Philadelphia Injury Attorney Blog

To date there have been Eleven deaths reported as a result of a plane crash at the Reno Air Races in Reno Nevada on September 16, 2011. At this time the death toll is still uncertain as medical professionals are still conducting DNA testing on unidentifiable bodies. As the number of dead seems to increase everyday, a person has to wonder: how safe are air shows?

The cause of the crash is still undetermined. What is known is the plane that crashed, was a post World-War II P-51D Mustang, that had been heavily modified in an attempt to make it the fastest of its type in the world. The mother of one of the deceased told ABC News her son was there because he “loved planes" and “that’s why most people go to these things." No one ever expects that a professional pilot will loose control of a plane and crash into the crowd.

The Reno plane crash is highly publicized because of the high death toll and the numerous spectators hospitalized with catastrophic injuries. Sadly, the day after the Reno air show crash, another plane, a T-28 war bird crashed at the Blue Ridge Air Show in Virginia. Luckily for spectators the T-28 warbird crashed far enough from the crowd that none of the onlookers were injured, however, the pilot was killed in the plane crash. These two incidents are not isolated events. There have been eleven air show accidents in 2011 alone. Unfortunately, most of these accidents resulted in at least one death.

Modified planes may be one of the reasons for the large number of accidents at air shows. Pilots who fly at these events make changes to the engines and bodies of the planes in order to excite the spectators. While these changes may be in violation of Federal Aviation Administration (F.A.A.) Regulations, and the experienced pilots are professional pilots, they are not professional engineers.

Regardless of the recent string of Air Show plane crash accidents, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University intends to hold the Wings and Waves Air Show in October of next year. The university had shut down the show for the past seven years. University officials assure air show spectators that “safety is [their] mantra" while further saying “until you know what caused things, its hard to draw a lesson from it." Perhaps more effort should be placed into finding out why air show accidents keep occurring.

The experienced Philadelphia air show accident and aviation accident lawyers of Reiff & Bily along with the attorneys of The Beasley Reiff Law Group understand the complex process involved with investigating air show accidents. Our in house team of experienced aviation accident and air show accident lawyers include professional pilots as well as established relationships with top aviation crash experts. The aviation accident attorneys at Beasley Reiff Law Group know that proving the cause of an airplane crash can be difficult and that a tragic and unexpected accident can change your life. If you, or a loved one, have been injured at an air show accident contact the accidental injury attorneys at the Beasley Reiff Law Group at 1.800.588.0130 or at www.reiffandbily.com for a free consultation.

Negligence or the use of a defective product on a work site around electrical components often results in serious consequences including but not limited to heart attacks, muscle and tissue destruction, burns, and unfortunately wrongful death.

Over the past weekend, two separate workers were killed in separate electrical-related accidents. One gentleman, 35-years old, died while installing cables at a camp for oil and gas workers and another individual was killed while working on a power transmission project. With the deluge of rain and water caused by Hurricane Irene and other abnormally huge weather moisture systems, power lines have been downed leading to injuries and deaths by workers and other innocent citizens who have come into contact with high voltage lines. In one case, a victim was killed by electrocution when he stepped out of his home and touched a railing that had been impacted with a high voltage line. If you are in the vicinity of a downed power line, do not take any chances as there is an extreme risk of electrocution injuries or death.

I live in a wooded area and numerous power lines seem to be tangled or down due to sustained gusty winds, fallen trees, and heavy rainfall. As I traveled into upstate Pennsylvania on a case last week, I saw more low hanging electrical wires than ever. It is important for parents to keep children and pets away from these wires and to always assume that they are live and energized.

If you or a loved one has suffered an electric shock injury or death, it is important to contact an experienced electrocution attorney who will immediately commence a proper investigation and assist you or your loved ones through the emotional, financial, and legal issues that may arise.

For over three and a half decades, the consumer product and safety and electrocution attorneys of Reiff & Bily have successfully represented generations of Philadelphians and Pennsylvanians who have sustained wrongful death or catastrophic injuries due to the negligence of others or use of defective products. As always, we offer a free, no obligation consultation. For more information, please contact us toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

When a vehicle is in a collision, the last thing that you expect to happen is that the fuel tank will rupture and that the occupants will be trapped in a fiery fuel fed explosion. The rupture of a fuel tank often leads to a catastrophic event when the escaping vapors mix quickly with the air and are ignited often times resulting in a fiery explosion.

