and drive!
Two recent crashes that killed children in New York have pushed the state to consider toughening its drunk driving laws. The proposed legislation would do the following:
Make driving under the influence with a child in the car a felony
Require first-time drunk drivers to install interlock devices on their vehicles
Mothers Against Drunk Driving has said that if the legislation is passed, it would give New York the most effective drunk driving penalties in the country.
The most recent data (from 2007) shows that there were 146,000 interlock devices in use in the United States, while there were 1.4 million people convicted of drunk driving. A recent study done by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that repeat drunk driving offenses dropped by 65% with use of the devices. This has to make you consider the fact that wider use of interlock devices could have a very significant impact on drunk driving.
Time and time again, my law firm has seen the devastating effect that drunk driving accidents have on people's lives. If New York passes this legislation and it proves to be effective, the state could set a great example for the rest of the country to follow.
I was happy to learn that PennDOT was honored for its Drive Safe PA program, which is aimed at fighting drunk driving in Pennsylvania. The agency was one of only three to receive the 2009 National Roadway Safety Award for program planning, development, and evaluation. The award is given by the Federal Highway Administration and the National Roadway Safety Foundation.
Drive Safe uses crash data to uncover where drunk driving accidents occur and focus enforcement efforts there. It also works with law enforcement to make sure drunk drivers are spotted and receive adequate punishment.
I can't say often enough how important it is to make every effort to combat drunk driving. At my firm we have a number of programs dedicated to this cause, including Road Radio USA and our college scholarship essay contest. I encourage everyone out there to do their part to make our roads safe – keep cab numbers handy, offer to be the designated driver, discourage your friends from drinking and driving, come up with a safe transportation plan before you go out, etc. These small steps can make a big difference.
The Associated Press has reported that a new weapon has been given to police officers in Idaho and Texas in the hopes of combating drunk driving: syringes. Officers in the two states have been authorized to draw blood from people suspected of drunk driving or driving under the influence of drugs. If the experimental program goes well in the next year or two, it could be implemented in all 50 states.
Officers are currently being trained on how to draw blood from the elbow crease, forearm, and back of the hand. In real world situations they'll draw blood of suspected drunk drivers who refuse a breath test and are permitted to use force if necessary, such as pinning or strapping a suspect down. Officers can't forcibly administer a breathalyzer, but the US Supreme Court ruled that they can take blood by force.
Most legal experts agree that blood tests are more accurate and generally better evidence than breathalyzer results, but critics of the new program have pointed out a few concerns:
Vials can get mixed up
Preservative levels in the tubes used to collect the blood can be off
Blood can be stored improperly
What do you think of this new program? Do you think it will be an effective deterrent to drunk drivers? Will it put officers' safety at risk?
Northgate Students Join the Fight Against Underage Drinking and Driving
August 24, 2009
Posted by: Attorney Edgar Snyder
I was really pleased to read a story in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about local high school students who are taking a stand against underage drinking. Last Friday, members of Northgate High School's SADD chapter joined forces with local law enforcement to promote a nationwide crackdown on drunk driving that began last week.
The Northgate students want to focus on underage drinking and driving in Pennsylvania. Last year, there were over 1,400 alcohol-related accidents and 45 deaths involving drivers ages 16 to 20 in PA, according to PennDOT. Officers from Bellevue, Moon, Baldwin Borough, and Pittsburgh said that through Labor Day, there will be increased patrols and sobriety checkpoints in the area. Under Pennsylvania's zero tolerance law, those caught underage drinking and driving face a 12- to 18-month license suspension, two days to six months in jail, and fines ranging from $500 to $5,000.
You can check out my firm's web site for more information on underage drinking, including programs we sponsor to combat this dangerous behavior.
I'd like to say congratulations to Jesse Bloomster, a student at Walnut Creek Middle School. He is the grand-prize winner of the Edgar Snyder & Associates Road Radio USA Quiz contest. Over a thousand middle school students entered the competition to win a Nintendo Wii, and Jesse took the prize.
