You probably won’t believe it, but Pennsylvania Personal Injury Lawyers cannot argue Money Damages in a Jury Trial.

It sounds strange, but it’s true.

For Economic Damages, like Medical Bills, Lost Income and Out-of-Pocket Costs a Personal Injury Lawyer is permitted to present specific calculations and argue that the Jury should award them.

However, for Non-Economic Damages, like compensation for Pain and Suffering, Disability or Scarring and Disfigurement, a Lawyer is NOT permitted to make an argument asking for a specific monetary total or a per day, week, or year calculation. Making such an argument is likely to result in an immediate Mistrial.

The rationale behind the rule is that it is the job of the Jury, not the Lawyers, to decide full and fair compensation for Non-Economic Damages.

The Lawyers are permitted to explain to the Jury the injuries, medical treatment, symptoms and suffering a Plaintiff has experienced, but cannot cross the line to ask for a specific sum of money.

In my experience, this rule frustrates Jurors because they expect guidance from the Lawyers on this issue, but the law will not allow it.

Tim Rayne is a Pennsylvania Personal Injury Lawyer with the Chester County law firm MacElree Harvey. For over 25 years, Tim Rayne has been helping injured accident victims win fair compensation from insurance companies. Tim has law offices in Kennett Square and West Chester, Pennsylvania but also meets with clients at their homes or virtually via FaceTime or Zoom. Contact Tim for a Free Consultation at 610-840-0124 or trayne@macelree.com or check out his website at www.TimRayneLaw.com.

No, not all Personal Injury Cases have to go to Trial in Court. In fact, although lawyers should prepare each case as if it will be tried to a Jury Verdict, the vast majority of Pennsylvania Personal Injury Cases settle before Trial.

At some point, sometimes before a Lawsuit is filed and sometimes after, the insurance company decides to realistically value the case and then it can be resolved without the stress, expense and risk of a Trial.

The benefit of a settlement is certainty and closure for both the injured person and the insurance company. Each side knows that the case will be over for an agreed upon compensation number.

Nevertheless, a small percentage of cases cannot be settled and must be tried. Consequently, it’s crucial to choose a Personal Injury Lawyer with trial experience who will properly prepare your case and be ready, willing and able to try it in Court!

Tim Rayne is a Pennsylvania Personal Injury lawyer who is a Partner in the Chester County based Law Firm MacElree Harvey. For over 25 years, Tim has been helping clients negotiate settlements and trying Personal Injury Cases. Contact Tim for a Free Consultation concerning your Car Accident, Slip and Fall, Medical Malpractice or other Personal Injury Case at 610-840-0124 or trayne@macelree.com or check out his website at www.TimRayneLaw.com.

Winter has come early this year. Unlike other Winters when the frigid weather didn’t come until January, brutally cold temperatures have arrived before the Holidays.

Freezing rains, sleet and snow come along with the low temperatures making roads, driveways and sidewalks treacherous. Slip and Falls cause injuries, both minor and serious, which can lead to expensive Personal Injury Claims.

How can you, as a Property or Business Owner, avoid being sued by me or another Personal Injury Lawyer?

It’s relatively simple. Do the right thing. Use reasonable care to keep your property safe. Pre-treat, shovel and treat and treat melt and refreeze areas.

What are the Winter Safety Obligations of a Property or Business Owner?

If you own a property or operate a business and can expect to have people driving or walking on it during the Winter, then you have an obligation to use reasonable care to keep your visitors safe.

What is Reasonable Care When it Comes to Preventing Slip and Fall Accidents on Snow and Ice?

In order to do your best to keep your property safe during inclement Winter weather, your maintenance program should include three things.

First you should consider Pre-Treating driveways, parking lots and sidewalks. When freezing rain, sleet or snow is predicted, you can keep surfaces safe for walking if you pre-treat them with ice melting liquids or pellets. If relevant to your property, please use Pet Safe Products.

Second, after a Winter Storm, you should promptly plow, shovel and treat your property to make it passable and safe for drivers and pedestrian visitors.

Third, is dealing with the often overlooked phenomenon of “melt and refreeze.” You should make it an important part of your maintenance program to inspect your property for patches that have melted and refrozen and treat them to continue to make the property safe for pedestrians.

You should also keep detailed records of all of your maintenance activities in case you are sued.

What Happens if you Ignore Snow and Ice Maintenance?

The alternative to a robust Winter Safety Maintenance Program is Injuries to your visitors and Lawsuits from Personal Injury Lawyers like me.

Slip and Fall on Snow and Ice accidents often cause Serious Injuries: Traumatic Brain Injuries, Concussions, Wrist or Elbow Fractures, Shoulder Injuries, Hip Fractures and other Serious Injuries. This creates bad feelings about your property or business for the injured person as well as his or her family. Serious Injuries can also lead to costly Lawsuits for Medical Bills, Lost Income and other Damages. Lawsuits result in legal costs, increased insurance premiums and bad publicity.

The Solution – Do the Right Thing

Do the right thing. Take care of your Property. Do your best to keep your Property safe in the Winter for the benefit of your visitors and customers and to avoid Personal Injury Lawyers, like me!

Tim Rayne is a Pennsylvania Personal Injury Lawyer who helps people who have been injured in accidents receive fair compensation from Insurance Companies. Tim can be reached at 610-840-0124 or trayne@macelree.com or you can check out his website at www.TimRayneLaw.com.

