Newsroom

We’ve all read about trying to find a “work-life” balance.  Visit any bookstore, on-line or brick and mortar and there are shelves devoted to this topic in the “Self-Help” section.  I don’t know about you, but no matter how many books I read, they never seem to answer the question.  Recently, I had an experience that gave me some insight into a possible solution. Here’s hoping it may be useful for you as well.

The incidence of suicide is on the rise, and some have even termed it a public health crisis.  On March 5 the Food and Drug Administration approved a new nasal spray medication for treatment resistant depression.  The nasal spray, Spravato (esketamine) is a form of the well-known and widely used anesthetic ketamine. Ketamine was found to be an effective antidepressant in the 1990’s when researchers at Yale discovered these effects.  These findings were confirmed by researchers who published their finding in the Journal of American Medical Association in 2006.

Not long ago, it seemed clear that if an out-of-state corporation had registered to do business in Pennsylvania, a Pennsylvania court could exercise personal jurisdiction over it by the doctrine of consent. That may now be up in the air. A Pennsylvania Superior Court opinion that found such jurisdiction, Murray v. American LaFrance, 2018 WL 4571804 (Pa. Super., Sept. 25, 2018), has been withdrawn and is waiting for reargument before a nine judge en banc panel of that Court.

This is a major win today for Lyft drivers of New York. The company, which was unhappy with these new regulations because they incentivized shorter rides and discouraged trips outside of the city, has given in and decided to pay their workers a liveable wage. The Independent Driver’s Guild had stated prior to this, contract drivers were only earning $11.90 before the law went into effect.

The label “fake news” has gained acceptance since the Trump candidacy and presidency took hold on our country.  It seems that in countless news outlets, both online and traditional, this label is tossed at anything a writer may disagree with---or that his funding source disagrees with! Fake news is a type of journalism that deliberately intends to mislead by the spreading of false stories---sometimes made up by a writer, sometimes made up by a “source” and then published.  These stories are often then picked up by mainstream media outlets, some of which have polished a reputation for being regular purveyors of misinformation.

The National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 originally created the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP), a no-fault alternative to the traditional tort system. The VICP is administered by the Division of Injury Compensation Programs, Healthcare Systems Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and is venued in the United States Court of Federal Claims in Washington D.C. The VICP is entirely separate from the traditional tort lawsuit claims that one might expect with personal injury. The VICP was created because we recognize as a country that vaccines are good for the common benefit, however, in rare instances some vaccines can cause certain side effects. In order to stabilize vaccine costs and prevent vaccine shortages related to lawsuits from these rare occurrences, the legislature created the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. This program established a Compensation Trust Fund that is funded by a $.75 tax on each vaccine that is recommended by the CDC. 

Partner Marc Weingarten not only works as a full time attorney at Locks Law Firm but also is a Judge Pro Tempore. Marc’s responsibilities with this title includes being assigned a certain number of cases per month and serves as a settlement master. He meets with counsel together, separately, and confidentially to understand the strengths and weaknesses of their positions. He will then make a report of his impressions which will contain his position and recommendations for the settlement in hearing.

When looking for the right nursing home, here are few things to consider:

• Choose The Nursing Home That Meets Your Needs - The most important part of your search is to find the perfect place for your loved one. Whether that be attentive medical care or the freedom of a shuttle to maintain independence, what your loved one is looking for may be slightly different than what you are looking for. You are going to be visiting a few different locations so keep in mind the needs your searching for when taking things into consideration.

• Cleanliness - Making sure the facility is clean is crucial. This can also include environmental hazards and trip hazards such as dirty conditions, slippery floors or obvious trip hazards.

• Staff - Are the Caregivers giving the residents proper attention and are they friendly? You want to make sure the Caregivers aren’t allowing residents to wander off aimlessly unattended.

• Recreational/Social Activities - Does the home offer any type of group activities for residents to join in on and that your loved one would be interested in. This can vary from social movie nights, religious gatherings, and of course bingo.

• Room - How spacious is your loved ones room? Is there a TV provided? What is the privacy like for them on a day to day basis? These are definitely things to keep in mind when considering a nursing home.

• Food - It be good to look into what the meal service is at the facility to see if it’s daily specified timely meals and if food is available anytime. Maybe take a taste for yourself for a quality test.

• Visitation - Find out what visitation schedule is like. Is it only some days of the week, is it certain hours, or is it open at anytime.

• Follow Up - Make sure to follow up with your loved one and check their status. See if they seem malnutritioned or have any type of bed sores. If able, check and see their thoughts on their Caregiver and how they are feeling emotionally and physically.

See the link that attaches the recent opinion given by the Ohio Supreme Court that allows the case to move forward on behalf of the deceased Notre Dame football player Steve Schmitz, a running back and kick return specialist. Steve died at age 59, and his autopsy showed CTE and Alzheimer’s Disease. The Locks Law Firm is lead counsel for the Estate of Steve Schmitz and represents his widow Yvette and his two children. We intend to move the case forward to trial.

... find personal jurisdiction over an out-of-state corporation. We recently posted a blog about general personal jurisdiction: “Pennsylvania is Consensual Quicksand.” Today is specific personal jurisdiction, in which the suit must arise out of or relate to the defendant’s contacts with the forum.