Philadelphia Injury Attorney Blog

A school trip to a water park by 9-year old Jeremy Molumba ended tragically after the young boy was swept toward the deep end by surging water in a wave pool. According to news sources, a classmate tried to grip his friends hand before a second wave pushed him below the water surface. According to sources, the 4th grader remained at the bottom of the pool for more than one hour before anyone came to his rescue.

As an experienced amusement park and water park accident attorney, the first thing that came to my mind was where were the lifeguards or other supervisors whose job it is to maintain safe watch over the guests of the park? The guests of the park are identified legally as business invitees and are owed the highest duty of care. Other issues should be explored such as: Was the water cloudy? Was the water so cloudy or dirty that they could not see the child laying on the bottom? Was the drainage and pump system working properly or was there too much force and suction which forced the young man under the water and to the bottom? Individuals in wave pools regularly sustain injuries ranging from lacerations, bruises, brain injuries, neck and back injuries, drownings, paraplegia, quadriplegia, and sometimes death. Many times they are the result of slippery surfaces, polluted water, and improper supervision. When water park employees, managers, or operators are negligent, it is all too easy for an otherwise innocent and unknowing individual to get in trouble and sustain a catastrophic injury by submersion or suffer death by drowning. Unfortunately many water parks are not currently regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and many water park and amusement park owners vehemently oppose federal oversight of safety regulations and reporting that many legislators seek to give the CPSC authority over water park and federal theme parks. Many water parks are not in conformance with the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act which requires installing drain covers that meet ANSA/ASNE A112.19.8-27 standards on every drains or grates. It also requires the installation of an automatic shut off system, drainage gravity system, and a safety vacuum system, suction limiting vent system, or drain disabler. Many times loud music in a pool area or in a wave pool area prevents lifeguards from hearing calls of distress and many times the bottom of the wave pool is slippery due to the presence of algae. Crowd control issues and the adequate amount and training of lifeguards and supervisors and maintenance staff is an essential element of safety. It has been noted that there has been a sharp increase of drownings among children up through the age of 12 and although amusement parks and water park attractions appear to be safe, when you combine negligent supervision, premise liability defects, as well as a potential for defective design and manufacturing defects, many accidents occur that could have easily been avoided.

If you or a loved one has sustained an injury in anamusement park or water park, or has suffered a drowning or water submersion injury, the experienced amusement park and water park lawyers of the www.beasleyreifflawgroup.com offer a free, no obligation confidential consultation. We have been stalwarts of consumer and amusement and water park safety for over half a century and our attorneys and our legal team has been awarded over $2 billion since 1958. Contact us toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

As an experienced Philadelphia bicycle accident attorney and an avid cyclist, my biggest fear is being hit by another vehicle or in fact striking a bicycle while in my vehicle. As I have noted in my many blogs, bicycle ridership in Philadelphia is on the up swing and unfortunately, so are the amount of bicycle accidents.

Our hearts and prayers go out to the 33-year old victim of the latest catastrophic bicycle accident. According to initial news reports, the gentleman on the bicycle was wearing a helmet and suffered a severe head trauma after he was struck by a 2010 Toyota Camry and slammed into the car’s windshield upon impact causing him to be tossed into the air and landing on the roadway. I wish the unidentified victim a quick, speedy, and quick recovery. The catastrophically injured bicycle accident victim in this case would be well advised to contact an experienced Philadelphia bicycle accident lawyer who will better explain their rights and options. As the biker was also wearing a helmet, the helmet manufacturer may possibly be at fault for a design or manufacturing product defect. Since this bicycle accident involved a car, an experienced Philadelphia car accident lawyer can also advise them about how the victim’s own car insurance policy might apply and be able to recover compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, cost of hospitalization, physical therapy, and pain and suffering.

The experienced Philadelphia bicycle accident attorneys of Reiff & Bily have recently joined forces with the legendary Beasley Firm to create the Beasley Reiff Law Group. We always offer a free, no obligation confidential consultation to bicyclists after a bicycle accident. The advice we give may be priceless. Together our accomplished bicycle accident and catastrophic injury and wrongful death attorneys have been awarded over $2 billion dollars since 1958. For more information, please contact us toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

With the arrival of summer public pool and private country club swimming pools are the place that many families and young children escape to to create summertime memories of fun.

Unfortunately in mid-June a special day for a family turned tragic after a 6-year old donned his goggles and prepared to dive for toys at the Woodhaven Country Club in Louisville. According to news sources, the 6-year old suffered a severe brain injury after remaining submerged underwater for an unknown period of time and according to medical records, the cause of death was consistent with drowning. Attempts were made to save the youth, however, he died the following day after medical staff at a children’s hospital disconnected him from life support.

