The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has canceled arguments in late April as part of a statewide effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The cases that were scheduled for argument will be decided on the briefs already submitted to the courts unless parties request otherwise. The Supreme Court declared a statewide judicial emergency on March 18,…
Coalition Updates
Senate Judiciary Committee Postpones Hearing on LBFC’s Venue Report
The Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on the LBFC’s medical liability venue report, originally scheduled for March 23, has been postponed. PCCJR will update you as soon as it is rescheduled. As Pennsylvania continues to deal with the threat posed by the COVID-19 virus, we will all be adjusting to the new reality of schedule disruption.…
PCCJR Addresses Business Community on Civil Justice Concerns
Cost of Lawsuits and Rule Change Proposal the focus of Live Monthly Business Brief PCCJR updated Pennsylvania’s business community during a Facebook Live Monthly Business Brief event hosted by the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry and the PA Manufacturers’ Association. Click the photo above to watch a replay of the discussion, which includes the…
Amazon Liability Case Highlights Need for “Innocent Seller” Law
A recent federal court case in the Third Circuit highlighted the need for legislation to catch up with the realities of modern, internet-based commerce, including a product seller bill that would help brick-and-mortar retailers just as much as it would help e-commerce. “We can either move into these modern methods of commerce that the internet…
Supreme Court’s Decision Striking Down Statute of Repose Will Stand
We sure would have liked a second bite at this apple. Instead, Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court gave trial lawyers an early Valentine’s Day gift on January 31 when it denied our requested re-argument in Yanakos v. UPMC. The high court refused to hear re-arguments on its earlier ruling which found the statute of repose in medical liability…
NEWS RELEASE: LBFC Report on Venue: Doesn’t Make Case for Return to Venue Shopping; Leave Well Enough Alone
HARRISBURG, PA — A coalition of stakeholders concerned about Pennsylvania’s health care and litigation climate said a report issuedtoday by the Pennsylvania Legislative Budget and Finance Committee (LBFC) demonstrates no reason to change the venue rule. The medical liability climate has been stable since the venue rule went into effect in the early 2000s and the…