Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyer Blog

On November 17, 2008 an eight person jury found that the passenger restraint system on the Toyota 1994 Truck was defectively designed so as to be unreasonably dangerous and that Toyota was negligent in its design and testing of the 1994 Toyota Truck Passenger Restraint System. In this case, the right front seat passenger was rendered a quadriplegic when the 1994 Toyota Cab Truck in which he was in rolled over. It was alleged that Mr. Momson’s belt spooled out pushing his head partially outside the vehicle 12 inches. The driver and center seated passenger had only seatbelt bruising.

Continue reading " Toyota Found Liable for Negligent Design and Testing of Truck Passenger Restraint System " »

According to a national fatality data study from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm Insurance Company, many teenagers are driving without drivers’ licenses and are disproportionately involved in fatal car accidents. According to the study, unlicensed teenagers are more likely to report not wearing a seat belt, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol and driving without a purpose, behaviors known to be associated with fatal crashes. Laurette Stiles, Vice President of Strategic Resources at State Farm Insurance Company notes this issue also impacts those who share the roads with unlicensed drivers. Parents may be unknowingly contributing to teens risky driving behaviors by not giving proper safety advice to their teenagers as well as failing to recognize that an auto in the wrong and inexperienced hands of a teenage driver is a death machine. Lack of proper supervision and could very well expose an irresponsible parent to legal liability for failure to supervise. Driving without a license is not only illegal but a negligent and irresponsible act that demonstrates a callous disregard for public safety.

Continue reading " 20% of 14 to 18 Year Old Drivers Involved in Fatal Crashes in 2006 Did Not Have A Driver’s License - Death Rate Four Times Rate of Adult Drivers 25 to 69 Years Old " »

As we are living in a recessionary period and people are scared and looking at how to save money, it is important to recognize the necessity of having automobile insurance in Pennsylvania. If you are driving a car, it is necessary to have insurance or you are breaking the law. It is illegal to drive a vehicle without insurance. If you are stopped by the police or involved in an automobile accident and you do not have mandatory automobile insurance in Pennsylvania, you can be ticketed, fined or put in jail. Further, your car may be seized or impounded. The impound fees often cost more than the cost of an average auto insurance payment. The minimum amount required under Pennsylvania law for liability automobile insurance (which is mandatory) is $15,000 per individual and $30,000 per accident, typically known as 15/30.

Continue reading " Philadelphia Car Accident Attorney Warns: Do Not Let Your Automobile Insurance Lapse to Cut Costs in Recessionary Times " »

The lawyers at the Philadelphia car accident firm of Reiff & Bily offer some helpful tips.

1. Read your policy carefully - you should know what is covered and how to appeal a denial by your insurance company.

2. Be very careful filling out forms - even if you make an honest mistake your insurance company may seize on that as a reason to retroactively deny your coverage.

3. Do not cash a premium refund check - if your insurance company rescinds your insurance, they may send you a refund for the premiums you paid. Cashing it may be interpreted as accepting their decision.

4. Put everything in writing - Calling your insurance company will most likely be a negative experience and you will not be able to prove anything that a company representative tells you over the phone. Always keep records of all bills and correspondence.

5. Contact your state insurance department - they may be able to help you but they will not represent you in a private matter. So if all else fails, you may need to consult with an experienced insurance claims lawyer.

6. Most importantly never ever ever give up - insurance companies count on you giving up. It is important that you fight for your rights.

They will deny, delay and refuse payments. The bottom line is insurance companies make money when they don't pay claims. Trust me, I know. I have been in the same boat as you and every day I fight insurance companies on behalf of policyholders that are getting screwed because of corporate greed and incompetence of insurance company representatives.

If you believe that your insurance company is wrongfully denying benefits that you are owed, please contact the insurance claims lawyers at the Pennsylvania personal injury law firm of Reiff & Bily.