Recently in slip and fall accidents Category

April 19, 2010

Philadelphia Personal Injury Lawyers Protect Accident Victims' Rights

What is your hand worth? Is your right hand worth more than your left hand? You can function with one hand, but what if you earn your living by typing on a computer keyboard? Can you still provide for your family if you only have the use of one hand? Will your employer fire you if you can't produce at the same rate as someone with two functioning hands? No one in Philadelphia likes to think about these things, but people lose a hand or the use of a hand or other body part every day in tragic construction accidents, car accidents, truck accidents and motorcycle accidents.

Insurance companies that insure Philadelphia businesses and residents spend thousands of hours pouring over statistics to arrive at the cost of a limb or an eye or a person's ability to sit or stand or walk. Using complicated calculations, insurance companies decide what they will pay the victim of a Philadelphia personal injury accident if the person loses a body part or the use of a limb or if he loses the ability to perform a basic human function such as walking.

Insurance companies tend to be one size fits all. Without a legal push, they are generally unwilling to factor in the importance of lost function to the individual and his family. Without a legal push, insurance companies are usually uninterested in how the loss will impact the individual's personal and family life. Without a legal push, they are often indifferent to how loss of use will affect an individual's ability to support himself and his family now and into the future. Experienced Philadelphia personal injury lawyers supply that push.

Philadelphia personal injury attorneys fight for the rights and needs of Philadelphia personal injury accident victims. If you are the victim of an accident, don't accept the insurance company's offered settlement without first talking to an experienced Philadelphia personal injury lawyer.

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February 26, 2010

Weary Philadelphians Brace for Another Round of Storm Related Personal Injury Accidents

Eighty-five inches of snow! A normal winter in Minnesota or North Dakota where brutal winters are the norm; but in usually temperate Philadelphia it's a record that has closed airports, halted trains, downed power lines, sent school children home, caused cars to careen into each other and sent Philly residents sliding across sidewalks. Mother Nature's most recent wallop has contributed to numerous Philadelphia personal injury accidents and several deaths. Philadelphia car and truck accidents, slip and fall accidents and personal injury accidents caused by snow blower malfunctions have increased in the wake of the latest Nor'easter to blow through Philadelphia.

Yesterday, Pennsylvania highway officials cut the maximum speed on I-476 and later banned tractor-trailers because of dangerous whiteout conditions. Accident reports on I-95 exceeded troopers' ability to respond and non-injury accident victims were instructed to exchange information and struggle home. A woman and her son died and her husband and two other children were rushed to the emergency room yesterday when their car slid off icy I-80 in the Poconos. Amtrak suspended service for several hours along its heavily trafficked Boston to Washington corridor when a high-speed train struck and killed two Philadelphia pedestrians just south of the city yesterday morning.

The snow dumped on Philadelphia is so wet and heavy that it's clogging snow blowers, increasing personal injury risk to fingers and hands as people struggle with malfunctioning snow blowers, attempting to unclog snow-packed chutes. Mixed with rain, the wet snow is causing an icy slip and fall hazard for Philadelphia pedestrians skidding along sidewalks and attempting to traverse ice-slicked parking lots.

When weather plays a role in personal injury accidents, it takes exacting investigation by a highly experienced Philadelphia personal injury lawyer to determine legal fault. If you have suffered a personal injury accident during this latest round of storms, contact an expert Philadelphia personal injury attorney to assess your claim and explain your legal rights.

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February 1, 2010

What to Do If You Have a Slip and Fall Accident

After this weekend's heavy snow and this past week's below-freezing temperatures, slip and fall accidents in Philadelphia are on the rise. If you are looking for personal injury legal advice, a Philadelphia personal injury attorney can help. There are actions victims can take after a bad slip to help their case.

The number one mistake people make after an injury has happened is that it is not reported to the store or place of business as soon as, or shortly after, an accident happens. In some cases if the injured person waits over a week or longer, the case may be more difficult to litigate.

The reason the slip and fall injury report must be filed soon after an accident is because the lawyer must prove in court that the business or property owner had prior knowledge of the hazard. For example, if a slip occurs on an ice patch on a sidewalk in Philadelphia, contrary to popular belief, the city is not liable for the upkeep of sidewalks and walkways. Rather, the businesses and/or property owners bordering the sidewalk where the accident has happened may be liable by not properly maintaining these thoroughfares.

However, a patch of ice on the sidewalk is not necessarily a liability issue for the business owner either, depending on the time of day or the weather condition of the entire area that day. Ephemeral conditions such as ice patches can be difficult to prove otherwise, because even the best personal injury attorney must convince the court that the property owner had prior knowledge (or "notice") of the ice hazard.

By filing a report quickly, as well as consulting a personal injury attorney, the time and conditions are recorded legally. Personal injury lawyers have extensive experience with winter slip and fall cases, and can quickly provide legal advice. Don't wait to get savvy legal advice and then lose your right for injury compensation by not informing the injury location business owner quickly.

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January 8, 2010

Winter Storm Causes Serious Philadelphia Personal Injury Accident Hazards

Once again brutish winter weather led Philadelphia headlines as an Alberta Clipper blanketed states from the Great Plains to the Atlantic Coast with ice, snow and freezing temperatures. Philadelphia residents endured a slow, slushy commute this morning peppered with car accidents on the slippery roads. Many Philadelphia schools and businesses opened late this morning to give buses and employees a little longer to navigate Philadelphia's treacherous highways.

One inch of snow was recorded in Philadelphia last night but western Pennsylvania and parts of Central Ohio received up to 6 inches of snow. Snow-related treacherous highway conditions on I-70 near Columbus, Ohio are believed to have played a role in yesterday's tragic truck accident. As reported on national newscasts, the driver of an empty tanker truck lost control of the vehicle which careened across the median and crashed head-on into a mini-bus carrying disabled adults home from a training session. The bus driver and three of the adults were killed in the truck accident.

Philadelphia was fortunate to be spared a highway fatality, although numerous car accidents and truck accidents were reported throughout the area this morning, adding to computing headaches. Things didn't get any easier once people parked their cars and headed across slippery parking lots for the office door. Melting snow and freezing temperatures turned Philadelphia parking lots and sidewalks in skating rinks. Dangerous slip and fall accidents were a serious concern this morning. With sunny skies expected today followed by overnight temperatures in the chilly mid-teens, the melt-and-freeze cycle should continue to make Philadelphia sidewalks and parking lots a dangerous slip and fall personal injury hazard all weekend.

When bad weather results in car and truck accidents or causes slip and fall accidents, investigation by a Philadelphia personal injury attorney can discover possible fault or negligence on the part of drivers or property owners and help you collect the settlement you deserve.

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December 23, 2009

Snow Storm Increases Risk of Philadelphia Slip and Fall Injuries

In a single day last weekend, a whole winter's worth of snow fell on Philadelphia. The early winter storm that howled up the East Coast dumped 22.5 inches of snow on Philadelphia, beating the city's 20-inch average winter snowfall total. Still digging out of the drifts, the city is in the path of a new storm that could make driving and walking in Philadelphia even more treacherous. Meteorologists are predicting a wet Christmas Eve storm that could begin as early as tonight, coating roads and sidewalks with ice and turning Philadelphia into a slip and fall obstacle course.

Philadelphia pedestrians are already dodging icy runoff trickling across parking lots from melting stacks of snow. Roof melt flowing through downspouts and across sidewalks and driveways is also creating dangerous slip and fall hazards at Philadelphia businesses and homes. Called "black ice," these thin sheens of nearly invisible ice can make parking lots and sidewalks dangerously treacherous for pedestrians. A single wrong step and your feet can fly out from under you, sending you crashing to the ground. It's the kind of Philadelphia slip and fall accident that can result in a broken leg, broken wrist, broken hip or much worse.

