Philadelphia Injury Attorney Blog

What started out as an evening event with laughter, smiles, cider, and ginger snaps for a large family group ended up as a frightful hayride adventure resulting in broken bones, bruises, neck and back injuries when the seats and trailer being pulled by the truck broke apart. One of the young ladies was pinned underneath the side of the trailer that fell. According to one of the parties, the trailer had a shaky feel to it and as it gained speed going down the hill seemed to disintegrate.

Haunted hayrides seem innocuous and innocent to those of us who welcome Fall and look forward “Kodak" moments with the kids. Unfortunately, dangers that lurk about hayrides are not limited to those dressed in costumes attempting to scare the daylights out of you. The real dangers lie in defectively manufactured, designed and maintained trailers, that are covered with hay and blankets, and often overloaded when they carry the hay riders. Many times hayrides are operated by profit driven individuals or businesses who fail to understand that safety of the rider is paramount to profitability. Hayride operators owe a duty to their riders to properly maintain and inspect the trailer, seats, and railings, as well as provide proper and safe control and supervision of the riders. Many times the truck is being operated by someone with a curious or questionable background and if they take a sharp turn or make a sudden stop or travel too quickly down a hill, there may be an accident waiting to happen. According to news reports, this past weekend many hayride accidents occurred throughout the United States due to failure to have proper safety restraints or restrictions and governance.

Our hearts, thoughts, and prayers go out to those injured in hayride accidents. While I don’t wish to take the fun out of life, I just want you to make sure that before you go on a hayride, do a little bit of due diligence and recognize that accidents do happen. Make sure the facility has an excellent record of success and safety and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

The experienced hayride and amusement accident and premise liability lawyers of Reiff & Bily have evaluated thousands of cases involving catastrophic injuries, broken arms, and unfortunately wrongful deaths, and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for victims and their families. For more information, contact us toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

It’s the fall season and many churches, schools, and farms will be sponsoring hayrides. The normal hayride environment and atmosphere should lead to thoughts of smiles, laughter, cider and warm childhood memories for parents and children. Unfortunately, as an experienced defective trailer lawyer and hayride accident lawyer, what many individuals do not recognize is that there is a lack of safety standards and regulations for trailers of all kinds including hayrides which slip through many government safety and regulatory loopholes mostly because these events are sponsored on private property. In many cases there is no safety regulation at all!

Just last weekend six people were injured in a hayride accident when horses pulling a hayride were spooked and took off in different directions. One of the individuals, a 51-year old woman, sustained critical injuries and was helivaced to a hospital in Boston. Drivers of the wagon lost control of the hay wagon and horses broke free causing many passengers to fall off. In a separate hayride accident on the same weekend at a Michigan farm market, a woman fell off the hay wagon and was run over by it or was trampled while leading the wagon.

Every year our experienced Pennsylvania defective trailer lawyers and hayride accident lawyers learn of catastrophic accidents involving the death of innocent children and their parents because many people frankly do not understand the risks that accompany hayrides. Most hayrides are makeshift and although the operators claim that an accident was a freak occurrence, this is often not the case.

As an experienced Pennsylvania amusement park accident and hayride accident lawyer, I believe that many hayrides are accidents waiting to happen when proper control mechanisms are not in place, and when accidents do occur, the injuries are normally quite significant because of the number of people involved and the size and weight of the equipment. Many times these accidents are the result of inadequate supervision, improper training of ride operators, defective trailer design, inadequate site and safety crowd control.

If you or a loved one has been involved in a hayride accident, you should always speak to an experienced and accomplished hayride and amusement accident attorney. The accomplished hayride and amusement park accident lawyers of Reiff & Bily have successfully represented thousands of personal injury clients for catastrophic injuries since 1979 and have recently joined forces with the Beasley Firm to create the Beasley Reiff Law Group. Together our attorneys have been awarded over $2 billion dollars since 1957 representing the interests of those catastrophically injured or wrongfully killed. As always, we offer a free, no obligation consultation. Contact us toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

Over the last 30 years the hayride accident law firm of Reiff & Bily has successfully represented victims of amusement park accidents and those that occur at carnivals and seasonal hayrides. Recently an amusement ride operator was jailed on charges that he was drunk and urinated in the sight of riders while operating such a ride at a Pennsylvania farm show. The amusement operator was charged with reckless endangerment, open lewdness, and public drunkenness. In another case in which our amusement accident and hayride injury law firm was involved, we represented the family of a victim who was run over by a tractor trailer hayride at a suburban Philadelphia farm during a school event. The background investigation of the tractor operator noted that he had less than a stellar history and was in fact was not even a licensed driver, yet he was entrusted to drive and operate a ride that would carry thousands of children throughout the amusement season.

