In 2023, Neil T. O’Donnell and O’Donnell Law Offices successfully represented four plaintiffs who suffered devastating abuse at the hands of a local school band director. The former band director, who engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct with multiple boys, was sentenced to over a decade in prison.

Neil O’Donnell’s steadfast advocacy culminated in a multi-million dollar settlement for the victims, sending a powerful message that such atrocities cannot be ignored or excused.

“It was an honor to represent the victims and to obtain justice for them, and I hope they are able to move forward and move on with their lives,” said Neil O’Donnell.

At O’Donnell Law Offices, we approach every case with compassion, diligence, and an unyielding focus on justice. We hold both individuals and institutions accountable.

Through cases like these, Neil O’Donnell and the O’Donnell Law Offices have solidified a reputation as trusted advocates for victims of sexual abuse in Scranton, Pittston, Kingston, Wilkes-Barre, and beyond.

Learn more about the 2023 settlement in an article published by The Citizens Voice.

Contact O’Donnell Law Offices

Neil’s dedication to justice ensures that survivors’ voices are heard and systemic change is pursued.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual abuse in a school system, contact O’Donnell Law Offices today to take the first step toward justice and healing.

The post Fighting for Justice for Victims of Sexual Abuse in Pennsylvania School Systems first appeared on O'Donnell Law.

The Kingston-based law firm specializes in personal injury and workers’ compensation cases in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Washington D.C. It was ranked in the Metropolitan Tier 1, Northeastern Pennsylvania, in the categories of Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs and Workers’ Compensation Law – Claimants.

Metropolitan Tier 1 rankings receive the honor of being published in the print edition of Best Law Firms.

To be eligible, law firms must have at least one attorney who has ranked on the Best Lawyers list. Best Lawyers has recognized attorneys Catherine O’Donnell and Michael O’Donnell every year since 2014, including this year. O’Donnell Law Offices founder Neil O’Donnell has been recognized every year since 2011.

Best Lawyers is the oldest peer-reviewed publication for legal professionals. To determine a firm’s ranking, Best Lawyers and U.S. News collect data from clients and industry peers and evaluate firm attorneys’ experience. Once a lawyer is recognized by Best Lawyers, they must maintain their positive status to remain on the list every year. 

Located in Kingston, O’Donnell Law Offices has over three decades of experience handling all types of personal injury cases. Their team has been recognized by Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers for the last 20 years.

The post O’Donnell Law Named to Prestigious 2025 Best Law Firms List first appeared on O'Donnell Law.

Florida has endured several horrific hurricanes this season, and people need their insurance companies now more than ever. However, according to the Wall Street Journal, “homeowners are rushing to file insurance claims [and] many of them will be left empty-handed.”

Why? 

Property insurers in recent years have “hollowed out coverage and sharply increased rates” to make up for losses driven by prior natural disasters. A public claims adjuster in Florida, Rick Tutwiler, said that “insurers have become significantly tougher around hurricane claims.” 

Property insurance carriers are now diminishing coverage, making terms harsher, and the threat of bad faith litigation against insurance carriers in Florida has been dramatically reduced by anti-consumer legislation. 

Insurers limit payments, then argue that damage was caused by floods where floods are not covered. All this in an era when property insurers have enjoyed great profits. 

What is a family to do? Protect yourself, your investment, and your home. Get a lawyer. Have the lawyer engage a public adjuster. And fight back.

The post In the Wake of Multiple Hurricanes, Homeowners Now Face Insurance Challenges first appeared on O'Donnell Law.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Advisory (NHTSA) recently opened an investigation into Tesla, after four crashes occurred as a result of the vehicle using the Full Self-Driving mode. According to the probe, the crashes all occurred in low visibility situations, causing at least one fatality and one injury. Low visibility conditions are considered to be fog, sun glare, or airborne dust. 

This raises concerns about how the Full Self-Driving mode handles and interprets the roadway under low visibility conditions. This investigation could be the first step of a potential recall if the NHTSA seeks to recall the vehicles under the belief that they pose an unreasonable safety risk. 

The inquiry by the NHTSA encompasses nearly all Tesla vehicles equipped with the Full Self-Driving mode, or some 2.4 million vehicles from 2016 to 2024. According to Tesla’s website, Full Self-Driving mode is not fully automated and still requires a driver’s full attention to the roadway and control of the steering wheel. The main area of inquiry by the NHTSA is whether Full Self-Driving can detect and respond appropriately to reduced roadway visibility conditions.  

In December, Tesla recalled more than 2 million vehicles in the United States to install safeguards in its autopilot advanced driver-assistance system. The NHTSA is still investigating whether that recall is adequate to address concerns of drivers not paying attention to the roadway. 

