Philadelphia Top Injury Lawyer Blog

At this time there have been no injuries reported after two planes collided while grounded at a Missouri airport. The accident took place this week at the Lambert Airport in St. Louis and involved a plane that was on its way to Philadelphia and was carrying several Philadelphia residents.

Rhonda Hamm-Niebrugge, director of the Lambert Airport told NMB that the planed "bumped Tuesday morning as they were preparing to de-ice before takeoff." According to US Airways the wingtip of one of its Airbus 319 planes, bound for Charlotte, N.C., came in contact with only the wingtip of the Embraer 175 operated by Republic Airways. Republic Airways is a regional carrier for US Airways. As the Embraer, which was headed for Philadelphia, became involved in the accident, it was carrying 78 passengers. The US Airways airbus was carrying around 113 people according to reports.

After the planes were returned to the gate for inspection according to US airways spokeswoman Valerie Wunder. The damage was found to be minimal and no injuries were reported. Both flights were cancelled while the planes underwent further inspection while new arrangements were made were passengers.

Call a Philadelphia injury lawyer if you or a loved one has been hurt or injured in an airline accident. Only an experienced Philadelphia injury lawyer will be able to assist you in realizing what you may be entitled to.

Dr. Mark Midei, a Baltimore/Philadelphia area cardiologist has become infamous recently for putting more cardiac stents in more patients than any area doctor. According to reports Dr. Midei had inserted 30 cardiac stents made by Abott laboratories in a single day in August 2008. Just two days later, an Abbott sales representative spent $2,159 to buy luxury foods and fixings for a barbecue at Dr. Midei's home, just one perk aside from the millions in salary and perks given to Dr. Midei for mass inserting the stents.

An investigation into whether or not Dr. Midei was committing medical malpractice was opened up last February by the Sentate Finance Committee which oversees Medicare. According to reports in The Baltimore Sun, Dr. Midei was inserting stents into patients who did not need them, reaping high reimbursements from Medicare. The organization has recently concluded that "Dr. Midei may have implanted 585 stents which were medically unnecessary from 2007 to 2009." This case is still under investigation.

According to the New York Times, several other cases of medical malpractice involving states are now under investigation as Dr. Midei's case has opening the eyes of prosecutors, malpractice lawyers, and state medical boards. If you believe you have been the victim of a medical malpractice case involving cardiac stents, contact a Pennsylvania medical malpractice laywer today. A Pennsylvania medical malpractice lawyer will make sure you get what you are entitled to.

At the 11th hour, the Philadelphia City Council has decided to postpone a vote on what to do about what's colorfully being called the "Towing Wars." As local Philadelphians know - and as this blog covered several weeks ago - tow truck drivers in Philadelphia are notorious for engaging in radical competition. An accident-scene-shooting between tow truck operators - which led to reciprocal attacks and fears of an all out Towing Civil War - inspired the community to take legislative action.

A vote on a bill addressing the Towing Wars problem had been scheduled for Thursday December 16th, but the vote got postponed until January. If legislation ultimately passes, tow truck operators would be forced to comply with stricter regulations. And, on a lighter note, Discovery Channel might have to shut down its reality series, "Wreck Chasers," which details the dangerous doings of many of the town's tow truck operators. One particularly egregious practice involves listening in on police radio to beat police officers to the scenes of accident. This practice can potentially block police officers from providing help to distressed and endangered accident victims.

In cases of personal injury and driving negligence, a Philadelphia accident lawyer may probe for outside "x-factors," like tow truck driver involvement. When someone gets hurt on Philadelphia streets in an accident, your Philadelphia injury lawyer will want to try to get other parties to pay for things like your medical care, surgical bills, medications, lost time at work, and suffering. A "liable" party might be an insurance company, negligent driver or even municipal authority that didn't do its job and failed to replace a burnt out stoplight. A probing investigation may also reveal peripheral factors, such as tow truck operators who blocked police officers and emergency personnel from getting to accident victims in time to administer medical care.

