Pennsylvania Personal Injury Blog

With healthcare becoming a national topic and the economy on a continuous downward spiral, doctors at Allegheny General Hospital have released a report detailing how motorcyclists are not only endangering themselves but are costing the state money when they are involved in an accident which requires transport, many times on helicopter, and medical treatment. The details outlined on the website pittsburghlive.com report that since the Pennsylvania helmet law was repealed in 2003 there has been an increase of motorcycle riders coming into the emergency room with serious facial and head injuries. A doctor at Allegheny General Hospital stated that treatment from facial and head injuries have doubled within the last five years.

Officials at AGH hospital reported encountering 122 motorcycle-linked facial injuries from September 2003 to August 2008, when they only had 10 from 1998 to September 2003.

Dr. Joseph E. Cillo, an AGH oral and maxillofacial surgeon, said, “Riding a motorcycle without a helmet is just risky behavior. Pennsylvania repealed the universal helmet law in 2003, but mandating helmet use to motorcyclists under 21 and riders having less than 2 years experience.”

Continue reading "PA Study Concludes Motorcyclists without Helmets at Greater Risk" »

The widow of a motorcyclist killed when he collided with a western Pennsylvania housing agency’s truck, has won more than $1.6 million in a wrongful death verdict. According to an article, a jury found the Mercer County Housing Authority and an employee negligent in the death of the woman’s husband who was 52-years-old.

The widow’s husband was killed May 8, 2007 when his motorcycle crashed into a housing authority pickup truck. The truck had started to turn left and stopped a few feet into the man’s lane when the crash occurred.

The driver was cited for a left turn violation and paid a fine. The man’s widow settled separate claims against PennDOT and other defendants.

Continue reading "Widow Wins $1.6M from PA Housing Agency" »

The operator of a motorcycle whose passenger was ejected from the rear seat and thrown over the railing of a highway bridge into the Schuylkill has been charged with vehicular homicide in her death. According to an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the 21-year-old man was speeding on a stolen motorcycle when he struck the rear of a car while trying to pass it. The accident happened on the Dannehower Bridge on Route 202 in Norristown on June 23. The 19-year-old passenger from Norristown was thrown off the bike and over the side of the bridge, suffering fatal injuries.

The operator of the motorcycle suffered serious injuries but survived. He was charged with vehicular homicide, driving with a suspended license, receiving stolen property, and other offenses.

The man in this motorcycle wrongful death accident should be held both criminally and civilly responsible for the death of his female passenger. Her family would be well advised to seek the advice of an experienced Pennsylvania wrongful death attorney.

Continue reading "Motorcyclist Charged for Wrongful Death of Passenger" »

A 29-year-old male motorcyclist was killed in a crash on September 5 on Route 1. State police are searching for a vehicle that may have caused the accident. According to this article in The Delaware County Times, the motorcyclist from the Drexel Hill section of Upper Darby, lost control of his motorcycle on Route 1 north approximately a quarter-mile north of Route 352.

A witness told police that a black sedan changed into the right lane and cut the motorcyclist off, causing him to brake hard and lose control of the motorcycle. The motorcycle did not make contact with any other vehicles. The Pennsylvania State Police (Media Barracks) are still investigating.

The motorcyclist’s family deserves to be rightfully compensated for their tremendous loss. They would be well advised to contact a skilled Philadelphia motorcycle accident attorney.

Though motorcycle accidents in Pennsylvania have a variety of causes, common causes include unsafe road conditions, inclement weather, defective motorcycle parts, driver fatigue, drunk drivers, and driver error. The latter is the most common cause of motorcycle accidents.

Continue reading "Route 1 Accident Kills Motorcyclist" »

Officials in Norristown, Pennsylvania, are investigating what caused a motorcycle accident, which killed a 19-year-old woman. According to this news article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the woman who was a passenger on the motorcycle had been thrown off the vehicle and off the Route 202 Dannehower Bridge. Divers found the woman's body in the river. According to news reports, officials believe that another vehicle was involved in this fatal accident.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that 4,000 deaths and about 76,000 injuries occur every year in the United States as a result of motorcycle accidents. There are a number of reasons why Pennsylvania motorcycle accidents occur. But the most common causes include dangerous roadway conditions, defective motorcycle parts, alcohol, driver error and driver fatigue. Some passenger vehicles simply don't comprehend the rules of the road and hit a motorcycle while making an unsafe lane change. Motorcycle accidents often result in catastrophic injuries including brain injury, broken bones, spinal cord injuries and even death.

If you have been involved in a motorcycle accident, please do not accept a "quick fix" settlement insurance companies may try to talk you into. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a motorcycle accident or any auto accident as a result of someone's negligence or wrongdoing, you may be entitled to compensation to cover your medical expenses, loss of earnings, long-term medical care and other related damages.