One of the concerns with Tesla vehicles is the camera-only technology utilized in their driving systems. There are more expensive technologies available to sense low-visibility environments, such as lidar and radar. 

Hopefully, this investigation by the NHTSA will shed light on the inadequacy of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system in low visibility conditions and ensure that there are mechanisms in place to prevent future injuries.

If you or a family member is injured in an incident involving a Tesla, give O’Donnell Law Offices a call and allow us to evaluate your claim. We can help you navigate through the various avenues of recovery for injuries as well as help you understand what your legal rights are in obtaining that recovery.

The post Tesla’s Full Self-Driving Mode Is Possible Safety Risk first appeared on O'Donnell Law.

If finding a good lawyer is on your to-do list, and you’re in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, or Washington D.C., then contact O’Donnell Law Offices.

We’ll fight to keep you and your family safe.

The O’Donnell Law Tradition of Justice

For nearly 35 years, our law firm has been putting time, effort, and talent into winning our clients’ cases. What does that mean for you? We have the experience and dedication to stand by your side and represent your interests through every step of a personal injury case. 

With more than three decades under our belts, we’ve developed a strong foundation of how we serve our clients based on four core values: 

1. Client focus – Every client is our most important client. You’ll be treated with care, respect, and compassion. 

2. Innovation – Traditional doesn’t mean old-fashioned. We blend the best of reliable strategies and experience with new technology and techniques.

3. Skill – Laws are constantly changing and evolving, so we stay a step ahead by continuing our educations and finding new knowledge to help our clients.

4. Persistence – We don’t give up in the face of difficulty. Our team will fight for what’s right, no matter what, to bring you peace of mind, closure, and fair compensation.

With these values, we strive to offer you high-quality services that go above and beyond your expectations. 

Justice for All, One Case at a Time

Although our law firm focuses on personal injury cases, that umbrella is more broad than you may be aware of. Plus, our individual attorneys each bring their own set of practice skills.

Together, we represent personal injury and other cases including: 

• Car and truck collisions
• Wrongful death
• Workers’ compensation law
• Sexual exploitation
• Medical malpractice
• Product liability 
• Premises liability including slip and fall 
• Social security disability
• Bad faith

We represent clients of all kinds and treat every case as the most important of our careers. Even if you’re not sure exactly what law should protect you, if you’ve been injured or wronged through no fault of your own, we’ll help you get answers.

What Justice Means for You

Representing clients isn’t a cookie-cutter job. Before we start with any case, we sit down and listen to you. Your concerns, hopes, and needs get our full attention as we get to know you and your family. 

With personal injury cases, getting a skilled lawyer by your side as quickly as possible can improve your odds of winning. In Pennsylvania, it’s particularly important due to: 

• A shorter statute of limitations (time to file a case) than in many other states
• Stricter comparative negligence rules, meaning you’ll have to prove exactly what percentage of fault lies with the other party 

When you’re ready to meet, we can come to you, whether that means at home or in a hospital room. Together, we’ll figure out how to proceed and exactly what goals to aim for.

The Team Behind the Firm

We have experienced and knowledgeable investigators and attorneys on our team who give every case the personal attention it deserves. We’ll fight for you, no matter the size of your case. 

Click on our names below to learn more about our areas of expertise and track records: 

• Neil O’Donnell, founder of O’Donnell Law Offices
• Catherine (Cathy) O’Donnell
• Michael (Mike) O’Donnell
• Gerard Gaughan
• Joshua Perry

You don’t have to just take our word for it – we have outside accreditations of our team’s quality and abilities. Each of our five lawyers is listed in the Super Lawyers directory, an independent assessment of the top 5% of lawyers in each state based on peer recognition, professional achievement, and trustworthiness. 

Team members have also been recognized by the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum as being among America’s most successful trial lawyers.

Together, we have more than 90 years of collective experience working with people who’ve had all kinds of injuries. 

We’re Here When You Need Us

How can we help you today? O’Donnell Law Offices is here for you, whether you’re unsure if you have a case or you have a crystal-clear personal injury claim to pursue. Our talented staff, experienced investigators, and top-notch lawyers have the energy and resources to drive forward each case for anyone who’s been wrongfully injured. 

Schedule a free call, use our live chat, or fill out a contact form. We’d be honored to help you.

The post O’Donnell Law Offices: A Tradition of Justice, Driven by a Forward-Thinking Team first appeared on O'Donnell Law.

Halloween is a cherished time of year for many people, with fond memories of canvassing the neighborhood with their family and friends in search of their favorite candy. While exploring the neighborhood on foot, there are important considerations to keep in mind to ensure you and your group remain safe on Halloween night. 