Our hearts and prayers go out to the family of Keegan Adkins and as a parent and experienced swimming pool accident attorney who has witnessed this type of tragedy for decades no words can express the sorrow and loss we all feel when we learn of a catastrophic incident or drowning such as this.

Continue reading " Drowning Death of 6-Year Old At A Country Club Indicates Just How Quickly A Special Day Can Turn Into a Tragedy - Experienced Swimming Pool Accident Attorney Weighs In " »

Unfortunately 2011 is shaping up to be a banner year for drownings and boating accidents in New Jersey.

According to news sources a wave kicked up by a passing boat knocked a 25-year old New Jersey resident into Barnegat Bay Sunday night when the wake of one of the vessels slammed into the pleasure boat he was riding in. The sudden impact of the wake caused the driver of the boat to lose control of the vessel and the victim, who was not wearing a life jacket, to be thrown with another man from the rear of the boat into the water. One of the victims suffered a fractured arm. However, the other victim has not been seen and the search has been called off. Our hearts and prayers go out to the family of the victim.

The Pennsylvania and New Jersey boating accident lawyers of the Beasley Reiff Law Group understand and are experienced boaters who have skippered just about every type of boat one can imagine and understand just how quickly a pleasant day on the water can quickly turn into a disaster. Many individuals have the apparent misconception that boats are easy and safe to drive and last year boating accident increased over 80%.

If you or a loved one has been involved in a boating, maritime, and jet ski accident, the Beasley Reiff Law Group boating accident attorneys always offer a free, no obligation consultation. Maritime accidents are often complex and require specialized experience and the boating accident lawyers of the Beasley Reiff Law Group have been awarded billions of dollars since 1958 representing generations of those catastrophically injuredcatastrophic injured or wrongful killed. We have a passion for boating and understand that accidents happen and we also know who to identify and hold accountable. Please contact us online at www.reiffandbily.com or toll free at 1-800-421-9595.

According to a report published on June 10, 2011 in the New York Times a citronella scented fire gel used to ward off insects on hot summer nights has a history of combusting causing disfiguring burns to the users face and body. The fire gel is manufactured by Fuel Barons Inc. and also contains a certification of safety from Fuel Barons who allegedly intended the communication to inform consumers that the fuel was environmentally friendly as it was made from recycled post-consumer waste and does not emit toxins when it burns. According to news sources, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has received at least 8 reported incidents of explosions involving fire gel and ceramic pots, although it is not clear whether these incidents all involve fire gel or other fuel gel products.

The experienced Pennsylvania product liability lawyers of Reiff & Bily recently learned of a situation involving a bad burn injury caused from a citronella urn distributed by Napa Home and Garden Inc. in Duluth, GA. The product is identified as Napa Fire and is marketed as pourable eco gel fuel. When a product is marketed with a certification of safety, the consumer has a reasonable belief to assume that it is safe for every day use and that it will not explode near a flame as victims are claiming.

Our skilled Pennsylvania products liability lawyers are working with other lawyers across the nation to further independently investigate this potentially dangerous product. If you or a loved one has suffered an injury resulting from the use of a fire-gel, please contact us toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com for a free, no obligation consultation.

Over the last 30 years as an  experienced Pennsylvania product liability lawyer, I have been confronted with many cases involving a catastrophic injury or wrongful death and must carefully try to evaluate all of the circumstances surrounding the situation and identify if a product defect was the cause of the victim's injury or death. The issues that we often face consistent with a product or vehicle defect evaluation are:

Was the design proper and was the product manufacturer consistent with the design considering the assembly materials?
Was the design so defective that it was destined to fail and cause injury?
Were the proper materials used in the construction of the product?
Was the product designed in such a safe manner to withstand expected and foreseeable use as well as abuse?

Many  product liability legal cases require not only the experience of a skilled product liability lawyer but also will require complex forensic testing, and accident reconstruction. In accordance with scientific methodology and protocol that will survive defense challenges. It is extremely important to preserve the product after the accident to avoid the spoliation of evidence. In one of our recent cases, we do not believe that a prior attorney understood the basics of a product liability case despite his yellow page ads to the contrary and in fact spoiled the evidence leading to a legal malpractice case rather than a product liability claim.

Continue reading " Experienced Pennsylvania Product Liability Lawyers Warn That Identifying and Proving Defects Is Not Always Obvious and Often Requires Some High Tech Engineering and Forensic Work " »

As an experienced swimming pool accident and drowning accident lawyer, there is one thing I can say with certainty - water accidents generally happen very quickly and usually are silent. This past Friday an 18-year old gentleman drowned when wading at a non-swimming beach. According to news reports, the victim could not swim and a simple misstep cost him his life. Imagine if you were waist deep in water and you take another step and before you know it you are over your head. Even as an experienced swimmer, this has happened to me wading in the ocean and a lake. Many lake beds are not graded and have sudden drop offs.

