Things looked bleak for Terry Strickler. 

The former western Maryland resident was riding his prized 1999 Harley Davidson home on the evening of June 21, 2008 when he struck a slow moving hay trailer being towed by a farm tractor. Mr. Stickler was ejected from his motorcycle and sustained catastrophic injuries, including a near amputation of his left lower leg, fractured pelvis, ligament injuries and facial fractures. His motorcycle was crushed by the force of the impact. Police and medics at the scene and emergency room attendants at the hospital noted a strong odor like "the smell of alcohol" emanating from Mr. Strickler's person.

Yet, due to the diligence, experience, financial resources and legal expertise of our attorneys, almost four years after the accident, a jury awarded Mr. Strickler $235,000.

"I am thrilled with the outcome and can't say enough about the way Ingerman & Horwitz represented me," said Strickler. "I knew I needed to find a damn good law firm and these guys really went all out for me."

Managing partner Alan Horwitz said, "When I heard the details of Terry's case, I knew it would be a long, difficult and expensive case to win." 

Mr. Horwitz explains that, "When a driver hits another vehicle from behind, there is a presumption of rebuttable negligence. In everyday terms, that means the driver who rear ends another vehicle is presumed to be at fault for the accident unless it can be proven that other mitigating circumstances prevailed," Horwitz explained.

Just as in the popular television show CSI, Horwitz brought in a nationally-recognized accident reconstruction expert who spent hours carefully analyzing the accident scene. Through that analysis and police reports from the time of the accident, it was determined that the farmer was operating his tractor on the roadway after sunset without a "slow moving vehicle" placard displayed. Both are violations of the law and he was cited accordingly. Also a weather analysis of that June night showed that it rained just 20 minutes after the accident, so there would have been little or no light from the moon and stars due to the cloud cover.

At trial, the tractor operator argued strenuously that Mr. Strickler was intoxicated. Various witnesses at the accident scene recall that the roadway was covered with a liquid substance that smelled like alcohol.

Through our investigation, we were able to determine that the "odor of alcohol" was caused by a chemical found in farm machinery tires which ruptured due to the force of the impact. Armed with this knowledge, lead litigator David Jackson conducted a vigorous cross-examination during which the tractor operator finally admitted that the liquid was most likely calcium chloride, the liquid commonly found in farm equipment tires that smells like alcohol. Says Jackson: "We also tracked down several individuals who had been with Mr. Strickler on the day of the accident. These individuals were subpoenaed to testify at trial that Mr. Strickler was not intoxicated on the day of the accident."

Bottom line: The accident reconstructionist found that due to the farmer's failure to provide adequate lighting while operating his slow-moving tractor on a public roadway with a 55 miles-per-hour speed limit after sunset, there was almost no way an average person or operator of a motorcycle could have avoided the collision.

In the four years that has transpired since his horrific accident, Mr. Strickler was unable to work as he slowly recovered from his injuries. "We were also able to handle all of the filings required for him to receive Social Security disability," said Mr. Jackson.

Despite his permanent injuries, Mr. Strickler recently purchased a 2007 Harley and is back in the saddle again participating with fellow bikers in "poker rides" for charity. "I really can't say enough about how great the entire staff at the law firm treated me when I needed them the most. If anyone is looking for a recommendation for a lawyer, just have them call me ... Ingerman & Horwitz helped save my life!"

Alan Horwitz Shines on Top-rated Eastern Shore TV Talk Show

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When "DelmarvaLife", the Eastern shore's top-rated locally-produced afternoon television program needed an expert to explain your legal options when you get hurt on the job, our very own Alan Horwitz answered the call.

During his well-received segment before a live studio audience at WBOC-TV's historic Studio One in Salisbury, Alan explained to co-host Jimmy Hoppa how workers' compensation covers everybody in the work place, no matter where you are when you become injured.

"All types of injuries are covered whether you slip and fall at work, or are involved in an auto accident while on an errand for your employer, or if environmental factors like chemicals in the workplace cause you respiratory problems, or if you are a secretary who has developed carpal tunnel syndrome due to repetitive use at work ... these are all covered under workers' compensation." Alan said.

He also stressed the importance of having an experienced attorney. "On the other side are highly skilled attorneys that work for the insurance company whose job is to minimize the amount of money you can recover. My job as your attorney is to maximize the amount you can recover for your injury."

Alan also added that under workers' compensation, "You are entitled to medical attention for the rest of your life to treat that injury."

When asked if your employer can fire you for filing a claim, Alan replied, "If your employer fires you for filing a workers' compensation claim, he has committed a criminal act."

The entire DelmarvaLife segment can be seen by going to our website at www.ihlaw.com and clicking the "Video Library" button at the upper right of our home page .

Alan will be making his next appearance on DelmarvaLife on June 29 when he will be discussing what action you should take when involved in an auto accident. To find out how you can become a member of the studio audience, go to www.DelmarvaLife.com for more information.

"Workers' compensation for fire and police is somewhat more involved and it really takes someone truly experienced with the system to get the best results for these clients," says Barrie.

Besides being totally devoted to her fire and police clients, Barrie is also very active with a local Pit Bull rescue organization. Just as she advocates for police and firefighters, Barrie is a bull dog when it comes to Pit Bulls. "I think they get a bad rap and distorted coverage in the media. Get to know them up close like I do and you'll come away with a much more positive impression."

The Merck & Co. hair growth dug Propecia is causing horrific side effects for men who have taken it. We've been posting a number of articles on our website about how it ruins a man's sexuality. (www.ihlaw.com/press-room/) We've also produced a free educational brochure on Propecia that is available for download on our website.

Known clinically as "Post-Finasteride Syndrome" (and so called for Propecia's generic name, finasteride), the condition is marked by sexual, neurological, hormonal and physical side effects-including impotence, Peyronie's disease, testosterone deficiency and depression - that do not resolve themselves after quitting Propecia, and may be irreversible.

On April 11, the Food and Drug Administration ordered Merck to revise the labeling on Propecia to reflect mounting evidence that the medication can cause continued sexual dysfunction long after patients have stopped taking it. Of the 421 Propecia-related sexual dysfunction cases the FDA reviewed in its probe, 14 percent lasted longer than three months after patients discontinued the drug.

A ground-breaking study on Propecia's side effects by George Washington University Professor Michael Irwig published last year in the Journal of Sexual Medicine was one of the first to report on these devastating side effects. "As my study concluded, there are very real sexual health issues that are affecting a population of previously healthy men ranging in age from 21 to 46 who took Propecia."

Unlike the vast majority of drugs, whose side effects cease when you stop taking them, Dr. Irwig explains that "finasteride is different because it can actually change the brain's chemistry. The enzyme 5 alpha reductase is present in many areas of the brain. It is rare for a drug to have the capability to persistently change the brain's chemistry."

Many men now face crippling sexual side effects simply because they wanted to improve their cosmetic appearance. "Had they known the real risks, they all tell me they would have never taken the drug in the first place," says Dr. Irwig.

This Thursday, June 7, between 3 and 4 p.m. EDT, Dr. Irwig will be a guest on the "Truther Girls" call-in talk show broadcast on the American Freedom Radio (AFR) network. He will discuss the latest news on Propecia's many severe side effects. For complete details, go to: