Philadelphia Injury Attorney Blog

As a Philadelphia car accident and catastrophic injury lawyer who has been representing catastrophically injured victims, and their families, for more then three decades, I worry that internet and television marketing by many lawyers has led to a high number of victims and their families receiving what many would consider to be improper and inadequate legal representation. Many lawyers just look for an “Easy A". Too many times attorneys hoping to earn a quick and easy referral fee will spend tens of thousands of dollars even hundreds of thousands of dollars a month designing websites or TV advertising that inaccurately portrays their abilities. It is the goal of these attorneys to make perspective clients believe they are hiring experienced attorneys, who have recovered multi-million dollar verdicts, and are amongst the top car accident lawyers, truck accident lawyers, S.U.V. van rollover lawyers, medical malpractice lawyers, and Products liability lawyers in the field.

Lately I have received an alarming number of phone calls from seriously injured car and truck accident victims who were mislead by what I call a “parasite lawyer". A “parasite lawyer" is a lawyer who oftentimes lacks experience but attempts to conceal this by purchasing “black hat" internet links and creating embellished website content to make prospective clients believe they are hiring an experienced lawyer or law firm to represent their legal interests when in reality they are hiring a lawyer who simply thereafter refers their case to another attorney for a fee. I call this the “Easy A" system whereby an inexperienced attorney, or an attorney who has no interest in representing you or your loved ones, tacks a fee onto your recovery for doing nothing more then referring your case to another attorney. Frequently many of these marketing attorneys operate their websites from out of state and have creative advertising joint and cooperative ventures with other lawyers and law firms creating the illusion that they are something more then they really are. Always pay attention to the disclaimers and small print at the bottom or end of the advertisement as it quickly passes you by.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, truck accident, tractor trailer accident, bus accident, boat accident, S.U.V roll over accident, 15 passenger van rollover accident, amusement park accidents, premise liability accident, slip and fall accident, burned in a fire, bitten or attacked by a dog, the victim of inadequate security, falsely imprisoned, sexually assaulted, injured on a cruise ship, injured on a plane, in a construction accident or injured as a result of a defective product or medical malpractice you may be eligible to recover for your injuries.

As an experienced and highly rated Pennsylvania Super Lawyer with decades of experience, whose law firm has handled and collected hundreds of millions of dollars in recoveries for catastrophically injured victims, and their families, as well as those who have sustained wrongful deaths, I strongly advise that you personally interview the attorney who will be handling your legal case. Do not be afraid to ask for references. Make sure that he or she is regularly available to meet and speak with you about your case as it develops. Make sure your case is not being handed over to a paralegal or newly graduated lawyer who might lack the required experience. Inquire whether or not the lawyer has ever had any disciplinary issues or is even licensed to practice law in your state. Inquire about independent and non biased reviews of your lawyer from third party ranking or rating organization. Check the attorney's ranking on Avvo or the Martindale-Hubble record of standing. Never be afraid to get a second opinion from another lawyer if you don't like what you are hearing or don't feel comfortable as the case develops.

After all you only get one bite at the apple, and the selection of your lawyer may be one of the most important lifetime decisions that you will ever make.
Chance will always favor the prepared mind.

Since 1979, I have represented many individuals who have been attacked or mauled by dogs in Pennsylvania. Sadly many of the dog bite victims represented by the experienced Pennsylvania dog bite lawyers of Reiff & Bily are children who are left with permanent reminders in the form of physical disfigurement and scars, as well as broken bones. Many times reconstructive surgery is required and the victim is left with lifetime impediment reminders of the dog bite accident.

I receive calls from other attorneys handling dog bite cases who believe that a dog gets one free bite before the owner can be held liable for a dog attack. This is simply not true. Recent legislative amendments and Superior Court findings enable a jury to consider whether the first attack is enough to establish liability regarding whether a dog has a violent propensity or tendency to attack a human being. The Courts of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania have held that owners must take all necessary steps to secure dogs and keep them from harming others and further note that a landlord who knows of the presence of a dangerous animal may be held liable for injuries caused by the attack of a tenant’s dog.