If you are aware of a victim who does not have swimming ability or are the parent or supervisor of a young child or toddler, it is easier to be safe and place a life jacket on that individual. Even a misstep on a sharp or foreign object can cause a person to lose balance and drown in very shallow water. It is essential to always keep an eye on children or non-swimmers in a lake, pool, or ocean environment. Lifeguards have many people to keep an eye on and of course, no one is perfect.

If you or a loved one has been involved in a swimming pool or drowning accident, the experienced swimming pool and drowning accident lawyers of Reiff & Bily have decades of experience and awarded hundreds of millions of dollars. We always offer a free, no obligation consultation. All of our trial lawyers have secured verdicts, settlements, and awards in the seven and eight figure dollar amounts. We always offer a free, no obligation consultation. Contact us toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

Six men were aboard a 16-foot motor boat when it flipped over after an engine failure resulting in a fatality and other injuries. According to news sources, the accident occurred in the Ocean City Inlet which intersects the Atlantic Ocean and like many other inlets is known for having turbulent waters. Reports indicate that the party on the boat was preparing to lift anchor when the line became ensnared in the boats propeller causing the engine to fail. A strong outgoing tide made the vessel to navigate and the vehicle began to sink and ultimately flip over after several large waves splashed across the stern. None of the six occupants were identified as wearing life jackets as they all went overboard. Five of the six occupants were rescued by the United States Coast Guard. However, after 15 minutes, a 52-year old man who remains unidentified, was found floating in the water about 250 yards from shore. The boat sank and has not been recovered and there is no indication that alcohol or drugs played a part in this boating accident and catastrophe.

Our hearts and prayers go out to the families of the victim's and we wish the survivors a speedy recovery.

As an experienced boating accident attorney who has navigated more than his fair share of rough water inlets as a skipper of may different types of boats and water craft, this story calls to attention the fact that when in turbulent waters in a small boat and for that matter, any size boat, one must take all safety precautions and always wear life jackets, as well as make sure all engines and mechanical systems are operating properly and safely. Most boating deaths and drownings are caused by the failure of victims to wear life preservers or due to the operator's failure to operate the vessel in such a way that it insures the safety of the passengers on board.

Continue reading " Failure Of Boat Engine Leads To Death Of 52-Year Old " »

According to a government report released in the first week of June, there have been nearly 300 alleged sexual assaults at the Department of Government Affairs medical facilities over the last three years through the end of 2010. Many of these allegations were not reported to higher ups by Virginia police as required by law. The Government Accountability Office reported that of the 284 alleged sexual assaults from January 2007 through July 2010 there were 65 classified as rape, 185 inappropriate touching, 8 forceful medical examinations, 13 forced oral sex, and 11 other types of non-classified sexual assaults. Many of the victims were employees, patients, visitors, and other outsiders not affiliated with the VA with both men and woman being victims but most alleged to be men. The VA Inspector General was not notified about 2/3 of the sexual cases involving rape allegations according to the study. The VA claims that it is reviewing the GAO's recommendations and taking steps for improvement. Obviously it goes without saying the reporting of sexual abuse allegations is essential in order to provide secure facilities for patients.

As an experienced sexual abuse lawyer who has investigated claims involving clergy sexual abuse, and physician sexual abuse, it is my opinion that the VA failed to properly protect patients and staff because it did not take allegations seriously enough to address them.

Unfortunately when individuals are vulnerable, defenseless, or in an inferior position to those with authority, they are often taken advantage of by people they put their trust in such as doctors, therapists, senior ranking employees, psychiatrists, and often times clergy. Victims of sexual assault not only have physical pain and suffering, but also the psychological pain of being violated and are left with emotional scars such as feelings of low self worth, low self esteem, denial, crying spells, paranoia, helplessness, loneliness, shame, anxiety, nightmares, insomnia, and flashbacks. Post-traumatic stress disorder and numbness, withdrawal, depression, and fear of relationships, and promiscuity are also common symptoms. Many times victims of sexual abuse turn to drugs or alcohol to help them dull the pain that constantly haunts and torments them.

Continue reading " Sexual Abuse Attorney Questions Why Sexual Assaults At VA Medical Facilities Were Not Reported " »

According to the Coast Guard, nine people have died in the first two weeks of June in the waters of the mid-Atlantic due to boating accidents and a string of drowning accidents. Unfortunately most of the boating deaths could have been avoided due to the fact that some of the fatalities involved in boating accidents were not wearing life jackets. The failure to wear a life jacket resulted in 75% of all boating deaths in 2010 and of those drowning victims, 88% were not wearing life jackets.