An injury lawyer or Philadelphia medical malpractice lawyer must analyze, investigate and amass evidence to prove that a person's negligence or carelessness - even indirect negligence or carelessness - led to your damages. If the logic of your argument breaks down at any level - and the defense will certainly work hard to break down your logic - then you may not get compensation for medical bills, repair work, and other costs.

For all those reasons and more, it's smart to consult with an attorney as quickly as possible after an accident or botched medical procedure.

Continue reading "Could Philadelphia's "Towing Wars" Finally come to an End?" »

A recent study released Tuesday by a Massachusetts-based nonprofit that supports renewable energy development has found that Philadelphia residents are more concerned than US residents in general on average. Fracking is a term used for hydraulic fracturing as a process for the extraction of natural gas. Studies have shown that his process is harmful to the environment and can contaminate public drinking water.

The state survey was conducted among 403 adults from November 26-30 amidst a national survey conducted among 1,012 adults. Philadelphia residents were most likely to say they are "very concerned" about the health threats, personal injury, and damage that fracking can cause. Pam Solo, founder and president of the Civil Society Institute said concern about fracking "illustrates the point that Americans don't think of an energy source as cheap or clean if there is a hidden price in terms of safe drinking water and human health." Several Philadelphia residents seem to be on this page when it comes to fracking.

It is unfortunate that in the Philadelphia area as well as across the world, several processes used by big business put public health at risk. Philadelphia Injury lawyers remind us that this year's environmental disaster with BP, for example, demonstrates how a corporation damaged the environment, caused personal injury, and put the lives and lively hoods of humans at risk. For this, BP had to pay out richly in settlements. If you believe you or a loved one has been the victim of injury due to fracking or another environmental hazard caused by big business, find out what you're entitled to by contacting a Philadelphia injury lawyer.

On Monday, December 6, and Wednesday, December 8, two separate traffic accidents rocked Philadelphia. Around 7:15 p.m. Monday at the Market East Station, a regional SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority) rail train rolled over and trapped a woman underneath the train. According to local reports from the station WPVI, firefighters helped the woman off the tracks and took her to Hahnemann Hospital... but not in time to save her hand from being fully amputated.

Less than 48 hours later, at around 12:30 on December 8, a car slammed into a 20-something year-old pedestrian on Roosevelt Boulevard. The oncoming car smashed into the pedestrian so hard that the victim ended up getting embedded into the windshield. Early reports said the man was in critical condition. The driver stopped at the scene of the accident. So far, no one has been charged in connection with the injuries and damages.

As a Philadelphia accident lawyer will tell you, boulevards, surface streets, and train stations in Philadelphia can be quite dangerous places - even to pedestrians and motorists who observe all posted warnings and traffic rules. The reality is that no one can predict things like a SEPTA train rollover, and it's easy to misjudge the speed of oncoming traffic when you cross the road at night. Unfortunately, in the wake of highway/railway tragedies, victims - and family members of victims - often don't know how to advocate for themselves to collect money to pay for medical bills, surgical care, medications, rehab, loss of companionship, pain and suffering, and more.

A Philadelphia injury lawyer will probe the accident to identify potentially culpable parties using as much data as possible. For instance, in the case of the man who got hit while crossing Roosevelt Boulevard, one's first thought might be either that the pedestrian made a grievous error and crossed when he shouldn't have or that the oncoming driver acted in a negligent/careless way by driving too fast. Either judgment (or perhaps even both) might be correct. But a good attorney won't stop with this superficial analysis. Instead, he (or she) will examine alternative hypotheses. For instance, maybe the driver slammed on his brakes but the brakes failed - and that's why the man got hit. In this case, the culpable party - or at least one culpable party - would be the designer, manufacturer, or installer of the failed brakes. Alternatively, maybe the crosswalk itself had terrible lighting. So maybe the pedestrian crossed legally at a crosswalk, but faulty traffic engineering created the hazardous conditions.

All this is to say that, if you or someone you love has been injured on Philadelphia streets -- or if you need the services of a Philadelphia medical malpractice lawyer because you got injured during a surgery or during recuperative care -- you want an experienced, creditable law firm working on your behalf.

