Philadelphia Injury Attorney Blog

Pennsylvania’s 10th stand-alone casino opened last week and volume continues to build at all Pennsylvania casinos. With the roll out of table games in Pennsylvania casinos this summer, more and more people are expected to visit and as more people drink alcoholic beverages in casino environments, one thing is almost a certainty. There will be more premises liability and slip and fall accidents on casino premises and there will be more car accidents which occur as a result of intoxicated patrons leaving casinos and hitting the roadways in congested areas. With the large number of casinos in the New Jersey and Pennsylvania area, the casino accident law firm of Reiff & Bily is receiving calls from more and more people injured every year in accidents on casino properties.

As you are no doubt aware, casinos have the ability to hire the best lawyers around to fight every claim viciously. The Philadelphia casino accident firm of Reiff & Bily handles all types of serious injuries and fatal accidents that occur at casinos, including but not limited to slip and falls, Dram Shop actions, negligent security, falls from defective bar stools or gaming chairs, assaults by visitors, stairwell injuries, parking lot injuries, and employee assaults. Most casino accidents are typically cases of premises liability or slip and falls. A casino owner bears responsibility to keep their premises safe for people who visit and work there. Additionally, the Reiff & Bily casino accident law firm is currently pursuing a Dram Shop action where a casino served a patron in excess of 10 drinks causing the patron to become involved in a catastrophic car accident registering a breathalyzer test more than five times over the legal limit.

It is important to hold the wrongdoers responsible and have experienced legal representation on your side by lawyers experienced in fighting casinos. For more information, please contact us today online at www.reiffandbily.com or toll free at 1-800-421-9595 to speak with an experienced Pennsylvania casino accident injury lawyer. We always offer a free no obligation consultation.

As an experienced Pennsylvania trial attorney who has successfully handled thousands of complex injury cases since 1979 with a successful track record, I am incredibly amazed that many lawyers still have not abandoned what I consider to be dinosaur billing methods of hourly rates. As a consumer, I recently had the opportunity to consult with a lawyer on a real estate matter that was well out of my area of expertise. I was shocked to learn that many of the attorneys that I contacted were charging fees ranging anywhere from $500 to $1,000 per hour, and, in fact, when I went to one meeting, I was told that I would be billed per hour for each attorney working on the case which meant that if I went to a conference with 5 attorneys, I could conceivably end up paying up to $5,000 an hour. I had to kick myself and laugh when I recently read that billings at many of the large law firms are down and that clients were seeking alternatives in fee arrangements. In my opinion, I think the day of excessive hourly legal billings in going out of style faster than the Nehru jacket and if those lawyers don’t get it, then shame on them.

For over 30 years, I have believed that an attorney should be rewarded if he is successful in obtaining a good result for his client, meaning if there is no recovery, there should be no fee and if there is a recovery, the lawyer should be entitled to a small percentage. I believe that attorneys who work on a contingent fee basis perform a valuable service to the public because they take cases that poor and middle class clients could not otherwise afford to bring. I find that most clients dislike paying high hourly fees and desire to tie their lawyer’s compensation to performance and give him an incentive to produce great results. Obviously, a contingent fee lawyer has an incentive to work harder on a case where he has a percentage of the profits.

The Pennsylvania catastrophic injury law firm of Reiff & Bily focus on catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. We thoroughly screen and investigate each of our potential cases to evaluate its merits, and if we decide to accept your case, we will fully dedicate our resources and if we don’t win, you don’t have to pay us a fee. We have received the distinction of being named Pennsylvania Super Lawyers by Philadelphia Magazine and Law and Politics Magazine due to our outstanding achievements in handling catastrophic injury, medical malpractice, and product liability cases both in Philadelphia, as well as throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. We are members of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, a prestigious organization that recognize exceptional trial lawyers who possess the excellence and experience to handle large and complex cases and have achieved million dollar verdict awards or settlements. We have received the highest rating by Martindale Hubbell and have been recognized by our peers with an AV rating. We have achieved a superb 10 out of 10 rating by avvo.com.

If you would like to have a free no obligation consultation to learn more about our no recovery no fee guarantee, please contact us online at www.reiffandbily.com or toll free at 1-800-421-9595.

