Suppose you live and work in Pittsburgh, and your employer does business in multiple states. You quit your job and take one for a competitor of your (former) employer. That employer sends you a cease and desist letter, demanding that you stop “competing.” Pennsylvania law provides some great defenses. Click…
We Have You Covered: Western PA Attorneys
Construction Injuries & the Statutory Employer Doctrine Update
If you suffer an injury on a construction job in Pennsylvania, another person or company at the site may bear responsibility. Construction accidents take many forms: a falling steel girder; dropped tools or materials; a saw accident causing an amputation; defective scaffolding; a fall from an unsecured ladder; an unguarded…
Filing Before PA’s MDJ: Protect the Statute of Limitations?
For decades, Pennsylvania lawyers have wrestled with a deceptively simple question: Does filing a complaint before a magisterial district judge—Pennsylvania’s small claims court—protect the statute of limitations? The concern is understandable. Small claims proceedings are designed to be accessible and relatively informal. A complaint may consist of a short…
Contracts with A City or Borough: Are They Binding?
Can you enter into a binding contract with a city or township? Suppose a city hires you to hand out drinks to runners during its marathon but fails to pay you. Or it agrees in writing to buy your vacant land, then backs out of the deal. Can you sue?…
Pennsylvania Upholds Its $250,000 State Liability Cap on Negligence Claims
A Jury Trial Right Without a Meaningful Opportunity? In a long-awaited decision, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court upheld the Commonwealth’s $250,000 damages cap against a constitutional challenge. The ruling in Freilich v. Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, No. 10 EAP 2024 (Pa. Oct. 1, 2026) addresses an issue that has frustrated plaintiffs’ attorneys…
Hidden Arbitration Terms Do Not Establish Agreement: Superior Court Reinforces Duffy
An arbitration clause cannot bind a consumer simply because it appears somewhere in a company’s online terms. In Oakley v. FloatMe Corp., No. 1318 WDA 2025, 2026 PA Super 221 (Pa. Super. Ct. Oct. 1, 2026), the Pennsylvania Superior Court reinforced the requirement that consumers receive clear notice that they…
Superior Court: No “Do-Over” of Trial in Construction Case
Construction law is complicated. A trial judge can get it wrong. It may be necessary for an appellate court to sort out intricate areas of law. But don’t assume an appellate court will also review the testimony, decide which witnesses were credible, and reach its own factual conclusions. The Pennsylvania…
Understanding PA’s Increased Risk of Future Harm Doctrine
Clients of ours often inquire: what if another person’s conduct puts me at risk for harm in the future? Examples include: A doctor who carelessly orders numerous x-rays of the patient’s chest, putting her at risk of harm for cancer. But no cancer occurred, not yet at least. …
Can AI Navigate You Through the Courts Without a Lawyer?
Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the way we function in life. This author relied heavily on Google Gemini and ChatGPT when building our new law firm from the ground up in the Law and Finance Building. AI helped with everything from building the corporate structure of the new company, to…
Have an Agreement to Arbitrate? You Can Still Lose the Right in PA
Arbitration agreements are common throughout Pennsylvania. They appear in employment contracts, nursing home admission agreements, consumer transactions, construction contracts, financial documents, business agreements, and digital terms of service. An arbitration clause can fundamentally change a legal dispute. Instead of having a case decided by a judge or jury in a…