While walking the neighborhood, you are considered a pedestrian. It is important to follow the rules of the road as you cross roadways throughout your route, in search of the best candy and treats. The safest spot to cross the road is at an intersection with a crosswalk controlled by a crossing signal or police officer. 

If an intersection is controlled by a police officer, it is important that you abide by the commands given by them. Not only is it the prudent thing to do, it is required of pedestrians under Pennsylvania law at 75 Pa.C.S.A. §3541. Many busy neighborhoods have police officers on foot, directing traffic for the trick-or-treaters. 

In addition to police officers, an intersection may be controlled by a crossing signal. If this is the case, make sure to push the button and wait for the signal that it is safe to cross. Look both ways to ensure that no vehicles are approaching the intersection and remain within the crosswalk markings on the roadway. 

If there are no crossing signals, but the roadway contains a crosswalk, drivers on the roadway are supposed to yield the right-of-way to the pedestrian in the crosswalk. Although pedestrians have the right of way in a crosswalk, the law requires that a pedestrian not suddenly enter the crosswalk to cause a hazard to oncoming traffic. Instead, stop and look both ways before entering the crosswalk. If vehicles are approaching, ensure that they are yielding the right of way before proceeding in front of them. 

In the event that there is not a crosswalk at the location you are crossing the roadway, yield the right of way to any oncoming traffic. At these locations, the vehicles on the roadway have the right of way. If walking around an urban neighborhood with crosswalks in place, it is likely illegal to cross the roadway at any location other than a crosswalk.  

While walking around the neighborhood on the sidewalk, keep an eye out for vehicles crossing the sidewalk while entering or exiting their driveway. Pedestrians have the right of way while on the sidewalk, but you should ensure that the driver of the vehicle sees you before proceeding along the sidewalk in front of or behind their vehicle. 

Reducing Likelihood of Injury 

Abiding by the rules of the road while walking around the neighborhood on Halloween night can help prevent devastating accidents and injuries. Be sure to choose a location for walking that has minimal traffic and is appropriately lit. Ensure that everyone in your group is wearing visible clothing. Having reflective clothing will increase the likelihood that others will be able to see you. Also, carrying a flashlight or some other light source will ensure that you can see where you are walking. 

Finally, if you or your child is injured during trick-or-treating, give O’Donnell Law Offices a call and allow us to evaluate your claim. We can help you navigate through the various avenues of recovery for injuries as well as help you understand what your legal rights are in obtaining that recovery. 

Source:
75 Pa.C.S.A. §§3541-3552

The post What Are My Responsibilities While Walking the Neighborhood During Halloween? first appeared on O'Donnell Law.

September marks the beginning of school for most children in Pennsylvania which means morning and afternoon travels will often involve seeing a school bus picking up or dropping off students. While it may be tempting to drive around a school bus while kids are boarding, there are specific traffic laws surrounding the operation of a motor vehicle around a school bus. Inevitably each year, there seem to be more and more online community discussions about school buses being passed by cars. Knowing the rules of the road can help keep motor vehicle operators, as well as school bus occupants, safe. 

The Pennsylvania General Assembly has codified a motorist’s responsibilities when operating their motor vehicle around a school bus in 75 Pa. C. S. §3345, aptly titled “Meeting or overtaking school bus.” Specifically, when a school bus is stopped with red signals flashing and the side stop signal arms activated, a motorist must stop at least ten feet from the bus. The driver of the vehicle cannot proceed until the red signals on the bus are stopped and the children exiting the bus reach a place of safety. It is important to ensure that the children are in a safe location and the red flashing lights are off before continuing to proceed past the school bus. 

In addition to red signals, school buses are equipped with amber signals. When the amber signals are flashing, a driver approaching the school bus must proceed with caution and be prepared to stop. Typically a school bus will display the amber light signals approximately 150-300 feet prior to the actual stop location. 

The only exception to the above requirement that a motorist stop for the red signals on a bus is when the school bus is on a different roadway. In the event that you are traveling on the same roadway as a school bus, you are required to stop and abide by the school bus signals. 

If a school bus driver witnesses a vehicle overtake the school bus while the red signals are present, the school bus operator can author a written statement to the police. The police can then issue a citation based on the driver’s report if there is sufficient information to identify the driver and the violation. 

For the safety of everyone on the roadway, it is important that all motorists abide by the rules of the road.

In the event you or your child are injured while boarding or exiting a school bus by a motorist attempting to overtake it, give O’Donnell Law Offices a call. Motor vehicle claims are often fact-specific and require considerations involving the children utilizing the school bus as well as the signals being utilized by the bus at the time of the incident. We can help you navigate through the facts in determining what avenues of recovery are available for your claim. 

