Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyer Blog

As the parent of three boys, two of whom have progressed through the teenage years, I have always expressed a concern for poor decision making by young and inexperienced teenage drivers. After handling catastrophic automobile accident cases in Philadelphia for over three decades, some of the most serious and catastrophic accidents have been caused by teenage drivers. Unfortunately many teenagers still continue to operate vehicles while texting or under the influence of drugs or alcohol, oblivious to the criminal and civil penalties that await them or their parents if an accident should occur.

Distracted driving remains one of the leading causes of horrific car accidents in Pennsylvania and America today. My father used to tell me routinely that an inexperienced driver behind the wheel of a powerful vehicle can be just as dangerous as a man with a gun, not to mention what occurs if we add intoxicating substances into the mix. Unfortunately many teenage drivers feel they are experienced and know more than their parents and yet over and over in depositions, it amazes me how many teenagers and their parents lack a sense of responsibility or culpability after an accident occurs.

Each year over 5,000 teens will die from injuries caused by car crashes and more than a half a million teenagers will sustain injuries serious enough to require emergency treatment according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

As an experienced Philadelphia car accident attorney and a parent, I reach out to all of my readers to educate their children and friends on the dangers associated with distracted driving and teenagers. If you or a loved one has been injured as the result of a car accident, please contact one of our experienced Philadelphia car accident attorneys for a free, no obligation consultation toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

How many times have you been driving down a highway or street when someone cuts in front of you at a high rate of speed and you narrowly avoid an accident. If you avoid an accident you are one of the lucky ones because many times fatal and catastrophic injuries are caused by unsafe driver actions such as an improper or erratic lane change.

In a study prepared for the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety by Lydia P. Kostyniuk, Frederick M. Streff, and Jennifer Zakrajsek of the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute unsafe driver action conditions that were most likely to cause fatal crashes between cars and trucks were addressed as well as the identification of strategies for educating motorists in safe driving practices. (http://www.aaafoundation.org/pdf/CarTruck.pdf). While the study is limited in that it did not address non-fatal crashes, single vehicle crashes, or crashes involving more than two vehicles, the study identifies probability and analyses techniques realizing information about pre-crash actions of drivers based upon police observations, post-crash scene, and unsworn testimony of survivors and other witnesses. The study concluded five likely factors contributing to an accident:

1. Failing to keep in the lane;

5. Inattentive or distracted drivers.

Additionally four factors out of 94 were found to be more likely to occur in fatal car/truck crashes than in fatal car/car crashes:

1. Following improperly;

2. Driving with vision obscured by rain, snow, fog, sand, or dust;

3. Drowsy or fatigued driving;

4. Improper lane change.

The study noted that drowsy or fatigued driving and following improperly were more likely to be reported for male than female car drivers, car drivers in crashes where their vision was obstructed tend to be older than other drivers, car drivers who were drowsy/fatigued were likely to be younger than other drivers, and younger drivers were more likely than older drivers to follow improperly, speed, and use alcohol or drugs.

The experienced Philadelphia car accident and Philadelphia truck accident lawyers of Reiff and Bily have joined a national campaign to educate students and drivers in safe practices and must emphasize that mistakes or erratic driving or erratic changing of lanes often comes at a cost with serious consequences.

Continue reading "An Erratic Lane Change Tends To Lead To A Catastrophic Lane Change Advises Experienced Philadelphia Car Accident Attorney" »

As an experienced Philadelphia car accident attorney, I have litigated some horrific cases involving catastrophic injuries and deaths caused by or related to a driver texting while driving. Over the last few years, I have been a crusader with several families of victims I have represented to impose a texting ban while driving.

Last month, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania joined the wagon and became the 35th state in the country to forbid texting while driving. A national survey representing the first government study on distracted driving released on Thursday, December 8, 2011 revealed difficulties faced by state law officials in discouraging texting and talking on cell phones while driving. In fact, despite the ban on texting, there have been more texting accidents recorded than ever. Although statistics indicate there were an estimated 3,092 deaths in 2010 caused by inattention to driving while texting, I can assure you that this figure greatly understates those that are catastrophically injured or killed while texting.

