Brent Wieand

Brent Wieand is a highly respected personal injury attorney in Philadelphia PA. He is dedicated to advocating for the rights of those who have suffered due to the negligence of others. With a deep commitment to justice and a passion for helping his clients, Brent has established himself as a formidable force in the field of personal injury law.

Brent has recovered millions in compensation for his clients. He has won multiple million dollar victories in cases involving automobile accidents, medical malpractice and wrongful death. Brent has been repeatedly selected as a Super Lawyer and Super Lawyer "Rising Star". He is known for his personalized approach, ensuring that he understands the unique aspects of each case and the specific needs of his clients.

Pennsylvania State University

B.S. | Business Management and minor in Natural Science

Emory University School of Law

J.D.

Super Lawyers

Super Lawyers

2024

Super Lawyers

Super Lawyers

2023

Super Lawyers

Super Lawyers

2022

Super Lawyers

Super Lawyers

2021

Rising Star

Super Lawyers

2019

Philadelphia Bar Association

Member

Current

The American Association for Justice

Member

Current

Pennsylvania Association for Justice

Member

Current

Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association

Member

Current

New Jersey

Pennsylvania

• Car Accidents
• Insurance Bad Faith
• SEPTA accidents
• Auto Accidents
• Motorcycle Accidents

Q. What is the Pennsylvania rule on contributory / comparative negligence?

May 24, 2011

A: Hello, I wrote a brief summary of this on my blog, which I will copy and paste for your below; however, if you would like further explanation, feel free to contact me.

The general rule is that to recover damages for negligence resulting in death or injury to person, the fact that the plaintiff may have committed contributory negligence does not stop him/her from recovering where such negligence was not greater than the negligence of the defendant(s). Instead, any damages sustained by the plaintiff will be reduced in proportion to the amount of negligence attributed to the plaintiff.

What does this mean? In Pennsylvania, if you are injured in an accident, you can recover monetary damages from a defendant as long as you are found to be no more than 50% liable for damages. If a plaintiff is found to be 50% (or less) liable, each defendant shall be liable for their proportionate total dollar amount awarded as damages.

Currently, Pennsylvania upholds joint and several liability. Under joint and several liability, an injured party may collect the entire award against any party found to be responsible for the accident. It then becomes the responsibility of the defendants to sort out their respective proportions of liability and payment. However, this aspect of the Pennsylvania civil justice system (and injury victim's civil rights) is currently under attack. Republicans in the State Legislature are trying to pass legislation (titled the "Fair Share" Act) that would do away with joint and several liability. If this happens, defendants in many lawsuits only would pay the percentage of damages for which they are found liable - leaving innocent victims of their accidents high and dry - while saving insurance companies money.

If you have been injured, and have questions about how the comparative fault system works in Pennsylvania, you should consult an experienced personal injury attorney to advise you on how these laws will impact your own individual and unique case. ... Read More