Adding to these grim statistics is a report that many beach town resorts, including Delaware beaches, are struggling to fill lifeguard slots. The News Journal of Wilmington reports there are only 19 openings and 9 applicants for lifeguard duty at Cape Henlopen State Park, Delaware Seashore Park, and Fenwick Island State Park. Unfortunately part of the problem is due to the low salary of $10.00 per hour.

As an experienced boating accident and drowning accident lawyer, I am very much well aware that the summer season brings its share of tragedies. However most boaters and swimmers must be aware of the dangers and as beach resorts derive a significant portion of their revenue from visitors why not pay a little bit more to hire qualified lifeguards. A survey indicated that nearby municipalities pay only one to two dollars more for lifeguards and have no problem filling the spots. Never skimp on safety.

Continue reading " Nine Deaths By Drowning or Boating Accidents Before Summer Even Starts - Experienced Boating Accident and Drowning Lawyer Weighs In " »

Many hotels and motels are now requiring housekeepers and security staff to know more than how to clean. For security purposes, hotel maids are being taught to become more savvy about signs of dangerous drugs left behind by guests or in rooms that would indicate the potential for suspicious behavior. Some hotel and motel officials claim that rooms were rented temporarily and set up as drug manufacturing or meth labs. Obviously this presents a dangerous situation for other guests or employees in the hotel, as well as preventing employees and other guests from the dangers of exposure to chemicals utilized in the drug manufacturing process. Housekeepers are advised to keep their eyes peeled for danger signs left in rooms including but not limited to acetone, Muriatic acid, Ephedrine based cold tablets, bunsen burners, blow torches, or liter plastic bottles filled with tubes. Hotel security has also been advised to express concern to motel or hotel operators if they see many garbage bags in a room or a lot of matchbook covers left behind and are increasingly being trained to watch out for abnormal behavior.

Hotel attacks in inadequate security or negligent security cases generally involve the failure of motel and hotel owners to implement reasonable and ordinary safety and security measures for the protection of their customers from crime. The experienced Philadelphia hotel attack and inadequate security lawyers of Reiff & Bily know that in a tightened economy many hotel and motel owners and operators take shortcuts as they are more often concerned about profits rather than safety. Unfortunately our skilled and experienced Pennsylvania hotel and motel injury and attack lawyers learn about inadequate security or hotel attack cases after an easily avoidable tragedy occurs.

Continue reading " Many Hotel Workers and Maids Are Being Trained To Identify Signs Of Dangerous Drugs When Cleaning Rooms and Bathrooms - Hotel Attack and Inadequate Security Lawyer Weighs In " »

I am 56 years old and unfortunately like many others in America have been prescribed statins as a prophylactic means of preventing heart disease and increased cholesterol. I have been prescribed at least 3 or 4 different brands of the cholesterol drugs. However, I have had to discontinue them due to what I can only describe as excruciating muscle pain.

Recently the FDA issued a warning to the medical community as well as consumers concerning risks of muscle damage and Rhabdomyolysis caused by high doses of the cholesterol drug Simvastatin. On June 8, 2011, a drug safety communication was issued noting that the FDA is recommending limited usage of 80 milligrams of Simvastin doses due to the increased risk of muscle damage. Patients taking a Simvastatin dosage of 80 milligrams daily may have an increased risk of myopathy compared to patients taking lower doses of this drug or drugs in the same class. The risk appears to be higher during the first year of treatment and is often the result of interactions with certain medicines and is frequently associated with a genetic predisposition toward Simvastatin-related myopathies.

Myopathy is a muscle disease which often results in muscle pain, tenderness, weakness, or an elevation of muscle enzymes in the blood (creatine kinase or CK). The most serious form of myopathy Zocor can lead to is Rhabdomyolysis which can cause serious and potentially life threatening kidney damage or kidney failure.

The pharmaceutical drug team at Reiff & Bily in conjunction with the Beasley Firm have joined forces to work as the Beasley Reiff Law Group. Our skilled pharmaceutical and Zocor lawyers are now reviewing individual cases. If you are taking the highest approved dose of Zocor, we recommend that you immediately contact your doctor and carefully weigh the risks versus benefits of continued use. Zocor was first approved for use in the United States in 1991 but the patent for the drug expired on June 23, 2006 opening up the markets to generic brands as well. Since then in 2008, the FDA has issued its first warning pertaining to Rhabdomyolysis being linked to Zocor use. In March 2010, the FDA issued two more warnings. In the first warning, it asked healthcare professionals to avoid prescribing Zocor dosages higher than 40mg. where patients were taking other medications and stressed that taking the drug in 80 mg. dosages may also increase the likelihood of patients developing that same disease. Despite those warnings, many doctors and health professionals continue to prescribe the high dose of cholesterol fighting drugs to patients.

