July 2, 2008

Is Your E-Mail Being Read By Your Employer?

Modern day technology brought to the workplace e-mails, which resulted in increased productivity and communication. The downside to having open communications is that company information could be leaked or the e-mail account could be used in other unlawful manners. Employers have the right to regulate their e-mail accounts and Internet activities of employees, but there is a fine line between protecting a company and using their power to breach employee rights. The Pennsylvania employee rights lawyers at the Philadelphia law firm of Reiff and Bily (http://www.reiffandbily.com) have been researching and handling thousands of employee rights cases since 1979.

Employers have the right to protect their information, usually confidential information such as phone numbers, customer’s names and how much they pay for services, or trade secrets, from being released to other companies. This information may be purposely or mistakenly sent out by an employee. E-mail could also be used too harass or discriminate against other employees. Internet use and personal use of work e-mail accounts might also decrease productivity. Often, companies will also include a disclaimer in the footer of e-mails.

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July 1, 2008

Toys And Playgrounds Might Not Be As Safe As One Would Presume

Injuries to children could occur anywhere. It could happen in your house or backyard, school or day care, or even a public park. While no one can keep a child protected all the time, it is important for parents and children to become aware of the dangers that lurk in playgrounds and toys. The Pennsylvania personal injury and playground accident lawyers at the Philadelphia law firm of Reiff and Bily (http://www.reiffandbily.com) have been researching and handling thousands of defective toy and playground injury cases since 1979.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports (http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/playgr.htm) that in 2001 about 45% of playground-related injuries are severe (fractures, internal injuries, concussions, dislocations, and amputations) and about 75% of nonfatal injuries related to playground equipment occur on public playgrounds.

Between 1990 and 2000, 147 children ages 14 and younger died from playground-related injuries. Of them, 82 (56%) died from strangulation and 31 (20%) died from falls to the playground surface. Most of these deaths (70%) occurred on home playgrounds. Public playground climbers is the most common cause of an injury as compared to any other equipment. On home playgrounds, swings are responsible for most injuries.

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June 30, 2008

LASIK Surgery – Your Sight Could Be Permanently Damaged

New technology can be a wonderful thing. Scientific and technological breakthroughs have a major impact on the medical field and how surgeries are performed. LASIK surgery is a corrective surgery for people who want to regain better sight without the use of glasses or contacts. LASIK surgery can be very helpful, but if done improperly it can cause permanent damage. The Pennsylvania personal injury lawyers at the Philadelphia law firm of Reiff and Bily (http://www.reiffandbily.com/auto_accident.shtml) have been researching and handling thousands of medical malpractice cases since 1979.

LASIK or “laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis” surgery involves using a laser to cut a small flap in the eye's cornea to allow for reshaping of the corneal tissue with another laser to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism. LASIK is not a new surgery, but it has not been around long enough for it to be a problem-free surgery. Long-term effects are still unknown and there are still risks to having the surgery done.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have received 140 reports of LASIK-related problems between 1998 and 2006 as reported by NEWSInferno (http://www.newsinferno.com/archives/3079). Although the FDA is reviewing complaints from LASIK patients, many have suffered from a variety of issues including blurred vision and dry eyes.

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June 25, 2008

Large Truck Accidents

A large truck is any vehicle with a weight over 10,000 pounds. Every year in the United States, thousands of motorists and truck drivers are killed and seriously injured by the negligent operation of large trucks or "semi's". Large trucks represent approximately 3% of all registered vehicles that are being driven in the U.S., yet they contribute to over 25% of the fatalities due to multiple vehicle auto accidents. The Pennsylvania auto and truck accident lawyers at the Philadelphia law firm of Reiff and Bily (http://www.reiffandbily.com) have been researching and handling thousands of automobile and truck accident cases since 1979.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (Penn DOT) (http://www.dot.state.pa.us/Internet/Bureaus/pdBHSTE.nsf/InfoFb05?OpenForm&ref=http%3A//www.google.com/search%3Fq%3Dcar+accidents+pa+statistics%26btnG%3DSearch%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla%253Aen-US%253Aofficial%26hs%3DE8Q%26sa%3D2) reports that in 2005, heavy trucks were involved in 11.6% (or 173) fatal crashes out of a total of 7,321 truck crashes. Heavy trucks were more likely to hit passenger cars over any other type of vehicle with majority of crashes occurring on the highway.

