Philadelphia Injury Attorney Blog

Recently a fatal accident in Tennessee called to light one of the most dangerous vehicle combinations on the roadways of America today - a trailer being towed by an SUV. The particular case I wish to call attention to involves 45-year old Wade P. Shindlebower who was pulling a camper behind his SUV driving southbound on Interstate 75 when the trailer began to sway out of control and then separated from the SUV causing the vehicle to flip. The SUV rolled over three times before coming to rest on the median. The passenger Keith Smith, 51, of Indianapolis, Indiana was transported to UT Medical Center where he passed away on Sunday. The passengers both sustained serious injuries. Drugs and alcohol were not a factor.

The summer of 2009 has been a banner summer for people unnecessarily dying due to defective trailers. The defective trailer when coupled with one of the most dangerous vehicles on the road (the SUV) is a deadly combination. For more information on dangerous trailers, please direct your attention to dangeroustrailers.org. The website is steadfastly maintained by consumer safety advocate Ron Melacon at his own expense. Ron Melacon is one of America’s unsung heroes.

Due to their high center of gravity, SUVs are highly unstable. When coupled with trailer sway, the instability factor is multiplied, many times resulting in catastrophic injuries and fatalities to the unsuspecting victims. There has been an increasing number of defective trailer and SUV rollover cases in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as well as nationwide.

The Philadelphia defective trailer and car accident lawyers of Reiff and Bily have participated in cases involving catastrophic injuries and fatalities suffered by the occupants and drivers of these vehicles who were unaware of the risks. If you or a loved one has been involved in an accident involving a loose trailer, defective trailer, SUV rollover or has sustained a catastrophic or serious injury as a result of a car accident, please feel free to contact one of the Philadelphia car accident lawyers at Reiff and Bily for a free no obligation consultation at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

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Posted In: SUV and 15 passenger rollover

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A San Francisco jury rendered a verdict in the amount of $18,349,391 against Ford Motor Company following a 3 week product liability design defect trial in San Francisco. The jury determined that the seat latch system of the Ford 350 Econo van was defective after a 39-year old musician with the band Subtle was rendered a quadriplegic after the Ford 15-passenger Econo van rolled over on an icy road. The 39-year old musician, Dax Pierson, suffered severe spinal injuries when the Ford 15-passenger van that the band was traveling in ran off an icy highway and rolled over in a ditch on February 24, 2005. Pierson sued Ford for creating a defective seat latching mechanism that caused the seat to become loose resulting in his head hitting the roof of the rolled over van. The Ford Motor Company argued during the trial that the design was not defective and that the van driver was partly at fault. The accomplished lawyers representing the injured plaintiff, Dan Dello’Osso, along with Kevin Quinn and James Doyle, are applauded by the 15-passenger van and SUV rollover lawyers at Reiff and Bily who have known for a long time simply that the 15-passenger van is one of the most unsafe vehicles on the road and suffers from multiple design defects.

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Posted In: SUV and 15 passenger rollover

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The Philadelphia SUV rollover and 15-passenger van rollover lawyers of Reiff and Bily have been blogging for months about the unsafe qualities of the Yamaha Rhino. The Yamaha Rhino has been prone to rollover from the first day it was sold.

We have learned today that the Consumer Product Safety Commission and Yamaha has finally issued a recall for thousands of Rhino 450 and 660 off-road vehicles. Yamaha has stopped selling the vehicles until they can repair them and has officially informed owners that they should stop using them until they can be repaired. The CPSC has investigated more than 50 incidents, including 46 deaths, involving the two models in rollover unbelted incidents. We have consistently stated that the Yamaha Rhino is one of the most dangerous vehicles manufactured and in use. We are grateful that the probe by the Consumer Products Safety Commission resulted in this definitive action which will hopefully save many more lives and avoid many more catastrophic injuries. We are well aware of many accidents which indicated that the design of the Yamaha Rhino poses a substantial risk of injury and death to unknowing consumers. According to many complaints filed and expert opinions, the Yamaha Rhino is prone to rollover even while operating on slow speeds and flat surfaces due to its high center of gravity and narrow wheel base combined with powerful engine and small turning radius.

The Philadelphia product liability lawyers at Reiff and Bily has achieved a national reputation in the area of product liability and rollover accidents and in recognition of their accomplishments, Jeffrey Reiff and Raymond Bily have been named Superlawyers for six consecutive years by Law and Politics Magazine and Philadelphia Magazine. If you have any questions or concerns regarding a Yamaha Rhino rollover, you can contact an experienced Philadelphia rollover attorney at Reiff and Bily by calling toll free at 1-800-421-9595 or by submitting the firm’s online free case consultation form at www.reiffandbily.com.

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Posted In: Catastrophic loss , Personal Injury , Product Liability , SUV and 15 passenger rollover

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I recently had the privilege of attending the inauguration of President Barack Obama in Washington, DC and similarly to Ruth Manuel-Logan was astounded when I noted how many 15-passenger vans were on I-95 southbound from Philadelphia traveling to the inauguration containing innocent children, churchgoers and others who were unknowingly traveling in one of the most dangerous vehicles on the road - the 15-passenger van.