In Pennsylvania, an amusement ride is legally described as any mechanical device or combination devices including electrical equipment which is the integral part of a device or devices which carry passengers along for the primary purpose of giving passengers amusement pleasure, thrills, or excitement. The same includes any tram, open car, combination of open car or wagons pulled by a tractor or motorized device which may not be licensed by the Secretary of State, and the operator of the same is defined as one who has a duty to control the operation of the amusement ride or attraction at a carnival or fair and any person who operates an amusement ride or amusement attraction at a carnival or fair must obtain a permit for the same. The operator of such amusement attractions or rides is obligated to perform a criminal history and perform a check of the national sex offender public registry at the time they are hired and annually thereafter if they are in continued employment. Unfortunately individuals who are under the age of 17 are exempt from criminal history background checks. Unfortunately, we have found some amusement parks, carnivals, or hayride operations keep shoddy records, fail to check for substance abuse, evidence of required criminal history, or sex offense information, and in fact, hire drivers of motor vehicles that are non-licensed.

The purpose of the carnival and amusement ride safety act obviously is self explanatory. If an amusement operator fails to pay heed to these requirements, taking shortcuts and placing profitability over safety, and if an accident happens, they can be held legally responsible for resulting financial and emotional injuries that may be sustained by catastrophically injured victims and their families or those who are wrongfully killed due to their negligence.

Since 1979, the experienced Philadelphia carnival, amusement lawyers, and hayride accident attorneys of Reiff & Bily have successfully represented victims and their families and those who have been catastrophically injured or wrongfully killed due to the negligence of others, defective products, or defective maintenance, or improper hiring procedures. We always offer a free, no obligation consultation. For more information, contact us toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

At approximately 8:45 a.m. on Wednesday, July 27th, I was traveling southbound on a Philadelphia highway at approximately 50 mph when all of a sudden, a pickup truck marked prominently with the name of a landscaper and pulling equipment in a trailer went out of control, spun around, and crossed the lanes of traffic. Thankfully no one was injured in this accident and the trailer was slightly damaged, but as the driver pulled over, I noticed that the trailer did not appear to be properly attached and there were no safety chains. Furthermore, I did not notice operating brake lights working on the trailer. The trailer contained landscaping equipment that was not secured. Luckily it did not flip over. Believe it or not, the driver of the trailer pulled, resettled the trailer, and proceeded down the expressway at a high rate of speed, and in this detached and unhitched trailer attorney’s opinion, this situation represents an accident waiting to happen.

Unfortunately many such trailers may be homemade and are purposely made to be under the weight of 3,000 lbs. meaning they are not subject to regulation. Many state laws, including those in Pennsylvania, are silent as to the design and construction specification of such vehicles including towing safety chains or hitches. While this accident that I witnessed representing a situation of luck in terms of timing calls to attention the unregulated and un-policed state of the trailer industry and the trucks pulling trailers. Unfortunately there is no uniform system for reporting injuries or accidents and henceforth are many unreported dangers that will kill or catastrophically injure other innocent and unknowing victims.

The defective trailer accident and unsecured cargo lawyers of Reiff & Bily have decades of experience investigating and litigating unsecured trailer accidents and those accidents involving unsecured cargo that falls on a roadway. We have recently joined forces with the experienced defective trailer accident lawyers of the Beasley Firm to create the Beasley Reiff Law Group and employee a most experienced group of investigators and experts to determine how trailer and unsecured cargo accidents occur and who is liable. Since 1955, our skilled lawyers have together been awarded over two billion dollars on behalf of injured victims and their families. Our skilled unhitched trailer and unsecured cargo accident attorneys have been recognized as possessing the highest possible ratings in both legal ability and ethical standards and have been noted to be among the top attorneys in Pennsylvania and the nation. We always offer a free, no obligation and confidential consultation. Please contact us toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

The defective trailer hitch and trucking accident lawyers of Reiff & Bily urge all of our readers to follow safety tips offered in a new Purdue Extension Guide entitled AKeep The Trailer Connected To The Truck; Understanding The Hitch System.