Automakers and fuel tank manufacturers have known for years that fuel tank integrity is an important element if the vehicle impacts with another vehicle, rolls over or has another impact with a fixed object. Most people will remember the notorious Ford Pinto which almost always sustained a gas tank rupture in crashes over 25 mph. Typically in a Pinto rear-end collision, the rear-end of the car would buckle, ride up the seat back, and the tube leading to the gas tank would be ripped away from the tank itself and gas would immediately leak on the roadway around the car. The buckled gas tank would be jammed up against the different housing and protruding bolts would often gash holes in the tank and spill more gas on the road. All that was needed to spark an explosion was a cigarette, scraping metal, or an electrical spark and a flame would engulf the vehicle and the passengers inside. Added to the fact, if the doors were jammed, the passengers would be unable to get out and would burn to death. Lawyers were able to demonstrate successfully that Ford engineers put profits ahead of safety concerns and unfortunately even today, many vehicle manufacturers still place gas tanks and fuel lines in unsafe locations and use cheap materials to manufacture fuel tanks and fuel delivery systems and must be held accountable for the results of their actions.

Many times the placement of a fuel tank on the side or rear of a vehicle where it can be punctured is a recurring problem, as well as the use of cheap and unsafe materials connecting fuel tanks to fuel filter necks. Many times manufacturers of fuel tanks in vehicles utilize unsafe materials in the manufacturer of fuel delivery lines. When you pay your hard earned dollars for a motor vehicle, whether it be a motorcycle or automobile, you have every right to expect that it is crashworthy and will protect you in a foreseeable collision.

The experienced Pennsylvania automotive product liability and gas tank explosion and fuel fed fire defect lawyers of Reiff & Bily have dedicated their practice to representing those catastrophically injured or wrongful killed due to car accidents and auto product defects. Many of these claims have been referred to us by other lawyers who understand that we have years of experience in this complex legal arena. Recently the Philadelphia car accident and auto product liability lawyers of Reiff & Bily have joined forces with the Beasley Firm and together our attorneys have been awarded billions of dollars since 1957. As always, we offer a free, confidential no obligation consultation if you wish to discuss your claim. For more information, contact us toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

Earlier this year, a 32-foot fiberglass cabin cruiser boat exploded in Del Ray Beach, Florida killing a man and burning others on board the boat. The explosion took place when one of the individuals was working on the engine after the tank was filled with approximately 50 gallons of gas. Investigators concluded that gas leaks and vapors filled the engine room and I suspect that the engine must have started, igniting the fumes and triggering the explosion after the boaters stopped to refuel the vessel at a marina. The owner of the boat told investigators that after fueling, the smell of gasoline permeated the air after which point one of the victims on the vessel began to look for leaks in the engine compartment and thereafter heard a pop and saw flames. The day after the explosion, state investigators found a burned body in the charred hole of the boat. The headline of the newspaper indicated that the explosion that killed the man was deemed “accidental".

As an experienced boater for over 50 years who has skippered just about every type of water craft, I also happen to have over three decades of experience as a boating accident lawyerinvestigating and litigating boating accident and boat explosion cases. There is one thing of which I am certain, that boating explosion cases do not happen on their own and always involve a proximate cause whether it be negligence or design or  manufacturing defect.

As an experienced Pennsylvania product liability lawyer who has worked on fuel fed fire legal cases both in the automotive, motorcycle, and boating arena, boat explosion accidents often lead to catastrophic injuries or death. Lately the United States Coast Guard has noticed a dramatic increase in boating fatalities and explosions. Most times injuries and deaths could have been prevented if proper safety procedures were followed.