Most of the time,15-passenger vans are operated by individuals who have not been trained or experienced with the most specific handling dynamics of the 15-passenger van. In fact, for many years, I had been an occupant in the 15-passenger van and allowed my children to attend camp and school while traveling in a 15-passenger van until I became aware of its dangers after representing many individuals and families who had lost loved ones or sustained catastrophic injuries as a result of a 15-passenger van accident. Surprisingly, or really not surprisingly (after one becomes aware of the dynamics and stability factors of these vehicles), three out of every four 15-passenger vans that overturned did not collide with another vehicle but overturned because of an inherent manufacturers design defect while executing a foreseeable accident avoidance or other sudden maneuver.

Continue reading "Philadelphia 15-Passenger Van Rollover Attorney Salutes “Car Chick” Ruth Manuel-Logan - Warns Against Inherent 15-Passenger Van Dangers" »

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Posted In: SUV and 15 passenger rollover

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For many years, the 15-passenger van accident and SUV rollover lawyers at Reiff and Bily have been representing passengers that have been catastrophically injured or killed while being transported in 15 passenger vans that have flipped over. The rollover risk posed by 15 passenger vans, including those predominantly used by church groups, school groups and other unsuspecting individuals, is the most dangerous on the road today. 15 passenger vans started out as cargo utility vehicles in the early 1970's and is still essentially a cargo van with modifications made to accommodate passengers. If a 15 passenger van is fully loaded it is 6 to 7 times more likely to flip over than a van containing only a driver. As a matter of fact, NHTSA has noted that fully loaded 15 passenger vans are more likely to rollover than any other passenger type of vehicle, including cars, mini vans, SUVs and pickup trucks.

Internal documents by the major automotive manufacturers, including but not limited to Ford, Chrysler and GM, revealed that the companies were and still are well aware of safety and deficiencies with the 15-passenger van. However, the manufacturing of these passenger vehicles and the transition from cargo to passenger vans became too profitable and the automobile manufacturers have made a consistent effort to place profitability over consumer safety. Documentation of testing data indicates that the engineers who designed these cars knew they were unsafe and suggested necessary fixes to protect innocent and unsuspecting consumers. Initially in April 2001, NHTSA issued a report on the rollover propensity of 15-passenger vans. It is significant that NHTSA had never done this for any other vehicle and during that time period there had been approximately 800 fatalities.

Continue reading "The Vehicle Most Likely to Rollover, Injure And Kill Innocent Children and Churchgoers Is The 15-Passenger Van - 15- Passenger Van Lawyer Warns Consumers" »

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Posted In: Auto Accident , Catastrophic loss , Personal Injury , Product Liability , SUV and 15 passenger rollover , Wrongful Death

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I was recently contacted by Patrick James who lost his 10-year old daughter, Alexis James, on July 17, 2007 in a 15-passenger van rollover in South Carolina. Unfortunately, according to the investigation, the accident resulted from the failure of the left rear tire. When the tire failed, the van rolled over and beautiful Alexis James was ejected from the vehicle though she was wearing her seat belt. It was only a lap seat belt. Three point lap/shoulder belts were not required in this van when it was manufactured in 1994. Patrick James founded the American Center for Van and Tire Safety. I urge all of you to review Patrick’s website at www.acfvats.org. Patrick’s story is an all to familiar story to members of the 15 passenger van rollover law firm of Reiff and Bily.

Unfortunately, our lawyers have handled too many cases similar to the loss of Alexis James and have shared the pain of losses of all too many parents and children. We applaud Patrick James’ efforts to inform unknowing consumers of the danger of these death machines and salute the his effort to keep the public continuously informed. Every time I learn of another one of these tragic cases, I think of the senseless loss of lives and wrongful death of the innocent and unknowing occupants of these vans.

Continue reading "Philadelphia 15-Passenger Van Attorney Salutes Efforts of American Center For Van and Tire Safety" »

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Posted In: Auto Accident , Catastrophic loss , Personal Injury , SUV and 15 passenger rollover , Wrongful Death

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Unfortunately, and not surprisingly, a 15-passenger Ford Econoline van took the life of an innocent man and injured ten others Saturday, November 10, 2008 when the van lost control causing it to go sideways, eventually resulting in a multiple roll on Interstate 90. There was not alcohol use detected. According to the accident reports, the driver was driving westbound on Interstate 90 when he lost control of the 15-passenger van. Our hearts and prayers go out to the individuals in this van who were probably not aware of the dangers of 15-passenger vans and their tendency to rollover and cause catastrophic injury and fatality. (news article)

NTHSA’s research and the research of the automotive manufacturers indicate that there is significant risk of rollover in 15-passenger vans when fully loaded. Often times, 15-passenger van rollover crashes are due to defective tires and inexperienced and untrained drivers.
The experienced 15-passenger van attorneys at Reiff and Bily believe that the victims of this unfortunate accident should contact an experienced 15-passenger van and rollover attorney to investigate this accident and get them proper compensation that they rightfully deserve from the manufacturers of these knowingly defective vans. If you or a loved one has been injured in a 15-passenger van accident, please contact us for a free consultation at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

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Posted In: Auto Accident , Catastrophic loss , Personal Injury , SUV and 15 passenger rollover , Wrongful Death

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According to investigators, an unidentified man was driving south on Island Avenue in southwest Philadelphia when his Chevy Avalanche SUV struck a raised trolley stop platform at the Buist Avenue intersection. The SUV flipped and the driver sustained massive head injuries in the crash. He was pronounced dead later that morning. This represents yet another single vehicle SUV rollover in what seems to be an epidemic in Philadelphia and nationally.