As experienced Pennsylvania defective trailer and truck accident attorneys, we have investigated many claims where people were either catastrophically injured or wrongfully killed due to the negligence of another or a manufacturing or design defect involving a trailer hitch. Unfortunately, many people hitch trailers to cars without having full knowledge of how to properly do the same and therefore, create a risk of harm and danger to other innocent pedestrians or vehicles on the highway. Trucks, receivers, inserts, and balls all have a rating that list the maximum pulling weights with the lowest rated ball and components determining how much can be pulled. For example if a truck, receiver, and insert ratings are 5,000 lbs but the ball can only tow 2,500 lbs, the load should be no more than 2,500 lbs. We have found that many truckers or individuals pull more than the safety load putting strains on the system and causing a failure. Safety chains should also be employed and should be strong enough to hold the trailer if the hitch fails. It is important to confirm that emergency brake cables are functioning and properly connected to the trailer and that the loads are properly placed to minimize stress on the hitch system. In a recent traffic safety presentation to commercial groups, many attendees noted that they experienced a trailer coming loose or detached from a truck. One can only imagine the consequences when this occurs on a busy highway. As an experienced defective trailer hitch attorney who has investigated all too many of these cases, I can tell you that the results are generally tragic, resulting in catastrophic injury or wrongful death.

The defective trailer hitch and trucking accident attorneys of Reiff & Bily have recently joined forces with the Beasley Firm to create the Beasley Reiff Law Group. Our skilled defective trailer hitch and trucking accident attorneys have decades of experience representing those catastrophically injured or wrongfully killed due to the negligence of others as well as product defects. We always offer a free, no obligation consultation. Please contact us online at www.reiffandbily.com or toll free at 1-800-421-9595.

A study by Travelers Insurance Company and USI Rental Specialities concerning general liability losses for rental centers from 1996 to 2002 indicated three types of equipment generating a large number of losses are trailers, tents, and lifts. Fatalities involving lifts generally involve power line contact or failure to use fall protection. Fork lifts rank second in severity and fourth in total number of claims. Trailers rank third in severity and first in total number of claims. With regard to trailers, loader and delivery errors are responsible for 62.5% of all claims and 2 fatalities were attributed to trailers, one involving a bystander.

The main cause of trailer claims seems to be a disconnection between the towing vehicle and the trailer. As an experienced Pennsylvania trailer accident and defective trailer attorney, I am well aware that many times rental dealers do not provide adequate training and safety information verbally and in writing for rental equipment. Many times, the equipment is rented and used for purposes other than the operation for which it was designed. It is important that all rental agencies inspect and service the rental equipment before renting to users and do not modify the equipment without the manufacturers consent. All rental equipment should include new equipment with the latest industry safeguards. Old, out of date equipment, even if it is in working order, should be replaced. Obviously it takes a lot of rental income to make up for one significant loss.

As experienced trailer accident and defective trailer attorneys, we have investigated claims where rental companies have rented trailers to individuals with vehicles that were not strong enough to pull their loads. In other situations the rental company failed to properly hook up a trailer to a tow vehicle (or to instruct the renter) causing the unsecured trailer to come loose during towing, then separate and strike innocent pedestrians or passersby. Such failures led to accidents resulting in catastrophic injuries and fatalities.

If you or a loved one has been involved in a defective or unsafe trailer accident, please contact one of our experienced defective trailer accident attorneys at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com. For more information concerning the study, please click on Rental Claims Study.

If you are pulling a trailer, I bet you may not be aware of how unregulated safety and governmental laws are that pertain to safety chains and vehicle construction on trailers. As Pennsylvania defective trailer accident lawyers since 1979, we are all too familiar with substandard tow bars and hitches that give way resulting in accidents involving catastrophic injuries and death. Many times tow bars and hitches are made from thin, poorly designed metals that are fitted incorrectly, presenting a ticking time bomb in this highly unregulated and cavalier industry which puts profits over consumer safety. Every year there are thousands of catastrophic injuries and deaths related to towing and defective trailer accidents.

