John O'Brien News
Roofers, check your ladders; Court rules against worker who fell off one placed on a block
PITTSBURGH - A roofer should have known better, a Pennsylvania appeals court has ruled, finding that a ladder placed on a wooden block is an obviously dangerous condition.
Domino's decision a win for Pa. plaintiff lawyers, though other states have reached the opposite conclusion
PHILADELPHIA - A recent decision by a Pennsylvania appellate judges not only goes against an earlier ruling by their own court but also at least six others.
Domino's too controlling over franchisee, must pay for its $2.3M mistake
PHILADELPHIA - Domino's Pizza has lost its effort to avoid paying its slice of a $2.3 million verdict to a man whose leg was amputated after a traffic accident involving a pizza deliveryman.
Lawyers supporting J&J's $9B talc settlement seek protection from rival firms
HOUSTON - Law firms that want Johnson & Johnson's massive talc bankruptcy plan approved object to the nature of a probe by lawyers who want it rejected, as the fight for votes continues ahead of a key hearing.
Pa. company loses $7M appeal for not paying travel time
PHILADELPHIA - A Pennsylvania home health care company has lost its appeal of a $7 million ruling that found it should have paid its employees for the time they spent driving to clients' homes.
Greene County PD shows little fight in abuse-of-power lawsuit
PITTSBURGH - Arrested 911 employees in Greene County will get to advance their claims in court against a police department that didn't even fill up two pages in its own defense.
Judge: No racism in firing reckless driver
PITTSBURGH - A Black truck driver has lost his racism claim against the company that fired him over reports he was speeding with unsecured items on his trailer.
Hey PA: 5 new cases to know, including gender issues in high school sports
A high-school girl complains she was forced to race against a biological male, a conspiracy lawsuit against the food industry and an NFC championship celebration goes wrong are among five new cases of interest in Pennsylvania.
Value of Dwayne Haskins wrongful death case discovered; Family and widow continue legal war
PITTSBURGH - With the wrongful death lawsuit brought on behalf of former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins coming to a close, a federal judge has refused to silence any concerns his widow has with a documentary planned by his parents.
Feds, lawyers and insurers among critics of J&J's massive talc settlement
HOUSTON - Some insurers and personal injury lawyers have found themselves in a rare position - allied in court.
Justice Wecht thinks Supreme Court is rewriting state law to benefit asbestos plaintiffs
PITTSBURGH - Asbestos lawsuits keep giving Pennsylvania's highest court the chance to put its own policies in place by ignoring laws passed by the legislature, a Supreme Court justice wrote last week.
Supreme Court: Pa. law can't stop asbestos lawsuits against employers; Two dissent, ruing Tooey
PITTSBURGH - A state workplace injury law that gives employees four years to sue over exposure to dangerous materials doesn't stop plaintiffs with asbestos-related diseases that developed long after that timeframe from going to court.
Judge, jurors wearing Big Bird heads reject the case of the racist Elmo
PHILADELPHIA - A federal judge won't change a jury's finding that Black individuals weren't discriminated against at SeaWorld's Sesame Place Philadelphia, in a case that alleged characters like Elmo ignored them and had jurors wearing a Big Bird head.
Talc lawyers fighting J&J's $9B plan get to grill lawyer holding 1,500 key votes
HOUSTON - A court-ordered deposition of a lawyer next week should produce plenty of fireworks, as he explains why 1,500 of his clients suing Johnson & Johnson changed their minds on whether to accept the company's massive settlement proposal.
Transgender issues in PA: Insurer draws line on care at waist size, lawmaker plans Trump-esque legislation
PHILADELPHIA - In Pennsylvania, a Republican lawmaker plans a bill that finalizes a person's sex at birth, while a major insurance company says gender-affirming procedures targeting waist size are cosmetic and not medically necessary.
'Retire the Raider' now an official club at Twin Valley HS, so district wants ACLU lawsuit dismissed
PHILADELPHIA - A student and the American Civil Liberties Union have no reason to continue suing a Chester County school district now that it has officially recognized a student club dedicated to eliminating its Native American mascot.
Judge: Philadelphia officer right to shoot man who fled into other's home, wouldn't show hands
PHILADELPHIA - The City of Philadelphia has defeated a federal wrongful death lawsuit that says police should have tasered a man instead of shooting him.
Lawsuit: Neighbors gain political power in small town to harass used car dealer
PITTSBURGH - A used auto dealer claims his neighbors amassed political power in a Fayette County town in order to shut his business down.
Pennsylvania faces suit for COVID-era parole of inmate who allegedly later shot two men
PHILADELPHIA - A Philadelphia parking officer blames the Pennsylvania's Department of Corrections for releasing an inmate during the COVID pandemic who allegedly later shot him in the head, days after shooting a gas station attendant in New York.
Will FTC's case against Meta impact UPMC? Hospital accused of too much power
PITTSBURGH - Workers at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center are hoping a recent decision in an antitrust case against Facebook-owner Meta will work to their advantage, as they sue their employer.