Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyer Blog

If you live in Philadelphia, which is being crippled by the recession, your auto insurance costs approximately 3 to 4 times what it would cost other cities. Philadelphians traditionally have paid more for insurance than their counterparts in Baltimore, Chicago, and Cleveland despite much higher theft rates in those other cities. So, why is insurance in Philadelphia much higher? The answer is simple. Many Philadelphians have few assets and no insurance and therefore, people involved in car accidents with an uninsured motorist have to collect from their own insurance company through their uninsured or underinsured motorist policy. The theory is that uninsured motorists and drivers cause premiums to be higher and when premiums are higher more people opt out against buying car insurance thereby creating a vicious circle.

At the Philadelphia car accident law firm of Reiff and Bily, we are seeing more and more uninsured motorist cases coupled with bankrupt defendants who have no assets. Unfortunately, state regulatory agencies and law enforcement officials are not doing a great job enforcing mandatory insurance laws. Simply enacting a mandatory insurance law, which a majority of the states have already done, is not the same as enforcing a mandatory insurance law. Now more than ever, it is important to completely review your automobile insurance policy to make sure that you are properly covered as chance favors the prepared mind.

The experienced Philadelphia hit and run and uninsured car accident lawyers at Reiff and Bily offer a free no obligation consultation to review your policy and have represented thousands of uninsured and underinsured motorists since 1979.

As an experienced Philadelphia car accident attorney, I am normally one of the first calls made by a victim after a car accident when someone is seriously injured. As I have handled over 10,000 car accident cases since 1979, I have witnessed numerous changes in the automobile insurance and car accident laws of Pennsylvania and the in way that automobile insurance companies are doing business. Unfortunately, many of the low cost carriers will throw every obstacle in the way of an insured when it comes time to process a claim. Most times they emphasize their own profitability rather than their insureds interests.

Just last week, our office resolved a bad faith insurance case against one the nation’s major low cost carriers due to the fact that the carrier repeatedly failed, refused and neglected to pay proper attention to their insured’s cause of action and looked for every excuse in the book to delay, deny and defend against the insured’s claim at a time when their insured most needed a helping hand and coverage. Although many times the advertisements for these carriers are warm and fuzzy, it is often best to shop around and seek the opinion of someone well versed in insurance claims to determine which insurance carrier is best at handling claims.

At the experienced Philadelphia car accident law firm of Reiff and Bily, we offer free no obligation consultations and we would gladly open our telephones and doors to give you a free car insurance check up. If you buy an insurance policy, you expect security. Don’t fall into the no pay zone.

According to a December 4, 2009 article in the Philadelphia Legal Intelligencer, a Philadelphia judge denied Matthew J. Adamitis uninsured motorist benefits from his personal insurer, Erie Insurance Exchange, after he had an accident in a work vehicle. The judge ruled that the public policy goal of the Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility Law is not to protect the insured but the insurer. Adamitis argued that denying a worker underinsured motorist coverage by his private insurer when his work did not purchase UIM coverage was contrary to the public policy goals of the MVFRL. Judge Frederica A. Messiah-Jackson stated that the regular use exclusion in Adamitis’ insurance policy was not against public policy. According the judge’s opinion, “The purpose and policy of the MVFRL is not to protect employees, rather UIM functions to protect insurers against forced underwriting of unknown risks that insureds have neither disclosed nor paid to insure.”

While Judge Messiah-Jackson’s opinion is consistent with hundreds of other similar Appellate Court rules on the issue, attorneys in the case commented that it comes down on the opposite side of a ruling in an Allegheny County Common Pleas Court that was issued a month earlier. In that case, Ciminel v. Erie Insurance Exchange, Judge Timothy P. O’Reilly issued a one page Order granting a Motion for Summary Judgment ordering Erie to pay Ciminel’s UIM benefits. Judge O’Reilly wrote in that Order that he was persuaded by a 2007 Opinion out of Lackawanna County in Decker v. Nationwide Insurance Company. In that case John Decker was a police officer injured by an underinsured motorist while driving his cruiser. The attorney for the insurance company stated that it was important that the Judge in the Adamitis case found that the exclusion was both valid and enforceable. More details of this case can be found in the case of Adamitis v. Erie Insurance Exchange.

On November 30, 2009, representatives from the government of Michigan announced an automobile insurance reform proposals that would shine a spotlight on the auto industry’s unfair pricing practices and make insurance more affordable by giving the state’s insurance commission final say over rate increases, as well as the power to order refunds for consumers who were charged excessive rates. Michigan drivers pay the second highest auto insurance rates in the United States not so far behind drivers in Pennsylvania. Under the Michigan plan, all low income drivers would be required to purchase a bare bones $600 policy whereupon the government would force insurance companies to reduce their auto insurance rates. Not so surprisingly, auto industry executives claimed that such a proposal would create more law suits and cost the insurance industry jobs.

Unfortunately as we see from the hit and run car accident epidemic in Pennsylvania, many people are unable to afford insurance, causing accidents and leaving the scene fearful of legal ramifications. The excessively high rates now enforced in Pennsylvania and many states results in more motorists driving without coverage. The Michigan proposal would allow the insured to buy less medical coverage.

This Philadelphia car accident lawyer salutes the efforts of the Michigan legislature and recommends that the legislature of Pennsylvania view this proposal closely and give thought to the same in order to help improve the number of uninsured motorists driving on our roadways and help make an impact on the hit and run epidemic that is affecting our citizens.

I am currently involved in an exciting case against one of the nation’s major insurance carriers who we feel has breached their fiduciary obligation to their insured in failing to handle a claim in good faith. Since 1957 through the present, there has been a stream of cases in Pennsylvania highlighting the progression of bad faith law. 42 Pa C.S. '8371 sets forth that the term bad faith concerns the duty of good faith and fair dealing by an insurance company in the party’s contract and the manner by which an insurer discharges its obligation of defense and its obligation to pay for a loss.

The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has held that while an insurer has no absolute duty to settle a claim, the insurer “must act within the utmost good faith” when handling a claim against its insured and if it does not and an excess verdict results, the insurer may be held liable. The Pennsylvania statute notes that in an accident arising under an insurance policy, if the court finds that an insurer has acted in bad faith towards the insured, the court make take all of the following actions:

1. Award interest on the amount of the claim from the date the claim was made by the insured in the amount equal to the prime rate of interest plus 3%.

2. Award punitive damages against the insurer.

3. Assess court costs and attorneys’ fees against the insurer.

Continue reading "Prosecuting Bad Faith Claims against Insurance Companies Makes Me Proud To Be a Lawyer" »

A Connecticut jury returned a $15 million dollar verdict in a class action suit brought by auto body shops against an affiliate of The Hartford Insurance Co., which was accused of unfair trade practices. The Stamford Superior Court jury found in favor of the Auto Body Association of Connecticut which has been battling the Hartford Fire Insurance Company for 6 years over appraisals and labor costs for vehicle repairs according to a story published in the Associated Press. The owner’s group stated that the insurer’s labor rates were artificially low and the company discouraged the use of independent appraisers in favor of its own appraisers in order to control all aspects of car repairs. Not so surprisingly, The Hartford states it will appeal the verdict. I am sure that many of our readers have been told by their insurance company that they must go to an insurance company “approved shop” or direct repair shop or have non-original parts used on their auto repairs.

As an experienced Philadelphia car accident attorney who is constantly battling with insurance companies on these and many other issues, I am confident that the jury spoke loud and clear. Many insurance companies disregard their customers’ best interests and try to use their “muscle” against the little guy. I tell my clients that I am a greedy lawyer, a lawyer greedy for justice. In this case, justice prevailed.

The Connecticut Attorney General joins with this unfair insurance practices lawyer in calling for more stringent laws regulating how insurance companies deal with car repairs and claims in general.

As an experienced personal injury and car accident lawyer, I am dismayed that a court in Miami by a three judge panel ruled that a person cannot sue his or her insurance company for failing to provide an explanation of benefits on a personal injury protection claim. It would seem to this experienced car accident lawyer that the insurance company owes their insured a duty and obligation to explain the benefits once they have taken payment for the policy. Local counsel for the insurance company claimed that this court’s decision would likely decrease frivolous lawsuits against insurance companies. He claimed that such lawsuits were legal tactics by plaintiff’s insurance that turned court claims for personal injuries into law suits for bad faith. Frankly, I believe that many of the policies are so ambiguous and written in such an unclear fashion to benefit the insurance carriers that this decision is poor and reveals the “muscle” that the insurance companies try to use against the interests of their insureds.

The Florida court stated that insured people cannot sue their insurance company for not providing an explanation for benefits on a medical claim and claimed that this will reduce frivolous lawsuits related to PIP auto insurance claims. It seems to this experienced car accident attorney that this decision is a step in the wrong direction in that you should always have the right to question the insurance carrier regarding the terms of the policy it has issued once they collect a premium and the courts are the only proper venue to seek proper redress once they have failed to adhere to the terms of their contract with their insured or if an ambiguity arises. The unfair insurance practice lawyers of Reiff and Bily are committed to fighting back against insurance carriers who put profitability over fair dealing.

As an experienced insurance claims lawyer who has been litigating bad faith and unfair insurance claims practice since 1979 in conjunction with our catastrophic injury law practice, I have seen that insurance companies have increasingly taken a deny, delay, defend posture with even the most valid and clearest of insurance claims. Many times this arises as a potentially nightmarish situation for the insured as they have paid their premiums and been profitably exploited by the insurance company. Unfortunately most individuals lack the experience or know-how to fight the large insurance company who believes that the insured will back down or be intimidated and settle for cents on the true dollar value of their claim.

In our unfair insurance claims practice we have noticed an increased amount of unfair practices, bad faith, and outright fraud on behalf of the insurance companies. We have been filing bad faith claims against these insurance companies claiming they are breaching their contract with their insured and it is only when these cases start to heat up that the representatives of the company at a corporate level start to pay attention.

All insurance companies owe their insured a fiduciary obligation to act in good faith.

In many cases, insurance companies have hidden relationships with third party administrators or reinsurers while engaged in a back room “fight” with the separate entities pointing the finger at each other which unfortunately comes at the expense of the insured. In many of these cases, we have been able to determine that false information was supplied to one of the hidden third parties in applications or documents whereas the insured was kept in the dark and ultimately successful in a courtroom proceeding. It is important that if you are wrongfully denied a claim by your insurance carrier or you are not offered fair value for your claim, that you fight back and never, never give up.

The unfair insurance claims practices lawyers and bad faith insurance lawyers of Reiff and Bily are committed to protecting consumers wrongfully injured by the deny, delay, defend tactics of insurance companies.

Insurance companies for a long time have put profits ahead of their insured’s best interests. It seems to this experienced bad faith insurance lawyer that claim denial rates have been increasing to the point where government regulation of the insurance industry is more critical and necessary. It would be helpful for the average consumer to know the rate at which his or her selected insurance company denies claims when purchasing the policy. Most insurance companies do not release this information and they are not required to release this information by law.

To identify the worst insurance companies for consumers I suggest that one review The American Association for Justice report entitled “The Ten Worst Insurance Companies of America.” According the AAJ report, Allstate was named the worst insurance company in America. The report claimed “There is no greater poster child for insurance industry greed than Allstate.” The report further concluded that the company publicly touts its “good hands approach” while it privately instructs agents to employ a hardball boxing glove strategy against its own policyholders.

