Philadelphia Injury Attorney Blog

MAY HAVE CAUSED YOUR ACCIDENT

Government entities such as the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation can be held liable for injuries that occur as a result of improperly maintained or designed roads. At the law offices of Reiff & Bily in Philadelphia, PA, we represent people who have been injured and the families of those who have been killed on a dangerous road in Pennsylvania, highways and streets in Philadelphia and throughout Pennsylvania.

It is very important to recover evidence and take photos before potholes are filled, trees are trimmed or guardrails added and it is important to contact an attorney as soon as possible after a car or truck accident caused by a dangerous street or highway. If a defective road or dangerous highway condition was involved in your accident, contact Philadelphia personal injury and defective road design lawyer Jeffrey Reiff today.

The Philadelphia car accident lawyers at Reiff & Bily consult traffic design experts, engineers, surveyors and accident investigators in exposing negligence on the part of a municipality and other government agencies in accidents involving dangerous roads and defective road design. Even in cases where other vehicles may strike yours, further investigation often reveals improper road conditions or lighting conditions played a role in causing an accident. When the shoulder of a road or a curve is improperly graded, when potholes are left unfilled or when stop signs are obscured by foliage, those responsible for designing and maintaining a road can be held liable when accidents occur as a result of such negligence.

Continue reading " DEFECTIVE ROAD DESIGN OR IMPROPER ROAD MAINTENANCE " »

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 and often unlawful operation of large trucks. 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 truck accident lawyers at the Philadelphia law firm of Reiff & Bily have been researching and handling automobile and truck accident cases since 1979.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (Penn DOT) 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.

Continue reading " Large Truck Accidents – Hidden And Unknown Dangers Of Large Trucking Accidents " »

Flammable clothing and bedding are very dangerous and often times cause death and disfigurement to unsuspecting consumers due to serious burn injuries. If your clothing catches fire, flames may spread quickly through the clothing, sometimes causing the material to melt onto your skin, and create severe and disfiguring burns all over your body. If you bedding catches fire, especially if you’re sleeping, your temple of relaxation could become a death trap. Depending on the type of fabric, textile construction, weaves, weight, and finish, as well as looseness of fit, certain materials, when ignited accidentally, can pose a serious risk of a burn injury or even death. The Pennsylvania burn injury and product liability lawyers at the Philadelphia law firm of Reiff & Bily have been researching and handling flammable clothing and bedding claims since 1979.

The one of the consumer product laws passed in 1953 was the Flammable Fabrics Act (FFA) to regulate the manufacture of highly flammable clothing due to an epidemic of burns from flammable children’s clothing in the 1940s. In 1967, Congress amended the FFA to expand coverage to include interior furnishings as well as paper, plastic, foam, and other materials used in wearing apparel and interior furnishings. Responsibility for administering the FFA was transferred to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) when it was created in 1972. Under the FFA, the CPSC can issue mandatory flammability standards for manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers of fabric and garments. After standards for sleepwear were loosened in 1996, an increase in clothing burns among young children wearing loose sleep garments was observed. Despite efforts by the CPSC, injuries resulting from flammable clothing and fabric still remain a danger.

Continue reading " Flammable Clothing and Bedding Material – Are You Wearing Or Sleeping On A Dangerous Material? " »

When there is a motor vehicle accident, the law requires the drivers to stop as soon as possible to exchange information, make sure everyone is okay or to determine if a victim requires medical attention, and inspect vehicle damage. Far too often after an accident, one driver flees the scene of the crime. This is known as a hit-and-run. Hit-and-runs apply to hitting an occupied or unoccupied vehicle, a piece of property, or a pedestrian and then leaving the scene without leaving or exchanging information. The Pennsylvania personal injury attorneys at the Philadelphia law firm of Reiff & Bily have been researching and handling hit-and-run claims since 1979.

