Philadelphia Injury Attorney Blog

Imagine that you are driving your vehicle down the roadway and suddenly, without warning, your tire tread separates, causing you to lose control of your vehicle. If your vehicle has a high center of gravity, there is a good likelihood that the vehicle will roll over and the roof may crush onto your body. If you are luckier, you may only just lose control, striking a guardrail or wall. These are common scenarios resulting from a tire detread incident.

As consumers, we have the right to expect that the products we purchase, including tires, are safe for use. If a tire detreads, it may simply be due to a manufacturing or design defect. However, many times manufacturers know of a problem but failed to warn the consumer of a known danger. A significant number of vehicle crashes and rollovers are caused by tire detreads or failures even when the user who purchased the tire believes that the tires were safe based upon a cursory inspection.

Continue reading "When Your Tire Tread Separates, You May Be On the Road to Disastrous Consequences and Life Changing Injuries" »

Recently, the skilled airbag defect lawyers in Philadelphia of Reiff & Bily were successful in resolving a claim against a major automobile manufacturer when a frontal airbag deployed in a low impact accident below the 8 mph EEV “no fire” threshold. Unfortunately, due to the airbag failure defect, the plaintiff lost her vision. Within the last year, many of the major automobile manufacturers have issued warnings and recalls concerning airbag defects and component failures.

Automatic airbag systems are very complex. All it takes is a defective airbag sensor to result in an airbag failing to deploy, deploying too early, deploying too late, deploying over aggressively, or deploying inadvertently when there is not a crash. Typically, airbag sensory defects and injuries are caused by inadequate deployment threshold, electrical issues, poor sensor placement, installation of too few sensors, improper use of tethers to make sure airbags do not reach too far, as well as improper consumer warnings or failure to warn of no danger. Many times the pre-tensioner will not deploy.

Continue reading "The Non-Deployment or Inadvertent Deployment of an Airbag Often Leads To Catastrophic Consequences, Advises Airbag Safety Advocate" »

According to news sources, U.S. safety regulators have indicated that 16 crashes and 5 injuries were related to transmission control problems with BMW series 7 cars. The vehicles have not yet been recalled. However, 122,000 BMW’s from 2002 through 2008 model years are being investigated. According to the investigation, many drivers or owners of these vehicles think they are in park when they are actually in neutral and can roll away unexpectedly, crash, and injure others.

As experienced Pennsylvania auto product liability lawyers, we have written before about safety concerns on electronic transmissions and push button start.

If you have had any issues with an electronic transmission or electronic start button, you should immediately take your car back to the dealer, notify them of the problem, and make a written record. If you feel that the vehicle is not safe to drive, do not be afraid to contact the manufacturer’s national office directly.

We are aware of several cases where electronic controls and ignitions gave false readings and as the owner of a vehicle that contains the same, I have had my own series of concerns and safety issues.

The Pennsylvania motor vehicle accident and product liability lawyers of Reiff and Bily always offer a free, no obligation consultation to those involved in a catastrophic car accident. We believe that safety should never trump the profitability of manufacturers. Contact us toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

This past weekend, I was asked to comment on a case where a car slammed into a restaurant, broke through the walls, and injured a number of customers killing another innocent and unknowing victim who was dining. The initial investigation of the incident revealed that the elderly driver of the car meant to hit the brakes but instead pressed the gas pedal crashing into the building.

Just last year, I was consulted on a similar case where an elderly gentleman also erroneously hit the accelerator pedal rather than the brake and crashed through the walls of fast food restaurant catastrophically injuring innocent patrons. This unfortunate scenario is more common than one can imagine.

A skilled catastrophic injury and wrongful death lawyer experienced in the arena of restaurant crash accidents, premise liability, car accident law, and automotive product liability should immediately begin a comprehensive investigation of the facts and work closely with authorities and independent investigators to determine the causation of the accident. Often many complex theories of law become intertwined in the investigation and litigation of car crash into restaurant cases.

The experienced Pennsylvania product liability, premise liability, and car accident lawyers of Reiff and Bily works with experienced and independent structural engineers, architects, building, safety, OSHA, and cognitive behavioral assessment experts to carefully analyze the facts of each individual case. We request that our experts credibly opine about the inadequacy of curb and building structures, as well as immediately look for product defects on the striking vehicle including but not limited to; defective braking system, failure of steering system, or faulty acceleration .

There are many ways that a vehicle crash into a restaurant can occur. Perhaps the driver was intoxicated or under the influence of mind altering drugs or prescriptions. Perhaps the driver was speeding, or perhaps there was a defect with the vehicle that prevented the driver from stopping or having his vehicle under control.

At any rate, one thing is for certain, when innocent bystanders are harmed due to a car accident or premise liability claim such as this, they are entitled to have a full independent investigation completed by an experienced car accident and premise liability attorney who understands how in just a matter of seconds a victim and their family’s lives can be changed. The victim and their family have a right to expect that they will be entitled to recover monetary damages for the harm caused to them by the wrongdoers.