Continue reading "Investigation Into A Florida Boat Explosion Concludes That Leaking Gas and Vapors In Engine Room Was The Cause - Boating Accident and Explosion Lawyer Weighs In" »

Several times a year my wife drops a small fortune to have her hair straightened in what is known as a Brazilian blow out procedure. When she comes home, her hair has an odor that is anything but pleasant and the same lasts for a few days. Although I must admit she looks sexier than ever and loves her straightened hair, I became concerned when I started to review warnings issued by the Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration warning hair salon owners, workers, and consumers about potential exposure to formaldehyde used in some hair smoothing and straightening products including the Brazilian blow out brand. Tests indicated dangerously high levels of formaldehyde in the hair salon using these hair straightening products even though many of the products are often listed as formaldehyde free. Many clients and workers were found to have allergic reactions including nose bleeds and eye irritations. Unfortunately many of the hair straightening products or products used by hair care services are not required to list their ingredients and clients, workers, and consumers may not even know what is in the products they are utilizing.

As an  experienced Pennsylvania product liability lawyer, I think it is essential to the safety of workers and clients and anyone exposed to a potentially dangerous product or material to mandate health warnings on all hair care products including but not limited to hair straightening products. In Canada, many of the products were pulled off the shelves and the FDA now notes that it has begun looking at the complaints about hair straightening products.

Our office has received a number of calls from clients who had the hair straightening solution put on their head and claim that their head or scalp is burned for a number of weeks and some have even claimed a loss of hair. Although every situation must be considerate of “the goods, the bads, and the uglies," one must ask them self if the quest for beauty is worth the risks of potential physical danger or physical harm.

Continue reading "Are Brazilian Hair Straightening Blowouts Dangerous? - Experienced Product Liability Lawyer Weighs In" »

As July 4th officially kicks off the summer season many of us will be hosting or be guests at barbecues. Many of the newer barbecues utilize propane tanks to fuel the system. Propane is pressurized and put into the tank and safety dictates that one must make sure that the tank is not rusted or corroded and that all the fuel fittings are properly secured. Thirty liters of propane equals 750 mg of energy and 750 mega joules of energy is approximately equal to 170 kilograms of TNT or 8 millionths of a kilogram of nuclear grade uranium and has the energy equivalent and release of the force of 9 fully loaded semi-trucks being dropped from a kilometer high off the ground. Similarly enough energy is released to melt 2.25 tons of ice.

Typically propane tanks do not explode on their own. Generally human error or negligence is a primary factor contributing to any type of propane explosion and propane fed fire accident. If you are using propane to fuel your barbecue, make sure that you are using and storing it in accordance with NFPA requirements. You must fully understand that the integrity of the propane bottle must be maintained and one must always keep the propane cylinder away from an area where there is an extreme build up of heat or fire. Many times a fire or explosion can be caused by a leak near an ignition source such as a cigarette or spark. Many times propane fires or explosions occur due to negligent handling by an individual or refueling station or due to the defective manufacture and construction of the propane fuel. Obviously a propane explosion can cause catastrophic injuries
and wrongful death. Many times these injuries include amputations, blindness, loss of hearing, permanent scarring, spinal injuries, brain injuries, and paraplegia.

The fuel fed fire and propane explosion lawyers of the Beasley Reiff Law Group are stalwarts for consumer safety and suggest that if you are using a propane gas tank you should have it routinely inspected and maintained and make sure the tank is properly installed to reduce the risk of fire and explosion. If a propane tank is not properly maintained, there is a potential to suffer a tank and fuel delivery system failure and increases the risk of excessive heat or sparks coming into the tank which could ignite the gas and cause explosions.

Continue reading "A Defective Propane Tank Can Create An Explosion To Multiple Kilograms Of TNT Warns Experienced Pennsylvania Product Liability and Explosion Lawyer" »

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.

On January 10, 2011, a fire broke out at the Windermere Court Apartments, a four-story apartment building at 48th and Walnut Streets in the West Philadelphia area of the city. The fire quickly spread throughout the entire building and thick smoke could be seen as far as six miles away. It took over 140 firefighters, five hours to bring the five-alarm blaze under control.

