Connor Graham - O'Donnell Law

Americans Are Scrambling for Health Insurance Alternatives

O'Donnell Law Offices — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 14:16:12 +0000

Written by Connor Graham and Neil T. O’Donnell

With healthcare expenses rising, many Americans are opting for alternatives for traditional health insurance.

Direct Primary-Care Practices

David Contorno recently told his story to the Wall Street Journal.¹ Foregoing insurance, he pays a monthly membership fee for direct primary-care practices. Among these are: constant access to a primary-care doctor, discounts on prescriptions, and access to coupons. By paying for this service, Contorno gets unlimited visits and off-hours support.

Cash-Pay Healthcare Options

Others opt for a simple cash-pay strategy. Such individuals search for health providers that list cash prices in their area. Not many cash prices are available, but a quick phone call can provide a quote on specific prices for services. Certain websites serve as bona-fide digital malls for cash-price vendors, such as UberDoc, RadiologyAssist, and Green Imaging.

Still, interested individuals should be cautioned that the listed prices may not reflect the actual figures. Healthcare providers are only required to offer a “good faith estimate.”

Help With Hospital Bills

Things get trickier for services you have to pay for after-the-fact, like the ER. A nonprofit like Dollar For can help. Dollar For offers services to help individuals get through the payment process, and often helps lower the bill to boot.²

Non-profit hospitals should have avenues for financial assistance, the problem lay only in the time and paperwork to get there.

Healthcare Alternatives Can Be Lifelines

These are just a few examples, but such offerings are lifelines to people in need.

Sources

¹ Anna Wilde Mathews, They Chose to Go Without Health Insurance, The Wall Street Journal, April 27, 2026.

² On their website, Dollar For asserts that $14 billion of hospital financial assistance is waived every year, and likely unintentionally by the patients.

Injured Because of Medical Negligence?

When medical care falls below the standard patients deserve, the consequences can be life-changing. If you or a loved one suffered harm because of a medical mistake, delayed diagnosis, surgical error, or another form of negligence, O’Donnell Law Offices is here to help you understand your rights.

Our experienced medical malpractice attorneys fight for injured patients and their families throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania. Consultations are always free, and there is never a fee unless we win.

Contact O’Donnell Law Offices today to schedule your free consultation.

The post Americans Are Scrambling for Health Insurance Alternatives first appeared on O'Donnell Law.

Empty Cars Haunting Streets?

O'Donnell Law Offices — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 17:55:18 +0000

By Connor Graham and Neil T. O’Donnell

Waymo's Driverless Vehicle Problem in Atlanta

A small Atlanta neighborhood has begun to experience an early-morning nuisance: Scores of driverless vehicles, courtesy of Waymo - Google’s fleet of self-driving cars.

The traffic is problematic. It occurs between 6:00-7:00 a.m., and interferes with bussing for school children. Attempts by local residence to establish warning signs to stop this bizzare behavior resulted in the vehicles becoming stuck in a traffic jam, unable to turn around. Waymo announced that they are working to fix the vehicle routing. Normally, these vehicles are parked in company depots for their downtime. If not, they try to find on-street parking locations, for Waymos are only available in cities at the moment.

Could Autonomous Vehicle Behavior Create a Public Nuisance?

The strange behavior of these vehicles are obvious growing pains for the self-driving industry, but can potentially constitute as a nuisance. Almost two years ago, for example, Waymo cars woke San Francisco residents with incessant honking in the early morning. Nuisance of a public nature must involved a significant interference with general convenience or safety. Prolonged honking throughout many nights would be one such example. Clogging small town roads for prolonged stretches may also constitute such interference.

The Future of Self-Driving Car Litigation

As self-driving cars begin to spread throughout America, so too do such problems escalate. Given the amount of companies working on this technology, there may be a lot of avenues for litigation in the near future. Hopefully, for the public’s sake, the issues are settled in reasonable time.

Injured in a Car Accident?
If you have been injured in a car crash – automated or otherwise – call us. We can help.

Sources

1. Jude Cramer, Empty Waymo cars are convering on one Atlanta cul-de-sac. No one can explain why, Fast Company (June 15, 2026).
View Source

2. Megan Cerullo, Waymo’s driverless cars honk at each other, waking neighbors, CBS News (August 14, 2024).
View Source

Injured by Emerging Vehicle Technology? Know Your Rights.

Autonomous vehicle technology is advancing rapidly, but the law is still catching up. When self-driving systems malfunction, make poor decisions, or contribute to unsafe conditions, determining responsibility can become far more complicated than in a traditional car crash.

Whether an accident involves a human driver, a vehicle manufacturer, software developer, fleet operator, or a combination of parties, injured victims deserve answers and accountability. As these technologies become more common on American roads, understanding your legal rights becomes more important than ever.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a motor vehicle collision involving advanced driver assistance systems, autonomous technology, or a traditional driver, contact O’Donnell Law Offices for a free consultation. There is never a fee unless we recover compensation for you.

The post Empty Cars Haunting Streets? first appeared on O'Donnell Law.

Tractor-Trailer Weight Limits: Don’t Overburden Our Roads

O'Donnell Law Offices — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 13:46:13 +0000

By Neil T. O’Donnell and Connor Graham

Congress has begun its semi-annual discussion of increasing the weight limits of tractor-trailers.

The trucking industry has a lot of weight to throw around in lobbying. Driving/sales work is far and away the number one occupation for young U.S. men without a college degree. Big business utilizes its position as one of the largest industries to push for reforms that benefit profitability.

The Proposed Increase

A weight increase, the industry purports, would boost productivity and allow for fewer trucks on the road.

But the recent proposed increase — from 80,000 pounds to 91,000 pounds — comes with even heavier costs. Trucking accounts for a comparatively higher percentage of mileage-related costs, including pavement damage, congestion, and noise, primarily due to the vehicle weight and the associated precautions to support that weight.

One would think a roughly 12% increase in weight capacity would be further detrimental to public highways.

Would Heavier Trucks Really Mean Fewer Trucks?

It’s also dubious that a weight increase would lead to fewer trucks on the road.

Much like why increasing the number of lanes does not eliminate traffic, an increase in storage capacity may cause businesses to take more product throughout the year for transport. A change in capacity would prompt a change in behavior to match.

The change may prompt trucking companies to take on more goods for travel.

The Employment Impact

Lastly, it is doubtful that trucking unions would accept such a shake-up in employment. Should the weight increases lead to fewer trucks, then it stands to reason that fewer workers would be needed to man the trucks.

If that were to happen, the government would have to contend with the noticeable loss of employment opportunities for high-school educated men.

Pennsylvania Roads Are Burdened Enough

A survey conducted by the Coalition of Bigger Trucks found that 77% of respondents in Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District opposed a weight-limit increase for tractor-trailers.

Further, 88% were concerned with deteriorating highway conditions associated with heavier vehicles.

Pennsylvania’s roads are burdened enough, and the people understand this.

Let’s not make our highway situation worse.

About O’Donnell Law Offices

O’Donnell Law Offices represents individuals and families injured in truck accidents throughout Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, and Northeastern Pennsylvania. For more than 35 years, our attorneys have handled cases involving tractor-trailers, commercial trucks, and other large vehicles.

Truck accident cases often involve serious injuries and complex liability. Our Wilkes-Barre and Scranton truck accident lawyers work to protect the rights of those affected and pursue meaningful results.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident, contact O’Donnell Law Offices to schedule a free consultation directly with an attorney.

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