At the Philadelphia law firm of Reiff and Bily we would be interested to see the results of the investigation of this crash. Most likely, there was a roof crush, which is common for General Motors Company SUVs. The injuries and resulting fatality was most likely caused by the collapsing roof or seat belt failure. The victim’s family would be well served by consulting one of many excellent auto defect firms in the nation that are truly experienced in handling General Motors SUV litigation. When hiring an SUV rollover accident attorney, ask the attorney how many similar cases they have completed and how many they have in progress. You might also want to know how many auto defect cases in total they have successfully completed. More than 40,000 people die is SUV rollover accident in the United States each year. Many of these rollover accident fatalities involve SUVs.

Continue reading "New Jersey Man Was Killed in Philadelphia When His SUV Crashed into a Trolley Platform and Flipped Over" »

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Posted In: Auto Accident , Catastrophic loss , Personal Injury , SUV and 15 passenger rollover , Wrongful Death

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Yet another 15-passenger van carrying 12 passengers with the notation “Christian Faith Fellowship Ministry” on its side rolled over after a tire blew out while traveling on the roadway of a Phoenix suburb. 15-passenger vans have been made the travel vehicle of choice by large groups of people and their cargo. Unfortunately, these unsafe and unstable motor vehicles are often used for transporting church groups.

The Philadelphia15-passenger van rollover law firm of Reiff and Bily has been investigating, testing and researching defective design components of 15-passenger vans and 15-passenger van rollover cases across the United States for many years. The incident that occurred in Arizona is almost identical to a case that the 15-passenger van rollover firm of Reiff and Bily handled a few years ago, also involving 14 church goers traveling to a church outing resulting in multiple deaths and catastrophic injury.

The 15-passenger van is extraordinarily easy to tip over when loaded because they have a higher center of gravity and design defects that create unsafe conditions and instability in an accident avoidance maneuver or if a tire problem occurs. Our extensive research has revealed that the manufacturers knew about these defects, which was evidenced in internal documents. Yet they continue to sell these defective vehicles due to their high profit margin, despite a minimal expenditure to fix the defect that they knew about even when their own test drivers and experts were being injured during testing procedures. Because these vehicles carry a large number of people and weight and the drivers are not required to have a special commercial driver’s license, they were once the smart choice for transporting millions of school children and church groups across the United States until reports of rollover deaths in 15-passenger vans began rolling in.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an SUV rollover accident, you have a legal right to hold the manufacturer responsible for your physical and financial injuries and make them admit in court what they have known all along - that these vehicles are simply not safe. Our hearts and prayers go out to these folks whose injuries and deaths could have been easily prevented.

If you or someone you care about has been injured or killed in a rollover accident, contact the experienced 15-passenger van rollover lawyers at the Philadelphia law firm of Reiff and Bily today for a free legal consultation. Contact us at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.

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Posted In: Auto Accident , Catastrophic loss , Personal Injury , SUV and 15 passenger rollover , Wrongful Death

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Two Pennsylvania residents were killed following a single rollover crash that occurred on Interstate 80 when their sport utility vehicle went out of control and rolled over. The driver was identified as 75 year old Jack Kelly and his passenger was 73 year old Lois Kelly, both of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, died in the crash.

Almost one third of all fatalities from vehicle accidents in the United States occur as a result of a rollover of a sport utility vehicle or 15-passenger van. You should also know that 70% of deaths in sport utility vehicles occur as a result of a rollover. Most SUVs lack proper roof support or rollbars that are necessary to provide vehicle occupants with the proper protection during a rollover accident.

At the Pennsylvania SUV rollover law firm of Reiff and Bily, we have been investigating, researching, and litigating SUV rollover and 15-passenger van rollover cases for many years with successful outcomes. The SUV has a high center of gravity and is noted to be one the most unstable vehicles on the highway. The press and the automotive manufacturers are quick to blame the driver who is simply taking an evasive action to avoid an emergency situation. The chief hazard in operating an SUV occurs when the driver takes an emergency action, steering the vehicle in one direction and rapidly correcting in the opposite direction, resulting in the rollover of the unstable vehicle. If you watch television advertisements or read the newspaper advertisements, one would think that SUVs are built for strength and safety and designed to be driven off the road. Yet very few of them have rollbars and very few meet minimal National Highway Safety Administration roof safety standards for automobiles. SUV rollovers are the most common cause of spinal cord injury and paralysis due to roof collapse.

