Been distracted?
The pandemic side-tracked the entire world, including the legal community, but some notable changes in the law have happened in Pennsylvania. This blog will track many of those changes and also provide ongoing updates in the law that the public — including lawyers — may have missed.
Enjoy!
- Allegheny County Arbitration Limit went from $35,000 to $50,000. Compulsory arbitration remain non-binding, but all disputes less than $50,000 must go to arbitration.
- Dear John… Doe. in 2019, Pennsylvania addressed the “Jon Joe” problem: The occasional instance where the Plaintiff has an injury or breach of contract claim against a yet-to-be-identified Defendant. Courts had struggled with this problem, sometimes dismissing the claim. But the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has addressed the problem through Rule 2005. Now, a plaintiff can sue “John Doe,” but she must plead: a reasonable description of the unidentified Defendant, plus say the term “Doe” is fictitious. If certain additional steps are taken, such as a showing of good faith efforts to identify the Defendant, the Complaint may be amended within 20 days of identifying the name of “John Doe.” Click here for more.