Unfortunately, in most states including Pennsylvania, very little regulation is addressed with regard to trailers that are less than 3,000 lbs. We have found that many trailers are manufactured to be just under the gross weight of 3,000 lbs. so as not to be subject to regulation, creating dangerous circumstances. All that most states require is that the lights be working at the time of registration and very few states check the quality of construction. The code exempts many trailers and only requires that brakes be inspected beyond the initial confirmation of a VIN plate. Many state laws including Pennsylvania’s are silent as to the design or construction specifications for trailers or for towing chains or hitches. In many cases we have handled, we found that tow trailers had obvious safety violations that relate to lighting, braking, and inspection requirements.

If you or a loved one has been involved in an accident involving a defective or disconnected trailer, our aggressive legal team consisting of investigators and engineers will bring the wrongdoers to justice to achieve the best results for you and your family with our no recovery, no fee guarantee. If you have been involved in such an accident, please contact one of our experienced Pennsylvania defective trailer lawyers immediately so that we can begin to protect your legal rights. For more information, please go to www.dangeroustrailers.org operated by consumer safety advocate, Ron Melancon, a tireless advocate against unsafe and unregulated defective and dangerous trailers.

Recently two individuals luckily escaped with their lives after their RV burst into flames, taking less than 5 minutes to burn down. The accident happened at Mid-Valley RV Park in Texas when John Dillon and Russell Salinas were taking an RV for a test drive. Dillon stated that when he turned the key on the RV, a fire started in the front. "I saw the flames. I'm not going to jump through that thing, so I'm running," said Dillon. "The flames are coming up...so I'm ducking down. And I remember the very front door. It had a big enough window, so I jump out. And I saw the door handle and flew right out." They jumped into their truck which was parked next to the RV in a race to get away. However, the truck was stuck in mud. The fire also destroyed a second RV. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

If you have never seen an RV fire, you probably have no idea how quickly an RV can burn down to its metal frame. Having propane onboard makes this a more likely scenario as it generally indicates that there can be an explosion. Unfortunately, the situation of RV fires is not thought about or discussed very often. However, there are over 20,000 reported RV fires every year. Many of them are caused by transmission or fuel leaks or shorts in the 12 volt electrical system. These fires can escalate very quickly in a confined environment, added to the fact that many of the materials utilized in the construction of the vehicle are extraordinarily flammable and burn rapidly, often resulting in the average RV smoldering to ash on the frame in as little as 10 to 15 minutes.

As an experienced defective trailer lawyer with experience dealing with RV fires, I am extraordinarily concerned by the inadequacy of standards in the recreational vehicle business as many loopholes exist which are not called to attention until it is too late. For more information on this subject I invite you to communicate with Ron Melacon, a consumer advocate and crusader who has spent a long part of his life bringing these issues to the public eye. You can visit his website at www.dangeroustrailers.org.

If you or a loved one has been involved in a defective trailer accident or fire, your case deserves the attention and investigatory efforts of an experienced RV fire and defective trailer lawyer. For a free no obligation consultation, please contact our office at 1-800-421-9595.

On August 6, 2006 a motorist was killed when a city owned trailer detached from a truck that was required by law to have a safety chain keeping it in place. In fact, the trailer did not have a safety chain attaching it to the truck. Safety chains are designed to keep trailers attached to trucks even when the hitch comes loose. In this case, the trailer carrying a lawn mower detached from a truck and veered into northbound lanes and struck a GMC and the driver was killed. Notably, the trailer was owned by the City of Macon and should have had a safety chain. According to sources, the City of Macon confidentially settled the case out of court for a substantial amount.

Of course our hearts and prayers go out to the family of Carlos Dorn, age 37, who perished in this tragic and preventable accident. We send our condolences to Mr. Dorn’s family.

The Philadelphia defective truck and trailer law firm of Reiff & Bily is committed to motorist and consumer safety. If you or a loved one has been involved in a defective truck or trailer accident, please feel free to contact one of our attorneys for a free no obligation consultation. We will fully investigate your claim and bring the wrongdoers to justice.

As an experienced defective and unhitched trailer lawyer with a specialty in motorcycle accidents and hit and run accidents, I noticed a “hat trick" of all three has recently occurred which tragically took the life of an innocent man. Michael K. Hull, age 48, was injured when a trailer became unhitched from a vehicle and traveled across two lanes into the path of his motorcycle. The unfortunate victim died of the catastrophic injuries approximately two weeks later. The operators of the vehicle towing the trailer left the scene of the accident and were charged for failure to stop, also known as hit and run. In addition they were charged with voluntary manslaughter. Evidently the trailer was stolen from a business and connected to their vehicle in an improper fashion. After the trailer crossed the median strip and Mr. Hull struck it, he was thrown off the motorcycle and landed in westbound lanes of traffic where he was struck by two other vehicles.

