Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Strange but true, even a minor impact to the head can trigger a nightmare scenario for the victim and caregivers. Recently, I have had the occasion to closely work with a client of mine who sustained a head trauma and concussion. Although she described the impact as fairly minor, our research and biomechanical evaluation indicated that the impact was not so minor and had resulted in a traumatic brain injury with extraordinary changes in the victim’s personality and behavior.

Continue reading " My Mother Was Hit On The Head In A Car Accident And Has Become A Monster " »

Automobile accidents can be devastating, destroying the lives on many innocent victims. Crashes can have a large impact on both physical health and mental health. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports vehicle traffic accidents. More deaths were caused by motor vehicle traffic accidents than homicide, suicide, and heart disease. The Pennsylvania auto accident lawyers at the Philadelphia law firm of Reiff and Bily have been researching and handling thousands of automobile accidents cases since 1979.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation reports that in 2005, there were 100,381 injuries and 1,616 crash related deaths in Pennsylvania. There was an estimated total of $5.298 billion in economic loss due to automotive deaths.

Continue reading " Auto Accidents Can Be Devasting " »

Cooper Tire Company is recalling Cooper CS4 Touring (VR tires) size 215/55 R17 produced between September 7 and October 11, 2008. According to the NHTSA recall campaign these tires may have been cured for an inadequate amount of time. This condition can lead to tire tread separation, possibly resulting in the loss of vehicle control and a vehicle crash. Cooper Tires has agreed to notify owners and replace, mount and balance any defective tires free of charge. Owners may contact Cooper Tire Consumer Relations toll free at 1-800-854-6288.

Tread separation is an extraordinarily dangerous defect that often results in death and catastrophic injuries. Improper manufacturing and curing of tires can cause a tread belt separation, which often leads to a tire blowout. Tread separations ordinarily cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle even when the tire does not lose pressure.

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The Philadelphia 15-passenger van rollover attorneys at Reiff and Bily salute the State Department of Health and Human Resources of West Virginia which now requires daycare centers to make sure all vehicles used to transport large numbers of children meet the same safety requirements as school buses.

Even though this mandate does not go into effect until September 1, 2012, the State of West Virginia has recognized the hazards of 15-passenger vans. Upgrading to the new standards will make sure that the vehicles transporting our precious cargo (children) are less prone to rollovers. According to information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), rollovers are reported in 63% of all fatal accidents involving 15-passenger van occupants between 1997 and 2006. NHTSA data revealed a significant increase of rollovers when the vans were fully loaded. Most of those killed in 15-passenger van rollovers were not properly restrained. Other factors contributing to rollover incidents include improperly inflated tires, poor tire condition and inexperienced drivers.

Continue reading " Philadelphia 15-Passenger Van Rollover Lawyer Applauds West Virginia Law Requiring Daycare Centers To Replace Or Upgrade Passenger Vans " »

Many individuals who are involved in car accidents, swimming accidents, assaults or other incidents that may cause trauma to the head, suffer from invisible closed head injury or brain trauma. Many times brain injuries go undiagnosed because those who suffer from brain injuries continue to look the same. However, the brain simply does not function as it did prior to the incident. The brain is the nerve center of the body and sometimes when it does not operate correctly, affected individuals act in strange ways, get headaches, have memory loss, seizures, say things that they really don’t mean and act in emotional ways that cause them to lose control.

Continue reading " Invisible Brain Injuries Are More Common Than Breast Cancer " »

The Philadelphia car accident lawyers of Reiff and Bily are all too familiar with closed head injuries caused by car accidents that the average person may not recognize. Recently the family of one of our injured clients was noting that their 48-year-old mother was manifesting what they described as strange behavioral patterns. She was becoming extremely anxious, agitated and exhibiting bouts of unrecognizable anger. She was also complaining of memory loss and taking the wrong medication. When I met with this woman she was exhibiting confusion. Not so surprisingly, she struck her head on a pillar inside the vehicle at the time of the accident. She was referred for a neurological and psychological evaluation and it was diagnosed that she sustained a mild brain injury as the result of a closed head trauma.

Continue reading " My Mother Was Involved In A Car Accident And Is Not Making Sense " »

The Philadelphia car accident lawyers at Reiff and Bily receive many calls from insured individuals who claim that their rates have unfairly risen due to a non-chargeable accident. You may or may not be aware that the Pennsylvania Insurance Department actively investigates complaints from the customers of insurance companies who allege misconduct by the insurance company. Any insurance consumer who believes they have been harmed by an insurance company may file complaints with the Pennsylvania Insurance Department.

Continue reading " Perhaps Your Insurance Company Is Taking Advantage Of You? " »

As you may or may not be aware, the insurance companies keep an eye on every claim you have made in the past with regard to homeowners, workmen’s compensation and auto insurance policies. There are two major property claim databases, The Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange (CLUE) and The Automated Property Loss Underwriting System (A-PLUS).

Continue reading " Don’t Lie To Your Lawyer About Prior Claims " »

Save money on auto registration in Pennsylvania if retired and receiving Social Security. The Philadelphia car accident lawyers of Reiff and Bily want you to know that if you are retired and receiving Social Security or other pension and your total annual income from all sources is $19,200.00 or less, you qualify to register your car or light truck at a $10.00 per year fee instead of the annual fee. Under the Pennsylvania plan, you will save $26.00 per year on the annual registration for a car and even more for a truck. For more information, please contact Pennsylvania Bureau of Motor Vehicles, P.O. Box 68269, Harrisburg, PA 17106 or contact them at 1-800-932-4600.

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Traumatic brain injury and closed head trauma can result even when the damage to your vehicle is minimal in a car accident. In a recent car accident case handled by the Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyers of Reiff and Bily, the insurance company of the striking vehicle refused to offer a settlement due to minimal property damage sustained by our client’s car. This case was classified as a “mist” case, otherwise known as a minimal impact soft tissue case.

Continue reading " A SMALL CAR ACCIDENT CAN CAUSE A MAJOR BRAIN INJURY " »