Philadelphia Injury Attorney Blog

The dictionary defines "hope" as the belief in a positive outcome relating to the events and circumstances in one's life. Hope implies a certain amount of despair; wanting, wishing, suffering or perseverance, believing that a better or positive outcome is possible even when there is some evidence leading to the contrary.

The term "false hope" refers to hope highly based on fantasy or an extremely unlikely outcome.

At the law firm of Reiff and Bily, our lawyers understand and respect the value of hope. It is our job to communicate the plaintiffs dreams and hopes to the insurance companies and ultimately to the juries who hear our cases. It is our job to prove that what the plaintiff is capable of doing or was capable of doing prior to an incident and identify the compensation necessary for the plaintiff to recognize the fulfillment of his dreams and goals. The lawyers of Reiff and Bily are not afraid to ask the insurance companies or juries to fully compensate plaintiffs for the loss of their dreams and hopes.

Hope was personified in Greek mythology as "Elpis". When Pandora opened Pandora's box, she let out all of the evils except one known as hope.

In law, damages refer to the money awarded to a claimant, also known as a plaintiff, following a successful claim in a civil action. Damages in personal injury or tort affairs are generally awarded to place the plaintiff in a position that he or she would not have been in had the tort or action not have taken place which put the person in the situation. Compensatory damages compensates the plaintiff for pain and suffering and loss of amenities and losses of hope. Examples of this include physical or emotional pain and suffering, loss of companionship, loss of consortium, disfigurement, loss of reputation, loss or impairment of mental or physical capacity, loss of life's pleasures, frustration, humiliation, degradation, and a non-inclusive list of other factors. This is not easily quantifiable and depends on the individual circumstances. We refer to it as, what is the value of hope? What is the value of the loss of a plaintiff’s loss of dreams and hopes that he had prior to the incident? We seek to recover full compensatory damages generally to place the plaintiff in a position in which he would have been had the offense or tort not taken place.

Continue reading " My Pennsylvania Personal Injury Attorney Reinforced the Value of Hope " »

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Posted In: Medical Malpractice , Personal Injury , Product Liability

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According to the Philadelphia Daily News article posted on Wednesday, August 27, 2008, it is quoted “In Philadelphia there is a death count that never makes it to the City’s homicide tally”. (Philadelphia Daily News article) Although the City’s homicide count is down dramatically this year, the hit-and-run deaths so far in 2008 already equal the total number for 2007, according to statistics from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and Philadelphia’s Police Department Accident Investigation Division.

In this article, the Philadelphia personal injury and Pennsylvania vehicle accident law firm of Reiff and Bily was quoted and partner Raymond Bily noted that “a person who does not have a criminal record and is charged with a hit and run involving death or serious bodily injury faces a mandatory minimum of just one year in prison.” Mr. Bily was also quoted as saying that “if a driver isn’t found until days after a crash, substance-abuse testing becomes more difficult.” I can state honestly that there is almost not a week that goes by where we are not contacted by at least one person who has been a victim or had a loved one who was a victim of a hit and run driver resulting in serious injuries and often time fatalities. Too often our clients are faced with situations where they have no avenue for financial recourse, aside from seeking minimal state benefits.

According to the Philadelphia Daily News (August 27, 2008), Theresa Sautter’s 15 year old daughter, Marylee Otto, was run down in March allegedly by Michelle Johnson, 40, a registered nurse who was tracked down when she left her damaged vehicle at her place of employment - The Curren-Frumhold Correctional Facility. Sautter will hold a rally at Rhawn Street and Lexington Avenue in Philadelphia to promote awareness of these crimes and Pennsylvania’s current laws.

Philadelphia is where one third of all Pennsylvania hit and run fatalities occurred in 2007 and this year records indicate deaths are already on a par with last year’s record and it is only August.

Even though not carrying automobile insurance is against the law in most states, including the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, it happens more often than people realize and with growing frequency in Philadelphia. According to the insurance research counsel, chances are greater than one in seven that an at-fault driver in a collision with another vehicle would be uninsured. Although this is a national statistic, our research reveals that the chances are even greater in Philadelphia that a vehicle involved in a collision will not be insured.

