Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Dozens were injured and 4 people were killed and yet another tour bus rolled over in a catastrophic bus accident. According to news sources, the bus was traveling from Greensboro, North Carolina to New York when it hit an embankment in Virginia and rolled over onto its roof on I-95 on Tuesday, May 31, 2011. The bus was carrying 58 passengers and its Chinatown office in New York was empty of workers on the date of the accident. Police blamed the bus accident on driver fatigue and investigators said that charges were pending.

As an experienced tour bus accident lawyer, it seems that the epidemic of driver fatigue and bus accidents continues to increase at an alarming rate and must be curtailed by stricter regulations, guidelines, driver health, and background checks.

The law office of Reiff & Bily in conjunction with the Beasley Firm joined forces to create the Beasley Reiff Law group and are currently representing victims of another bus crash that occurred just a few months ago when a bus traveling to Chinatown from New York to Philadelphia crashed killing and catastrophically injuring other individuals.

Since 1958, the lawyers of the Beasley Reiff Law Group have recovered over $2 billion dollars on behalf of catastrophically injured victims and their families. If you or a loved on has sustained catastrophic injuries or suffered a wrongful death as a result of a tour bus accident, please contact us online at www.beasleyreifflawgroup.com or toll free at 1-800-588-0130.

If you are parents of a teenage driver, it is probably cheaper not to add a third car as insurance companies typically believe that the teenager will drive less without his/her own car and thereby offer you a lower insurance premium. Typically car insurance premiums go up 55% to 60% when a teenager is added according to a recent insurance.com survey. Beware that many insurance companies charge if you own luxury cars and many insurance companies may charge you as if your child is driving the fanciest car in the house. Therefore, it may pay to shop around or in the alternative in that situation it may pay to get a clunker for the teenager without collision coverage and then perhaps place an umbrella on top of the same.

This tip is offered by the experienced Philadelphia car accident lawyers of Reiff & Bily. Umbrella insurance coverage is the key if you are interested in protecting assets. In a tightened economy many individuals chose to reduce their insurance premiums and insurance coverage. If you have any assets to protect, I wholly recommend purchasing an umbrella or excess insurance policy to kick in where liability coverage leaves off. Recent jury verdict analysis indicates that approximately 15% of personal injury liability cases result in awards in excess of $1 million dollars and if you have teenagers driving or may be at high risk situations or in a litigious area, consider increasing your umbrella. The more insurance you purchase on the umbrella, the cheaper it is. Many insurance companies do not like to sell umbrella coverage and you will find that if you insist, it should cost about $125 to $250 a year for an actual $1 million dollars of coverage.

Continue reading " A Smart Way To Cut Your Car Insurance Premium May Be Not To Buy Your Teenager His Or Her Own Car " »

An Ohio jury recently awarded $4.25 million dollars to a motorcycle passenger and $1.9 million dollars to the motorcycle operator after an alleged poorly marked construction zone caused a fatal collision with a pickup truck. It was alleged that the driver of the pickup truck entered a left turn lane to access a side road but discovered she could not turn onto the road and as she merged back into traffic, she struck the motorcycle. The motorcycle operator and passenger sued the contractor of the construction project alleging that they failed to place warning signs of the highway alerting motorist that the side road was closed or mark the left turn lane with signs, barrels, or both prohibiting motorist from entering the lane. The constructor alleged that the operator of the pickup truck was the sole cause of the collision. The jury found that the contractor was 50% responsible and the operator of the pickup truck was 50% responsible.

In Pennsylvania it is unlawful for a bar or any establishment to serve alcohol to any individuals under the age of 21. Additionally, under the Pennsylvania’s Dram Shop law any business or individual who serves alcohol to a visibly intoxicated person is also legally responsible for any damage that person might cause.

Recently a Philadelphia jury award $1.6 million dollars to the estate of a young victim who was allegedly served at least 8 or 9 drinks at a night club and then was involved in a fatal collision on the way home. The victim’s blood alcohol content at the time of the crash was .224, almost three times the legal limit.