Continue reading "Two Pennsylvania Residents Are Dead Following Single Vehicle SUV Rollover Crash" »

Posted by Jeffrey M. Reiff | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Auto Accident , Catastrophic loss , Personal Injury , SUV and 15 passenger rollover , Wrongful Death

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I have been a lawyer since 1979, aggressively protecting the rights of catastrophically injured individuals. Yes, I am a greedy trial lawyer. I am greedy for justice. As I listen to politicians, including presidential candidates, conveniently noting that lawyers are like bottom feeders or the “scum of the earth” or where I hear ignorant people telling me that trial lawyers are greedy, I can only think to myself that had it not been for trial lawyers, the greed of corporate America and Wall Street would certainly doom us all. When one thinks of greed, we think intuitively that greed is bad. We think of a self-serving, selfish individual who cares about nothing but accumulating wealth. Until lately, we did not hear much about greedy banks, greedy insurance companies or greedy Wall Street investment firms. What we did hear about most is greedy trial lawyers. Today the individual taxpayers are left holding the bag for the most massive bailout of greed in the history of developed nations. It is only when we feel the pain individually that we have the tendency to catagorize something or someone as greedy. Anyone living in today’s world knows that trial lawyers have been under attack and many of the rules applicable to injured and innocent victims have been changed or legislated away to give big corporations more and more power. The most contentious area of tort reform, and the area in which tort reform advocates focus, is on personal injury and the greed of the trial lawyer.

I am fortunate to live and practice law in the United States where juries decide cases and where compensatory and punitive damages are available to injured plaintiffs and to assist in policing the system of corporate greed. Tort reform has become a contentious political issue particularly because of the alleged high cost of compensating injured victims. It is my feeling that lawyers are the silent policemen of society. We protect the hopes and the value of hope of innocent victims. How do you know if your household products or automobiles are defective and could be causing a potential injury to you or your family? How do you know if your medicines are doing more harm than good? How do you know if the toys you purchase are safe for your children? Under current law, many defective and hazardous products remain on store shelves and in medicine cabinets and are in the houses of millions of Americans and you never know they are dangerous. Government and big corporations get away with keeping this information from us. They seal public records in court cases and try to keep everything a secret, even when victims are successful in holding corporations accountable for defective and hazardous products. They are forced to enter into secrecy agreements which prevent them from informing other consumers of the injuries they defend. The practice of secrecy in tort reform is an example of how corporations can legally put profits over people. Politicians claim that lawsuit abuse destroys jobs, forces doctors out of business, and forces companies into bankruptcy. They want to deprive innocent and injured clients of the hope of the judicial system and the access to the courts dictated by the founding fathers of the United States Constitution. Corporations have and will continue to place profits over safety unless policed by trial lawyers and the court system.

Continue reading "I AM A GREEDY TRIAL LAWYER" »

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Posted In: Catastrophic loss , Personal Injury , Premises liability , Product Liability , SUV and 15 passenger rollover , Wrongful Death

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PHILADELPHIA BUS ACCIDENT LAWYER, JEFFREY REIFF, SPEAKS OUT!

Eight people were killed and another 45 injured on Sunday, October 5, 2008 when a charter bus bound for a casino flipped over and rolled off into a ditch on a two lane highway north of Sacramento, California. Among the injured was the bus driver, Quintin Watts, 52 years old, who was hospitalized in critical condition and was also arrested the following Monday, October 6, 2008 on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs. According to news sources, Robert Kays, a spokesman for the California Highway Patrol noted that the driver was observed to be operating the vehicle in an erratic fashion prior to the collision. Mr. Kays also noted that California records revealed that the driver DID NOT have a valid certificate to transport passengers in a chartered vehicle. The Associated Press, quoting the mother of the driver on October 6th, stated that he had wrestled with drug and alcohol problems and had been jailed several times on drug charges and smashed his car into a tree a few years ago. In addition, the news agency stated that records showed that the driver had been cited for speeding and other violations that resulted in the loss of his driver’s license for nearly two years and he regained his driving privileges in January. Officials also noted that the bus had an invalid Texas license plate and an invalid registration serial number and was operated by Cobb Transportation, whose owner, Daniel E. Cobb, Sr., was among those killed. According to witnesses, the bus drifted into the oncoming lane of traffic soon before the crash and stayed there for approximately one half mile before it began swerving and over corrected at least three times when it finally rolled over, ejecting some passengers before landing in a ditch. (news article)

I have written a number of articles or blogs spotlighting the lack of proper safety regulation and concern for passengers. Notably bus passenger usage is on the increase in the United States and so too are the number of bus accidents that are causing personal injury and death. Surprisingly, most of these accidents are preventable. I am outraged when I review the facts of an accident such as the one that took place in California this week. Common carriers, which include but are not limited to commercial bus companies, owe a extraordinarily high duty of care to their fare-paying passengers. Such safety sensitive jobs or occupations mandate testing for drugs, alcohol, sleep disorders as well as careful background checks of operators. Fatalities from accidents such as above are on the rise. As more and more accidents are occurring, it is important that the bus companies, drivers and other employees be held accountable for negligence and gross negligence which contributes to such bus accidents. It is equally as important for the State and Federal government agencies to implement tighter safety standards and regulations for common carriers and the manufacturers of buses that transport precious cargo.

