Wednesday, March 31, 2021

A Primer on Attorney Conduct At Depositions




A hotly debated issue in medical malpractice litigation over the past decade has been whether a defendant-physician can (1) refuse to answer standard of care questions or medical opinion questions or respond to requests to conduct a retrospective review of his/her own care so long as [s]he agrees not to testify as to those matters at trial (Allegheny County Judge R. Stanton Wettick (ret.) approach) or (2) can be compelled to answer deposition inquiries regarding standard of care, medical opinion, and/or retrospective review of care (Lackawanna County Judge Terrence R. Nealon approach).

In an Opinion issued earlier this week in the medical malpractice case of Lau v. Allegheny Health Network, G.D. 18 - 011924 (C.P. Allegh. Co. March 30, 2021 Ignelzi, J.), the Motions Court Judge in Allegheny County, Judge Phillip Ignelzi, abrogated the Judge Wettick approach for Allegheny County moving forward and adopted Judge Nealon’s approach as enunciated in Karim v. Reedy, 53 Pa. D. & C.5th 335 (Lacka. Co. 2016)(click this LINK to view that case) and Howarth-Gadomski v. Henzes, 2019 WL 6354235 (Lacka. Co. 2019)(click this LINK to view that case).

Judge Ignelzi held in Lau that defendant-physicians must now answer questions regarding standard of care, medical opinion, and/or retrospective review of care during their discovery depositions.

The decision is also notable for its instruction on the proper conduct of counsel during discovery, including at depositions. Judge Ignelzi frowned upon speaking objections and instructions by counsel to a witness not to answer a question.

The Court in Lau noted that an attorney should not instruct a witness not to answer a deposition question “unless counsel has objected on the ground that the answer is protected by privilege or a limitation on evidence directed by the Court.” See Op. at p. 33.

Judge Ignelzi adopted Lackawanna County Local Rule of Civil Procedure 4007.1(a), that states that counsel making an objection at a deposition shall state the word “objection,” and briefly state the legal basis for the objection without argument. See Op. at p. 30.

The Court also provides guidance on what types of deposition questions can be properly the subject of “objections to the form of the question,” and confirms that if such objections are not made during the course of a deposition, such objections to the form are considered to be waived under Pa.R.C.P. 4016(c).

More specifically, the Court found that deposition questions that are properly the subject to objections to the form of the question include “compound questions, questions that are ambiguous, unintelligible, misstatements of evidence or testimony, argumentative, assuming facts not in evidence, calling for speculation and deponent answers that are non-responsive.” See Op. at p. 29-30.

Anyone wishing to review this decision may click this LINK.

Motion to Stay Civil Case Pending Resolution of Criminal Case Granted



A Motion to Stay a civil matter pending the resolution of a criminal investigation and charges was granted in the Federal Middle District court case of Doe v. City of Scranton, No. 3:20-490 (M.D. Pa. March 18, 2021 Mannion, J.).

According to the Opinion, the Defendant allegedly used his position as a police officer to coerce sex from woman he used as confidential informants in drug cases he was investigating.

This civil case is proceeding while the companion criminal charges are being investigated.  The court noted that there is an alleged expectation that criminal charges will be filed against the Defendant.

Based upon the court’s review of the Motion to Stay and related materials, Judge Mannion granted the motion and the case was stayed.

The court noted that, in federal court, the decision to stay a case is within the sound discretion of the trial court judge.  Judge Mannion went on to review the six factors to be considered and, in the end, allowed for the stay of the civil matter as requested by the Defendant.

Anyone wishing to review a copy of this decision may click this LINK

Tuesday, March 30, 2021

ABINGTON HEIGHTS HIGH SCHOOL MOCK TRIAL TEAM WINS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

THE ABINGTON HEIGHTS HIGH SCHOOL MOCK TRIAL TEAM (from Clarks Summit, PA) WON STATE CHAMPIONSHIP LAST NIGHT!!




(See video below of the announcement of the State Champion)

So proud of all the bright, respectful, determined students that made up this team.  So impressed with the dedication of their Teacher Coach Len Romanski.  I helped out as the team's Attorney Advisor.  The team was undefeated throughout the competition, going 9-0.

Thank you to Principal Andrew Snyder and Abington Heights High School for promoting the Mock Trial Program.

Sending great thanks also to the Young Lawyers Division of the Pennsylvania Bar Association for running a great virtual 2021 Mock Trial Season and to all of the volunteers who served as Judges and Jurors throughout the competition. Also send thanks to the Lackawanna Bar Association for running a great District Competition and the Monroe Bar Association for running a great Regional Competition.



Here is a list of team members of the 2021 State Champion Abington Heights High School Mock Trial Team:

Seniors: Noelle Prisco,  Eric Schuster,  Julia LaCoe, Maddie Lucas, Evan Pallis

Juniors: Adam Tinkelman, Aiden Snyder

Sophomores: Faith Bennett, Michael Cummins, Reenad Khan, Chloe Levasseur

Freshmen: Maddie Herold, Dane Huggler, Aidan Lam, William Newton, Thomas Russini, Noor Rutty

Here's a LINK the March 30, 2021 article from the Scranton Times on the Win.  That's my son, Michael Cummins, in the center of the photo with the grey mask on.  Proud to note that he excelled during the Competition, winning a Best Witness Award six (6) times in six Trials.

Pennsylvania Superior Court Reviews Admissibility of Expert Testimony Based Upon Methodology Behind Opinion




The Pennsylvania Superior Court recently issued a notable decision regarding the admissibility of expert testimony in the case of In the Interest of: M.R., a minor, 2021 Pa. Super. 30 (Pa. Super. March 1, 2021 Bender, P.J.E., Olson, J., and King, J.) (Op. by Bender, J.).

Although this is not a tort case, and involves issues regarding child abuse, the law regarding the admissibility of expert opinions set forth in this decision would likely also apply in civil litigation matters.

At issue in this case was whether the trial court erred and abused its discretion by admitting the testimony of the parents’ expert witness who offered an opinion that metabolic bone disease of infancy (also known as temporary brittle bone disease) was the cause of the twin children’s multiple fractures and not any abuse.

In reviewing the issue of admissibility of the expert’s opinion, the court reviewed Pennsylvania Rule of Evidence 702 and the case of Frye v. United States, 293 F. 1013 (D.C. Cir. 1923).

The court noted that, under Pennsylvania Rule of Evidence 702, which controls the admissibility of expert testimony, one of the requirements for the admission of an expert’s opinion is that the expert’s methodology is generally accepted in the relevant field. This is commonly referred to as the Frye test.

The court noted that the Frye test is limited to an inquiry into whether the methodologies by which the scientist had reached his or her conclusions have been generally accepted in the scientific community. 

The court noted that this test restricts the admission of scientific evidence to that evidence that has resulted from scientific research which has been deemed to be generally recognized as sound research as opposed to the “fanciful creations of a renegade researcher.” [citation omitted].   However, the test is not so restrictive that it does not allow for a scientist to testify as to new conclusions which have emerged during the course of properly conducted research.

Under this test, the proponent of the admission of expert scientific evidence bears the burden of establishing all of the elements supporting its admission, including the general acceptance of a methodology that has actually been employed in the relevant scientific community.

The Pennsylvania Superior Court emphasized that the law of Pennsylvania is that the question of whether a methodology is generally accepted in the relevant scientific community is a determination that is to be made based upon the testimony of scientists in that community and not upon any alleged scientific expertise of the trial court judge. Rather, the Frye test assures that judges will be guided by scientists when assessing the reliability of a scientific method.