Leaving the scene of the accident will warrant a ticket, but you could also be fined, have your license suspended, or even face jail time. Factors that are taken into account for sentencing are the nature of the accident, the extent of damage, personal injuries, cooperation with law enforcement, and prior criminal record. Statistics show that every year, over 1,000 people are killed due to hit-and-run accidents. If the hit-and-run driver knew that they had seriously injured or killed someone in the accident, they could be charged with felony hit-and-run or other criminal charges.

Continue reading " Hit-And-Run Accidents – The Fugitive Defendant " »

Everyone needs to get from one place to another and many people drive a car. When you’re driving and transporting children, wouldn’t you consider child car seat safety? Parents rely on child safety seats to protect their children, but it is not unusual that there could be a defect in the seat making it extremely hazardous. The Pennsylvania product liability lawyers at the Philadelphia law firm of Reiff & Bily have been researching and handling numerous defective car seat cases since 1979.

In March of 2008, Evenflo Discovery seats were being recalled due to a flaw that the child seat would fail during a side-impact crash. During testing, a ram struck the vehicle’s side at 38.5 miles an hour. The portion of the seat in which a child would be strapped in broke free of the base. The base anchors the seat to the car and the seat was thrown around the interior of the car. This was not the first time a child safety seat was recalled. In 2007, there was 11 recalls of child seats, totaling about 3.35 million seats as reported by The New York Times.

Continue reading " Protect Your Precious Cargo – Keep Your Children Safely Secured In Your Vehicle " »

Cosmetic surgery often presents risks that the normal consumer or patient is unaware of. In a world where beauty is overly emphasized, cosmetic surgery is far too often the answer many unaware consumers seek to resolve a problem that might not exist in the first place. Cosmetic surgery is normally marketed as a safe procedure, but if done incorrectly the consequences can be dire. All surgeries have hidden risks. The Pennsylvania medical malpractice lawyers at the Philadelphia law firm of Reiff & Bily have been researching and handling botched cosmetic surgery claims since 1979.

Cosmetic surgery has become more common over recent years as a quick panacea for self-improvement. Statistics show that there were nearly 11.7 million surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures performed in the United States in 2007, as reported by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS). Surgical procedures accounted for nearly 18% of the total procedures with non-surgical procedures making up 82% of the total. Surgical procedures include liposuction, breast augmentation or reduction, eyelid surgery, and abdominoplasty (tummy-tuck). Non-surgical procedures include BOTOX, hyaluronic acid, and laser hair removal. For more surgical statistics please see.

Continue reading " Cosmetic Surgery – Is The Price Of Vanity and Beauty Worth The Risk Of Serious Injury Or Death? " »

Amusement parks are meant to be a place where families could and should have fun out doors, playing games and riding on roller coasters. Most of the time when we think about amusement parks we think of “KODAK” moments of smiles and laughs with our family. Roller coasters and other rides are typically safe to ride, but that does not mean they are free from disasters. The Pennsylvania catastrophic injury lawyers at the Philadelphia law firm of Reiff & Bily have been researching and handling many amusement park accident injury and death claims since 1979.

Amusement parks are supposed to inspect their rides daily, but accidents can still occur. Sometimes the rides are outdated or in need of repair. Other times it’s a ride that is not inherently safe or becomes unsafe due to worker negligence or improper maintenance. In July of 2008, 4 people were injured in Denmark due to their roller coaster’s car came of the tracks and fell onto the cement ground below the ride. The roller coaster opened only a month prior to the accident. Even the newest of rides might cause a serious injury if improperly designed, installed, or maintained.

Continue reading " Amusement Parks Are Not So Amusing When Rides Cause Injury Or Death " »

New technology can be a wonderful thing. Scientific and technological breakthroughs have had 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 and even blindness. The Pennsylvania medical malpractice lawyers at the Philadelphia law firm of Reiff & Bily have been researching and handling numerous 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. Although the FDA is reviewing complaints from LASIK patients, many have suffered from a variety of issues including blurred vision and dry eyes.

