News & Updates: Health Care

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…

There was a glimmer of light out of Philadelphia recently when Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Kenneth Powell reduced the $8 billion punitive damages verdict against Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc. The outrageous verdict shocked the country and helped the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas earn the dubious distinction as the #1…

Business groups, health care providers, and PCCJR issued warnings this month that a component of a multi-bill legislative package intended to reduce Medicaid Fraud might sound good but stands to benefit trial lawyers more than taxpayers. “The General Assembly needs to fully understand the impact of passing a state-based False Claims Act before it is…

Jackpot seeking attorneys filing medical liability cases in courts known for high verdicts and often far away from where the injury occurred, create higher health care costs and less access to care. That is precisely the situation Pennsylvania faces should the medical liability venue rule be rolled back to once again allow venue shopping. PCCJR…