Nearly twenty years ago, in an effort to combat a medical liability crisis in the Commonwealth, Pennsylvania Rule of Civil Procedure 1006(a.1) was enacted. This rule requires medical professional liability actions against health care providers to be brought only in the county where the cause of action arose. Prior to this change in 2002, Pennsylvanian physicians were…
Coalition Updates
PCCJR Legislation Amending the Unfair Trade Practices Act Introduced by Rep. Kauffman
Legislation championed by PCCJR that would amend the Unfair Trade Practices Act has been introduced in the House by Rep. Rob Kauffman, R-Franklin. The legislation, H.B. 1891, is in response to the state Supreme Court’s decision in Gregg v. Ameriprise, which expanded the scope of liability under the Act’s “catch-all” provision. In a split 4-3 decision the Court held that the…
PCCJR Unveils “2021 PA Judicial Voter Guide” Ahead of General Election
With several important state judicial seats on the ballot in the upcoming General Election – including an open seat on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, PCCJR is pleased to release its updated 2021 PA Judicial Voter Guide. Judicial decisions have far-reaching impact on the state’s business climate and overall economic health. Unfortunately, over the past five and a half years…
State Government Fall Legislative Preview
Members of the state General Assembly are set to return to Harrisburg next week, marking the start of the fall legislative session. Between now and the end of December, the House and Senate currently are scheduled to be in session for 21 and 18 days respectively. COVID-19 will continue to be a frontline issue, with…
PA Supreme Court Restores Medical Peer Review Protection It Had Taken Away
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued a favorable decision in Leadbitter v. Keystone Anesthesia Consultants, overturning a lower court’s ruling as it pertains to the scope of the Pennsylvania Peer Review Protection Act (PRPA). The case centered on whether or not the PRPA and the federal Health Care Quality Improvement Act protect certain portions of a…
Pennsylvania Makes List of “Everlasting Judicial Hellholes”
Pennsylvania has been flagged by the American Tort Reform Foundation (ATR) as one of the USA’s top seven “Everlasting Judicial Hellholes”, a ranking of the jurisdictions with the most unbalanced and excessively litigious environments. Ahead of the 20th anniversary of its annual judicial hellholes ranking – which will be released in December, the ATR has…