As such, under the analysis to be applied in determining whether to admit an expert's opinion, it is the trial court’s function to ensure that the expert has applied a generally accepted scientific methodology to reach his or her scientific conclusions. To fulfill this function, the trial court must be guided by scientists in the relevant field, including the experts retained the parties in the case and any other evidence of general acceptance presented by the parties.  For example, a reference to the methodology in textbooks, scientific publications, studies, statistics, expert testimony, or in other judicial opinions on the issue, or a combination of these sources, can support the admission of an opinion.

The Superior Court cautioned that the trial court may consider only whether the expert applied methodology generally accepted in the relevant field, and the trial court may not go further and attempt to determine whether or not it agrees with the expert’s application of those methodologies and/or whether the expert’s conclusions have sufficient factual support.  Rather, those questions are for a jury to decide.

In setting forth this law, the Pennsylvania Superior Court in this case quoted extensively from the recent Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision in the case of Walsh Estate of Walsh v. BASF Corp., 234 A.3d 446, 456 (Pa. 2020).

In the end, the Pennsylvania Superior Court found that the trial court had abused its discretion by admitting the testimony of the expert in this child abuse case.

Anyone wishing to review a copy of this decision may click this LINK.


I send thanks to Attorney James M. Beck of the Philadelphia office of Reed Smith law firm for bringing this case to my attention.

Monday, March 29, 2021

Post-Trial Motions Denied in Lackawanna County Fatal Boating Accident Case


 
In the case of Loomis v. Bomba, No. 18-CV-930 (C.P. Lacka. Co. March 12, 2021 Nealon, J.), the court addressed a number of post-trial motions filed by a Plaintiff after a defense verdict was entered in a boating fatality litigation.

In the end, after review of the record before it, the court noted that, as the ultimate triers of fact and the judges of credibility, the jury was free to accept or reject the witnesses presented.  The jury’s verdict was found to be not so contrary to the evidence as to shock one’s sense of justice.

With regards to the Plaintiff’s objection that the investigating State Trooper allegedly violated the hearsay rule by referring to a statement that he obtained from a non-testifying witness, the court found that the Trooper’s reference to this statement was permitted to explain his course of conduct in the investigation, rather than any admission of hearsay statement for the truth of the matter asserted. The judge additionally emphasized that he had provided the jury with a cautionary instruction advising the jury that the statement could only be considered for the limited purpose for which it was admitted.

Judge Nealon also rejected any contention by the Plaintiff that his jury instructions were deficient in the court’s failure to charge the jury based upon certain information from a handbook published by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. The court noted that the jury was provided by appropriate instructions regarding a boat operator’s duties of care under the Fish and Boat Code as well as under the regulations promulgated by the Fish and Boat Commission. Judge Nealon otherwise noted that the jury instruction charged, as a whole, was not inadequate, unclear, misleading, or confusion. He also noted that the instructions did not omit any basic or fundamental principals of law.

Anyone wishing to review this Opinion may click this LINK.

Friday, March 26, 2021

Employer Running Golf Tournament Found to Be Social Host Under Dram Shop Claim (Not Liable)



In the case of Klar v. Dairy Farmers of America, Inc., No. 10863 of 2015 (C.P. Lawr. Co. Jan. 15, 2021 Cox, J.), the court issued a Rule 1925 Opinion for appellate purposes with regards to the trial court’s granting of a Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings against the Plaintiff and in favor of an employer in a case in which the court ruled that an employer who collects contributions for a social event was still considered to a social host with respect to any liability claims under the Dram Shop Act. Based upon this ruling, the trial court dismissed the Plaintiff’s negligence claims against the employer.

According to the Opinion, the Pennsylvania was injured in a motor vehicle accident when the vehicle operated by the Defendant driver struck the Plaintiff’s motorcycle.

The Defendant driver was an employee of Dairy Farmers of America. That employer had sponsored a golf outing and encouraged its employees to attend. The employees made a monetary contribution to offset the cost of the greens fees, food, and alcohol. After collecting the contributions from the employees, the employer paid for the event in its entirety.

The Plaintiff alleged that, at the event, the Defendant driver consumed an amount of alcohol that raised his blood alcohol level beyond the legal limit. The Defendant driver then proceeded to drive and was involved in the accident with the Plaintiff.

The Plaintiff sued the Defendant driver as well as his employer under negligence claims. The employer filed a Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings arguing that it was not liable under the Dram Shop Act because it was a social host.

In this matter, the court followed Pennsylvania law in which other courts had declined to impose liability on non-licensed person who furnished alcohol to individuals for no renumeration. The court ruled that, in order for the Plaintiff to hold the employer liable in this situation, the Plaintiff was required to show that the employer was a person “selling” liquor.

Here, the court noted that the alcohol expense was only a portion of the expenses that the employer paid for the gold event.

While the court recognized that, under case law pertaining to the collective purchase of alcohol, social hosts could be employers or other entities as well as individuals. The court noted that, under Pennsylvania law, social host status did not disappear because the furnishing of alcohol was collective rather than gratuitous.

However, in this matter, the court held that the payment of a fee to defer the costs of the gold outing, with alcohol being only an incidental part of the fee and without any other evidence of the commercial sale of liquor, did not support a claim for either common law negligence or negligence per se against the employer.

As such, in this Rule 1925 Opinion, the trial court requested that the appellate court uphold the trial court’s decision dismissing the Plaintiff's negligence claim against the employer.

Anyone wishing to review a copy of this decision may click this LINK.

Source: “Digest of Recent Opinions.” Pennsylvania Law Weekly (March 3, 2021).

Thursday, March 25, 2021

Pennsylvania Supreme Court's Latest Pronouncement on Service of Process Issues




In the case of Gussom v. Teagle, No. 12 EAP 2020 (Pa. March 25, 2021)(Maj. Op. by Baer, J.)(Wecht, J., Dissenting), the Pennsylvania Supreme Court addressed the Lamp v. Heyman line of cases regarding the completion of service of original process. This issue was last addressed by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in the McCreesh case back 16 years ago back in 2005. Notably, Justice Max Baer had also issued the McCreesh decision.

In this new decision in Gussom, the Court reviewed the long line of precedent on the issue of whether a lawsuit should be dismissed due to a plaintiff’s failure to engage in a good faith effort to complete service and thereby demonstrating an intent to stall the judicial machinery he or she had initiated.

In Gussom, the Superior Court affirmed a trial court order that dismissed a plaintiff’s Complaint based upon a plaintiff’s failure to timely serve her Complaint and the case was dismissed despite the fact that the plaintiff’s actions did not amount to intentional conduct. See Op. at p. 2.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court affirmed the rulings of the Superior Court and the trial court thereby dismissing the plaintiff's complaint with prejudice. In so ruling, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court confirmed that the standard of review in this context did not require a finding of intent on the part of the plaintiff or prejudice to the defendant under the analysis develop through Lamp v. Heyman and its progeny.

The standard set out by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in Gussom is that a plaintiff must make a good faith effort to diligently and timely serve original process upon a defendant. If plaintiff puts forth credible evidence that they made this attempt, then the requirement is fulfilled. “If a plaintiff does not present such evidence, then she has failed to satisfy her evidentiary burden, regardless of whether her actions (or inaction) were intentional, unintentional or otherwise.” See Op. at p. 17.

The Gussom Court held that “a trial court has the discretion to dismiss a complaint when a plaintiff fails to offer proof that she diligently attempted to serve process on a defendant in a timely manner and there is no evidence to indicate that the defendant had actual notice of the commencement of the action in the relevant time frame, regardless of whether the plaintiff acted or failed to act intentionally.” See Op. at p. 3.