Continue reading "Two Philadelphia Injury Accidents Fuel Commuter Outrage" »

Another Philadelphia area fire has left at least 8 people injured and one woman dead. The injuries were sustained when fire ripped through five row homes in West Philadelphia early Saturday morning. The two alarm fire broke out at approximately 2:30 am along the 500 block of south 57th street. One elderly woman was found dead on the second floor of one of the two story buildings upon firefighters arrival.

According to reports, the name of the deceased elderly woman and those of the other fire injury victims have not yet been released. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Sadly, aside from causing devastating injuries, loss, and one death, the fire has left at least 8 Philadelphia residents displaced by the fire. This fire is one of the many that has broken out in the Philadelphia area this year.

Fire loss and fire injury cause devastation in the Philadelphia area and across the country. City residents and residents of apartment building face special risks of fire injury due to close living quarters as fire can being in one unit and sweep through entire buildings quickly. If you or a loved one has been the victim of fire injury or fire loss in an apartment complex or elsewhere, it is your right to find out what you may be entitled to. Philadelphia injury lawyer can help to explain your rights. Philadelphia injury lawyer Rosenbaum and Associates is experienced and dedicated to helping injured victims.

Last month, Pennsylvania Superior Court ruled in a high profile Philadelphia medical malpractice lawsuit. The court's decision: a $20 million verdict in favor of the family of a woman killed in a liposuction accident will stand.

The wrongful death suit against plastic surgeon Richard Glunk and his nurse, Edward DeStefano, stemmed from an incident in 2001, when an 18-year-old college student, Amy Fledderman, suffered grievous complications from liposuction. Allegedly, Glunk stood by for two hours - refusing to take Fledderman to the hospital - while Fledderman's mother begged him to. As a result of this act, the jury awarded the mother $2 million for emotional distress. Glunk's clinic had not been licensed at the time of the disaster.

The defendants had argued to the appeals court that the $15 million in punitive damages was excessive, but the court rejected this argument. Glunk's legal team had challenged the wrongful death verdict on a number of other grounds - and all of these arguments also got struck down.

As any experienced Philadelphia medical malpractice lawyer will tell you, building a seven-figure wrongful death case can be challenging work, even if all the evidence is in your favor and even if the defendant's negligence and carelessness are easy to prove. The law provides numerous, diverse, and extensive resources for defendants. If a plaintiff does not build his or her case carefully and meticulously, small process errors and other imprecise actions can allow defendants to escape serious punishment and can significantly chew into any jury award.

Part of what's so challenging is that plaintiffs must meet an intense burden of proof. You need to show essentially that the defendant's negligence, carelessness, or failure to act created, either directly or indirectly, conditions that caused harm or exacerbated a medical condition. If your cause and effect argument breaks down at any point - and the defense will obviously be looking to break down your argument at every possible "weak link" - your case can fall apart. That's why it's so important to work with an attorney who has experience in getting results and who understands Pennsylvania medical malpractice law both in theory and in practice.

The same goes true for motor vehicle or product liability accidents. You want a Philadelphia accident lawyer or Philadelphia injury lawyer who not only understands the law from a theoretical and intellectual level but who also knows how to make the system function effectively for plaintiffs.

Continue reading "Massive Philadelphia Malpractice Verdict Upheld - $20 million Will Go to Family of Liposuction Victim" »

One home occupant and three firefighters were injured in a blaze that engulfed a Philadelphia area house last Sunday morning. The fire broke out at the Frankford home around 8:30 a.m. according to reports in the 1100 block of Arrott Street in Frankford. By the time firefighters had arrived, all floors of the three story house were engulfed by heavy flames. Although all occupants made it out of the home, one occupant was taken to an area hospital with minor, non life-threatening injuries.

The firefighters who worked on the scene were not quite as fortunate, three of them sustaining more serious injuries. CBS Philly reported that two of the firefighters were transported to Temple University Hospital in stable condition. One 52-year-old firefighter suffered from burns on his ears and neck, while another 41-year-old firefighter suffered from smoke inhalation. The third firefighter escaped with minor injuries and was also taken to a Philadelphia area hospital.

