Two recent decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court and the Florida Supreme Court may have a significant impact on Pennsylvania cases. In Daimler AG v. Bauman, No 11-965 (January 14, 2014), the U.S. Supreme Court stepped into the murky waters of jurisdiction, with a decision that will almost certainly limit…
Read MoreIn Cordes v. Assocs. of Internal Medicine, a divided Superior Court affirmed that jurors may be struck for cause for various reasons, including: First, indirect relationships of a juror to a party with which the juror has had no direct contact, including connections through spouses with a potential (also indirect)…
Read MoreIn Verizon v. WCAB (Ketterer), the Commonwealth Court ruled that a physician must have an active clinical practice, i.e., the physician must provide preventive care and the evaluation, treatment and management of medical conditions, at least 20 hours per week, in order to be qualified to perform Impairment Rating Evaluation…
Read MoreThe March 10, 2014 opinion by the Commonwealth Court in Young v. Workers' Compensation Appeal Board (Chubb Corp. and Federal Insurance Co.) is noteworthy, not for a new or groundbreaking holding, but because the decision by Judge Cohn Jubelirer highlights how frequently the area of subrogation is misunderstood. It also highlights why…
Read MoreOur latest appellate newsletter, highlighting February 2014 published decisions from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, Pennsylvania Superior Court and Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court, is now available. Just click here to read the latest case law on ethics, medical malpractice (jury instructions), workers' compensation and sovereign immunity. To receive our monthly newsletter summarizing…
Read MoreLawyers who represent injured workers seeking benefits from the Pennsylvania Uninsured Employers Guaranty Fund (the UEGF) are used to its delaying tactics, and its abject failure to pay benefits even in the clearest cases. So it is no surprise that the UEGF appealed a decision awarding benefits in a claim…
Read MoreThe Superior Court of Pennsylvania has ruled on two high profile matters, one a medical malpractice case (Matharu v. Muir) with a long appellate history, the other affirming that disqualification of counsel is appropriate when the attorney has acquired confidential information in a prior representation substantially related to the current pending…
Read MoreJury Instructions - Error in Judgment - In Passarello v. Grumbine, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that an "error in judgment" jury instruction should never be given to the jury in a medical malpractice action. "If a defendant desires an instruction that conveys the principle that an unfortunate result does…
Read MoreThe Law Offices of Daniel J. Siegel, LLC has released the latest edition of its "Recent Pennsylvania Appellate Decisions" newsletter. Summarizing the most recent decisions (issued during January 2014) from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, Pennsylvania Superior Court and Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court, the newsletter includes cases addressing underinsured motorist damages (and offsets),…
Read MoreUnderinsured Motorist Coverage -- Damages Offset - In AAA Mid-Atlantic Insurance Co. v. Ryan, the Supreme Court ruled that an insurance policy may provide that underinsurance benefits are offset by the damages the insured collects from all tortfeasors. Click here to read the full Opinion. Traditional Product Liability Causes of Action Are…
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