Personal injury lawyer selling Las Vegas 3BD

Ralph A. Schwartz and Michele Schwartz listed for sale a three-bedroom, 2.5-bath at 5665 N. Campbell Road in Unincorporated Las Vegas for $477,000.

The 2,569-square-foot built in 1995 is in Northwest Las Vegas.

The listing agent for the property is Diane Canada of Century 21 MoneyWorld.

Mr. Schwartz is a lawyer with a private firm in Las Vegas. He focuses his practice on personal injury law, wrongful death, products liability, medical malpractice, criminal law and DUI.

He earned his J.D. at Widener University in Chester, Pa. and his B.A. from St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia.

There were 8,761 homes sales in Unincorporated Las Vegas in 2008, with median sales of $170,000.

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Villanova woman, 75, waives hearing in hit-run case

The 75-year-old Villanova woman accused in a hit-and-run accident on the Main Line in July has hired seasoned Philadelphia defense lawyer Frank DeSimone.

Suzanne K. Lammers, of Hepburn Drive, appeared in an Ardmore courtroom yesterday with the dapper DeSimone, 64, by her side. She made no public statement but signed papers waiving her right to a preliminary hearing.

Lammers was driving west on New Gulph Road near Morris Avenue in Bryn Mawr on July 15 when she collided with cyclist Andrew Mallee, 13, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

Lammers is charged with one count each of causing an accident involving personal injury, a felony, and failing to stop afterward to render aid, a summary offense. The felony carries a minimum sentence of 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

In Montgomery County, DeSimone is known for handling the high-profile cases of convicted wife killers Craig Rabinowitz and Rafael Robb. Both men are in prison.

The lawyer was tight-lipped after yesterday's session. "Pending an investigation [by his office] into Mrs. Lammers' case, we have no comment," he said.

Anthony Gil, assistant district attorney, said, "We're just seeking justice for this 13-year-old boy who got run over."

The case now goes to Montgomery County Court in Norristown, where a formal arraignment is scheduled for Nov. 18, said District Justice Kathleen Valentine.

Lammers has told police she thought she hit a deer and was about to return to the accident scene but became flustered by police sirens and went home.

Mallee, of Bryn Mawr, was airlifted to a hospital. Law enforcement sources said he was recovering at home from a broken leg and a head injury that has impaired hearing in one ear.

A tipster directed police to Lammers' car, which was parked in her garage and covered with a blanket, police said. Investigators who ran tests said the damage matched the circumstances of the accident, according to the affidavit.

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Philadelphia Attorney Carol Nelson Shepherd Presents at the 2009 Pennsylvania Association for Justic

Feldman, Shepherd, Wohlgelernter, Tanner, Weinstock & Dodig attorney, Carol Nelson Shepherd presented at this year’s Pennsylvania Association for Justice (PaAJ) “Pennsylvania Master Series, Medical Malpractice: Bring your Files” held at the Omni Bedford Springs Resort. The four day retreat and convention was held between June 25 and 28.

According to Lisa Ginsberg, program attorney at PaAJ, “Carol’s seminar received some of the consistently highest feedback we have seen this semester.”

In 1978, Carol Nelson Shepherd earned her law degree from Syracuse University College. A founding partner of the Philadelphia personal injury law firm Feldman, Shepherd, Wohlgelernter, Tanner, Weinstock & Dodig, she has devoted her practice to catastrophic injury claims arising from medical negligence. Shepherd has represented clients in claims against health care providers arising from obstetric / childbirth injury, delayed diagnosis of cancer, improperly performed surgery, psychiatric malpractice and many other cases involving substandard medical care.

Shepherd has also been named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer every year since its inception in 2004; one of the top 50 Women Pennsylvania Super Lawyers 2005-2009; and one of the top 100 Philadelphia area Super Lawyers 2008-2009.
About Feldman, Shepherd, Wohlgelernter, Tanner, Weinstock & Dodig – Feldman, Shepherd, Wohlgelernter, Tanner, Weinstock & Dodig has handled cases producing some of the largest verdicts and settlements in Pennsylvania. The firm represents plaintiffs in significant personal injury, class action, and other complex civil litigation. Clients include victims of medical malpractice, defective products, unsafe workplaces, motor vehicle accidents, legal malpractice and insurer misconduct.


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Philadelphia Personal Injury Attorney Rhonda Hill Wilson Honored with Two Legal Industry Awards

This summer the American Association for Justice (AAJ) honored Philadelphia trial attorney, Rhonda Hill Wilson, with the AAJ Distinguished Service Award for the second consecutive year at its annual convention in San Francisco. During the five-day event, the AAJ Women’s Caucus also presented Hill Wilson with its Marie Lambert Award.

Hill Wilson was one of four individuals to receive the AAJ Distinguished Service Award from immediate-past AAJ president, Les Weisbrod. Hill Wilson was honored with the award for her exemplary service to the organization during the last year.

This year, Hill Wilson was also the AAJ Women’s Caucus 2009 Marie Lambert Award recipient. Established by the Women Trial Lawyers Caucus in 1997, the Marie Lambert Award recognizes and honors women members of AAJ who demonstrate exemplary leadership to the profession, the community, the AAJ organization and the Women Trial Lawyers Caucus.

“I am grateful to the American Association for Justice for helping to foster my growth as an attorney and to give me the opportunity to share my knowledge, time and experience with others in the legal profession,” said Hill Wilson. “I am personally and professionally humbled by each of these awards.”

Hill Wilson is dedicated to the AAJ and its mission to promote a fair and effective justice system and to support the work of attorneys in their efforts to ensure that any person who is injured by the misconduct or negligence of others can obtain justice in America’s courtrooms. She was recently elected to serve as the organization’s Parliamentarian and appointed to chair the Diversity Taskforce. Hill Wilson is also a member of the organization’s Executive and Membership Oversight Committees and the National Finance, Justice List, Law Schools and Organization Review Committees.

Hill Wilson is an award-winning attorney who has been practicing law for nearly three decades in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. She concentrates her practice in nursing home negligence, while also handling medical malpractice, catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, motor vehicle accident and premises liability matters. She brings a high level of integrity and compassion to her clients. Hill Wilson also serves on The Salvation Army of Greater Philadelphia’s Advisory Board and as Chair for the Philadelphia Area “A Mind Is” Annual Giving Society to support the United Negro College Fund. She resides in Bryn Mawr, Pa.

About the Law Offices of Rhonda Hill Wilson: The Law Offices of Rhonda Hill Wilson, P.C., headquartered in Philadelphia, handles civil litigation of personal injury claims such as nursing-home abuse and negligence, brain injuries, medical malpractice, wrongful death, work injuries and motor-vehicle and pedestrian accidents. One of the firm’s most recent successes includes a multi-million-dollar settlement for a woman who was left in a vegetative state following a Caesarean section. Hill Wilson has been named the Pennsylvania Ambassador for the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) “A Mind Is” Annual Giving Society and has been named one of the Top Black Lawyers in the Tri- State Area by The Network Journal. She has also received the Presidential Award from the National

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Only A Philadelphia Lawyer Could Have Done It: How Philadelphia Lawyers Got Their Name

I am proud to be a “Philadelphia Lawyer.” This term, Philadelphia lawyer, has always been synonymous with a cunning or shrewd lawyer, a super lawyer, who is able to use the technicalities of the law in his or her favor. But the origin of the term, Philadelphia Lawyer, pre-dates the founding of this country. The term was originally applied to Andrew Hamilton who obtained the acquittal of a German printer by the name of John Peter Zenger. Zenger was being tried on the charge of publishing "seditious libels” or treasonable defamation in New York in 1735. No one wanted to take Zenger's case. Zenger could not find one New York lawyer to defend him. But Hamilton did agree to take the case and in New York his argument to the jury on behalf of Zenger was spellbinding. Hamilton conceded that Zenger had printed libels about Royalist governor William Cosby. But in his closing argument, Hamilton argued that the law as it stood was both immoral and wrongly applied and ought to be nullified by the jury. He told the jury that their verdict was more than whether Zenger was guilty, but rather was about freedom of exposing and opposing power and government by speaking and writing the truth. In short, 41 years before the Declaration of Independence and 50 years before the Constitution, Hamilton argued for the First Amendment and freedom on the press. Zenger was acquitted. It was said that when the jury returned its verdict those in the galleries exclaimed: "Only a Philadelphia lawyer could have done it!" As noted by the Philadelphia Bar Association web site, “Ever since then the term "Philadelphia lawyer" has come to characterize a particularly adept lawyer: more clever; craftier; a lawyer who will find a way to prevail for his/her client.


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Philadelphia Accident Lawyer Edith Pearce Wins on Appeal $200,000 Slip and Fall Accident Verdict with Delay Damages

Norristown, Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia Accident Lawyer Edith Pearce filed a slip and fall lawsuit in Norristown, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania on behalf of her client, Mr. Parker, a Frito-Lay delivery truck driver. Edith Pearce, recently named a 2008 Super Lawyer by Philadelphia Magazine is a native of Montgomery County and started her career working for a defense insurance company in Norristown, Pennsylvania. Attorney Pearce was familiar with the location of the accident and filed suit claiming negligence when Mr. Parker slipped, tripped, and fell when exiting his truck.
Mr. Parker suffered an injury to his shoulder as a result of a slip-and-fall accident occurring on his employer’s parking lot. Mr. Parker received Pennsylvania workers’ compensation benefits. However, Edith Pearce, a Philadelphia and Montgomery County Accident Lawyer filed the lawsuit in Norristown, Pennsylvania against the company who was hired to remove snow and ice to prevent a slip and fall accident and apply salt to the parking lot and premises. At trial, Mr. Parkers’ doctor explained his diagnosis that the slip-and-fall accident either caused or aggravated asymptomatic tendonosis of the right shoulder. A jury trial was conducted in the Court of Common Pleas of Montgomery County. The Montgomery County jury returned a verdict in favor of Plaintiff in the amount of $180,000. Defendant appealed the verdict.
Defendant’s main argument on appeal was that the Defendant only had the responsibility for performing snow and ice removal according to the contract for the parking lot to allow trucks to use the parking lot and avoid any truck accidents. Defendant argued on appeal that it did not have any duty to prevent the slip and fall accident to Mr. Parker. However, on appeal, Edith Pearce, who lives in Montgomery County Pennsylvania and was familiar with the area argued that Defendant owed a duty to make the parking lot safe for employees and other people to walk into or from the parking lot to prevent someone from slipping or falling. Attorney Pearce filed for delay damages because of the delay in time caused by the appeal. The Superior Court of Pennsylvania upheld the verdict in the slip and fall accident and ordered that payment be made in excess of $200,000.

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Philadelphia Employment Law Amended to Protect Domestic or Sexual Violence

On November 5, 2008, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter signed into law a new ordinance amending the Philadelphia Code, entitled “Unlawful Employment Practices,” now adding a new chapter titled, “Entitlement to Leave Due To Domestic or Sexual Violence.” As a Philadelphia Employment Lawyer for many years, I often receive questions on when someone may take off of work for a period of time and still have their job protected. Most people are familiar with The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), a federal law that allows employees to take a leave of absence — without losing their job — because of their own or an immediate family member’s medical condition or other family responsibility such as the birth of a baby or an adoption. However, the FMLA does not specifically cover leave due to domestic or sexual violence.
The new Philadelphia law takes effect on January 5, 2009 and requires employers with 50 employees or more to provide up to eight weeks of unpaid leave annually to victims of domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking, or their qualifying family or household members. The law provides up to four weeks of leave if the employer has less than 50 employees. Employees may take this leave for the following reasons: to seek medical attention for physical or psychological injuries; obtain help from an organization that provides services to domestic or sexual violence victims; obtain counseling or therapy; make safety plans, including possibly relocating to increase safety; or to seek legal assistance. The Ordinance protects an employee’s job and benefits during the leave and prohibits retaliation against employees or interference with leave rights. Like the FMLA, an employer can require an employee to provide documentation of the domestic or sexual violence and the reason that why the employee must take the leave. However, all information provided to the employer must be kept confidential.

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Philadelphia Jury Awards $61 million to Philadelphia Injury Victim Paralyzed in Tree Accident

As a Philadelphia accident and injury lawyer, I often receive questions about who may be at fault or sued in certain accidents. In other words, can someone be found negligent once an injury has happened in a car accident, slip and fall, construction, or other accident or injury? In the case Mendez v. City of Philadelphia, a Philadelphia jury awarded $61 million for injuries Natalia Mendez suffered when a tree fell on her car while she was driving down Cheltenham Avenue in Philadelphia. Ms. Mendez was rendered a paraplegic as a result of the severe car accident. The property owner where the tree was located had hired a cement contractor to repair the sidewalk along the property line. Apparently, the cement contractor cut the roots of the tree while performing their work. The tree later fell on Mendez’s car on a rainy and wind day in July 2006.

At first glance, it may appear that no one was at fault by a tree simply falling, even though it caused severe injuries. However, in any case such as this, an experienced Philadelphia attorney should conduct a thorough investigation. In the Mendez case, Mendez sued the property owner, the City of Philadelphia, the Fairmount Park Commission and the cement contractor. Apparently, after an investigation into the accident, it was found that the property owner contended that he had made reports to the City of Philadelphia and the Commission that the tree was problematic. This case is a good example of the need to fully investigate an accident to make sure all potential responsible defendants are sued. The property owner had homeowner’s insurance with Nationwide Insurance, but with a policy limit of $100,000. This accident may have first appeared to be nobody’s fault, or only the fault of the property owner. If only the property owner was sued, Ms. Mendez would have most likely only recovered $100,000. However, an experienced injury lawyer will know that a thorough investigation of the accident or injury may show that multiple people or entities were negligent in knowing of the potential danger. This will allow multiple insurance policies or defendants to be in the case to maximize the recovery for a serious injury.

