Philadelphia drivers beware: city police crackdown on cell phone use while driving begins Sunday
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on October 29th, 2009
We here at MyPhillyLawyer have been harping about the dangers of driving while texting or talking on a hand-held cell phone for months. We've even applauded the City of Philadelphia's efforts earlier this year to ban the practice. Well, now it's becoming more serious for drivers. Starting this Sunday, Philadelphia police will start enforcing a city ordinance that bans texting and hand-held cell phone use while a driver is operating a vehicle in the city...
Using eBay to buy or sell stuff online? You’d better know your rights
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on October 27th, 2009
EBay.com is certainly a great place to buy and sell stuff online, from cars to motorcycles to toys and trinkets. But have you ever read all of the pages and pages of the "fine print" in your user agreement with eBay Inc.? I bet you haven't, and that creates a bit of a legal quandary for you. Did you know that in that user agreement, it says that if you have an unresolved dispute with...
Video Blog: Why Should I Sue?
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on October 20th, 2009
Have you been injured in a car accident, construction accident, slip and fall accident or otherwise as the result of another's negligence or carelessness? If so, you may be reluctant to sue. In this video blog, Attorney Dean Weitzman of MyPhillyLawyer explains that insurance companies put money aside specifically for people who are injured. You are entitled to recover that money in order to compensate for medical bills and other financial obligations as the result...
Swimming pool discrimination case leaves much to ponder
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on October 14th, 2009
It was supposed to be a summer of swimming and fun for a group of 56 African-American and Hispanic children from a Northeast Philadelphia daycare center who were to head regularly to a private swim club in the Montgomery County suburbs to beat the heat. Image credit: © iStockphoto.com/paulprescott72 Instead, their first visit turned ugly on June 29 when some of the children reported to their chaperones that they overheard verbal racial slurs and ugly...
Disabled Adult Abuse: It’s Time to Take Action
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on October 12th, 2009
In a recent article, William Bender of the Philadelphia Daily News reports on the atrocity of disabled adult abuse. He rightly points out that Pennsylvania is one of only five states that have no abuse investigation law protecting these vulnerable citizens. As a result, abusers at group homes and other disabled care facilities can simply walk away with little or no repercussions if the victim does not or cannot testify against them. This needs to...
Video Blog: Contingency Fees
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on October 6th, 2009
If you have been injured in a car accident, construction/work-site accident, slip and fall accident, or another accident caused the negligence of another, you may want to file a personal injury claim. But how much will this cost you? The simple answer is: nothing. You will not pay any attorney fees unless MyPhillyLawyer recovers compensation on your behalf. In this video blog, personal injury lawyer Dean Weitzman explains what it means to accept cases on...
Ford Motor Co. joins growing fight to ban texting while driving
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on September 23rd, 2009
The push to ban drivers from texting while operating motor vehicles on America's roadways just got a powerful and influential ally recently -- the Ford Motor Co. is the first automaker to embrace a proposed new law that would cut federal highway funding by 25% to states that refuse to outlaw the dangerous practice. "Ford supports a ban on hand-held text messaging while driving – and we endorse the legislation introduced by Senator Charles E....
Tort reform: be careful what you may wish for
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on September 14th, 2009
The premise of tort reform is popular with politicians and big corporations, who use it as a target for "cleaning up" our complex legal system. But if you or your family needs to sue for damages following an injury, the wrong kind of tort reform could be very harmful. The idea behind tort reform sounds logical – to reform the legal system to prevent unnecessary lawsuits against doctors, especially under the premise that such suits...
Lessons to remember: How we felt on September 11, 2001
By Dean I Weitzman, Esq. on September 11th, 2009
9/11. Somehow, it's been eight years today since terrorists attacked the United States in New York, Washington and Shanksville, Pa. On that perfectly gorgeous late summer day on Sept. 11, 2001, we watched as the World Trade Center's twin towers were hit and ultimately toppled by hijacked commercial jetliners filled with innocent people. We watched as a third hijacked jetliner was deliberately crashed into the Pentagon. And we learned of a fourth hijacked jet that...