Nicholas Malfitano News
U.S. government fights TSA lawsuit after woman in socks slips at airport
PHILADELPHIA – Citing jurisdictional rationale, the U.S. government is seeking to dismiss a negligence lawsuit from a Delaware woman, who contended that she was injured when going through a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint at Philadelphia International Airport more than two years ago.
Delay in lawsuit from TV reporter who alleged PetSmart staff killed her dog during nail clipping
PITTSBURGH – Litigation from a Pittsburgh television reporter who alleged that her dog suffered fatal injuries after being groomed at a local PetSmart store, in effect being hanged by his caretakers and asphyxiated during his nail trimming, has been stayed for 60 days while one defendant secures new representation.
Shopping-cart samaritan maintains injury claims, in face of store's denial of liability
PITTSBURGH – A local man stands by claims he suffered lacerations and significant tendon damage when he volunteered to help a retail store employee separate shopping carts and his hand got in the way.
UPMC-affiliated facility seeks judgment of non pros in negligence-related death suit
PITTSBURGH – Counsel for a University of Pittsburgh Medical Center-affiliated facility seeks to obtain a judgment of non pros for an incomplete filing, in litigation surrounding a negligence lawsuit for the death of the plaintiff’s wife at the center.
Court grants dismissal of false light claim for alleged QAnon-linked judge, for now
PHILADELPHIA – A federal court has found that it does in fact have personal jurisdiction over a state court judge’s defamation claims against online news outlet The Daily Beast – which she said damaged her standing as a jurist when it printed that she was aligned with the QAnon group – but granted the conditional dismissal of the judge’s false light claim.
Former Allegheny County employee says executive violated the law by instituting COVID-19 vaccine mandate
PITTSBURGH – A local man argues that an Allegheny County official exceeded the bounds of his authority when he instituted a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all county employees in the summer of 2021, in violation of his religious objections and exemption.
USA says man's death at Veterans Administration hospital wasn't due to its alleged substandard care
PITTSBURGH – The United States of America has denied allegations that sub-standard care provided by a Veterans Administration hospital in Pittsburgh, led to the wrongful death of a 56 year-old man at the facility.
Attorneys deny being hired to represent Fla. couple injured in Pa. motorcycle crash
PITTSBURGH – Attorneys have denied they were hired by a Florida couple injured in a 2017 motorcycle accident in Pennsylvania, while the plaintiffs said those attorneys they hired to represent them in subsequent litigation instead let the statute of limitations lapse, thus denying them an opportunity to seek damages for the injuries they say they incurred.
Sharon Hill fights petition for unredacted records in police shooting death of 8-year-old
MEDIA – The Borough of Sharon Hill contends it does not need to respond to a Right-to-Know Request seeking the full and unredacted version of its report on its community policing procedures, in the wake of an officer-involved shooting which killed an 8-year-old girl in August 2021.
Philadelphia to pay $9.25M settlement in excessive force lawsuits from George Floyd, systemic racism protests
PHILADELPHIA – The City of Philadelphia will pay $9.25 million to settle claims in four lawsuits which alleged the Philadelphia Police Department used excessive force on more than 300 plaintiffs, during peaceful demonstrations on systemic racism and police brutality at 52nd Street and the Vine Street Expressway in 2020.
Fla. woman asserts she was assaulted at Upper Darby cafe and hookah lounge
MEDIA – A Florida woman alleges she was violently assaulted by staff members of an Upper Darby hookah lounge, and in response has filed suit in a Delaware County court seeking compensatory and punitive damages.
Defendant in suit over row with former DOJ attorney denies privacy invasion and emotional distress claims
PITTSBURGH – A man named as a defendant in a harassment and defamation lawsuit surrounding a brief relationship between himself and a former U.S. Department of Justice attorney has denied the suit’s veracity, with respect to its claims for invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Man alleging racism from Sesame Place Philadelphia performers wants former employee to provide discovery evidence
PHILADELPHIA – A Baltimore man who brought class action litigation against SeaWorld and Sesame Place Philadelphia – charging that employees of the Sesame Street-themed park discriminated against his daughter, a Black child, during a meet-and-greet session with some of the park’s costumed characters – says that a deposition witness and cheerleader for the Philadelphia Eagles, has not complied with discovery requests and seeks to compel responses to those requests.
Texas Roadhouse denies liability for Delaware man's case of food poisoning
LANCASTER – Texas Roadhouse has denied liability for a Delaware man’s case of food poisoning, which he incurred allegedly after dining at one of the defendant’s franchise locations in Lancaster last summer.
Former Pittsburgh teacher fired for right-wing Facebook loses counts, defendants from suit
PITTSBURGH – A federal judge has concurred with a magistrate colleague on the bench and adopted their report and recommendations as to litigation from a former veteran schoolteacher against the Pittsburgh School District and its Board of Education, which charged she was wrongfully terminated after she posted a right-wing article accompanied by racist language on her personal Facebook page.
Former Philly middle school teacher who objected to LGBTQ student policy contests his firing
PHILADELPHIA – A former middle school teacher in Philadelphia contends his firing was due to objections he made in reference to a pro-LGBTQ student policy, which he states are in violation of his Christian beliefs.
Sub-contractor business and owner deny liability for man's fall onto drywall and concrete
PITTSBURGH – A drywall business’s sub-contractor and its owner have denied responsibility for the injuries that an Elizabeth man suffered, when he fell through a floor opening and landed on a stack of drywall and a concrete floor.
Delco woman receives settlement for injury claims at Haverford Township ice skating rink
MEDIA – A Delaware County woman recently settled claims against the Township of Haverford for the broken right wrist she suffered, allegedly as a result of negligent maintenance and facilities oversight at a township-owned skating rink.
Woman injured at Borough of Yeadon's 2019 Flag Day event settles her claims
MEDIA – A local woman who alleged she was seriously injured at a Flag Day event in the Borough of Yeadon nearly four years ago when the support poles of an event tent were uprooted from the ground by a wind gust and struck her in the head, has settled her claims with the Borough and other defendants.
Seven former residents of The Summit Academy say they were victims of staff sexual abuse
PHILADELPHIA – In a class action lawsuit, seven former residents of The Summit Academy allege they were the targets of physical, mental and sexual abuse while residing at the juvenile custody and rehabilitative education facility.