Erie Lawyer to Give Supreme Court Approved CLE Presentation

August 23, 2011, ERIE, PA — Erie lawyer Eric J. Purchase will lead a panel discussion of Pennsylvania lawyers addressing Pennsylvania’s new Joint and Several Liability reform legislation. The panel of Erie attorneys will address S. B. 1131, Act 30, Effective June 28, 2011, the Pennsylvania legislation that dramatically altered the law of accident victim compensation in Pennsylvania. Specific topics that the panel will address include:

• The implications of the new Act for Pennsylvania attorneys handling motor vehicle, medical malpractice, product liability, and other personal injury cases.
• How the new Act compares to Act 57, a 2002 statute that struck down joint and several liability but which was declared unconstitutional by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
• The circumstances in which joint and several liability is still applicable in Pennsylvania.
• The potential for constitutional flaws in the current statute.
• Other arguments that may be used to avoid application of the Act to a client’s Pennsylvania injury case.

The panel of Pennsylvania injury lawyers also includes Erie attorneys Tim Riley and Craig Murphey.

The event, approved for 1.5 Continuing Legal Education credits by Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court, is scheduled for August 30, 2011 beginning at 11:45 a.m. at the Bayfront Convention Center. Cost of admission is $48 for Erie County Bar Association members, $72 for non-members, and $34 for judges.