Our Cases A Variety of Civil Trial Experiences Silberblatt Mermelstein provides legal services to individuals, professionals, businesses and corporations throughout Western Pennsylvania. With more than 45 years of combined civil trial experience, we handle a wide variety of cases. Individuals and families frequently consult us regarding all types of injuries and insurance claims, including automobile accidents, medical malpractice, work injuries, death claims, and fire and property losses. And, of course, we also write wills, administer estates, and deal with property matters. Our business clients call upon us for help in setting up their businesses and for ongoing legal advice. In addition, we regularly handle contract, property and insurance disputes, as well as a wide variety of business litigation and arbitrations. Our knowledge of the law, our case preparation techniques, and our reputation enable us to promptly solve business problems, often without initiaing court proceedings. These are an example of the types of cases we routinely handle: AUTO ACCIDENTS Accidents happen and when they do, be prepared. Dealing with all of the emotional upset that naturally follows such an event, and also worrying about your injuries and damages to your car and the insurance issues and the police is a lot to keep track of. That’s why professional help can be so important. At Silberblatt Mermelstein, we have dealt with all of these issues before. We know the answers to all of your questions and we will work hard to assure you a satisfying solution. DEFECTIVE PRODUCTS The list of dangerous and defective products that can cause injuries is a long one. If you have been injured by a dangerous or defective product, you may have the right to bring a products liability action against the manufacturer or seller of the product. You may even have a claim if you were hurt while using a defective product that you didn’t even purchase. MEDICAL ERRORS Medical errors – sometimes referred to as medical malpractice – happen when a health care professional or hospital fails to provide proper medical treatment to their patients. Medical errors occur far more frequently than any of us realize and can occur in cases of a failure to diagnose a medical condition, a failure to treat a medical condition, a failure to provide proper and timely medical treatment, a failure to administer medications, the administration of an improper dosage of medication, and many other possible failures. At Silberblatt Mermelstein, we have handled a wide variety of medical negligence cases and we would be pleased to discuss any questions you might have about this area of the law. NURSING HOME INJURIES More and more of our family members are being cared for in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Unfortunately, many of these facilities are poorly staffed or under-staffed. This may lead to injuries being suffered by the residents of these facilities. When a nursing home or an assisted living facility fails to provide adequate care and treatment to its residents, the facility may be negligent and may be liable to pay money damages to the injured resident. WRONGFUL DEATH Sometimes, the negligence of someone else causes the unthinkable to occur – death. In these situations, Pennsylvania has developed laws to provide for the recovery of monetary damages. A wrongful death action allows the decedent’s family to recover for money lost because of the death. The family can recover the earnings that the decedent would have received had the death not occurred as well as damages for medical expenses and funeral expenses. Pennsylvania also allows the decedent’s personal representative to commence a survival action to recover for the injuries and damages suffered by the decedent from the time of the negligence to the time of death. Silberblatt Mermelstein handles wrongful death and survival claims. If you believe that your loved one was killed because of someone else’s negligence, call us to discuss you case. PROFESSIONAL NEGLIGENCE When you use the services of a professional -- a doctor, a lawyer, an accountant, an architect -- you assume that the services you receive will be provided in accordance with professional standards. From time to time, however, mistakes happen. Even the finest and most careful professional will sometimes fall short of the standards of his or her profession. When a breach of professional standards occurs, sometimes recourse to the legal system is the only alternative.  We have substantial experience litigating claims against doctors, lawyers, accountants, dentists, and other types of professionals.  These cases are complicated, time consuming, and require a measure of dedication and experience that we routinely employ. FIRE LOSSES When a fire damages or destroys your home or business, you may find that your insurance company is not really on your side. In order to receive the insurance benefits to which you are entitled, you may need to retain someone who understands insurance policies and the way in which insurance companies deal with their insureds. Our involvement in fire loss cases can be most advantageous when we are retained early in the process, before the evidence is lost or altered. We perform a thorough investigation of the fire and will work with you to insure that you receive the full measure of insurance benefits to which you are entitled. SLIPS AND FALLS Property owners have an obligation to maintain their property in such a way so as to avoid injuries to others. Slips and falls are often the cause of very serious injuries. Often, slips and falls occur in parking lots and sidewalks and are caused by potholes, uneven surfaces, snow and ice, inadequate lighting, slippery conditions, torn carpeting and obstructions. A property owner who was aware of such hazardous conditions but took no steps to correct the problem may be liable for the injuries caused by their carelessness. BOATING ACCIDENTS Western Pennsylvania is filled with rivers and lakes. It is a natural area for the use of recreational boating vehicles. Our waterways are filled with pleasure boats of all kinds, from pontoon boats, to sail boats, to cabin cruisers, to jet skis. Just as there are “rules of the road” for our highways, there are similar rules that govern the safe operation of watercraft. When those rules of safe boating are violated and an accident occurs, legal action may be necessary to recover for any resulting personal injuries or property damage. SWIMMING POOL INJURIES Each year, many people are injured or killed in swimming related accidents. From drownings to diving injuries, we have handled a variety of such cases. These situations arise not only in residential pools, but also in community pools, private clubs, and hotel pools. Often such facilities are poorly maintained, poorly staffed, or poorly marked with precautionary warnings. When people are hurt in a pool accident, the pool owner may have some liability if he was careless or negligent. We are always available to review such cases to determine if a claim can be appropriately made. DOG BITES Pet owners are responsible for preventing their dogs from causing injuries to people. If a dog has caused you to suffer injuries, its owner may be liable for your medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, emotional upset, and property damage. Dogs can cause serious and permanent scarring. If you have suffered injuries as a result of a dog bite or attack, let us help you. BUSINESS BREAK-UPS When business associates no longer see eye-to-eye, it could spell the end of the business relationship. Bringing a business venture to an end is a painful and arduous process that can be full of conflict and confrontation. We have a wide variety of experience in extricating business people from law firms, accounting firms, and medical practices. We understand the unique issues that are presented by these "commercial divorces," from the enforcement of restrictive covenants to commercial disparagement. ORPHANS COURT LITIGATION The death of a family member often creates uncomfortable issues between family members that we are hesitant to even think about.  Yet these issues can lead to unpleasant confrontation and conflict.  Was there a will?  Was the will properly executed?  Was the will the result of undue influence?  Was the loved one fully competent when the will was signed?  Does the will truly reflect the intentions of the loved one?  When questions like these are on your mind, it may be that the answers will only be found by pursuing litigation in the Orphans Court - the division of our courts that deals with wills, trusts, and estates.  We have a wealth of experience in dealing with issues such as these. PROPERTY DISPUTES Owning real estate sometimes results in conflict.  Sometimes, just buying a house or a piece of property can be an ordeal.  Sellers can misrepresent the condition of the house,  the quality of the title, or the extent of their ownership.  Boundary lines are often the subject of disputes.  The existence and the use of easements and rights of way can be contentious.  Often, these conflicts can only be resolved in court.  When court intervention is necessary, we are ready and able to help sort out the problems and strive to reach a suitable solution.