Continue reading " Pennsylvania Drug Defect Lawyers Reviewing Zocor Claims For Rhabdomyolysis Muscle Damage " »

In 2007 Congress passed the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Safety Spa Act named for the 70-year old granddaughter of Secretary of State James Baker who died in a hot tub after getting trapped in a drain.

The experienced hot tub, swimming pool accident and drowning accident lawyers of Reiff & Bily have been pool safety advocates for decades are aware that a pool drain or spa drain can be an extremely hazardous unknowing danger and many are unaware of the suction forces that can disembowel and kill innocent individuals. Unfortunately as recent stories and inquiries indicate, the law has not been implemented as planned and there was a pre-Memorial Day recall of more than one million pool drain covers, as well as a plethora of national drowning and submersion injuries. Even in a wading pool, a child can suffer a suction evisceration from a pool drain which can occur in the blink of an eye. Typically a suction entrapment can occur when a swimmer, usually a small child, is trapped by suction forces created by water rushing out of the drain at the bottom of the pool.

Under the Virginia Graeme Baker Act $4 million dollars in grants were awarded to states to bring pool safety codes up to Federal standards. Yet not one state has fully done so. The Consumer Product Safety Commission notes that one of the biggest hurdles of the safety agency has been enforcing compliance with the law and has contracted out with 16 state and local health departments to do more than 2,800 inspections at $400 each. Unbelievably those contracts cover less than 1% of the 300,000 commercial pools in America, yet do not include residential pools and spas which are numbered at more than 16 million.

While we salute the passage of the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, without enforcement and strict re-enforcement of regulations with teeth, it is more likely than not that innocent victims will continue to sustain submersion and drowning injuries and future deaths.

As an experienced drowning and swimming pool accident lawyer committed to swimming pool and water safety, it is imperative that we all pay more attention to this potential swimming hazard.

If you or a loved one has been involved in a swimming pool or hot tub accident or suffered a submersion injury or drowning incident, the experienced swimming pool and drowning accident lawyers of Reiff & Bily offer a free, no obligation confidential consultation by our lawyers and team of experts. We understand how quickly one’s loss of dreams can occur in a simple underwater or drowning accident. Contact us toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

Despite new systems to eliminate medical and surgical errors, many busy surgeons still continue to operate on the wrong body part which is considered a “never, never event “. Recently I went in for minor surgery due to tennis elbow and was sedated in a waiting and holding area prior to be wheeled into the operating room at which point the doctor came up to me and said what are we here for today to which I responded him “Why don’t you tell me?"

Recently I read of a case involving a 4-year old girl who went in for surgery on her right eye. The surgeon even wrote her initials above her right eye to prevent a surgical mixup but during the surgery to fix a wandering right eye, the doctor erroneously operated on a healthy left eye. Doctors claim that in some procedures it is very hard to distinguish the target site from the healthy site and that they sometimes confuse identical or similar patient names. As a practicing Pennsylvania medical and surgical malpractice lawyer for over three decades whose law firm employs a team of registered nurses and medical legal professionals, we find that many times health professionals go through the motions but are in such a rush or hurry with a backlog of patients waiting for surgery that they delegate responsibilities and mistakes are made. Of course, the surgeon is the captain of the ship but all of those present during surgery, including the nurse, surgical assistant, interns, or residents have the right and should halt a surgical procedure if they see a safety step being bypassed. Surgeons should always mark a surgical site in advance of the operation and do what is considered to be a one last make sure in which other members of the surgical team ascertain that the correct patient is present and the correct site is revealed for the surgical site and that all medical records including x-rays and diagnostic tests match. It is bad enough to have to subject yourself to surgery. However when you wake up and discover that a wrong and previously healthy body part was operated on, the wrongdoers should be held accountable for their actions.

The experienced Philadelphia medical and surgical malpractice lawyers of Reiff & Bily have recently joined forces with the Beasley Firm and together our skilled medical malpractice attorneys have been noted for legendary work in the area of medical malpractice and surgical errors. Together our attorneys have been awarded over $2 billion dollars since 1958 on behalf of victims and their families. For a free, no obligation consultation contact us online at www.reiffandbily.com or toll free at 1-800-421-9595.

As an experienced Pennsylvania airbag defect lawyer who also litigates many auto defect cases involving seat belt design defects and flaws, it is important to understand that airbags and seat belts compliment each other in their function and new automotive technology has advanced to the point where airbag systems and occupant restraints are completely intertwined. Most airbag sensor modules report back to an event data recorder. A poorly designed airbag sensor will often deprive the occupant of pretensioner on the seat belt. Load limiters are specifically designed to work with airbags and if an airbag fails to deploy a seat belt can spool out dangerously exposing the occupant to a catastrophic injury and unfortunately many times a fatality. The intertwining of the smart systems controlling airbags and seat belts in vehicles requires a non-failure and proper design of the load limiters and pretensioners.