Continue reading " LASIK Surgery – Your Sight Could Be Permanently Damaged " »

Medical doctors are supposed to be the expert in their field of medicine. It is always possible that those experts are not nearly as qualified as they should be. Many of these professionals often turn out to be better marketers than practitioners. Medical misdiagnosis, especially missed cancer diagnosis, will likely lead to a missed cure and often results in untimely death. The key to proper treatment is to catch problems early, and missing it prevents proper treatment. The Pennsylvania medical malpractice attorneys at the Philadelphia law firm of Reiff & Bily have been researching and handling numerous misdiagnosis cases since 1979.

Medical misdiagnosis can occur from a failure to properly identify lumps, failure to order proper scans, failure to properly evaluate or handle test results or scans, failure to follow up on results or refer to a specialist for further testing, failure to order a biopsy, misclassifying the type of tumor, or mistaking a cancerous tumor as being benign (non-cancerous) or a non-cancerous tumor as being malignant (cancerous). When a patient complains about certain symptoms, it is possible that their doctor will ignore the complaint due to previous medical history (such as a history of a certain type of pain). Ignoring complaints could lead to a misdiagnosis since the doctor is quick to dismiss complaints and actually ignores the symptoms. Misdiagnosis and professional negligence can cause delayed treatment that can greatly impact the chances of survival and the quality of life of the patient.

Continue reading " Was My Medical Condition Diagnosed By A Marketing “Expert” Or A Doctor? " »

Deny Claims and Refuse Insurance to Those Who Need It The Most;
DENY DELAY and DEFEND

A recent study by the American Association for Justice (formerly The Association of Trial Lawyers of America) revealed the 10 worst insurance companies in America. To identify the worst companies for consumers, researchers at the American Association for Justice undertook a comprehensive investigation of thousands of court documents, SEC and FBI records, state insurance department investigations and complaints, news accounts from across the country and the testimony and depositions of former insurance agents and adjusters.

The 10 worst companies according to this study were:

1. Allstate
2. Unum
3. AIG
4. State Farm
5. Conseco
6. Wellpoint
7. Farmers
8. UnitedHealth
9. Torchmark
10. Liberty Mutual

Many insurance companies have discovered that they can make more money by simply paying out less. As a senior executive at the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, the group representing those who were supposed to oversee the insurance industry it was said that “the bottom line was that insurance companies make money when they don’t pay claims”.

One example was Ethel Adams, a 60 year old woman left in a coma and seriously injured after a multi-vehicle crash in Washington state. Her insurance company, Farmers, decided that the other driver had acted intentionally and denied her claim contending that an intentional act is not an accident. Another example is Debra Potter, who for years was an agent for Unum selling Unum’s disability policy until she herself became disabled and had to stop working. All along, Ms. Potter thought she was helping other people protect their future but when her own time of need came, she was told her multiple sclerosis was “self reported” and her claim was denied by Unum, the very company whose policies she sold.

In cases like these and countless others, the name of the game is DENY, DELAY, DEFEND. Do anything, in fact, to avoid paying claims. For companies like Allstate, there are corporate training manuals explaining how to avoid payments, portable refrigerators awarded to adjusters who deny the most claims and pizza parties to shred documents.

Continue reading " HOW INSURANCE COMPANIES RAISE PREMIUMS " »

Employers hold the key to whether or not a prospective employee gets a job. That is a large burden that carries some risks, but proper background screening can reduce potential harm to customers or the company and other future issues. Screening potential employees is critical in having a successful workplace. Failure to screen can result in not just harming customers, but the business as well. The Pennsylvania employee-employer relations lawyers at the Philadelphia law firm of Reiff & Bily have been researching and handling numerous employee-employer cases since 1979.

Screening employees can effectively increase overall productivity as well as reduce theft, drug use, absenteeism, on-the-job injuries, and employee turnover. This can translate into huge savings in short-term company stability and long-term profitability. Failure to do so could result in harming others or costing the business money. No one should have to put his or her trust into someone who does not pass a proper screening test. The whole purpose of screening applicants is to make sure that the job will be done right and to protect customer’s needs.

