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Pennsylvania Questions & Answers
1 Answer | Asked in Medical Malpractice for Pennsylvania on
Q: Do medical malpractice lawsuits end up in compensation beyond just medical bills. Ie time off work?

Wife had a podiatric instrument break inside her foot and it stayed there for two days before they took it out. They want her to pay full cost 10K bill, including X-rays and ER visit related to pain.

Tim Akpinar
Tim Akpinar
answered on Nov 9, 2024

A Pennsylvania attorney could advise best, but your question remains open for two weeks, and the answer is fairly standard everywhere across the nation, subject to state-specific caps on damages. Yes, a successful lawsuit, whether through verdict or settlement, could provide damages beyond medical... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Employment Discrimination for Pennsylvania on
Q: Good Morning. I have a question about workplace discrimination. I was an LVHN IT support person at Cedarcrest Hospital.

I was hired in August 2024 but recently let go. Even though I worked hard, was always on time, and worked overtime, I never got paid for it. I never talked about politics or religion and always tried to fit in with the team. But I always was excluded from team-building functions like lunch or... View More

Jeremy Donham
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answered on Nov 7, 2024

Good afternoon, very sorry to hear of this. If you did not receive pay that was owed to you then you may want to contact the Department of Labor at dol.gov and file a complaint with the agency. They investigate claims of wage and hour violations for free. You could also seek legal counsel to... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Personal Injury and Car Accidents for Pennsylvania on
Q: How long does it take for the assigned claims plan to pay in Pennsylvania
Tim Akpinar
Tim Akpinar
answered on Oct 25, 2024

A Pennsylvania attorney could advise best, but your question remains open for a week. It could depend on the complexity of the claim, their backlog, and how long it takes to eliminate the possibility of other sources of insurance. Assigned claims plans or public accident indemnification plans in... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Employment Law and Employment Discrimination for Pennsylvania on
Q: I filed a motion with the court (pro se) in an EEO case. I typed 2025, but I meant 2024. How can I make the correction?

My motion deadline has ended, but the defendant still has a week to respond to the motion, before the judge makes her ruling.

Jeremy Donham
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answered on Oct 21, 2024

Judges typically are very considerate when a person is involved in a legal case without an attorney representing them. Clerical errors should not cause a problem unless the timing of the dispute or the fact represented in critical to the case. In that situation, you may want to contact the clerk of... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Criminal Law, Employment Law and Employment Discrimination for Pennsylvania on
Q: My boss is locked me in the gated area for using the pool bathroom, follows me on camera and interigates me,

i had to climb a fence to excape , he also took a collectors coin i found pretended to help me look it up and instead of returning it he fired me and claimed it was the property of the estate grounds

Jeremy Donham
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answered on Oct 21, 2024

I am very sorry to hear of this. You will want to speak to a local employment attorney that handles employee cases regarding possible claims of invasion of privacy as well as possible emotional distress. If the intimidation has caused you anxiety, for example, there could be claims under the... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Civil Litigation and Collections for Pennsylvania on
Q: I have a default judgement against a company in Phila. Pa. The judgement was in Alabama how hard is it to collect

Default judgment for approx 5400.00 issued in Alabama for a company in Pennsylvania

W. J. Winterstein Jr.
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W. J. Winterstein Jr.
answered on Oct 21, 2024

All but a couple States have reciprocity with PA pursuant to the Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act. (Another US State is deemed "foreign".)

Assuming your default judgment complied with the statutory procedure in Alabama, you can register your judgment in PA, serve your...
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1 Answer | Asked in Personal Injury and Products Liability for Pennsylvania on
Q: My husband was injured on a machine that is manufactured in China. They ignored the 10 day default notice what happens

now. My current lawyer seems way out of his element. Is it best to just give up? He said it is extremely doubtful that we would get any compensation from the Chinese manufacturer. My husband can’t do the job anymore that he used to do. We are sinking financially now due to him being able to only... View More

Stephen Murray
Stephen Murray
answered on Oct 18, 2024

I’m really sorry to hear about what you and your husband are going through. It sounds like a deeply frustrating and overwhelming situation. When a foreign manufacturer ignores a default notice, like the one you sent to the Chinese company, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to give up. It’s... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Estate Planning and Probate for Pennsylvania on
Q: Do you have to wait one year to settle estate even if the department of revenue has approved the inheritance tax return.