The experienced Pennsylvania car accident, premise liability, and product liability lawyers of Reiff and Bily have over 30 years of experience representing the interests of catastrophically injured victims and their families, offering a free no obligation consultation and a zero recovery, no fee guarantee. For more information contact us toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

As an experienced automobile defect and car accident attorney for over three decades, I recognize one thing, cars should be designed safely for everyone whether they are adults or children. Unfortunately, when it comes to safety many of the large automobile manufacturers have sacrificed the interests of both children and those individuals that are above or below average sized individuals.

Each year, thousands of children are seriously injured and killed due to poor seat belt fit or improper restraint systems in the vehicle.

Many times child and infant car seats are improperly designed or have manufacturing defects presenting hidden dangers. Children between the ages of 4 and 8 under 80 lbs. are typically less than 48 inches tall and are exposed to a higher risk of catastrophic injury or wrongful death than an adult because adult safety seat belts are designed to protect adults and not children. When a seat belt fails to protect or fit an individual correctly, there is an excellent chance that in a catastrophic accident restrained individuals will sustain a submersion injury, rollover injury, or positioning injury leading to catastrophic injuries such as quadriplegia, paraplegia, or death.

The Pennsylvania automobile defect and product liability lawyers of Reiff and Bily understand that prevention of injuries must always be priority number one rather than profits for automobile manufacturers. Seat belt restraint systems are design issues and defectively designed or manufactured seat belts and seat belt buckles that lead to potential failures, unlatch, false latch, inadvertent latch, and retractor failures create a catastrophically dangerous situation that many people do not learn of until it is just too late.

The National Highway Safety Administration is charged with writing and enforcing safety, theft resistance, and fuel economy guidelines for motor vehicles. However, as an experienced Pennsylvania automobile product liability attorney who has handled a substantial number of catastrophic car accident cases, I am well aware that these are only minimal standards and guidelines.

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, (FMVSS), are regulations written in terms of the minimum safety performance requirements for motor vehicles, motor vehicle items, and motor vehicle equipment. Many of the big auto makers take pride in announcing that their vehicles meet these “minimal" standards, however, a safely designed car should exceed these standards, especially if there is a safer design alternative.

In 1980, NHTSA recognized the need for safer interiors of vehicles and identified improvements to padding and cushioning in the event of an accident. In 1989, the application of one inch of padding was required to interior surfaces which was indicated to reduce head trauma by half as much. The Department of Transportation estimated the cost of padding all roof, rails, and areas likely to have an impact was approximately $33 per car.

Safety is not one thing, it’s everything. Understanding that NHTSA or FMVSS government standards are only minimal guidelines and applying conventional wisdom that cars and motor vehicles should be safe makes it intolerable and unacceptable when automobile manufacturers cut corners and emphasize safety over profits. While automobile manufacturers always speak about compliance with federal standards, standard testing typically does not call for all types of situations or applications.

Keeping this in mind, if you or a loved one has been involved in a serious motor vehicle accident, you may want to contact an experienced car accident and automotive product liability attorney to fully evaluate your claim and search the road less traveled for answers and proper compensation. The experienced Pennsylvania car accident and automotive product liability lawyers of Reiff and Bily always offer a free, no obligation consultation. Contact us toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

When I was a young teenager in school one of my favorite books to read was “To Kill A Mockingbird". Atticus Finch, the fictional protagonist of the Pulitzer Prize winning novel is a lawyer in a small Alabama county and has been named as one of the greatest heroes in American film. In a rousing speech given to the jury, Finch claims “There is one way in this country in which all men are created equal – there is one human institution that makes a pauper the equal of a Rockefeller, the stupid man the equal of an Einstein, and the ignorant man the equal of any college President. That institution gentlemen is the court".

Although fictional, Atticus Finch has always been one of my heroes and one of the main reasons that I became a lawyer.

Every person is entitled to every presumption of reaching the heights of a lifetime without sustaining injuries that could have been easily prevented had it not been for the negligence of others, or a defectively designed product.

As an experienced Pennsylvania product liability and motor vehicle defect lawyer for over three decades, I have recognized that money, power, and greed often leads to ruthless and preventable catastrophic injuries and deaths that will greatly affect my clients and their families for the rest of their life. Many times when I visit a new case, I seethe with anger (which is not a bad starting point) as I search to put the pieces of the puzzle together which will shine a light on how my clients and their families were betrayed. In most cases the facts reveal that the victim suffered a wrong and is fully entitled to justice. One must always stand for something or you fall for anything.

