Car accident
Car Accident Attorneys in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The firms in this guide
- Berger & Green, P.C. Call Berger & Green, P.C.: (412) 661-1400
- Robert Peirce & Associates, P.C. Call Robert Peirce & Associates, P.C.: (412) 281-7229
- Flaherty Fardo Rogel & Amick, LLC Call Flaherty Fardo Rogel & Amick, LLC: (412) 802-6666
- Romanow Law Group Call Romanow Law Group: (412) 642-9100
- Pittsburgh Injury Lawyers, P.C. Call Pittsburgh Injury Lawyers, P.C.: (412) 301-3497
1. Berger & Green, P.C.
Practice Focus: Personal injury litigation with concentration in car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, drunk driving accidents, slip and fall injuries, workers’ compensation claims, and medical malpractice.
Case Types Handled: Rear-end collisions, head-on collisions, T-bone accidents, multi-vehicle pileups, commercial vehicle accidents, Uber and rideshare accidents, bicycle accidents, pedestrian knockdowns, catastrophic injury cases, spinal cord injuries, and traumatic brain injuries.
Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, litigation in state and federal courts, trial representation, settlement negotiations, medical lien resolution, property damage claims, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, wrongful death claims, and uninsured/underinsured motorist claims.
Background: Berger & Green has served personal injury clients throughout Pennsylvania for more than 40 years. Founding partner Laurence B. Green received his Juris Doctor from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1971. He is licensed to practice in all Pennsylvania state and federal courts and the U.S. Supreme Court. Attorney Green is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, having obtained settlements and verdicts of $1 million or more for clients. He has been selected as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer and recognized among the top 100 trial lawyers in Pennsylvania by The National Trial Lawyers Association. Additional attorneys Mark E. Milsop and C. William Kenny are also members of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. The firm is AV Preeminent rated by Martindale-Hubbell.
Location: 800 Waterfront Dr., Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Contact: (412) 661-1400 | https://www.bergerandgreen.com
Consultation: Free case evaluations offered. Home and hospital visits available. Contingency fee arrangement with no fee unless the firm wins the case.
2. Robert Peirce & Associates, P.C.
Practice Focus: Personal injury law, car accident litigation, truck accident claims, motorcycle accidents, medical malpractice, product liability, workers’ compensation, Social Security Disability, and FELA claims for railroad workers.
Case Types Handled: Automobile collisions, commercial vehicle accidents, motorcycle crashes, pedestrian injuries, premises liability, slip and fall accidents, construction accidents, wrongful death cases, catastrophic injury claims including paralysis, loss of limbs, and brain injuries.
Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, demand letter preparation, discovery and deposition coordination, trial representation, settlement negotiations, medical expense recovery, lost income claims, pain and suffering damages, and punitive damage claims in appropriate cases.
Background: Robert N. Peirce, Jr. (PA Bar #909, admitted October 7, 1963) founded the firm in 1980 after serving as Allegheny County Commissioner and Clerk of Courts. He received his Juris Doctor from Duquesne University School of Law in 1962 and his B.S.B.A. from Geneva College. Attorney Peirce is licensed in Pennsylvania state and federal courts and is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, American Association for Justice, Academy of Rail Labor Attorneys, and Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association. He was selected by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to serve on the Elder Law Task Force Committee. The firm has recovered over $1 billion for clients throughout Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia over 40+ years. Multiple firm attorneys have been recognized by Pennsylvania Super Lawyers.
Location: 437 Grant Street, Frick Building, Suite 1100, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Contact: (412) 281-7229 | https://www.peircelaw.com
Consultation: Free initial case evaluations. Contingency fee basis with no payment until recovery.
3. Flaherty Fardo Rogel & Amick, LLC
Practice Focus: Personal injury litigation, medical malpractice, car accidents, truck accidents, wrongful death, slip and fall accidents, dog bites, and product liability claims throughout Pennsylvania.
Case Types Handled: Car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle crashes, pedestrian accidents, slip and fall injuries, surgical errors, emergency room mistakes, failure to diagnose cases, wrongful death claims, traumatic brain injuries, and catastrophic injury cases.
Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, litigation in all 67 Pennsylvania counties, trial representation in state and federal courts (Western and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania), settlement negotiations, medical expert coordination, pain and suffering claims, lost wage recovery, and punitive damage claims.
Background: Founded in 1997 by Shawn T. Flaherty and Dwayne D. Woodruff (former Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl champion, now Judge in Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas). Attorney Shawn Flaherty graduated from Duquesne School of Law in 1985 and brings 40 years of civil litigation experience. He is a former Pennsylvania State Representative (30th Congressional District). Managing Partner Noah Paul Fardo has over 25 years with the firm focusing on medical malpractice, wrongful death, and serious personal injury claims. The firm has recovered tens of millions of dollars for clients and secured multiple seven-figure settlements and verdicts. Attorneys have been recognized by Pennsylvania Super Lawyers, Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, and Top 100 Trial Lawyers.
Location: 434 Beaver Street, Sewickley, PA 15143 (Also: 812 Ivy St., Pittsburgh, PA 15232)
Contact: (412) 802-6666 | [email protected] | https://www.pghfirm.com
Consultation: Free consultations available. Text consultations at (412) 855-5511. Contingency fee arrangement.
4. Romanow Law Group
Practice Focus: Personal injury law with concentration in car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, slip and fall injuries, wrongful death, and catastrophic injury cases.
Case Types Handled: Car accidents, truck collisions, motorcycle crashes, head-on collisions, rear-end accidents, reckless driving accidents, drunk driving accidents, rideshare accidents, pedestrian knockdowns, premises liability, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and loss of limb cases.
Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, demand letter preparation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, medical expense documentation, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, property damage claims, and wrongful death claims.