Stories like this are not unusual. To make matters even worse, Philadelphia now has rolling fire department “brown-outs" or closures of certain fire departments, on certain days that could prolong the amount of time it takes for the Fire Department to reach a fire. Due to our recent large snow storm and unplowed or inadequately plowed streets, it could take the fire department even longer to reach a fire and when they do, they find the fire hydrants buried under feet of snow. All of those delays can cause the fire victims to remain trapped in a burning building even longer, causing significant burns, smoke inhalation or breathing problems, and even death.

Many older buildings do not have the strict fire safety codes that are currently in place in the newer buildings. Older apartments and buildings do not have adequate fire walls or sprinkler systems so the fire is allowed to rapidly spread throughout the entire building, endangering many lives in a short period of time. Older apartments and buildings may not have properly working or installed smoke alarms. Many buildings do not have the necessary escape routes or equipment to assist or help tenants with disabilities out of the burning building.

Many times, hotels, apartment buildings, high rises, cruise ships, and schools have blocked or locked emergency exits or poor evacuation routes. In addition, there may be not enough fire extinguishers or they were not maintained and do not work when needed. Older buildings have escape ladders that are either locked or frozen in the up position, or rusted and do not work at all. All of those problems cause victims to become trapped in a burning building. Out of fear, some of those trapped in a burning building take the risk and jump from the building, leading to spinal cord injuries or broken backs, traumatic brain injuries, fractured bones, and even death.

Continue reading "The Older They Are, The Faster They Burn – Especially After a Large Snow Storm" »

On June 16, 2009, the Food and Drug Administration told the manufacturers of one of the country’s most popular cold medications, Zicam, to stop selling its nasal spray and swabs. In the last 10 years, approximately 130 consumers have filed complaints stating that they permanently lost their sense of smell after using Zicam.

The manufacturers of Zicam, Matrixx Initiatives, has suspended shipments of the products and they claim that the warning is not supported by scientific evidence and is asking the FDA for review. According to the New York Times, the company paid $12 million dollars to settle 340 lawsuits from Zicam users who claim that their product destroyed their sense of smell in 2006 and hundreds more lawsuits have been filed.

The Los Angeles Times reported that the company will be required to receive FDA approval if it wants to market the products in the future. The L.A. Times also reported that the company may have received 800 reports “of anosmia... associated with the use of the products from doctors and consumers, but has failed to report such reports to the FDA.

If you or a loved one has been using Zicam and have experienced any medical problems or have lost your sense of smell, you would be well advised to seek the services of an experienced medical malpractice or products liability lawyer to evaluate your condition and explore your legal options. Reiff & Bily are experienced product liability lawyers who are committed to promoting consumer safety. For a free no obligation consultation, contact us toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

Flammable clothing and bedding are very dangerous and often times cause death and disfigurement to unsuspecting consumers due to serious burn injuries. If your clothing catches fire, flames may spread quickly through the clothing, sometimes causing the material to melt onto your skin, and create severe and disfiguring burns all over your body. If you bedding catches fire, especially if you’re sleeping, your temple of relaxation could become a death trap. Depending on the type of fabric, textile construction, weaves, weight, and finish, as well as looseness of fit, certain materials, when ignited accidentally, can pose a serious risk of a burn injury or even death. The Pennsylvania burn injury and product liability lawyers at the Philadelphia law firm of Reiff & Bily have been researching and handling flammable clothing and bedding claims since 1979.

The one of the consumer product laws passed in 1953 was the Flammable Fabrics Act (FFA) to regulate the manufacture of highly flammable clothing due to an epidemic of burns from flammable children’s clothing in the 1940s. In 1967, Congress amended the FFA to expand coverage to include interior furnishings as well as paper, plastic, foam, and other materials used in wearing apparel and interior furnishings. Responsibility for administering the FFA was transferred to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) when it was created in 1972. Under the FFA, the CPSC can issue mandatory flammability standards for manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers of fabric and garments. After standards for sleepwear were loosened in 1996, an increase in clothing burns among young children wearing loose sleep garments was observed. Despite efforts by the CPSC, injuries resulting from flammable clothing and fabric still remain a danger.

Continue reading "Flammable Clothing and Bedding Material – Are You Wearing Or Sleeping On A Dangerous Material? " »