Philadelphia Injury Lawyer Blog

A drunken driver who caused a deadly accident while headed to the Jersey Shore back in 2009 has finally been convicted of and sentenced for her crime. In a court ruling that will hopefully help a grief stricken Philadelphia area family to feel that justice is being served, Tiece Riddick, 35, of Sicklerville PA, has been sentenced to more than 7 years.

Riddick harshly rear-ended the Ford Taurus of driver Darlene Siska while Siska was driving in the right hand lane near Exit 38 in Winslow Township during the day of the accident. Siska’s vehicle spun into another lane, and crashed through the guardrail before running into a wooded area in the median of the highway according to reports.

Siska suffered from injury after the accident, as did her two teenage passengers, her son, Vaughn, 14, and his good friend Tyler Rugg, 14. For Siska’s friend, 53 year old Kathleen Lucus, 44, of Western Pennsylvania, however, the accident proved to be immediately fatal.

Tiece Riddick failed a field sobriety test directly following the motor vehicle accident and was alarmingly, found to have a blood-alcohol level of 0.13 while taking a breathalyzer test more than two hours after the collision.

Riddick has been charged with vehicular homicide, for which was sentenced 7 years by Superior Court Judge Louise Donaldson in Camden, and three counts of assault by auto, to run concurrently, for which she is expected to serve an additional 27 months. At least 85 percent of her sentence must be served because Riddick is eligible for parole.

The family of friends of Kathleen Lucus, who was well known as a role model in her community, continue to grieve the tragic 2009 incident. If your family member has been injured in a drunk driving accident, contact a Philadelphia injury lawyer to see that justice is served for your loved one.

With New Year’s Eve, one of the biggest celebrations of the year, just days away, it’s important to remember the serious dangers of drinking and driving. In 2009, there were 10,839 fatalities in crashes involving a driver with a BAC of .08 or higher – 32 percent of total traffic fatalities for the year. Sadly, even more are injured in crashes involving drunk drivers. Some victims suffer such severe spinal injuries at the hands of a drunk driver that they are paralyzed for life.

Last summer, a 22-year-old Montana man was charged with negligent vehicular assault, criminal endangerment, and a misdemeanor count of DUI after he drove under the influence and lost control of his pickup truck. The young driver, Mitchell Lane Ralph, had 4 passengers in his pickup truck at the time of the accident. After his truck rolled through an embankment, one of his passengers, a female of just 20 years of age, was ejected from the truck.

While the passenger who was ejected from the vehicle was left with a broken neck, and possible spinal cord injuries, a second female passenger was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries as well. Ralph himself, and the one remaining passenger in the vehicle, a young male, each suffered from minor injuries.

After pleading guilty of driving while intoxicated and admitting to becoming distracted when his car went off the road, Ralph is now free on $40,000 bond. Although this accident occurred in Montana, it is an all too common example of what can happen at the hands of one intoxicated driver. However fortunately, this accident was not fatal while many accidents involving drunk driving are.

Driving under the influence of alcohol often causes a driver to make reckless, erratic, and seriously dangerous decisions while behind the wheel. If your loved one has been injured in an accident caused by an intoxicated driver, contact a Philadelphia injury lawyer right away.

The facts are unfolding in a deadly car crash that took place in the Philadelphia area recently. A Chrysler slammed into a parked minivan and eventually into a home in Upper Moreland, Pennsylvania during early morning hours. The crash set off an explosive fire that completely destroyed the Upper Moreland home.

The driver in the crash has been identified by authorities as Laura Stevens, 26, of Philadelphia. Laura Stevens died of the severe burns and smoke inhalation she during the accident. Upper Moreland Police Chief Thomas Nestle could not comment on exactly how fast Stevens was driving when her car spun out of control after a slight turn in the road. Nestle did say based on the condition of the vehicle at the scene, however, that there was likely no attempt to break and there is a good possibility that the vehicle was traveling at a significant speed.

Police have also identified Steven’s passenger as Wayne Foulke, 27, of Pennsylvania. Foulke suffered thermal burns, multiple injuries, and smoke inhalation at the time of the accident, according to Vicki Firth, chief investigator for the Montgomery County Coroner’s office. Chief Nestle indicated that Foulke and Stevens were on their way back from watching the Fourth of July fireworks in Philadelphia before the crash occurred.

The victims of the fire caused by the deadly crash, fortunately, were able to escape their home uninjured. James and Jill Cummins, their three children, and their dog escaped the home around 1:30 am, shortly before it became fully engulfed in flames.

This tragic crash and the resulting house remind us that accidents happen when we least expect them. If you’ve been the victim of an accident, you’ll want to contact a Philadelphia injury lawyer like Edith Pearce who is understanding and experienced. Let your lawyer make sure that everything is in order while you collect yourself during the emotional time that inevitably results from most accidents.

Back in 2009, a Philadelphia resident was hospitalized after his sport utility vehicle was hit from behind and flipped by another driver on Route 295. According to the Star-Ledger, when Clayton Tanskley filed a lawsuit against the driver of the other car, in order to collect damages for medical bills, his attorney discovered the person listed on the NJ State Police accident report does not exist. The driver gave a false identity. It turns out the driver was a state trooper working undercover on an investigation. The state trooper provided his fake state-trooper issued identity to the officers investigating the accident.

The state trooper claimed he fell asleep before colliding with the Philadelphia man’s vehicle. The Star Ledger reports that during the time Tanksley and his attorney were pursuing the fake identification, state troopers knew the name in the accident report was bogus.

Two years after the accident occurred, a New Jersey prosecutor has charged the state trooper with assault by auto and alleging the state troop was drunk. Now the NJ state police are initiating an internal investigation regarding drunk driving incidents involving troopers and the use of undercover ID cards.

If you’ve been a victim of an automobile accident contact a Philadelphia personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. If you’ve been in an accident caused by a drunk driver, someone texting or someone involved in other reckless activities contact a Philadelphia personal injury lawyer today.