In a case one of our experienced philadelphia dog bite lawyers is currently handling, renters had made numerous complaints to the landlord of a premise about the existence of a dangerous dog who had attacked others. The landlord repeatedly failed, refused, and neglected to take any action or have the dog removed and subsequent thereto our client, a beautiful young model, was attacked and left with permanent scars which will drastically affect her ability to earn a living, not to mention the psychological trauma and permanent scarring coupled with medical expenses for reconstruction and rehabilitation.

Not all lawyers are equal when it comes to handling dog bite cases, and the experienced Pennsylvania dog bite lawyers of Reiff & Bily have over three decades of experience on their side handling some of the most challenging scar and dog bite cases. We always offer a free, no obligation consultation. Recently our skilled catastrophic scar injury and dog bite lawyers have joined forces with the legendary Beasley Firm to create the Beasley Reiff Law Group. Together our attorneys have been awarded over $2 billion dollars since the mid-1950's. For more information contact us toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

As insurance carriers get more picky as to the comfort of their risk levels, some carriers are refusing to insure certain breeds of dogs and other animals. Many carriers however still do not inquire about dog breeds during the underwriting process. The Center For Disease Control has listed the following breeds as the most dangerous based upon fatal human attacks which could be particularly prone to insurance claims: Pit Bull, Rottweiler, German Shepard, Huskies, Malamute, Doberman Pinscher, and Chow Chow. Many insurance carriers claim that these dogs have a reputation of being intimidating and aggressive, particularly towards strangers.

Some states have a very specific definition of what constitutes a dangerous dog and may include but not limited to the following: aggressively bites, attacks, or inflicts severe injury on a human on public or private property; has more than once severely injured or killed a domestic animal on lawful owners property; has been used preliminarily or in part for dog fighting which when unprovoked chases or approaches another individual in a menacing fashion or attitude of attack.

As an experienced Pennsylvania dog bite lawyer and animal attack attorney for over 30 years, I am well aware that approximately 60% of all seriously injured dog bite victims are children. In Pennsylvania, dog bite injury victims can legally hold a dog’s owner responsible for their injuries. Pennsylvania dog owners are only legally obligated to restrain or control the dog to make sure the public is safe from harm. If the dog is not on a lease or properly secured on an owner’s premises or the dog owner knew that his or her dog was prone to violence yet did not take proper safety measures to prevent someone from being bitten, mauled, or killed, the owner can be held financially liable by a Pennsylvania court. The Philadelphia dog bite lawyers of Reiff & Bily understand that many involved in a dog bite situation may have permanent scarring or catastrophic and severe bodily injuries and unfortunately, sometimes a wrongful death.

Continue reading "As Insurance Companies Get Banged For Dog And Animal Bites, Many Carriers Maintain A List Of Dog Breeds They Won’t Insure" »

According to a recent news story published in the Insurance Journal on May 10, 2011, State Farm Insurance Company paid out $90.1 million dollars in dog bite liability claims in the United States in 2009 versus $83.2 million dollars in 2008. It should also be noted that there were more than 35,000 more dog bite claims in 2009 than 2008. bringing the average cost per claim to about $25,000.00.

Unfortunately children account for more than 60% of all dog bite victims and of the 33 dog bite cases that resulted in death last year 20 of the fatalities involved young children. California lead the dog bite tally with 369 claims and $11.3 million dollars in claims paid, and State Farm paid 155 Pennsylvania victims of dog bites $3.9 million dollars.

Surprisingly one third of all homeowners insurance liability claims are a result of dog bites according to an analysis by the Insurance Information Institute. Insurance companies had to pay out 6.4% more in 2009 than 2008 for dog bites. Allstate Insurance Company is now excluding certain breeds from coverage in homeowner policies. Currently some Allstate insurance policies exclude Pit Bulls, Doberman Pinschers, and Rottweilers.

In Pennsylvania over 70% of all seriously injured dog bite victims are children. The Philadelphia dog bite attorneys at Reiff & Bily have a successful track record holding dog owners responsible for injuries caused by their dogs. We recently achieved a successful outcome for an 11-year old boy who was bitten in the face by a neighbor’s dog causing permanent scarring. Not so surprisingly, at the outset when the claim was presented, the insurance company stated that the dog owner was not responsible and that the case was being tagged as a no pay, no liability case. We were able to hold the dog owner liable under Pennsylvania law and prove that he was negligent and irresponsible in the handling of his dog which was the cause of the client’s injury and permanent scarring.