Continue reading " Screening Employees – Make Sure That Your Next Hire Is Not Your Next Fire " »

While on vacation, it is not unusual to treat the hotel or motel you’re staying in as safe and secure. The truth is that hotel safety is just as important as your own home and it could be lacking proper security. Thefts can occur where you least expect it, in your private hotel room. The Pennsylvania hotel safety lawyers at the Philadelphia law firm of Reiff & Bily have been researching and handling numerous hotel theft cases since 1979.

Inadequate hotel safety comes in many forms. Besides improper door locks or access, there could be inadequate parking lot lighting or surveillance. Hotel security staff could also be negligent or improperly trained. If there is a safe in the hotel room, do not be afraid to put your valuables in there. Using a safe that only you have access to can prevent someone from stealing your wallet or jewelry left unattended. Items such as laptops are also a major target for theft.

Due to the current economy, hotels might cut back on their security that could result in a lapse of surveillance or proper protection. The burden lies on both the hotel to provide adequate security and for the guests to do their part in deterring theft. The hotel’s liability decreases if the guest is also negligent.

Continue reading " Home Away From Home – Hotels Carry The Same Security Dangers " »

Fitness is essential to living a healthy life. Many people who want to work out need the proper guidance and training before using workout machines. Sometimes they just need the push a personal trainer can give them to help them reach their goals. Sometimes those personal trainers, the ones who teach and support us, can go too far. The Pennsylvania personal injury lawyers at the Philadelphia law firm of Reiff & Bily have been researching and handling many personal trainer injury cases since 1979.

Millions of people hire personal trainers to help them exercise. These trainers are supposed to be professionals in the field of training. That is not always the case. Some personal trainers are not really trained themselves. When looking for a personal trainer, make sure they know the basics such as CPR and proper machine use. Often personal trainers only have to pay a fee and pass an online course to be considered a personal trainer. Personal training to them is nothing more than a business rather than someone to help guide and educate you.

The legal standard for liability for a personal trainer is whether the trainer breached the standard of care that would be exercised by a reasonable ordinary personal trainer. In other words, doing something (or failure to do something) that a reasonable personal trainer would do (or would refrain from doing). It’s these under-qualified trainers that will push your body too hard or recommend unhealthy dietary supplements. In this way you can end up being seriously injured or suffer an herbal diet pill injury. Not every workout or exercise regimen is for everyone. Some personal trainers will keep pushing you until your body hurts or you become seriously injured. With proper training and qualifications, personal trainers could drastically reduce the possibility of injuring a client.

Continue reading " Personal Trainers – Do They Go Too Far? " »

Getting in a car accident is dangerous enough without having to worry about the possibility of your car being engulfed in flames due to a design defect. Fuel-fed car fires are a real danger and often do more harm than the actual crash. The Pennsylvania fuel-fed fire lawyers at the Philadelphia law firm of Reiff & Bily have been researching and handling numerous automobile related injury cases since 1979.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports that during 2004, fire departments responded to an estimated 266,500 highway-type vehicle fires. These fires claimed 520 lives and caused $969 million in direct property damage.

The Ford Pinto is a prime example of how a defect can result in fatalities. The defect was in the design of the strap on gas tank that made it susceptible to leakage and fire in low to moderate speed collisions. Not only did Ford know of the defect and the possibility of a fuel-fed fire, but they continued to market the Pinto. Innocent lives were lost because Ford marketed a dangerous design. Ford ended up recalling the Pintos and tried to make them safer. Additional information on the Pinto recall is available.

Continue reading " Fuel-Fed Auto Fires " »

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 & Bily have been researching and handling many 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, discriminate or perform other civil rights violations 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.

Continue reading " Is Your E-Mail Being Read By Your Employer? " »

Injuries to children can 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 times, it is important for parents and children to become aware of the dangers that lurk in playgrounds and toys. The Pennsylvania playground accident lawyers at the Philadelphia law firm of Reiff & Bily have been researching and handling many defective toy and playground injury cases since 1979.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports 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.

Continue reading " Toys And Playgrounds Might Not Be As Safe As One Would Presume " »