A bar and its employees are obligated to recognize and prevent the service of alcohol to those intoxicated or those under the legal age of drinking in Pennsylvania. Thousands of people die every year in Pennsylvania as a result of alcohol-related injuries due to the negligence of bartenders, night clubs, and restaurants who fail to act responsibly by putting an emphasis on profitability rather than on adherence to Pennsylvania Dram Shop laws. Our skilled Dram Shop and intoxicated and alcohol-related accident lawyers are aware that many restaurant owners and bar owners do not promote policies of alcohol awareness. We believe that those individuals must be held financially responsible for resulting injuries and fatalities. Pennsylvania law is clear that it is illegal to sell alcohol to either a minor or person who is obviously intoxicated.

The skilled Dram Shop and alcohol-related accident lawyers of Reiff & Bily are all too familiar with the catastrophic injuries and fatalities that result from violation of the Pennsylvania Dram Shop laws and believe that the wrongdoers must be held accountable. We always offer a free, no obligation and confidential consultation. Contact us at www.reiffandbily.com.

I recently learned that a prominent defense attorney told a jury at the conclusion of a personal injury case that pain and suffering is just a way of life in his particular county. As an experienced Pennsylvania personal injury lawyer for over three decades, I am fairly certain that pain and suffering is not a normal way of life for most of us.

In Pennsylvania a claimant can claim monetary damages for pain and suffering for a non-inclusive list of factors, including but not limited to physical pain, mental pain, embarrassment, fright, nervousness, grief, anxiety, worry, mortification, shock, humiliation, indignities, apprehension, disfigurement, loss of life’s pleasures, deformity, and basically the loss of life’s hopes and dreams. Since we cannot change the facts of life and fully restore one’s physical and mental condition to the exact state that existed prior to the event which gave rise to their legal claim, the goal of compensatory damages is to financially make a plaintiff whole by setting an amount of money that will hopefully compensate the injured person. The claimant may also recover for mental anguish resulting from an accident as mental anguish can be a result of physical pain and suffering.

I am curious whether the defense attorney who argued that pain and suffering is a way of life in his jurisdiction recognizes this when he goes home to his expensive home, pays for his kids in private school, or goes to play golf at an elite golf or country club?

The skilled catastrophic injury lawyers of Reiff & Bily know that when you are in an accident, you are entitled to the maximum amount of compensatory damages that can be proven and argued to a jury and that pain and suffering is not just a way of life for most of us. You have one bite at the apple and we do not believe, as do many insurance adjusters and defense attorneys, that pain and suffering should be and is a way of life.

I recently received a telephone call from a client who was in a vehicle that rolled over causing catastrophic injuries to herself and brain damage to her young daughter. Another lawyer sat with the case for a year and then informed her that there was no liability and there was no case.

Thankfully the unfortunate victim did not stop there and sought the opinion of another attorney who referred the matter to the auto product liability of the Reiff & Bily law firm. In many situations where other attorneys do not explore all aspects of a claim or are unfamiliar with automotive product defect and product liability claims, we are able to determine by the use of accident reconstruction and expert witnesses that many single car accidents and rollovers are caused by a defect in the vehicle or one of its components. Many times auto product defects will include but not be limited to a tire defect, an airbag defect, an instability or crashworthiness issue, or defective seat belt.

The skilled Pennsylvania car accident and vehicle defect lawyers of Reiff & Bily have prosecuted thousands of car accident claims for many decades taking on some of the world’s largest automobile manufacturers litigating auto defect and product liability claims that other lawyers may have missed.

If you or a loved one has been catastrophically injury or killed as a result of a single vehicle automobile accident, please contact one of our experienced Pennsylvania car accident and auto defect lawyers for a free, no obligation consultation. If we decide to accept your case, we will only charge a fee if we make a recovery for you. Please contact us online at www.reiffandbily.com.

How times do you get into your car after someone else has been driving and you see that the gas tank is on empty and it is left to you to fill up the tank. What most people do not realize is that by operating a car with an empty gas tank, you expose yourself to danger. Many people assume they have enough gas to get to the next gas station. However, when you are traveling on a highway and people are traveling at high rates of speed and you run out of gas, the following situations may occur - you may lose power steering or power brakes and run out of gas on a highway and you will be unable to pull off to a safe place and can be a sitting duck for a car accident if another vehicle is not fully paying attention.