The crew of Philadelphia firefighters took approximately 55 minutes to bring the fire under control. According to reports, the fire was put at 9:21 a.m. on Sunday morning. There is still no word on what caused the fire.

A top Philadelphia injury lawyer is available to help if you or a loved one has been injured in a fire or has suffered from work related injuries. Only a Philadelphia injury lawyer can ensure you're getting all that you may be entitled to.

A serious 3 Alarm fire has left the residents of over 2 dozen units in a suburban Philadelphia apartment complex homeless. Fortunately no immediate injuries were reported as a result of the blaze that authorities report broke out last Saturday at about 6 p.m. The fire began in a building at the Wexford Apartments in Pottstown, Montgomery County.

Flames burned out of control and took firefighters over an hour to begin containing them according to reports. Dozens of residents watched as firefighters eventually were able to put out the flames. Although no one was injured, many families remain homeless after fire has destroyed their homes.

The Southeastern Pennsylvania chapter of the American Red Cross has stated that occupants of 24 units were displaced. A temporary shelter was opened at the local elementary school. Residents are now also receiving money for food, clothing, and lodging while they wait for the damage to be repaired and contact a Philadelphia injury lawyer if it is later found that any injuries have occured.

Unfortunate injuries and even deaths as a result of a property fire do occur. Fortunately residents were spared in last Saturday's incident. If you or a loved one has sustained injuries in a fire a Philadelphia injury lawyer can help you find out if you are entitled to any compensation.

Last Sunday, 23-year-old Stewart Haverty fell to his death at a football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears. The young man allegedly had gotten up onto the colonnade level to have a smoke, when he fell 35 feet onto a flat roof on the west part of Soldier Field. He died of multiple injuries just an hour after the fall, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office. Witnesses to the fall said they saw Haverty jump over a 3-foot barrier - apparently to have some privacy while he smoked. (Soldier Field prohibits smoking). The young man's father discussed the tragedy with Fox Chicago News: "Apparently on his way trying to make it that ledge, he slipped or lost his balance...or, for all I know, he could have slipped while trying to light the cigarette."

Story of the half-time accident quickly made regional headlines. In addition to the tragic and surprising circumstances of the fall; the story raises interesting legal questions about premises liability law. As a Philadelphia accident lawyer might tell you, different property owners owe different "duties of care" to visitors and patrons. Depending on your classification as an "invitee" "licensee" or "trespasser," a property owner will have different obligations to you. Football fans who enter a football stadium should be protected from roof top falls. But this doesn't mean that a football stadium or any other entity can be legally held responsible for your problems if you stray into a prohibited area or hop a clearly marked barrier. All that said, as a qualified Philadelphia injury lawyer will note, even individuals who trespass can successfully sue property owners under certain circumstances.

The general point here is that premises liability law can get exceptionally complicated and surprisingly nuanced. So if you or someone you care about has been hurt or injured - you fell on an ice coated parking lot at a Philadelphia shopping center, for instance - it's at least worth your time and energy to consult with an attorney about possible options you may have to collect money for things like your pain and suffering, your medical bills, your rehabilitation, medications and surgery, and time off of work.

Likewise, a Philadelphia medical malpractice lawyer can provide essential services if you've been mistreated or misdiagnosed at an area hospital, birthing center, or other medical facility.

Continue reading "Tragic Football Death Shakes Philadelphia" »

It was just reported that a man was electrocuted at a Devon Self-Storage facility in the Frankford section of Philadelphia on Saturday afternoon. The victim, a 44 year old man and an employee of the facility was electrocuted while working on a door hinge near a power line around 2 p.m. His identity has not yet been released.

There is some immediate confusing about just who is at fault for this unfortunate accident. According to the reports, although the facility still bears Devon Self Storage signs, the company does not appear to currently be managed by the Devon company, who owns and operated 25 self storage facilities across 11 states. It is suspected that the property may have recently been sold.