The dissent, written by Justice David N. Wecht, would have overturned the Superior Court’s ruling. The dissent felt that the standard should be intent based and should also require the defendant to show prejudice.

The Majority Opinion in Gussom can be viewed HERE.  The Dissenting Opinion can be viewed HERE.


I send thanks to Attorney Joseph B Mayers of the Mayers Firm, LLC in Plymouth Meeting, PA for bringing this case to my attention.
 

Carrier's Denial of Claim for Business Interruption Coverage Upheld



In the case Isaac’s At Spring Ridge, LLP v. MMG Ins. Co., No. CI-20-03613 (C.P. Lanc. Co. March 2, 2021 Sponaugle, J.), the court issued an Order granting the carrier’s Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings in a coverage action arising out of the Plaintiff’s claim of business income losses under an all-risk commercial property policy involving a restaurant that was forced to modify, but not close, its operation due to the Commonwealth’s COVID-19 Orders.

In so ruling, the court relied, in part, upon a virus exclusion contained in the policy.

The court also found that the civil authority coverage requirements under the policy were not met.

The court also noted that the Plaintiff did not suffer any direct physical loss or damage to its premises in order to meet the requirements of another policy provider for coverage.

Anyone wishing to review this detailed Order without Opinion issued by the Court may click this LINK.


I send thanks to Attorney Peter J. Speaker of the Harrisburg, PA office of the law firm of Thomas, Thomas & Hafer, LLP for bringing this case to my attention.

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

Corrected Link to Fair Share Act Decision by the Pennsylvania Superior Court



Here is a corrected LINK to the Fair Share Act decision highlighted in yesterday's Tort Talk blog post, that being the case of Spencer v. Johnson, 2021 Pa. Super. 48 (Pa. Super. March 18, 2021 Panella, P.J., McLaughlin, J., McCaffery, J.)(Op. by Panella, P.J.).

I apologize for any confusion or consternation.


UPDATE:  It has been reported that this case settled without further appellate review.






The Pennsylvania Superior Court Issues a Largely Advisory Opinion on the Fair Share Act




The Pennsylvania Superior Court recently issued a notable decision with respect to the Fair Share Act. Although wordy and filled with dicta, the decision warrants a read-through for its review of the Act.  The decision is also considered by some to only be an advisory opinion given that only two of the three judges assigned to the case weighed in on the decision.

In the case of Spencer v. Johnson, 2021 Pa. Super. 48 (Pa. Super. March 18, 2021 Panella, P.J., McLaughlin, J., McCaffery, J.)(Op. by Panella, P.J.), a plaintiff pedestrian alleged personal injuries as a result of being struck by a vehicle operated by an individual who was driving his wife's company car while allegedly under the influence of alcohol.

In the Complaint, the plaintiff alleged negligence by the driver and various negligent entrustment type claims against the defendant driver's wife and the company that owned the car.

The jury handed down a verdict in favor of the Plaintiff in the amount that was just shy of $13 million dollars. The jury assessed comparative negligence, as follows:

Defendant driver: 36%

Wife: 19%

Company: 45%

With regards to the application of the Fair Share Act, the court held that the Defendant Company that owned the company car that the Defendant driver was driving was jointly and severally liable for the entire award because the 19% liability of the wife should be added to the 45% of the company under a vicarious liability theory, which put the Company at a percentage over the 60% limit of the Fair Share Act for holding a defendant jointly and severally liable.

In other words, the appellate court accepted the Plaintiff's argument that the wife's negligence should be imputed to the Company's negligence because the wife-employee was acting within the scope and course of her employment with the Company at the time of the accident. As such, the Court accepted the Plaintiff's argument that the Company should be held to be vicariously liable for the wife's alleged negligence. The Superior Court reversed and remanded the case to the trial court for further proceedings with regard to a molding of the verdict.

The Superior Court also went on to note that, assuming for the sake of argument, that the Company was not vicariously liable for the action of the wife and those defendants were instead required to be treated separately, the Fair Share Act would not have applied because the Act only applies to cases in which the plaintiff’s comparative negligence is an issue in the case. See Op. beginning on p. 48.  

Some read this portion of the Opinion to suggest that, where there is no finding of comparative negligence on the Plaintiff, the Fair Share Act does not apply and the case reverts back to the old joint and several law under which a Plaintiff could recover the verdict against any defendants that are jointly and severally liable regardless of their percentage of liability assessed by the jury, i.e., a return to the days where a defendant could be made to pay the entire verdict even if that defendant was only found to be 1% responsible.

This part of the Opinion appears to be dicta and may be considered to be more in the form of an advisory opinion by the Superior Court on the scope and reach of the Fair Share Act.  Regardless, the Court has voiced an opinion on this issue that may be heeded by other courts in the future at least as guidance on the question presented.

Anyone wishing to review this decision may click this LINK.


I send thanks to Attorney Peter J. Faben of the Lancaster, PA law firm of Barley Snyder for bringing this case to my attention.


UPDATE:  It was reported that this case settled without further appellate review.

Volunteers Needed -- Will You Help (From the Comfort of Your Own Home)?


 

I am passing along the below email message I received from the Pennsylvania Bar Association. Please consider volunteering. I have modified the message a bit for emphasis. Thank you very much.


On behalf of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, it is our pleasure to invite you to participate in the 2021 Statewide High School Mock Trial Competition. Like everything in our society, this year’s competition has been affected by the COVID-19 global health pandemic. To comply with social distancing requirements, the Mock Trial Executive Committee and volunteers across the state have operated this year’s competition virtually, providing students with some sense of normalcy has been a priority of ours throughout these crazy times. This year’s state championships will also take place virtually, via Zoom.

Now celebrating its 38th year, the Statewide Mock Trial Competition continues to thrive. What began with a few schools in the Philadelphia area has bloomed into a flourishing program involving over 300 teams and 3,000 high school students from across the Commonwealth. Students competing in the program work together, embracing the teamwork ideal, and prepare and try a legal case in court. Meanwhile, they hone their public speaking skills and learn valuable lessons about our legal system from the many volunteer lawyers participating in the competition. The State Competition will see the top 16 teams from around the state competing for the championship. This year’s State Champion earns the honor of competing virtually in the National Championships in Indiana later this spring.

The championship weekend begins with Rounds 1 and 2 on Friday, March 26 at 1:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Round 3 is scheduled for Saturday, March 27 at 8:30 a.m. Because we have invited 16 teams this year, rather than our usual 14, we have also scheduled a potential playoff round for 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. This year’s Final Round is scheduled for Tuesday, March 30, 2021, at 4:30 p.m.

To SIGN UP TO SERVE AS A JUROR in this virtual event, please click Judging Panel Volunteer Form to submit your offer to serve and to note your availability.

Law related education programs – such as this – help prepare a future generation of our society. These programs not only showcase the importance of our judicial system, but also the role our profession plays in our society. On behalf of countless high school students across the Commonwealth, as well as the Young Lawyers that tirelessly work on this competition, we thank you for your time.
 

Monday, March 22, 2021

I Survived Picking a Jury In Person (And It Wasn't That Bad)

 



On Friday, March 19, 2021, I participated in a live, in-person jury selection while we are still in the midst of a (hopefully receding) COVID-19 pandemic.

The case was pending in the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas.  I represented an out-of-possession landlord defendant in a dog bite case involving a dog that was not owned by the tenant on the lease and which dog bite did not even occur on the rental property.  Rather, the dog bite occurred a block away from the rental property.  The Plaintiff sued my client, the tenant, and also sued the tenant's son and the son's girlfriend who was listed on the dog license as the owner of the dog in question.  The Plaintiff was attempting to allege that the tenant's son and the dog lived at the rental property even though his mother, who was the tenant, denied this allegation.  But I digress.

