Category: Vehicle

Car Rental Company’s Inflated Damage Claim May Violate Consumer Protection Law

In a decision handed down last month, Grimes v. Enterprise Leasing Company of Philadelphia, LLC, the Pennsylvania Superior Court addressed the issue of whether a car rental company could be liable to its customer under the Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law (“UTPCPL”) for… Continue reading

Full Tort Auto Injury Coverage Expanded (A Bit)

Consistently through the years we have in this paper urged all who are purchasing automobile liability insurance to opt for full tort coverage under the Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility Law (“MVFRL”) (as opposed to limited tort).  It will cost you a higher premium (approximately 20%… Continue reading

Hold the Lemonade!

In 1958 Pennsylvania adopted the Automobile Lemon Law which requires a manufacturer to “repair or correct” a new car that has any “non-conformity which substantially impairs the use, value, or safety” of a new car within the manufacturer’s warranty or the first 12,000 miles, whichever… Continue reading

PennDOT Attempts to Suspend Mom for Son’s Misdeed

A recent Commonwealth Court decision in Pennsylvania (Franklin v. PennDOT) arose from PennDOT’s suspension of a woman’s driver’s license for her failure to satisfy a judgment originally entered against her son as the result of an automobile accident involving him. If a child under the age… Continue reading

Children At the Wheel

At the end of 2011, some major changes regarding teenage drivers went into effect in the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code.  This is a reflection of the concern over the teenage drivers’ accident rate which is four times the adult drivers’ rate.  The new law provides: Within… Continue reading

Automobile Insurance Laws in Pennsylvania

All licensed motor vehicles in Pennsylvania are required to have insurance coverage.  The Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility Law (“MVFRL”) is designed to protect everyone who could be injured or could suffer a loss in the event of an automobile accident.  Minimum liability coverage is… Continue reading

Choosing the Right Auto Insurance Coverage

Accidents happen, so you need adequate protection.  That is why you must be smart about the type of auto insurance coverage you purchase.  The trend we see in our personal injury practice is that more and more people are either eliminating or drastically lowering key… Continue reading

These Are Not Bonus Points!

Scoring points is the object of the game in basketball and football, but driving is more like golf; the low score wins.  In Pennsylvania, when you accumulate 6 points on your driving record you are required to attend driver improvement school; successful completion results in… Continue reading

A Clear Mandate to DUI Suspects: Cooperate!

A driver who has been detained by the police on the suspicion of operating under the influence (“DUI”) of alcohol or drugs must submit to a chemical test under the Implied Consent provisions of the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code.  Refusal to do so, of itself, will result… Continue reading

Traffic Stops: Keep Your Cool!

We have handled countless traffic cases over the years and often the outcome of a traffic stop can turn upon the interaction with the police officer making the stop.  Suppose you are stopped after going through a traffic signal changing from yellow to red.  Most… Continue reading