An effective lawyer will make sure you receive full and timely compensation. Find a law firm which specializes in protecting the rights of people involved in automobile accidents. You need a lawyer who diligently and vigorously pursues automobile accident cases.

Distracted and reckless drivers have existed since the first roads were laid and the first cars were built to drive on them. From Philadelphia’s US 1 branching out to roadways across the country, the veers and swerves of reckless motorists can be seen throughout the country.
Talking, eating, applying makeup, or paying too much attention to outside scenery have always been classic causes of reckless driving accidents. For this reason, responsible drivers are always advised to drive defensively. The new millennium, however, has brought forth its own challenges for drivers who are simply trying to get from point A to point B safely minding their own business. Cell phones and other hand held devices have spawned an epidemic of reckless, distracted, driving in people of all ages, and, particularly teens.

Laws around the country have been somewhat slow to respond to the practices of handheld cell phone use or texting while driving, putting other drivers at risk of becoming involved in an accident. Philadelphia is finally cracking down on cell phone use and texting while driving as well as while walking.

Philadelphia police are on the lookout for those using cell phones or texting while driving or walking. The crackdown campaign has been entitled “Give respect, Get respect,” and is aimed at drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists in Center City.

This summer, eight to ten officers will be rotating within five zones in Center City, Philadelphia, working on enforcing laws that make it safer to get around. One of the major initiatives is to enforce the ban on texting while driving. While talking on a cell phone is enough of a distraction, texting while driving present even more extreme danger as texters eyes are completely off of the road.

If you have been involved in an accident that you suspect was caused by a driver texting or participating in other reckless activities, contact a Philadelphia injury lawyer today. A Philadelphia injury lawyer will ensure you get whatever compensation you may be owed as a victim of a reckless driver.

Earlier this week an Ohio driver reaching for his cell phone drifted across three lanes of traffic on I-71 before crashing into another car and killing its 19-year-old driver. Philadelphia personal injury attorneys say the same horrific scenario plays out on highways in Pennsylvania and across the country every week. In a recent Consumer Reports survey, 30% of drivers under 30 admitted to texting while driving. The national debate on distracted driving and texting in particular has even hit the funny pages. In this week's Zits comic strip, teenager Jeremy is texting away while stopped at red light when he is rear-ended by another vehicle which, it turns out, is driven by girlfriend Sara who complains that she was distracted by 10 text messages she just received from -- Jeremy. Philadelphia parents can only hope that the ridiculousness of the situation won't be lost on their teens, but don't count on it.

A State Farm Insurance survey of 700 teen drivers found that teens don't believe texting is as dangerous as driving drunk, despite numerous studies that show texting is actually more dangerous than driving under the influence of either alcohol or marijuana. Testing by Britain's Transport Research Laboratory found that texting slowed driver reaction time by 35%, alcohol by 12% and marijuana by 21%. Texters also lost 91% of their steering control and failed to maintain a safe distance between vehicles. Police say drivers who text while driving as more likely to speed, run red lights, swerve into neighboring lanes and cross centerlines, any of which increase the risk of causing a car accident.

Next time: How to protect yourself against distracted drivers

Hoping to beef up Pennsylvania's driver safety laws, State Representative Josh Shapiro recently introduced a bill (H.B. 330) that would ban the use of handheld cell phones for talking or texting while operating a motor vehicle on Pennsylvania roadways. If passed, the bill would also prohibit junior drivers from using both hands-free and handheld devices while driving, as well as increase the number of educational hours required to obtain a junior driver's license and limit the number of passengers in vehicles driven by junior drivers. Endorsed by 65 bipartisan cosponsors, highway safety experts hope the bill will pass this time around. A similar bill failed last year.

Legal efforts to prohibit cell phone use and particularly text messaging while driving are supported by Philadelphia personal injury lawyers, law enforcement officers and highway safety experts across the state. Since 2003, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation statistics indicate that cell phone use has been a contributing factor in 6,877 traffic accidents in Pennsylvania at a cost to taxpayers of $136 million.

According to a National Safety Council study released last week, 28% of all traffic accidents nationwide are caused by cell phone use or texting. Nationally, 1.4 million auto accidents each year are caused by distracted drivers talking on cell phones and 200,000 accidents are caused by texting drivers. A distracted driver talking on a cell phone or trying to read or send a text message is 3 to 4 times more likely to be involved in a traffic accident. Comparative studies have shown that driving while talking or texting is the equivalent of driving drunk. While most state laws on the issue only prohibit handheld devices but allow hands-free devices such as BlueTooth receivers, the Washington Post recently reported that 120 studies have shown that using a hands-free device is as distracting to drivers as using a handheld cell phone.

"Fans don't let fans drive drunk" is the message being advertised by the Pennsylvania Driving Under the Influence Association and other safe driving groups as the countdown to Sunday's Super Bowl moves into its final hours. As the mash-up between the Pittsburg Steelers and Green Bay Packers nears, football fans from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia are stocking up on beer and nachos in preparation for some major Super Bowl parties. Some fans are planning to gather early and start partying during the pre-game shows. Unfortunately, when fans party hardy, drunk driving causes a surge in personal injury auto accidents, warn Philadelphia personal injury lawyers. Before gathering to cheer on the home team, Philly football fans should choose a designated driver to make sure everyone gets home safely.

More alcohol-related accidents, personal injuries and fatalities occur on Super Bowl Sunday than on any other day of the year with the exception of New Year's. According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) more than two-thirds of Super Bowl Sunday traffic fatalities involve drunk drivers. A study conducted by the University of Minnesota found that 1 in 12 fans leave a sporting event with blood alcohol levels above the legal limit.

