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An article in the Philadelphia Inquirer revealed that Philadelphia's traffic lights are a medley of old and new technology; many of the traffic lights stationed across Philadelphia’s intersections are prone to malfunctions and mechanical breakdowns.  Malfunctioning traffic lights can be dangerous and cause car accidents. While the city has made efforts to repair and synchronize traffic lights across Philadelphia, upgrades are still happening slowly. In 2016, Philadelphia passed legislation that would help drivers avoid traffic violations and tickets for driving through unresponsive traffic lights. The law allows drivers in Pennsylvania to treat a malfunctioning traffic light stop sign. This law comes amidst complaints from drivers that malfunctioning traffic lights…Read More

What happens if you slip and fall or are injured on government property? In some cases, you may have opportunities to pursue compensation. However, suing the government for a personal injury claim is much different than suing another individual or a private corporation. This is because the government has protections that can prohibit citizens from filing tort claims. This protection is known as sovereign immunity. Can I sue Pennsylvania for my Injury?  In the United States, sovereign immunity applies to most federal and state level governments. Sovereign immunity law exempts the government from being sued by private parties. In 1946, the federal government waived rights to immunity in some…Read More

Yes, personal injury attorney Troy Crichton recently recovered $100,000.00 for a hit and run car accident in Philadelphia. The client  was rear-ended late at night on City line Avenue in Philadelphia and the perpetrator drove off without leaving his/her information. The impact of the accident caused the client to strike her knees on the dashboard. Almost immediately after the accident, the client began to have trouble ambulating and eventually went to the emergency room where she was diagnosed with contusions.  After a few weeks passed, she continued to have trouble walking and followed up with her primary care physician who referred her to an orthopedic consult. She then underwent…Read More

Our smartphones store much of our lives today: conversations with friends, call logs, search histories, documents, and more. The information stored on our phones can be used by law enforcement as incriminating evidence. And while the Fourth amendment guarantees citizens the right from unlawful and unwarranted search and seizures from "their persons, houses, papers, and effects", the amendment's modern application has been debated until recently. Does the fourth amendment apply to cell phone data, or can police officers search your phone?  In the 2014 case, Riley v. California, the US Supreme Court ruled that information on a cell phone cannot be searched by police officers without a warrant. The…Read More

The Personal Injury Professional Negligence Case In January of 2020, a 28 year old man sustained a karate injury at a Philadelphia Karate Academy where he intended to take an introductory class.  Upon entering the DOJO, an instructor greeted him and signed him up for the evening class. As part of signing up for the introductory class, the client was given a series of forms to fill out.  One of those forms was a "waiver" that was required to be signed before participating in any class.  After signing the forms and donning a gi, the client was ready for his first martial arts class.  The class began with basic…Read More

In Pennsylvania, bikes are treated like cars and must follow the same traffic laws as other motor vehicles on the road. Bikes, like cars, must stop at stop lights, signal turns, follow right of way laws, and more. Since COVID-19, biking has become even more popular in Philadelphia and surrounding areas, providing safer alternatives to public transportation and public fitness. With more cyclists than ever on the road, the risk of bicycle accidents caused by cars increases.  Philadelphia is one of the Most Bike-Friendly Cities  In addition to several bike routes and bike storage, Pennsylvania laws protect bikers and cyclists from other motor vehicles more than most states. Motor…Read More

Can the Police Search my Car Without a Warrant?  In Pennsylvania, recent rulings have protected citizens from car searches based on solely probable cause. The state now affords its citizens greater protection, requiring officers to show probable cause and exigent circumstances when searching vehicles without a warrant. Fourth Amendment Protections  The Fourth Amendment guarantees a right to security and against unlawful search and seizure without a court-approved warrant. What is the Automobile Exception?  The automobile exception is a federal standard that excludes cars from Fourth amendment protections. Generally, Pennsylvania law has abided by such federal jurisdiction. In 2014, Commonwealth  of Pennsylvania v. Gary upheld vehicles as an exception to…Read More

Marijuana laws have continued to evolve in Pennsylvania and state residents are now allowed to use cannabis for medicinal purposes. In 2020, over half a million patients were registered for Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program. Now that marijuana is no longer illegal in all circumstances, probable cause and search laws have changed to protect private citizens who use weed for medicinal purposes. Have Search Laws Changed because of Marijuana Legalization?   In the case of Commonwealth v. Barr, Timothy Barr and his wife Terri Barr were pulled over in a routine traffic stop for failing to completely stop at a stop sign while driving through Allentown, Pennsylvania. Upon pulling over the…Read More

Troy Crichton Esq. has secured freedom for his client, Jehmar Gladden, who had been incarcerated for over two decades Mr. Gladden was wrongfully convicted of second-degree murder in 1999 and was incarcerated since he was just 18 years old. On August 10th, Attorney Crichton successfully reversed Gladden’s life sentence and second-degree murder conviction in a hearing before Judge Scott DiClaudio, allowing his client to return home for the first time in 24 years. Gladden’s original conviction was based off the 1996 murder of Bernard Hulon Howard who was fatally shot in his own home. Gladden was at Howard’s West Philadelphia home when an altercation over a small drug debt…Read More

Motion to Suppress: Search Warrants Required for Car Searches (Again!) A Motion to Suppress from the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas has significantly changed Pennsylvania law. On December 22, 2020, The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that a warrant is (once again!) required for car searches in Pennsylvania.  This ruling gives new strengths to Motions to Suppress evidence from car stops throughout the Commonwealth. Elections have consequences and the new Democratic majority of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court have ruled in favor of people’s rights.  The Supreme Court explicitly overruled Commonwealth v. Gary, which since 2014 had reduced the rights of Defendants in Pennsylvania to the federal bare minimum standards. Commonwealth…Read More