Personal Injury › Worker’s Compensation › Business Torts

"Probability" of Having Contracted Communicable Disease at Work Held Sufficient to Assert an Occupational Disease Claim Even in...

In a recent opinion, the Missouri Court of Appeals for the Western District held a workers' compensation claimant had sufficiently proven her husband sustained an occupational disease arising out of and in the course of his...more

Practical Implications Of Howell v. Hamilton Meat

The collateral source rule in a personal injury action or tort claim generally prevents the admission of evidence that the plaintiff will be compensated from a source other than the defendant for his/her injuries. This rule...more

Office Parties: Celebrate the Season Without Getting Sued!

It’s that time of year! Tis the season for toasts and traditions, presents and parties, secret Santa’s and sexual harassment, lawyers and lawsuits. . . Wait, what? Unfortunately, it’s true. Santa is not...more

NJ High Court Rules ‘Willful’ OSHA Violation Doesn’t Overcome Worker’s Compensation Preemption

A willful violation of federal safety standards does not, on its own, overcome the worker’s compensation bar against civil suits, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled in its June 26, 2012 decision in Van Dunk v. Reckson Assocs....more

Supreme Court Rules for Foreign Firms in Accident Cases

A man from New Jersey lost his for fingers in a workplace accident on a metal-cutting machine. The workplace was also in New Jersey, an American manufacturer, but the maker of the metal – cutting machine was a British firm....more

Schmelling v Whitty et al

Court of Appeals Interprets Notice of Non-Party Fault Offset to Apply Even if Party at Fault Cannot Be Liable in Suit

The Court of Appeals here confirms my thinking that even if a party would not be liable in suit, e.g., as a governmental entity for immunity or for some other reason (in this case the exclusive remedy provision of the...more

Discussion of the defence of consent within the tort of battery context

“If a person consents to what would otherwise be an unlawful touching, there can be no battery.” The issues which the preceding statement refers to revolve around how the defence of consent operates in the Law of...more

Is it always true that the reasonable person test 'eliminates the personal equation' (Glasgow Corp v Muir, per Lord MacMillan)?

Negligence consists of falling below the standard of care required in the circumstances to protect others from the unreasonable risk of harm. Generally, the law regards this standard of care objectively, demanded by the...more