Football fans can expect Philadelphia police to be out in force on Sunday in an attempt to force drunk drivers off the streets and prevent personal injury car accidents. DUI arrests spike in Philadelphia and across the country on Super Bowl Sunday. To prevent becoming a traffic fatality statistic, the Pennsylvania Driving Under the Influence Association recommends:
-- Choose a designated driver before leaving for a Super Bowl party.
-- Give designated drivers premium parking spots so their cars will be easily accessible when the party ends.
-- Provide designated drivers a prime viewing spot and make sure you stock plenty of their favorite non-alcoholic beverages.
-- Thank designated drivers for ensuring everyone's safety.

In a report released this week, Pennsylvania received an 'F' in highway safety from the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety. Concerned Philadelphia personal injury lawyers noted that this is the second year in a row that Pennsylvania has received a failing grade from the national highway safety coalition.

The Washington-based coalition produces an annual state-by-state report card that evaluates traffic safety laws in each state. Green lights are awarded to states with exemplary highway safety records. Philadelphia neighbors New Jersey and Delaware both received green lights on this year's highway safety report card. States in need of improvement receive yellow "warning" lights. States like Pennsylvania that exhibit what the coalition deems to be a dangerous failure to enact protective highway safety laws receive a red light, the equivalent of an "F." Philadelphia personal injury attorneys cite the state's 2010 failure to pass proposed laws banning talking and texting while driving to be primary factors in the state's low safety grade.

In assigning safety grades, the national coalition of insurance companies and consumer, medical and safety agencies evaluates states on adoption of 15 lifesaving laws proven to reduce personal injury car accidents. States earn high grades for enacting laws that restrict the use (talking and texting) of handheld cell phones while driving, mandate booster seats for young children, require that seat belts be worn by both drivers and passengers, require motorcycle riders to wear helmets, and impose safe driving restrictions on teenagers, including graduated license requirements; limits on driving distractions such as the number of passengers and radio and cell phone use; establishment of driving curfews; and other regulations designed to reduce teenage accident rates.

There is hope that Pennsylvania will improve its highway safety record this year. A bill to ban texting while driving has already been introduced, and a new attempt to impose safety restrictions on teenage drivers is being prepared.

Eleven people died on Pennsylvania highways over New Year's weekend, Pennsylvania State Police said yesterday, nearly double the number of fatalities reported last year when 6 people died in New Year's weekend car accidents. Pennsylvania State Police reported that an additional 220 people suffered personal injuries in auto accidents, down 24% from last year when 288 people were injured in New Year's traffic accidents. The total number of auto accidents over the 4-day weekend also decreased. This year state troopers investigated 693 traffic accidents over the extended weekend, a decrease of 39% from last year when the New Year's weekend was marred by 1,131 car accidents.

Alcohol was a factor in 76 of the car accidents investigated by Pennsylvania State Police. Four of those accidents resulted in the deaths of five people. State troopers also made 267 non-accident arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol, issued 4,012 speeding tickets and cited 458 people for failing to wear seat belts. In issuing the New Year's traffic statistics, State Police Commissioner Frank Pawlowski noted that 6 of the 11 people who died over the weekend were not wearing seat belts.

Every holiday lives are lost and families are forever changed by car accidents in Philadelphia and across the state. Fatal auto accidents and traffic accidents that result in serious personal injuries seem to happen more frequently during holiday drive periods when drivers are more apt to be tired, distracted, rushed or inebriated. Tragically, holiday car accidents too often result in fatalities or debilitating injuries that can strain a family's resources to the breaking point. A Philadelphia personal injury attorney can take the pressure off families trying to cope with serious personal injury accidents. When a serious or fatal auto accident occurs, Philadelphia personal injury lawyers can handle accident investigations, obtain police reports and deal with insurance companies so that accident victims and their families can concentrate on healing and recovery.

Winter arrived with a vengeance Sunday, burying Philadelphia in 12.4 inches of snow while many surrounding areas received only a relatively minor dusting of 2 to 4 inches of snow. Even in areas without heavy snowfall, ice made Pennsylvania road conditions dangerously slippery, resulting in dozens of motor vehicle accidents. Philadelphia personal injury lawyers noted that multi-car accidents were common as cars lost traction and skidded into each other on icy Philadelphia streets. On the Pennsylvania Turnpike, strong winds caused dangerous whiteouts and hazardous snow drifts. Most Philadelphians who finally managed to dig out their cars and shovel their driveways were still trapped at home as weary road crews struggled to clear the streets. It was a good day to stay home.

Winter storms can turn Philadelphia streets into death traps, Philadelphia personal injury attorneys warn. Philadelphia drivers often fail to allow for the longer stopping distances required when navigating roads covered in snow and ice. City traffic, in particular, where cars travel in close packs as they hurry through changing traffic signals or crawl bumper-to-bumper during rush hour, is a magnet for serious personal injury car accidents. Even streets that appear to be free of snow can be sheeted with deadly, invisible black ice when melting snow refreezes.

To avoid being injured in a weather-related Philadelphia car accident, experienced Philadelphia personal injury lawyers recommend ramping up defensive driving.

> Slow down and increase distance from the car in front of you to increase reaction time and maneuvering space.

> Allow at least a car length between you and the car in front of you at stoplights and in bumper-to-bumper traffic to avoid being trapped in chain-reaction accidents.

> Watch for skidding, out-of-control cars as you approach intersections, even if the light is in your favor.

> If you are injured in a car accident, consult a Philadelphia personal injury attorney about your rights.

The first blast of winter brought snow showers, freezing rain, plummeting temperatures and icy roads to Pennsylvania as the first major winter storm blew out of the Midwest toward the Atlantic coast. While Philadelphia was spared the worst brunt of the storm, abnormally cold temperatures and blowing winds made roadway conditions icy and treacherous. From Pittsburgh to Waynesboro, blowing snow and dangerous ice closed roads and sent auto accident reports skyrocketing. Nearly 60 storm-related traffic accidents were reported to the Franklin County Department of Emergency Services on Friday alone. Pennsylvania State Police said traffic accidents were "too numerous to list." Philadelphia personal injury lawyers warn Philadelphia drivers to brush up on their winter driving skills and exercise extreme caution when driving on snow-covered and ice-slicked roads.

Winter always bring a significant increase in the number of Philadelphia personal injury auto accidents. Slippery roadways can take drivers by surprise. Invisible black ice can quickly send a vehicle skidding or spinning out of control. Slower speeds and longer stopping distances, especially on turns and in heavy traffic, are required to prevent winter accidents, warn Philadelphia personal injury attorneys.

When Philadelphia auto accidents result in serious personal injuries, accident victims are ill-prepared to deal with the legal aftermath. The physical and emotional strain of recovery, the financial pressure of lost income and mounting medical bills, the financial and emotional cost of lengthy recovery and the threat of permanent disability place enormous strain on accident victims and their families. The voluminous and confusing paperwork demanded by insurance companies and their constant pressure to settle accident claim burdens accident victims and their families with even greater stress. An experienced Philadelphia personal injury lawyer can take that burden off families so accident victims can focus on recovery. An astute Philadelphia personal injury attorney can cut through the paperwork and red tape and see that you get the compensation you're entitled to.

More Americans hit the highways to visit friends and relatives during the Thanksgiving Day holiday than at any other time during the year. Philadelphians traveling to grandma's house will be sharing the Pennsylvania Turnpike with an estimated 2.7 million other drivers. Turnpike officials say the 5-day Thanksgiving holiday (Wednesday through Sunday) is the most heavily traveled weekend of the year on the toll road.

With so many drivers on the road, the risk of ending your holiday weekend with a serious or fatal auto accident is high, warn experienced Philadelphia personal injury lawyers. Philadelphia drivers are advised to be particularly vigilant and drive defensively. Many of the drivers on the road Sunday will be tired from the long holiday and distracted by cranky kids, increasing accident risk.

Peak traffic flow on the Pennsylvania Turnpike typically occurs on the Wednesday evening before Thanksgiving and from noon to 8 p.m. that Sunday. This year, turnpike engineers expect 690,000 vehicles on the turnpike Wednesday and more than half a million on Sunday as Philadelphia families return home to prepare for a new work week and children get ready for school. Pennsylvania Turnpike State Police urge motorists to concentrate on the road and the traffic around them. Distracted driving, particularly texting, is a factor in the majority of fatal car accidents.

"When you try to text while driving, you endanger your own safety and the lives of everyone else on the road," State Police Troop T Cpl. Richard Dean told the Berks-Mont News. "We have seen too many accidents where texting behind the wheel ended in tragedy and other travelers became innocent victims of another driver's careless behavior."

From all of us at the Pearce Law Firm, have a wonderful Thanksgiving and please drive safely.

As Philadelphia parents of teen-agers know, the nail-biting starts when you hand over the car keys and doesn't stop until your teen arrives safely home. The day your son or daughter finally gets his Pennsylvania driver's license and earns the right to drive solo is a long-awaited rite of passage for Philadelphia teens and a long-dreaded moment for their parents. According to the Philadelphia inquirer, 500 teen-age drivers have died on Pennsylvania highways in the last 5 years. Philadelphia personal injury attorneys point out that, over the same time period, Philadelphia teen drivers were responsible for auto accidents that killed more than 600 people.

Statistics show that teen-aged boys are at greatest risk of being in a car accident. Driver error and distractions are the greatest cause of accidents by new drivers, boys and girls. A new report just released by Canadian researchers indicates that behavioral disorders significantly increase the risk of serious personal injury auto accidents for Philadelphia teens and young, male drivers throughout the country. According to a study by the University of Toronto, traffic accident risk increased by 33% in male teens who had been diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), a behavioral disorder that primarily affects males. Similar increased risk was found for teen-aged boys who suffered from epilepsy, diabetes and other disruptive behavior disorders.

"Many drivers overestimate their skills and underestimate their risks," the study's lead researcher, Donald Redelmeier, told Reuters in a November 16, 2010 online article. "These findings show that the increased risk might be mitigated with better awareness and treatment of ADHD.

With an accident rate twice that of the general driving population, male teens were found to be the riskiest drivers, "Teen-age male drivers involved in serious crashes can also have especially devastating outcomes related to ongoing needs for health care as well as foregone future productivity," Redelmeier said.

Parents of Philadelphia teen drivers are urged to contact a Philadelphifa personal injury attorney should their teen be involved in a serious car accident.

A California jury this week awarded two women $9 million for severe personal injuries suffered in a 2008 car accident. According to court documents, the truck driver for a Fresno refrigeration equipment company, Hussmann Corp., rear-ended a pickup truck driven by Susan Lutz. The force of the collision propelled Lutz' truck into the back of a van driven by Clarice Brewer. As a result of the accident, both women sustained severe, life-changing injuries.

Brewer suffered a spinal cord injury and lost the use of both legs. No longer able to walk, she will spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair. Lutz suffered a traumatic brain injury that has left her in a permanent state of vertigo which makes patients feel constantly dizzy. The jury awarded Brewer $2.36 million for medical expenses and $5 million for pain and suffering. Lutz received $981,770 for medical expenses and $1 million for pain and suffering.

Philadelphia personal injury lawyers say that the aspect of this case of most interest to Philadelphia drivers is the defense attorney's attempt to decrease the truck owner's liability by arguing that one of the victims was not wearing a seatbelt when the accident occurred. Personal injury lawyers for the woman argued that she was. The jury sided with the woman's attorneys, holding Hussmann 100% responsible for the motor vehicle accident.

Philadelphia personal injury attorneys note that had the jury decided that the woman was not wearing her seatbelt, she would have been held partially responsible for the severity of her injuries which would have decreased the amount of her award. If you are in a Philadelphia auto accident, an experienced personal injury attorney can see that you receive the compensation you are entitled to.

Returning home after practice Saturday night, Pitt men's basketball coach Jamie Dixon helped rescue two victims of a violent motor vehicle accident that left two Pennsylvania women with serious personal injuries. While driving the I-279 loop around Pittsburg, Dixon saw a car in front of him veer off the highway and crash into a barrier. The car flipped several times before coming to a stop.

