Philadelphia

PERSONAL INJURY

Attorneys

Personal Injury Areas of Practice

We represent people who have been injured due to the neglect or recklessness of another person or business.  Our attorneys also handle cases involving fatal accidents, a type of case known as “wrongful death.”  Negligent actions that cause injuries – for example, a driver’s careless choice to use a cell phone while driving, or a doctor’s delayed cancer diagnosis – are referred to as “torts.”

The Wieand Law Firm was founded by Philadelphia attorney Brent Wieand, whose experience and dedication to clients.  The Wieand Law Firm represents men, women, children, teenagers, and seniors who were injured or killed in accidents in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.  We are a powerful advocate for the seriously injured and their families.  A primary reason for our success is the personal commitment we make to each and every client.

When you are represented by the Wieand Law Firm you can expect to be treated with compassion and professionalism while we work diligently to keep you informed, investigate the evidence, protect your rights, and fight for the maximum compensation.  We will work tirelessly to help you recover the full amount of compensation you deserve for your injuries and other losses.  For a free and confidential consultation, call our law offices at (215) 666-7777 today.

Law Firm Representing Clients throughout PA and NJ

The Wieand Law Firm, LLC represents clients who suffered debilitating injuries or wrongful death as a result of a person or company’s negligence or carelessness.  We are proud to represent plaintiffs in a wide variety of cases throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania, including but not limited to the following:

Auto Accidents

Given the number of vehicles on the road, auto accidents are among the most frequent type of injury claims.  Our experienced car accident lawyers in Philadelphia have handled numerous injury claims involving:

Construction Accidents

Personal Injury Areas of Practice
Construction is repeatedly ranked as one of the most dangerous industries to work in, and with good reason: accidents on construction sites are extremely common.  To quote the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), “Out of 4,379 worker fatalities in private industry in the calendar year 2015, 937 or 21.4% were in construction — that is, one in five worker deaths last year were in construction.”  The Wieand Law Firm represents injured construction workers in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Dog Bite Injuries

Even toy dogs can pack a powerful bite, especially if the victim is an elderly person or defenseless child.  While breeds such as Pit Bulls, German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Doberman Pinschers, Alaskan Malamutes, Chow Chows, and Siberian Huskies receive most of the news coverage, all types of dogs are capable of inflicting serious scratches or bite wounds when poorly handled, improperly leashed, or trained to be vicious.  Dogs can also cause injuries by knocking people over.

Medical Malpractice

Medical malpractice occurs when a preventable, careless error (known as a breach of the standard of care) results in harm to the patient or leads to the patient’s death.  Failure to diagnose cancer, operating on the wrong body part, or giving a patient the wrong medication are all potential examples of malpractice.

Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

Despite nursing homes’ claims to provide excellent care, the reality is often very different.  Nursing home neglect and abuse are widespread in long-term care facilities throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey.  Philadelphia nursing home injury lawyers represent seniors and their family members against negligent nursing homes and nursing home staff members.  It is common for nursing home injury claims to involve issues such as:

Police Brutality

Most police officers act within the bounds of the law.  Unfortunately, some law enforcement officers abuse their power to physically assault and/or sexually violate helpless victims.   If you were a victim of police brutality or excessive force at the hands of an officer from the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) or other departments in Pennsylvania or New Jersey, the Wieand Law Firm can fight to uphold your rights and pursue justice in a court of law.

Pool and Drowning Accidents

Beaches, water parks, private pools, and public pools fill with overheated swimmers during the sticky summer months.  But if a lifeguard is inexperienced, improperly trained, or distracted while on-duty, a fatal drowning accident can occur within minutes.

Premises Liability

A “premises” is simply a piece of property.  “Liability” means legal responsibility for an accident. Therefore, premises liability is the area of law that deals with injuries occurring on dangerous properties – often because negligent, inadequate maintenance allows serious property hazards to develop.  The most common type of premises liability claims is for slip and fall injuries, which can arise after a person accidentally trips or slips on another person’s property. However, the field premises liability also includes other disasters like negligent supervision or security, building collapse, balcony collapse and dangerous or defective rides at amusement parks.