Although the case was pending in the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas, the jury selection actually took place at the beautiful new Jewish Community Center in Kingston, PA.  This Center is just down the same road where the law firm of Hourigan, Kluger & Quinn is located.  The Center is so new it did not even come up on my GPS which was one more thing to add to my anxiety as I drove down to Luzerne County in an effort to find out where my first live trial in over a year would begin.

If you have to pick a jury there, please call me and I will tell you how to get there if you are not sure.

In the time leading up to this trial, I was anxious and continually cursed at the thought at having to go through what would have been a 4-5 day trial.  Yet, as you will read, it all turned out to be fine.

At conferences prior to trial, the presiding judge, Judge Lesa Gelb, assured myself and Plaintiff's Attorneys, Katie Nealon and Ciarra DeNaples of Munley Law, that all pandemic safety precautions would be in place.  In addition to having jury selection in a separate larger space, Judge Gelb explained that the jurors would be spread out through the Courtroom in both the jury box and the gallery.

Cameras and TVs would be used in the courtroom to make sure that all jurors could easily see and hear the witnesses.  At least two of the witnesses were also going to be allowed to testify via Zoom from their homes due to their fears of attending trial in person given their own health issues or the fact that they cared for elderly family members.

Prior to trial, counsel was also given a sheet that listed COVID-19 related protocols that would be followed in terms of the presentation of exhibits at trial.  The Court encourage counsel to present as many of the exhibits as possible up on the big screen as opposed to by way of paper exchanges.  Another protocol required counsel to bring at least 12 copies of a particular exhibit if the exhibit was going to be produced to the jury so that one document would not have to be passed down through 12 people.

As stated, the jury selection proceedings took place offsite.  

On the morning of jury selection, everyone who came into the Jewish Community Center had to have a mask on and everyone had their temperature taken.

The voir dire took place in a large ballroom within the Center.  In that large ballroom there were counsel tables spread out along the long side of the room.  Between those tables, on a low elevated platform was a table for the Judge.  Next to that raised table, but on the floor was a table for the court reporter to work from.  All of these referenced tables, i.e., for the attorneys, the Judge, and the court reporter, were all in a row.

Spread out through the rest of the room in perpendicular fashion from the row of tables were 10 rows of 4 chairs for the jurors to sit in.  Each chair had a piece of paper with a large print number on it that they could raise when they had a response to any of the voir dire questions.

What was noticably missing were microphones.  For a hearing impaired person like myself who wears hearing aids and who reads lips to help him hear, the addition of microphones would be a welcome addition to voir dire proceedings in this setting in which people are spread out across a large area and their mouths are covered by masks.

As they arrived at the Center, the jurors were checked in out in the foyer and allowed to enter the room one at a time.  They came into the ballroom their numerical order, 1 through 40, and were immediately directed to their seat.  The process was orderly and well done by the courthouse staff and the sheriff's deputies.  The jurors seemed nervous, but not scared.

Although everyone was 6 feet part, it was still a bit leery to be in a room with over 50 other people present.

Prior to voir dire starting, the court held a conference of attorneys to address any objections with regards to the proposed voir dire questions.  This was done in an effort to make the voir dire more efficient.

Also, in part to avoid counsel having to move about the room when asking follow up questions, the court noted that the attorneys involved could ask the typical first round of questions of voir dire to the jurors.  The court and counsel would then mark down all of the positive responses based on which jurors held up their numbered card that they each had at their chair when they arrived.  After the first round of questions were asked by the Judge, Plaintiff's Counsel, and defense counsel, would retired to a smaller conference room and each juror who had answered positively would then be summoned to that side room to meet with the Judge and counsel for the follow-up "can you be fair and impartial" questions regarding all of the original questions they answered affirmatively.

Judge Gelb started the proceedings by giving great thanks to the jurors for appearing in response to their juror summons.  I was not privy to whether there were people who summoned but did not show up.  Judge Gelb also did her best to make sure the jurors were comfortable and felt safe.

The initial questioning went off without a hitch and then the Judge and counsel retired to the side conference room which was large as well and in which all could spread out a bit.  The Court and counsel got through more questioning of approximately three jurors before settlement talks commenced that resulted in a resolution of the case.

The Court and Counsel then all went back into the ballroom where the jurors were waiting and Judge Gelb announced that the case had been settled and then proceeded to again give great thanks to the jurors for showing up to honor their duty to serve as jurors.  Judge Gelb noted to the jurors that they were great Patriots in helping our jury system to work under still trying conditions.

The jurors were then asked to leave in an orderly and spread out fashion which they did.

And so, the lesson appears to be that, while the thought of having to go back into the courtrooms may give rise to anxious feelings, the Court and its staff and the Sheriff's Department, at least in Luzerne County, are doing all that they can to make sure that it is a safe and orderly event.

If anyone would like further feedback or information in this regard, please do not hesitate to contact me at dancummins@CumminsLaw.net

Validity of Household Exclusion Upheld in Third Circuit Court of Appeals Decision (Non-Precedential)



In a non-precedential decision that goes against the effort of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in Gallagher v. GEICO across the board, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision on Thursday in the case of Dunleavy v. Mid-Century Ins. Co., No. 10-2100 (3d Cir. March 18, 2021 Shwarz, J., Matey, J., Traxler, J.)(Op. by Shwarz, J.), in which the Third Circuit Court of Appeals held that the household exclusion was enforceable where it did not operate as an implied waiver of stacking.

The Court noted that its decision was marked as not precedential because it was not an Opinion of the full Third Circuit Court of Appeals.

In that case, the injured parties were riding a motorcycle, and were involved in an accident with an allegedly underinsured vehicle.

The motorcycle was insured by Progressive, but UIM coverage had been rejected outright.

Therefore, the claimants made a claim for UIM coverage under their separate personal automobile insurance policy issued by Mid-Century Insurance Company, which policy did not include the motorcycle on the schedule of covered vehicles.

The carrier denied the claim on the basis of the household exclusion contained in that policy.

The Third Circuit held that the household exclusion unambiguously excluded UIM coverage in this case.

The Court in Dunleavy noted in footnote 3 that the Plaintiff's reliance upon the Gallagher decision was "misplaced" as the issues in this case did not involve stacking, but rather involved issues of whether coverage should be allowed under a particular policy.  

The Court instead relied upon Eichelman v. Nationwide Ins. Co., 711 A.2d 1006 (Pa. 1998), to support its conclusion. 

More specifically, the Third Circuit stated in this Dunleavy case that, because UIM coverage had been waived on the policy covering the motorcycle, there was no UIM coverage upon which to “stack” the UIM coverage from the Mid-Century policy. Therefore, the Third Circuit ruled that since this case did not involve stacking, the matter was, therefore, distinguishable from Gallagher.

The Court also emphasized that the fact that the Plaintiff had not paid any premium for the coverage that was sought also supported the application of the exclusion.

As such, the Third Circuit in Dunleavy affirmed the District Court’s decision granting of the carrier’s Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings based upon a finding that the household exclusion in the carrier’s policy served to preclude coverage under the facts presented.

Anyone wishing to review the Third Circuit Court of Appeals non-precedential decision in the Dunleavy case may click this LINK.


I send thanks to a number of attorneys who brought this case to my attention. I send thanks to Attorney Benjamin P. Novak of the Lancaster, PA office of Fowler, Hirtzel, McNulty & Spaulding, LLP.  I also thank Attorney Patricia A. Monahan from the Pittsburgh office of Marshall Dennehey for noting this case to me.  I also send thanks in the same regards to Attorney Sara Richman of the Philadelphia law firm of Troutman Pepper for bringing this case to my attention.