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June 19, 2008

Is your child safe – the 15-passenger van used to transport school children groups and churches may be an instrument of death and severe bodily harm

For many years, 15-passenger vans have been the travel vehicle of choice for large groups of people and their cargo. These large motor vehicles are often used for transporting church groups, school groups, business groups, the elderly, and as a shuttle service between hotels and airports. Unfortunately, 15-passenger vans also boast an unsafe track record for accidents caused by serious design flaws. The Pennsylvania 15-passenger van rollover lawyers at the Philadelphia law firm of Reiff and Bily (http://www.pennsylvaniavehicleaccidentlawyers.com/ rollover.shtml) have been researching and handling thousands of automobile and 15-passenger van accident cases since 1979.

Fifteen passenger vans can be very dangerous to ride in when they are fully loaded. Body design flaws with unreasonable and unrealistic capacity limitations are just some of the major problems associated with these kinds of vans. Design defects, such as cargo vans that are top heavy while their rears go as far back as four feet beyond the back wheels, can increase the possibility of rollovers and/or fishtailing. When the vans are fully loaded with passengers, the center of gravity shifts. A van containing more than 9 passengers has a rollover ratio of 35.4% (http://www.safetyforum.com/passengervans/).

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June 18, 2008

Nursing Home Abuse and Negligence – Safe or Sorry?

Nursing homes are meant to be a safe place where the elderly are taken care of by professionals who care and will treat your family members with respect. Staff members of the facility are presumed to abide to strict codes of conduct, however, that is not always the case. Some residents of nursing homes are subject to physical abuse, mental abuse, and neglect. The Pennsylvania nursing home lawyers at the Philadelphia law firm of Reiff and Bily (http://www.reiffandbily.com) have been researching and handling thousands of nursing home abuse and neglect cases since 1979.

CBS news (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2001/07/30/national/main304038.shtml) said a congressional report in 2001 says 5,283 U.S. nursing homes, nearly one-third, have been cited for abuse. The report (http://cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/waxman_nursing.pdf) says more than 40%, or 3,800 abuse violations, were only reported after formal complaints from residents, their families or community advocates. Over 1,000 homes were cited for more than one abuse violation in a two-year period, 305 homes were cited for three or more abuse violations, and 192 nursing homes were cited for five or more abuse violations.

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June 17, 2008

Tort Reform – Insurance Crisis or Consumer Rip-Off?

Tort reform focuses on the idea of changing the rules applicable to the law or tort. Torts deal with compensation for wrongs and harm done by one party to another's person, property, or other protected interests such as reputation. The most prominent area of torts and tort reform are personal injury and medical malpractice. The Pennsylvania personal injury and medical malpractice lawyers at the Philadelphia law firm of Reiff and Bily (http://www.reiffandbily.com) have been researching and handling thousands of tort cases since 1979.
Torts are civil wrongs that are recognized by law as grounds for a lawsuit. These wrongs result in an injury or harm forming the basis for a claim by the injured party. The primary goal of tort law is to provide relief for damages that were incurred and deter others from committing the same harms. The injured person may sue for an injunction to prevent the continuation of the harmful conduct or for monetary damages. Among the types of damages the injured party may recover are: (1) loss of earnings capacity, (2) pain and suffering; and (3) reasonable medical expenses. Damages also include present and future expected losses.

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June 5, 2008

Don’t Believe Your Insurance Salesman’s Pitch – Go Full Tort

All owners of motor vehicles in the Pennsylvania are required by law to purchase and maintain automobile insurance, however, not everyone can afford complete coverage. By picking an insurance coverage with limited tort rights, you can save some money, however, you lose the right to sue for pain and suffering if you are injured by another person's negligence, or fault, no matter how seriously you are injured. The Pennsylvania auto accident lawyers at the Philadelphia law firm of Reiff and Bily (http://www.reiffandbily.com/auto_accident.shtml) have been researching and handling thousands of automobile accidents cases since 1979 and all too often meet with clients who were sold a false promise by their insurance agent only to find out that the policy they purchased was not full coverage and they could not collect for their injuries sustained even though they were caused by somebody else’s fault or negligence.

Be careful when your insurance salesman tells you that you are purchasing full coverage. Do not confuse this with full tort. Insurance agents are told by many insurance companies to “push” limited tort coverage to their clients and often receive higher commissions. Know all of your rights and ask proper questions to make sure that you are fully covered by your policy when the need to collect arises. If you are uncertain please call the Pennsylvania vehicle accident law firm of Reiff and Bily (http://www.reiffandbily.com) for a FREE, NO OBLIGATION insurance policy check-up. Chance favors the prepared mind!

