Lamps Plus Inc. v. Varela
On April 30, 2018 in Lamps Plus Inc. v. Varela, the U.S. Supreme Court granted a writ of certiorari in a class arbitration case coming out of the Ninth Circuit. The issue in Varela is whether the Federal Arbitration Act (“FAA”) precludes an interpretation of an arbitration agreement that may authorize class arbitration based solely […]
Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Analyzes Specific Jurisdiction post Bristol Myers Squibb
Judge Arnold New of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas recently held that more than 100 pelvic mesh lawsuits filed against Ethicon, a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary, could remain here in Philadelphia County under an analysis for specific personal jurisdiction post Bristol Myers Squibb. Judge New’s 13 page opinion is one of the first in […]
Trump’s EPA Hands Chemical Industry Big Win
Recently obtained documents from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by the New York Times reveal that the EPA is drastically reducing the ways that it monitors and assesses potential health and safety risks related to the use of scores of chemicals, especially those most dangerous. Perchloroethylene, as well as multiple other known human carcinogens* that […]
Supreme Court Ruling Paves the Way for Nationwide Legalized Sports Betting
On Monday, in Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association, the United States Supreme Court struck down a federal law that effectively banned sports betting in most states. The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, passed in 1992, prohibited states from authorizing sports gambling. Senator Bill Bradley (D) of New Jersey, a former college and professional […]
Empathy Yields Compassion…And Knowledge
As I watch my younger sister being brought into a nursing home/long term care facility, weeks after having portions of her body amputated, I truly can empathize with so many family members as they deliver their loved ones into such facilities. A few years ago, I spoke on a radio show about nursing homes […]
Mental Health Awareness Month Part 2 – Attorneys and Stress
In recent years, there has been a lot of news about mental health issues plaguing the legal profession, including dangerously high rates of stress, anxiety, depression, and even substance abuse among lawyers. A 2016 article published in The Journal of Addiction Medicine, detailed a collaborative study by the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation and the American […]
This Monday we celebrate Memorial Day
This Monday we celebrate Memorial Day. For most, it is a time of barbeques, get-togethers, and car trips to visit family or to experience a long weekend getaway. The official start of summer! Ahhh… But I’d suggest that all of us must take some time to solemnly reflect on our Nation’s history, and on the […]
Pennsylvania Asbestos Litigation Update
More on the “Bare Metal” Defense Since the time I posted about the Third Circuit’s favorable decision in Devries rejecting the “bare metal” defense for asbestos claims under maritime law, Defendants, CBS Corporation (Westinghouse), Air & Liquid Systems Corp. (successor by merger to Buffalo Pumps, Inc.), Foster Wheeler, LLC and Ingersoll Rand, Inc., sought review […]
Mental Health Awareness Month – Part 1: Dealing with Loss and Grief during Litigation
Since May is Mental Health Awareness Month, I want to highlight the importance of dealing with loss and grief—issues that affect many plaintiffs and their loved ones throughout the course of litigation. As an attorney handling asbestos mesothelioma and other personal injury cases for over a decade, my role is often part zealous advocate […]
Public Health for Sale Part II
Direct parallels can be drawn between how the NRA and other industries influence public health. Monsanto is a behemoth in the agricultural and chemical industry. It has invested extensive sums of money into genetically modified crops. It manufactures and sells Roundup© a glyphosate-based pesticide that its genetically modified crops are designed to work in conjunction […]
Self Driving Cars
If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to be stopped at a traffic light, look over to your side, and see a car with no driver, you may not have to wait much longer to find out. Although we will initially see these self-driving vehicles with a human driver behind the wheel as […]
May is Bike to Work Month!
May is Bike to Work month, and with the Spring weather finally (hopefully) upon us, those of us in the cycling community expect to see a large uptick in the number of riders on the road. With the increase in riders comes the unfortunate, but inevitable increase in bicycling crashes and injuries. My blog this […]