Continue reading "ANOTHER PREVENTABLE BUS ACCIDENT KILLS INNOCENT VICTIMS - DEJA VU " »

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Posted In: Catastrophic loss , Personal Injury , SUV and 15 passenger rollover , bus accidents

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A press release issued by Mercury Insurance Group on September 16, 2008 presents five excellent safety tips for parents faced with the challenge of choosing the first car for their teens. The suggestion from the Mercury Insurance Group focus on safety, which also helps to lower the cost of auto insurance. The personal injury and automotive safety and vehicle defect lawyers at the Pennsylvania personal injury law firm of Reiff and Bily salute Mercury Insurance Company for their suggestions and promulgation of automobile safety.

According to the Mercury Insurance Group press release, new teens spend countless hours dreaming of owning their first car. A fast sports car conjures exciting images, while an SUV has ample room for all of their friends and both vehicles have one thing in common, neither is a good choice for teens.

Mercury suggests setting ground rules that may ease the polarized view points shared by parents and their teens.

Tip 1: Watch the speed. Driving fast cars with turbo chargers and high horse power continue significant risk. Since car accidents are the leading cause of death among 15 to 20 year olds, 1/3 of those accidents are attributable to speeding. Any fast car is an unwise choice. A good choice is a vehicle with a 4 cylinder engine and an average horsepower which costs less to insure and may save lives.

Continue reading "THE MERCURY INSURANCE GROUP PROMULGATES FIVE TIPS DESIGNED TO PROTECT YOUNG DRIVERS TO FOCUS ON SAFETY ALSO HELPS TO LOWER THE COST OF AUTO INSURANCE" »

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Posted In: Auto Accident , Auto Defects , Catastrophic loss , Personal Injury , SUV and 15 passenger rollover

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The National Auto Safety Group is calling on the States to raise the minimum driving age to 17 or 18 years old. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, raising the driving age will save lives. Vehicle accidents are the largest cause of death among teenagers.

In 2006, 3,490 drivers age 15 to 20 died in automobile crashes. High school teens, ages 15 to 17, were involved in 974,000 crashes nationwide and 406,427 of those teenager accidents involved injuries and the resulting economic impact of those accidents was over $40 billion dollars. According to a study performed by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the State Farm Insurance Company, one teenage passenger with a teen driver doubles the risk of a fatal crash. The risk is 5 times higher with two or more teen passengers. Many states in the nation that have raised the legal driving age limits or commenced a graduated licensing program have seen a noticeable drop in teen crash death rates over the past few years.

When this writer was 16 years of age, I narrowly escaped a catastrophic death or injury by being in the wrong place at the right time. On a warm August evening, I was asked to go on a ride with four other friends and due to other plans made by my parents, was unable to meet my friends at the scheduled time for pickup. The next morning, I received a call that three of my dear friends were killed when their speeding car went out of control on Roosevelt Boulevard in Philadelphia, PA and struck a tree. Nothing has impacted my life more than this thought which creeps into my mind with all too frequent occasion as I litigate catastrophic teenage driving accident cases. (www.reiffandbily.com)

Graduated licensing, which has become the standard across the United States in the past 15 years, requires teenagers to spend more time driving with a parent or other responsible adult before they go solo.

Continue reading "INSURANCE COMPANIES STEP UP THEIR EFFORTS TO INCREASE THE MINIMUM DRIVING AGE ACROSS THE UNITED STATES; PHILADELPHIA PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER APPLAUDS THEIR EFFORTS" »

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Posted In: Auto Accident , Catastrophic loss , Personal Injury , SUV and 15 passenger rollover

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BMW A.G. has recalled 200,000 vehicles due to the fact that they are concerned that the front passenger airbags may not deploy in a crash. The German automaker noted that the recall involves a 2006 3-Series, the 2004-2006 5-Series and 2004-2006 X3 sport utility vehicle in the U.S. The National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration stated in a posting on its website that small cracks could develop in the seat detection mat and deactivate the front passenger airbags. It is further advised that the airbag warning lamp and the passenger airbag “on-off lamp” would remain on. BMW advised that there were no accidents or injuries reported due to this alleged recall defect.

NHTSA opened an investigation into the issue in September 2007 and upgraded its probe in January. In addition to the vehicle under the above recall, the ongoing investigation also includes the 2004-2006 Z4, 2006 X5, 2006-6 Series and some 2004-2006 7-Series vehicles. NHTSA has stated that BMW received 23,739 RT claims over the airbag system by early January. To respond to this problem, BMW said it will extend its warranty to 10 years without any mileage limit for the following vehicles: 2006 6-Series, 2006 3-Series with standard seats, 2004-2005 Z4, 2004-2006 7-Series, 2006 X5, and 2004-2006 5-Series with comfort seats. BMW stated that under the extended warranty program, the detection mat in the vehicle with the airbag system problems would be replaced at no charge to the customer. For more information, owners are asked to contact the manufacturer at 1-800-525-7417 or NHTSA at 1-888-327-4236.