Continue reading "Pennsylvania Motorcycle Accident Kills Woman" »

A Pennsylvania motorcyclist was killed after crashing head-on into a minivan on Route 352 in Delaware County, according to this CBS News report. According to Pennsylvania State Police, the motorcycle was traveling southbound on Route 352 when it veered into the northbound lanes and struck a Dodge Caravan. The motorcyclist, 53-year-old Jeffrey Hoyle, was thrown from the motorcycle and was pronounced dead at the scene of the PA auto accident. Five people inside the van, including a 2-year-old child and a 91-year-old man, were taken to an area hospital with unknown injuries.

Motorcycles are increasingly becoming a popular means of transportation in the United States and here in Pennsylvania especially given the current economic pressures and rising gas prices. But unfortunately, riding motorcycles is risky. Very often, when it comes to motorcycle accidents in Pennsylvania, it is the motorcyclist who suffers major injuries or death. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that 4,000 deaths and 76,000 injuries each year in the United States can be attributed to motorcycle accidents.

Motorcycle accidents can occur due to many reasons including the motorcycle's error, use of alcohol or drugs, a product defect in the motorcycle, a dangerous condition on the roadway or because of the other motorist's negligence. Motorcyclists can lose control of their vehicles also because of a mechanical malfunction or a product defect, which can trigger a mechanical malfunction. If your motorcycle accident is caused as a result of a product defect or another person's negligence, you are entitled to compensation for your injuries, damages and loss. If you have been injured in a Pennsylvania motorcycle accident, please call the experienced Philadelphia motorcycle accident lawyers at Cherry, Fieger & Marciano LLP. to find out more about your legal rights and options.

On May 25, a 53-year-old Glen Riddle, PA resident died and six people were injured when a motorcycle collided with a van on Route 352 and Gradyville Road in Delaware County, PA.

According to the article in The Philadelphia Inquirer, the crash occurred at about 8 p.m. when Jeffrey Hoyle, operating a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, headed southbound on Route 352, crossed into oncoming traffic.

The motorcycle hit a Dodge Caravan driven head on. The van was driven by Evelyn Hill of Philadelphia. Hoyle was thrown from the motorcycle and pronounced dead at the scene. Hill and five passengers were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

The family of Jeffrey Hoyle would be well advised to obtain Philadelphia's skilled motorcycle accident attorneys so they may be compensated for their loss.

Though motorcycle accidents in Pennsylvania have a variety of causes, common causes include unsafe road conditions, inclement weather, defective motorcycle parts, driver fatigue, drunk drivers, and driver error. The latter is the most common cause of motorcycle accidents. Some passenger vehicles simply don't understand the rules of the road and may hit a motorcycle while changing lanes, may disregard their presence on the road, or ignore right-of-way laws. Unfortunately, the toll is usually on the side of the motorcyclist in these cases. Due to the inherent lack of protection while on a motorcycle, catastrophic injury often occurs, ranging from broken bones and minor lacerations and bruises to disfigurement, brain injury, paralysis and even death.

The National Highway Traffic Administration (NTHSA) estimates that 4,000 deaths and around 76,000 injuries take place every year due to motorcycle accidents.

The attorneys of Cherry, Fieger, Marciano understand the severity of Philadelphia motorcycle accidents and their life-changing effects. They have what it takes as personal injury attorneys to conduct discovery, gather appropriate testimony, stand up for you in court, and get the compensation you deserve —and they are offering a free case consultation today.

A Bucks County high school teacher faces vehicular-homicide charges in an October accident that killed a motorcyclist in Lehigh County. According to this article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Larry Angney II, 37, of Center Valley, PA is accused of killing Lori Smeltzer, 45, near her home in Upper Saucon Township. The article said that his vehicle struck Smeltzer’s motorcycle from the rear and ran over her before speeding from the scene. She died the next day.

Angney turned himself in the day after the car accident in Pennsylvania, saying he thought he had hit an animal or a street sign.

He was charged Friday with vehicular homicide.

Angney should be held criminally and civilly responsible for the accident, injuries, and the death of Smeltzer. Smeltzer’s family deserves to be rightfully compensated for their tremendous loss. They would be well advised to contact an experienced Philadelphia wrongful death attorney.

Though motorcycle accidents in Pennsylvania have a variety of causes, common causes include unsafe road conditions, inclement weather, defective motorcycle parts, driver fatigue, drunk drivers, and driver error. The latter is the most common cause of motorcycle accidents. Some passenger vehicles simply don't understand the rules of the road and may hit a motorcycle while changing lanes, may disregard their presence on the road, or ignore right-of-way laws.

Continue reading "Lehigh County Motorcycle Accident Kills Woman" »