Continue reading "Will Your Insurance Company Deny Your Claim When You Need Them Most?" »

This morning I received a call from an insurance agent of a defendant who was clearly responsible for damages to my client under his homeowner’s policy. The naive agent, a representative of one of the nation’s largest insurance carriers, questioned me on why I felt this was a valid homeowner’s claim despite the fact that I have been practicing law for over 30 years and clearly this was a valid claim. However, the agent informed me that she did not wish to report it to the carrier for some unknown reason.

Most of us are confident that when we purchase insurance for our home that the insurance carrier will be there to protect us. After all we have paid the premium and given them prompt notice of a claim as well as provided them with all the necessary paperwork and we had nothing to do with causing the loss.

Well the real answer is that in today’s age this may not always be the case. Today more than ever many of the insurance companies and their agents and adjusters are acting unfairly and in bad faith in failing to provide proper and full coverage to their insured, looking at each and every loophole in the policy in a biased way towards the insurance company. This insurance agent represented to me that the insurance company was not going to cover the loss without even consulting the company or the adjuster. Frankly, I believe that the homeowner and the insured has a cause of action against his insurance carrier for failing to deal in good faith and breaching their fiduciary obligation to protect his or her interests.

I recommend to all of my readers that they read their policies closely to make sure that they have the appropriate coverage that they think they have. Do not always count on your insurance agent or delegate the making of the claim to another person. Always be honest with your insurance carrier and never exaggerate the claim.

If you have a question regarding an insurance issue, please feel free to contact one of our experienced bad faith or insurance claim lawyers at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

The Philadelphia car accident lawyers of Reiff and Bily want to inform their clients that there has never been a better time to get a deal on automobile insurance. Sometimes many of our clients get lazy and are hesitant to make changes. However, we are finding that when shopping for car insurance you can now get substantial savings in yearly premiums often amounting to reductions of 30 to 50%. Many automobile insurers have lowered their rates setting the stage for car drivers to shop around. With fewer cars on the road during the recession and industry competition there have been fewer accidents added to a cut back on driving due to higher gas prices and a slowing economy.

I recommend that all Pennsylvania car drivers, particularly those living in Philadelphia, obtain a Full Tort automobile insurance policy with both uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. We are offering all of our clients and potential clients a free insurance check-up.

For an appointment or to have a telephone conference contact us at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

Yesterday I took one of the most frightful and disturbing taxi cab rides ever and unfortunately, it was in a cab operated by a man who not only barely spoke English but was also extraordinarily rude and offensive to my senses. The driver of this vehicle ran red lights, ignored traffic signals and then tried to charge me a fee in excess of the metered rate. The same cab driver was screaming on a cell phone while traveling at high rates of speed throughout the city and almost struck a pedestrian crossing the street.

Almost three weeks ago, I had a similar experience when taking a cab with my wife, sister-in-law and brother-in-law and it makes me believe these are not isolated incidents. As an experienced Philadelphia car accident lawyer since 1979, I have handled more than my share of taxi cab accident cases and personally came to recognize that some of these taxis operated by such drivers are extremely dangerous to passengers, as well as other drivers and pedestrians with whom they share the road. When a Philadelphia taxi cab is in an accident, it is only are required to maintain minimal insurance coverage. Though all Pennsylvania taxi cabs must be licensed by the Public Utility Commission in order to legally operate, they are not required to have insurance beyond a statuary minimum of $15,000.

Continue reading "Cases Of Crazy Cab Drivers In Philadelphia" »

Imagine this scenario. You have been involved in a catastrophic injury accident and an insurance company owes you money for your injuries as liability is not in dispute. Yet, the insurance company either refuses not to make an offer or offers an amount so grossly insufficient that it offends one’s conscience. The Philadelphia-based catastrophic injury and wrongful death law firm of Reiff and Bily has served residents of Pennsylvania since 1979, and has been dedicated to protecting the rights of injured victims against insurance companies when the insurance company fails to act in good faith and seeks to illegally or illegitimately evade payment on a proper claim.