Commentary:

Anyone wishing to review the Tort Talk Blog post on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's previous decision in Gallagher v. GEICO, along with a link to that decision, can be viewed at this LINK.  The judicially activist Pennsylvania Supreme Court attempted to eradicate the household exclusion, which the Court asserted was "buried in an amendment" to the policy.

This decision in the Dunleavy by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals is yet another post-Gallagher decision that finds that the household exclusion remains valid in many factual scenarios despite the efforts of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in Gallagher to render the exclusion unenforceable in any scenario.  See this LINK for some of those other household exclusion cases that chip away at the extent of the Gallagher decision and serve to limit the decision to its facts just as the Pennsylvania Supreme Court should have done under settled principles of standards of appellate review.

For additional issues with the Majority's decision in Gallagher, look no further than Justice David N. Wecht's cogent Dissenting Opinion in that decision.

Turning back to the Third Circuit's decision in Dunleavy, in its reference to the fact that the injured parties did not pay a premium for the extra coverage that they were seeking as constituting further support for the application of the household exclusion, the Dunleavy Court was also supporting the age old adage that you can't get something for nothing.  In other words, if the injured party did not pay a premium for the type of additional UIM coverage they are seeking, then they should not be able to recover it. 

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has another opportunity to review the issues presented by the household exclusion in the case of Donovan v. State Farm.  It remains to be seen how they will rule in that case.






Thursday, March 18, 2021

Allegations of Recklessness Stricken From Complaint Regarding Head-On Collision




In the case of Hilferding v. Zinn, No. 2020-SU-002187 (C.P. York Co. March 5, 2021 Flannelly, J.), the court sustained in part and overruled in part the Defendant’s Preliminary Objections to a Plaintiff’s Complaint in a motor vehicle accident case.

Notably, the court sustained a Defendant’s objections the Plaintiff’s claims of recklessness or wantonness stated in the Complaint.

According to the Opinion, this matter arose out a tragic motor vehicle accident. In their Complaint, the Plaintiffs asserted that the injuries and damages sustained by the Plaintiff were the result of negligent, careless, wanton, and reckless manner in which the Defendant driver operated her motor vehicle. 

The Defendant filed Preliminary Objections, in part, arguing that the Plaintiff had failed to sufficiently pled a claim for wantonness or recklessness.

In the Complaint, the Plaintiff alleged that the Defendant driver left her lane of travel and struck the Plaintiff’s vehicle in a head-on fashion. There were no allegations of cell phone use or other aggravating factors set forth in the Plaintiff’s Complaint.

The Plaintiff asserted that they should be permitted to pled recklessness because, if they prevailed on this claim at trial, then the Defendant would be barred from raising the affirmative defense of contributory negligence at trial. The Plaintiffs also asserted that, under Pennsylvania law, although they were required to pled material facts in a Complaint, they should be allowed to generally plead allegations of intent, knowledge, and conditions of the mind. The Plaintiff contended that an allegation of recklessness is an allegation that the Defendant acted with recklessness indifference to the rights of others and, therefore, as an allegation of a condition of the mind, was allowed to be pled generally.

The Plaintiffs additionally asserted that, by failing to keep control of her car in order to stay in her own lane of travel, the Defendant driver created a high degree of risk of physical harm to another which, in the mind of the Plaintiff, constituted reckless behavior.

After reviewing Pennsylvania law regarding the standard for reckless conduct, the court noted that the standard required the Plaintiff to make a showing that goes beyond an allegation of negligence or even gross negligence.

Here, the Plaintiff alleged that the Defendant driver left her lane of travel, entered the Plaintiff’s lane of travel, and struck the Plaintiff’s vehicle in a head-on fashion due to the Defendant’s failure to keep alert and maintain a proper watch for the presence of other vehicles.  

The Court held that allegations that the Defendant driver failed to stay within her lane of travel while traveling at an unsafe speed did not rise to the level of recklessness or wantonness. Rather, these allegations were found only to constitute a showing of ordinary negligence.

As such, the court granted the Defendant’s Preliminary Objections to the Plaintiff’s allegations of wanton and reckless conduct. However, the Plaintiff was granted the right to amend the Complaint if the Plaintiff desired to attempt to state a valid claim of recklessness in an Amended Complaint.

Anyone wishing to review a copy of this decision may click this LINK.


I send thanks to Attorney Kevin T. McGarry of the Lancaster, PA law office of Post & Schell, P.C., for bringing this case to my attention.

Wednesday, March 17, 2021

Volunteers Needed for 2021 Statewide High School Mock Trial Competition (To Be Held Virtually on March 26, 27, and 30th )



I am passing along the below email message I received from the Pennsylvania Bar Association. Please consider volunteering. I have modified the message a bit for emphasis. Thank you very much.


On behalf of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, it is our pleasure to invite you to participate in the 2021 Statewide High School Mock Trial Competition. Like everything in our society, this year’s competition has been affected by the COVID-19 global health pandemic. To comply with social distancing requirements, the Mock Trial Executive Committee and volunteers across the state have operated this year’s competition virtually, providing students with some sense of normalcy has been a priority of ours throughout these crazy times. This year’s state championships will also take place virtually, via Zoom.

Now celebrating its 38th year, the Statewide Mock Trial Competition continues to thrive. What began with a few schools in the Philadelphia area has bloomed into a flourishing program involving over 300 teams and 3,000 high school students from across the Commonwealth. Students competing in the program work together, embracing the teamwork ideal, and prepare and try a legal case in court. Meanwhile, they hone their public speaking skills and learn valuable lessons about our legal system from the many volunteer lawyers participating in the competition. The State Competition will see the top 16 teams from around the state competing for the championship. This year’s State Champion earns the honor of competing virtually in the National Championships in Indiana later this spring.

The championship weekend begins with Rounds 1 and 2 on Friday, March 26 at 1:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Round 3 is scheduled for Saturday, March 27 at 8:30 a.m. Because we have invited 16 teams this year, rather than our usual 14, we have also scheduled a potential playoff round for 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. This year’s Final Round is scheduled for Tuesday, March 30, 2021, at 4:30 p.m.

To SIGN UP TO SERVE AS A JUROR in this virtual event, please click Judging Panel Volunteer Form to submit your offer to serve and to note your availability.

Law related education programs – such as this – help prepare a future generation of our society. These programs not only showcase the importance of our judicial system, but also the role our profession plays in our society. On behalf of countless high school students across the Commonwealth, as well as the Young Lawyers that tirelessly work on this competition, we thank you for your time.
 

Tuesday, March 16, 2021

Constitutional Challenge to Medical Malpractice Venue Rules Rejected



In the case of Dockery v. Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals, Inc., No. 611 EDA 2020 (Pa. Super. Feb. 22, 2021 Kunselman, J., Nicholas, J., and Pellegrini, J.) (Op. by Kunselman, J.), the Pennsylvania Superior Court ruled that an Equal Protection challenge to the medical malpractice venue statute failed where the Plaintiff failed to demonstrate that the Legislature and the courts lacked any legitimate interest in restricting venue in medical malpractice matters to the county where the cause of action arose.

According to the Opinion, the Plaintiff filed her Complaint in Philadelphia County even though the underlying alleged conduct had occurred in Delaware County. 

The Defendants filed Preliminary Objections and the case came before the court. The Plaintiff responded to the Preliminary Objections by asserting that the statute and the rules regarding venue were unconstitutional.

The trial court had rejected the Plaintiff’s argument and sustained the Preliminary Objections and transferred the case to Delaware County.  As noted, on appeal, the Pennsylvania Superior Court affirmed the trial court’s decision in this matter.