Continue reading " HIT AND RUN DEATHS IN PHILADELPHIA ARE MOUNTING AT AN EVER INCREASING PACE - HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF " »

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Posted In: Auto Accident , Hit-and-Run , Personal Injury

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On August 22, 2008, a bus accident occurred in New Jersey sending dozens of people, including victims from Pennsylvania, to Pennsylvania or New Jersey hospitals. The accident happened along Interstate 80 in Roxbury Township, New Jersey about 10:00 a.m. on Friday, August 22, 2008. According to the State Police, one of the buses was braking for traffic and changed lanes, hitting the right rear of the second bus which caused the second bus to go into the median and dip down about 50 feet, causing the bus to overturn. Nearly 100 people were on board both buses. Many victims were from Pennsylvania.

On August 11, 2008, I wrote in my blog of another similar accident that occurred when 17 people were killed and others catastrophically injured when another chartered bus ran off an overpass in Sherman, Texas. In that case, the driver’s traffic record included multiple citations for driving while intoxicated in 2001, for speeding in May 2004 and March 2007 and a suspended license in 2001. For further information, please look at our August 11, 2008 blog.

Consequently, the legal responsibility is owed by bus drivers and bus companies to their passengers and others as a bus is considered a common carrier. A common carrier is an individual company or public utility or city buses which is in the regular business of transporting people and/or freight. These common carriers owe their passengers a greater duty of safety and protection than that of an ordinary car. Common carriers and bus companies have a higher level of responsibility to drive with the utmost care and protect passengers and other vehicles sharing the road. However, despite this imputed higher level of responsibility, results indicate that bus drivers do not always drive safely and in some cases are not trained properly. In many cases such as this, innocent people are killed and/or injured.

Continue reading " ANOTHER PREVENTABLE BUS CRASH CLAIMS PENNSYLVANIA VICTIMS " »

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On August 20, 2008, yet another van carrying a college sports team crashed in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, killing one athlete and injuring six of her teammates. Kelley Roggensack, a Franciscan University sophomore was pronounced dead at the scene. According to news reports, the van veered off U.S. Route 22 in Hanover Township, Pennsylvania and police attribute the crash to the driver’s loss of control while she was trying to avoid a tire in the road, causing the van to crash into the woods.

Our experienced SUV and van rollover lawyers at the Pennsylvania SUV law firm of Reiff and Bily understand that victims of rollover accidents sustain some of the most significant and catastrophic injuries, including but not limited to fatalities, and than other type of auto accidents.

Because of their high center of gravity, vans and SUVs are more prone to rollover than any other type of vehicle and SUV occupants are three times as more likely to die in a rollover accident than those in a typical automobile accident. Although a story such as the case mentioned above indicates that the driver was in error, our research and experience indicates that accident avoidance maneuvers taken by drivers are foreseeable by the manufacturers, yet they continue to build vehicles that are unsafe for the purposes that they were allegedly designed.

Continue reading " VANS AND SUVs NEEDLESSLY CONTINUE TO KILL STUDENTS ON PENNSYLVANIA ROADS " »

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On January 19, 2002, Benetta Buell-Wilson of San Diego, California was driving her 1997 Ford Explorer on an interstate highway when she swerved to avoid a metal object in the road and the SUV went out of control. The vehicle skidded across the highway and rolled more than 4 ½ times when the Explorer came to rest on its roof. The accident left the 49 year old woman crushed and paralyzed. A California jury awarded Buell-Wilson and her husband $369,000,000, including $246,000,000 in punitive damages. The state courts of California reduced the amount of the verdict. However, the California Court of Appeals approved an $82.6 million dollar settlement, including $55 million in punitive damages.

The experienced Philadelphia motor vehicle accident and personal injury lawyers at the law firm of Reiff and Bily have been handling SUV Explorer rollover and 15 passenger van rollover cases in Pennsylvania and other states in the nation with a successful track record. The Explorer and other SUV’s are flawed because they have a higher center of gravity and are prone to rollover. Also, research indicates that the Explorer roofs are inadequate to protect occupants in a rollover accident and Ford was aware of knowledge of these designs flaws but failed to fix them. Ford has consistently argued that the verdicts against them are unjust because the design of the vehicles meets minimal federal safety standards.

On February 8, 2008, the Ford Motor Company paid $6.5 million dollars to a 41 year old man left brain damaged in a 2004 rollover accident involving an Explorer sport utility vehicle that a Texas jury ordered them to pay. In that claim, Ruben Camora lost control of his 1993 Explorer when a tire lost its tread and he was ejected from the vehicle as it rolled over. His mother, who sued on his behalf, noted that the tread separation set off vibrations on the rear of the vehicle that caused it to skate sideways because of a defect in the SUV’s suspension.

Continue reading " PENNSYLVANIA SUV ROLLOVER LAWYER WEIGHS IN ON DESIGN DEFECTS INHERENT TO SUVs AND I5 PASSENGER VANS IN PENNSYLVANIA AND THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES " »

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Posted In: Auto Accident , Catastrophic loss , Personal Injury , Product Liability , SUV and 15 passenger rollover

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Premises liability assigns blame to the owner of the venue where a violation is committed. A building code is generally a set of rules that sets forth guidelines for acceptable safety levels for constructed objects such as buildings, apartments, hotels, houses and other structures. These codes were enacted to protect public health, safety and general welfare of individuals as they relate to the construction and occupancy of buildings and structures.

I recently concluded a case where a young mother and her two year old daughter stepped on her apartment balcony, which was three stories above the ground, after which the balcony became unsecured from the premises, tilted to the ground causing the plaintiff to be thrown three stories resulting in a substantial and life altering injury. Our experts and structural engineers investigated the matter and determined that the balcony was never secured properly, was improperly maintained, and was never inspected in a proper and due fashion. A method of affixation of the balcony to the building was in violation of the building codes. The landlord’s failure to maintain and inspect the balcony was completely irresponsible and negligent, subjecting a rent-paying tenant to undue risk, harm and, ultimately, life changing injuries.

Building codes were established to set forth minimal acceptable standards necessary for protecting people and property. Normally, we hear about violation of building codes when a natural disaster strikes. However, many times owners of homes, buildings, or apartments attempt to save money by taking shortcuts in violation of local laws and building codes. For example, commonly electrical work is performed by non-licensed electricians. The fire prevention code limits the number of wires under each screw in a receptacle or switch. It appears safe to use but fires can occur when the second wire pops out from underneath the screw so one is maximum. Code also requires that outlets be placed every six feet along walls in most rooms and every two feet along kitchen counters to accommodate short safety cords on kitchen appliances. Also, all light fixtures must be grounded. In kitchens, there must be a 15 amp lighting circuit, as well as a separate circuit for the dishwasher and refrigerator and two 20 amp circuits for receptacles. Local and federal codes change regularly so it is important that the necessary research be committed before starting a project.

For approximately 30 years, the Philadelphia personal injury lawyers of Pennsylvania personal injury attorneys have been successfully prosecuting premise liability claims. Property and land owners are required to maintain their properties in such a way that it protects those who are lawfully upon the premises.

Continue reading " VIOLATION OF BUILDING CODES AND PREMISES LIABILITY IS YOUR APARTMENT, HOTEL ROOM OR OFFICE SAFE? " »

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Posted In: Personal Injury , Premises liability , slip and fall

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Another young individual was killed while sending a text message moments before an auto crash.

On Sunday, August 17, 2008, Fox News reported that in Highland, California, a 16 year old girl died after losing control of her car while texting on her phone moments before the accident. The report not only indicated that Kayla Preuss of Highland, California, was driving on Interstate 10 when she lost control of her car, it also noted that she was drunk and had been speeding.

On April 7, 2008, I noted on my blog a case where the distracted driver of another vehicle in Pennsylvania was texting his girlfriend a message while his close friend and passenger innocently sat in the backseat of the vehicle. That vehicle driver lost control of the SUV he was in, causing it to rollover and causing the innocent passengers to be ejected out of the vehicle resulting in permanent and catastrophic injuries that could have easily been prevented. I am consistently amazed at how many people are driving while having a conversation on a cell phone or text messaging, even though it is against the law. Any “plain fool” can recognize that a person with a cell phone or PDA in one hand and driving with the other hand, will not have their complete attention paid to the road and hence, will not have their vehicle in complete control if an emergency situation arises. The distracted driver is a major cause of car accidents and rollovers.

The experienced Philadelphia personal injury lawyers at the Pennsylvania motor vehicle accident law firm of Reiff and Bily have over 30 years experience handling of motor vehicle rollover and catastrophic loss cases.

Continue reading " USAGE OF CELL PHONE WHILE DRIVING TAKES ANOTHER TEEN’S LIFE " »

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Posted In: Auto Accident , Catastrophic loss , Large Truck Accidents , Personal Injury , SUV and 15 passenger rollover

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On August 14, 2008, the National Highway and Transportation Safety Authority (www.NHTSA.gov) noted in their study that the overall number of traffic fatalities in 2007 reached its lowest level since 1994.