As an experienced Pennsylvania premises liability slip and fall accident attorney since 1979, I receive a number of calls each week from people who were injured after they slipped and fell in a department store or hotel lobby and assume that just because they slipped and fell, they are entitled to recover monetary damages. For a premises liability case or more commonly known as a slip and fall case, the plaintiff has an obligation to prove duty owed by the property owner, the breach of that duty, and also that this breach was the proximate cause of the accident. Furthermore the plaintiff must prove damages in order to establish a prima facie case. In every premise liability case, the plaintiff must show that a dangerous condition existed and that the owner knew or should have known of the condition and failed to warn of the danger. The plaintiff must prove beyond a preponderance of the evidence that the negligent act by the defendant or owner caused the dangerous condition and that the dangerous condition remained long enough to provide the defendant or owner with constructive knowledge. Business owners are not strictly liable for injuries occurring on the premises nor do they have an absolute duty to insure visitors or invitees of safety. Therefore, mere proof of a slip and fall occurred is not sufficient enough to prove negligence on the part of the proprietor under ordinary circumstances.

The experienced premise liability and slip and fall law firm of Reiff & Bily has extensive experience and a very successful track record representing clients who have been injured in slip and fall accidents or who were harmed by falling merchandise, inadequate security, or other dangerous conditions. These cases can often be very difficult to prove if you do not have the proper experience. It is important to hire a Pennsylvania slip and fall or premises liability attorney who has extensive experience and background handling these types of cases. The attorney and his investigators and experts must properly investigate the causes of premise liability cases including but hazardous conditions, loose electrical cords, liquids, defective chairs, loose handrails, debris, insufficient lighting, broken steps, inadequate maintenance, cracked pavement, cracked flooring, and other causes.

Our experienced Philadelphia premise liability slip and fall lawyers have helped many clients recover the maximum monetary compensation possible for their cases and in some cases, millions of dollars. Recovery may include compensation for medical costs, lost income, pain and suffering, loss of consortium, and other associated damages. If you or a loved one has been the victim of a slip and fall or of a premise liability accident, contact one of our experienced slip and fall accident lawyers today at 1-800-421-9595 or contact us online for a free no obligation case evaluation and always remember our no-recovery no-fee guarantee.

You would be amazed how many times I have had this conversation with potential clients in the last 31 years. Many times when I first meet a client, I am surprised to learn that much time has gone by since the accident, medical bills have been piling up in excess of hundreds of thousands of dollars, a person has lost their job, and income stream, household bills are long overdue and the victim is now facing a financial crisis, and yet I am told that because of their faith or upbringing, they are not the type of people who like to sue. Many ask me “What should I do?"

Since 1979, I have always tried to be the hardest working, most honest and forthright lawyer fighting for my clients’ rights. I am proud of the fact that some may call me a greedy trial lawyer. In fact, yes I am greedy, I am greedy for justice. As a sensitive and religious person, I believe that God watches everything and believe that defendants must be held accountable for their actions and that God looks to test and provide for those who seek out his guidance. Many people are afraid that if they hire a lawyer to represent their legal interests, they will be judged unfairly by God, their minister, priest, rabbi, or fellow man. I am a firm believer in telling the truth and the laws of the United States exist to protect one’s individual rights. My goal as a lawyer is to present the whole truth of the scenario and let a jury decide, considering the “good, bad and uglies" of the case, and I have faith in our fellow man sitting as jurors to do the right thing. Without integrity, nothing stands!

If you or a loved one has been catastrophically injured or sustained a fatality due to a truck accident or car accident, you must march forward with your head held high and not only protect your own interests but make sure that this event never occurs again, causing injury or death to others. If you or a loved one has sustained a catastrophic injury or wrongful death as the result of medical malpractice, product defect, amusement park accident, water park accident, or truck accident and would like a free no obligation consultation concerning your rights, please do not hesitate to contact us at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

As a Pennsylvania airbag defect lawyer who has represented victims who have suffered catastrophic injuries or wrongful deaths as a result of airbag defects since 1979, I applaud the efforts of Pennsylvania Representative Matthew Bradford (D-Dist 70) who introduced a bill to penalize fraudulent practices regarding airbag installation and reinstallation. Over the years, I have investigated many claims and have received phone calls from clients catastrophically injured or whose relatives were killed as a result of improperly installed airbags or airbags purchased on the second hand market which were unknowingly defective even before installation.