The Pennsylvania airbag defect and SUV rollover law firm of Reiff and Bily has been representing victims (in Pennsylvania and throughout the United States) who have been injured as a result of a defective airbag deployment or non-deployment. Airbags when properly designed prevent death and catastrophic injury. Unfortunately, many airbag systems were designed poorly, resulting in thousands of injuries and fatalities. An individual should assume that an airbag will provide an extra level of protection for drivers and passengers of motor vehicles. Many times defective airbags fail to deploy all together or deploy with too much force, causing injuries such as paralysis, severed brain stems, broken necks, blinding, brain hemorrhages, temporomandibular joint syndrome, facial bone fractures, disfigurement, burst hearts, and other serious injuries or fatalities. Surprisingly, even a low impact or low speed collision can cause an overly aggressive airbags to deploy with too much force, causing an injury that would not have occurred had this defectively designed airbag not been involved.

Continue reading "PHILADELPHIA AIRBAG DEFECT AND SUV ROLLOVER ATTORNEY SALUTES BMW USA IN THEIR RECALL OF 200,000 CARS AND SMALL SUVs FOR AIRBAG DEFECT - A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION FOR CONSUMER SAFETY." »

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Posted In: Catastrophic loss , Defective Airbags , Personal Injury , SUV and 15 passenger rollover

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For many years, 15-passenger vans have been the travel vehicle of choice for large groups of people and their cargo. These large motor vehicles are often used for transporting church groups, school groups, business groups, the elderly, and as a shuttle service between hotels and airports. Unfortunately, 15-passenger vans also boast an unsafe track record for accidents caused by serious design flaws. The Pennsylvania 15 passenger van rollover lawyers at the Philadelphia law firm of Reiff and Bily have been researching and handling numerous automobile and 15-passenger van accident cases since 1979.

Fifteen passenger vans can be very dangerous to ride in when they are fully loaded. Body design flaws with unreasonable and unrealistic capacity limitations are just some of the major problems associated with these kinds of vans. Design defects, such as cargo vans that are top heavy while the back of the van goes as far back as four feet beyond the back wheels, can increase the possibility of rollovers and/or fishtailing. When the vans are fully loaded with passengers, the center of gravity shifts. A van containing more than 9 passengers has a rollover ratio of 35.4%. (http://www.safetyforum.com/passengervans/).

Continue reading "Is your child safe – the 15-passenger van used to transport school children groups and churches may be an instrument of death and severe bodily harm" »

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Posted In: SUV and 15 passenger rollover

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According to the Bucks County Courier Times, an Upper Makefield woman and her daughter were injured on Monday, August 26, 2008 after their SUV flipped over on Route 1 Superhighway in Middletown, PA. The cause of the accident initially was indicated to be a wicker chair flying off the back of a pickup truck, landing on the highway, causing the Upper Makefield woman to make an emergency accident avoidance maneuver, swerving around the chair, causing her black Suburban to overturn. The driver of the SUV was listed in critical condition at St. Marys Hospital in Middletown, PA and her daughter was flown to Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia. The mother was ejected from the vehicle.

At the Pennsylvania SUV rollover firm of Reiff and Bily, we have been investigating, researching and litigating SUV rollover and 15 passenger van rollover cases for many years. These vehicles all have a high center of gravity and are noted to be the most unstable vehicles on the roadways. Almost always, the press and the automotive manufacturers are quick to blame the driver who was simply taking an evasive action to avoid an emergency situation, such as the one mentioned in the Bucks County case. A chief hazard in operating SUVs occurs when the driver takes an emergency action, steering in one direction and then rapidly correcting in the opposite direction, resulting in the rollover of the unstable vehicle. If you watch the television advertisements or read the newspaper advertisements, one would think that sport utility vehicles are built for strength and safety and designed to be driven off the road. Yet very few of them have roll bars and, worse yet, very few meet the National Highway Safety Administration roof safety standards for automobiles. Even though those standards are minimal.

In the last 10 years, sport utility vehicles have taken over America’s roads. One of every six new vehicles sold in the United States is an SUV and now there are over 20 million of them in the nation’s garages. Auto makers defend SUV rollover cases vigorously and do not want consumers to know about their abysmal safety record. When people spend upwards of $35,000 for upscale SUVs, they assume that they are purchasing the safety and stability of vehicles used in off road experiences and in the case with the Hummer, the stability of a vehicle used in combat.

SUV rollovers are the most common cause of spinal cord injury and paralysis due to roof collapse. Most of the SUVs lack an adequate roof strength to withstand a rollover accident. When the car rolls over, the roof generally collapses on the head of the occupant causing crushed necks and spines leading to paralysis. As the roof collapses, the windows are caused to break, setting the stage for an ejection from the vehicle. Most of the American made SUVs do not have roll bars and the older models lack electronic stability control, which was placed in newer models, and has been fairly effective in preventing more serious injuries. Not only does the SUV have a higher center of gravity, making them top heavy and prone to rollover, the distance between left and right tires and the middle of the vehicle reveals a very narrow wheel base, causing the vehicle to easily tip over in an accident avoidance maneuver. Since SUVs and 15 passenger vans are top heavy, any quick turning of the steering wheel in an accident avoidance maneuver can cause the SUV to flip over.