The United States government has opened a limited time window for victims of Camp Lejeune Water Contamination to seek compensation for injuries and deaths that occurred due to toxic chemicals in the drinking water at the military base in North Carolina.

The TV is flooded with commercials about the legal rights of Camp Lejeune victims.

If you now live in Pennsylvania do you have a right to present a claim on your own behalf or for a relative who has died as a result of the Camp Lejeune Water Contamination? The answer: Yes, if you meet the lawsuit criteria.

Our Pennsylvania Law Firm is helping Camp Lejeune victims and their families who live in Pennsylvania but want to know about their Camp Lejeune Water Contamination rights and want a talented and experienced North Carolina Trial Lawyer to represent them. We are working jointly with North Carolina counsel to ensure that our Camp Lejeune clients have both a local lawyer to hold their hand and walk them through the process and North Carolina Trial Lawyers to litigate the claims in the North Carolina Courts.

If you or a loved one lived on the Camp Lejeune Base in North Carolina for at least 30 days between 1953 and 1987 and subsequently suffered from a serious medical condition including Cancer, Fetal Death/Miscarriage, Birth Defects, Parkinson’s or other serious illness, then you should consider investigating your legal rights to compensation.

Contact Pennsylvania Lawyer Tim Rayne for an evaluation of your Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Case and a referral to competent North Carolina Trial Lawyers 610-840-0124 or trayne@macelree.com.

In addition to representing hundreds of Pennsylvania Car Accident victims over more than 25 years, I know from personal experience what it feels like to be a Car Accident Injury Victim. That experience gives me a unique appreciation for my clients’ struggles.

My 1991 Car Accident

Back in 1991 I was a law student and while driving to school on Route 202, a car failed to yield me the right-of-way and turned left directly in front of me. I was going about 40 mph and hit the turning car broadside. My car had heavy front end damage and I suffered neck and back injuries from the whiplash caused by the violent impact.

My Questions

In addition to my car being totaled, I was injured and had all of the questions that any Car Accident Victim would have like:

• Should I call the Police?
• Who else do I need to call?
• Should I go to the Hospital?
• Who should and shouldn’t I talk to and what should and shouldn’t I sign?
• Who will pay to fix or replace my car? How much is fair compensation for the value of my car?
• How do I get a rental car?
• What injuries do I have?
• Who will pay for my Medical Bills and Lost Income?
• Am I legally entitled to other Compensation? If so, for what and how much?
• Should I call a Car Accident Lawyer and how would that relationship work?

My Mistakes

I made a lot of mistakes after my Car Accident. I was hurting at the scene but didn’t go to the Hospital to check for serious injuries (luckily I did not have a very serious injury). I also mistakenly thought that since I was a law student, I didn’t need a lawyer and could represent myself. I settled my case directly with the insurance company too soon (before I recovered) and for an amount that I know now was not fair compensation.

In hindsight, I should have sought counsel from a Car Accident Lawyer because consultations are Free and lawyers work on a Contingent Fee Basis in which they are only paid from a successful result., either a Settlement or Jury Verdict. If I had consulted with a lawyer I would have done a lot of things differently that I think would have benefited both my physical recovery and the outcome of my legal case.

The Lesson

The lesson to learn from my experience is that Car Accidents that cause injuries are traumatic events, both physically and emotionally.

At the same time, each State has different rules on how the process is handled and what compensation you may be entitled to.

n addition, you need to know that the Insurance Companies do not necessarily have your best interests in mind. Insurance Companies make money by charging premiums and lose money by paying claims. Insurance adjusters are evaluated on their ability to settle claims quickly and on terms favorable to the Insurance Company, not the Car Accident Victim.

So, if you find yourself or a family member in the unfortunate position of being a Car Accident Victim and having questions, please consider talking to an Experienced Car Accident Lawyer in your State.

Tim Rayne is a Pennsylvania Car Accident Lawyer with the Chester County Law Firm MacElree Harvey. For over 25 years, Tim has been helping Pennsylvania Car Accident Victims understand their legal rights and receive fair compensation from insurance companies. Tim has law offices in Kennett Square and West Chester Pennsylvania. You can Contact Tim Rayne at 610-840-0124 or trayne@macelree.com or check out his website at www.TimRayneLaw.com.

Personal Injury Lawyers and Lawsuits get a bad rap. Nevertheless, there are two positive things that come from pursuing a legitimate Injury Claim: Compensation and Accountability.

The main purpose of a Personal Injury Claim is to provide fair compensation to the injured person to make up the the injuries and losses the person suffered due to someone else’s careless and dangerous conduct. Having the responsible party pay (almost always from insurance coverage) is positive because the injured victim or the government is not forced to foot the bill

A secondary benefit of a Personal Injury claim is Accountability and Deterrence. Having a claim pursued against the Defendant holds the careless person or entity responsible for the wrongful conduct and can act as a deterrent so someone else doesn’t get hurt. This is a side benefit of a Personal Injury Claim.

Tim Rayne is a Personal Injury Lawyer with the Chester County Pennsylvania based law firm MacElree Harvey and can be reached at 610-840-0124 or trayne@macelree.com or you can visit his website at www.TimRayneLaw.com.