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Yes, insurance companies are trying to limit their exposure to expensive dog bite claims by refusing to renew or refusing to provide new homeowner's policies for people who acquire certain breeds such as Pit Bulls and Rottweilers.  Some companies are limiting the coverage so that, for example, if...

Whom should you speak to after an accident? You should first speak to an experienced personal injury lawyer. Most lawyers can get you into the office or will happily speak to you on the telephone to give you basic advice. Certainly, you should NOT speak to the adjuster for the person who caused y...

Many people ask me during or after I handle their accident case, how can I reduce my auto insurance premiums without going unprotected?  I advise them to always keep their FULL tort coverage which is critical, no matter what it costs! Also, you can see a big drop in your premium by increasing you...

Many insurance companies are taking the approach that unless there was fairly serious damage to your car in an accident, you could not have been very seriously injured.  While this is simply not supported by science in all cases, it can be very damaging for a jury to see your car, post-accident, ...

Contrary to what you might think, it may not be solely due to the proximity of a small child to the level of the dog's head.  Read this interesting article regarding dog bites to children. http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/16/Suppl_1/A172.4.full.pdf+html?eaf Click to order my free book on D...

Dog Bite Prevention Week is May 20-26th, 2012. A great chance to create awareness! Click to order my free book on Dog Bite Attacks.

There are many possible ways to reduce the price of your annual auto insurance premium.  NEVER let an agent convince you to have Limited Tort or to eliminate uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage.  This little video has some very good suggestions.  Check out this great MSN video – How to s...

I am always searching for new cases describing the PA approach to liability in a dog bite case in which the biting dog lives in a rented property. There is always an issue when there is a severe bite yet the tenant who owns the dog has no renter's insurance to cover. The question often becomes “w...

Do not ever leave the scene of an accident without getting the license plate number, at the VERY least, of the driver who hit you. I have recently had two cases of hit and run in which both my client and the defendant driver pulled over. My client got out of the car to exchange insurance informat...

Yes, astute consumer, and many lawyers who barely handle any personal injury cases at all will have an uninformed client choose them to handle an auto accident case. The lawyer may accept a case outside his area of expertise because there is a large potential fee for the lawyer. There are a numbe...

We bring our children up, for the most part, loving dogs. Children's books and movies are replete with wonderful stories about close relationships between dogs and humans. However, we must teach our children that although many dogs are well trained, the owner should be asked permission before a c...

NALC Director of Safety & Health Brian Hellman urges NALC branches to alert members that as spring arrives, dogs are outside more often. Now is the time to include dog bite awareness information in your safety and health awareness program. Hellman...

Why would a dog do such a thing if unprovoked? As the victim described, it is usually the fault of the owner for failing to properly train and socialize the animal. It is not a significant factor, according to my sources, that this was a pit bull. Pit bulls can be trained just like any other bree...

A sure way to lose your accident case is to hire a lawyer who is a “jack of all trades”. If you have found your lawyer online or in the yellow pages, look at the ad carefully. Does the lawyer advertise that his or her office handles every type of case under the sun? Do they claim to do divorce, b...

Did you know that even if you are a limited tort insured on your automobile policy, a choice of coverage which would normally eliminate your ability to pursue a claim for pain and suffering unless you suffer a very serious injury, IF you happen to be a pedestrian and are hit by a car you are cons...

Many people call me saying they have been in a car accident in an old car for which they did not purchase collision coverage. Usually, the client will say that their insurance agent told them it “isn't worth it” to purchase collision coverage if the car is very old. However, I always ask the clie...

Make application at www.freshstart.org which is an organization in California providing plastic and reconstructive surgical procedures to children under certain circumstances.  An application is on their website and can be submitted online or printed out and mailed or faxed.  This is an amazing o...

There is no such thing as “Full Coverage” under the PA Motor Vehicle Code-don't confuse this term with the term “Full Tort”! Many times a client injured in a car accident will come into my office and tell me that they are fully protected and have “full coverage.” I look at their insurance policy ...

Features of the “limited tort” option are that you basically forfeit your right to sue for pain and suffering, loss of life's pleasures, embarrassment, inconvenience, and all other types of non-economic damages unless you suffer a “serious injury.”  Of course, “serious injury” is an injury which ...

There are numerous things to remember when purchasing your car insurance.  “The Golden Rules” include the following: Never drop a type of coverage unless you actually know what you are giving up. Never eliminate a coverage unless you know exactly how much money you are going to save by doing...

I am sick and tired of seeing insurance companies take advantage of people “before” they have had a chance to speak to an attorney. For years, one major insurance company would encourage claimants to not hire an attorney. Frankly, you may not need an attorney to represent you in your case, depend...

The law does not demand or guarantee compensation for every injury. You must prove that someone else was negligent or careless and that their carelessness caused your injury. If you have suffered an unfortunate accident that is no one else's fault, or, if you fail to sue the correct person or par...

The courts have been revising this definition since 1990 when this option became available. The truth is that it is not clear at all exactly what a serious impairment to a body function is and the definition seems to change from case to case. For that matter, what is a permanent “serious” disfigu...

You entered a so-called “war zone” once you are injured. You are at war, but it is a war that can be won. Insurance companies, and some in the government, have “declared war” on injured people and their attorneys. They wage the war in the media and the propaganda has had a tremendous effect on ju...

If you have been injured by a dog bite, the initial steps you take can make a big difference to the outcome of your case.  We have compiled a list of seven mistakes you could make in order to help you avoid insurance company traps and to receive fair compensation for your injury: 1. Do not wait t...