FAQ
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Real Estate Assessments
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What does it cost to hire Robert Peirce & Associates to handle an assessment appeal?Our Pittsburgh real estate attorneys handle all real estate assessment appeals on a contingent fee basis. if an appraisal is necessary, the firm hires the appraiser at the firm's expense. All cases are handled on a contingent fee basis of one-third of the property savings over two years if the assessment is reduced. In the unlikely event the assessment is not reduced, then no fee is charged. The only cost to the taxpayer is the filing fee to the Court of Common Pleas.
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Do I have to have a lawyer to appeal my real estate assessment?No. You are allowed to file your own appeal and as the property owner, you are allowed to give an opinion of market value. Most people familiar with the assessment process have long recognized that the best results are obtained by people who retain attorneys with experience and familiarity with the Allegheny County assessment process.
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If I appeal my assessment, is there a chance that my assessment might actually be INCREASED instead of lowered?That is possible, but in the cases our firm has handled, it is highly unlikely. We work to minimize any increase in those circumstances.
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Can you guarantee that my assessment will be reduced?No. We will, however, thoroughly examine your property and the surrounding properties and give you our educated, experienced opinion as to whether or not we believe we can lower your assessment. Since we are handling these cases on a contingent fee, you are assured that if we agree to accept your assessment appeal, we genuinely believe we can lower the assessment.
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Nursing Home Abuse
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How Common is Nursing Home Abuse?In Weill Cornell Medicine’s study, researchers investigated the frequency of “mistreatment” in nursing homes, which encompassed everything from physical abuse to sexual assault. It included any unwelcome behavior that had the potential to cause physical or psychological distress in a resident. Researchers found that of the 2,011 residents studied, 407 experienced at least one instance of mistreatment during the one month the study was conducted. This constitutes an abuse rate of 20%. This issue is not isolated to the state of New York. Nursing home abuse and neglect are widespread problems across the United States. It’s estimated that 5 million older Americans experience elder abuse, neglect, or exploitation every year. Additionally, it’s believed that many more cases go unreported, often due to elders’ inability to communicate the abuse or due to threats and intimidation from the caretaker.
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What Is the Statute of Limitations for Nursing Home Abuse Lawsuits?If you’ve discovered that your loved one has been enduring abuse, negligence, and carelessness at their nursing home, you may feel understandably outraged and desire to pursue a lawsuit against the facility. Under Pennsylvania law, you are entitled to bring a lawsuit within 2 years of the date of the injury or wrongful death.
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Medical Malpractice
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How Long Do I Have to Sue a Doctor for Malpractice?In every medical malpractice claim, you must be sure to file your lawsuit within the legally-allowed timeframe, or the “statute of limitations.” In Pennsylvania, you have 2 years from the date of malpractice (or the date at which you could reasonably be expected to discover it) to file a lawsuit against either a doctor, a hospital, or both.
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What Is a Certificate of Merit and Why Do I Need One?In Pennsylvania, you must file a “Certificate of Merit” that is signed by an expert witness before your case will even be considered. This step seeks to cut down on frivolous lawsuits by showing that another medical professional agrees the standard of care was not met and this caused you harm. Our team can help you connect with a suitable expert for your case.
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Is There a Cap of Medical Malpractice Damages in Pennsylvania?Pennsylvania does not have a cap on economic or non-economic damages for medical malpractice cases, which are the two primary areas that victims can collect from. There are caps on punitive damages, but these are much more rare in medical malpractice areas.
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Social Security Disability
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Can a minor receive child disability benefits?Pennsylvania parents who have special needs children may qualify to receive either Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security disability. In the case of SSI, a child may be able to qualify for benefits from birth until the age of 18 due to blindness or due to disability. To qualify, the child must have impairment, or multiple impairments sufficient to meet the government's definition of disability in the case of children. Also, the resources and income of the child's parents can only be within certain limitations. In the case of Social Security, children who are 18 years of age and up can receive monthly benefits based on blindness or disability. To qualify, they must have one or more impairments meeting the government's definition of disability with regard to adults. The disability also has to have begun prior to the age of 22. Further, the child's parent or parents must have worked for a period long enough to qualify for Social Security and be receiving retirement benefits or disability benefits, or the parent is deceased. In the case of both SSI and Social Security, the child also has to have a condition that has already lasted, or is believed will last, for 12 or more months, or until death.
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How can I receive SSD widow's benefits?In order to qualify for disabled widow's benefits, an applicant has to be 50 years of age or over. Next, the disability had to begin before the deceased spouse was 60. Also, the disability had to begin no more than seven years after the latest of the following: the month the deceased spouse died; the last month the widow was entitled to receive survivor benefits based on being the custodial parent of the deceased spouse's child; or the month that the widow's own entitlement to receive SSD benefits expired because the widow was no longer disabled.
