News from May 2012
Penn State appeals to Superior Court judge's decision to have litigation against insurer play out in Philadelphia
Pennsylvania State University is appealing to the state’s Superior Court a decision by a Philadelphia Common Pleas Court judge to have litigation involving the school’s insurance carrier play out in Philadelphia.
Pa. high court: leftover funds from class actions now go to legal aid for low-income Pennsylvanians
The state’s high court has instituted a new set of civil procedure rules that will make it possible for funds left over from class action lawsuits to be used toward legal services for low-income Pennsylvanians.
Wyeth seeks to transfer Fen-Phen mass tort claim to federal court
Attorneys for drug giant Wyeth Pharmaceuticals have filed paperwork at the federal court in Philadelphia seeking to transfer a Fen-Phen mass tort claim filed at Philadelphia’s Common Pleas Court this week from the state court to U.S. District Court.
Phila. woman who sustained fracture after window fell on hand sues property manager
A Philadelphia woman who claims she sustained a broken hand after a window came crashing down on her while she was visiting a consignment shop located inside of her apartment building has filed a personal injury complaint against the property manager in state court.
Judge in Sandusky case orders release of certain records, grants motions to quash subpoenas in other circumstances
The judge overseeing the Jerry Sandusky child sex-abuse case in central Pennsylvania issued a mixed ruling May 10 regarding subpoenas served by the defense on various schools and organizations.
Sandusky's attorney requests delayed start of trial; former coach McQueary intends to sue Penn State
The attorney representing accused child molester Jerry Sandusky has filed court papers seeking to have the judge overseeing the sex-abuse case push back the trial’s June 5 start date.
Phila. jury returns $78.5 million plaintiff's verdict in case of fetal brain injury
The parents of a now-3-year-old girl who suffered brain damage as the result of hospital negligence back when the child was born have secured a $78.5 million verdict following a jury trial at state court in Philadelphia, according to the plaintiff’s law firm and court records.
Duck boat wrongful death trial ends abruptly after $17 million settlement reached
The parties involved in the federal duck boat wrongful death case have agreed to a $15 million settlement to be shared by the families of the two visiting Hungarians killed after their tourist vessel was capsized in the Delaware River in Philadelphia two years ago.
Chestnut Hill Hospital and staff hit with medical malpractice, wrongful death complaint
The family of a Philadelphia woman who died four days after being admitted to the emergency room at Chestnut Hill Hospital in the northwestern part of the city has filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against the agency and the doctors involved with the deceased woman’s care.
Illinois couple files Fen-Phen mass tort in Phila. Common Pleas Court
An Illinois woman who claims she sustained injuries after taking the diet drug commonly known as Fen-Phen has filed a mass tort claim against the drug’s makers in a Pennsylvania court.
Attorney for Phila. firefighters who died in warehouse blaze files court papers signaling possible litigation
The parents of a 25-year-old Philadelphia firefighter who was killed during a warehouse blaze last month are intending to sue the owners of the derelict property.
Free Library of Philadelphia sued by blind patrons over e-reading device lending program
The Free Library of Philadelphia has been hit with a lawsuit by a group of blind patrons who claim that a new e-reading device lending program for older library users is “completely inaccessible to its blind patrons.”
Wrongful death Ride the Ducks trial gets under way in federal court in Phila.
The federal wrongful death trial stemming from the deadly 2010 duck boat accident on the Delaware River in Philadelphia got under way Monday with opening arguments by the attorneys involved in the civil litigation.
Phila. judge urges Commonwealth Court to affirm summary judgment decision in fatal vehicle accident claim
A Philadelphia judge is asking a state appellate court to affirm a First Judicial District ruling from last summer that granted summary judgment to the state and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation in a case where the defendants were being sued over a deadly 1997 motor vehicle accident.
Pedestrian who suffered broken ankle after tripping on sidewalk sues City of Phila., Wachovia Center
A Delaware woman who claims she needed to undergo surgery for a broken leg, complete with the implantation of a metal plate and six screws, as a result of her falling on a broken and uneven piece of sidewalk outside of a Philadelphia entertainment venue filed suit last week against the complex and others in state court.
Medical malpractice claims decrease in Phila., level off statewide, AOPC announces
The number of medical malpractice lawsuits filed at Philadelphia’s Common Pleas Court since a new procedural rule was instituted that required claims to be filed only in the counties where the actions occurred decreased dramatically, the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts announced May 7.
Three more asbestos suits filed at Phila. Common Pleas Court
Three more asbestos mass tort claims were filed late last week at Philadelphia’s Common Pleas Court, one on behalf of a Pennsylvania man and the others on behalf of out-of-state plaintiffs.
Pa. woman who allegedly got laryngitis from pesticide sues N.J. exterminator
A Bensalem, Pa. woman has filed a personal injury lawsuit against a New Jersey-based pest extermination company, alleging she developed laryngitis and other ills and injuries as a result of having been exposed to pest control chemicals that were pumped by the defendant into her apartment complex while she slept.
Chester County judge orders infamous Pa. killer Greist to remain under state psychiatric care 32 years after found insane
A Chester County judge has ordered Richard Greist, who perpetuated one of the more infamous and depraved crimes in state history, to remain confined to a psychiatric facility to continue undergoing mental health evaluation more than three decades after he was committed to state care.
Private party-goer sues Phila. bar for assault by drunk patron
A Philadelphia man is suing a city bar for injuries he claims he sustained after an intoxicated, uninvited guest who crashed a private birthday party inside the establishment struck the plaintiff in the face.