Product Liability

Product liability results when a defective product causes harm to an individual. The defect may occur in the design, manufacturing or sales process.  Types of product liability claims the Wieand Law Firm handles include:

  • Automotive Defects
  • Dangerous Drugs and Prescription Medications
  • Defective Appliances
  • Defective Batteries
  • Defective Car Parts
  • Defective Electronics and Smartphones
  • Defective Medical Devices and Implants
  • Defective Toys

Slip and Fall Accidents

Slip and fall accidents (also called slip, trip and fall accidents) account for a large number of premises liability claims.  Our Philadelphia slip and fall accident lawyers represent clients who were injured on the defective property, including:

  • Apartment Buildings
  • Bars
  • Fast Food Franchises
  • Grocery Stores
  • Hotels and Motels
  • Icy Sidewalks and Parking Lots
  • Parking Garages
  • Restaurants
  • Stairwells

Work Injury

Traumatic injuries can occur in any type of work environment.  Even a quiet office building can be the scene of a devastating slip and fall accident due to hazards such as loose computer cables on the floor, carpeting that hasn’t been securely fixed to the floor, or leaks in the break room or bathrooms.  In addition to receiving workers’ compensation benefits, injured employees may be able to sue third parties (non-employers), such as the manufacturers of defective products, depending on why their injuries occurred.

Wrongful Death

When a person dies in an accident that should have been foreseen and prevented by the person at fault, it is known as a wrongful death.  Auto accidents, workplace accidents, animal attacks, slip and fall injuries, dangerous products, swimming pool accidents, construction site injuries, and medical malpractice are examples of causes of wrongful death that our law firm can investigate and litigate on your deceased loved one’s behalf.

 

 

Compensation for Injury Claims and Wrongful Death

If you suffered an injury in Pennsylvania or New Jersey because of another person’s reckless or careless actions, you may be entitled to compensation for an array of harms, losses, and hardships arising from your accident, as well damages reasonably expected in the future.  Types of compensation that may be available for your injury, or the loss of your loved one, include:

  • Emotional Distress
  • Funeral and Burial Expenses
  • Loss of Consortium (Marital Relationship)
  • Loss of Enjoyment of Life
  • Loss of Income
  • Loss of Services
  • Medical Bills
  • Pain and Suffering
  • Reductions to Earning Capacity
  • Scarring and Disfigurement

In some cases, it is also possible to recover “punitive” damages.  Unlike the damages listed above, which are meant only to compensate the victim, punitive damages go a step further because they are intended to punish the defendant.  Punitive damages are only available in cases where the defendant’s misconduct was exceptionally extreme and egregious.
If you sustained a serious injury in a car crash, trip and fall accident, work-related injury, or for other reasons, you are urged to contact the Wieand Law Firm to speak confidentially with an experienced trial attorney.  We handle claims a broad range of serious injuries, such as:

Back Injuries

  • Spinal Cord Fracture or Vertebrae Fracture
  • Bulging Discs
  • Herniated Discs
  • Radiculopathy (nerve damage)
  • Sprain and Strain Injuries

Birth Injuries

  • Brachial Plexus Injuries (BPI)
  • Caput Succedaneum
  • Cephalohematoma
  • Erb’s Palsy
  • Perinatal Asphyxia
  • Shoulder Dystocia

Broken Bones (Fractures)

  • Broken Arm
  • Broken Collarbone
  • Broken Hip
  • Broken Leg
  • Broken Rib

Facial Injuries

  • Broken Jaw
  • Broken Nose
  • Broken Teeth
  • Disfigurement
  • Fractured Eye Socket

Head Injuries

  • Brain Bleeding (Cerebral Hemorrhage)
  • Concussions (Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, MTBI)
  • Open Head Wounds
  • Skull Fractures
  • Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Medical Malpractice Injuries

  • Birth Injuries
  • Bleeding
  • Cancer Misdiagnosis
  • Dangerous Drug Interactions
  • Delayed Cancer Diagnosis
  • Failure to Diagnose Cancer
  • Fatal Overdose
  • Organ Failure
  • Wrong Site Surgery

Neck Injuries

  • Broken Neck (Cervical Fracture)
  • Whiplash (Cervical Sprain/Strain)

Soft Tissue Injuries

  • Rotator Cuff Tears
  • Sprain Injuries (Torn Ligaments)
  • Strain Injuries (Torn Muscles)

Other Injuries

  • Amputation Injuries (Fingers, Thumbs, Toes, Limbs)
  • Bruises and Contusions
  • Burn Injuries (Fire, Chemical, Electrical, Radiation, Friction)
  • Cuts and Lacerations
  • Hearing Loss
  • Joint Injuries (Ankles, Knees, Hips, Elbows, Shoulders)
  • Nerve Damage
  • Paralysis
  • Permanent Scarring
  • Puncture Wounds
  • Vision Loss
  • Wrongful Death

The severity of your injuries will usually be a major factor in determining the value of your claim.  A jury will also look at the length of treatment, and how the injuries affect your daily life activities.  We will investigate the circumstances surrounding your accident in comprehensive detail, a process which may involve consulting with experts such as doctors or engineers, and aggressively argue for the maximum compensation.