When I first became a crusader against the use of cell phones for texting while driving, I was attacked by many individuals and organizations on blog sites. If you are reading this, just ask yourself, would you answer a cell phone call while driving or do you ever text while driving? If you are honest, I bet you already know the answer. As a matter of fact, I was just driving down Interstate 80 and was almost run off the road by an 18 wheeler who passed me at a high rate of speed and I noticed that yes the driver was indeed on a cell phone. It is frequently stated in many trials that bad things happen to good people, but apparently the bans on texting while driving are not working without an ability to enforce the bans on texting while driving. We will have a law of words on the books without teeth. Actions always speak louder than mere words.

The Philadelphia car accident lawyers of Reiff and Bily have been committed to automotive and motorist safety since 1979. If you or a loved one has been involved in a car accident, put a team of experienced car accident lawyers on your side. We always offer a free, no obligation consultation toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

Over the past few years as an experienced Philadelphia car accident lawyer and philadelphia trucking accident attorney, during the discovery phase of several catastrophic car accident and truck accident cases, we were able to note that the offending driver was texting at the time of the accident. Several of these texting “just once” events resulted in fatalities to other innocent and unknowing drivers. Texting while driving is a pet peeve of mine since I am often on the other side of the fence representing victims and families of victims who have lost a loved one due to this potentially deadly multitasking combination performed by a defendant driver. Of course, I will admit I used to do it just as I did other silly things when I was younger, but it can be that “just once” incident that leads to an unforgivable and life changing event. When I am in the car with people who text while driving, and chastise them about it, they are quick to tell me “It’s just this one time. Don’t worry I never do it.” Many people believe that an accident will never happen to them and act irresponsibly when they get behind the wheel of a car whether it be driving while intoxicated, texting, or driving while on a cell phone.

Recently a 53-year old man was recently killed when a 19-year old who was allegedly texting while driving took his pickup truck and in a split second hit it straight on over the center into the man’s sedan. In another case, a texting driver rolled an SUV over amputating one of my client’s arms. Unfortunately many of the texting while driving accidents involve teenagers who pride themselves boasting that they can text quickly and control the vehicle, and in my house we have a rule, if you are going to drive a car you are not allowed to make a cell phone call or text. Almost every child and teenager today carries a cell phone and parents must strongly remind and advise their children of the dangers of driving while texting and if that doesn’t work bring them down to my office and I will show them some pictures of what can happen.

If you or a loved one has been involved in a car accident, please contact one of our experienced Philadelphia car accident attorneys for a free, no obligation consultation. For more information contact us toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

As an experienced Pennsylvania car accident lawyer and citizen of Pennsylvania, I am still amazed how many times I see many drivers running stop signs or traffic lights while still speaking on a cell phone. Just last week, I personally narrowly escaped a car accident when a very young driver operating an SUV ran a stop sign and I noticed she was speaking on a cell phone. She obnoxiously gave me the middle finger as if I had done something wrong after I issued a horn warning.

Just yesterday, a catastrophically injured victim met with me after she was also struck by a teen driver while texting on a cell phone. A new report issued comes as no surprise as it announces that distracted driving is killing more people than ever. It is claimed that at least 5% of all fatality accidents are due to texting and a rapidly growing list of distracted drivers. Such distractions include but are not limited to application of makeup, eating food, ipods, cell phones, and the use of computers and navigation devices inside the vehicle. A bill to ban texting while driving in Pennsylvania is one step closer to becoming law as it won unanimous support from the State House Transportation Committee. The legislation would ban texting by all drivers and prohibit drivers under the age of 18 from using handheld cell phones while behind the wheel.

As an experienced Philadelphia car accident attorney who has represented the families of loved ones who are killed by a texting driver, I am afraid to say that Pennsylvania has been behind the times and legislators have not attacked this issue in an aggressive enough fashion. While several localities have enacted restrictions in cell phone use, including West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, my experience as a car accident lawyer for the past 32 years has revealed just how dangerous multitasking can be while operating a car and I urge all the Pennsylvania legislatures to unanimously support any texting while driving bans.

If you or a loved one has been involved in a car accident, please feel free to contact one of our experienced Philadelphia car accident lawyers. Recently the law firm of Reiff & Bily has joined forces with the Beasley Firm and together both of our law firms have been awarded over $2 billion dollars since 1958. As always, we offer a free, no obligation consultation. Contact us online at www.beasleyreifflawgroup.com or toll free at 1-800-588-0130.

As an experienced Philadelphia car accident attorney since 1979, there is one thing that I am certain of: any distraction or impairment of your faculties while driving can lead to catastrophic consequences. The majority of car accidents are caused by distracted drivers such as those who talk on cell phones. As an animal lover who owns a dog and a few cats, I too must confess that I am guilty of this offense.

We recently investigated a claim where a young boy was struck and catastrophically injured by a car being operated with an over-aggressive and anxious pet dog in the front seat that kept interfering with the driver’s functioning and abilities. The driver of the stricken vehicle claimed that her dog jumped onto her and then to the floor interfering with her ability to properly see and operate the controls. Many readers are aware that pets in cars have a tendency to wander around and sometimes can even go to the floor level where the brakes and accelerator pedals are positioned. If you have a pet wandering around your car when you are driving, there is an excellent chance that you will be distracted.

Recently when driving, my dog attempted to jump from the back seat to the front seat, scratching the leather console, and I must guiltily confess that my attention was drawn away from the road, but thankfully I did not have an accident. Additionally, if one has to take an accident avoidance maneuver or apply the brakes in a sudden fashion, a pet is another loose object that can be thrown about the vehicle impairing driving ability. A recent survey by AAA Foundation for Traffic and Safety revealed that an overwhelming 80% of respondents state that they have driven with their pets in a variety of car trips and only 17% claim that they use any form of pet restraint system. A few safety tips to be offered:

1. Use safety barriers throughout your car to prevent your pet from being projected in case of a short stop or accident avoidance maneuver.

2. Purchase a dog or cat restraint system to insure that the animal behaves properly while riding and that the restraint prevents it from hitting the hard interior of the vehicle in a sudden stop.

3. Place your dog or cat in an animal carrier and secure it properly. When using a pet carrier, it is important that it be secured properly so that it doesn’t fly around during a collision.

The Pennsylvania car accident law firm of Reiff & Bily is committed to motorist safety and offers a free no obligation consultation to those who are injured as a result of a motor vehicle accident. For more information, contact us at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

Recent news reports indicate that celebrity plastic surgeon Frank Ryan who died in a car crash may have been sending text messages right before the fatal crash. According to sources, celebrity publicist Charmaine Blake informed People Magazine that Dr. Ryan’s family was told by investigators that tweeting caused the fatal car accident. The California Highway Patrol confirmed that Ryan was texting before the crash but investigators have not officially determined the cause of the accident. Dr. Ryan was a plastic surgeon who famously performed ten surgeries on Heidi Montag and other stars such as Gene Simmons, Vince Neil, Adrianne Currey, and Shauna Sand.

I am an experienced Philadelphia car accident lawyer who for many years advocated against the use of cell phones and argued to ban texting by drivers while operating motor vehicles. When one uses a cell phone to text a message, research reveals that the driver takes his eyes off the road and puts himself and others at a significantly high risk of accidents. In fact, drivers of heavy trucks and buses who are texting are 23.2 times more likely to be involved in a crash or near crash event than those who are not texting while driving. Studies have indicated that drivers of vehicles who take their eyes off the road for 5 to 6 seconds while texting result in hundreds of thousands of fatal crashes a year. In this experienced car accident attorney’s opinion, talking on cell phones and texting while driving should be made illegal in all states and as socially unacceptable as being drunk behind the wheel.

