Philadelphia Top Injury Lawyer Blog

A personal injury lawsuit was recently filed against one Philadelphia police officer after a man claimed that he fired his weapon during an off duty night of drinking. Philadelphia Daily News reported that the lawsuit charges Officer Thomas Schaffling with firing his weapon "wildly around 3 a.m. on March 26 after leaving an after-hours club in the Tacony neighborhood of Philadelphia."

It is alleged that Schaffling began firing the weapon after becoming upset that he could not locate his car in the parking lot. Two men who were in the parking lot claimed that Schaffling threatened to kill them before he started shooting and later injured them.
One of the men was grazed by a bullet under his arm and was later treated for injury at Aria Health's Frankfort campus before being released. The other, who also reportedly suffered personal injury at the hands of Schaffling, has not yet had his identity or injuries released.

Schaffling is reported to have been reprimanded for drunken and disorderly conduct prior to the incident this Spring as well. If you have been the victim of personal injury or if you or a loved one has been the victim of wrongful death or personal injury, contact a Philadelphia personal injury lawyer or a Philadelphia accident lawyer immediately.

The Philadelphia Ride the Ducks Boat is back in business on the Delaware River for the first time since the tragic duck boat accident that occurred last year, killing two teens. The Ride the Ducks operation, whose corporate offices, are headed up in Norcross, Georgia, took a nine month hiatus to consider and address safety concerns to prevent any further accidents.

The Ride the Ducks gave a preview tour to Philadelphia area residents and media before officially opening back up for business. According to reports, the tour showcased a new, shorter and closer to shore water route. The tour also explained the use of a new spotter boat that will be present to help respond to any potential emergencies.
The changes have been made in consultation with the U.S. Coast Guard in order to make them even safer than before and to prevent accidents like the one that occurred last year.

Families of the injured as well as families of the two Hungarian teens that were killed filed lawsuits against the Ride the Ducks company and the city of Philadelphia after the Ride the Ducks boat was struck by a disabled boat which was hit by a 2,100 ton city barge.

Philadelphia residents seem to be expressing satisfaction that the tours have taken greater safety measures. If you are a Philadelphia resident who has been injured in a boat or other motor vehicle accident, contact a Philadelphia accident lawyer or Philadelphia injury lawyer.

Sadly, another Philadelphia toddler has suffered personal injuries after been struck by an oncoming motorist. This is the second report in a week of a toddler running into a Philadelphia street and being injured by a vehicle. The two cases are not related.

The driver, who was driving east bound near the 5500 block Wyalusing Avenue around 5 p.m. on Sunday, reports that he did not see the child running into the street. The two year old child was struck immediately, but remains in stable condition at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia at this time. The driver of the vehicle has not reported any injuries.

It is unclear whether or not any charges will be pressed against the driver in this incident. The driver remained on the scene and cooperated with police before being allowed to leave the scene.

Parents are always advised to keep children from playing in or around roadways, especially on busy Philadelphia streets and drivers should always act as defensive drivers to avoid such incidents. If you or a loved one has been involved in a similar incident and it is unclear just who is to blame, contact a Philadelphia injury lawyer immediately. A Philadelphia injury lawyer will help explain your rights and see that you get any compensation that you may be owed for your case.

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?" »

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" »

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" »

A recent shoot out that occurred during the early morning hours on a Philadelphia street has brought the innocence of two Philadelphia police officers into question.

According to reports, Philadelphia Police Spokesperson Lieutenant Ray Evers specified that the event took place in the 17th police district when officers "came upon a fire fight in the 1300 block of South 27th street." The fire fight turned out to originally involve two males who were firing towards a jeep. The occupants of the jeep were firing back.

When officers came upon the scene, the occupants of the jeep began to turn their shots on the officers as well, according to reports. One of the Officers discharged towards the jeep, while the original shooters ran to escape towards the 2700 block of Sear street. At this point, allegedly, more gun shots were exchanged between police officers and the suspects occupying the jeep.

While police are still looking for one male who got away during the fire fight, they are also trying to protect their innocence in the shooting of another man who occupied the red jeep, who was injured in the shoot out. The man was taken to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania for wounds. Evers has stated that the injuries do not appear to be from the officer's guns, but investigation is pending.

Shootouts like this one can make it complicated to determine just who is liable for or responsible for injuries. If you or a loved one is involved in a complicated case such as this, contact a Philadelphia injury lawyer. A Philadelphia injury lawyer can help you get the compensation you deserve.

Philadelphia police officers continue the search for a man allegedly responsible for injuring and sexually assaulting and harassing three Philadelphia women. The assaults took place last Saturday in a neighborhood near Center City all within a span of 90 minutes.

