Philadelphia Injury Lawyer Blog

Dogs may be man's best friend but that doesn't mean your dog won't bite the hand that feeds him. When dogs feel threatened, frightened or cornered, they react instinctually, They are likely to revert to the raw, primitive animal instincts of their ancestors, exhibiting the highly aggressive, territorial behavior that has helped the species survive. Even the most even-tempered dog can bite. The files of Philadelphia personal injury lawyers are full of dog bite cases where someone's sweet little Rover savagely bit a child, neighbor or the postman.

Dogs bite to protect themselves, their pups and sometimes their owners. Dogs bite to protect their territory (your home and yard) from invaders, exhibiting particular vigilance when mailmen or deliverymen come to your door. Dogs bite when they are removed from the safety and familiarity of their home environment. Dogs that have no experience with young children may consider them to be pack competitors and attack to protect their place in the pack hierarchy. In most dog bite cases that involve serious personal injury, dog owners are surprised and horrified by their pet's behavior.

Philadelphia dog attacks can cause catastrophic injuries that can permanently scar victims physically and emotionally and even kill them. Earlier this year an Ohio man was mauled and killed by his family pets. Police reports said the man was bitten hundreds of times and died in his driveway from blood loss. Last September there were more than 40 dog bite incidents in Pennsylvania that resulted in serious personal injuries.

Every 40 seconds someone enters a U.S. emergency room for treatment of a dog-related injury. According to the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association), approximately 800,000 dog bite victims receive medical attention each year and at least a dozen dog attack victims die. More than half of dog bite victims are children bitten in the face. If someone in your family is bitten by a dog, seek help from an experienced Philadelphia personal injury attorney immediately.

While amusement park rides can be a great family adventure over the summer, they can also be the cause of serious injuries, according to Edith Pearce, the founder of the Philadelphia injury law firm, The Pearce Law Firm. A story out of Wisconsin is a reminder to Philadelphia parents to be cautious at amusement parks to prevent child injuries. An amusement park worker in Wisconsin has been charged with first-degree reckless injury following a severe personal injury accident this summer at a Wisconsin Dells amusement park. If convicted, 33-year-old Charles Carnell could face up to 25 years in prison and $100,000 in fines. That's small consolation for the parents of a 12-year-old Florida girl severely injured in a 100-foot plunge from a free-fall ride and may be paralyzed. According to newspaper reports, the ride operator told police he "blanked out" as the safety catch net was not properly raised.

Similar free fall rides and bungee jumping offered at Philadelphia area fairs and festivals, amusement parks and vacation spots are a popular draw for thrill-seeking teens. Safety ropes and harnesses and the ride's longevity on carnival midways make the potential risk seem negligible to parents out for a day of fun with their kids. While the appearance of danger may heighten the thrill of carnival and amusement park rides, parents expect -- and have a right to expect -- rides to be operated safely and their children to return home safe and sound. They do not expect 2 minutes of excitement to end in critical, life-threatening injuries as it did for 12-year-old Teagan Marti.

Teagan landed on her back, suffering multiple fractures to her spine and pelvis that have resulted in paralysis of her legs and lower body. She has already weathered several surgeries to repair fractures and faces additional surgery and extended rehabilitation at American Family Children's Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin. It will be months before Teagan can return home to Florida. In addition to medical, medication, hospital and rehabilitation bills, Teagan's parents must shoulder considerable hotel and traveling expenses to be near their daughter so far from home.

When severe amusement ride accidents like Teagan's occur in the Philly area, Philadelphia personal injury lawyers fight aggressively to protect the rights of accident victims and their families and see that they are justly compensated for current and future losses.

The parents of a Uniontown, Pennsylvania high school cheerleader were awarded a $235,000 settlement for severe personal injuries their daughter suffered when school bleachers collapsed during a 2008 cheerleading practice at Uniontown High School. Taylor Wrona, then 14, was pinned under the bleachers with another girl when the bleachers collapsed. She and other cheerleaders had been told to push the heavy wood and metal bleachers out of the way and into their storage position to create practice room.