Recently I became involved in a case where a client of mine was injured requiring two major surgical procedures. One of the insurance companies involved in the case immediately tendered their full policy limits. Yet my client’s own insurance company made an insufficient offer and did not even make any offer under the underinsured motorist portion of her policy with that company until a suit was filed against the company alleging “bad faith”. In fact, the victim’s own company was listed as number four of the ten worst insurance companies in America in a study by the American Association for Justice. The American Association for Justice study noted that this insurance company had gone to extreme lengths to avoid paying claims and was criticized by numerous state regulators for using misleading statistics and unfair claims practices.

Continue reading "I Have A Legitimate Claim Against An Insurance Company Yet They Repeatedly Fail, Refuse and Neglect To Resolve My Claim – Is This Bad Faith?" »

Last week three acquaintances of mine woke up and were killed in a tragic, shocking and totally unpredictable accident. I have been a practicing catastrophic injury and car accident attorney since 1979 and the one thing I have learned over and over is that most accidents are sudden and unexpected and never planned for. In times of crisis after an accident, most times people are in shock and not thinking clearly. They have a tendency to make mistakes and do the wrong thing to protect their interests.

If you or a loved one has been one of the most unfortunate people to have been involved in a serious and devastating car accident, it is important that you know what to do to protect your present and future interests, assets, and property. First and foremost, as hard as it seems, one must try to remain calm and follow these steps:

Call the police on your cell phone;
Take notes;
Take photographs;
Put yourself in a safe position to avoid further harm;
If you or a loved one cannot be moved, remain stationary until medical help arrives;
If you were in a car, please turn your hazard lights on and set out cones, flares or warning triangles if possible;
Photograph and document the accident;
File an accident report;
If you have insurance, contact your insurance company. It is important that you do not wait until after a car accident to find out that your policy does not cover certain expenses such as medical expenses, being involved with an uninsured person, funeral expenses, or lost wages.

Continue reading "If You Died Today Or Were Catastrophically Injured In A Car Accident, Who Would Take Care Of Your Family?" »

As an experienced Philadelphia car accident attorney I was confronted with a case this past week where an individual was catastrophically injured by a driver operating a vehicle on a learner’s permit. In Pennsylvania, like many other states in the United States, one is not required to complete a driver’s education course before one can receive a learner’s permit. Teenage drivers and drivers with learning permits account for many of the car accidents resulting in catastrophic injuries and fatalities in Pennsylvania and throughout the United States each year.

Pennsylvania has a teen driving law aimed at reversing a rising increase in catastrophic injuries and fatalities related to teenage drivers. Pennsylvania has mandatory restrictions for teenagers driving a motor vehicle with a learner’s permit or a junior license prior to receiving an unrestricted license. If a driver operating the vehicle with a learner’s permit caused an injury, an experienced car accident lawyer must determine what was the actual cause of the accident and if, in fact, the operator of the vehicle on the learner’s permit was in violation of the Pennsylvania law. Most of the time, proper investigation will reveal the fault lays with the inexperienced driver on the learner’s permit and then the insurance company should pay the claim unless there was specific fraud or concealment from the insurance company on the policy covering the automobile. If in case this were found to be the fact then perhaps an uninsured motorist claim would fully exist against the victim’s own insurance company. Needless to say, automobile insurance coverage after a car accident and fully protecting the rights of injured victims requires extensive experience.

The experienced Philadelphia car accident lawyers of Reiff and Bily have protected the rights of over 10,000 accident victims since 1979. If you or a loved one has been involved in a car accident, please call the experienced car accident lawyers at Reiff and Bily for a free consultation at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

On Friday, August 14, 2009, President Obama stated that the country was being held hostage by insurance companies that deny coverage to sick people. The President explained “We are being held hostage at any given moment by health insurance companies that deny coverage, drop coverage or charge fees that people can’t afford … It’s wrong, it’s bankrupting families and bankrupting business.” Not only is there a crisis with medical insurance, there also exists a crisis with homeowners insurance, automobile insurance and other casualty insurance where the premiums remain high and policies continue to be dropped in a crisis that defies government regulation.

