What actually happens between a 911 call and arriving at the hospital? On this episode of the Injury Pros Podcast, host Michael Saile of Cordisco & Saile sits down with Chief Shane Wheeler, MBA, AAS-P, FP-C, NRP, CASM, CEO of VMSC Emergency Medical Services, for a behind-the-scenes look at how modern EMS works.

Founded in 1933 by Philadelphia surgeon Dr. Frank Boston, VMSC is recognized as the oldest operating EMS system in the United States. Today it serves roughly 200,000 residents across Montgomery and Delaware Counties through 911 emergency response, specialty and interfacility transport, and community-based Mobile Integrated Health programs.

Chief Wheeler explains how VMSC uses AI-assisted dispatch and GPS tracking to keep ambulances constantly positioned for the fastest response, often under eight minutes. He breaks down the differences between EMTs, advanced EMTs, and paramedics, and how 911 centers decide whether a call gets an advanced or basic life support response. He also shares the financial reality facing EMS: CMS data puts the average cost of a call at around $2,000 while reimbursement averages about $350, a gap that has contributed to nearly 50 Pennsylvania EMS agencies closing in the past two years.

One of the most striking parts of the conversation is VMSC’s field blood transfusion program, one of only a few hundred in the country. In its first year, crews administered blood to 22 critically injured patients, about 20 of whom survived.

For drivers and bystanders, Chief Wheeler offers practical advice on what to do if you come across a crash, starting with protecting your own safety. And for attorneys, he gives candid guidance on working with EMS professionals as witnesses: call them clinicians, not “ambulance drivers,” understand their protocol-driven training, and remember they are fact witnesses, not opinion witnesses.

To learn more about or support VMSC’s community outreach and EMS education programs, contact Chief Wheeler at swheeler@vmscems.com.

Learn more about VMSC at https://vmscems.com/

Learn more about Cordisco & Saile at https://cordiscosaile.com

What happens to everything you've worked for when you're gone, and who gets to decide? In this episode of The Injury Pros Podcast, host Michael Saile sits down with estate planning attorney Barbara Boyd to explain estate law in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Barbara covers the essentials of estate planning: wills, powers of attorney, living wills, and naming guardians for your children. She explains how inheritance taxes work in each state and why about 55% of Americans have no will at all. She also covers the legal ideas behind many estate fights, including testamentary capacity, undue influence, and self-proving wills, and walks through the probate process step by step.

Michael then connects estate law to personal injury practice. He explains why an estate must be opened before a wrongful death lawsuit can be filed, and how wrongful death and survival claims are divided for tax purposes. He also tells a close-call story about a defendant who died just before the statute of limitations ran out.

Whether you're in your 20s or your 90s, this episode shows why an estate plan is one of the kindest things you can leave your family.

Host: Michael Saile is a personal injury attorney with Cordisco & Saile, representing injured people and families across Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and host of The Injury Pros Podcast. Learn more at https://cordiscosaile.com.

Guest: Barbara Boyd heads the estate planning department at Maselli Mills & Fornal. She is admitted in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and handles estate planning, estate administration, estate litigation, and court-appointed guardianship matters. Offices in Princeton, NJ and Newtown, PA. Learn more at https://www.masellilaw.com

Back-to-school season means one thing for a lot of families: a nervous teenager behind the wheel for the first time. On this episode of Injury Pros, host Steven DeBonis sits down with Scott Seibert, a 23-year driving instructor, Lower Merion School District teacher, and owner of My Turn to Drive School, to talk about how teen driving has changed, and what hasn't.

Scott breaks down his "three golden rules" for new drivers (seatbelts, no impaired driving, no phones), and explains why Pennsylvania's newly enacted Paul Miller's Law now makes holding a phone while driving a primary offense — yet most new drivers have never heard of it. The conversation digs into the real accident patterns Scott sees on the road: left-hand turn conflicts, hard braking, misjudged curves, and the dangerous first-month spike in crash risk once teens get their license.

Steve and Scott also tackle the harder conversations parents avoid including marijuana use among teens, peer pressure, and why modeling good behavior behind the wheel matters more than any lecture. They discuss the decline of mandatory driver's ed in schools, the financial burden that places on families, and what separates a good driving instructor from a bad one.

Whether you're the parent of a brand-new permit holder or just want to be a safer driver yourself, this episode is full of practical, real-world advice you won't hear anywhere else.

In this episode:

• Scott Seibert's "three golden rules" for teen drivers
• Pennsylvania's Paul Miller's Law and why so few new drivers know about it
• The most common causes of new-driver accidents
• Why parent-taught teens often struggle more than instructor-taught teens
• Marijuana, peer pressure, and the modern designated-driver conversation
• The push to make driver's education mandatory in Pennsylvania
• What to look for in a quality driving school
• How parents can stay engaged after their teen gets licensed

Steven DeBonis is an attorney at Cordisco & Saile, where he represents individuals and families navigating the aftermath of serious injuries. Learn more at cordiscosaile.com.

Scott Seibert is the owner of My Turn to Drive School, a Delaware Valley driving instruction company staffed entirely by educators with advanced degrees. Learn more about Scott and his team at myturntodriveschool.com.