The Estate was advertised in May and I am the Executor and I absolutely know my father does not owe any money to any creditors. He never charged anything. Everything was paid in full with cash and I have paid everything that was due. Ok

W. J. Winterstein Jr.
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W. J. Winterstein Jr.
answered on Oct 11, 2024

Pursuant to PA law, the opening of an Estate must be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the probate is pending. Creditors of the deceased or estate have one year from date of first publication to file a claim for payment. If the executrix distributes Estate... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Employment Law for Pennsylvania on
Q: Can I pursue litigation a a previous employer if they let me go because I am a recovering drug addict?

I work for a medical insurance company. I have a previous history of substance abuse issues. I am certain my supervisor can view this info. I cannot prove they have ever accessed it, but I can prove that they have the capability of accessing it. In a recent meeting, I was told that “if I want to,... View More

Dash Radosti
Dash Radosti
answered on Oct 9, 2024

A: Hello,

My name is Dash. I'm a PA attorney with Equal Justice Solutions, a public interest law firm that represents employees.

I'm sorry to hear you have struggled with your addiction. It sounds like you are doing better, and we hope this issue at work isn't too...
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1 Answer | Asked in Employment Law for Pennsylvania on
Q: Can I pursue litigation a a previous employer if they let me go because I am a recovering drug addict?

I work for a medical insurance company. I have a previous history of substance abuse issues. I am certain my supervisor can view this info. I cannot prove they have ever accessed it, but I can prove that they have the capability of accessing it. In a recent meeting, I was told that “if I want to,... View More

Dash Radosti
Dash Radosti
answered on Oct 9, 2024

Hello,

My name is Dash. I'm a PA attorney with Equal Justice Solutions, a public interest law firm that represents employees.

I'm sorry to hear you have struggled with your addiction. It sounds like you are doing better, and we hope this issue at work isn't too...
View More

1 Answer | Asked in Civil Litigation for Pennsylvania on
Q: i won a settlement and i was sent a praecipe to settle ,discontinue and end. The defendant's attorney said they will

send the funds after i sign the praecipe and pay the legal costs. is this normal

Tim Akpinar
Tim Akpinar
answered on Sep 29, 2024

A Pennsylvania attorney could advise best, but you await a response for three weeks. Until you speak with a local attorney - or better yet, your own attorney if you're represented, the form usually used to wrap up a case in most parts of the nation is a release. In my experience, I have not... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Family Law and Probate for Pennsylvania on
Q: Hi there! I’m seeking an attorney to change a deed Who in Reading specializes in deeds.?

There’s a deed owned by 2 brothers in Reading, and one is deceased. The heir wants to put his name in place of his fathers.

W. J. Winterstein Jr.
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W. J. Winterstein Jr.
answered on Sep 24, 2024

If the current two-brother deed is held as joint tenants with right of survivorship, the filing of a Certificate of Death of one brother with Registrar of Deeds should give surviving brother a clean (and insurable) right to the whole of the property. At that point, the sole owner (surviving... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Employment Law for Pennsylvania on
Q: I’ve been working for a company full time for over 20 years and they have never given me vacation pay or sick days.

The company I work for considers everybody part time but I easily work 40 to 50 hours a week. It’s a commission based per building and my portfolio used to be 200 buildings a month but now it’s 140 buildings a month since Covid hit. I constantly ask for vacation pay and they only gave it to me... View More

Maurice Mandel II
Maurice Mandel II
answered on Sep 19, 2024

Interesting situation, you could be covered by PA law or NY law or both. You would want to research which is more favorable. Check not only the wage laws/employee laws that provide that you are entitled to recover wages AND EXPENSES expended for the benefit of your employer, and you are entitled to... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Personal Injury, Education Law, Health Care Law and Juvenile Law for Pennsylvania on
Q: Can an opposing party bring a lawyer to a meeting without my consent or knowledge?