Continue reading "ANOTHER PENNSYLVANIA SUV DRIVER ACCIDENT AVOIDANCE MANEUVER CAUSES YET ANOTHER SUV TO FLIP OVER SERIOUSLY INJURING A MOTHER AND DAUGHTER IN BUCKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA" »

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Posted In: Auto Accident , Catastrophic loss , Personal Injury , SUV and 15 passenger rollover

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As gas prices continue to rise in Pennsylvania and the rest of the nation, bus and school bus transportation is at an all time high. As a direct consequence of this rise in bus passenger usage is the increase in the number of bus accidents that cause personal injuries and death.

Several million individuals will board public transportation and school buses this year. As public transportation by bus becomes a more popular mode of travel, more individuals will be at risk of being involved in a bus accident and accident induced injuries. Studies indicate that ridership has increased significantly in the past five years with fatalities and injuries from accidents also on the rise. There are over 500,000,000 bus drivers registered in the United States, with this number continuously on the rise. As more accidents occur, it is important that bus companies, their drivers, and other employees be held accountable for the negligence that contributes to such bus accidents. It is equally as important for the state and federal government agencies to implement tighter safety standards and regulations for common carriers and the manufacturers of buses that transport precious cargo.

In the last two weeks of August 2008 alone, an accident occurred involving two tour buses in Northwest New Jersey, sending dozens of Pennsylvania and New Jersey citizens to hospitals. According to the State Police, one of the buses was braking for traffic and changed lanes, hitting the rear of a second bus. The second bus was caused to move into the median, quickly dipping down about 50 feet, causing the bus to turn over on its side according to Sgt. Robert Billings of the New Jersey State Police. There were nearly 100 people on board both buses. On August 26, 2008, another bus accident occurred where a pedestrian was struck by a New Jersey Transit bus in Camden County. Earlier this summer, 50 teens, including 7 New Jerseyites were on a tour bus when it crashed and burned during a cross-country summer trip. That crash occurred when a tour bus driver missed a curve, causing the vehicle to go off a state highway while the youths were on a tour to Bryce Canyon National Park in southern Utah. The tour bus landed upside down in a creek bed and caught fire and burst into flames. 47 teenagers and a half dozen chaperones were onboard according to the Highway Patrol.

At the Philadelphia personal injury law firm of Reiff and Bily, we have been researching, investigating and litigating bus accident cases for almost 30 years.

Continue reading "PENNSYLVANIA AND NEW JERSEY BUS ACCIDENTS SPOTLIGHTS THE LACK OF PROPER SAFETY REGULATIONS AND CONCERN FOR PASSENGERS" »

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Posted In: Catastrophic loss , Personal Injury , SUV and 15 passenger rollover , bus accidents

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On January 19, 2002, Benetta Buell-Wilson of San Diego, California was driving her 1997 Ford Explorer on an interstate highway when she swerved to avoid a metal object in the road and the SUV went out of control. The vehicle skidded across the highway and rolled more than 4 ½ times when the Explorer came to rest on its roof. The accident left the 49 year old woman crushed and paralyzed. A California jury awarded Buell-Wilson and her husband $369,000,000, including $246,000,000 in punitive damages. The state courts of California reduced the amount of the verdict. However, the California Court of Appeals approved an $82.6 million dollar settlement, including $55 million in punitive damages.

The experienced Philadelphia motor vehicle accident and personal injury lawyers at the law firm of Reiff and Bily have been handling SUV Explorer rollover and 15 passenger van rollover cases in Pennsylvania and other states in the nation with a successful track record. The Explorer and other SUV’s are flawed because they have a higher center of gravity and are prone to rollover. Also, research indicates that the Explorer roofs are inadequate to protect occupants in a rollover accident and Ford was aware of knowledge of these designs flaws but failed to fix them. Ford has consistently argued that the verdicts against them are unjust because the design of the vehicles meets minimal federal safety standards.

On February 8, 2008, the Ford Motor Company paid $6.5 million dollars to a 41 year old man left brain damaged in a 2004 rollover accident involving an Explorer sport utility vehicle that a Texas jury ordered them to pay. In that claim, Ruben Camora lost control of his 1993 Explorer when a tire lost its tread and he was ejected from the vehicle as it rolled over. His mother, who sued on his behalf, noted that the tread separation set off vibrations on the rear of the vehicle that caused it to skate sideways because of a defect in the SUV’s suspension.

Continue reading "PENNSYLVANIA SUV ROLLOVER LAWYER WEIGHS IN ON DESIGN DEFECTS INHERENT TO SUVs AND I5 PASSENGER VANS IN PENNSYLVANIA AND THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES" »

Posted by Jeffrey M. Reiff | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Auto Accident , Catastrophic loss , Personal Injury , Product Liability , SUV and 15 passenger rollover

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Another young individual was killed while sending a text message moments before an auto crash.

On Sunday, August 17, 2008, Fox News reported that in Highland, California, a 16 year old girl died after losing control of her car while texting on her phone moments before the accident. The report not only indicated that Kayla Preuss of Highland, California, was driving on Interstate 10 when she lost control of her car, it also noted that she was drunk and had been speeding.

