Kimberly Rapp, Executrix of the Estate of Edwin Rapp, et al v. Gurdev Singh, Pablo Molino, Gilbert Express, Inc., et al U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania - C.A. No. 002741 (05.09.01)
The plaintiff, Kimberly Rapp, lost her husband, Edwin Rapp, and five-year old son when they were both decapitated in their car as it went under our clients' stopped tractor-trailer after the Rapp car was struck by another tractor trailer. Mrs. Rapp suffered internal injuries but she and her daughter did not die as Mrs. Rapp had bent down to get her daughter as she had slipped out of her car seat. Mr. Rapp was 50 and a New York bank executive; wage loss proven to the jury was 10.6 million dollars. Because of Pennsylvania law on Joint and Several Liability, even a finding of 1% of liability would result in payment of the verdict - that was coverage of 26 million dollars. The striking tractor-trailer had 35 thousand dollars in coverage. The jury found that there was negligence on the part of our driver, Pablo Molino and the company and found violations of both State and Federal laws in failing to activate the emergency flashers while stopped. The jury did not find causation, and accordingly, a defense verdict for the clients was rendered along with a 27.7 million dollar verdict against the co-defendant. At the time, it was the highest verdict in the history of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Esh v. Bd. of Supervisors of East Lampeter Twp. (In re Agric. Sec. Area), 974 A.2d 1213 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2009)
In a landmark decision for agricultural land preservation, the Commonwealth Court affirmed the Court of Common Pleas of Lancaster County and ruled that it is farmers, and not township supervisors, who may control whether or not land is included in Agricultural Security Districts, a condition precedent to selling perpetual preservation easements.
Stagliano v. Robert Bruce Designs, Inc., 603 Pa. 437 (Pa. 2009) 2009 Supreme Court of Pennsylvania [client: Robert Bruce Designs]
We prevailed at trial, at the Superior Court and in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in a case involving alleged construction defects and the failure of a party to pay under the construction contract.
Estate of Philip Meriano, v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue Service., 142 F.3d 651 (3rd Cir. 1998) [client Anita Panepinto, Administratix of the Estate]
We prevailed at the Court of Appeals and reversed the decision of the United States Tax Court. This unusual case involved deductions on a federal estate tax return. Bearer bonds had been stolen from the decedent immediately before his death. An attorney was hired to find them. He was successful, but he promptly stole the recovered bonds. The Tax Court treated this as a fee dispute and non deductible. The Court of Appeals permitted the deduction.
Other reported decisions:
Robal Assocs. v. Bd. of Supervisors of Charlestown Twp., 999 A.2d 630 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2010)
Evans v. Zoning Hearing Bd., 732 A.2d 686 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 1999)
Realty One v. Western Dev. Corp., 1993 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13201 (D. Pa. 1993)
Tannenbaum v. Brink, 119 F. Supp. 2d 505 (D. Pa. 2000)