A poorly designed occupant classification sensor often results in the failure of an airbag to deploy. It is important in any type of airbag and seat belt failure case to immediately secure the vehicle and avoid spoilation of evidence so that valuable forensic evidence can be collected from the date recorders, as well as vehicle examination, to support a seat back or airbag defect claim.

Unfortunately, our office was just retained in a tragic case where a child was brain damaged and lost vision only to discover that the prior lawyer who handled the case never sent a non-spoilation letter and failed to preserve the evidence. Despite the fact that the first attorney has repeatedly informed the clients that the vehicle was in a secure and safe environment, the vehicle turned out to be left in a junk yard with the allegedly defective components cannibalized and the vehicle became a storage facility for used tires.

Continue reading " Airbags and Seat Belts Must Work Together As They Are Complimentary In Fashion and A Failure Of Any Components Can Be Catastrophic " »

Approximately 30 years ago, I represented the family of a working man who was struck by the rear wheels of a tractor trailer while it was making too narrow a turn from one of the narrow streets in Philadelphia to a main roadway. In the process of the turn, the left rear wheels of the tractor trailer came up on the sidewalk and struck and crushed an innocent victim. The truck driver claimed that he never saw the victim. What most pedestrians do not understand is that large trucks have a blind spot in the front and the rear of the vehicle. Crowded city streets pose navigation problems for major trucks particularly in pedestrian crowded areas. Some trucks are outfitted with a convex mirror that will help improve visibility and reduce the risk of pedestrian accidents. However, many trucks still do not have this simple fix which would eliminate the truck driver’s blind spot to allow them to clearly see the pedestrians crossing in front of them and behind the truck.

The U.S. Department of Transportation reported that more than 66% of pedestrians killed by trucks weighing more than 10,000 lbs. were initially impacted in front of the truck many due to this blind spot which would be avoided by the convex mirror.

Recently the legislators of New York state introduced a bill requiring all trucks, trailers, and tractor trailers with a gross weight of over 26,000 lbs. or more to be equipped with crossover convex mirrors when operating in New York City. Believe it or not, the mirror heads themselves only cost $10 to $29 each and assembly kits are $23 to $57 each, a simple fix and an inexpensive cost that would save lives.

If you or a loved one has been involved in a truck related accident, the experienced Pennsylvania truck accident lawyers of Reiff & Bily understand the ins and outs of trucking law and will work 110% to recover financial damages sustained. We have successfully represented over three generations of victims and their families since 1979 and have recently joined forces with the Beasley Firm to create the Beasley Reiff Law Group. Together our attorneys have been awarded billions of dollars since 1958. Contact us toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com. We always offer a free, no obligation consultation.

The Pennsylvania inadequate security and premises liability law firm of Reiff & Bily has been representing individuals and their families who have been victimized as a result of inadequate hotel security for more than three decades.

In the last year, we have noted a dramatic increase in inquiries concerning hotel safety violations which we felt closely paralleled a tightening economy combined with a decrease in hotel occupancy levels necessitating cut backs on safety, guards, and concerns. Many hotels and motels failed to provide their staff even with the most minimal critical safety training. Failing to recognize that safety must always be a priority and that one headline incident or claim can result in a tremendous loss of business due to negative publicity is a fatal error for many hotel and motel operators. While many hotel chains advertise that the new comfortable bed is their number one priority, they never speak about safety or security.

Hotel operators and owners are obligated to protect the safety and lives of hotel guests and staff through their preventive security measures. Even today as I check in almost regularly to some fairly high end hotels, I note that many of the corridors are poorly lit and there are tunnels, nooks, or crannies in parking lots or building spaces where crimes can easily be committed. New or inexpensive technology is an important part of meeting hotel safety requirements such as closed circuit cameras in elevators, hallways, and parking lots. If a hotel or motel is located in an intercity or high crime area, the owner and operator has an obligation to take steps to secure the premises by hiring highly qualified security guards as well as training the staff and implementing safety procedures to ultimately insure the safety of their customers.

Continue reading " Hotel Security Lawyer Notes A Dramatic Increase In Hotel Inadequate Security Related Claims " »

This past weekend I had a 3-year old child at my house and nervously watched from a distance as one of her arms slipped from a water wing while she floated in 6 feet of water. Thankfully, there was a supervising adult nearby.

As an experienced Pennsylvania swimming pool and water accident lawyer, I have reviewed and investigated many situations involving the failure of floatation devices which unwittingly lulled parents and children into a false sense of security.