Both of the trapped teens suffered severe personal injuries and permanent scarring in the accident. Taylor sustained a broken nose, broken teeth, broken ankles and facial scratches that have permanently scarred her young face. The other girl suffered a broken leg, broken ankle, nerve damage and permanent scarring. The school district agreed to pay Taylor and her parents a $235,000 settlement, the court ordering that $137,989 of that amount be held in a federally insured account until Taylor turns 18. The Pennsylvania personal injury lawsuit filed by the other girl and her family is still pending.

Participating in school sports is an important part of a teenager's life. Team sports are considered healthy and desirable activities that provide myriad physical, social and emotional benefits to developing teenagers. Yet, any sport involves inherent risk of possible injury. Many of these injuries are considered the nature of the game -- twisted ankles, torn knee cartilage, bumps and bruises happen. However, when negligence on the part of the school or coach contribute to or cause a child's injuries, schools and their employees should be held accountable. When serious personal injuries occur on the playing field or in the school gymnasium, Philadelphia personal injury lawyers can protect the rights of the student and her parents and work aggressively to see that they are adequately compensated for medical and rehabilitation bills, lost mobility and capability, and pain and suffering.

In a horrific motor vehicle accident early this morning, six people died and more than 34 were injured, at least four critically, when a Greyhound bus collided with two other vehicles on a California Highway 99 near Fresno. California highway patrol officers reported that the bus appeared to have struck an overturned SUV that was sitting in the highway's fast lane, then crashed into a second vehicle before running down an embankment and smashing into a large tree. The severe personal injury traffic accident occurred at about 2:15 a.m. local time. Police are investigating.

Just last week, one adult and two children suffered personal injuries when a school bus hit a car and crashed into a building in the Andorra section of Philadelphia. And in May, another Philadelphia bus accident sent 14 people to the hospital with serious personal injuries. In that Port Richmond accident, a bus driver for Del Val Staffing lost control of a bus carrying 22 people while exiting I-95 at Allegheny/Castor Avenue, The bus hit a light pole then flipped over several times before coming to a halt in the middle of East Westmoreland Street. Twenty-one people were injured, 14 seriously enough to require hospital treatment. One bus passenger who suffered a severe blow and cut to his head during the Philadelphia bus accident was listed in critical condition.

Unlike cars and trucks, seatbelt laws do not apply to buses. Despite sometimes tragic personal injury accidents like the ones noted above, very few buses even offer passengers the option to buckle up. Due to their open, boxy construction, buses do little to protect their passengers when accidents occur. The result can be serious personal injury and death. Experienced Philadelphia personal injury attorneys can help accident victims navigate the complexities of bus accident claims and protect their rights.

Two young tourists from Hungary remain missing after a popular Philadelphia tour boat was struck by a barge yesterday sending 37 people plunging into the murky Delaware River. Several people were transported to Philadelphia hospitals with personal injuries.

The Philadelphia boat accident occurred along the busy waterfront near Penn's Landing in front of scores of horrified onlookers. Local boaters, bystanders, policemen, firefighters, Coast Guard and a visiting Navy SEAL team rushed to the rescue as the DUCK boat rolled under the barge and sank. All but two of the passengers were rescued. Teams searched for the two until dark yesterday and continued the search this morning. Divers located the DUCK boat in 50 feet of water but visibility was too poor to determine whether the missing passengers were aboard the sunken craft.

One of Philadelphia's most popular tourist attractions, DUCK boats are based on amphibious WWII boats capable of land and sea travel. The boat involved in the accident suffered mechanical trouble and a small fire shortly after entering the water with a full load of sightseers. The 2-man crew had radioed for help and passengers were awaiting rescue when the huge barge bore down them. Passengers said they had less than 45 seconds to secure lifejackets and abandon ship before the barge hit.

Owned by the city of Philadelphia, the barge hauls sludge to a Water Department recycling plant. The powerless, driverless barge was directed by a tugboat owned by K-Sea Transportation Partners of New Jersey. Initial investigations indicate that the tugboat crew was unaware of the DUCK boat in its path.

Philadelphia personal injury accidents like this that involve multiple responsible parties present a complex legal challenge requiring the expert knowledge of an experienced Philadelphia personal injury attorney.