"It hit straight on and flipped a couple of times," Dixon told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "My initial thought was no one would survive this event."

Dixon was the first person to reach the smoking wreckage and pulled a woman through a hole in the windshield.

"Someone was kicking at the windshield. Eventually, the windshield cracked. Someone was fighting to get out of the car. I was trying to give a bigger opening for the person to slide out," Dixon recounted to the Post-Gazette.

Dixon could reach but was unable to remove a second victim from the auto, but he was able to touch and comfort her until rescue workers arrived. A rescue crew arrived on the scene in minutes and cut out the windshield to extract the second accident victim from the mangled vehicle. Both accident victims were transported to the hospital with serious personal injuries. Dixon was treated at the scene for cuts to his fingers caused while trying to rescue the two women.

In meeting with reporters the next day, Dixon downplayed his part in the rescue, noting that other motorists stopped to assist; he was just the first on the scene.

"I did what anyone else in Pittsburgh would have done given the situation. I just happened to be right behind the car," he said.

Kudos to Coach Dixon. He is one of many Pennsylvania heroes who come to the aid of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia car accident victims when tragedies occur.

Grief and anger exploded in a Montgomery County courtroom yesterday at the sentencing of a man charged with vehicular homicide in a fatal car accident that occurred in the Philadelphia area last July. In an emotionally-charged courtroom packed with members of both the victim's and defendant's families, 24-year-old Stephen Strassburg, formerly of Sellersville, was sentenced to 3 to 6 years in state prison. Emotions ran high as family members of the victim, 50-year-old Wayne Cooper, addressed his killer. Following the sentencing, overwrought members of the victim's family confronted the defendant's family, screaming and yelling. Police had to break the families apart and subdue the victim's brother with tear gas.

Cooper was killed instantly and his Philadelphia passenger severely injured in a head-on collision when Strassburg's speeding car swerved across the double yellow lines and directly into his path. Strassburg, who suffered traumatic brain injury and other personal injuries in the crash, said he fell asleep at the wheel after working a double-shift at a local moving company. The young man fled the accident scene and was clocked at over 100 mph during the ensuing police chase. The accident occurred just after midnight on July 30, 2009, on County Line Road, east of Richardson Road in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Strassburg was charged with reckless driving and driving under the influence in addition to vehicular homicide. When the accident occurred, he was under probation for another reckless driving charge in 2008.

Both families suffered tremendous losses in this tragic crash. Strassburg was struggling to support a wife and young child. Cooper leaves behind a 9-year-old son who is now being raised by his older son. Criminal court proceedings address the legal issues of a personal injury accident, but they do not address the medical bills, rehabilitation costs, grief counseling, lost wages or lost emotional support that a victim's family suffers when an auto accident takes a family member's life. That is the job of a Philadelphia personal injury attorney.

When a child or teen suffers severe personal injury or dies in a Philadelphia car accident, the impact on school communities can be devastating. The death of a classmate is often a child's first experience with death. Children tend to think they are immortal, but when a classmate dies in a tragic Philadelphia auto accident, their self-protective illusions are shattered and they may have trouble processing their emotions.

Southwest of Philadelphia, the community of Avon Grove, Pennsylvania is struggling to help high school students come to terms with a weekend car crash that killed a current and a former student when the teen driver tried to pass cars on a curve. Two additional Avon Grove High School students who were passengers in the car were seriously injured and remain hospitalized. In the other car, two 14-year-old girls, also Avon Grove High School students, and their parents also suffered personal injuries.

Avon Grove High School Principal Tom Alexander was proactive in his efforts to help classmates deal with the tragedy. He talked to the victims' families to learn the facts and current medical status of the injured children. He informed high school staff so they would have facts to counter any rumors when students returned to class on Monday. That morning he addressed students to explain what had happened. Counselors were available and areas were set aside where students could go to grieve. Materials were available for those who wished to make memorial posters and they will be displayed on a memorial wall at the school.

When tragedy strikes school communities, communicating accurate information and allowing children to express their grief helps students cope with their loss. When a child dies, Philadelphia personal injury lawyers help grieving families by removing the burden of managing legal claims so families have time to heal.

Philadelphia personal injury lawyers with an expertise in litigating car accident lawsuits were not surprised to see Philadelphia rank near the bottom of the latest Allstate Insurance Best Drivers Report. Philadelphia came in at 187 in Allstate's annual ranking of car collision frequency in America's 200 largest cities. Fort Collins, Colorado was judged the safest city for drivers; Washington D.C., the deadliest. According to Allstate statistics, Philadelphia drivers are 53.5% more likely to be involved in a serious personal injury car accident than drivers in other cities. At 187, Philadelphia was ranked more accident prone than New York City (159), Houston (161), Chicago (167) and Los Angeles (183). On average, a Philadelphia driver is involved in a serious personal injury car accident every 6.5 years.

According to a new study released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), deaths and personal injuries caused by car accidents cost the nation nearly $99 billion in medical costs and lost productivity annually, or about $500 per licensed driver. Costs are based on statistics for 2005 when 3.7 million people died or suffered serious personal injuries in U.S. car accidents. Report statistics found that motor vehicle occupants accounted for 71% of traffic accident deaths and injuries; motorcyclists, 12%; pedestrians, 10%; and bicyclists, 6%.

Over the Labor Day weekend, 473 people died in serious personal injury vehicle accidents nationwide. In Pennsylvania, state police records for the weekend show that 9 people died in car accidents and 285 were injured, a significant decrease from last year when 16 people were killed on Pennsylvania highways and 412 were injured. Of course, those figures only reflect injuries and deaths on state highways. Statewide Labor Day car accident statistics are expected to be higher once data is collected from municipal and county agencies.

If you suffer serious personal injuries or a family member dies in a Philadelphia car accident, contact a Philadelphia personal injury attorney with an expertise in car accident litigation.