If your vehicle starts to stutter and run out of gas, you should pull your car off to the side of the road as soon as possible, turn on the flashers, and call AAA or a service truck and get out of the car and wait behind it on the shoulder. Additionally, there is a danger to the car’s engine when you run your car on empty as dirt can get into the fuel system and the fuel pump can overheat and permanent damage the vehicle.

The Philadelphia auto accident lawyers of Reiff & Bily are dedicated to automotive safety. For over three decades our skilled and experienced Philadelphia car accident lawyers have represented catastrophically injured victims and their families as a result of Pennsylvania motor vehicle accidents. For a free, no obligation consultation, contact us online at www.reiffandbily.com.

Motorcycle season is in full swing in Pennsylvania and as and experienced motorcyclist and motorcycle accident lawyer for over three decades, I am aware that many non-motorcyclists in other vehicles have a prejudice against motorcyclists and do not exercise proper and due care when the less protected motorcycle enters their domain. Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett, together with the Alliance of Bikers aimed towards education, is urging motorists to beware of the increased presence of motorcycles on the highways.

For many decades we have investigated and prosecuted many motorcycle accidents against defending car and truck drivers. Many defendants claim as part of their case they did not see the motorcyclist. I always believe that it is important for bikers to be noticed by other vehicles on the open road and that the minimal lighting that most motorcycles come with is not enough. I always recommend that a motorcyclist keep their headlights on and wear reflective and bright clothing so that you are easily visible to others sharing the same roadways. This includes jackets, riding pants, and helmet as well. Many times accessories can be added to the bike that are brightly colored and make the rider and motorcycle stand out. It pays to be a conspicuous rider. It is also not a bad idea to place reflective tape on saddle bags and accessories and some motorcycle shops offer "stealth tapes" which are designed to be invisible during the day yet appear to glow at night when hit by headlights. When driving on the road, stay out of blind spots and make sure there is plenty of room between you and other vehicles when you pass or make turns. One should always assume that vehicles pulling out of side streets do not see you and that they might pull out in front of you. If you have not already done so, I highly recommend taking the Pennsylvania motorcycle safety course.

The experienced Pennsylvania motorcycle accident lawyers of Reiff & Bily are also motorcyclists committed to motorcycle safety. We understand motorcycles and motorcycle law inside out. If you or a loved one has been involved in a motorcycle accident, please feel free to contact us for a free, no obligation consultation online at www.reiffandbily.com. The Pennsylvania motorcycle lawyers of Reiff & Bily have recently joined forces with the legendary Beasley Firm and together our lawyers have been awarded over $2 billion dollars representing the interests of catastrophically injured victims and their families since 1958.

As a father of three boys, two of whom have passed their teenage years, I am all too familiar with the midnight phone call from my children or friends of my children after they have been in a car accident. Frankly, it is every parents nightmare. According to the insurance industry, at least one teenager dies every other day from car accidents in Pennsylvania.

For many years, other states have imposed restrictions on teenage driver’s licenses and there has been talk but very little action in Pennsylvania about restricting a teenage driver’s license. Thankfully, this week the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives proposed teen driving legislation which would provide more training for young drivers and would limit the number of passengers for drivers under the age of 16 ½ and 17. Drivers under the age of 18 would also be required to complete 15 or more hours of inclement weather and night time driving. The bill would also limit drivers under the age of 18 from having more than one non-family member as a passenger and stated that teen drivers may currently have as many passengers as there are seat belts in the vehicle. Seat belt laws are also made more rigorous in the proposed law and would allow police to ticket any teen driver with a passenger under age 18 who is not properly secured and also addresses texting and speaking on a cell phone while driving. The House of Representatives legislation was approved on Tuesday, May 10, 2011 and will go to the Pennsylvania State Senate for consideration and hopeful approval.
Public surveys indicate that more than 3/4 of those polled approved of imposing passenger limits on teen drivers and increasing training for driving at night and in bad weather.