The students completed an online quiz to test what they learned about underage drinking from a Road Radio school assembly sponsored by my law firm and Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. Road Radio is a multi-media assembly that combines music, lights and education to prevent teens and pre-teens from engaging in underage drinking and other destructive behaviors. This year, Road Radio was hosted at more than 25 schools throughout Pittsburgh, Central PA and Erie.
If you'd like your students to experience Road Radio USA, or are interested in obtaining more information about the dangers of underage drinking and drunk driving, please visit my firm's website.
We received a very special message from a woman who tragically lost her son to a drunk driver. This woman, her son, and her family are precisely why we're so proud to fight for people whose lives have been devastated by drunk drivers and why we work so hard to inform the public about the dangers of drunk driving. Nothing we can do can make up for their loss, but it's nice to know that our efforts are acknowledged and appreciated.
Here's some of what she had to say:
"I have in the past sent you my Thank You for your TV commercials trying to alert the public on the effects of drunk driving. Again this 4th of July I want to tell you all again.... THANK YOU! The commercial really reaches out in a very real message about the loss that it can bring to families."
I would like to say thank you to her for taking time out to write us, we truly appreciate your comments.
Most people probably think of drunk driving when they hear the phrase "driving under the influence." However, the New York Times recently reported on some startling findings that may broaden your idea of what driving under the influence means.
The good news in the article? There are less drunk drivers on the road today than in 1973. The bad news? There are people on the road under the influence of other drugs.
In 1973, 7.5 percent of the tested drivers had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) above the legal limit of .08. Today, that percentage is down to 2.2. However, 16.3 percent of today's nighttime weekend drivers were under a different influence – nine percent marijuana, almost four percent cocaine, and around four percent prescription drugs.
The findings were based on National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data from a roadside survey that randomly tested the breath, salvia and blood samples of individuals in 300 locations.
The school year is coming to an end, and a lot of students are looking forward to proms and graduation parties. The memories that you create during this exciting time should be good ones, filled with fun and friends, so please don't include drinking in your celebrations. Our law firm has seen firsthand the devastating consequences of underage drinking and drinking and driving, so I encourage everyone to enjoy the end of the year without alcohol.
Hope you have a wonderful prom and graduation season!
Make St. Patrick's Day Fun for Everyone: Please Be Safe and Responsible
March 12, 2009
Posted by: Attorney Edgar Snyder
Pittsburgh will be blanketed in green this weekend as people head out to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. The city has estimated that Saturday's parade will draw a crowd of 250,000 people. For a lot of those people, alcohol goes hand-in-hand with the celebration, so I'd like to take this opportunity to remind people to be safe as they enjoy the festivities.
Drivers are going to have to be extra vigilant when it comes to looking out for pedestrians. It's dangerous enough to navigate pedestrian-filled city streets, but when alcohol is added to the equation, it becomes even more crucial that drivers are on the lookout for people crossing or walking in the street.
In addition, don't drink and drive! If you plan on drinking alcohol this weekend (and are of legal age to do so), come up with a safe plan to travel from place to place. Designate a driver, keep cab numbers handy, drink responsibly, and never get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol.
City officials have announced that they're doing their part to keep the weekend as safe as possible. Here are some of the measures that they're taking:
• There will be about 95 police officers and 20 liquor-control agents downtown.
• Like last year, police will enforce a ban on open containers of alcohol before 10 a.m. and after 4 p.m.
• People entering Market Square will have their bags checked and will be charged $1 to enter.
• People older than 21 will be given a hand stamp and wristband.
• All bars in Market Square will have to stop selling alcohol at 3:30 p.m.
• Additional fencing, police officers, and liquor-control agents watching for underage drinking will all be in place.
Last year, police made more than 100 alcohol-related arrests, almost three times more than in 2007. Please don't make that necessary this year – drink responsibly, don't drink if you're underage, and never drink and drive!