As an experienced insurance claims lawyer since 1979, I have written many articles concerning the uninsured and underinsured epidemic that is crippling America. My job places me daily in the boxing ring with representatives of insurance companies who publicly tout “good hands policy” approaches, yet employ boxing glove strategy and continue to deny, defend and delay payment of claims.

Continue reading "President Obama States What This Experienced Insurance Claims Lawyer Has Known For A Long Time – That The Insurance Companies Are Holding Americans Hostage" »

I have recently written about the uninsured and underinsured motorist epidemic that is hitting Philadelphia, as well as other major cities across the United States due to the recession and tightened economy. More than ever, it is important to maintain full automobile insurance including underinsured and uninsured motorist options. Believe it or not, car insurance is now cheaper than ever since there is so much competition. I recently renewed my own automobile insurance and found that rates had actually dropped significantly from last year.

When purchasing automobile insurance, it pays to seek bids from competitors and then perhaps consider a higher deductible. You can probably save at least 10% by choosing a $500 deductible instead of a $250 deductible on your insurance. Move that up even more and you will save another 10%. I am a believer that one should always insure for potential catastrophic injury or fatality as chance favors the prepared mind. Automobile insurance is not as expensive as one may think and it is important that one have full insurance coverage in today’s climate as unfortunately, I have too often seen too many cases where people were not fully prepared for a car accident that destroyed their future. To quote the Boy Scouts of American motto: “Always be prepared.” There probably has never been a better climate to get a good deal on car insurance.

If you would like a free automobile insurance checkup, please contact one of the experienced car accident lawyers at Reiff and Bily at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

According to insurance industry sources, many Pennsylvania motorists and particularly Philadelphians are cutting back on their auto insurance deductibles or coverage in order to save money in this tanking economy. More and more in our Philadelphia car accident law practice, we see cases of catastrophic injuries and wrongful deaths involving uninsured, underinsured and hit and run drivers. While many people attempt to cut their expenses by reducing or dropping their insurance, this is a high risk gamble in today’s climate. The potential risk of financial disaster is far greater than the reward of minimal savings that these individuals will accrue.

As an experienced car accident lawyer dealing with tragic consequences of life in which people think that “this will never happen to me,” I am often confronted with situations where the major wage earner in the family is killed or catastrophically injured to the point where the entire financial and emotional survival of the family is at risk. Hit and run accidents in Philadelphia have reached epidemic or even pandemic levels and there seems not to be a day that goes by where we do not read about these in the newspapers or hear about them on the radio and television.

Money you save by dropping uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage from your insurance policy most likely will end up costing you much more in the long term if an accident should occur.

If you or a loved one has been injured as the result of a car accident, please contact one of our experienced car accident lawyers for a free consultation at 1-800-421-9595 or online www.reiffandbily.com.

With uninsured and underinsured motorist cases on the rise due to our poor economy, I receive calls from clients who have contacted their insurance companies and are actually dissuaded by their agents from making claims against their company. They are often told erroneously that their rates will rise if they take the chance of reporting the very claim for which they purchased insurance to protect them. What the insurance agent often fails to tell their customer is that their rates will not be affected if the accident is not their fault. Additionally, many agents have a selfish interest for not having a claim made by one of their customers. Insurance agents have “loss ratio percentages” that can lower their commissions. So, in fact, they are paid incentives by the company to discourage claims as much as they can. Actually, many clients or potential clients are wrongfully scared to death by the actions of their insurance company and their agents who were anxious to take payment of the premium in the first place.

If you were involved in an accident with an uninsured or underinsured motorist, you deserve an unbiased opinion as to how best to protect your rights. Do not get caught in the “delay, defend and deny claims at any cost” war with the insurance companies or their agents.

The experienced car accident lawyers at the Philadelphia car accident law firm of Reiff and Bily have been successfully fighting insurance companies since 1979. For a free no obligation consultation, please contact us online at www.reiffandbily.com or toll free at 1-800-421-9595.

In an effort to keep our readers updated, the Philadelphia car accident attorneys of Reiff and Bily wish to call attention to the fact that now may be a better time than ever to purchase automobile insurance in Pennsylvania. An insurance.com, Insurance Rate Watch survey indicated that on average annual automobile insurance rates fell in March by $103 to $1872 a year, a welcome decrease from rates in October. The March Rate Watch data noted that automobile insurance rates dropped in 19 states. This decline represented a continued shift in the insurance cycle. As a casual observer and someone intimately involved in the business of representing car accident victims, I have noticed on television lately that a rate war seems to be existing between many insurance carriers, most notably 21st Century (the named successor to AIG). 21st Century has seemingly taken a very aggressive approach to marketing and selling automobile insurance.

I have also started to notice the presence online, most notably at shopathome.com, for discounts and coupons applicable to the purchase of automobile insurance. The availability of lower rates is causing many consumers to shop for new auto insurance policies forcing the insurance companies to be more competitive. I have found that when you shop for car insurance rather than renew your current policy, it is almost certain that your new rates would be lower on average than the old rates you were quoted by your present carrier.

Continue reading "Philadelphia Car Accident Attorney Jeffrey Reiff Notes That The Economic Downturn Creates A Buying Opportunity For Car Insurance At Decreasing Rates" »

Philadelphia car accident attorney, Jeffrey Reiff, of the Philadelphia car accident law firm of Reiff and Bily wishes to inform seniors that automobile insurance companies doing business in Pennsylvania are required by state law to give a discount of at least 5% to all qualified policyholders who take an 8 hour classroom refresher/defensive driving course.

The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) offers these courses each year which results in automobile insurance companies providing a discount to qualified policyholders who successfully complete the 8 hour course. The course is open to all drivers in Pennsylvania age 50 or older. There are no tests and membership in the AARP is not necessary. We recommend that you check with your insurance agent for further details.

Continue reading "Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyer, Jeffrey Reiff, Informs Seniors How To Save 5% On Automobile Insurance" »

I met with a new client today who was paying what I considered to be an exorbitant amount of money for basic automobile insurance coverage in Philadelphia. Astoundingly as it seems, this person was paying approximately $3,500 for minimal basic $15,000 insurance coverage. More and more I find that my inner city Philadelphia clients are paying through the nose for insurance policies that provide minimal coverage. If one thinks about it, for a policy such as this with a $500 deductible the insured is really paying $4,000 for a policy that at best would pay out minimally.

Surprisingly, if this same individual was in a suburban area of the state, such as Pittsburgh or Monroe County, he could insure the same vehicle for less than one half of the Philadelphia insurance price. What I also should mention is that my client is a working mom, age 68-years old, earning $14 per hour, working 20 to 30 hours a week, which means that a good portion of her income goes towards her automobile insurance. This is a difficult and almost impossible situation for most individuals normally, and especially so in these recessionary times.

Continue reading "Why Am I Paying So Much For Car Insurance in Philadelphia? And Why Are There So Many Uninsured Drivers - Who Is The Fool?" »

My client, who is an honor’s college graduate and works in a medical laboratory at one of the prominent universities of Philadelphia, was rear-ended by a tractor trailer who was merging into his lane of traffic on I-76 westbound in Philadelphia. His car was knocked considerably forward and there was considerable damage squarely to the rear of the bumper. Immediately thereafter, the driver of the 2004 Peterbilt vehicle apologized to my client and told him that the accident was entirely his fault and that he did not see him and could not stop in time. My client accepted his apologies and called the police even though the truck driver told him that it was not necessary to call the police. Shortly thereafter, Pennsylvania state troopers arrived and the trucker then changed his original version of the accident claiming that my client cut his vehicle off and he was unable to stop. Interestingly enough, the damage was squarely to the rear bumper of my client’s vehicle and did not match the truck driver’s story. When the driver was confronted by my client and asked why he changed his story, the driver shrugged his shoulders and walked away.