According to police, the worker and victim was pronounced dead at the scene, more than likely as a result of the injuries sustained while working on the property. Unfortunate cases of death as a result of occupational hazards happen often in Philadelphia and across the country. When it is suspected that employer negligence may be involved, injury victims or family members of deceased victims should consult with a Philadelphia injury lawyer right away. A Philadelphia accident lawyer is experienced in navigating complicated cases and ensuring that victims and their families get what the compensation they are entitled to.

Accidents in a big city like Philadelphia are an unfortunate reality, and no amount of fiddling with policy or reworking traffic engineering rubrics will eliminate the risks associated with taking your car, motorcycle, bike, or other vehicle on local surface streets and highways. But two recent stories have many local residents concerned. Both involved trains operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA).

The first incident happened in Park Side in West Philly on November 18th at 49th Street and Lancaster Avenue at around 7:30 in the evening. An SUV slammed into a Route 10 trolley, causing injuries to eight people. 3 people in the SUV and 5 trolley passengers were sent to University of Pennsylvania Hospital and treated for minor injuries. Fortunately, early reports suggest that none of the injuries was serious.

A second SEPTA accident resulted in much graver consequences, however. An as-of-yet unidentified man got run over by a SEPTA train near Market Street and 34th at approximately 1:04 PM. The Market-Frankford line train slammed into the man while he was on the west bound tracks - reports thus far have not confirmed whether he jumped onto the tracks or fell.

Now, obviously, the SEPTA service provides essential transportation for city residents and the Philadelphia business community. And a Philadelphia accident lawyer would have to make a probing investigation to determine how or whether any of the hurt parties would have legal redress against the city or against any other potential defendants. All that said, it costs nothing for injured victims (or family members of hurt victims or people who have been killed in accidents) to consult with a Philadelphia injury lawyer about best practices.

Often, examining a traffic accident or other injury case is like peeling an onion. As you go deeper into the layers, more nuances are revealed. For instance, the case of the SUV crashing into the trolley may seem cut and dry based on the news reports. But a probing analysis may show that the SUV's brakes malfunctioned, contributing to the crash; or that the trolley driver had been driving under the influence of prescription medications. These subtleties can profoundly influence your potential legal remedies to get paid for your medical bills, pain and suffering, and other costs.

Furthermore, an actionable situation may emerge long after the accident. For instance, say you got hurt in a car crash near a SEPTA station and got taken to a hospital to be treated for a slipped disc. Then the doctor who operated on you exacerbated your injury through carelessness or negligence. In that case, you might need a Philadelphia medical malpractice lawyer to help you extract compensation for any follow up surgery you need, time off work and so forth.

Continue reading "Pre-holiday Traffic Accidents Set Philadelphia on Edge" »

In the 1970's a study commissioned by the California Hospital and Medical Associations reported that one out of 20 patients suffered injuries as a result of medical malpractice. This includes patients in Philadelphia Pennsylvania as well as across the country. What's worse is that the 1970's study found that 1 in 10 patients died as a result of medical malpractice.

Although many hoped and assumed that these numbers would go down throughout the years, studies continued to show that medical injuries were a problem throughout the 1980's and 1990's. One similar study conducted bya Harvard team in the 1980's surveyed 31,000 medical records and 50 hospitals. The study found that one in four patients suffered possible medical injuries.

Today, nearly thirty years later, and in the 21st century, studies show that 100,000 people across the U.S. die every year as a result of medical malpractice. The most common forms of medical malpractive include birth injuries, surgical injuries, infection, septicemia, bleeding, failure to diagnose, misdiagnosis, and medication errors.

Each of these scenarios is extremely alarming. With birth injuries, being by far one of the most common types of medical malpractice in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and across the country, the urgent need for an expert Philadelphia birth injury lawyer to be accessible to the public is apparent. Philadelphia birth injury lawyer or a Pennsylvania medical malpractice lawyer is the place to turn if you or a loved one have unfortunately been involved in one of the many common forms of medical malpractice.