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Philadelphia Housing Authority Officer Injured on the Job by 18 Year Old

Craig Kelley, a Philadelphia Housing Authority police officer testified in the trial of Zahir Boddy-Johnson on June 5. On February 17, 2008, he was on duty inside a bulletproof-glass enclosed security booth at a Germantown apartment complex when he suffered a workplace injury in PA after Boddy-Johnson shot him with a rifle.
According to this article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the officer was on duty alone when he heard a knock at the door of a security booth at the entrance of the Queen Lane Apartments. When he opened the door he was “staring down the muzzle” of a semiautomatic rifle about six feet away. The gunman struck Kelley in the left side of his abdomen, which spun him around and then knocked him down.
Boddy-Johnson, 18, is charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm on a public street. He could face from 35 to 50 years in prison if convicted of all charges.
Kelley, who has been a PHA officer for 17 years, testified that the bullet remains in his abdomen and that because of his injuries, he has only been able to return to desk work.
Mr Kelley is entitled to Worker’s Compensation in Philadelphia for the injury that he suffered. Any worker who has sustained an injury arising out of and in the course of their employment has a potential workers’ compensation claim. The injury can occur while traveling on business, doing a work-related errand, attending a required business-related social function, or even while on a break or using restroom facilities and you are still legally covered by workers compensation.
Whether your injury was a simple slip and fall, or involves serious injuries and property damage, Cherry, Fieger, & Marciano can help you. Our dedicated and experienced Philadelphia work injury lawyers will do everything possible to get the monetary compensation that is owed to you to help pay for medical bills, physical therapy, loss of work and more.

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Chelation Heart Disease Study Investigated by Government

The government is investigating if heart attack survivors enrolled in a controversial federal study of an alternative treatment were told about possible health risks.
According to this article, the $30 million study with 1,500 participants, is one of the largest alternative medicine experiments. It tests high doses of vitamin and mineral supplements and chelation, a treatment used for lead poisoning. It has not been proven safe or effective for heart disease and has the potential to cause drug injury.
Last August, the federal Office of Human Research Protections began a probe into whether the people in the study were being fully informed of risks and adequately protected. Researchers then suspended enrollment.
Chelation involves intravenous doses of a drug, in this case disodium EDTA. Proponents claim it can flush out calcium that has built up in artery walls.
According to the article, the study’s consent form does not tell participants that others have suffered wrongful death from chelation. More than half of the doctors running the study make money by selling chelation treatments, which is a conflict of interest.

Chelation has been highly controversial, and the American Heart Association and other groups have spoken out against it because it carries a risk of kidney failure, bone marrow problems, shock, low blood pressure, convulsions, heart rhythm problems, allergic reactions and breathing troubles.
The federal FDA, as well as other leading doctor groups, have called chelation experimental and of unknown value or risk for heart disease patients.
If any patient here has died as a result of this study, they have been the victim of medical malpractice. Misdiagnosis, failure to diagnose, surgical errors, prescription drug errors, birth injuries, failure to treat diseases, delay in treatment, and negligence are just a few examples of medical malpractice. If you or a loved one has been the victim of medical malpractice in Pennsylvania, please contact Cherry Fieger and Marciano, LLP today for a free consultation with a skilled Philadelphia medical malpractice attorney.


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William Muhr Named Personal Injury Attorney of the Year

William Muhr is a former military judge with extensive experience in personal injury cases. He attended Westchester University where he obtained his Bachelors degree in 1980 and his Masters degree in 1982. While at Westchester University, he worked as a Graduate Assistant in the University's Department of Institutional Research. In 1985, at age 27, he obtained his Juris Doctor (law degree) from the prestigious Temple University Beasley School of Law in Philadelphia.

After graduating from Temple University Beasley School of Law in Philadelphia, he served as a military lawyer. He graduated from the Judge Advocate General's School at the University of Virginia and also worked at Fort Carson as a Brigade Trial Counsel and Prosecutor, where he managed and handled numerous trials.

In 1988, he left active service as a military lawyer and then opened his full-time private practice handling serious personal injury cases and wrongful death claims.

While at all times maintaining his full-time Personal Injury practice and still serving in the Army National Guard, William Muhr was eventually promoted to Deputy Staff Judge Advocate; Staff Judge Advocate; Military Judge; and then to Senior Staff Judge Advocate. He was proud to train and serve as a Certified Military Judge and be a part of an elite organization comprising some the finest judiciary in our nation.

William Muhr served honorably for 24 years, receiving numerous awards and decorations, including the Overseas Service Ribbon; Army Commendation Medal; Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal, Desert Storm Medal; Armed Forces Award Medal; Army Service Ribbon with Oak Leaf Clusters; Major General TJ Stewart Medal; and the National Defense Service Medal.

William Muhr honorably retired from the Army as a Certified Military Judge in 1999 and then continued to focus on his private Personal Injury law practice at William Muhr, LLP. William Muhr, LLP has talented and experienced partners in 27 cities in 10 states.

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