As a young boy, I remember being pushed from a raft and falling over and sinking to the bottom of the pool to be rescued by my father who was standing nearby. Of course, I felt secure in the pool on the raft but after I sank and was brought to the surface choking water, I was traumatized for life and became particularly sensitive to these issues and at this date prosecute swimming pool and water injury death and drowning cases. Young children think of swimming pools as fun and do not associate floats or water wings with water safety. If one of these devices fails or falls off, drowning or catastrophic injury resulting from water submersion is a definite possibility. While I refer generically to child flotation devices or water wings, others refer to them as floaties, armbands, swimmies, or side wings, they all have similar construction in that they are inflatable plastic bands worn around the child’s upper arm to provide mild flotation for uncertain swimmers. Many times they are not worn snugly or not properly inflated or have leaks or holes or simply the child pulls them off. Whenever a child is in the pool with waterwings, it is ultimately more important to have proper safety equipment and parents or other adults supervising the child carefully when they are in or near the water. I recommend enrolling children in water safety or swimming classes as soon as possible and safety rules must always be enforced with no horseplay or other unsafe behaviors and certainly there should be no pets, such as dogs, in or near the swimming area which may play with the child and bite the water wings puncturing the same. Just like any other activity in life, chance favors the prepared mind. The safety of children in pools should never be compromised.

Continue reading " Water Wings and Flotation Devices May Be Dangerous As They Have A Tendency To Lull Parents and Children Into a False Sense of Security " »

According to a news release from Morey’s Pier in Wildwood, NJ a “young female" was injured as a result of an incident on one of the largest ferris wheels on the East Coast of the United States. Early news reports are indicating that witnesses state that she unfortunately died as a result of her injuries. The young female victim was flown by helicopter to a local hospital. A spokesperson for Morey’s Pier noted that the exact cause of the accident has not been determined and an investigation is underway.

Our hearts, thoughts, and prayers go out to the young victim, her family and friends and as an experienced amusement park accident attorney I would welcome an independent third party investigation and evaluation of what went wrong.

The lawyers of Reiff & Bily in conjunction with the lawyers of the Beasley Firm have joined forces to form the Beasley Reiff Law Group and are currently representing multiple victims of amusement park accidents at the New Jersey seashore. We also recommend the victim’s surviving family not talk to any insurance adjusters or attorneys for Morey’s Pier until they have consulted their own experienced catastrophic injury, wrongful death, or amusement accident lawyer who will independently fight for their rights and look out for their best interests. Many times the corporations that run large amusement parks have powerful legal defense teams on their side and will have their insurance people work on a case right away to protect their interests rather than those of the victims. It is important for amusement park victims not to sign any papers or agreements without consulting an experienced amusement park lawyer first.

As an experienced amusement park accident lawyer, I have a number of questions and concerns. Was this ride accident the result of negligence on the part of the amusement park? Was the ride maintained and inspected as required by state laws? Was the ride accident the result of defective parts or components of the ride? Was there an electrical, mechanical, or metallurgical failure? Was there a safety or system failure? Were the operators properly trained and given background checks? Was the accident caused by operator error? Depending on where fault lies, the appropriate parties can be held responsible for the accident and resulting injuries. An experienced Pennsylvania and New Jersey amusement park accident attorney will diligently investigate this claim with the best third party experts and accident reconstructionists to insure the victim’s rights are protected and that they receive just compensation for injuries and losses. For a free, no obligation consultation contact us online at www.reiffandbily.com or toll free at 1-800-421-9595. The skilled catastrophic injury and wrongful death lawyers of the Beasley Reiff Law Group have been awarded billions of dollars since 1958 representing the interests of catastrophically injured victims and their families.

The Beasley Reiff Law Group is honored to announce that seven of its attorneys were included in the 2011 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers®. Our lawyers were selected for inclusion by our peers, independent third party research, and evaluation. Jim Beasley and Dion Rassias were included in the Top 100 2011 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers®, Barbara Axelrod was included in the 2011 Top 50 Women Pennsylvania Super Lawyers®, and Jeffrey Reiff, Raymond M. Bily, Scott Bennett, and Marsha Santangelo, M.D., J.D., were included in the 2011 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers®.

As a law firm who has devoted decades to helping injury victims and family members of wrongful death victims obtain justice from negligent parties, all of the Beasley Reiff Law Group trial lawyers have secured verdicts or settlements of amounts over seven and eight figures in addition to obtaining over $2 billion dollars in awards since 1958.

About 5% of lawyers in Pennsylvania are chosen for inclusion in Super Lawyers. The process for selecting attorneys for inclusion in Super Lawyers is founded upon peer nominations, evaluations, and independent research. Candidates are evaluated from 70 practice areas and Super Lawyers strives to create a credible, all-encompassing, varied list of outstanding attorneys with the highest degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.