As an experienced Philadelphia car accident attorney attorney who often deals with the most catastrophic injuries and wrongful death scenarios, we applaud the efforts of Pennsylvania State legislators who have taken the proper steps to strengthen the state’s graduated teen licensing. Coincidentally, both New Jersey and Delaware have already imposed passenger limits on teens.

Continue reading " Pennsylvania Car Accident Attorney Salutes Legislative Proposals For New Teenage Driver Limitations " »

Did you ever get in a taxi cab and take the ride from hell leaving you wondering in the back seat as you are being thrown around where did this guy get his driver’s license. Due to the recent upsurge of catastrophic bus accidents in New York and New Jersey this past year, a crackdown was initiated to improve bus and taxi cab safety.

On Monday, May 9, 2011, 46 commercial drivers were arrested due to the fact they possessed a high number of unanswered traffic tickets, felony warrants, deportation detainers from immigration and customs departments, possessing false instruments, falsifying business records, and being unlicensed operators of vehicles, buses, and taxi cabs. Transportation officials conducted almost 2,000 surprise roadside inspections resulting in the removal of 143 vehicles and 173 additional drivers. In the last few months, there were a number of fatal bus crashes in the Bronx which killed 15 passengers, and another one on the New Jersey Turnpike on a bus bound from New York to Philadelphia which killed two people and injured 41 others. The U.S. Department of Transportation suspended the operation of the tour bus company in the New Jersey Turnpike crash and federal authorities and lawmakers continue to investigate. Congress is now calling for the passage of bus safety bills requiring seat belts in buses, anti-ejection glazing on windows, and stronger roofs to withstand rollovers, and reduce flammability of bus interiors.

The experienced Philadelphia bus and taxi cab accidents attorneys at Reiff & Bily are representing victims of the New Jersey Turnpike crash and salute the efforts of law enforcement officials in their efforts to promote highway safety and protect innocent consumers.

If you or a loved one has sustained a catastrophic injury as a result of bus accident or taxi cab accident, please contact one of our experienced Pennsylvania bus accident lawyers of Reiff & Bily for a free, no obligation consultation online at www.beasleyreifflawgroup.com.

A 1991 Ford F-150 was towing a 1998 Midway trailer when the connection between the pickup and trailer was broken causing the unit to cross over the center line and strike an oncoming vehicle driven by a 47-year old woman. Run away trailers are an all too common occurrence and can often lead to catastrophic consequences for victims and their families. The majority of run away trailer accidents involve light and medium sized trailers used by individuals and small businesses such as gardeners.

The experienced run away trailer lawyers of the Beasley Reiff Law Group have been awarded over $2 billion dollars since 1958 representing the interests of injured victims including but limited to bicyclists and pedestrians and vehicle occupants who have been seriously injured and killed by run away trailers.

Failure to properly secure the trailer to its guiding source, usually a ball and hitch, or design defect, or product failure appears to be the cause of run away accidents. Additionally, many people will connect a trailer without any safety chains or basic construction. Unfortunately, there is very little regulation of non-commercial trailers and there is no rule in any of our 50 states requiring a small to medium trailer to have any instruction or permit. Manufacturers and rental companies have a very strong lobby and have fought against reasonable safety proposals and guidelines.

Our experienced car accident and truck accident lawyers have over 50 years experience investigating run away trailer accidents. For a free, no obligation consultation, please contact us online at www.beasleyreifflawgroup.com or toll free at 1-800-588-0130.

This morning I had the chance to visit the office of a prominent neuropsychiatrist in consultation regarding a young client who was complaining of behavioral disturbances and had been diagnosed with ADHD. Many experts have suggested that brain injury in school age children causes ADHD but the same has not been conclusively confirmed. Many defense psychiatrists will argue that individuals who have ADHD are more likely to sustain head trauma due to riskier behavior patterns. ADHD is a condition affecting behavioral aspects of inattentiveness, impulse, and hyperactivity and has been attributed to several factors including closed head trauma. It has also been linked to individuals who sustain a catastrophic accident involving a lack of oxygen to the brain. Many studies performed have indicated there may be a relationship between individuals suffering from ADHD and traumatic brain injuries generally suffered in childhood.