Winter storms can turn Philadelphia's sidewalks and parking areas into a veritable obstacle course of slip and fall hazards. Philadelphia personal injury lawyers are bracing for another batch of slip and fall accident cases if the predicted storm hits as shoppers hurry to get ready for Christmas. Philadelphia personal injury attorneys warn that property owners may not be liable for slip and fall injuries. Investigation must prove that the condition that caused the injury was actually dangerous. Property owner awareness of the hazard and whether the accident could have been avoided are also factors. Philadelphia personal injury lawyers recommend that slip and fall victims immediately report the incident to the property owner and contact a Philadelphia personal injury lawyer about their rights.

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December 9, 2009

Rise in Personal Injury Accidents Expected as Philadelphia Braces for Fierce Winter Storm

It should be a pleasantly balmy, if breezy, 54 degrees in Philadelphia today. Enjoy it now because tonight the full force of winter will blow into Philadelphia as the fierce winter storm that has hammered the nation blankets the city. Daytime Philadelphia temperatures are expected to drop nearly 20 degrees by tomorrow morning with overnight temps below freezing for the next week. Rain mixed with snow and sleet could make driving conditions around Philadelphia extremely dangerous. Powerful wind gusts over 40 mph could make walking on rain and ice-slicked pavements extremely treacherous and lead to numerous slip and fall accidents.

The storm that's about to descend on Philadelphia has wrought havoc and hundreds of personal injury accidents across the country. Torrential rains caused mud slides in California. Winds over 100 mph ripped roofs off buildings in New Mexico. Fifteen-foot snow drifts immobilized Iowa and Illinois. Southern states are bracing for flooding and tornadoes. Downed power lines, subzero wind chills, power outages, flight delays, falling tree limbs, jackknifed trucks and hundreds of car accidents litter the storm's aftermath. At least four deaths have been attributed to the storm.

When winter storms bring freezing rain, ice and snow to Philadelphia, personal injury accidents and car accidents rise. Unshoveled walks and iced over parking lot puddles create dangerous slip and fall hazards for Philadelphia pedestrians. Black ice on snowy roadways can cause trucks to jackknife and cars to lose control increasing car accidents and truck accidents. When temperatures drop, defective heating products can cause fires in Philadelphia homes. A Philadelphia personal injury lawyer can assist you if you slip and fall. Philadelphia accident lawyers can protect your rights in a car accident. A Philadelphia personal injury attorney experienced in fire and defective product claims can assist you if heating equipment fails. If you become a victim of the coming storm, seek the advice of an experienced Philadelphia personal injury attorney immediately.

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November 16, 2009

Victims Can Pay High Price for Slip and Fall Personal Injury

When you leave for work in the morning or grab your list and head for the store in the afternoon, the last thing you expect to do is take an ambulance ride to the hospital; but slip and fall injuries are the No. 1 reason for emergency room visits. Slip and fall accidents fell more than one million Americans every year; and nearly 17,000 people die from slip and fall accidents in stores, on the street, at home or in the workplace. In fact, falls account for 25% of serious workplace injuries and are the third greatest cause of workplace injury.

Most slip and fall injuries happen in familiar places like your home, local grocery or workplace. One minute you're walking along and the next you're flat on your back and in pain. More than 55% of people over 40 can expect to suffer a debilitating slip and fall person injury sometime during their lifetime.

Every year, slip and fall injuries cost America $36 billion. With medical bills, extensive physical therapy and missed wages, a slip and fall injury can cost $28,000 and often far more. The extent of injuries and degree of disability can make it impossible for family members to care for a slip and fall victim, necessitating a stay in a nursing home or rehabilitation center. Some elderly victims never regain full mobility after a slip and fall injury. A once-independent individual may be confined to a wheelchair or no longer be able to live independently.

Businesses and employers have an obligation to provide safe conditions for their customers and employees. If you are the victim of a slip and fall injury, Philadelphia personal injury attorneys Rosenbaum & Associates can evaluate your case at no charge and advise you of your rights.

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