On April 7, 2008, I noted on my blog a case where the distracted driver of another vehicle in Pennsylvania was texting his girlfriend a message while his close friend and passenger innocently sat in the backseat of the vehicle. That vehicle driver lost control of the SUV he was in, causing it to rollover and causing the innocent passengers to be ejected out of the vehicle resulting in permanent and catastrophic injuries that could have easily been prevented. I am consistently amazed at how many people are driving while having a conversation on a cell phone or text messaging, even though it is against the law. Any “plain fool” can recognize that a person with a cell phone or PDA in one hand and driving with the other hand, will not have their complete attention paid to the road and hence, will not have their vehicle in complete control if an emergency situation arises. The distracted driver is a major cause of car accidents and rollovers.

The experienced Philadelphia personal injury lawyers at the Pennsylvania motor vehicle accident law firm of Reiff and Bily have over 30 years experience handling of motor vehicle rollover and catastrophic loss cases.

Continue reading "USAGE OF CELL PHONE WHILE DRIVING TAKES ANOTHER TEEN’S LIFE" »

Posted by Jeffrey M. Reiff | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Auto Accident , Catastrophic loss , Large Truck Accidents , Personal Injury , SUV and 15 passenger rollover

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On August 14, 2008, the National Highway and Transportation Safety Authority (www.NHTSA.gov) noted in their study that the overall number of traffic fatalities in 2007 reached its lowest level since 1994.

The 2007 annual assessment of motor vehicle crash fatalities of people injured revealed a 3.9% decline in people killed in the United States from 42,708 in 2006 to 41,059 in 2007. This reduction in fatalities is the largest in terms of number and percentage since 1992. Although passenger car occupant fatalities declined for the 5th consecutive year and light truck occupant fatalities dropped for the 2nd consecutive year, it is noteworthy that motorcycle fatalities continued their 10 year increase, reaching 5,154 in 2007, the highest level since NHTSA started collecting fatality crash data in 1975.

Motorcycle fatalities now account for 13% of all total fatalities. In Pennsylvania, the number of fatalities dropped to 1,491 in 2007 from 1,525 in 2006, a change of -2.2%. Internet users may access these crash statistics and other general information on traffic safety at www.nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/CATS/index.aspx.

Continue reading "2007 TRAFFIC ANNUAL ASSESSMENT HIGHLIGHTS" »

Posted by Jeffrey M. Reiff | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Auto Accident , Catastrophic loss , Large Truck Accidents , Personal Injury , SUV and 15 passenger rollover

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MAY HAVE CAUSED YOUR ACCIDENT

Government entities such as the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation can be held liable for injuries that occur as a result of improperly maintained or designed roads. At the law offices of Reiff and Bily in Philadelphia, PA, we represent people who have been injured and the families of those who have been killed on a dangerous road in Pennsylvania, highways and streets in Philadelphia and throughout Pennsylvania.

It is very important to recover evidence and take photos before potholes are filled, trees are trimmed or guardrails added and it is important to contact an attorney as soon as possible after a car or truck accident caused by a dangerous street or highway. If a defective road or dangerous highway condition was involved in your accident, contact Philadelphia personal injury and defective road design lawyer Jeffrey Reiff today.

The Philadelphia car accident lawyers at Reiff and Bily consult traffic design experts, engineers, surveyors and accident investigators in exposing negligence on the part of a municipality and other government agencies in accidents involving dangerous roads and defective road design. Even in cases where other vehicles may strike yours, further investigation often reveals improper road conditions or lighting conditions played a role in causing an accident. When the shoulder of a road or a curve is improperly graded, when potholes are left unfilled or when stop signs are obscured by foliage, those responsible for designing and maintaining a road can be held liable when accidents occur as a result of such negligence.

Continue reading "DEFECTIVE ROAD DESIGN OR IMPROPER ROAD MAINTENANCE " »

Posted by Jeffrey M. Reiff | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Auto Accident , Personal Injury , SUV and 15 passenger rollover

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The Philadelphia SUV and fifteen-passenger van rollover law firm of Reiff and Bily has been investigating and representing victims of SUV and fifteen-passenger van rollover cases across the Nation for many years. Advertising would lead the average consumer to believe that the mighty SUV is safer and stronger than the ordinary vehicle and easier to handle in difficult weather conditions. Our experience with SUV rollover lawsuits and fifteen-passenger van experts and investigators have proven that this is pure Madison Avenue advertising "hog wash."

SUV's and fifteen-passenger vans are much harder to control in emergency situations on the road. It often results in catastrophic injuries of the occupants including paralysis or death. The SUV and fifteen-passenger vans are very easy to tip over because they have a higher center of gravity and design defects that create unsafe conditions in foreseeable road emergencies or maneuvers. Our extensive research has revealed that many automotive manufacturers knew about these defects, yet continue to sell these defective vehicles because of their high profit margin, despite a minimal expenditure to fix the defect that they knew about even when their own test drivers and experts were being injured during testing.

Continue reading "SUV's and Fifteen-Passenger Vans - The World's Most Dangerous Vehicles" »

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Posted In: SUV and 15 passenger rollover

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