As a practicing attorney for over 30 yeas dealing with many cases of traumatic brain injuries resulting from car accidents, truck accidents, and vehicle rollovers, I am fairly certain that traumatic brain injury is often missed in the ADHD diagnosis. Psychiatrists have found that TBI medication treatment can significantly improve ADHD problems and often needs to be augmented with stimulant medications.

Continue reading " ADHD May Be Caused By A Closed Head Injury Or Brain Trauma " »

It is rather obvious that when you take your vehicle to a repair shop or car dealer for repairs, it is supposed to come out in a better or safer condition than it was prior to its visit. A car repair dealer owes a duty to the customer and public to use ordinary care in making repairs.

Each year thousands of people will die in the United States in car accidents due to faulty repairs. When you take a vehicle to a shop for repairs after an accident, it is critical that repairs are made according to factory tolerances to insure the current driver and passenger and future owners are afforded the same level of vehicle safety after the repairs have been made as they had been before the vehicle was in an accident.

Any repairs should reduce the risk of injury or death to a passenger when a crash occurs and some lawyers have even argued that when you take your vehicle back to a dealership, the dealership has an extra duty to inspect the vehicle for safety defects including the condition of the tires and spare tire. A car dealer repair shop has the duty to discover and repair any obvious defects which would present a risk to the safety of the occupants. If there has been a motor vehicle defect and you take the car back to the dealership, the dealer is charged with responding to the recall and correcting the defective situation or component in the vehicle.

Since 1958, the experienced Philadelphia car accident lawyers of the Beasley Reiff Law Group have been representing catastrophically injured victims and their families and those who have sustained wrongful death due to automotive defects. The Pennsylvania vehicle defect lawyers of the Beasley Reiff Law Group are experienced in handling all types of car accidents and motor vehicle defect cases for the citizens of Pennsylvania. If you or a loved one has been injured due to an auto tire defect, airbag defect, SUV rollover, or the failure of a repair facility to properly repair your vehicle, contact one of our lawyers for a free, no obligation consultation online at www.beasleyreifflawgroup.com or toll free at 1-800-588-0130.

In a recent case, a tractor trailer traveling on a rain soaked highway in heavy traffic attempted to brake when a vehicle in front of it slowed down. Unfortunately, the tractor trailer driver was unable to bring the truck to a stop in time and a collision occurred between the trailer and the rear of the automobile.

Expert investigation and analysis revealed that while the tractor had an antilock or ABS braking system, the trailer only had a standard air brake system. The driver had hard braked, meaning he jammed on the brakes in an attempt to stop or avoid the collision; however, due to uneven braking systems, the roadway, and following too closely, the trailer swung into the left lane passing the tractor portion of the truck and jack knifed into the automobile.

An expert testified that the trucking company and truck driver were at fault due to the lack of training and limited knowledge of the tractor trailer driver in controlling a unit with two different braking systems, improper braking techniques, and not maintaining a proper following distance for weather conditions that existed at the time of the collision. A plaintiff’s verdict was rendered.

The experienced Philadelphia truck accident attorneys of the Beasley Reiff Law Group have been represented catastrophically injured victims since 1958, and have been awarded over $2 billion dollars in settlements, awards, and verdicts. For a free, no obligation consultation, please contact us online at www.beasleyreifflawgroup.com or toll free at 1-800-588-0130.

As an experienced Pennsylvania crashworthiness and SUV rollover lawyer, I salute the efforts of automakers making dramatic gains in automotive safety.