The experienced Philadelphia car accident lawyers of Reiff & Bily have long been outspoken critics against talking or texting on cell phones while behind the wheel of a car. Our hearts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Dr. Frank Ryan. This unfortunate and tragic accident should send a loud message that texting while driving can be a deadly combination. If you or a loved one has been involved in a Pennsylvania car accident, please feel free to contact one of our experienced Pennsylvania car accident attorneys for a free no obligation consultation at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

As an experienced Philadelphia car accident lawyer since 1979, I have been witness to many catastrophic accidents and wrongful deaths due to the result of texting or operating a cell phone while driving. A person trying to chat or read and send text messages while driving might find his cell phone disabled thanks to new technology coming on to the market. Distracted drivers have been a major concern for commercial carriers and there is a public and legal outcry over rising safety issues. The new technology will enable cell phones and other personal communication devices to be shut down if movement is detected. Outgoing text messaging would be shut down and both incoming text messages and voice messages would be saved until all motion has stopped, with key pads locked to prevent drivers from typing. Recently many cell phones have utilized technology that would make motion tracking possible such as global positioning systems, accelerometers and WIFI transceivers. Zoom Safer in Reston, Virginia automatically launches on some phones once a hand set’s GPS detects motion in excess of 10 mph. The baseline settings which cannot be altered prohibit outbound text and emails.

Recently a story was published where it was noted that a motorist was distracted by her talking Tom Tom GPS, missed a stop sign, and collided with a 16 passenger van transporting a family, causing the van to rollover resulting in serious injuries. The driver of the colliding vehicle stated she was noticeably distracted by the talking GPS causing her to run a stop sign and injure 9 members of the family in the other van. As GPS and navigation systems become more and more sophisticated and actually talk to you, it is easy to become distracted or shocked and take your full attention off the road at hand. As you are no doubt aware, there has been an epidemic of texting and cell phone usage and the resulting driver distraction has caused tragic accidents and the same has come under attention by many state and federal legislatures.

My own particular vehicle contains a night vision system that illuminates the driveway and forces you to look down at the speedometer rather than straight ahead at the road to see what is ahead. Mercedes Benz night vision in my mind seems more like a gimmicky distraction than a useful safety feature due to the fact that it focuses your eyes from the windshield downward to the dashboard speedometer area. Although Mercedes Benz notes that it can reduce the risk of injury during night time accidents by avoiding night time accidents, to me it seems a bit gimmicky and in my opinion, could possibly cause accidents.

I emphasize, of course, that this is only my opinion as an experienced Philadelphia car accident attorney who also regularly handles automobile product liability lawsuits against the major automobile manufacturers. Though no doubt it is a great conversation piece for occupants in the vehicle, I was very impressed when I first purchased the car and “had to have” the night imaging system. The goal is to shine infrared beams down the road to illuminate passages that are beyond the reach of the headlights. The issue is, should you be looking straight ahead or down at the display on the dashboard. In the instant it takes to shift your focus, one could easily strike a deer or other object on the road and become easily distracted.

Although Mercedes Benz claims that the S class nightview assist is a milestone in the area of passenger car technology designed to relieve driver stress during tiring journeys at night, I believe that better positioning of the display perhaps closer to the windshield would be a safer place to help avoid accidents and driver distraction.

For many years I have been writing articles about the dangers of texting or using a cell phone while operating a motor vehicle. As an experienced Philadelphia car accident attorney, I have seen all too many cases involving death or catastrophic injury due to the fact that someone was not paying full attention to the road because they were absorbed in a phone conversation or texting.

I recently had a friend visit from Israel and shared with him my joyful recognition of the new Philadelphia law banning the use of cell phones while operating a motor vehicle and he was surprised that it took so long as this law has already been in effect in Israel and other countries for some time now.