The post Overtaking a School Bus first appeared on O'Donnell Law.

According to the International Journal of Drug Policy, the legalization of marijuana accounts for an additional 1,400 traffic fatalities each year. The Wall Street Journal reports many drivers simply do not realize marijuana impairs driving. In fact, only 70% say it is “very dangerous” to drive an hour after using marijuana.

Safe driving requires the ability to judge speed, distance, and time. You need to know when to stop, accelerate, pass vehicles, and apply the brakes. All of that can be impaired by marijuana, just like alcohol. Plus, cannabis combined with alcohol only amplifies impairment – as studies have shown.

Identifying when a driver is impaired by marijuana has long been difficult, partly

because there is not a reliable drug test for impairment like there is with alcohol. Law enforcement is trying to address this problem. One solution could be saliva tests that check for recent marijuana use, coupled with training to look for signs that a driver is high.

Sooner or later, technology will catch up on this issue. Simple advice going forward: Don’t drive high.  

If you or someone you know was in an accident caused by an impaired driver, give our team a call. We can help. 

The post Driving While Under the Influence of Marijuana — Still a Bad Idea first appeared on O'Donnell Law.

Attorney Neil T. O’Donnell, founder of the firm, was recognized in the practice areas of Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury Litigation, and Workers’ Compensation Law.

Best Lawyers has recognized Neil O’Donnell every year since 2011. The publication also named Neil O’Donnell a Best Lawyers – Lawyer of the Year in 2014, 2018, 2021, and 2023.

Attorney Catherine R. O’Donnell was recognized again in the Personal Injury Litigation practice area category. 

Attorney Michael A. O’Donnell was selected in the practice area of Personal Injury Litigation for the second year and Workers’ Compensation for the first time.

Attorneys recognized by Best Lawyers may be nominated by anyone but themselves and receive peer reviews. Best Lawyers confirms nominated attorneys have good standing with their local bar associations before granting recognition.

The post O’Donnell Law Attorneys Named to Best Lawyers List first appeared on O'Donnell Law.

August marks the height of summer. During this month, many people travel to a beach or another location throughout the country for summer vacation. Vacation plans that entail staying overnight at a hotel in an unfamiliar environment may present dangers resulting in injury. Some of the most common injuries at a hotel include drowning, injury from alcohol use, burns, falls, and violence. If a hotel was negligent, they may be liable for those injuries.  

In the event you get injured while staying in a hotel, there are a few things to consider relative to your claim. Three common types of injuries that may occur while staying at a hotel are a slip and fall, burn injury, and drowning. Below is a brief analysis of considerations for each injury. 

In regard to a slip and fall injury, the first consideration is whether the slip and fall occurred on the hotel premises. If the fall occurred while on the hotel property, there may be video evidence supporting what caused the slip and fall. In addition to any footage, it is important to document the cause of the slip and fall through photographs. Was the fall the result of a defect in the floor, such as a crack or heave? Or was the slip and fall the result of a substance on the floor? Obtain photographs of the floor as close to the time of the fall as possible. 

If you are burnt, take note of the manner in which the burn occurred. Was it the result of the tap water or a surface being too hot? Or was it the result of a food item or beverage being too hot? If that is the case, the hotel should remove the item from service and preserve the item for future inspection. If possible, take photographs of the item and of the injury.  Document as much information as possible relative to the item causing the burn, including any identifying product numbers or other data you are able to obtain.

Drowning is another common injury at hotels. There are many factors to consider relative to a pool and drowning injury. Is the pool inside or outside of the facility? Is the pool in a locked enclosure? Did the hotel require you to sign a liability waiver relative to your stay? Was there a lifeguard on duty and appropriately supervising the pool guests? Make sure to keep any documents that the hotel provides to you upon checking in or checking out of the hotel. Oftentimes, a site inspection will be necessary to get a better understanding of the pool area and issues with safety that can be identified. 

If you or a family member are injured while staying in a hotel, give O’Donnell Law Offices a call. Hotel premises claims are often fact specific. We can help you navigate through the facts in determining what avenues of recovery are available for your claim.  

Source: 

Franklin, R.C., Miller, L., Watt, K., Leggat, P.A. (2021). Tourist Injury. In: Wilks, J., Pendergast, D., Leggat, P.A., Morgan, D. (eds) Tourist Health, Safety and Wellbeing in the New Normal. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-5415-2_8

The post What Do I Do If I Am Injured In A Hotel? first appeared on O'Donnell Law.