The ability to pay for an attorney in a disability case should not be a concern, since attorneys must work on a contingency fee basis in a disability proceeding.

EPA to Probe Gas Drilling Toll on Drinking Water

An injured party's election of limited tort automobile insurance recently led to the dismissal of his auto accident injury claim.

The drilling industry has brought with it a group of young men who are a hard-working and hard-drinking element that threatens to overwhelm law enforcement.

Newton Township Supervisors voted to hire a consultant to craft an ordinance . . .

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has taken under consideration a very important and harsh exclusion that is now standard in all car insurance policies.

The Citizens Marcellus Shale Commission wants Pennsylvania to enact stricter rules to protect air quality, surface water and groundwater from the impact of natural gas drilling.

National news concerning a workers compensation insurance company's denial of a claim has resulted in an about-face by the insurance company.

Methane in Wells Hits Hazardous Levels

The Social Security Administration recently announced that there will finally be a cost of living increase to all social security benefits paid.

For Lackawanna and Luzerne counties, Governor Corbett s proposed impact fee on shale gas wells will be of no aid.

The Need for a Precise Description of Location When Drafting or Reviewing a Pipeline Easement

Governor Corbett has proposed letting counties that host wells to collect and disburse an impact fee.

PennFuture, a statewide environmental group, has launched a campaign to protect State park land.

Policy change new precludes subsequent application while appeals are still pending.

In order to qualify for Social Security Disability Benefits, an applicant must have enough work credits to qualify.

In a tragic accident in Wyoming County a water truck affiliated with the gas drilling industry in Pennsylvania collided with a car occupied by a local resident resulting in the driver's death. An investigation is continuing to determine the speed, etc. of the tanker involved in the accident.  The lawyers at ACA are experienced in handling serious truck/tractor trailer accidents.  Our firm has handled numerous cases where the verdicts/settlements were in excess of one million dollars. 

A bill addressing safety rights at gas wells written by State Senator Lisa Baker has been passed in the Senate in response to common gas drilling related accidents such as fire or spill.   Under the bill, gas well operators would be required to post signs indicating their GPS location as well as other emergency response information.  This information, along with emergency response plans, is to be shared with state and local officials. 

The first half of 2011 has seen a vast increase is fluid and solid waste produced by Marcellus Shale natural gas drillers in Pennsylvania.  Though partially explained by changes in reporting requirements and mistakes in previous data accounts, the Marcellus wells in Pennsylvania have produced more than 34 million barrels of sale and metal laden wastewater. This amount represented an increase of more than eight times the amount produced in the previous six months. 

Pennsylvania recently enacted a law known as the Fair Share Act which limits the rights of injury victims to recover in the event that more than one party is responsible for causing injury. We earlier discussed the dangers of this law in our newsletter. (See this link for details: http://www.law aca.com/white papers/209 corbett and fellow republicans seek to change law on joint and several liability)