PCCJR’s Executive Director, Curt Schroder, appeared on Lincoln Radio Journal this week in a wide ranging discussion of problems plaguing Pennsylvania’s courts. Listen to the broadcast here.
Coalition Updates: Health Care
State Supreme Court Ruling Expands “Traveling Employee Doctrine” to Include Employer Sponsored Happy Hours
A recent ruling from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court significantly expands employers’ workers compensation liability. Will it mean the end of office happy hours and office holiday gatherings? The case, Peters v. Workers Compensation Appeals Board, centers on injuries sustained in a car crash by a traveling salesperson for Cintas Corporation following a work-sponsored happy hour. In a unanimous…
2021 Civil Justice Update From Mark Behrens
For the second year in a row, COVID-19 liability protection legislation dominated state civil justice landscapes, according to the annual Civil Justice Update authored by noted civil justice public policy attorney, Mark Behrens. The report noted that since the pandemic first began, approximately two-thirds of states have implemented limited liability protections for COVID-19 related cases. This is…
Pennsylvania Courts Rated as One of Nation’s Worst Judicial Hellholes as Supreme Court Committee Considers Rule Change to Allow for Financially Lucrative Forum Shopping
HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania has once again been ranked as one of the nation’s worst judicial hellholes. The Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas and the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania together comprise the fourth worst judicial hellhole according to the American Tort Reform Foundation’s “2021-2022 Judicial Hellholes” report. The annual list is comprised of the country’s most…
Taxpayers Would Subsidize Personal Injury Lawsuits Under U.S. House Budget Bill
A provision tucked into the U.S. House Democratic budget bill would put taxpayers on the hook to cover costs associated with personal injury lawsuits – a major win for the Trial Bar if it passes. As noted in a Legal Newsline article, the bill as drafted would “alter IRS rules allowing trial lawyers to deduct the expense…
Open Commonwealth Court Seat Goes to Recount
The results of the 2021 General Election have yet to be finalized after a recount was triggered for one of the two open Commonwealth Court seats that appeared on the ballot. The race between sitting Republican Commonwealth Court Judge Drew Crompton and Democratic Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas Judge Lori Dumas hinges on a…