U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Division
Recent News About U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Division
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Class action suit over mask-wearing at Giant Eagle grocery stores is dismissed from federal court
PITTSBURGH – A thrice-amended class action lawsuit from 47 plaintiffs opposing a mandatory policy instituted by Giant Eagle grocery stores to wear masks in its stores during the coronavirus pandemic, has been dismissed from federal court. -
Westmoreland County landfill denies residents’ claims in class action nuisance lawsuit
PITTSBURGH – A Belle Vernon landfill has denied claims contained in a class action, nuisance-based lawsuit from a group of Westmoreland County residents, who have charged the facility produces noxious odors and has negatively impacted their quality of life. -
Trinity Area School District feels claims are insufficient in basketball player's retaliation suit
PITTSBURGH – Trinity Area School District has answered litigation brought by a 16-year-old student and girls basketball player at Trinity High School, that alleged she was subjected to retaliation after alleging a sexual assault committed against another student by a member of the boys basketball team, by countering that her claims are insufficient. -
Kentucky rental company argues lack of Pa. jurisdiction in fatal ATV accident suit
PITTSBURGH – For jurisdictional reasons and others, a Kentucky sports rental company has denied liability for contributing to a fatal ATV accident in West Virginia that is the subject of a survival and wrongful death lawsuit. -
Judge decides against sanctions for Chipotle Mexican Grill, in class action suit over change
PITTSBURGH – A federal judge has declared that a motion for sanctions against Chipotle Mexican Grill, which is facing a class action lawsuit which claimed that the chain restaurant fails to provide proper amounts of change to its customers in exchange for purchased food, is inappropriate. -
GameStop says class action suit accusing it of violating customer privacy doesn't pass muster
PITTSBURGH – GameStop has hit back at Pennsylvania-based class action litigation against it, denying that it violated a state wiretap law and invaded its customers’ privacy when it allegedly intercepted and recorded the electronic communications of visitors to its website. -
Magistrate judge recommends denying qualified immunity to Pittsburgh cops, on retaliation claim in arrest case
PITTSBURGH – A federal magistrate judge has recommended that the efforts of two Pittsburgh police officers to obtain qualified immunity in defense to a retaliation claim should be rejected, in a lawsuit brought by a woman who alleged she was unlawfully arrested because she didn’t support former President Donald Trump. -
University of Pittsburgh discontinues case alleging $84K debt from Conn. disease research organization
PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh has voluntarily dismissed its suit alleging that a Connecticut research group it had entered into a grant agreement with, breached that contract for monies in excess of $84,000. -
Fetterman's doctor's opinion in disability case was unreliable, judges found
PITTSBURGH – A federal judge found in 2008 that a medical opinion of a Pennsylvania doctor who says U.S. Senate hopeful John Fetterman is able to work despite a recent stroke was unreliable in an applicant’s appeal case over Social Security benefits. -
Parents upset with first-grade teacher's transgender lessons can continue with lawsuit
PITTSBURGH – A federal judge has granted a trio of parents the right to further pursue their lawsuit against the Mount Lebanon School District, which alleged their civil rights were violated when the District provided classroom instruction to their first-grade children on the topics of gender dysphoria and transgender transitioning. -
Dollar Tree says plaintiff at fault, after it allegedly sold headband which disfigured special needs girl
PITTSBURGH – In response to the allegations of a Pittsburgh woman, who claimed that a special needs girl was disfigured on the back of her head by an elastic headband she had purchased at one of its stores, Dollar Tree instead counters that the woman’s negligence was the cause of the girl’s injuries. -
Pa. teenager’s lawsuit against Facebook and Instagram is transferred to California federal court
PITTSBURGH – A Pennsylvania teenager’s lawsuit against Facebook and Instagram that holds the social media apps responsible for the development of her eating disorder and related self-harm, has been transferred to a federal court in California. -
Man who once worked for Mars Area School District says it made false statements about his tenure
PITTSBURGH – An Allegheny County man claims he was professionally harmed by a false statement made by a local school district he previously worked for, when he later tried to obtain employment with the Internal Revenue Service. -
Butler probation officer said to have suffered work-related anxiety, discrimination settles claims
PITTSBURGH – Litigation brought by a Butler probation officer who alleged he was discriminated against by his superiors for requesting time off due to stress and anxiety has been settled. -
NHL mulling settlement approval in suit contending ownership of Pittsburgh Penguins
PITTSBURGH – Per a joint status report, a settlement has been arrived at for litigation seeking to solve the dispute as to the definitive ownership of the National Hockey League’s Pittsburgh Penguins team, which is now before the NHL for its approval. -
Trinity Area School District gets gender discrimination count tossed from girls' basketball player's retaliation suit
PITTSBURGH – A 16-year-old student and girls basketball player at Trinity High School who contended she was the target of retaliation from school district officials after she reported allegations of a sexual assault committed against another student by a member of the boys basketball team, has lost her Title IX gender discrimination claim, but retained her retaliation claim. -
Federal judge dismisses Vandergrift Borough Council member's defamation and slander suit
PITTSBURGH – After a federal magistrate judge recommended that an amended lawsuit from a Vandergrift Borough Council member, which alleged a conspiracy-based campaign of defamation and slander undertaken by a number of borough officials was intended to drive her out of office, be dismissed for failure to prosecute, the presiding judge acted accordingly and threw out the case. -
Pa. contractor who pursued legal malpractice over $1M bankruptcy court loss loses case
PITTSBURGH – A Pennsylvania contractor who said it lost more than $1 million in an underlying bankruptcy lawsuit and then pursued legal action against the lawyer it claims provided inadequate representation, has likewise lost its case in court. -
Pa. federal judge throws out lawsuits against insurers over COVID-19 losses coverage
PITTSBURGH – In concurring with other courts nationwide that found COVID-19 and mandatory shutdowns did not cause physical damage to commercial properties, a Pittsburgh federal judge threw out dozens of cases seeking coverage from Erie Insurance Group and other insurers for losses connected to the pandemic. -
Woman who sued eBay over injuries from electric scooter she bought, settles claims
PITTSBURGH – A Western Pennsylvania woman has settled claims she was seriously injured by the electric scooter she bought on eBay, when its handlebars suddenly collapsed, causing her to lose her balance and fall, sustaining a right ankle fracture.