Yesterday, the man accused of killing a young woman in a tragic Philadelphia car accident that occurred in July waived his right to a preliminary hearing and was ordered to stand trial for the death of 24-year-old Celina Langan. Manuel Albandoz is accused of vehicular homicide, involuntary manslaughter, driving without a license and leaving the scene of an accident.

When Philadelphia auto accidents occur, Philadelphia personal injury attorneys point out that two legal actions are possible: a criminal lawsuit and a personal injury lawsuit.

Criminal lawsuits are brought by the governing body that exercises legal authority over the accident location, generally a city, county, state or federal prosecutor. Criminal lawsuits focus on the law. Their purpose is to prove whether or not the accused person broke the law and assign punishment if he is found guilty.

Personal injury lawsuits are brought by the victim of a Philadelphia car accident or his family or estate. The purpose of personal injury lawsuits is two-fold: (1) to recover medical expenses incurred because of the accident and (2) to compensate the victim and his family for physical and emotional pain, suffering and loss caused by the accident.

In Pennsylvania, a car accident victim is entitled to recover damages for hospital and medical expenses, past and future lost earnings, past and future permanent physical disability, emotional distress, grief and emotional suffering caused by the victim's death, loss of love and companionship, damage or destruction of property, physical pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life. Because of the esoteric nature of many of the damages to which an accident victim may be entitled, representation by an astute Philadelphia personal injury attorney is necessary to ensure that victims receive the full amount of compensation to which they are entitled.

If you're in a Philadelphia car accident, you'll be physically and emotionally shaken. You or your passengers may have suffered serious personal injuries. Your vehicle may be damaged. It can be hard to keep your head and know what to do to protect yourself after a car accident.

Experienced Philadelphia personal injury lawyers suggest taking the following steps to protect your rights when you are involved in any car accident, but especially when personal injuries occur.

1. Emergency kit. Keep an emergency kit in your car that contains: cell phone, pen and paper, disposable camera (unless your cell phone has a camera), flashlight, warning triangles or flares, emergency medical and allergy information, contact info and insurance card.

2. Stay safe. When Philadelphia auto accidents are minor and do not involve serious personal injuries, cars should be moved to the side of the road. If cars cannot be moved, set warning triangles, return to your vehicle, keep your safety belt buckled and activate hazard lights.

3. Information exchange. Exchange information with other drivers involved, including name, address, phone number, insurance company, policy number, driver's license number, license plate number and the contact information of any passengers.

4. Don't volunteer. Be polite and courteous to police and the other driver but do not say that the accident was your fault, even if you think it was.

5. Document. Write down a description of each car including year, make, model, color and accident damage. Sketch the scene indicating vehicle locations and travel paths. Note street names, traffic signals and roadway hazards. Take pictures of the scene and vehicle damage.

6. Witnesses. Get the contact information of any witnesses to the accident. When accident accounts conflict, Philadelphia personal injury attorneys can use eyewitness testimony to support your version of what happened.

7. Accident report. File a state vehicle accident report even if police do not require one. Accident reports facilitate insurance payments.

8. Protect yourself. If you suffer serious personal injuries, contact a Philadelphia personal injury lawyer to protect your rights.

In a bizarre twist, a Montana teen charged with deliberately killing a woman and her son in a horrific 2009 motor vehicle accident is now suing the estate of the woman she killed. The personal injury accident case in Montana illustrates the complexities and convolutions auto accident litigation can take when people die or suffer serious personal injuries. It also illustrates the advantages of being represented by an expert Philadelphia personal injury attorney if you are ever involved in a serious car accident.

It will take expert legal skills to untangle the personal injury lawsuits swirling around the 2009 Montana car accident in which a 16-year-old teen slammed her car head-on into another auto. After fighting with her boyfriend, Justine Winter texted her intention to commit suicide. An hour later, she drove across the Highway 93 centerline at 85 mph and crashed her car into an auto driven by a pregnant Erin Thompson and her 13-year-old son, killing them.

Charged as an adult with two counts of deliberate homicide, Winter faces life in prison if convicted. At first glance, it would appear the Thompson family survivors would bring a wrongful death lawsuit against the teen driver. However, in a bizarre twist that prosecutors believe is tied to her defense, Winter and her father have filed a personal injury lawsuit against Thompson's estate, claiming that the slain woman's negligent driving caused the crash. This seems to be at total odds with the prosecutor, who alleges Winter crossed the centerline of the highway in an attempted suicide. In her lawsuit, Winter claims to have suffered permanent personal injuries in the accident and lost the capacity to enjoy life. Her suit asks compensation for future loss of income and past, present and future medical expenses.

This suit also illustrates the investigation that must be done in an auto accident. In this type of case, an expert in accident reconstruction may well be hired along with a private investigatgor. Also, an experienced personal injury lawyer will work with police in gathering legal evidence.

Philadelphia attorneys experienced in personal injury accident and wrongful death litigation know how to properly investigate car accidents so that your legal rights and right to compensation are fully protected. Expert Philadelphia personal injury lawyers understand the injury insurance process and will work aggressively to protect your rights and obtain fair compensation so that accident victims and their families can focus on recovery.

A 26-year-old Philadelphia man was killed in a severe personal injury auto accident on U.S. I-70 while driving through Ohio last week. Philadelphia resident Carlos Salazar died at the scene of the bizarre pre-dawn multi-car accident. According to accident reports, Salazar's car struck a van which caused his vehicle to veer off the roadway, flip over a cable barrier in the median and plow into oncoming traffic on the other side of the divided highway. Thrown from his vehicle during the crash, Salazar died at the site.

