Tenants beware: foreclosure doesn’t just affect homeowners
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on April 23rd, 2011
If you rent a house or apartment, you may not think that the foreclosure crisis that has plagued the U.S. can affect you at all. If you think that, then you are very wrong. Across the nation, foreclosures suffered by the owners of properties from rental homes to apartment complexes have been causing massive problems for renters who can find utilities shut off and eviction notices – even if they have what they think are...
Stack your auto insurance to protect yourself: a real life story
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on April 15th, 2011
Stacking costs little and means better protection in the event of an accident Let me tell you a little story about auto insurance, smart pre-planning and what happens if you are injured in a vehicle crash by an uninsured or underinsured motorist. Recently, a MyPhillyLawyer client was riding his bicycle in Montgomery County and turning left in an intersection when he was struck by a pick-up truck at 35 mph. The crash left him with...
Driver alert: How “joint and several liability” insurance changes brewing in the PA legislature could hurt your legal rights
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on April 13th, 2011
Call your local elected officials and strongly voice your opposition to these changes Today in Pennsylvania, you and your family are well protected if you are involved in a multi-vehicle accident, even if one of the other parties is inadequately insured. Under current law, the full amount of damages can be sought and awarded from any of the defendants, even if one of them had a smaller part in the crash. This is known as...
What you need to know about wills and estates: A MyPhillyLawyer primer
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on March 14th, 2011
Do you have a will written in case something should happen to you? Have you carefully written down details for what should happen to your property and assets in the event you die? If something should happen to you, will your family know that they don't have to add worries about what will happen to your belongings, assets and real estate to the pain they will already feel from your loss? If you've answered "no," ...
Minnesota trying something new to prevent traffic deaths: a memorial Web site for victims
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on February 28th, 2011
Across the United States, motor vehicle accidents claimed the lives of 24,474 people in 2009, plus another 4,462 motorcyclists and 4,872 pedestrians and bicyclists, according to federal statistics. The numbers are sobering, and at least one state – Minnesota – is trying to do something to make people more aware of the human carnage happening everyday on the state's roadways. In an announcement today, the state's Department of Public Safety (DPS) unveiled a new Web...
Winter’s not over: Carbon monoxide safety at home is still critical
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on February 27th, 2011
Yes, we're all excited about the warmer weather we've been enjoying locally, but the fact is that winter isn't really yet over and winter-related carbon monoxide dangers continue to exist in our homes. With that in mind, we here at MyPhillyLawyer have put together some important information to remind you how you can keep yourself and your family safer while running in-home heating equipment that produces deadly carbon monoxide (CO) gas. Carbon monoxide is an...
Protecting yourself from insurance “bad faith”
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on February 18th, 2011
We've been trained as consumers to believe that if we're injured in a vehicle accident, our insurance company – the one that's been collecting all of our costly premiums for coverage – will be there to help us in our hour of need. Sadly, though, it doesn't always work out that way. Sometimes, it turns out that a driver's biggest nightmare after an accident begins when they have to sue their own insurance company to...
Philadelphia gas main explosion that killed a utility worker highlights a string of recent incidents across the nation
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on January 29th, 2011
Just two weeks ago, a 19-year-old Philadelphia Gas Works employee was killed in the Tacony section of the city when a 12-inch gas main exploded as he and other PGW workers were investigating a reported gas leak in the neighborhood. In December, two people were killed in Wayne, Mich., when leaking natural gas from a gas main apparently ignited an explosion, leveling a long-established furniture store. And last September, eight residents of San Bruno, Calif.,...
Alcoholic energy drinks, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, legal liability and you
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on November 9th, 2010
The PLCB asks retailers to stop selling Four Loko and other energy drinks containing alcohol and caffeine until health impacts are understood In an unusual move last week, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) asked every one of the 17,000 beer distributors, restaurants, bars and other organizations that sell alcoholic beverages in the Commonwealth to voluntary and immediately stop selling "alcoholic energy drinks." The drinks, which come in colorful cans and usually have fruity flavors,...