Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyer Blog

In the last two months, as an experienced Philadelphia car accident attorney, I have seen an increased volume of head on collisions with the cause being lack of caution on icy and snowy roads whereupon a vehicle traveling carelessly or too fast for the conditions loses control. Many times, the results are catastrophic with permanent injuries or unfortunately wrongful death. The crash dynamics of a head on collision are often unforgiving. Even at relatively low speeds, head on collisions will often leave the accident victim with catastrophic and debilitating injuries and many times death.

Snow and ice on roadways are major contributing factors in fatal car accidents and head on collisions in Pennsylvania. Many times, these accidents are caused by black ice which is sometimes called glare ice or clear ice and is a thin coating of glazed ice on the surface. While not truly black, it is actually transparent. When driving on snowy and icy roadways, please follow the offered tips from the experienced Pennsylvania car accident lawyers of Reiff & Bily:

1. Make sure your tires have at least a 6/32 deep tread according to The Tire Rack.

2. Make sure your windshield is clear and replace windshield wiper blades with new ones.

3. Apply Rain-X or water shedding material to your window and make sure that your
windshield washer system works.

4. Use your air conditioner. In order to remove condensation and frost from the interior
windows, gauge your air conditioner and select a fresh air option. It is fine to set the
temperature on hot.

5. Check your headlights to make sure that they are clean and other vehicles will see you.

6. Learn how to stop properly. For a non-ABS vehicle on a mixed surface road, push the
brake pedal hard until the wheels stop rolling and then immediately release the brake
enough to allow the wheels to begin turning again. Repeat this sequence rapidly.

Continue reading " Snow And Ice Most Likely The Cause Of A Growing Number Of Deadly Pennsylvania Head On Collisions In Recent Weeks " »

As an experienced Philadelphia car accident and truck accident attorney, I am all too familiar with snow and ice missiles that fly off cars or trucks that are not properly cleaned after a snow storm and then travel down the highway at great speeds. On February 22nd, after 4 to 6 inches of snow fell on the southeastern Pennsylvania vicinity, I was traveling on Rt. 476 when a large sheet of compacted and hard snow and ice flew off a semi-truck trailer striking my windshield with such force that it caused me to momentarily lose control of my vehicle. Thank God, I had gone to work late this day and there were no other cars in the adjacent lane which I swerved into in a state of shock.

Many accidents have occurred in Pennsylvania in the last few weeks and the experienced Pennsylvania truck accident law firm of Reiff & Bily had been retained to represent two individuals who were seriously injured in a similar accident on Route 80 just a week ago. Currently Pennsylvania law only prescribes a small fine for drivers and only if the ice or snow causes death or serious injury. The neighboring state of New Jersey has a law in place which punishes drivers who fail to make all reasonable efforts to remove snow or ice.
As an attorney who has seen the tragic side of snow and ice missile accidents, it is imperative that Pennsylvania legislature put more teeth into Pennsylvania’s laws regarding removing snow and ice from vehicles prior to entering the roadways. The safety and prosecution of motorist deaths should always be priority one.

If you or a loved one has suffered serious and catastrophic injuries or wrongful death as a result of a car or truck accident, please contact one of the experienced car and truck accident lawyers at Reiff & Bily. Effective January 1, 2011, the Reiff & Bily law firm has joined forces with the legendary Beasley Firm and has collectively been awarded billions of dollars on behalf of injured victims and their families. For more information, please contact online at www.reiffandbily.com or toll free at 1-800-421-9595.

According to news sources, excessive speed by a 17-year old teenage driver may have contributed to a fatal Chester County car accident on Saturday, February 19, 2011. The tragic car accident killed 19-year Jesika Kavanagh of Downingtown, PA. Sources state that the 17-year old male driver was operating a Dodge truck and entered an underpass and veered into the southbound lane where it struck a BMW driven by Ms. Kavanagh. Ms. Kavanagh was trapped in the vehicle and had to be removed by the Downingtown Fire Department and was taken to Brandywine Hospital where she died. The other passengers of the BMW were transported to Paoli Hospital for treatment.

Sadly the number one cause of teenager deaths in Pennsylvania and nationwide is car accidents. Teenager drivers, alcohol, and red light scoff laws are responsible for many of the car accidents in Pennsylvania. Many times teenagers are unable to multi-task and are found eating, drinking coffee, reading, or talking on cell phones, which is a huge distraction to drivers. The major cause of death to teenagers age 16 to 19 is traffic accidents.

I offer my deepest sympathies to everyone who knew and loved Jesika Kavanagh for their devastating loss. Please keep this grieving family in your prayers.

Based upon the news report, it appears that the teenage driver of the pickup truck was driving recklessly and perhaps too fast for the circumstances. In such cases, the family of the deceased or injured victims can file wrongful death claims seeking compensation for medical and funeral expenses, lost future income, loss of companionship, and other related damages.

Continue reading " Every Parent’s Nightmare - When An Inexperienced And Young Teenage Driver Takes Your Car And Gets Into A Fatal Accident " »

An SUV headed south on Route 130 in Edgewater Park, NJ rearended a Mercedes Benz pushing it into a bus stop. The car struck a person waiting for a bus and then hit a light pole according to the prosecutor’s office. The SUV rolled over on its roof hit hitting at least one other vehicle injuring several children, killing a woman, and injuring others.

Our hearts and prayers go out to the injured victims of this SUV rollover accident, as well as the family of the dead victim. We wish the injured victims the very best for a speedy and complete recovery. Based upon news sources, it appears that the driver of the SUV swerved in an accident avoidance maneuver and lost control as a result.

According to NHTSA, SUV rollovers are some of the deadliest forms of more motor vehicle crashes accounting for more than 1/3 of fatalities. About 58% of all rollover casualties were to occupants of SUVs.

The experienced SUV rollover law firm of Reiff & Bily has over 30 years of experience and a successful track record in obtaining multiple seven figure wins for clients in auto accident cases and SUV rollovers.

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed as a result of an SUV rollover, please contact one of our experienced Philadelphia SUV rollover and car accident attorneys of Reiff & Bily. Effective January 1, 2011, Reiff & Bily has joined forces with the legendary Beasley Firm. Both product liability law firms have collectively been awarded over $2 billion dollars on behalf of injured clients and their families. For more information, please contact us online at www.reiffandbily.com or toll free at 1-800-421-9595.

Tragically another SUV rollover took the life of a young student in San Antonio, Texas on February 17, 2011. According to news sources, a school teacher, Deborah Holcombe, was driving a Suburban SUV with 6 students to a school event in San Antonio when her car drifted and the driver made an over correction sending the vehicle into a roll. A student was ejected from the SUV an killed and another passenger was taken by helivac to a local hospital.

The experienced Pennsylvania SUV rollover lawyers of Reiff & Bily have investigated all too many cases involving SUVs which roll over after an accident avoidance maneuver killing innocent and unknowing school children. Our investigators have been able to prove that an alleged manufacturing design defect often results in an unstable vehicle in such an accident avoidance maneuver due to the fact that the SUV maintains an unstable design due to a high center of gravity. In this tragic case, a minor mistake ended with catastrophic and tragic results. Our hearts and prayers go out to the families of those injured and killed and they would be well advised to seek the services of an experienced SUV rollover attorney who will investigate this claim with knowledge of notable design defects where manufacturers continue to put profitability ahead of consumer safety.

The Philadelphia product liability and SUV rollover lawyers of Reiff & Bily have joined forces with the legendary Beasley Firm and in their collective efforts, they have been awarded in excess of $2 billion dollars on behalf of injured consumers. As always, they offer a no recovery, zero fee guarantee. For more information, contact us online at www.reiffandbily.com or toll free at 1-800-421-9595.

Ford Motor Company recalled approximately 365,000 of their F-150 trucks on February 3, 2011.

According to the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the interior door handle housing unit could crack during routine use, resulting in inadequate spring tension to return the door handle back to a tightly closed position. That product defect could cause the truck door to open during a motor vehicle accident, ejecting the driver or passenger from the truck.

Our experienced automotive product liability and auto defect lawyers believe safety should never be an option, and recognizes that automobile manufacturers owe the highest duty of care to their customers and must be held accountable if a driver or loved one is injured in an accident due to their design failure.

Since 1979, the experienced Philadelphia wrongful death and automotive product liability law firm of Reiff & Bily has aggressively represented clients and their families who have been catastrophically injured or killed in automobile accidents or by defective products. Effective January 1, 2011 the Reiff & Bily law firm has joined forces with the legendary Beasley Firm in Philadelphia who since 1958 has been awarded over $2 billion dollars on behalf of their clients and have hundreds of millions and multi-million dollar verdicts, settlements, and awards to their credit. Please contact us toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com for a free, no obligation consultation.

Recently I received a call from a middle aged man whose wife was involved in a car accident and since the car accident she has slid downward after being diagnosed with a closed head and traumatic brain injury. Prior to the accident, the victim who is now my client was gainfully employed as an executive. After the accident, her behavior was described by her husband and friends as becoming more detached, unable to remember things, reclusive with slurred speech and extreme depression. In fact, her husband told me that he “lost his wife,” and that she was unrecognizable after the accident.

A careful battery of neurological testing did in fact confirm that this once vibrant and functioning woman was suffering memory loss, sensory loss, diminished cognitive functioning, and communication problems. While it is not known whether these symptoms are permanent due to the length of time they have existed, the prognosis is not favorable. As evidenced by this situation, traumatic brain injuries which result from a car accident or trauma can seriously alter the lives of victims and their families. The victim’s husband has become a caregiver as he must attend to his wife’s basic needs on a daily basis. Her medical bills continue to skyrocket into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, and of course, without a job her family income is cut in half. In effect, this once very well functioning family and couple has had the wind knocked out of their sails in a financial and emotional way.

At the experienced Philadelphia brain injury and car accident law firm of Reiff & Bily, we have over 30 years of experience handling the most catastrophic car accident and brain injury cases, and we have been able to successfully obtain compensation from the parties responsible for medical expenses, rehabilitation, lost income, pain and suffering, and resident care. If you or a loved one has sustained catastrophic injuries or a wrongful death as the result of a car accident, please contact one of our experienced lawyers for a free, no obligation consultation at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.