My child was injured in school and initially refused care. Was told to sit down when the teacher was informed of a knocked out tooth, blood and pain. Only after numerous attempts of informing the teacher of the injury and pain was my child brought to the nurse who was on lunch break. My child then... View More

Tim Akpinar
Tim Akpinar
answered on Sep 13, 2024

A Pennsylvania attorney could advise best, but your question remains open for two weeks. I hope your child is okay. The short answer to your question is that you may also have the right to bring an attorney. The matter may have been resolved at this point, but you could reach out to Pennsylvania... View More

2 Answers | Asked in Estate Planning, Banking and Probate for Pennsylvania on
Q: My name is on my mothers account, with hers. She has passed. How should I handle the account till dispersed

Her name is still on the checking account. This is the only asset. Dispersing monies in Dec after Medicare has had time to review her account and try for reimbursement. Can her name stay on the account, or does it need to be an Estate account so that I do not get taxed on it. If it is an Estate... View More

Michael Cherewka
Michael Cherewka
answered on Sep 9, 2024

although you state that your name is on the account, you can be on account as Power of Attorney or authorized signer (Which both expired when your mother passed away), in which case you may have to open an Estate administration to get control of the funds and open an Estate account (depends on how... View More

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2 Answers | Asked in Estate Planning, Banking and Probate for Pennsylvania on
Q: My name is on my mothers account, with hers. She has passed. How should I handle the account till dispersed

Her name is still on the checking account. This is the only asset. Dispersing monies in Dec after Medicare has had time to review her account and try for reimbursement. Can her name stay on the account, or does it need to be an Estate account so that I do not get taxed on it. If it is an Estate... View More

W. J. Winterstein Jr.
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W. J. Winterstein Jr.
answered on Sep 7, 2024

To do the things you want (you do not state the amount involved), you can initiate a probate (to pay estate bills, and PA tax on distributions to you is five percent) if there was a Will, or an Administration if there was no Will.

I've represented financial institutions for decades,...
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1 Answer | Asked in Real Estate Law for Pennsylvania on
Q: I need to have my wife added to a track of land I own in Mifflin county Pa. plus have the amount of acreage corrected.
Mark Scoblionko
Mark Scoblionko
answered on Sep 5, 2024

If there is a mortgage on the property, you will first need the lender’s consent. You will have to hire a surveyor to prepare a new legal description. You should then have a lawyer prepare a new deed for you, which, after execution, can be recorded. The new deed should include both the old and... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Estate Planning for Pennsylvania on
Q: My counsel met with opposing attorney & judge in chambers & agreed to something I disagree with. Do I have to accept it?

I wasn't there at the time they met. I arrived after everything was over. I was never consulted. I am opposed to what was agreed to. What are my options?

W. J. Winterstein Jr.
PREMIUM
W. J. Winterstein Jr.
answered on Sep 5, 2024

Your lawyer is only your representative, and cannot bind you to anything with which you do not agree.

Get a full explanation of what happened, and after that, explain your position. If counsel balks at your position, you have an absolute right to terminate that attorney and engage another...
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1 Answer | Asked in Estate Planning, Family Law, Business Law and Probate for Pennsylvania on
Q: My mother passed in July and I wasn't informed by family members.

I asked for estate planning lawyer and legal records and all I got was a painting dropped off in a war zone. What are my options? She owned assets, including house and car; they kept everything a secret and I'm disabled wit SSDI and constantly threatened by their friends.

W. J. Winterstein Jr.
PREMIUM
W. J. Winterstein Jr.
answered on Sep 2, 2024

If there was a Will, it probably should be submitted to the probate court (you don't mention a Will, or whether the property was in your mom's name alone, or some other way).

If probated, the personal representative named in it would probably be appointed by the Court....
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1 Answer | Asked in Employment Law and Contracts for Pennsylvania on
Q: A small nonprofit is trying to cut my pay to profit the owner under threat of termination. What can I do?

The nonprofit is a stakeholder in an after school program I work for that gained grants through the Department of Human Services to operate in a school district. The grant proposal specifies my pay, and the director/owner is trying to claim 20% of my hourly pay, claiming that she has not been... View More

Joseph Korsak
Joseph Korsak
answered on Aug 31, 2024

I do not believe that the mentioning of your wage jn the grant app gives you any vested rights. Unless you have a written contract for a specific term, you are an at-will employee. As such, an employer can change the terms of employment at any time.

You should be looking for other...
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