Anyone wishing to review a copy of this decision may click this LINK.


Source: “Digest of Recent Opinions.” Pennsylvania Law Weekly (March 9, 2021).

Insured Loses Fight for Coverage for a Fight


In the case of State Farm Fire and Cas. Co. v. Simone, No. 2:20-CV-00908-RJC (W.D.P. Jan. 28,2021 Colville, J.) County Court addressed a Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings filed by the liability insurance company seeking a declaratory judgment that the carrier did not have a duty to defend or indemnify the defendant with respect to allegations set forth in an underlying complaint arising out of an altercation during which the insured punched the injured party after they bumped into one another on a walkway at a crowded concert. 

After comparing the allegations in the Plaintiff’s complaint against the terms of the policy in question, the court ruled that the allegations in the complaint described a willful physical assault and an intentional tort for which there was no coverage under the policy. 


As such, the carrier’s motion for judgment on the pleadings was granted.


Anyone wishing to review this decision may click this LINK.


Monday, March 15, 2021

Northumberland County Court Addresses Attorney Presence at Neuropsychological IME



In the case of Ackley v. Johns, No. CV-2017-1757 (C.P. North. Co. Dec. 29, 2020 Rosini, J.), entered an Order only in this Northumberland County case ruling that a representative of a Plaintiff may be present during the entirety of a neuropsychological examination, including those parts of the examination that related to objective evaluations as well as the questioning/interviewing parts of the overall examination.

The court based its decision on a literal reading of Pa. R.C.P. 4010(a)(4)(i) which permits the subject of an examination to have a representative present. The court noted that, while it recognized the distinctions raised by the parties with respect to the objective evaluation part of exam and the questioning/interviewing parts of the overall neuropsychological exam, the court felt that it was bound by a clear wording of the discovery Rule of Civil Procedure.

In terms of the defense concern that the presence or involvement of Plaintiff’s counsel or a representative at the evaluation or examination would taint the examination, the court noted in a footnote to the Order that the defense retained the right to address those issues during the course of cross-examination at trial. [In making this statement, the court did not explain how or why a defense attorney would cross-examine its own expert witness at trial.].


Anyone wishing to review a copy of this decision may click this LINK.


I send thanks to Attorney Cliff Rieders of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania law firm of Rieders, Travis, Humphrey, Waters & Dorhmann, for bringing this case to my attention.

Thursday, March 11, 2021

CONGRATULATIONS TO ABINGTON HEIGHTS MOCK TRIAL TEAM

 



CONGRATULATIONS TO THE ABINGTON HEIGHTS MOCK TRIAL TEAM WHO WON THE REGIONAL MOCK TRIAL COMPETITION LAST NIGHT.

THE TEAM WILL NOW MOVE ON TO THE STATE COMPETITION WHICH IS SET TO TAKE PLACE VIRTUALLY ON MARCH 25 - 25, 2021.

SENDING THANKS TO THE MONROE COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION FOR RUNNING THE REGIONAL COMPETITION AND TO THE JUDGES AND JURORS WHO VOLUNTEERED THEIR TIME AND EXPERTISE AND HELPED TO MAKE THE PROGRAM A SUCCESS FOR THE STUDENTS.

Court Rules That a Certificate of Merit is Required For Plaintiff to Proceed on a Legal Malpractice Claim



In the case of Corliss v. Lee A. Ciccarelli, PC, No. 3129-CV-2020 (CP Monroe Co. Jan 11, 2021 Williamson, J.), Judge David J. Williamson of the Monroe County Court of Common Pleas addressed various motions with respect to a Plaintiff’s legal malpractice Complaint against his former criminal defense attorney.

In this decision, the court ruled that, although the Plaintiff alleged a breach of contract claim against his former law firm, the cause of action pled sounded in tort.

The Plaintiff was attempting to assert that, since he had filed a breach of contract action, he did not have to produce a Certificate of Merit. The court disagreed and dismissed the Plaintiff’s Complaint and required him to file a Certificate of Merit should he elect to file another Amended Complaint.

In his decision, the court had also agreed with the defense that the gist of the action doctrine applied as well in support of the dismissal.

Anyone wishing to review a copy of this decision may click this LINK.


Source “Digest of Recent Opinions.” Pennsylvania Law Weekly (Feb 16, 2021).


_______________________


Should you be an attorney in need of an expert witness with respect to a legal malpractice claim, please contact Daniel E. Cummins at Cummins Law to review your potential claim or defense.  

P. (570) 319-5899

E. dancummins@CumminsLaw.net

Resume and Fee Schedule available upon request.







Tuesday, March 9, 2021

MOCK TRIAL JURORS STILL NEEDED!! PLEASE CONSIDER HELPING OUT



JURORS ARE NEEDED TO PARTICIPATE VIRTUALLY IN THE VIRTUAL REGIONAL MOCK TRIAL COMPETITION SET TO TAKE PLACE ON THIS UPCOMING WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, 2021 AT 5 PM.  (Regionals have a 5 p.m. start, not 6 p.m.)

IF YOU HAVE ALREADY SERVED DURING THE DISTRICT COMPETITION, YOU ARE STILL PERMITTED TO SERVE AGAIN FOR THIS REGIONAL COMPETITION.


THE MONROE COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION IS RUNNING THE (VIRTUAL) REGIONAL MOCK TRIAL COMPETITION THIS YEAR.

TO SIGN UP AS A JUROR, PLEASE CONTACT info2@monroebar.org.


THANK YOU!


Catch-All Provision of UTPCPL Provides for Strict Liability



In the case of Gregg v Ameriprise Fin., Inc., No.29WAP2019 (Pa. Feb 17, 2021), the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, in a Majority Opinion written by Justice David N. Wecht, ruled that the catch-all provision of the Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law provided for a strict liability cause of action. 

The court noted that the plain language of the statute imposes liability on commercial vendors who engage in conduct that has the potential to deceive and which creates a likelihood of confusion or misunderstanding. The Court found that the legislature did not require either carelessness or intent when a cause of action is based upon an allegation of deceptive conduct.

As such, the Court ruled that, under the plain meaning of the statute, deceptive conduct during a consumer transaction that creates a likelihood of confusion or misunderstanding and upon which the consumer relies to his or her financial detriment, does not depend upon the actor’s state of mind. The Court found that, without a state of mind requirement, the catch-all provision of the statute may be fairly characterized as describing a strict liability offense.

The dissenting Justices would have created a negligence standard on this issue.


Anyone wishing to review a copy of the Majority’s Opinion in this case may click this LINK. The Dissenting Opinion may be viewed HERE.


I send thanks to Attorney Lee Applebaum of the Philadelphia law firm of Fineman Krekstein & Harris, as well as the writer of the excellent Pennsylvania and New Jersey Bad Faith Case Law Blog for bringing this decision to my attention.

Monday, March 8, 2021

Judge Nealon of Lackawanna County Addresses COVID-19 Business Interruption Coverage Issues



In the case of The Scranton Club v. Tuscarora Wayne Mutual Group, Inc., No. 20-CV-2469 (C.P. Lacka. Co. Jan. 25, 2021 Nealon, J.), the court addressed insurance coverage issues related to government closure orders brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In this case, the operator of a private social club, which sold food and alcoholic beverages and also catered events, instituted an action against its commercial property insurer seeking to recover under its business income, extra expense, and civil authority coverages for revenues lost and additional costs incurred due to the government closure orders issued in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The issue came before the court by way of the carrier’s Preliminary Objections asserting a demurrer to the Plaintiff’s claims on the grounds that the Plaintiff’s claims were barred by the virus exclusion in the policy, that the operator’s allegations do not satisfy the “direct physical loss or damage” to property requirement for business income and extra expense coverage, and, under an argument that the civil authority coverage was inapplicable since the operator did not allege that it was prohibited access to its property as a result of the dangerous physical conditions of a neighboring property.