The 2007 annual assessment of motor vehicle crash fatalities of people injured revealed a 3.9% decline in people killed in the United States from 42,708 in 2006 to 41,059 in 2007. This reduction in fatalities is the largest in terms of number and percentage since 1992. Although passenger car occupant fatalities declined for the 5th consecutive year and light truck occupant fatalities dropped for the 2nd consecutive year, it is noteworthy that motorcycle fatalities continued their 10 year increase, reaching 5,154 in 2007, the highest level since NHTSA started collecting fatality crash data in 1975.

Motorcycle fatalities now account for 13% of all total fatalities. In Pennsylvania, the number of fatalities dropped to 1,491 in 2007 from 1,525 in 2006, a change of -2.2%. Internet users may access these crash statistics and other general information on traffic safety at www.nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/CATS/index.aspx.

Continue reading " 2007 TRAFFIC ANNUAL ASSESSMENT HIGHLIGHTS " »

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Posted In: Auto Accident , Catastrophic loss , Large Truck Accidents , Personal Injury , SUV and 15 passenger rollover

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Many years ago, one of my law partners, John Morrissey, was catastrophically killed when his vehicle collided with the rear-end of a truck parked on the side of the road in the dark of evening. This is known as a truck rear underride accident. Unfortunately, underride accidents are a common cause of death and catastrophic injuries. An underride occurs when a passenger's vehicle collides with the rear-end or side end of a truck, trailer or other large commercial vehicle, does not equip with a defective underride guards or bumpers, without an underride rail, lower bumper or guard, the vehicle underrides the trucks rear or side frame by traveling beneath the chassis of the larger vehicle. The impact between the heavy frame of a truck, whether in the rear or on the side, is equally devastating to the occupants to the car or vehicle. The roof support or roof pillars of the vehicle are not engineered to withstand the tremendous forces of such a crash and can collapse as a result of the wedge effect of the deadly impact forces.

For almost 30 years, the Pennsylvania motor vehicle lawyers at Reiff and Bily have handled thousands of motor vehicle accident cases involving trucks, buses and automobiles.

In January 1996, NTHSA issued two new Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSSs) that were designed to reduce the number of injuries and fatalities resulting from the collision of passenger vehicles with the rear-ends of heavy trailers and semi-trailers. The first standard, FMVSS number 223, "where impact guards" specifies the performance or requirements the rear impact guards must meet. The second standard, FMVSS number 224 "rear impact protection" requires that most new trailers and semi-trailers with a GVWR of 10,000 pounds or more be equipped with a rear impact guard that meets the requirements of FMVSS number 223. The requirement of these FMVSSs became effective in January 1998. NTHSA had been studying the issue of rear underride cases for many years and proposed solutions to the problems as early as 1981. The agency had taken two approaches to the problem. The first deals with increasing the conspicuity of large vehicles in an effort to prevent rear impact crashes. FMVSS number 108, "lamps, reflective devices and associated equipment" requires retro reflective materials on the sides and rear of all trailers of 80 or more inches width and with a gross vehicle GVWR of 10,000 pounds or more. That standard became effective in December 1993 and has been proven to be very effective in reducing incidents or rear and side impacts into trailers and semi-trailers. Even with the existing and new legislation, rear underrides are going to still occur due to the large number of older trailers, buses and other large scale commercial vehicles on the roads of the United States.

Continue reading " CATASTROPHIC UNDERRIDE TRUCK ACCIDENTS A LEADING AND PREVENTABLE CAUSE OF DEATH " »

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Posted In: Auto Accident , Catastrophic loss , Large Truck Accidents , Personal Injury

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ONE LAWYER’S OPINION ON CRASH-WORTHINESS

As the price of gas continues to rise, manufacturers make increasing promises stressing fuel efficiency. The Smart Car, which has been operating for an extensive period of time on the streets of European capitals, is now making a presence in Philadelphia, New York, Los Angeles and other major metropolitan areas. It is said that the Smart Car is supposed to get 40 miles per gallon and the manufacturer claims that the Smart Car is also smartly safe. Statistics are of it being 8.8 feet long and slightly wider and taller than 5 feet, the Smart Car is one of the smallest cars on any road in any country, weighing in at about 700 pounds versus the weight of a standard SUV of 4,000 pounds.