Many of the nation’s leading insurance carriers are reviewing and changing their approach to handling dog bite liability issues and now more than ever if you or a loved one has suffered injuries as a result of a dog bite, you need aggressive legal representation with an experienced dog bite lawyer.

Last year, there were approximately 17,000 dog bite claims in the United States which is a small percentage of the 4.5 million individuals who are bitten by dogs annually with more than 300,000 visits to U.S. hospital emergency rooms according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The highest rate of dog bite related injuries was among children ages 5 to 9. The Pennsylvania dog bite lawyers of Reiff & Bily offer a free consultation with a no recovery no fee guarantee. For more information please contact us at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

According to news sources, Danielle Leven’s future – and face – may never be the same. According to the Lansdale pit bull dog bite victim, she and a friend went to visit a friend, knocked on the door, and entered the house to yell for her friend who was apparently in the shower. The pit bull dog, according to the victim, “weaseled its head out until the door was wide open and jumped on her and latched onto her face. She claimed that she engaged in a fight, pushing and kicking the dog off and then was taken to Lansdale Hospital. The victim stated “I thought I was going to die. It punctured underneath my chin, its teeth were up into my mouth, I was squirting blood, I thought I was going to lose so much blood that I was not going to make it."

This unfortunate dog bite victim needed 70 stitches on her chin and inside her mouth and will require several plastic surgeries. Her father Michael Leven noted that when he saw her in the ER, half of her lip was missing and it was horrendous, “a picture that will never go away in my mind".

According to Lansdale police Sgt. Alex Kromdyk he stated that nothing criminal occurred and noted that one needs to show culpability and negligent reckless knowing or intentional matter for a criminal charge and stated further that there is no culpability here.

As an experienced Philadelphia dog bite lawyer, I have handled many similar cases since 1979 and disagree with Sgt. Kromdyk. I believe that there is a very strong civil case here with potential criminal penalties depending on what a full investigation reveals. In Pennsylvania, depending upon the extent of the injuries and the circumstances surrounding the dog bite, dog bite injury victims are legally entitled to hold a dog’s owner responsible for injuries. If a dog is not on a leash or is not properly secured on the owner’s premises or the dog owner knew that his or her god was prone to violence yet did not take proper safety measures to prevent someone from being bitten, mauled, or killed, the owner can be found financially held liable in Pennsylvania court.

Continue reading "Pit Bull Dog Attack In Pennsylvania Leaves Montgomery County Girl Scarred And In The Hospital – Experienced Philadelphia Dog Bit Lawyer Weighs In" »

A routine evening dog walk for a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania pedestrian after dinner quickly turned into a disastrous Pennsylvania dog bite accident, which poses the question, does your dog bite? When my client took his girlfriend's prized pit bull for a walk after returning home from a restaurant, another dog owner was also walking his dog, and my client's dog became attracted to this pooch at this late evening hour. Almost immediately my client was unable to control the physical pull of his dog's curious or romantic emotions at which point the pit bull then turned around and proceeded to strip the meat off of his walker's arms and legs in an effort to break free and discover the other seemingly innocent dog. My client's girlfriend tried to intervene and was also viciously attacked resulting in serious and permanent personal injuries, disfigurement and scarring.

The police were called and upon arrival had no choice but to shoot the uncontrollable dog twice, which broke free and continued to attack despite the bullet wounds. A third shot finally ended the attack. No, this was not "Cujo". My client was rushed to the emergency room of a Philadelphia Hospital for treatment and, believe it or not, when released from the hospital, he was then run over by a car which thereafter backed up again over him causing him to sustain multiple broken bones, bodily disfigurement ,permanent scarring, head trauma and nerve damage. To quote Ripley of "Believe it or Not" fame, sometimes facts are stranger than fiction. Not a very good night!...From a vicious and crippling dog bite to an innocent pedestrian being struck two times by a motor vehicle.

This client was seriously injured and received a serious animal bite. The client wanted serious lawyers who would be passionate, devoted and aggressive to ensure justice. He contacted the experienced dog bite lawyers at the Philadelphia law firm of Reiff & Bily.

Continue reading "Pennsylvania Animal Attack Laws:Does Your Dog Bite?" »