When auto accidents occur, Philadelphia personal injury attorneys help protect the rights of accident victims and their families to ensure that they receive the financial compensation they are entitled to. When Philadelphia motor vehicle accidents result in serious personal injuries or fatalities, insurance companies can inundate accident victims or surviving families with mounds of paperwork. Insurance companies are dedicated to settling accident injury and damage claims for the least amount of money in the shortest amount of time. Pressure from insurance companies can cause accident victims and their families who are unfamiliar with claim procedures to settle for far less compensation that they might have obtained if they were fairly represented by a knowledgeable Philadephia personal injury lawyer.

A Philadelphia personal injury attorney with considerable experience in handling auto accidents and accident insurance claims can take the burden off recovering or grieving families and fight for benefits to which they are entitled. Pennsylvania insurance law presents some distinct challenges in obtaining full compensation for accident victims. Differences between full and limited tort insurance coverage, the specifics of your policy's uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, whether your policy includes income loss protection and other critical considerations can affect the amount of compensation accident victims are entitled to. If you are in a personal injury car accident, consult an experience Philadelphia personal injury attorney for a free case evaluation.

According to Philadelphia personal injury attorney, Edith Pearce, despite advances in safety in automobiles and trucks, truck accidents continue to be a problem on Philadelphia and Pennsylvania roadways causing serious and sometimes fatal injuries. A Pennsylvania couple from Finleyville was killed Sunday while driving through Utah. Russell and Emelda Welsh, both in their 60s, died at the scene when a tractor-trailer driver lost control of his rig in a construction zone on I-15 near Pintura, Utah. Reportedly traveling at a high speed, the truck driver swerved into oncoming traffic lanes, crashing into the Welsh's Kia SUV head-on. Just two hours earlier, a Utah woman had been critically injured at the same construction zone. In that accident, the woman lost control of her vehicle after hitting a bump in the road and crashed into nearby construction equipment, injuring construction workers. A sign saying "Bump ahead" was posted immediately ahead of where both vehicles lost control. Utah police are investigating.

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), highway work zone accidents killed 1,149 roadway workers in 2009, representing 9% of all deaths in the construction industries. Between 1995 and 2002, the latest figures available, 44 workers were killed at Pennsylvania road construction sites. And those figures do not include the thousands of motorists and truckers who die or are seriously injured every year in motor vehicle accidents that occur in roadway construction zones.

The increase in construction zone accidents has caused Pennsylvania and most other states to double traffic fines in construction zones as a deterrent to speeding and unsafe driving practices. Despite such precautions, the proximity of speeding cars to construction vehicles and workers creates the potential for dangerous accidents. Uneven road beds, poorly graded berm lanes, confusing markings, unmarked hazards and the distraction of construction activity can catch drivers unawares, resulting in tragedy as it did for a Pennsylvania couple in Utah this week.

Experienced Philadelphia personal injury attorneys can assist both injured construction workers and motorists who are involved in serious personal injury accidents in Pennsylvania construction zones.

Former Melrose Place actress Amy Locane-Bovenizer was charged this week in a drunken driving motor vehicle accident that killed a New Jersey woman. The 39-year-old former star rammed her car into the side of a car driven by Fred Seeman, 60, as he was pulling into the driveway of his Princeton, New Jersey home. Seeman's wife, noted art historian Helene Seeman, died at the scene from catastrophic injuries. Seeman was airlifted to the hospital for treatment of incapacitating personal injuries. Just minutes before the accident, Locane-Bovenizer had rear-ended another vehicle.

The actress admitted to police investigators that she had drunk several glasses of wine that evening. Police charged Locane-Bovenizer with vehicular homicide and second- and third-degree assault by auto. If convicted, the mother of two could spend 5 to 10 years in state prison.

The tragic car accident that occurred in New Jersey this week earned national headlines due to the celebrity of the driver involved. But Philadelphia personal injury attorneys point out that it is a scenario played out on the streets of Philadelphia every day. Every 45 minutes someone in America dies at the hands of an alcohol-impaired driver. Last year, drunk drivers killed nearly 12,000 people in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A third of all U.S. traffic deaths are caused by drunk drivers. In Pennsylvania, drunk drivers killed nearly 600 people in 2008, accounting for 39% of all traffic-related fatalities.

As we move into the holiday weekend, Philadelphia personal injury attorneys remind Philadelphia revelers to stay safe and designate a driver. If you suffer serious personal injuries in a car accident, consult an experienced Philadelphia personal injury attorney for a free case evaluation.

On the day he was scheduled to appear in court to face a DUI charge, an off-duty Pennsylvania state trooper was killed in a head-on auto accident while driving the wrong way on the Schuylkill Expressway. Police investigators said Cpl. John Quigg of Wyndmoor in Montgomery County drove his Honda Accord the wrong way up the Spring Garden exit ramp onto I-76 shortly after 1 a.m. early Wednesday morning. Driving into oncoming eastbound traffic, he crashed head-on into a Mercury Marquis driven by 23-year-old Philadelphia resident Chantelle Harper. Severely injured, Quigg, a father of four, died at Hahnemann University Hospital shortly after the accident. Harper, who also suffered serious personal injuries in the crash, was transported to the University of Pennsylvania hospital where she was reported to be in good condition after surgery to repair several broken bones.

In one of those odd twists of fate, the 24-year Pennsylvania State Police veteran was an accident reconstructionist and drug-recognition expert. Quigg routinely supervised State Police sobriety checkpoints. The officer had been on desk duty since running his car into a guardrail last December. At the time of that accident, Quigg was found to have a blood-alcohol level of 0.30, well over Pennsylvania's legal limit of 0.08. Quigg's attorney in that DUI case, Timothy Woodward, Sr. has previously reported to the court that Quigg completed alcohol rehabilitation following his DUI arrest.

Police investigators are not yet certain whether Quigg drove onto the freeway in the wrong direction inadvertently or intentionally. Investigators have stated that neither driver showed obvious signs of impairment. Toxicology tests have been ordered and the motor vehicle accident is still under investigation.

When people are seriously injured or die in car accidents, experienced Philadelphia personal injury lawyers conduct their own, independent investigations to verify the circumstances surrounding the accident and protect the rights of the injured victims and their families.

