Pennsylvania Bar Association - November 2024 Member Spotlight - Mike Jones of McMillen, Urick, Tocci & Jones (Aliquippa, PA), Partner – 1996 – Present Mike Jones of Beaver County has 30 years of trial experience and has served in multiple leadership roles for the Pennsylvania Bar Association(PBA). A graduate of Temple University Law, Mike got his start in the PBA in 1999 when he was asked to join the House of Delegates and was later mentored “in all things PBA” by the late Charles “Lucky” Bowers when he served as Zone 10 Governor. Some of Mike’s current leadership positions [...]

After your auto accident, you did what you knew you were supposed to do. You contacted the police and talked to the insurance company who offered you a settlement. You may be thinking that hiring an attorney is not necessary and just an added hassle. However, a personal injury lawyer can help you with your claim and support your efforts to get the recovery you need. Here’s how. The offer is usually low The insurance company is in business to make money. They will have difficulty reaching their profit goals if they continuously pay out high settlement amounts to [...]

In a recent decision the Commonwealth Court was faced with deciding whether a workers compensation insurance company was required to partially reimburse an injured worker for the purchase price of a new home. The worker was injured on the job after falling from a roof and becoming a paraplegic. At the time, he lived with his brother in an older home that needed to be renovated to accommodate his disabilities. The worker obtained a quote setting the cost of the renovations of the older home at about $119,000. Instead, he later purchased a newer home for $220,000 which, except [...]

Several months ago, the Commonwealth Appeals Court decided a workers' compensation case which involved an employee who, while walking to a nearby sandwich shop during a break, suffered a fall and required medical care. Due to his injuries, which included head trauma, his doctor deemed it necessary for him to take time off work. However, the workers comp. insurance company refused to pay the employee any benefits. The company argued that the employee’s injury occurred while “attending to personal needs” rather than while furthering the business. Ultimately, the Judge awarded the employee with benefits, and the Commonwealth Court agreed. Per [...]

Losing a loved one due to someone else’s negligence or recklessness is a terrible hardship for any family to endure. While no action can replace a life, a wrongful death claim can provide compensation to eligible family members.Who is eligible for compensation?Pennsylvania law states that spouses, parents and children can recover compensation, or damages, in a wrongful death suit. There is no compensation available to aunts, uncles, siblings, grandparents or other extended family – even if they were dependents of the deceased.Because Pennsylvania’s wrongful death statutes only provide for a legally recognized family member, an unmarried partner of the deceased [...]

Suffering a serious injury after a motor vehicle crash has likely left you with mixed emotions. You are grateful to walk away with your life; grateful for the medical care you received for your injuries. You are stabilized but now but left wondering how you’ll pay for the medical expenses associated with the crash. Fortunately, those in Pennsylvania who have suffered injuries from a negligent driver in Pennsylvania have a right to pursue compensation to pay for expenses related to the accident. They include the following: Property damages Repairing and replacing your vehicle after a crash is likely necessary. Perhaps [...]

It is common knowledge that a victim of a car accident can hold the responsible driver accountable for the cost of the crash. But what does this mean? What types of compensation will the victim be able to get from the driver that caused the crash? The exact answer will depend on the details, but victims generally can expect to recover two different types of compensation: economic and non-economic. Type 1: Economic damages Also referred to as special damages, this category refers to out-of-pocket expenses and is likely the first thing we think of when trying to get the [...]

The Million Dollar Advocates Forum is pleased to announce that Attorney Curt W. McMillen of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania has been certified as a life member of both the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. The Million Dollar Advocates Forum is recognized as one of the most prestigious groups of trial lawyers in the United States. Membership is limited to attorneys who have won million and multi-million dollar verdicts, awards and settlements. The organization was founded in 1993 and there are approximately 7800 members located throughout the country. Fewer than 1% of U.S. lawyers are members. Forum membership [...]

By: Staff Reports | April 21, 2020 | BeaverCountian.com | View full article Editor's Note: BeaverCountian.com has received the following statement from the Beaver County Bar Association, announcing efforts by the organization to help feed local families in need. Following news accounts of long lines to obtain food, dwindling to no food supply and lack of funds at the Beaver County Food Pantry, the Beaver County Bar Association, through its Charitable Giving and Fundraising Committee, is donating Five Thousand Dollars to feed families in Beaver County. Bar Association President Michael Jones announced the donation today saying “It was heartbreaking to [...]

Have you been charged, but not convicted of a crime? If you were charged with a crime to which the charges were dismissed, or alternatively, to which you were found not guilty, you may be entitled to expungement of those charges. In Pennsylvania, a person has the right to have non-conviction data expunged when a Court Order requires it. Alternatively, have you been convicted of a crime? Pennsylvania now provides for the opportunity to have your criminal record expunged or “clean slated” in certain circumstances. Those convicted of summary offenses may petition to expunge his or her record if he [...]

Pennsylvania Department of State Press Release The Department of State requested and received a temporary limited suspension of the Pennsylvania statute which requires physical presence of notaries for all notarial acts relating to a statement or signature on a record. Because of the potentially fatal nature of COVID-19, particularly for older persons, trust and estate attorneys have been inundated by requests to provide clients with legal instruments relating to end-of-life planning. Many people are frightened by the prospect of not being able to rely on others to handle their affairs if they become incapacitated. Yet, it is increasingly difficult for [...]

A writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer, Alfred Lubrano, recently reported that the Trump administration is proposing a new Social Security rule change that could cut off thousands of SSD /SSI recipients. Older people and children will be the ones particularly targeted. The proposed rule changes the methods by which a disability review would be undertaken. Senator Bob Casey (D. Pa) was quoted as saying that the Trump administration’s proposed rule will make it more difficult for disabled people to receive benefits. Individuals already receiving benefits are subject to a review to determine if their conditions still meet the rules for determining [...]

Workers injured on the job and receiving workers compensation benefits are bombarded by TV advertisers encouraging them to settle their cases.  We advise against moving too fast to do so.  Settlement of a claim should take place only after careful thought and consideration and only if the money to be paid is the right amount.  Call us for a free consultation and analysis of your claim.

Legislation was recently introduced in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to increase minimum auto insurance limits required for Pennsylvania registered automobiles, a much needed and long overdue change. Currently, minimum limits in Pennsylvania require $15,000 per person/$30,000 per accident for liability coverage and $5,000 in medical coverage, requirements that were set in the 1970’s. The proposed change would require $30,000 per person/$60,000 per accident for liability coverage, and $15,000 for medical coverage. Increased minimum auto insurance coverage limits will protect drivers and injured victims alike. Minimum amounts currently in place are clearly insufficient to cover most car accident injuries. Often [...]

Oftentimes a work injury is caused by a person who is not a co-employee of the injured worker, or by a company that does not employ the injured worker. For example, a baggage handler for American Airlines who runs onto the tarmac to add a bag to the plane is hit by a truck operated by a United Airlines employee. In that situation the injured worker receives worker compensation benefits but also has the right to sue United Airlines and its employee in the county court system seeking more in the way of money damages that what workers compensation pays. [...]

Dogs are often described as man’s best friend, and with good reason. They can be great companions and are often thought of as members of the family. In Pennsylvania all dogs, even the family pet, are required by law to be properly controlled. Unfortunately if a dog is not properly controlled a dog attack or dog bite can occur and may result in tragic consequences. If you are a dog owner or if you or a loved one suffers an injury due to a dog attack, know your legal rights and responsibilities. A claim against a dog’s owner is permitted [...]

Last year, Pennsylvania law enforcement officers issued a record number of citations for distracted driving. More than 5,000 motorists across the state were ticketed for texting while driving, wearing headphones while driving, or using a hand-held cell phone while driving a commercial vehicle. Distracted driving is an incredibly dangerous problem that has gotten worse as cell phones have become more omnipresent in our lives. More than 400,000 people each year are hurt in motor vehicle accidents linked to inattentive drivers, and our law firm has secured financial settlements for hundreds of people who have suffered serious injuries in such cases. [...]