The United States “ForTwo" version has a three cylinder, 700 cc engine, which is smaller than the engine of a motorcycle that I used to operate before becoming involved in defective automotive product liability and safety. The previous model, the Smart for City coupe was tested in 2000 and it received a three star out of five star rating. Most cars received a four or five star safety rating, so three stars is low, stated Euro Ncap spokeswoman Cordelia Wilson. The Smart Car is approximately three feet shorter and 700 pounds lighter than the Mini Cooper. The President of The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, Adrian Lund noted “all things being equal in safety, bigger and heavier is always better, but among the smallest cars, the engineers among the Smart Car did their homework and designed a high level of safety in a very small package”. Many will argue that the Smart Car has a crash-worthy design for its size when equipped with the latest safety gear, which is important to such a small car. The standard equipment on this car includes seat mounted combination airbags designed to protect the heads and chests of both the driver and passenger and also electronic stability control or ESC. ESC is important not only in a Smart Car, but in all cars as it enables drivers to maintain control during accident avoidance or emergency maneuvers or on slippery roads.

Of significant concern to this writer is that the Smart Car lacks a sufficient front-end crush zone, which is a key component in reducing injury risks in serious frontal crashes. Research indicates that a stiff side structure and standard side airbags contribute to good smart ratings and a side test which replicates a crash with a pickup truck or SUV. However, it is important to note that the driver’s door unlatched during the crash. This confirmed a finding noted by The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s side test of a Smart Car released last month. The Institute downgraded the Smart Car’s structural rating from good to acceptable. It is important that doors not unlatch in crashes because it could allow a complete or partial occupant ejection which could lead to catastrophic injuries. Statistics indicate that the risk of death is much higher in crashes of much smaller and lighter vehicles.

Continue reading " WITH GAS PRICES RISING, IS BUYING THE NEW SMART CAR A SMART DECISION WHEN IT COMES TO SAFETY ? " »

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Posted In: Auto Accident , Catastrophic loss , Personal Injury

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Swimming pools, diving boards and hot tubs often pose a significant risk of serious injury and even death if proper safety measures are not followed. Each year in Pennsylvania, swimming pool accidents claim the lives of many innocent children as well as thousands of adults. Homeowners, hotel owners and apartment owners who have pools owe a small responsibility to provide a safe environment for both children and adults but too many times this does not happen.

Often times a swimming pool draws children like a magnet that swimming pool accidents are the second leading cause of death for children under the age of 14. Each year in the United States, 1,000 children die and 5,000 others are hospitalized with catastrophic injuries due to swimming-related accidents. Unbelievably, drowning is the leading cause of death among children from ages 2-4. When a child submerges for 2 minutes or more in the water, the child loses consciousness. Irreversible brain damage sets in after 4-6 minutes of water submersion.

Diving board accidents or dives into shallow pools are responsible for about 10% of all catastrophic spinal cord injuries. The lawyers at the Pennsylvania personal injury attorneys and swimming pool injury law firm of Reiff and Bily have represented numerous Pennsylvania families and individuals who have suffered injury or death as the result of swimming accidents. Most swimming pool injuries occur because of improper design or improper construction or failure to properly secure the pool from small children or failure to maintain the pool in good condition.

Continue reading " Pennsylvania Swimming Pool and Hot Tub Accidents: Is Your Swimming Pool Safe? " »

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Posted In: Personal Injury , Swimming Pool and Hot Tub Accidents

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The high cost of litigation is ever increasing and these hired guns are out of control. Are they worth the money?

The costs associated with personal injury lawsuits are quite significant and rising every day. Many state that the overhead costs of malpractice and product liability lawyer litigation are exorbitant. Many Americans hear that lawsuits are rampant and frivolous, clogging the courts and depriving taxpayers of their funds. On the other hand, honest plaintiff attorneys maintain that they are the policemen of society and that frivolous lawsuits are an exception. Obviously, an experienced personal injury or product liability lawyer would have to be crazy to take a meritless claim which would result in a huge expenditure if the same attorney is working on a contingent fee basis.

The purpose of the tort system is to fairly compensate victims and make them whole by virtue of compensatory damages. Obviously, there are some lawyers who will take just about any case that walks into the door and hope that writing a few threatening letters or taking minimal action will scare their opponents into a quick and “easy A” settlement These are the types of lawyers the educated consumer should avoid. It is important, however, when seeking a lawyer to represent your interests, to remember that you get one bite at the apple and your lawyer should be qualified, insured, in good standing with the bar association, interested in your claim, screened for suitability and experience handling legal matters such as yours. The lawyers at the Pennsylvania personal injury firm of Reiff and Bily have 30 years experience handling thousands of carefully screened car accident, medical malpractice and defective products cases. They will carefully screen your case, investigate comprehensively and decide if it is worthwhile to pursue without wasting your time or their resources - as a result of such careful screening. They only accept approximately 30-40 percent of the clients that contact them. These distinguished Pennsylvania car accident attorneys have recovered in excess of 150 million dollars for their clients solely on a contingent basis.

Continue reading " Pennsylvania Personal Injury Attorney Weighs in on Expert Witnesses " »

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Posted In: Auto Accident , Medical Malpractice , Personal Injury , Product Liability

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Recently on August 7, 2008, The New York Times published an article with the caption “Note to Victims of Accidents, Medical Malpractice, Broken Contracts and the like; When You Sue Make a Deal”. Author Jonathan Glater stated the clear lesson of a soon to be released study of civil lawsuits has found that most of the plaintiffs who decided to pass up a settlement offer and went to trial, ended up getting less money than if they had taken that offer.

As a personal injury and product liability lawyer in Philadelphia with 30 years experience, it is my position that the vast majority of cases do settle for a proper and just amount if properly prepared from the outset. Randall Kiser, a co-author of a study and principal analyst at DecisionSet, a consulting firm that advises clients in litigation decision notes that 80 to 92% of all cases settle and that furthermore, there is no way to know whether either side in most cases could have done better in trial. In September, a study will be published in the September issue of Journal of Empirical Legal Studies noting that mistakes are more often made in cases where lawyers are paid a share of whatever is won at trial.

As I have personally been involved for close to 30 years with thousands of cases, solely on a contingent fee basis, I believe that it is necessary for the lawyer to explain all of the facts of a claim or the “good, bads and uglies” to their client and properly explain the odds for success and/or failure based in the jurisdiction where the case is to be litigated.

We inform each of our clients that they will have the ultimate decision whether to accept or deny a settlement figure. We find often that some lawyers, whether they are wrongful death or auto product liability attorneys, simply do not prepare their cases to the best of their abilities and in fact, some times other lawyers egos get in the way of a proper and full settlement. Mr. Glater, in The New York Times article, claims that law schools do not teach lawyers how to handicap trials nor do they help develop the important skill of telling the client that the case is not a winner. Obviously, clients do not like to hear such news.

Continue reading " IS SETTLING YOUR CASE BETTER THAN GOING TO TRIAL? " »

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Posted In: Auto Accident , Personal Injury

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OF TEENAGE/YOUNG ADULT DEATHS WORLDWIDE

The World Health Organization released a report in April 2007 stating that a fatal automobile accident is the leading cause of death among teens and young adults between the ages of 10 and 24 worldwide. The organization promoted a long list of suggestions such as safer roads and vehicles, helmet laws, prosecution of speeders and drunk drivers and better education for drivers and pedestrians. Some of the more interesting but troubling findings from the WHO report and United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention note that fatal auto accidents are the leading cause of accidents between ages 10 and 24 worldwide.

Approximately 30% of all auto accident fatalities involve individuals under age 25.

Auto accidents result in annual costs of over $500 billion worldwide in medical care, disability and property damage.

In the United States, about 2 out of every 5 deaths for teens are caused by auto accidents.

Drivers between ages 16 and 19 in the United States are four times more likely than older drivers to be involved in an accident. In the United States and Pennsylvania, drunk driving is the leading criminal cause of death. There were approximately 17,000 victims of drunk driving accidents last year. Approximately 40% of all motor vehicle fatalities are alcohol related. Frequent drunk drivers are responsible for almost 60% of all alcohol related fatalities. In 2007, drivers between the ages of 16 and 20 were involved in 1,719 drunk driving accidents. In 2006 in Pennsylvania, there were 13,616 alcohol-related crashes, with 545 alcohol-related deaths. 78% of the drinking drivers involved in these accidents were male. On an average day in Pennsylvania, 37 alcohol-related crashes occur injuring 29 people and on an average day, 1.5 people were killed in an alcohol-related car crash in Pennsylvania. Interesting to note that on the holidays, 15% of all crashes involve alcohol usage. In the United States, alcohol-related motor crashes kill someone every 31 minutes and injure someone every 2 minutes.

Continue reading " FATAL AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS ARE THE LEADING CAUSE " »

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Posted In: Auto Accident , Personal Injury

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