I see how insurance companies and corporate defendants continue to turn their backs on catastrophically injured individuals or the victims of families who are wrongfully killed when the bills of life keep coming and the medical costs keep accumulating. I do believe that the right to enjoy one’s life in a safe and proper manner is not one thing, it is everything. Jeffrey Reiff is the founding partner of Reiff and Bily, a catastrophic injury and wrongful death law firm in Philadelphia, PA.

How many times have you been driving down the highway and seen treads, shredded tires, or torn pieces of tires sitting on the side of the road on the shoulder. The sale of used tires and retreaded tires is booming. While a significant number of vehicle crashes are caused as a result of tire failures, and even though the purchaser believed they were getting safe tires based upon the visual conditions, many times the bargain leads to a catastrophic accident. Many times tires possess defects that cannot be easily detected visually. Oxidation or micro-cracks in tires can lead to a catastrophic tread or belt separation. However, unfortunately, the age of a tire does not prevent it from being sold at a cheap price on the used tire market or the retread market.

We recently successfully resolved a case where a tire experienced a belt separation causing the vehicle to lose control. The tire manufacturer claimed there was no defect on the tire. Most times, the tire installer or customer does not possess the ability to spot loose cords or belt separation in a tire, and unfortunately used tires are not subject to any federal standards. The road fitness of a tire is governed only under state tread depth laws.

Every year thousands of people will die and even more will be catastrophically injured due to the use of defective retread tires on vehicles. Environmentalists claim that retreading tires saves huge amounts of natural resources as opposed to replacing worn tires. However, safety should always take priority over profitability. Simply put, retread tires are second hand tires that have just been recoated with a tread veneer creating a potentially volatile situation.

Continue reading "A Tire Tread Separation Often Results In Lose Of Control Of A Vehicle With Tragic Consequences" »

For over three decades, our experienced auto and defective seat back lawyers have investigated and litigated auto product defect cases and those which involve catastrophic injury resulting from a defective seat back. Unfortunately many cars have defective seat design and in a low or medium speed collision the seat fails and allows the occupant to be thrust forward or rearward or even ejected from the vehicle. This type of action often results in a catastrophic injury including but not limited to paraplegia, quadriplegia and brain dysfunction. When a seat collapses or is thrust forward, the effectiveness of the restraint system notably fails and injuries may also be caused to passengers in the rear of the vehicle as the seat collapses upon them with increased load and forces.

Automobile manufacturers have been aware of seat back failures and defects for decades and have taken little steps to improve safety due to the fact that the governmental safety standards establish a weak minimum for safety.

Recently there has been a wake of recalls for defective seat backs. In the last year, Ford recalled many 2011 Explorers with allegations that the potential for defective seat backs may not provide required strength in a crash increasing the risk of injury. Unfortunately manufacturers of car seats are not required to test car seats in crash tests and our skilled auto product defect and seat back defect attorneys do not believe that safety standards are stringent enough to prevent fatalities and catastrophic injuries due to lack of proper seat strength standards.

Recently our experienced auto product defect lawyers have joined forces with the legendary Beasley Firm to create the Beasley Reiff Law Group and together have been awarded more than $2 billion dollars in settlements, awards, and verdicts since 1958. For more information, please contact us toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

For over three decades my partners, associates, and I have investigated and litigated many claims against manufacturers of defective products. A defective product usually involves a design defect, manufacturing defect, or marketing defect. The law holds manufacturers, sellers, and distributors of products responsible for products that pose a danger to users or consumers as a result of a design or manufacturing defect.

Unfortunately many product defect legal cases involve allegations of fraud or unfair business practices and many manufacturers of defective products that cause catastrophic disfiguring injuries or wrongful death will go to great lengths to conceal the cause of an injury or death despite the fact that they knew for decades about root causes of a problem. Many large corporations employ systematic and exact strategies that are carefully hidden from public eye until a skilled and experienced product liability lawyers carefully investigate and dissect these claims based upon a catastrophic injury or wrongful death.

In many of our product liability legal cases, we have reviewed confidential intra and inter-company communications clearly revealing coverups and on many occasions whistleblower employees have come forward with knowledge of evidence concealment involving the manufacturer. Taking on major corporations for product defects litigation requires legal skill and experience that often takes decades to develop. Product liability litigation matters are generally intellectually challenging and complex.

Since 1979 the experienced Pennsylvania product liability attorneys of Reiff & Bily have been researching and litigating numerous product defect and design cases with great success. Recently our skilled product liability trial lawyers have joined forces with the legendary product liability lawyers of the Beasley Firm to create the Beasley Reiff Law Group. Together our job is to determine who is responsible for placing victims and their families in an unforeseen and unimaginable position when tragedy strikes. We believe that manufacturers must be held accountable for product defects and the lack of concern for consumer safety and always believe that safety should never be an option and always trumps profitability.

Since 1957, the combined forces of our lawyers have recovered over $2 billion dollars. We always offer a free, no obligation consultation to those injured as a result of a defective product. For more information, contact us toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.