The assailant is thought to be a homeless white male in his mide 50s. The victims identified him as having unkempt gray facial hair, long blonde-gray hair, and unkempt dark clothing. According to police, the man's description does not meet that of a man suspected in earlier reports of two slayings that took place in the Kensington section last month.

THe first victim is a 25 year old woman who was getting out of a cab on Broad Street and Fairmount Avenue around 4 a.m. when the man attacked, raped, injured her and fled with cash. The second victim, a 26 year old woman, was strcuk in the head by the assailant, assaulted, and then robbed. SImilarly, another victim was grabbed by the man, but got away.

Police are still on the search for the man responsible in the three cases of tragic attacks. Police have warned city residents to be careful and aware of surroundings while in and around the city. If you or a loved one has been victim of an accident, and attack, or has been injured, it is important to seek the assistance of a Philadelphia injury lawyer. When it comes to upsetting cases such as this one, Philadelphia injury lawyers know your rights.

Last Sunday, two Philadelphia accidents shocked and shook the city - hammering home just how dangerous it can be to conduct regular business in town.

On Sunday afternoon at around 3 PM, seven different vehicles got involved in a chain reaction crash on Roosevelt Boulevard. The traffic backlog led to hour-long delays on the northbound lanes and resulted in the hospitalization of one person. The cause remains under investigation.

In a separate event at around 11:45 Saturday night, November 13th, a truck slammed into multiple concrete barriers and flipped over, killing the driver. Apparently, the 22-year-old had been returning from a Philadelphia Flyers game, when his speeding pickup flew out of control on Morrell Avenue (3700 Block), flipped over, and slammed into the wall of a nearby rehabilitation facility. A passenger survived and got treated at a Torresdale area hospital.

A Philadelphia accident lawyer advises victims in crashes about what to do to collect compensation for property damage, medical and surgical bills, wages lost at work, pain and suffering, and so forth. A Philadelphia injury lawyer would closely examine both the cause of the accident and the actions taken by the various parties afterwards. Often, accidents that you read about in local newspapers are far more complicated than the simple narratives may suggest.

For instance, in the seven car collision, perhaps multiple factors conspired to cause the crash. Perhaps poor road signage, a defective brake on one car, heavy traffic, inclement weather and another driving talking on a cell phone could have all "collaborated" to set the stage for the accident. To get a true objective understanding of how the crash happened, who "caused it," what else contributed to the disaster, and how all these causal factors led to harm to various people, you really need to thoroughly analyze what happened, talk to experts, pore over witness statements and police reports, and lean on established case law to figure out how best to proceed.

A Philadelphia medical malpractice lawyer will use the same kind of thinking when he or she assesses a claim of doctor negligence, a diagnostic mistake, or a pharmacist error. Essentially, you need to be able to tie some kind of error, omission, or negligent act (or failure to act) to a Philadelphia victim's harm and/or damages. This may sound like a simple task. But you might be surprised by the diversity of resources available to defendants. Even a small "logic gap" in your argument can scuttle your case. So it's imperative to lay careful groundwork for any kind of claim.

Continue reading "Two Philadelphia Accidents Graphically Illustrate the Perils of City Driving" »

Last Wednesday, 34-year old Lateisha Johnson's black Infiniti broke through a guardrail on the Schuylkill Expressway and smashed into a tree, killing her and injuring her 15-year old daughter. A police investigation suggests that Johnson died on impact. The 15-year old was thrown out of an open window. She managed to climb up an embankment and find help on the highway.

Michael Murphy, the local police captain who found the girl, said that "she was almost in a catatonic state...she was not just lucid." It took around 12 hours, according to reports, for the girl to tell police what happened, after which time they found the Infiniti stuck in some tree branches 40 feet above the ground. Authorities retrieved the car, using tow trucks stationed on the road and below it. A preliminary investigation suggests that Johnson simply swerved too hard and had been driving too quickly. The 34-year old actually had just been released from jail, after serving a 5-year sentence for her involvement in a fatal Philadelphia car accident in 2004. She is survived by her 15-year old daughter as well as by two sons, ages 9 and 13.

A Philadelphia accident lawyer might investigate a crash like this to help determine whether factors other than Johnson's driving might have led to the fatal impact. For instance, a probing search might have revealed poor highway signage or a lack of signage. Or an inspection of the Infiniti itself might have revealed that the brakes had not been functioning properly and/or that the tire pressure had been abnormally low. A Philadelphia injury lawyer will not (and should not) seek to hold someone or some party liable in every accident. Sometimes bad luck and unfortunate circumstances conspire, and no amount of legal action in the world can reverse the damage or help to bring closure to injured victims.