Can You Get Compensated if You Were Partially at Fault?

If the actions of the injured person contributed to his or her own harm, the victim may be “comparatively negligent.”  If a plaintiff is comparatively negligent, the amount of an award will be reduced by the portion of negligence attributed to him or her.  In Pennsylvania, if a plaintiff is found to hold more than 50% of the blame for an accident, he or she is prohibited from recovering damages (compensation) from other parties which were also at fault.
However, even if you think that you may have been partly at fault for your injury, you should still speak with an attorney about your legal options.  Never assume that you don’t have a claim until you consult with an experienced lawyer.

What Needs to Be Shown to Prove Negligence as a Plaintiff?

The primary focus of tort law is negligent conduct that causes harm to another person.  The general negligence legal definition is the failure to use reasonable or ordinary care. This applies to cases in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
In order to prevail in a claim involving negligence, a plaintiff will need to prove four distinct elements by showing as much evidence as possible.  These four elements, sometimes called the “elements of negligence,” are as follows:

  1. Duty of Care – Did the defendant owe the plaintiff a duty of care?  In other words, did the defendant have a responsibility to the plaintiff?
  2. Breach of Duty – In addition to having a duty of care, did the defendant also breach the duty of care by acting unreasonably?
  3. Causation – In addition to having and breaching a duty of care, did the defendant’s actions (or, in some cases, lack thereof) actually cause the plaintiff’s injury?
  4. Damages – In addition to the elements described above, did the plaintiff suffer actual damages, such as pain and suffering, as a result of the accident?  In short, was the accident somehow harmful?

If the answer to all of these questions is “yes,” the plaintiff may have a negligence lawsuit.  Of course, you are not expected to know right now whether the elements of negligence exist in your case: it is your attorney’s job to assess and prove each element by use of medical records, expert testimony, evidence of physical wreckage or surveillance footage, and other information.  If you think you could have a case, you are urged to contact our law offices.
Speaking generally, an individual or business may be held liable for negligent conduct if their actions (or lack thereof) cause a foreseeable injury.  This is true even if the damages caused by a person’s actions (or inaction) were not intended to cause harm to someone else.  Fortunately, in many cases, people carry liability insurance, such as auto insurance, homeowner’s insurance, or another general liability insurance policy, which will cover losses sustained in a claim.

7 Questions to Ask When Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney

Injury victims seeking representation from a personal injury attorney often don’t know how to select the right attorney for their case. We recommend that you take a proactive approach by asking your attorney questions to determine if they are a good fit for your claim. Not all law firms are alike. Here are some top questions to ask when you are hiring a personal injury attorney.

  1. What is your contingency fee?
  2. Have you litigated these types of personal injury cases before?
  3. When will my lawsuit be filed?
  4. What is my case worth?
  5. Will you be the actual attorney handling my case?
  6. Do you have the time necessary to devote to my case?
  7. Will my case go to trial?

Attorneys Representing Accident Victims in PA and NJ

The Wieand Law Firm is proud to give injury victims in Pennsylvania and New Jersey a voice.  Whether you need a car accident attorney, slip and fall accident attorney, product liability lawyer, medical malpractice attorney, or handling any other type of personal injury case, our firm is a compassionate yet fierce legal advocate for accident survivors and the surviving loved ones of wrongful death victims.
Our law firm takes cases throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey, including but not limited to Atlantic County, Berks County, Bucks County, Camden County, Cape May County, Chester County, Cumberland County, Delaware County, Gloucester County, Lancaster County, Lehigh County, Montgomery County, Northampton County, Philadelphia County, Salem County, and beyond.  If you were injured in New Jersey or Pennsylvania due to another person’s actions, or due to the harmful practices of a business or property owner, call the Wieand Law Firm right away to learn more about how we may be able to help.
If you have questions about your claim and would like a free legal consultation, call the Wieand Law Firm, LLC at (215) 666-7777.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes.  It is not legal advice and should not be used as legal advice.  The Wieand Law Firm, LLC is based in Philadelphia, PA, and proud to serve clients throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

 

 

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