Ben Seal

April 07, 2016 | The Legal Intelligencer

As the Pennsylvania Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday in Rost v. Ford Motor over use of the "any exposure" theory by an expert witness in an asbestos trial, the discussion dipped into the territory of "magic words" and hypothetical questions, but one question remained at the core of the conversation: Did Dr. Arthur Frank lay out a sufficient basis for his testimony that Richard Rost's exposure to Ford Motor Co. products was a causative factor in his developing mesothelioma?

By Ben Seal

9 minute read

April 06, 2016 | The Legal Intelligencer

In a case that has drawn attention from the federal government and several national legal organizations, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court weighed Wednesday the right of indigent defendants to bring claims seeking prospective civil relief under the Sixth and 14th amendments based on low funding levels in the Luzerne County Public Defender's Office.

By Ben Seal

5 minute read

April 05, 2016 | The Legal Intelligencer

The conflict between the Federal Arbitration Act's pre-eminence and a Pennsylvania citizen's right to a jury trial was at the heart of much-anticipated arguments Tuesday before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in Pittsburgh in a case set to determine how nursing home wrongful-death and survival lawsuits will proceed.

By Ben Seal

10 minute read

April 05, 2016 | The Legal Intelligencer

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has declined to review a decision that allows doctors to be sued for failing to report suspicions of child abuse, even though the Child Protective Services Law lacks an explicit civil remedy.


By Ben Seal

9 minute read

April 05, 2016 | The Legal Intelligencer

As Pennsylvania's six justices await word on whether an interim appointment will restore their full complement, the state Supreme Court is set to hear argument this week on the "any exposure" theory in asbestos cases and whether wrongful-death and survival actions need to be bifurcated for arbitration.

By Ben Seal

13 minute read

April 05, 2016 | The Legal Intelligencer

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case over a plaintiff's ability to strike prospective jurors for cause if they have close ties to a defendant's employer and the alleged negligence at issue occurred in the course of the defendant's employment.

By Ben Seal

11 minute read

April 05, 2016 | The Legal Intelligencer

A group of Republican senators looking to intervene in a lawsuit over Gov. Tom Wolf's executive order on in-home medical care lack standing because their legislative purposes are not impacted by the order, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled.

By Ben Seal

5 minute read

April 04, 2016 | The Legal Intelligencer

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday denied Wal-Mart Stores' petition for certiorari seeking to overturn a $187.6 million class-action damages award against the company over wage-and-hour violations.

By Ben Seal

11 minute read

April 01, 2016 | The Legal Intelligencer

While ethics attorneys are split over the precedent established by the Court of Judicial Discipline's recent order sanctioning former Justice J. Michael Eakin with a $50,000 fine, the net effect of Eakin's case is clear: Judges will need to be more conscious of their behavior away from the bench if they wish to avoid public scrutiny and potential discipline.

By Ben Seal

9 minute read

March 30, 2016 | The Legal Intelligencer

In a move that took some political observers by surprise, President Obama has endorsed Josh Shapiro for attorney general, calling him a "true progressive" with a track record of protecting Pennsylvania's families. The unusual endorsement, observers said, demonstrates Shapiro's larger political potential and the broader Democratic party's need for a deep roster of future leaders.

By Ben Seal

9 minute read