I recently learned about a website that's worth sharing, RethinkingDrinking.niaaa.nih.gov. The site is designed to help people who drink alcoholic beverages determine what type of drinker they are and whether they are at a risk for developing a drinking problem.
Did you know that each year, alcohol consumption is involved in:
• About 60% of fatal burn injuries, drownings and homicides
• 50% of severe trauma injuries and sexual assaults
• 40% of fatal car accidents
• 40% of suicides and fatal falls
To combat these numbers, researchers at the Division of Treatment and Recovery Research at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) developed the "Rethinking Drinking" site.
My firm has always taken underage drinking and drinking and driving very seriously. We've seen clients whose lives have been completely destroyed because of bad decisions involving alcohol. Throughout the year we sponsor programs to promote responsible alcohol-related decisions, including Take a Cab in Blair County, Hot 100 Prom Pledge, our "Words to be Heard" college scholarship competition, and Road Radio USA.
If you're interested in learning more about NIAAA's work and research, check out this USA Today article. And as always, avoid underage drinking and never drink and drive.
This is going to be a big party weekend across the country and an even bigger party weekend here in Pittsburgh – crowds of Steelers fans will be out celebrating the Super Bowl, cheering on the black and gold. As much as I want the Steelers to win this Sunday, my first wish is that everyone remembers to celebrate responsibly and avoid drinking and driving.
We all know how dangerous drinking and driving is. Alcohol-related car accidents kill someone every 31 minutes and injure someone every two minutes. This amounts to over 17,000 drunk driving deaths each year. Driving after consuming alcohol is extremely dangerous, whether you're drunk or "buzzed." It's not worth the risks.
Come up with a plan before you head out to celebrate this weekend and get caught up in the excitement. Keep cab numbers handy, designate a driver, or arrange to stay at a friend's house. Drink in moderation, and whatever you do, don't get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol. Please make sure to enjoy the Super Bowl safely! Go Steelers!
Keep Your New Year's Celebrations Safe: Avoid Drinking and Driving
December 31, 2008
Posted by: Attorney Edgar Snyder
We will be welcoming a new year tonight, and I wanted to wish everyone a happy, safe, and healthy 2009. I'd also like to remind everyone that one way to help keep your New Year's safe is to avoid drinking and driving.
An article published recently in the New York Times discussed the dangers of drinking alcohol on New Year's. It said that more pedestrians are killed on New Year's Day than on any other day throughout the year, and half of the deaths involved alcohol impairment.
My firm is proud to sponsor a number of drunk driving campaigns throughout the year, and one of those is our "Take a Cab" program. Available in Blair County, "Take a Cab" provides free cab rides home for partygoers on New Year's Eve. In the ten years that the program has been around, there hasn't been a single car accident fatality in Blair County on New Year's Eve.
Enjoy your New Year's celebrations, but I encourage you to do so safely. Make it your resolution to avoid drinking and driving – not just next year but every year!
Keep Drinking and Driving Out of Holiday Celebrations
December 12, 2008
Posted by: Attorney Edgar Snyder
My law firm has helped so many victims of drunk driving accidents that we're fully aware of how devastating driving while drunk, or even "buzzed," can be. The holiday season, with office parties and family celebrations kicking into high gear, is an especially vital time to be mindful of the dangers of drunk driving and myths about alcohol.
It's a fact that driving while intoxicated is deadly - in the United States, drunk driving is the leading criminal cause of death. Alcohol-related car crashes kill someone every 31 minutes and injure someone every two minutes. Last year, 1,491 people died in drunk driving accidents in Pennsylvania alone.
There are a lot of misconceptions surrounding alcohol that contribute to people assuming they're less intoxicated than they actually are. Especially in the midst of holiday celebrations, people can lose track of how much they've had to drink and misjudge how the alcohol has affected them. Check out the following facts:
Avoiding "hard" alcohol won't keep you from getting drunk. A shot of whiskey, glass of wine, and bottle of beer all have about the same amount of alcohol.
Coffee, fresh air, and cold showers don't sober people up. Time is the only remedy, and it takes about 3 hours to eliminate the alcohol content of two drinks.
Eating before you drink isn't protection from getting drunk. Eating a big meal before you drink only delays the absorption of alcohol into your system, it doesn't prevent it.
Please be responsible while you have fun during your holiday gatherings. If you're going to drink, try and do so in moderation, and never get behind the wheel if you've been drinking.
On behalf of the attorneys and staff at Edgar Snyder & Associates, we wish you a happy and SAFE holiday season.
You May be Responsible for Drunken Guests After They Leave Your Party
November 14, 2008
Posted by: Attorney Edgar Snyder
The coming months are a really fun time of the year – filled with holiday parties, celebrations, and family gatherings. There's nothing better than getting together with the people you love and enjoying good food and laughter.
Many peoples' holiday celebrations include alcohol, but what you might not know is that as a party host, you can be liable for the actions of intoxicated guests after they leave your house or event venue. These laws, called "social host" laws, vary from state to state. All 50 states have laws regarding the serving of alcohol to minors, and in some states, like Pennsylvania, this is the only situation in which social host liability applies. Thirty-three states and the District of Columbia, however, have social host laws that apply to guests of all ages.
In order for social host to apply to you, there are a couple of conditions that have to be met:
1. You must have been aware, or should've been aware, that the guest who caused injury/damage after leaving your gathering was intoxicated.
2. You knew the guest who caused the injury/damage would be driving after they left your gathering.
Please consider taking the following steps to keep your guests and others safe if you serve alcohol:
1. Stop serving alcohol after a few hours and replace it with coffee.
2. Give your guests plenty of food so that they can keep their stomachs full.
3. Decide on designated drivers to take intoxicated guests home.
5. Stay sober so that you can keep track of your guests' sobriety.
You should have fun this holiday season, but make sure you do so responsibly so that you can look back on the upcoming months as times of fun and happiness.
Road Radio USA: Discouraging Underage Drinking and Drunk Driving
November 07, 2008
Posted by: Attorney Edgar Snyder
Road Radio USA is back in gear and I'm really excited about the responses that we've received from students so far. The program, which we sponsor along with Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, is designed to discourage middle school students from underage drinking and drunk driving.
It's not a traditional assembly – it uses music, video, and lively presenters to communicate its serious message. It's really hard to put into words just how powerful this presentation is, but I think that the students who wrote to us did a great job of expressing their experiences with Road Radio.
Here is some of what they had to say:
"Thank you for the awesome assembly. It really helped me understand that the use of drugs and drinking is bad. I hope you will come again for the other students that haven't seen it yet…it really inspired me to be drug-free."
"I appreciate you sending Road Radio to our school. I learned some things about drugs and alcohol that I never knew before. It was also very fun! I vow never to do drugs or alcohol. I will also tell people about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. Thank you!"
"I would just like to thank you very much for the superb assembly. It taught me and my fellow students a lot. Thank you for everything!"
"I loved it and I learned that staying drug free can keep me and my family and friends safe. I also learned that staying drug free is fun and extremely easy."
Here is feedback from school administrators regarding one of our most recent shows
"Students hear the message not to use drugs or alcohol so often that some of them may become desensitized to it. This program, however, presents this message in such an exciting and relevant way that kids pay attention. With the 'live radio' format, music and lights, the students are entertained and attentive…They will remember this assembly."
It is wonderful to hear that Road Radio is having such a positive impact on students' lives. I believe that if it prevents just one young person from drinking alcohol, it's all worth it
2007 is drawing to a close. As people ring in the New Year, celebrations will involve champagne and many other types of alcohol.
I’m proud to sponsor an annual program in Pennsylvania's Blair and Cambria Counties called "Take A Cab." This initiative provides free cab rides home for partygoers on New Year's Eve. For over 10 years, we've been helping people make it home safe on one of the most dangerous nights of the year to be out on the roads.