A group of budding pre-teen scientists has come up with an idea that deserves recognition -- the TEXTerminator. The brain child of a team of Bucks County middle school students from the Council Rock School District, the TEXTerminator shuts down a cell phone's texting capabilities. Despite local laws banning texting while driving and its extreme dangers, 60% of teens and 50% of drivers between the ages of 18 and 24 admit to texting while driving. Distracted driving kills more than 6,000 Americans every year, accounting for nearly 80% of serious personal injury car accidents in Philadelphia and across the country, according to the National Safety Council.

Talking on a cell phone is the equivalent of driving drunk. Texting is like shutting your eyes while driving drunk! When drivers talk or text on their cell phones, their attention is not focused on traffic and the road ahead. Distracted driving causes the reflexes of young drivers to slow to those of 70-year-olds. According to the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, people who talk or text on their cell phones while driving are at least four times more likely to be involved in a serious persional injury accident. Texters, however, are 23 times more likely to crash, a recent Virginia Tech study revealed. Philadelphia banned cell phone driving and texting in December 2008 and added a hefty $75 fine in May 2009, but many Philadelphia residents, particularly those under 30, continue to ignore the dangers of driving and texting.

Pennsylvania middle schoolers are hoping to put a halt to that hazardous practice. Their TEXTerminator earned them a finalist spot in the national Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation competition, a government-sponsored contest that seeks to unite community service with scientific problem solving. The winning team will receive $25,000 to help turn their invention into reality. Over the contest's 14-year span, five winning teams have earned patents for their ideas. Here's hoping these innovative Bucks County students are next!

A Philadelphia woman was killed in a bizarre three-car crash in southwest Philadelphia recently. The 40-year-old woman was stopped at a red light when she was forcibly rear-ended by another car. The force of the collision propelled the woman's car into the intersection of 61st and Passyunk and into the path of a third car. The oncoming car was unable to stop; the resulting collision ejecting the woman from her car and killing her. The drivers of the two other cars involved in this tragic Philadelphia car accident and a passenger in one of those cars were transported to the hospital in critical condition with serious personal injuries. The twice-hit car was demolished.

Serious Philadelphia auto accidents like this one cause catastrophic changes in the people's lives. When severe Philadelphia traffic accidents are fatal, families can be left without the love and support of a spouse and parent. Serious personal injuries can result in overwhelming medical bills, expensive prescription drug charges and lengthy loss of income during recovery and rehabilitation. Job loss can occur when personal injuries are disabling, further impacting a family's income and well-being.

Families struggling to put their lives back together and care for injured family members can find dealing with insurance companies exhausting. Deluged by mountains of confusing paperwork and besieged by insurance representatives pressuring them to make a quick settlement, injured Philadelphia motorists and their families can be easy targets for insurance companies committed to paying out as little as possible. A Philadelphia personal injury lawyer experienced in litigating auto accident personal injury claims can insure that car accident victims and their families recover medical expenses and are adequately compensated for lost income, personal injuries, property damage and suffering.

As a Philadelphia accident and injury lawyer, I often receive questions about who may be at fault or sued in certain accidents. In other words, can someone be found negligent once an injury has happened in a car accident, slip and fall, construction, or other accident or injury? In the case Mendez v. City of Philadelphia, a Philadelphia jury awarded $61 million for injuries Natalia Mendez suffered when a tree fell on her car while she was driving down Cheltenham Avenue in Philadelphia. Ms. Mendez was rendered a paraplegic as a result of the severe car accident. The property owner where the tree was located had hired a cement contractor to repair the sidewalk along the property line. Apparently, the cement contractor cut the roots of the tree while performing their work. The tree later fell on Mendez’s car on a rainy and wind day in July 2006.

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In a new case the Superior Court of Pennsylvania upheld the Philadelphia trial court in finding that a Philadelphia man injured in an automobile accident was entitled to “full tort” and not “limited tort” even if he owned an uninsured vehicle. Two types of insurance coverage can be purchased in Pennsylvania, which are known as "limited tort option" and "full tort option." Under Pennsylvania law, those who select the limited tort option may not bring suit for non-economic damages or "pain and suffering," unless they have suffered a "serious injury."

In Progressive Halcyon Ins. Co. v. Kennedy, 908 A.2d 911 (Pa. Super. 2006) the Court ruled that Anthony Kennedy was entitled to bring an uninsured claim against his automobile insurance company and was entitled to "full tort" or recovery of pain and suffering. Mr. Kennedy was involved in a car accident when an unknown vehicle swerved into his lane. Because he did not know the identity of the other automobile, he brought an uninsured motorist claim against his own insurance policy. Mr. Kennedy owned three automobiles, a 1997 Ford, 1989 Toyota, and a 1986 Nissan. He had automobile insurance on the Ford and Toyota automobiles, and he had selected the full tort option as provided under the Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility Law (MVFRL). However, he did not insure his 1986 Nissan. Mr. Kennedy was involved in a car accident while driving the Ford. He suffered injuries and made a claim for benefits to his automobile insurance company. When they would not pay on his claim for his injuries, he hired a Philadelphia lawyer.

The automobile insurance company argued that Mr. Kennedy was subject to limited tort (not able to recover pain and suffering) because one of the automobiles he owned was not insured. The Philadelphia trial court disagreed and stated that Mr. Kennedy was entitled to “full tort” in his claim. The Pennsylvania Superior Court has now just affirmed the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, explaining that because Mr. Kennedy was injured in the car that was insured and for which he had chosen full tort, the insurance company was bound by his selection of full tort. Thus, Mr. Kennedy was permitted to recover pain and suffering damages. In this writer’s view, this only makes sense as Mr. Kennedy bought insurance for the car that was involved in the accident and chose “full tort.” However, this case shows how insurance companies will try to find any loophole in a policy to deny claims. Also, this case illustrates the importance of checking your auto policy to make sure you have chosen "full tort" and uninsurance coverage.