Just last week, a new client demonstrated the parking abilities of her brand new Ford Explorer and I was spellbound. In the last decade, the major automobile manufacturers have significantly advanced automotive safety by the introduction of factors such as electronic stability control (ESC), use of ABS brakes, improvement of sensor and data measuring with regard to airbag deployment and seat belt tension, sensors which measure steering wheel angle, yaw rate, acceleration, and turning force when combined with software alga rhythms which interpret data and determine whether the vehicle is traveling in a proper fashion and if not, automatically activate the brakes or throttle slightly to bring the vehicle back in line. As the electronic sensors and software improvements become more sophisticated and less costly, it is my hope that technology will continue to improve and be implemented consistent with lower, wider, and safer vehicle designs to create a vehicle so sophisticated with anticipatory design features that it will actively prevent crash scenarios which would most likely lead to catastrophic injury or death.

The experienced Pennsylvania vehicle rollover and car accident firm of Reiff & Bily salutes the efforts of auto defect and product liability lawyers across the United States and worldwide and consumer safety groups who have fought the battle against automakers for decades serving as a force to create safer automobiles.

As an experienced Philadelphia car accident attorney for the past 32 years and as the father of a teenager and two young adults, I am reminded of how anxious young teenagers are to get the car keys in their hand while many times failing to understand that a motor vehicle has the potential to be a weapon of death and catastrophic injury in certain circumstances. Not so surprisingly, kids killed in cars is up to four times greater than adults. My own personal experience or bias leads me to believe that it takes at least a year or two to become an educated and safe driver. A recent study of fatal teen crashes revealed that among the most common driving errors leading to fatal accidents or death are caused by the lack of experience. Over one percent of all teenage accidents are caused by the failure to scan the traffic ahead. Not so surprisingly, another major cause of teenage accidents was distraction, either from something inside or outside the car, which contributed to 20% of serious teen auto crashes. Researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Center for Injury Research and Prevention, concluded that aggression, cold weather, and drowsiness were not primary factors in most teen collisions.

Recently a case was brought to my attention where a young teenage driver suffered a violent collision the day he received his driver’s license. When he was questioned about what happened, he stated he turned to look at his girlfriend not realizing that when he turned the wheel turned with him, and he steered right into another vehicle totaling both cars.

When I went to high school, driver’s education was mandatory and today I think parents owe an obligation to their children, as well as other motorists on the road, to promote safe driving skills by enrolling their teenagers in a proper driver education program. Full scanning of the road ahead and on the side and use of the mirrors takes time to fully appreciate and understand. This experienced Philadelphia car accident attorney salutes New Jersey’s 10 year old graduated driver’s license law which requires young probationary driver’s to carry no more than one teenage passenger in a vehicle unless there is an adult also accompanying them. A red bumper decal must be placed on the vehicle identifying drivers who have not yet completed the GDL training phase. Not so surprisingly, there was a decline in teen traffic deaths in New Jersey by more than 50% since the law went into effect.

Continue reading " Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyers Weigh In On Study That Claims That Teenage Drivers Are More Likely Than Any Other Age Group To Be Involved In A Fatal Car Accident " »

As an experienced 15-passenger van rollover accident attorney and consumer safety advocate, I salute the steps taken by a Missouri school board addressing safety concerns regarding the use of 15-passenger vans to transport students. In October, NHTSA urged users of passenger vans to take steps to keep occupants safe following two fatal crashes involving 15-passenger vans that rolled over and resulted in 10 deaths.

Our skilled 15-passenger van accident attorneys, along with government officials and consumer safety advocates, have known for many years that 15-passenger vans might just be the most unsafe vehicle ever made and have a higher rate of roll over than likely loaded vans. When a 15-passenger van is loaded to capacity or near capacity, the gross vehicle weight moves the center of gravity rearward and upward affecting the stability and handling of the van according to an NTSB report. Unfortunately our experienced 15-passenger van rollover accident lawyers have represented victims and their families of all too many school children and churchgoers who sustained tragic and catastrophic results while riding in the 15-passenger van. 15-passenger vans are one of the most popular vehicles for transporting pre-schoolers, school age, and college church groups, and are involved in more rollover crashes than any other vehicle. As a matter of fact, the danger of 15-passenger vans is so great that many states and municipalities, as well as the military, have outlawed them as a means for transportation.

Continue reading " Another Jurisdiction Updates Policies On The Use Of 15-Passenger Vans For Transporting Students - Thank You! " »