WCM Is Pleased To Announce That Lauren Berenbaum Has Been Promoted To Counsel
With effect as of October 1, 2021, WCM is pleased to announce that Lauren Berenbaum has been promoted to the rank of counsel. A graduate of Villanova University School of Law and Emory University, Lauren is based in WCM’s Philadelphia office. She focuses her practice on coverage work in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. Lauren started with WCM as a first-year attorney. Read More
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Call Your Next Witness – When Standup and Jury Selection Meet (Mike Rabinowitz)
How similar are jury selection and performing stand-up comedy? This question has probably occurred to anyone who has ever selected a jury, particularly in a civil case where there is no judicial presence in the room. In this episode of Call Your Next Witness, we have the perfect guest to delve into this topic with us! Mike Rabinowitz is no stranger to being in front of an audience, whether...Read More
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“Technical Problems” During Trial Can Be Enough To Overturn An $800,000 Verdict (PA)
In Escalante v. State Farm, the Pennsylvania Superior Court found that a software glitch during jury selection was unfair and prejudicial to the defense, and sufficient grounds to overturn the $800,000 judgment in plaintiffs’ favor. Plaintiff’s suit against State Farm for underinsured motorist benefits recently went to trial. The trial court used paper questionnaires, to be filled out by each...Read More
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38 Allegations But A Bad Faith Claim Ain’t One (PA)
In Brown v. Liberty Mut. Ins. Co., the Eastern U.S District Court for Pennsylvania granted the defendant’s motion to dismiss against a plaintiff’s bad faith claim citing statutory insurance violations against the defendant. The plaintiff was involved in a motor vehicle accident, and sought benefits form her insurer for uninsured motorist benefits. As a result, the plaintiff brought a bad...Read More
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WCM Partner Named PA Insurance Expert of the Year
WCM Partner Bob Cosgrove — who, earlier in the year was selected by Thompson Reuters as a Pennsylvania SuperLawyer –was just named the 2021 Insurance Expert of the Year in Pennsylvania, USA by Leaders in Law. Leaders in Law is a London based company that vets, selects and recognizes attorneys around the world who are known to be leaders in their respective practice areas. For...Read More
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Not All Neurological Exams Are The Same, And The Fourth Department Knows It (NY)
When a plaintiff alleges psychological and emotional pain from a slip and fall, how many neuropsychological examinations (“NPE”) can be conducted before the court says “enough?” According to New York’s Fourth Department, that number varies depending on the circumstances. In Pokorski v. FDA Logistics, LLC, 195 A.D.3d 1470 (4th Dep’t 2021) the plaintiff commenced an action seeking damages for...Read More
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Ladder In the Snow? A Shifting Target (NY)
In theory, Labor Law 240(1) strict liability will not attach if the plaintiff is the sole proximate cause of his accident – such as if the plaintiff improperly sets up a ladder by placing it on snow. However, the Third Department recently held that if a ladder shifts or otherwise fails to perform its function as a result of how the worker set it up, the failure of the ladder constitutes a...Read More
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Court Rules On Business Losses Due To Covid-19 Restrictions (PA)
Business closed due to Covid-19? Sorry, you may be out of luck. When Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf mandated the closure of all non-life sustaining businesses in March 2020, enterprises across the state had to shut their doors and hope the Covid-19 virus would simply run its course. As we know now, Covid-19 is here to stay and as a result, many businesses have struggled to keep their doors...Read More
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