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June 4, 2008

Auto Accidents

Automobile accidents can be devastating, destroying the lives on many innocent victims. Crashes can have a large impact on both physical health as well as mental health. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports (http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/portal/nhtsa_static_file_downloader.jsp?file=/staticfiles/DOT/NHTSA/NCSA/Content/RNotes/2008/810936.pdf) that in 2005 the leading cause of death for ages three to six and eight to thirty-four were motor vehicle traffic accidents. More deaths were caused by motor vehicle traffic accidents than homicide, suicide, and heart disease. The Pennsylvania auto accident lawyers at the Philadelphia law firm of Reiff and Bily (http://www.reiffandbily.com/auto_accident.shtml) have been researching and handling thousands of automobile accidents cases since 1979.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (http://www.dot.state.pa.us/Internet/Bureaus/pdBHSTE.nsf/InfoFb05?OpenForm&ref=http%3A//www.google.com/search%3Fq%3Dcar+accidents+pa+statistics%26btnG%3DSearch%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla%253Aen-US%253Aofficial%26hs%3DE8Q%26sa%3D2) reports that in 2005, there were 100,381 injuries and 1,616 crash related deaths in Pennsylvania. There was an estimated total of $5.298 billion in economic loss due to automotive deaths.

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May 28, 2008

Airbags: Possible Injury in Preventative Safety

Over the years, airbags have become a mandatory safety device in all new cars. There is no question that along with using a seat belt, many lives have been saved due to airbags. Airbags are meant to prevent the occupants’ heads from striking a part of the vehicle and spread the force of the impact across their body. Due to the speed of airbag deployment and the chemicals used, there is always the possibility that airbags do more harm than good. Believe it or not, airbags often do not operate properly causing serious injury and deaths that could have easily been prevented. Philadelphia product liability lawyer Jeffrey Reiff and the experienced Pennsylvania product liability lawyers at Reiff and Bily have been researching and handling automotive and defective airbag cases for many years.

Airbags were developed in the 1950’s, but it was not until the 1980’s that airbags became mandatory in new cars. The driver’s airbag is found within the steering wheel, which protects the driver from hitting the wheel or dashboard. During an auto accident, four collusions may occur: (1) between the vehicle and the other object; (2) between the occupants (restrained or unrestrained) and the interior of the vehicle; (3) between the occupants’ organs and the enclosing body wall or cavity (such as the brain and skull); and (4) between occupant(s) and any loose objects in the vehicle.

Airbags and seatbelts are meant to protect collisions between the occupant(s) and the interior of the car. Airbags work when the car decelerates very quickly, as during a collision, and a sensor triggers a chemical reaction that produces a non-toxic gas that inflates the airbag. When the airbag deflates, dust and gasses are released into the car. These gasses and dust can cause asthma, chemical injuries (burns), or other irritations and breathing problems. The entire process of inflating and deflating the airbag takes less than a second.

Airbags need to react extremely fast to a collision, especially if an occupant is not wearing a seat belt. Airbags can deploy at over 200 MPH to protect an unrestrained occupant. Since airbags have to deploy so fast, injuries could occur from the extreme speed the airbag inflates. Injuries can occur to the eyes, head, chest, or limbs and could result in scaring, paralysis, blindness, loss of hearing, broken bones, severance of a body part, or even death.

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May 22, 2008

The Hidden Danger of Fire May Be Lurking in Your Automobile

There is nothing quite like taking a short trip to the grocery store and coming back to your car engulfed in flames. It could even happen in your own driveway or garage, day or night. It is being reported by AutoWeek Magazine (http://autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080519/FREE/971532585) that Ford is still having some cruise control fire-causing issues. Ford has recalled almost twelve million vehicles since 1999 to repair the fire-prone cruise control system and recently reiterated the recall of 9.6 million cars and trucks on its web site. It is reported by the Detroit News (http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080519/BIZ/805190419/1361) that Federal regulators are looking into 130 complaints that fires occurred in the engine compartments of Ford Windstar mid-size vans from the 1995-2003 model years. The fires can occur either during use or while parked.

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May 21, 2008

Is Your Swimming Pool Safe? Hidden Danger Lies in Unprotected Drains

With summer and beautiful weather approaching, pool use is on the rise. With proper pool use comes safety to prevent hazards. Drowning is the number two accidental injury-related killer of children ages one to fourteen. There are approximately 260 drowning deaths of children younger than age five each year in the swimming pools and an estimated 2,725 children are treated annually in hospital emergency rooms for pool submersion injuries, mostly in residential pools. One relatively unknown hazard, especially for children, is drain entrapment. Twenty-nine percent of parents who own a pool are not familiar with at all with entrapment, while thirty-seven percent are somewhat familiar. Entrapment can occur in a private or home pool, public pool, or spa/hot tub.

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