I urge you to enjoy your celebration this New Year's Eve, but remember to drink responsibly as we welcome 2008. Above all, please don't drink and drive. On behalf of the attorneys and staff at Edgar Snyder & Associates, I wish you and your family a happy, healthy, and safe New Year.
And by the way, my New Year's resolution is to post on this blog more often.
Play it Safe this Halloween: Don’t Drink and Drive
October 30, 2007
Posted by: Attorney Edgar Snyder
I know that this is the time of year to try and spook your family, friends, and neighbors with a good-natured trick. But there’s one way to scare the people in your life that I can guarantee you don’t want to try this Halloween: getting hurt in a drunk driving accident.
Driving drunk on Halloween not only threatens the safety of everyone on the road – it also threatens the safety of children who are out trick-or-treating. While there is never a good time to be drunk behind the wheel, children darting across the street as they go door to door only increases the risk of someone being injured by a drunk driver.
I know we're still enjoying the summer, but I wanted to talk about a school program that we've sponsored -- one that we believe is impacting the lives of thousands of kids in western Pennsylvania.
I recently received a package of letters from middle school students who attended the assembly we sponsor with Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, called Road Radio USA. The show is geared to discourage kids from underage drinking and drunk driving. It's unlike any school assembly students have ever attended and all I can say is that you have to experience it for yourself.
Here's an excerpt from a letter sent by an 8th-grader: "When I first heard that we were having an assembly about substance abuse, I was not very excited at all. An hour of being told not to drink did not sound appealing...Surprisingly, I had a blast!...Thanks to it, I will remember the risks of driving under the influence."
Other comments include: "It inspired me to not even start drinking." "To be honest with you, I was getting ready to go to a party with beer and drink all night. But after I heard what you guys have to say, that changed my life and you saved my life."
The way I see it, if Road Radio helps prevent just one young person from drinking alcohol, it's all worth it.
I hope everyone enjoys the 4th of July celebrations, picnics and fireworks. Check out our public service message that we run on television to discourage people from drinking and driving on Independence Day.
Here's a safety alert regarding fireworks, courtesy of the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC). From 2000 to 2006, nearly 50 people died in fireworks-related accidents, with more than half caused by illegal products. In 2006, fireworks sent 6,400 people to the emergency room.
Protect yourself and your family:
Avoid fireworks in brown paper packaging -- they are for professional shows.
Never allow young children to play with fireworks. Sparklers injure children under age five more often than any other type of firework.
Never have your body directly over a firework device when lighting the fuse.
Move back to a safe distance immediately after lighting.
Never re-light fireworks that have not fully functioned.
Never point or throw fireworks at another person.
Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy in case of fire or other mishap.
Never carry fireworks in a pocket or shoot them off in metal or glass containers.
I recently had the pleasure of taking a trip to "Happy Valley" to watch my daughter graduate from Penn State. To my wonderful daughter -- I'm proud of you. And to all graduating high school and college seniors -- congratulations!
You'll be getting lots of advice from family and friends. Here's a little piece of advice I'd like to share with you after having watched too many young people get hurt. You have a bright future ahead, so celebrate responsibly. This is the time of year when lots of students attend proms and graduations. Celebrate, have fun, but please don't drink and drive.
Launch our video to see a public service announcement we created to hopefully keep our roads and our kids a little safer.
This summer, my law firm is partnering with Live Nation to sponsor a great program at the First Niagara Pavilion (formerly Post-Gazette Pavilion) in Burgettstown. 
Add Comment
Free Legal Evaluation
I'm happy to announce that we had another successful 
We all know that 
Holiday parties are in full swing, and I'm sure many of you will be out celebrating with friends and family in the weeks to come. I hope that the festivities are fun, but remember that part of making the season a good time for everyone is not drinking and driving. 
Did you know that in Pennsylvania, a "
The 
Pittsburgh will be blanketed in green this weekend as people head out to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. The city has estimated that Saturday's parade will draw a crowd of 250,000 people. For a lot of those people, alcohol goes hand-in-hand with the celebration, so I'd like to take this opportunity to remind people to be safe as they enjoy the festivities. 