The court ruled that, under the specific terms of the virus exclusion in this policy, it could not be stated as a matter of law that the exclusion applied under the circumstances presented. As such, the insurance company’s demurrer based upon the virus exclusion was overruled.

However, the court sustained the demurrers asserted by the insurance company based upon a finding that, with respect to the requirement that the Plaintiff assert a direct physical loss of or damage to covered property, the Plaintiff had failed to allege that COVID-19 was ever physical present on the premises or that the loss of the property’s utility had some relation to the physical condition of the premises.

The court also found that the Plaintiff failed to implicate the civil authority coverage as the Plaintiff had not alleged that any damage to a neighboring property or an accompanying civil authority directive have resulted in damages to the Plaintiff’s own property.

The court additionally ruled that, since it was determined that the business income, extra expense, and civil authority coverage did not apply in this case, the Plaintiff was unable to establish any valid bad faith claims based upon the carrier’s denial of coverage.

In the end, this COVID-19 insurance coverage litigation was dismissed.


Anyone wishing to review a copy of this decision may click this LINK.

CAN YOU HELP FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME? MOCK TRIAL JURORS NEEDED


 

JURORS ARE NEEDED TO PARTICIPATE VIRTUALLY IN THE VIRTUAL REGIONAL MOCK TRIAL COMPETITION SET TO TAKE PLACE ON THIS UPCOMING WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, 2021 AT 5 PM.

IF YOU HAVE ALREADY SERVED DURING THE DISTRICT COMPETITION, YOU ARE STILL PERMITTED TO SERVE AGAIN FOR THIS REGIONAL COMPETITION.


THE MONROE COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION IS RUNNING THE (VIRTUAL) REGIONAL MOCK TRIAL COMPETITION THIS YEAR.

TO SIGN UP AS A JUROR, PLEASE CONTACT info2@monroebar.org.


THANK YOU!


Another Court Rejects COVID-19 Business Interruption Coverage Claim



Another court has rejected a business interruption coverage claim based upon a COVID-19 government mandated closure of a business.

In the case of Khan v. Pennsylvania Nat'l. Mut. Cas. Ins. Co., No. 1:20-CV-781 (M.D. Pa. Feb. 8, 2021 Jones, J.), the court ruled that there is no coverage due under an all-risk policy given that there was no “direct physical loss of or damage to property” as a result of the COVID-19 related closure of a restaurant. 

The court additionally noted that, even if there was coverage under the case presented, the claims at issue would be subject to the policy's virus exclusion to void coverage in any event.

As such, the court granted the carrier’s motion to dismiss.

At the outset of his Opinion, Judge Jones noted that a "vast majority of courts analyzing these claims have sided with the insurers, largely agreeing that the commercial insurance policies unambiguously foreclosed coverage where the business property suffered no physical damage or any tangible injury other than pure economic loss."  See Op. at 1.

Anyone wishing to review a copy of this decision may click this link.


Thanks to Lee Applebaum of the Philadelphia law firm and Fineman Krekstein & Harris for bringing this case to my attention. Attorney Applebaum is the writer of the excellent Pennsylvania New Jersey Insurance Bad Baith Case Law blog which can be viewed HERE.

Friday, March 5, 2021

JURORS NEEDED FOR VIRTUAL REGIONAL MOCK TRIAL COMPETITION SET FOR MARCH 10th

 

JURORS ARE NEEDED TO PARTICIPATE VIRTUALLY IN THE VIRTUAL REGIONAL MOCK TRIAL COMPETITION SET TO TAKE PLACE ON THIS UPCOMING WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, 2021 AT 5 PM.

IF YOU HAVE ALREADY SERVED DURING THE DISTRICT COMPETITION, YOU ARE STILL PERMITTED TO SERVE AGAIN FOR THIS REGIONAL COMPETITION.


TO SIGN UP AS A JUROR, PLEASE CONTACT CHYNNA BEISEL  at CBeisel@monroepacourts.us.


THANK YOU!


Pennsylvania Superior Court Panel Rejects Pennsylvania Supreme Court's Attempt to Eradicate the Household Exclusion Across the Board


Tort Talkers may recall that the non-precedential decision by the Pennsylvania Superior Court in the case of Erie Ins. Exch. v. King was recently summarized here on Tort Talk.

That King decision, in which the Pennsylvania Superior Court declined to read the Household Exclusion case of Gallagher v. Geico as eradicating that exclusion across the board as intended in that case by the judicially activist Pennsylvania Supreme Court, has now been reissued as a published, precedential Pennsylvania Superior Court decision.

As such the previous Tort Talk Blog post on this case is run again here with the appropriate changes in light of this development:


An apparent split of authority has developed within the Pennsylvania Superior Court on whether the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s decision in Gallagher v. GEICO serves to eradicate the Household Exclusion across the board or is a decision that should be limited to its facts.

Tort Talkers may recall the recent November 18, 2020 decision by a panel of Superior Court Judges in the case of Erie Ins. Exch. v. Petrie in which that panel held that the Gallagher v. GEICO decision applies across the board and should not be limited to its facts at least in respect to 75 Pa.C.S.A. Section 1738.  The Tort Talk post on that case, which contains a link to that decision, can be viewed by clicking this LINK.

Now comes Erie Ins. Exch. v. King, No. 648 EDA 2020 (Pa. Super. Feb. 5, 2021 Kunselman, J., King, J., Colins, J.)(Op. by King, J.), the Superior Court held that the household exclusion in an Erie Insurance Company’s policy was enforceable at least under the separate context of 75 Pa.C.S.A. 1731.

In King, the Plaintiff was operating a Peterbilt truck, in which Cora Labar (the niece of his girlfriend) was a passenger in the vehicle.

The truck was insured by a policy issued by Sentry Select and issued to “Night Train Express, Inc.” The two individuals in the truck were involved in an accident caused by an uninsured driver.

Both claimants made a claim for, and received, uninsured motorists (“UM”) benefits from the Century Select policy.

Both Plaintiffs then made a claim for UM benefits under a personal auto policy issued by Erie Insurance to King and his girlfriend.

The carrier denied coverage based upon (1) the fact that a form rejecting stacked UM coverage had been executed, and (2) under an application of the household exclusion.

In this declaratory judgment action, the trial court granted Erie judgment on the pleadings, and the Superior Court affirmed.

In this King case, the Superior Court determined that the claim did not involve stacking, as, under Generette v. Donegal Mut. Ins. Co., 957 A.2d 1180 (Pa. 2008), the Claimants were “guest passengers” in the Peterbilt truck, and therefore, the Century Select policy formed the first layer of UM coverage, and the Erie policy formed the second layer of UM coverage.

The Superior Court in King then explained that, as this case did not involve stacking, the Gallagher v. Geico case did not apply. Therefore the household exclusion was not found to be invalid, and, based upon an application of the household exclusion to the facts of this case, there was no coverage found to be due under the Erie Policy.

Update:  While the Pennsylvania Superior Court initially inexplicably issued this important decision as a non-published and, therefore, non-precedential decision, that status was recently changed on February 5, 2021 and the decision was reissued as a published precedential decision.

Anyone wishing to review this case, may click this LINK.

I send thanks to Attorney Benjamin P. Novak of the Lancaster office of Fowler, Hirtzel, McNulty & Spaulding, LLP for bringing this case to my attention as well as the update.

Please Contact Cummins Mediation Services to Bring Your Case to a Close

 




(570) 319-5899

DanCummins@CumminsLaw.net

Tort Talk Tip: Eradicate All Typos From Your Writings


Whether it is a simple email, a letter, or a motion or brief, take the time to do focused editing and re-editing to improve your written product in order to ensure the eradication of all mistakes, misspellings, or punctuation errors before you send it out.

If you repeatedly send out writings that contains typoes, you run the risk that your readers may think you lack atention to detail and don't know any better

The trouble with typos in your writings is that they are not only annoying and distracting to the reader, but the reader may think that you do not care enough about your written product to free it from any errors.  And, even worse, if the reader thinks that, they're likely to aslo think, "If they don't care, why should I care about the message or argument the writer is trying to convey?"


To the extent time permits, here are some ways to avoid typos:

-As you write for the first time, be as careful of your digital writing as you would with your print writing

-Edit and re-edit it

-Edit it again by doing multiple focused edits, i.e., one edit devoted to checking punctuation, another edit focused entirely on the propriety of the format of the citations, another edit to make sure the paragraphs transition into one another in a flowing fashion, one edit of the headings and subheadings, an edit to confirm that you addressed the opposing argument and explained it away, an edit to confirm that you brought your own arguments all the way to the end with a recitation of the end relief requested

-Read it out loud

-Use spell-check but don't rely entirely upon it

-Print it out and mark it up

-Put it aside for a day and come back at it fresh

-Have someone else read it

Thursday, March 4, 2021

Luzerne County Court Overturns Large UIM Arbitration Award From Back in the Day



In the case of Hartford Fire Insurance Co v. Davis, No.2822-CV-2007 (C.P. Luz.Co. Feb. 11, 2021 Gelb, J.), the court issued a decision on cross motions for summary judgment in a UIM case raising issues as to whether or not the subject policy had certain UIM coverage available.

According to the opinion, this matter arose out of a motor vehicle accident that occured back in 2005 when the plaintiff was allegedly injured while operating his employer's motor vehicle in the course and scope of his employment with Keystone Automotive Operations, Inc. .

Thereafter, the plaintiff pursued a UIM claim against Hartford Fire Insurance Company under an allegation that there was substantial UIM coverage available under that policy.

In 2007, the parties went through a Luzerne County UIM arbitration that resulted in an arbitration award in favor of the plaintiff in the amount of $2,930,000.00. 

Thereafter, Hartford filed a petition to vacate or modify the UIM award. A court order later modified that arbitration award down to 2,000,000.00 to reflect the purported policy limits of that insurance policy.


In her decision in this case, Judge Gelb noted that the prior court decision had not made a determination of whether or not the subject insurance policy did indeed provide for UIM coverage and, thirteen years after the subject arbitration had occured, that issue was before her on cross motions for summary judgment.

One of the issues raised in this matter were allegations of mistakes made by Hartford regarding the policy forms. In its granting of the carrier’s Motion for Summary Judgment, the court held that the alleged mistakes in the policy form did not automatically result in UIM coverage for the plaintiff.

The plaintiff also asserted that the UIM waiver form executed by Keystone contained language that was inconsistent with that mandated by the Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility Law, which according to the plaintiff, rendered the waiver void. In her decision, Judge Gelb, found that the additional language contained in the waiver form was a de minimis variation of the required statutory language and that this variation did not serve to void the waiver.

The plaintiff also asserted in this matter that Keystone Automotive violated the Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility Law and Pennsylvania public policy by failing to advise its employees that it had waived UIM coverage on the policy covering the vehicles that the employees drove.

In the end, Judge Gelb found that the UIM waiver in the Hartford policy did not violate public policy and further found that the carrier’s failure to advise its employees regarding the waiver of the UIM coverage also did not violate the public policy of Pennsylvania. 

With its decision, the court ultimately vacated the arbitration award.


Anyone wishing to review a copy of this decision may click this LINK.

Wednesday, March 3, 2021

Court Applies Pennsylvania Recreational Use of Land and Water Act


In the case of Baird v. Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, No. 2015-226 (C.P. Elk Co. Dec. 28, 2020 Masson, S.J.), the court addressed a Motion for Summary Judgment filed by the Defendant in which the Defendant asserted that it breached no duty to the Plaintiff decedent who died in a canoeing incident on the Clarion River. 

The Defendant asserted that it was immune from liability by virtue of the Pennsylvania Recreational Use of Land and Water Act. The Defendant also asserted that the decedent assumed the right of canoeing under the conditions existing.

After applying the facts to the law in question, the court found issues of fact preventing it from entering summary judgment.

Anyone wishing to review this case in which the current status of the law of the Recreational Use of Land and Water Act is discussed may click this LINK.

I sends to Attorney Owen M. Coleman, Esquire of the Law Offices of Harry Coleman in Carbondale, PA for bringing this case to my attention

Tuesday, March 2, 2021

Plaintiff's Securing of Retroactive Full Tort Coverage After an Accident Allowed To Stand



In the case of Maola v. Monsour, No. 10337 of 2019, C.A. (C.P. Lawr. Co. Dec. 16, 2020 Motto, P.J.), the court addressed various limited tort issues.

The first issue the court addressed was whether the Plaintiff was covered by the limited tort option.

According to the Opinion, the Plaintiff had full tort coverage under her initial automobile insurance policy. When the Plaintiff later changed insurance agents, the Plaintiff expressed that she wished to continue to have full tort coverage. However, the form signed by the Plaintiff included a limited tort election.

The Plaintiff did not discover this mistake until after the accident. She contacted her carrier to see what can be done to remedy that situation. The Plaintiff was advised by the carrier that she could obtain full retroactive coverage if she paid the back premiums and executed a full tort election form. The Plaintiff complied with these requirements and the carrier provided her with full tort coverage that was retroactive to the date prior to the subject accident.

In this matter, the defense asserted that the retroactive application of full tort coverage was not permissible after an accident had already occurred.

The Plaintiff responded by asserting that she had complied with the terms set by her own insurance carrier such that she should be entitled to full tort coverage.

The court acknowledged that Pennsylvania case law holds that a limited tort elector was generally prohibited from retroactively obtaining full tort coverage after an accident had occurred. 

However, in this matter, the Plaintiff’s carrier was not necessarily prohibited from providing the Plaintiff with retroactive full tort coverage. In this case, the Plaintiff offered evidence that she had explicitly requested her new insurance agent to provide her with full tort coverage and that the issuance of a limited tort policy was based upon a mistake. The court also emphasized that the record established that it was the Plaintiff’s intention to have full tort coverage and that she met her own insurance company’s requirements for that retroactive coverage.

As such, Judge Motto found that the Plaintiff had a reasonable expectation of full tort coverage at the time the accident occurred. Accordingly, the court ruled that the Plaintiff was a full tort Plaintiff relative to this matter. 

The court also noted that the Plaintiff had offered sufficient evidence to allow her claim of serious injury to proceed to a jury in any event. The Plaintiff allegedly experienced neck, chest, knee, shoulder, and ankle pain. She also underwent multiple types of diagnostic testing and therapy. The record further established that the Plaintiff had continuously reported her pain as being severe and she offered testimony as to how the pain affected her activities of daily living.

The court emphasized that the focus of the limited tort question was not on the injuries themselves but upon how the injuries affected the Plaintiff’s ability to perform her everyday activities.

Anyone wishing to review a copy of this decision may click this LINK.


Source: “Digest of Recent Opinions.” Pennsylvania Law Weekly (Feb. 2, 2021).