Pennsylvania Law Monitor
Pennsylvania Law Monitor Blog
Federal Government Must Pay $41.6M for Negligent Forceps Delivery
Posted in Pennsylvania Law Monitor
A Pennsylvania judge recently entered a $41.6 million verdict against the federal government after an obstetrician employed by a federally-funded health clinic negligently used forceps to deliver a baby. The baby suffered severe permanent brain damage as a result. The lawsuit claimed that the obstetrician applied excessive force and traction… Continue reading
Victim’s Consent Not a Defense Under PA Human Trafficking Statute
Posted in Pennsylvania Law Monitor
This is the fourth in a series of posts summarizing the civil causes of action available under the PA Human Trafficking Statute. Thus far, I have addressed who can sue under the statute and who can be sued. This post will address the powerful list of “nondefenses” provided within the… Continue reading
Deadline to Comply with New Fire Inspection Requirements is Fast Approaching
Posted in Pennsylvania Law Monitor
The deadline to comply with the new inspection requirements mandated by the recent amendment to the Philadelphia fire code is fast approaching. In the wake of a fire escape collapse in Center City that caused one death and two very serious injuries, the City of Philadelphia reviewed whether to mandate… Continue reading
Who Can Be Sued Under PA Human Trafficking Statute?
Posted in Pennsylvania Law Monitor
This is the third post in a series of posts breaking down the civil causes of action available under the Pennsylvania Human Trafficking Statute. In my last post, I discussed who could bring a case under the statute; this post addresses who can be sued. The text of the statute… Continue reading
PA Courts Discuss Documents Shielded by Peer Review Protection Act
Posted in Pennsylvania Law Monitor
In a Common Pleas Court decision, the Honorable Terrence R. Nealon set forth a detailed discussion concerning what materials are discoverable in a medical malpractice action under the Peer Review Protection Act (“PRPA”). 63 P.S. §§425.1 – 425.4. In Vaccaro v. Scranton Quincy Hospital Company, LLC, plaintiffs allege obstetrical and… Continue reading
Who Can Sue Under the PA Human Trafficking Statute?
Posted in Pennsylvania Law Monitor
In my prior post, I wrote about the first civil lawsuit filed under Pennsylvania’s Human Trafficking Statute. In my next series of posts, I will break down the various aspects of this statute. I’ll begin with a discussion of who can bring a civil case under the statute.
Building Trades and IBEW Local 98 Volunteer to Repair Cemetery
Posted in Pennsylvania Law Monitor
The IBEW reports that members of Philadelphia Building Trades and IBEW Local 98 are volunteering their time and resources to repair a vandalized cemetery in the City of Brotherly Love. In February, vandals toppled hundreds of headstones in the Mount Carmel Jewish Cemetery. In response to the incident, the Philadelphia… Continue reading
First-Year Doctors to Begin Working 24-Hour Shifts
Posted in Pennsylvania Law Monitor
The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) announced on March 10 that first-year doctors will be allowed to work 24-hour shifts in hospitals starting July 1. The cap currently limiting physicians to 16 consecutive hours of patient care will now be lifted. The new standards will allow four hours… Continue reading
Lawsuit Filed Under Pennsylvania’s Human Trafficking Law
Posted in Pennsylvania Law Monitor
In the first civil lawsuit under the Pennsylvania human trafficking statute, a hotel in Northeast Philadelphia has been accused of providing rooms to human traffickers. The statute establishes that businesses that directly or indirectly benefit from human trafficking can be forced to pay compensation to victims. A person commits an offense… Continue reading
Manufacturer Guarantees Surgical Sponge-Scanning System
Posted in Pennsylvania Law Monitor
According to an article in Outpatient Surgery, every day, operating room (OR) teams nationwide leave almost a dozen surgical sponges inside their patients. To improve patient safety, Stryker implemented its “SurgiCount Safety-Sponge System” to keep track of surgical sponges. Reducing or eliminating the number of surgical sponges left behind reduces… Continue reading