The Bradford Bill includes penalties for offenses outlined as follows:

Continue reading " Pennsylvania Airbag Defect Accident Lawyer Salutes Pennsylvania Legislator Matthew Bradford Who Proposed a Motor Vehicle Airbag Fraud Prevention Act " »

As an experienced hay ride accident lawyer, I am sad to report that a hay ride accident in central Kansas turned deadly when children fell off a small tractor pulling a hay ride of baled hay and were run over, killing one and injuring three others. Our hearts and prayers go out to the victims and their families. In my opinion, hay rides and other quasi-amusement park accident rides are simply accidents waiting to happen when proper control mechanisms are not in place. Obviously when hay ride injuries occur, they are generally quite significant and often fatal due to the number of people involved and the size and weight of the equipment.

Hay rides and other quasi-amusement rides have the ability to crush and eject riders causing catastrophic injury and unfortunately, as we see in this case, multiple deaths. Most times hay ride accidents are the result of inadequate supervision or improper training of ride operators and inadequate site and safety crowd control. Many times hay rides are operated in dark and noisy environments frequently visited by children and with the noise, it is impossible to hear screams for help or attention. Operators of hay rides often owe the highest duty of care to the innocent young victims and unfortunately, hay ride accidents seem to be increasing with frequency. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has estimated the number of serious injuries due to hay rides and other quasi-amusement rides has risen dramatically.

If you or a loved one has suffered an injury in a hay ride accident, carnival ride accident, or amusement ride accident, there will be some important questions that you and your attorney should explore in order to determine if you have a case and who is responsible. The accomplished Pennsylvania amusement park accident and hay ride accident attorneys at Reiff & Bily have successfully represented thousands of personal injury clients for catastrophic injuries and wrongful deaths since 1979. For a free, no obligation consultation, please contact us at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

A bus trip originating at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia ended in a fatal crash on Saturday, September 11th when the driver took the wrong exit off a ramp, plunging 13 foot high double-decker Megabus into a railroad bridge 10' 9" above the road. Our hearts and prayers go out to all of the victims and their families and we wish the survivors the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.

What caused the accident? Based on the initial news reports and investigation, it appears that the bus driver is at fault, and as the investigation continues, the main question will be:

1. Why did the bus driver fail to avoid the collision?

2. Was he inattentive?

3. Was he distracted?

4. Was he under the influence or otherwise negligent?

I am sure that the state police and other investigators are examining these and other factors to determine what occurred here. As an experienced bus and common carrier accident attorney, it is our opinion that if the bus driver's negligence caused the accident, the injured passengers could file a claim to seek compensation for medical expenses, loss of wages, cost of hospitalization, and other accident related costs. Of course, the families of the victims who were killed would have a right to file a wrongful death action.

Bus companies, whether they are private or public, owe the highest duty of care to passengers that travel on their vehicles. This duty of care is higher than the negligence duty owed by the bus company, drivers, other vehicles, and pedestrians. The victims and their families of this accident would be well advised to consult an experienced Pennsylvania bus accident injury and wrongful death lawyer to monitor the investigation and take steps necessary to protect their legal rights and best interests.

For a free no obligation consultation concerning a bus accident, our attorneys are available 24/7 at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

As an experienced Pennsylvania personal injury and catastrophic accident lawyer since 1979 who has handled thousands upon thousands of serious injury cases, I am well aware that other similar incidents or OSI’s are one of the most valuable tools in our arsenal in representing injured claimants. Certainly the defendant in any product liability or accident case will try to state that your case is unique and was simply an accident and that bad things sometimes happen to good people. Our experienced Pennsylvania injury litigators have been able to successfully demonstrate by use of OSI’s that many times defendants knew or should have known about a product defect or problematic situation from other litigated cases. In fact, I was a victim of a defective product claim and despite the fact the manufacturer of the product told me that my situation was unique, a careful and detailed investigation revealed that the manufacturer of the product not only was familiar with other similar incidents but, in fact, redesigned and remodeled the product to avoid the dangerous situation which was occurring and causing injuries and death.