The Beasley Reiff Law Group is pleased that so many of our attorneys have been selected for inclusion in 2011 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers. Since 1958, our Philadelphia trial attorneys have fought and won justice for individuals injured and family members of those killed due to another’s negligence, recklessness, or oversight. We continue to uphold our reputation one case at a time as we help those who have been suffered catastrophic injury or lost a family member obtain the compensation they deserve from negligent parties.

As an experienced boating accident and jet ski accident lawyer, I can almost predict that when Memorial Day rolls around, the newspapers will be full of stories of boating and jet ski accidents. Unfortunately a 31-year old local woman was killed and became Delaware’s first boating fatality of 2011 when the jet ski she was operating collided with another jet ski on Rehoboth Bay.

In a separate accident popular entertainer Sean Kingston crashed his jet ski into a bridge with a passenger on the back and remains hospitalized in critical condition. According to news reports, Mr. Kingston's passenger stated that Kingston was going so fast that he lost control and crashed into a bridge.

As an experienced jet ski accident lawyer and jet ski rider for many years, I am compelled to comment that jet ski riding needs tighter regulations as it is all too easy for anyone to rent a jet ski with little or no training and drive forward at a high rate of speed only to become involved in a catastrophic accident. Jet skis do not have brakes, travel at high speeds, and can maneuver very quickly with an inexperienced and an uneducated rider. Unexpected injuries often come as a surprise. However all too many times fatalities occur.

The Pennsylvania boating accident and jet ski accident lawyers of Reiff & Bily recently joined forces with the Beasley Firm to create the Beasley Reiff Law Group. Our skilled catastrophic injury and wrongful death lawyers have been awarded over $2 billion dollars since 1958. We always offer a free, no obligation consultation. Contact us online at www.reiffandbily.com or toll free at 1-800-421-9595.

As an experienced Pennsylvania boating accident attorney, I recently reviewed a story that took place on a lake in Minnesota when a 27-year old girl and her 30-year old girlfriend were killed in an easily preventable boating accident when a 24-foot lake boat she was operating violently crashed into two boat lifts and hit a tree. According to the investigative report there was evidence of intoxication by the boat operator and alcohol was found on the boat. This story is not so unique and I can personally relate to this story as my father was an innocent passenger on a high performance speed boat operated by a fairly prominent Philadelphian who as it turned out was intoxicated and was involved in a catastrophic accident injuring his passengers. The accident involving my father occurred as a result of the intoxicated boat operator’s negligent operation of the high speed boat where he throttled his boat to a high rate of speed in excess of 60 mph and jumped a high wake of a passing boat causing him to lose control of the boat where everyone onboard, including the intoxicated boat operator, was ejected from the boat resulting in catastrophic and permanent injuries. One thing is for certain - high speed power boats and alcohol never mix and often lead to a deadly combination.

As an experienced boat skipper for a great majority of my lifetime, I have owned and operated sail boats, motor boats, jet skis and recently owned and operated a 36-foot racing speed boat that was capable of reaching 80 mph. I have flown airplanes, driven motorcycles, and driven racing cars, and it is safe for me to state that the high speed motor boat was probably one of the most dangerous vehicles or craft that I have ever operated which I can only describe as moments of pure pleasure punctuated by moments of extreme fear. When you are traveling at a high rate of speed over the waterways hitting a wave the wrong way or hitting submerged object it can cause a catastrophic incident of flip over to occur in just an instant. Operating a high speed boat required my full attention and complete concentration and I am afraid to say, almost more. In fact, I might state that it was so scary that I would dare not consider imbibing in the slightest bit of alcohol or any other substance due to my natural fear factor.

Continue reading " The Water Is Often A Place For Dreams and Memories To Be Made But Offers Little Or No Forgiveness When There Is An Accident " »

As an experienced Pennsylvania product liability and defective product lawyer for over three decades, I am witnessing an ever increasing call to safety as federal agencies and have put more pressure on manufacturers to recall allegedly dangerous products. As more and more consumers complain about problems over the internet and as more and more bloggers are able to express concerns about potentially dangerous situations and products, recalls seem to be occurring on a daily basis being led by the auto industry.

If you receive a recall notice, this experienced Pennsylvania liability lawyer advises you to act swiftly to avoid injury regardless of whether or not you consider the safety issue to be serious. The internet is turning out to be one of the consumers best friends when it comes to product safety by keeping necessary pressure on manufacturers who are normally accustomed to emphasizing profitability and return to shareholders rather than safety.

If you or a loved one has been injured by a defective product, put decades of legal experience on your side to help you recover the financial damages you deserve. Reiff & Bily has recently joined forces with the Beasley Firm and together our accomplished trial lawyers have been awarded over $2 billion dollars since 1958. For a free, no obligation consultation contact us online at www.reiffandbily.com or toll free at 1-800-421-9595.