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Do I have to be disabled a full year before I can qualify for benefits?Fortunately, the answer to this is no. Individuals who are disabled now, and who expect to be unable to work for at least another year, can apply for SSD right now. Indeed, an SSD application can take months to be reviewed and decided upon. Also, once the application is approved, applicants can often receive a certain amount of back payments for the time that they were disabled prior to getting approved.
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Truck Accidents
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How Do I File a Claim for a Truck Accident?To file a truck accident claim you need to report your accident to the police, get medical documentation of your injuries, and file a claim with either your insurance company or the at-fault party. Next, you will need to work with the insurance company to have your expenses covered. If the insurance company is offering a low settlement or won’t compensate your damages, you may need to involve a truck accident attorney.
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How Much Can I Get for a Truck Accident Claim?The amount of your truck accident claim will depend on the details of the accident, but primarily will come down to the severity of injury you sustained and its long-term affect on your life. Other factors that will affect the value of your case include: Cost of medical treatment and therapy you are going to need; loss of earning potential and missed time at work; changes in the quality of your life; and emotional and psychological damage.
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Do Truck Accident Cases Go to Trial?If an insurer refuses to settle for a fair amount, you may need to sue them for damages. Of course, we would prefer to negotiate a good payout so your financial stress is alleviated sooner than later, but sometimes insurers purposely understate the amount an injury victim needs. In this case, we are unafraid to take a case to trial so a judge and jury can decide the question of your reimbursement.
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How Long Do I Have to File a Truck Accident Claim?In Pennsylvania, a personal injury claim must be filed within two years since the accident took place. While this may seem like a lot of time, it can take months to go through insurance, get medical treatment, and collect evidence before you may be ready to file your claim. We recommend speaking with an attorney as soon as possible so that no time is wasted.
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Car Accidents
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Do I Need to File a Police Report?You must file an accident report with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation if the accident was not already investigated by police and anyone was injured or killed, OR, any vehicle needed to be towed from the scene, either for safety reasons or due to the scope of the damage.
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When Can I File a Lawsuit for Car Accident Injuries?If your damages are not fully covered by your medical benefits coverage, you may be able to file a lawsuit. The damages you can recover will depend on which type of insurance you have: full tort or limited tort. With full tort coverage, which is the standard, you may sue for tangible expenses as well as non-economic damages such as “pain and suffering.” With limited tort coverage, you may only sue for tangible expenses unless your injuries meet a certain standard. In cases of death, serious impairment, or permanent disfigurement, you may also be able to sue for non-economic damages.
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What If the Other Driver Doesn’t Have Car Insurance?When you are injured and/or face property damage in an accident where the at-fault party does not have insurance, you will need to use your own uninsured/underinsured motorists’ coverage. Our attorneys can advise you through filing your claim and negotiating your settlement.
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How Long Do I Have to File a Car Accident Claim in PA?In Pennsylvania, you have two years to bring any “action to recover damages for injuries to the person or for the death of an individual,” including any caused during a car accident. However, when negotiating with insurance companies, you may need to meet their deadlines instead. These typically require you to take action much more quickly—you may have only a few months to seek out and negotiate a settlement.
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News & Media
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Robert Peirce & Associates, P.C. Sues Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center
Robert Peirce & Associates, P.C. Sues Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center
Attorneys at Robert Peirce & Associates, P.C. were featured in the media over a suit we filed against the Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center in Beaver County. We are proud to advocate for 15 residents and their families who were harmed by a preventable COVID-19 outbreak at the nursing home.
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Nursing Homes Found to House Registered Sex Offenders, Endangering Other Residents
Recent reporting from the Tribune-Review has shined a light on the problem of registered sex offenders hidden away at Western Pennsylvania nursing homes, where they are left to prey on unsuspecting residents. Robert Peirce & Associates, P.C. is proud to represent those injured in claims against abusers and the facilities that protected and enabled them.
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Sexual and Physical Abuse Lawsuits Filed Against McGuire Memorial
Joining with The Law Office of Shaheen Wallace, Esq., LLC, the lawyers here at Robert Peirce & Associates, P.C. have taken on a case involving alleged abuses at McGuire Memorial, an intermediate care facility for the disabled in New Brighton. According to the lawsuit, which will soon be filed in the Court of Common Pleas of Beaver County, four disabled residents were filmed and photographed while experiencing severe abuse at the hands of a facility caretaker.
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Attorney Robert Peirce Featured in WPXI News
Attorney Robert Peirce is representing an abuse victim in a lawsuit against the Catholic Diocese. The WPXI News recently interviewed Attorney Peirce about the case and Diocese of Pittsburgh’s petition with the Supreme Court.
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Robert Peirce & Associates, P.C. Represents Nursing Home Resident Photographed Partially Nude
Our team at Robert Peirce & Associates, P.C. filed a lawsuit on behalf of a resident with dementia at Paramount Senior Living who was photographed partially nude without her knowledge or consent.
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