In a recent case brought against the Ford Motor Company, evidence presented indicated that Ford was aware of 26 prior identical accidents caused by detreading of tires resulting in a loss of control and death or serious injury to the claimants. Ford Motor Company sold 4 million Explorer SUV’s in North America from 1990 to 2001. Many of these vehicles were susceptible to handling defects causing vehicle rollover. The plaintiff’s lawyer introduced evidence showing that Ford was aware of other similar instances and furthermore, spent $3.5 million dollars correcting these defects in Venezuela but ignored its own engineers’ recommendations and chose not to spend $500 million needed to fix the Explorers on the road in North America. The jurors deliberated for 32 days and delivered a unanimous verdict against Ford. The defendant’s last pre-trial offer was $1.2 million and the plaintiff’s last pre-trial demand was $3.1 million. However, as a result of the verdict, the plaintiff will receive $13.4 million for past and future medical expenses and $10 million for suffering and loss. Ford was found to be 91.5% liable and the tire manufacturer was found to be 7% liable. Additionally, plaintiff’s counsel was awarded approximately $293,000 in costs.

If you or a loved one was injured as a result of a defective product, please contact one of our experienced serious injury and wrongful death lawyers at Reiff & Bily for a free no obligation consultation at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

Recently the amusement and water park accident injury law firm of Reiff & Bily reviewed a case where an operator of water park slide wasn’t paying attention and failed to carefully monitor traffic and crowd control allowing too many people down the slide at one time resulting in a violent collision causing what appears to be a significant permanent injury.

At a Wisconsin amusement park, recently, a girl fell 100 feet off a ride landing operated by an individual who had admitted he smoked pot before the accident. A criminal investigation was commenced and the ride operator told the investigators that he “blanked out" when he sent the victim plunging to the ground below. The operator was supposed to check to see if the safety net was in place and get a signal from below that it was safe to release the rider. The operator admitted that he didn’t do this. He stated that he should have been more cautious. As a result of his inattention, the innocent and unsuspecting victim fell head first onto the pavement and according to news sources is in critical condition with a broken back and many other injuries and could be permanently paralyzed. The 17-year old amusement park employee is out merely on a $1,000 bond and is not allowed to operate rides while he was out on bond.

As experienced amusement and water park accident attorneys, we have investigated and handled many cases similar to the case stated. In the last week, we have spoken to two witnesses of amusement park accidents involving our clients who claim that the operator of the ride simply was not paying attention. When you think about it, the operators are merely 16, 17, or 18 years old and many are foreigners on summer programs being paid minimum wage or slightly above. When one takes into account the margin for error, the availability of pot, alcohol, or other drugs, and their common usage among such teenagers, stricter penalties and regulations are called for. Amusement park and water park operators must be held accountable for preventable accidents that occur on their premises.

If you or a loved one has been involved in an amusement park or water park accident, please feel free to contact one of our experienced amusement park or water park accident attorneys for a free no obligation consultation at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

Okay, I admit it, I use to be an amusement park and water park junkie and am a water sports freak. However, after practicing catastrophic injury law since 1979 and handling my fair share of amusement park and water park accident cases, I have become a “scaredy cat". As amusement parks and water parks continue to increase rides that are higher, faster, and more creative than anything you can imagine, the introduction of slicker composite materials and accelerants like water jets and linear induction motors creates outstanding thrills but often at the expense of the safety of unsuspecting thrill seekers. In the last two weeks, we have been contacted by at least a half a dozen individuals who sustained fairly severe and catastrophic injuries which most likely will have permanent consequences. In fact, at one of the water attractions at Six Flags Great Adventure Hurricane Harbor water park, an individual climbed five flights of stairs and then launched into a water ride only to end the ride in severe excruciating pain, completely disabled, and requiring a stretcher and emergency transport to a hospital where he was diagnosed with a spinal fracture and other significant injuries.

Unfortunately new technology and ride designers push the safety envelope in an attempt to deliver what the consumer demands as the ultimate thrill ride. However, in the United States, there is no official source which keeps a complete national record of theme park accidents and in many U.S. states, including Florida, theme parks are not legally required to report accidents involving injury to anyone. In the case at hand, our client did not have medical insurance and the amusement park operator told him that he is responsible for his own medical treatment.

The amusement park accident and water park accident attorneys at Reiff & Bily believe that there should be stricter regulation concerning amusement water park safety and that operators of amusement and theme parks who put profits over safety should be held accountable for the injuries that occur at their theme parks. The experienced Philadelphia amusement park and water park accident attorneys of Reiff & Bily offer a free no obligation consultation have successfully represented thousands of personal injury clients with a successful track record since 1979 recovering hundreds of millions of dollars in damages. Let our aggressive legal team bring the wrongdoers to justice and achieve the best result for your family. For a free, no obligation consultation, please contact us at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.