Background: Attorney David M. Romanow is admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar (since 2012) and Nevada State Bar (#10431, since 2007). He received his Juris Doctor in 2006 and previously worked as trial counsel for the catastrophic injury practice group at a large multi-city law firm, where he was involved in cases resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars in jury verdicts and settlements. He was recognized as Litigator of the Year (2020) by the American Institute of Trial Lawyers. Attorney Ismail N. Yousef holds a doctorate of pharmacy degree and has been recognized by Super Lawyers Rising Stars (2019-2021). The firm provides free shuttle service for clients to attend appointments.
Location: 4930 McKnight Rd., Pittsburgh, PA 15237 (Also: 525 William Penn Place, 28th Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15219)
Contact: (412) 642-9100 | 1-844-GET-MORE | https://www.romanowlawgroup.com
Consultation: Free consultations available 24/7. Contingency fee basis with no fee unless the firm wins.
5. Pittsburgh Injury Lawyers, P.C.
Practice Focus: Personal injury law focusing on motor vehicle accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle collisions, premises liability, public transit accidents, medical malpractice, dog bites, and birth injuries.
Case Types Handled: Car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle crashes, bus and light rail accidents (PRT claims), slip and fall injuries, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, rideshare accidents, wrongful death cases, and catastrophic injury claims.
Legal Services: Insurance claim negotiation, litigation in Pennsylvania courts, trial representation, settlement negotiations, medical bill documentation, lost wage claims, pain and suffering damages, property damage recovery, and claims against government entities.
Background: The firm focuses on representing injury victims throughout Western Pennsylvania including Allegheny County, Lawrence County, and Washington County. The attorneys understand Pennsylvania’s choice no-fault system and modified comparative negligence rules. The firm handles claims against the Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) for injuries on buses, trolleys, and the T light rail system, navigating the specialized government liability procedures these cases require.
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Contact: (412) 301-3497 | https://www.pittsburgh-injury-lawyers.com
Consultation: Free consultations offered. Contingency fee basis with no fee unless there is a recovery.
Pennsylvania Car Insurance and Fault Rules for Pittsburgh Crashes
After a car crash in Pittsburgh, the tort option on the injured person’s own auto policy decides whether pain and suffering can be claimed at all, so the rules below start there. All of them come from Titles 42 and 75 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes.
Limited Tort and Full Tort
Under 75 Pa.C.S. § 1705, a person bound by the full tort election may seek compensation for both economic and noneconomic loss caused by another driver’s fault. A person bound by the limited tort election may still recover medical and other out-of-pocket expenses, but not noneconomic loss such as pain and suffering unless the injury is a “serious injury.” Section 1702 defines that term as a personal injury resulting in death, serious impairment of body function or permanent serious disfigurement.
When Limited Tort Does Not Limit the Claim
Section 1705(d)(1) lets a limited tort insured recover as if full tort had been chosen when the person at fault was convicted of, or accepted Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition for, driving under the influence in that accident; was operating a vehicle registered in another state; intended to injure someone; or had not maintained the financial responsibility Pennsylvania requires. Full tort rights are also kept for an injury suffered while riding in a vehicle that is not a private passenger motor vehicle, and for claims against a business that designs, manufactures, repairs or services vehicles when a defect it caused or failed to correct is involved.
Coverage a Registered Car Must Carry
Financial responsibility under § 1702 is the ability to pay $15,000 for injury to one person, $30,000 for injury to two or more people and $5,000 for damage to the property of others in one accident. Section 1711 requires liability policies on registered vehicles to include a $5,000 medical benefit; motorcycles and certain other vehicle types are excluded from that requirement.
Two Years to Sue and the Shared Fault Rule
42 Pa.C.S. § 5524(2) requires an action for injury or death caused by another person’s negligence to be commenced within two years. Under § 7102(a), a driver’s own negligence does not bar recovery if it was not greater than the causal negligence of the defendant or defendants against whom recovery is sought, and the award is reduced in proportion to the driver’s share. For example, imagine a Pittsburgh driver with $80,000 in damages who is found 40 percent at fault: the recovery falls to $48,000, while a 55 percent share would bar recovery.
Pittsburgh Car Accident Questions
A City of Pittsburgh vehicle hit my car. Which deadline comes first?
A separate notice deadline comes first. 42 Pa.C.S. § 5522 requires anyone about to sue a government unit for an injury to file a signed written statement in that unit’s office within six months, giving the names and addresses of the claimant and the injured person, the date and hour of the accident, its approximate location and any attending physician. For a government unit other than the Commonwealth, the six months does not count up to 90 days of incapacity caused by the injury, and missing the notice is not a bar if the unit had actual or constructive notice of the incident.
Is there a limit on damages against a local agency?
Yes. 42 Pa.C.S. § 8553 caps damages against a local agency at $500,000 in the aggregate for the same occurrence. Pain and suffering is recoverable only for death, or for permanent loss of a bodily function, permanent disfigurement or permanent dismemberment when medical and dental expenses exceed $1,500, and other non-life insurance benefits are deducted.
What must a driver do after a crash that injures someone?
75 Pa.C.S. § 3742 requires the driver to stop immediately at or as close as possible to the scene and remain there until the duties in § 3744 to give information and render aid are fulfilled. A violation is a misdemeanor of the first degree, and a felony when the victim suffers serious bodily injury or dies.
Who may bring a claim if someone dies in a Pittsburgh crash?
42 Pa.C.S. § 8301 gives the wrongful death action to the spouse, children or parents of the person who died, with damages divided as they would share the estate without a will. Reasonable hospital, nursing, medical and funeral expenses and the costs of administration are recoverable, and if no spouse, child or parent exists, the personal representative may sue for those expenses.