Our hearts, thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Michael K. Hull. They would be well advised to seek the services of an experienced hit and run lawyer with expertise in defective trailers and motorcycle accidents to fully investigate this claim to make sure that they receive proper compensation. The facts of this case represent the worse possible circumstances involving hit and run, defective trailers and motorcycle accidents which unfortunately took the life of a good, caring and innocent man.

As an experienced defective trailer hitch lawyer, I am somewhat concerned due to the increase in trailer detachments resulting from defective hitches due to cracks, corrosion and rust which significantly weaken the connection. The trailer industry is an already highly unregulated industry and there are a multitude of catastrophic injuries and deaths due to trailer disconnections or malfunctions. With particularity we have seen a number of consumer complaints alleging factory installed trailer hitch failures on the following GM vehicles: Chevrolet Avalanche 2500, 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, 2002 Chevrolet Suburban 2500, 2002 GMC Sierra 2500, 2002 GMC Sierra 2500 HD and 2002 GMC Yukon XL2500.

A number of reports have indicated a failure at welding spots around the pin box area, as well as a complete weld failure to the pin box leading to a full separation of the trailer from the towed vehicle. In some instances, the trailer safety chain and emergency brakes were not activated as both safety features were still attached to two openings of the pin box that broke off with the trailer. If you are towing a trailer or have a vehicle with a trailer hitch, it is important to inspect the trailer hitch frequently for broken welds, cracks or rust. Although many automobile manufacturers will not openly admit it, many of the newer models from 2005 onward contain a beefy hitch with an extra piece of metal due to earlier product failures.

The experienced defective trailer hitch lawyers at the Pennsylvania catastrophic injury law firm of Reiff & Bily have had extensive experience representing victims who have been killed or catastrophically injured as a result of defective trailer hitches. Unfortunately many states, including the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, have very little regulation addressing the safety of trailers and hitches.

If you or a loved one has suffered an injury or death due to a trailer accident, it is important that an experienced attorney explore the incident to determine who is responsible. Reiff & Bily has an experienced team of investigators and experts that will determine the cause of the accident and who is liable. The defective trailer accident lawyers at Reiff & Bily are committed to product and consumer safety. For a free no obligation consultation, please contact us at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

For many months, I have been blogging about the dangers of defective trailer hitches and the lack of safety posed to otherwise innocent and unsuspecting victims by many trailers being pulled by vehicles. According to NHTSA statistics, every week in the United States there are 418 injuries, 8 deaths and 775 incidents of property damage caused by vehicles towing trailers. One of the unsung heroes of the defective trailer crisis in an individual known as Ron Melancon who maintains a website at his own expense known as dangeroustrailers.org. Ron maintains a daily vigil on trailer accidents occurring throughout the United States and the world and has tirelessly worked on behalf of those injured by these vehicles to lobby the government and industry to mandate safer standards, guidelines and quality control.

Recently an incident occurred in Oregon where a trailer being pulled by an RV came loose while transiting thorough a tunnel causing another vehicle traveling in the opposite direction to crash head on into the trailer. It is important to recognize that the utility trailer industry has continued to stop any attempts to improve trailer safety. It is continuously important to recognize that trailers under the weight of 3,000 lbs. are unregulated in most states in this country. State codes in most of our states are silent as to any design or construction specification for those vehicles or for towing chains and hitches. The utility trailer industry maintains a strong lobby to stop any attempts to improve this class of vehicle in all 50 states by not requiring a federal standard on trailer hitches since 1972.

The defective trailer hitch attorneys at Reiff & Bily join Ron Melancon and other committed consumer safety advocates to bring a new national standard to implement, improve, reduce and eliminate deaths and catastrophic injuries due to defective trailer hitches and defective trailer manufacturer. If you or a loved one has been involved in an accident resulting from a defective trailer or caused by a trailer being towed by another vehicle, please contact the defective trailer and defective trailer hitch attorneys at Reiff & Bily at 1-800-421-9595 or contact us online for a free no obligation consultation at www.reiffandbily.com.

The experienced lawyers at Reiff & Bily have been handling thousands of catastrophic injury cases and fatalities since 1979 and are committed to promoting safety on our roads and highways.