That said, as a good Philadelphia medical malpractice lawyer or personal injury lawyer can attest, many potential claimants often neglect or refuse to take action in situations that might otherwise yield results. For instance, in the case of Lateisha Johnson's car crash, the most obvious explanation is that the driver simply lost control of her car, crashed through the guardrails, and hit the tree. But, as we discussed above, a detailed investigation could reveal that maybe something had been wrong with her vehicle. Or maybe another car or truck pushed her off the road or forced her to speed up and swerve quickly.

Exploring your potential legal options is not a "ploy" to get others to pay for your mistakes or bad luck. It constitutes a legitimate quest to make sure that no stone is left unturned. To ensure that you get proper benefits, including money for property damage, time off of work, medical bills, and suffering, you may need the help of an attorney.

Continue reading "Fatal Philadelphia Accident Leaves Surviving Daughter and Community Stunned" »

A 22-year old Philadelphian died Tuesday in Allentown in a Philadelphia car crash. Paul Jarrett was killed from blunt force injuries after a van collided with his friend's car at around 6.40 p.m. on Basin Street. According to police reports, Jesse Williams Jr., a 43-year old from Allentown, drove his van into a car driven by Kemol Bowman, severely hurting Bowman and killing Jarrett nearly instantly. Sadly and ironically, a police sergeant from Allentown arrived at the wreck moments after it happened, but efforts to revive Jarrett were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead at a nearby Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest. The DA's Office for Lehigh County, together with local police and the coroner's office, are currently investigating the accident.

40,000+ fatal motor vehicle accidents occur every year in the United States, according to independently analyses. A Philadelphia injury lawyer can help a victim or a victim's family collect compensation for medical bills, property damage, lost wages, loss of companionship, long-term rehabilitation costs, and other costs. Liable parties could include a negligent or careless driver, a manufacturer of a defective auto part, or an insurance company that represents a liable defendant.

Obviously, not every victim of a serious injury accident will need the services of a Philadelphia accident lawyer. But if you believe that someone you care about got hurt or killed due to another party's negligence, carelessness, or "error of omission" (e.g. a driver didn't take a safety precaution that he should have taken), an attorney can help you collect appropriate compensation.

After any auto accident, the decisions you make and the actions you take immediately following the crash can have profound consequences for the ultimate settlement arrangement. That's why it's so important to collect good evidence from the scene. For instance:

• Take pictures of the accident and any injuries or damage that you've suffered
• Collect names and contact information of everyone involved or who witnessed the accident
• Collect a police report
• Collect license numbers, VIN numbers, insurance information, etc.

Are you looking for a Philadelphia medical malpractice lawyer to advise you about what to do in the wake of a botched surgery or a faulty diagnosis? Do you want a resourceful, competent lawyer to listen closely to your claim and advise you about how best to proceed?

Continue reading "Tragic Philadelphia Car Accident Leads to Death of 22-Year Old" »

CBS 21 News is reporting that Andrew King, a 16-year old Amish teenager involved in a crash at Orchard Road and Old Philadelphia Pike, has died. King had been riding his horse when a 54-year old man from Delaware slammed into him in his SUV.

This tragedy marks the second Philadelphia car accident within a week that's claimed the life of an Amish child. The Saturday before last, 8-year old Amish Fisher was hit by a car and killed while he was riding a scooter... just 200 yards away from where King got hit.

The local Amish community is obviously devastated by this pair of tragic, fatal Philadelphia car accidents.

In horrific cases like these, victims or family members of victims may turn to a Philadelphia accident lawyer to figure out how to get compensated for injuries and damages sustained. Obviously, you can't put a price on a human life. But even though you may be reeling from the accident and confused and overwhelmed by the situation, a Philadelphia injury lawyer can reassure you and reduce your stress and anxiety level.

In the wake of a serious accident, a lawsuit is usually the last thing on your mind. You want to focus on healing and caring for victims who've been hurt, and you also need to take care of secondary logistics. For instance, if your spouse got injured, you have to figure out how to manage child care. Or if you've been seriously disabled by an injury crash, you need to figure out how to deal with your work situation and finances.

The good news is that a qualified and experienced Philadelphia injury lawyer can explain exactly what to do - as well as what not to do - to maximize your ability to recover damages and minimize the amount of time and energy you have to spend thinking about the aftermath of the crash.

The same lesson holds for medical malpractice cases. For instance, say your husband got sick after a pharmacist overprescribed his diabetes medication. The last thing in the world you would want to think about is how to file for damages against the pharmacist or against a representative insurance company - you would probably have your hands managing the bare essentials.

In this case, a Philadelphia medical malpractice lawyer could advise you and protect your rights to get full compensation. An attorney can minimize your stress and give you confidence and clarity of thought to make the best decisions about healthcare choices and family logistics.

Continue reading "Two Amish Children Killed Within a Week in Tragic Philadelphia Car Accidents" »