Over 100 “5 Star Reviews”THE VALUE OF PERSISTENCE
The other day I was up in Indiana County to represent a client in a criminal case. He was charged with a host of crimes, including corruption of minors. My client is 19 years old and has no prior record. At the Preliminary Hearing, the Assistant District Attorney said that he could offer me no […]
JUDGE DOES THE RIGHT THING
In early February, 2011, I went up to the Armstrong County Courthouse for an ARD hearing for my client. ARD is for first time offenders with no prior record, where they are accepted into the program and, if they successfully complete the program, it results in a dismissal of the charges. Judge Pancik was the […]
MENTAL HEALTH RECORDS
Let’s assume you are a Plaintiff and you sue someone for your injuries, including knee surgery, leg surgery and neck injuries. Additionally, you claim emotional distress, anguish and anxiety from the injuries you sustained. Those are pretty standard allegations in most personal injury cases. The question is, under those circumstances, would the defense be entitled […]
WORKER WHO UNLOADED RAW ASBESTOS AWARDED $1.2 MILLION BY JURY
Mesothelioma is a cancer that affects the lung casing, so a patient gradually suffocates to death. It is a terrifying, horrible disease. How much should be awarded to a forklift driver who had to unload bags of raw asbestos for six years as part of his job? The jury was faced with that question and […]
ALLEGHENY COUNTY TAKES ENLIGHTENED APPROACH TO VETERANS’ PROBLEMS
Allegheny County, along with other surrounding counties, has taken an enlightened approach to dealing with Veterans charged with crimes as a result of issues related to their service to our country. For example, Allegheny County now has a court called Veterans Court. Veterans Court is a treatment Court designed to serve the ends of justice […]
INJURED IN HIGHWAY CRASH – PART I
JURY AWARDS $8.7 MILLION TO CASINO DEALER Lawyers USA in November, 2010 reported that an Atlantic City, New Jersey juryfound the Highway Authority dispatchers and State Police negligent in responding to a multi-car crash that severed a casino dealer’s leg. The victim, Janet Henedema, a 37 year old dealer at an Atlantic City casino, was […]
LEGAL TECHNICALITIES – PART I
Is Burglary a crime of violence? The Pennsylvania Superior Court in Commonwealth vs. Gonzalez had to decide that issue. It is a very interesting opinion. The Defendant plead guilty to Possession with Intent to Deliver heroin. He was sentenced to 2-1/2 to 6 years in jail for the offense. The judge denied his request to […]
LEGAL TECHNICALITIES – PART II
Up the case goes to the Pennsylvania Superior Court. The Court ruled that an F-2 burglary does not involve the risk of violence or injury to another person: rather it is an offense against property rights of the owner of the property in question. Burglary can only be considered a crime of violence if the […]
DEER REMOVAL AND INJURY CASES
Here is a strange one. Suppose you are driving on I-80 and you hit a deer. You pull over to the side of the road and some time elapses. While you are on the side of the road, another car comes by and strikes the deer that you initially hit. The other driver is severely […]
RUMBLE STRIPS AND THE RIGHT TO RECOVER MONEY
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has already decided the case of Dean vs. Department of Transportation and decided that Penn DOT does not have a duty to erect guardrails on its roads. Penn DOT’s failure to erect guardrails on its highways does not give an injured party the right to recover money from them. Okay, but […]