News from November 2022
Jury gives $5K to woman allegedly assaulted at Old Navy
PHILADELPHIA – A Philadelphia jury has awarded $5,000 in compensatory damages to a Bucks County woman who alleged she was assaulted and beaten by a fellow customer, when she was shopping at an Old Navy store in Fairless Hills more than three years ago.
Plaintiff alleges Delco funeral home and medical examiner’s office neglected her husband’s remains
MEDIA – A Chester woman alleges that a nearby funeral home and local mortuary authorities cremated the remains of another individual, as opposed to her husband, and presented those incorrect remains to her, as her actual husband’s body decomposed in the Delaware County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Class action nuisance suit against U.S. Steel headed to complex litigation center
PITTSBURGH – Class action litigation from a Western Pennsylvania homeowner which alleged that U.S. Steel’s refinery plant in Braddock has generated pollutant byproducts which have affected the quality of life of area residents, is headed to an Allegheny County court’s Commerce and Complex Litigation Center.
Western Pennsylvania woman reiterates claims that UPMC McKeesport was negligent in its care of cardiac patient
PITTSBURGH – A Western Pennsylvania woman has reiterated claims that the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center at McKeesport was negligent in its care of her late father, after he suffered a pair of heart attacks which ultimately claimed his life.
Italian restaurant denies culpability in case of patron who fell out of booth and later died
PITTSBURGH – A local Italian restaurant has objected to allegations that it was liable for the hip injuries and subsequent death of a woman who fell at the restaurant more than two years ago.
Dr. Ken Sonnenfeld Named to IAM Global Leaders 2023 List
Ballard Spahr Intellectual Property Partner Kenneth H. Sonnenfeld, Ph.D., has been named to the IAM Global Leaders 2023 list of distinguished patent attorneys worldwide.
Woman who suffered severe burns in Mazda crash agrees to drop punitive damages claim
PITTSBURGH – A Western Pennsylvania woman who claimed she suffered third-degree burns over 70% of her body in a catastrophic motor vehicle accident two years ago and brought legal action against Mazda and other entities responsible for designing and selling the used vehicle that allegedly caused the crash, has agreed to dismiss her claim for punitive damages.
Man who fell through floor of home during open house wants defense objections denied
PITTSBURGH – A man who sustained a series of injuries after a fall which took place during a real estate open house and brought suit against individuals and entities he feels are both negligent and responsible for his injuries, is arguing that the defense’s preliminary objections have no merit and should be denied.
After losing case in federal court, street preacher known as 'Philly Jesus' appeals to Third Circuit
PHILADELPHIA – A street preacher locally known as “Philly Jesus”, who filed a wrongful prosecution case against the City of Philadelphia and local police officers after being arrested when he was evangelizing in a public park just before Christmas in 2019, has appealed the suit’s recent dismissal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
Citing lack of specificity, landlord objects to suit over leaky ceiling collapsing on plaintiff
LANCASTER – In a suit which claimed a landlord’s negligence resulted in the ceiling of the plaintiff’s prior domicile collapsing on her, due to failure to repair a leak in her living room ceiling, the landlord has brought preliminary objections to dismiss claims for lack of specificity.
Taylor Swift tickets debacle has thousands complaining about Ticketmaster to AG’s Office
HARRISBURG – After a major fiasco involving ticket sales for pop star and Pennsylvania native Taylor Swift’s next concert tour, the office of Attorney General and Governor-elect Josh Shapiro has received thousands of consumer complaints from state residents against live event giant Ticketmaster.
Divorce 101 at Main Line School Night on November 29, 2022
Jennifer Brandt will teach a Main Line School Night course, Divorce 101.
Philly police officers deny they violated man's rights with narcotics arrests and prosecution
PHILADELPHIA – Three Philadelphia Police Department officers have denied allegations made against them in a civil rights lawsuit alleging that they and local assistant district attorneys violated the constitutional rights of a Philadelphia man and his family, through illegally performed narcotics arrests and prosecutions.
Motorboat passengers want punitive damage requirements and vicarious liability stricken from Fla. man's suit
PITTSBURGH – Two motorboat passengers have filed preliminary objections in a lawsuit over a propellor accident that seriously wounded a Florida man, seeking to strike allegations connected to a demand for punitive damages and for vicarious liability.
After death of her wheelchair-bound father in transit, Ohio plaintiff settles suit for $875K
PITTSBURGH – An Ohio woman who filed wrongful death litigation against a Western Pennsylvania healthcare operation and the driver of a van who allegedly failed to secure her father’s wheelchair while in transit and drove recklessly, leading him to topple over and die from his injuries, has settled her case for $875,000.
Class action suit: Wayfair's third-party repair policy violated Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act
PITTSBURGH – One Western Pennsylvania woman claims that Wayfair has violated the Anti-Tying Rule by stating that its warranties on its goods will be void, if consumers use third-party repair services to service the items they purchased from it.
School District of Philadelphia looks for judgment in fired LGBTQ teacher's discrimination case
PHILADELPHIA – The School District of Philadelphia has motioned for summary judgment in a lawsuit brought by a former teacher and member of the LGBTQ community, who claimed she faced discrimination and retaliation by the District before being fired.
Leading Technology-Enabled Investigations on December 1, 2022
2022 was an eventful year: the Monaco Memorandum, novel issues with cryptocurrency, from money laundering to sanctions — related investigations and litigation — and a heightened emphasis on ephemeral messaging were among the many developments
Wawa and others win dismissal of antitrust suit over planned development, including Royal Farms store
PHILADELPHIA – Wawa and other defendants have won dismissal of a New Jersey developer’s anti-trust litigation against a Pennsylvania competitor, which claimed the latter conspired to prevent the development of a major retail project featuring the Royal Farms Convenience Store in the vicinity of a Merck headquarters.
Woman who brought car to Midas auto shop says she received profane note from manager
PITTSBURGH – An Allegheny County woman alleges she was given a profane note by the manager on duty and discriminated against on the basis of her sex, when she brought her vehicle in for its regular inspection to a local Midas auto shop.