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Everyone knows that asbestos causes mesothelioma. A major defense of the defendants has been that victims must prove exactly how much asbestos exposure a victim had. This is impossible in many cases because work sites often did not measure asbestos exposure. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has just issued a very favorable opinion that lays to rest this and related defenses.

In Rost v. Ford Motor Co., 2016 Pa. Lexis 2638 (Pa., Nov. 22, 2016), Mr. Rost was exposed to asbestos in potentially high amounts on a daily basis at a garage for more than three months. His medical expert, Dr. Arthur Frank, testified that every asbestos exposure contributes to the total or cumulative dose, which in turn increases the likelihood of disease. Dr. Frank testified that the asbestos exposures at the garage were sufficient, in and of themselves, to cause Rost’s mesothelioma. The Court held that this was sufficient to support the jury’s verdict in favor of  Rost.

For months, amateur and police videos of confrontations between police and citizens have made headlines and stoked anger. Just last week, a video showed a police officer hitting a woman. The value and power of all types of videos is that they can show what happened. Certain police agencies in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey have attempted to refuse to produce them. Whether police videos must be produced affects not only criminal cases but also civil cases alleging deprivation of civil rights.

On October 21, 2016, nine lawyers from the Locks Law Firm presented an extensive program of legal education to the legal community of Philadelphia and New Jersey. The program was called “The ABCs of Complex Litigation: Asbestos, Benzene, CRPS and More”. This educational program was certified for official continuing legal education (CLE) credits in the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, and there were attendees from all three of those states who came to learn from the Locks lawyers. In fact, there were close to 150 individuals who attended.

The Thanksgiving Holiday has traditionally been associated with giving thanks---thanks for our families, for the food that will be lovingly prepared and shared, and for other things we consider dear and important. But what happens after the dinner is finished, the football games watched, the family members departed to return to their distant homes?

Are we changed in any way? Have we caused change in any way? Or was our Thanksgiving, however sincere, a mere one-off nod to what we’ve received and enjoyed?

Senior Partner Marc P. Weingarten discusses the first outbreak of Legionnaires Disease and what we have learned 40 years later in his article for the Newsletter for the International Practice Section of the American Association of Justice. The summer of 1976 saw more than 200 individuals sickened and 34 deaths due to this disease. Over the years, this event has led to better detection and prevention, greater cooperation across health departments and more rigorous inspection codes. The article originally appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer. To learn more about the American Legion convention of 1976 and where we are today, read the full text here: