The sea change that has taken place in Pennsylvania’s civil law since 2016 will be the topic of an upcoming event hosted by the Pennsylvania Coalition for Civil Justice Reform. The panel discussion will include a review and analysis of important appellate cases in the context of the shifting membership on the Supreme and appellate…
Coalition Updates: Health Care
PCCJR to Host CLE Class on Post-COVID Jury Trends
The Pennsylvania Coalition for Civil Justice Reform will host a 2-credit CLE course in August. The program will include a panel discussion on post-COVID jury trends and the rise of Nuclear Verdicts in the Commonwealth. This virtual event will take place on Wednesday, August 9 from 10 a.m. to noon. The cost to participate is $15.…
High Medical Malpractice Jury Verdicts: “The Crisis is Here”
Pennsylvania is seeing a staggeringly high number of medical malpractice verdicts with devastating damage awards. Since January of 2023, the number of medical malpractice cases filed in Philadelphia’s notoriously verdict friendly Court of Common Pleas has sharply increased, as have the number of “nuclear” verdicts. The impact this negative trend is having on the Commonwealth’s health care…
Time to Put an End to Litigation Tourism
Philadelphia has long held the reputation of being one of the worst “judicial hellhole’s” in the country thanks to its notoriously plaintiff friendly, high-verdict court system. A key factor in this designation is Philadelphia’s Complex Litigation Center (CLC), which was created in 1992 to handle complex mass tort cases and quickly became a beacon for trial…
PA House Passes Legislation that Will Further Strain State’s Health Care System
In late June, the state House of Representatives moved forward with legislation (HB 106) that will impose impossible staffing ratios that will put some hospitals out of business and raise costs for others. This legislation would only exacerbate the strain health systems across the Commonwealth are already facing due to the state’s updated medical malpractice venue rule.…
State Budget Remains Unfinished While Civil Justice Under Siege in the House
Fractures between the legislative and executive branches of state government continue to create roadblocks in finalizing the 2023-24 state budget. The fiscal year officially ended on June 30, but lawmakers have failed to reach agreement on key policies leading to finger pointing and an uncertain path forward. A budget was eventually passed but due to…