Continue reading "A Person Rear-Ended My Car Then Lied To His Insurance Company And The Police - What Should I Do?" »

If you have been seriously injured in a Philadelphia car accident, it is important that you consult with a Philadelphia car accident attorney immediately. The law in Pennsylvania indicates that you may be entitled to monetary payment for your injuries, which is not only limited to physical injury, but may also include psychological injuries, frustration, humiliation, loss of life's pleasures and even a loss of affection and/or companionship of your spouse.

At the Philadelphia car accident law firm of Reiff and Bily, we have been leveling the playing field for car accident victims for almost thirty years. We are experienced and dedicated Philadelphia trial lawyers with a passion for protecting our injured victims' rights and we collect the monies that the victim is legally entitled to.

Continue reading "Leveling the Playing Field with Insurance Companies in Car Accident Cases" »

Philadelphia car accident lawyer, Jeffrey Reiff, wants to emphasize that the percentage of uninsured motorists operating in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as well as around the country, is increasing at an epidemic rate. According to a recent study conducted by an independent property casualty insurance group, the nation’s recession is triggering an increase in the amount of uninsured motorists.

The Malvern, Pennsylvania based insurance research council conducted the study and found that the economic downturn may push the percentage of uninsured drivers to an all time high in 2010. The study projects that the rate of uninsured motorists will climb drastically over the next year.

The lawyers at the Philadelphia car accident law firm of Reiff and Bily join Virginia Chichester, Manger of AAA MidAtlantic Insurance Company and highly recommend that automobile operators and owners immediately get coverage for uninsured and underinsured motorist to protect their families in the event of a catastrophic injury or fatality. This would cover you in the event of a hit and run accident or if you are involved in an accident and the other person does not have the insurance to cover your loss. At least if you have uninsured motorist coverage, you protect yourself. Proper insurance will reduce the financial impact of an unpredicted accident and as Louis Pasteur once said, “chance favors the prepared mind.” Based on unemployment projections, the study concluded that the percentage of uninsured motorists will rise 2.3% from 2007 to 2010. The study examined data from 9 insurers representing half of the nation’s auto insurance market.

Continue reading "Uninsured Drivers Reaching Epidemic Levels" »

Philadelphia car accident attorney, Jeffrey Reiff, of the Philadelphia car accident law firm of Reiff and Bily warns Pennsylvania drivers that an insurance research group forecasts that the fallout from the recession would lead to an increase in the number of motorists driving uninsured to more than 1 in 6 nationally by next year. Unfortunately, in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania we are seeing a higher number of uninsured and underinsured motorists due to recessionary fallout.

A report from the Pennsylvania based research council on Wednesday, January 1, a not for profit group funded by the insurance industry, stated that a percentage of uninsured motorist usually rises with the unemployment rate and it expected that 16.1% of motorists would be uninsured next year, the highest rate since 1980's and up from 13.8% in 2007. The national unemployment rate was 7.2% last month, up from 4.9% a year earlier.

Based upon our own Reiff and Bily car accident research and findings, we are seeing an extraordinary increase in the number of uninsured drivers, as well as individuals selecting limited tort coverage instead of full tort. The increase in the number of uninsured motorists is an unfortunate consequence of the economic downturn and hence, we urge anyone reading this blog to contact us for a free insurance checkup and strongly suggest that you consider the purchase of uninsured motorist automobile insurance if you wish to be fully protected in these uncertain times.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, please contact the experienced Philadelphia car accident attorneys at Reiff and Bily for a free consultation at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.