A few times a week I speak to clients of mine who have sustained catastrophic injuries, including the loss of limbs or neurological function, due to the fact that they were an occupant in a vehicle where the driver was using a cell phone or were in the unfortunate “other car” involved in a car accident caused by inattention to the road by a vehicle traveling in the other direction.

Continue reading "Texting While Driving or Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol - Which Is Worse?" »

According to a news sources, Meghan L. Obendorfer, 18, was exceeding the speed limit on a rain slicked creek road in East Brandywine Township at 4:30 p.m. on April 14th when she failed to negotiate a curve and slid into the path of a school bus in the opposite lane. Obendorfer’s passenger, Nicholette Pomon, 17, of Downingtown, who was 9 months pregnant, was pronounced dead at the scene and a certificate of fatal death was issued to her nearly full term baby daughter. The driver of the school bus was treated for injuries. The driver of the vehicle was charged with homicide by vehicle, reckless driving and marijuana possession. Phone records indicated that the driver Obendorfer received 39 messages and calls in the hour preceding the crash and text messages indicated she was en route to deliver marijuana.

I have written many times in the past about the dangers of text messaging and using a cell phone when driving and this is an extreme example of the dangers and resulting catastrophic injuries and wrongful death that can occur.

Our hearts and prayers go out to the family of Nicolette Pomon and the experienced car accident lawyers at Reiff & Bily strongly urge Pennsylvania legislators to follow the lead in New Jersey and other states in banning the use of cell phones while operating a motor vehicle.

The family of Nicolette Pomon would be well advised to seek the services of an experienced car accident lawyer who can investigate this matter and protect the rights of Nicolette Pomon and her family. Please contact one of the experienced car accident lawyers of Reiff & Bily at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

For many years, the experienced Philadelphia car accident attorneys at Reiff & Bily have been representing catastrophically injuried individuals, as well as wrongful death cases resulting from people driving a vehicle while on a cell phone and not paying attention to the rules of the road.

Last week, the legislators of Pennsylvania, for some reason which I cannot comprehend, voted to add a $50 fine for drivers who are caught using a cell phone while driving carelessly. This experienced car accident attorney would have preferred to have seen a law with more teeth in it.

I salute the efforts of Republican Josh Shapiro, a Montgomery County Democrat, who stressed that he wanted to enable police to give a driver a $50 ticket if they were caught chatting on a hand cell phone or sending text messages while driving. However, a majority of his colleagues did not agree. As Representative Shapiro is aware, there have been thousands of accidents that have occurred on Pennsylvania roads due to cell phone usage since 2002. As I have previously blogged studies such as The New England Journal of Medicine has noted that being on the phone while driving makes people four times as likely to crash as those who are simply driving.

I am personally involved in a case at the moment where a gentleman has lost his arm due to the fact that he was a passenger in a vehicle where the driver was sending a text message while operating his vehicle, causing the vehicle to roll over and eject the passenger. Any person can understand that usage of a cell phone while driving causes a cognitive distraction significant enough to degrade the driver’s performance.

Continue reading "Philadelphia Car Accident Attorney Strongly Disagrees With Pennsylvania Legislature’s Choice Not To Ban Cell Phone Use While Driving" »

Lawyers at the Philadelphia car accident law firm of Reiff & Bily are currently involved in a case where the distracted driver of a vehicle was texting his girlfriend a message, while his close friend and passenger innocently sat in the back seat of the vehicle. The vehicle's driver lost control causing the SUV to rollover and eject all of the occupants resulting in permanent and catastrophic injuries that could have easily been prevented.

As I drive down the highways, I am consistently amazed at how many people are driving while having a conversation on a cell phone. Additionally, you can be sure that many of these drivers have MP3 Players and other electronics also serving as a distraction. Anybody can recognize that a person with a cell phone or PDA in one hand and driving with only one hand will not have his vehicle in complete control if an emergency situation arises.

Continue reading "Pennsylvania: The Distracted Driver - A Major Cause of Car Accidents And Rollovers" »