Against an all girls religious high school for negligent supervision of a teacher who engaged in sexual conduct with a student on school property
Construction worker suffered serious brain injury after falling 20 feet due to lack of required fall protection
Against a University for Child Sexual Abuse
Against a psychiatric hospital for their failure to prevent a woman in their care from being sexually assaulted.
Against a religious organization because of their negligent supervision of a pedophile priest who sexually abused a child
Against a correctional facility for negligently supervising a guard that physically and sexually abused an inmate in their care
Against child protective services for their failures in preventing the sexual abuse of a child within their care and custody
Defective punch press machinery work accident case.
Dock worker run over by a forklift at a cruise ship terminal causing catastrophic injuries
Nail gun defect case that cause permanent injuries to a worker
Nail gun accident where nail gun discharged sideways resulting in a nail hitting user’s eye
DUI accident, bar alcohol liability & medical malpractice case in Philadelphia (January 2014)
Surgical infection, medical malpractice case in Philadelphia
Drugstore sidewalk fall accident, hip fracture with surgery, filed in Philadelphia
A union carpenter fell through an interior mobile scaffold while at work, suffering bilateral calcaneal fractures
A construction worker fell 20 feet because he was not provided with fall protection
A construction accident involving a union roofer who was working without fall protection and fell from a roof resulting in a permanent paraplegic injury
On the job injury to a union carpenter who fell through an interior mobile scaffold, suffering bilateral calcaneal fractures
A construction accident on the job involving a union roofer who was working without fall protection and fell from a roof resulting in permanent paraplegic injury
Factory supervisor’s hand was crushed at work due to faulty equipment/machine.
Worker sustained severe burn injuries as a result of an electrical explosion.
Chemical exposure causing burn and inhalation injuries to three union carpenters.
Work accident resulting in an above the knee amputation of the worker’s leg
Philadelphia Kimmel Center construction collapse causing catastrophic injuries
Parking garage collapse at an Atlantic City, New Jersey hotel, killing 4 and injuring 30 (largest construction accident settlement in U.S. history)
Stadium demolition accident which occurred when a front loader fell through a ceiling (Philadelphia, PA)
Forklift accident at marine terminal in New Jersey
Crane accident resulting in leg amputation and other injuries during casino construction (Philadelphia, PA)
Construction worker killed when he came into contact with an uncapped, live electrical wire
Injuries incurred in a workplace accident where plaintiff sustained severe burn injuries as a result of an electrical explosion
The electrocution death of a union electrician on the job, when electrical switch gear malfunctioned
Wrongful death of a union carpenter who died on the job after falling through temporary decking at a local bridge
Wrongful death of a tow truck driver who died on the job when he was accidentally run over by his own tow truck
Wrongful death by electrocution of a union electrician on the job, when electrical switchgear malfunctioned
Slip and fall at an airport
Fatal shooting of a tenant at an apartment complex
A woman violently attacked by bar security personnel without provocation
A horrific incident where a woman was killed after her apartment complex was demolished while she remained in the building
Slip and fall case where client suffered serious personal injuries from a fall
A car accident resulting in serious personal injuries to the plaintiff
A tragic case where a man suffered serious permanent injuries when a tree fell onto his car while he was driving along a public road in Bucks County, Pennsylvania
A car crash where the motor vehicle accident resulted in two passengers being killed and another injured, after a restaurant served too much alcohol to the driver of their vehicle
The on the job injury to a union carpenter who fell through an interior mobile scaffold while at work, suffering bilateral calcaneal fractures
Injuries on the job incurred by a factory supervisor when his hand was crushed at work due to faulty equipment
Injuries incurred in a workplace accident on the job where plaintiff sustained severe burn injuries as a result of an electrical explosion
An inadvertent release of dangerous chemicals at a local oil company, causing on the job burn and inhalation injuries to three union carpenters
Construction worker suffered serious brain injury after falling 20 feet due to lack of required fall protection
A construction accident on the job where union laborer was killed while working on the fourth floor of a building because there was no fall protection
Against an all girls religious high school for negligent supervision of a teacher who engaged in sexual conduct with a student on school property
Student sexually harassed and assaulted by high school teacher
Molestation case against sitting state court judge who admitted to the abuse, resigned from the bench and was then disbarred
negligent care of elderly man resulting in hip fractures after fall from hospital bed
negligent transection of common hepatic duct during surgery
71 year old man died due to an undiagnosed e-coli infection
Man died following improper diagnosis and treatment of endocarditis
A construction accident on the job involving union roofer who was working without fall protection and fell from a roof resulting in permanent paraplegic injury
A construction accident on the job involving union roofer who fell from a roof because there was no fall protection and suffered quadriplegia
Nail gun accident where nail gun discharged sideways resulting in a nail hitting user’s eye
Defective punch press machinery work accident case.
For a 67-year-old New Jersey man who suffered serious injury in a motor vehicle accident on the Atlantic City Expressway
For a child who was sexually abused by a clergy member
Union carpenter sustained serious shoulder injuries when he fell after stepping on another contractor’s debris (March 2015)
Against a Christian Board School and other defendants that allowed horrific acts of sexual and physical violence against the young children in their care.
