Nobody wants to think about bicycle crashes, but in the unfortunate event that one occurs, Piscitello Law is ready to help. Joseph Piscitello is a personal injury attorney who specializes in bicycle crashes due to aggressive/negligent motorists or unsafe road conditions. Joe combines his passion for the law with his passion for cycling. A cyclist himself, he understands first hand the dangers riders face when sharing the road with motor vehicles.
Supporting cycling culture for over two decades, Joe has been a competitive road, criterium and cross cyclist. He founded a Masters Elite Cycling Team in 2010 which is nationally recognized. For the past 3 years, Joe has been a Cycling Coach and Ride Leader in both domestic and international corporate cycling rides to benefit cancer research.
Joe is actively involved with the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia. He serves on the Advisory Board for the Coalition’s Youth Cycling Program and is their pro-bono legal advisor. Joe has been a keynote speaker numerous times on the topic of legal rights and responsibilities of cyclists. This past spring, he was a featured Speaker and Moderator during the Philadelphia Vision Zero Conference. Vision Zero is an initiative begun in Sweden (and increasingly adopted by US cities) that seeks to reduce transport deaths to zero by 2030.
In 2017, after a competitive search of cycling attorneys throughout Pennsylvania, the Bike Law Network invited Piscitello Law to join and represent Bike Law PA. Bike Law is a network of independent bicycle lawyers across North America. As the state representative of Bike Law PA, Joe collaborates with 18 preeminent bicycle crash attorneys in the United States and Canada. Joe considers his invitation to join Bike Law to be one of the highest honors as it recognizes his commitment to advocate and protect cycling rights.
In August 2018, Piscitello Law expanded when Arley Kemmerer and Rachel Rubino joined the firm. Both are competitive cyclists racing for Fearless Femme. Arley is an experienced attorney, and Rachel is a talented bicycle mechanic and cycling advocate. Arley and Rachel spearheaded Fearless Femme’s efforts to launch Fearless Femme Cx. The team’s mission is to race competitively at the elite level while also providing mentorship to the women’s cyclocross community.
I asked Joe to talk about his favorite part of his work.
He said, “I love to teach- educating clients about the laws and the importance of having the right kinds of insurance.”
His focus on education is obvious by the wealth of information and bike-related resources found on his website: piscitellolaw.com. I learned that if you are in a cycling crash, you should make sure the police documents your version of what happened. Also, you should seek immediate medical attention, even if your injuries seem minor; many times, the adrenaline rush of an accident will mask pain. So many other helpful hints are included on the site, such as the importance to take pictures of everything (ie, the road, your bike, helmet, etc). I also learned that a cyclist, without proper representation, can be found responsible for damages to the motor vehicle! Yikes!
As our conversation concluded, Joe went on to share how rewarding it has been to bring justice to cyclists. “Over the years I have noticed that some cycling clients are not just interested in being made whole with money to compensate them for their injuries and/or their damaged bike. Many injured cyclists want to make sure that the party responsible for their pain is brought to justice. That part of the case is immensely important to both the cyclist and to me as an advocate for cycling rights.”
Hopefully you won’t need a cycling attorney, but if you do, Joe Piscitello has the experience and skills to defend your rights.