The on the job injury to a union carpenter who fell through an interior mobile scaffold while at work, suffering bilateral calcaneal fractures
Wrongful death by electrocution of a union electrician on the job, when electrical switchgear malfunctioned
Man who was killed when his car fell off of a 3 floor parking garage due to defective vehicle barrier protection system
The collapse of a parking garage at the Tropicana Casino in Atlantic City that injured over 30 construction workers on the job and killed 4 men working on the project (largest construction accident settlement in U.S. history).
Against a fraternity for negligently serving alcohol which resulted in a stabbing assault of two frat party attendees
A workplace accident on the job resulting in below-the-knee amputation of the plaintiff’s right leg
An on the job injury where an union carpenter fell on a construction site and was injured because of defective fall protection equipment
A car crash resulting in a passenger suffering permanent quadriplegic injuries
Our Phila car accident lawyers get asked about medical bills quite often.
In fact, one of the first questions after a Philadelphia car accident is, who pays for my medical bills?
The answer depends on two issues, whether the injuries exceed the PIP (personal injury protection) limit of the applicable car insurance policy and whether another party bears any fault for causing the accident.
In car accident cases where the injuries are very serious, the PIP limit will get exhausted. For example, someone suffers catastrophic injuries in a car accident in downtown Philadelphia. The individual is taken to a local hospital in Philadelphia and receives multiple diagnostic tests. She also needs a major surgery that results in several days in the hospital. The costs for this single hospital stay exceed the $5,000 PIP limit. Let’s say the total bills cost $25,000, after the PIP payment of $5,000. Who pays for the remaining bills?
The answer is two-fold. Initially, the individual’s private health insurance (or Medicare/Medicaid, if applicable) would pay for the remaining hospital bills as well as any additional medical treatment costs, such as physical therapy, follow up visits, etc. Then comes the issue of whether another party bears any fault for causing the accident.
PIP coverage is one of the most commonly misunderstood types of auto insurance coverage. It is mandatory under Pennsylvania law and applies without regard to fault. This principle is known as no-fault law. Other states like New Jersey and Delaware follow the same principle.
If you are covered under any car insurance policy (except motorcycle insurance policies) and you are injured in a car accident, you are entitled to make a claim for PIP benefits under your OWN policy, or a policy you are covered under, i.e., a parent or spouse’s policy. This is true whether you caused the accident or someone else caused the accident. PIP benefits are available without regard to fault.
In Pennsylvania, every car insurance policy issued in the state must carry at least $5,000 of PIP benefits. They are available per person, per accident. So, if mom, dad and child are injured in the same car accident, and they are covered under the same insurance policy, they can all make a claim for up to $5,000 of PIP benefits.
Many Pennsylvania residents choose PIP coverage amounts higher than the minimum $5,000 amount. It’s not uncommon to see $10,000 or $50,000 PIP coverage amounts.
There are no co-pays or deductibles. Once a PIP claim is opened, all medical treatment providers bill the insurance company directly. The key is making sure that the PIP claim is opened in a timely manner. Opening a PIP claim requires the following:
If the car accident was caused by another party, the injured individual can seek financial compensation by filing a car accident lawsuit. In that lawsuit, claims can be made for medical bills, including those that were paid by health insurance, and lost wages.
In practice, here’s how this works. Let’s use the Philadelphia car accident example above, where there are $25,000 in medical bills, after PIP has paid $5,000. Of the $25,000, the individual has paid $2,000 for co-pays and deductibles. The health insurance company has paid the remaining $23,000. The individual would pay the co-pays and deductibles as they become due. If a car accident lawsuit is filed, the health insurance company could assert a lien on the $23,000 of medical bills it paid. In other words, the health insurance company is saying that it has a legal right to be reimbursed for what it paid out as a result of the car accident. Pennsylvania law allows these types of claims, known as subrogation claims. However, there are specific, complex laws that apply to these claims, which are usually filed in car accident cases.
The claims for medical bills and lost wages are purely economic losses, but what about non-economic losses, like pain and suffering? Under Pennsylvania law, whether a car accident victim can make a claim for pain and suffering, i.e., physical pain and emotional suffering, depends on a complex body of law called, limited tort.
Our auto accident lawyers handle car, truck and pedestrian accident cases in Philadelphia, the surrounding counties and New Jersey. Contact us for a free consultation.
Pennsylvania’s auto insurance regime can be confusing. Our attorneys do the hard work for you. We’ve spent decades standing up to the state’s biggest insurance carriers to demand maximum compensation for our clients.
Paul Bucci, Esq.
Because construction sites are busy places, multiple parties may be held liable for a construction accident injury. Injured workers have the legal right to seek compensation for negligence committed by general contractors, subcontractors, owners, architects, etc.
“Excellent Help” Paul knew exactly what to do in my case.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1100 Ludlow Street, Suite 300
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107
(215) 399-9255