WEEKLY LEGAL UPDATE

Niklaus v. Wild, PICS Case No. 14-1595 (C.P. Lycoming, 9/16/14)
Plaintiff was not permitted to introduce evidence at the time of trial that she had been awarded social security disability benefits.  Since the plaintiff’s medical expert testified that plaintiff had suffered from disc herniations related to a motor vehicle accident, the Court held it was cumulative for the plaintiff to present testimony or evidence regarding a Social Security determination of disability.

Brunner v. Ritchey, Allegheny County

Insurers of defendants in a drunken driving accident must destroy or return plaintiff’s confidential medical and psychiatric records.  Jude Wettick found that “the insurance companies have no right to possession, custody or control of the confidential records.  Consequently, the insurance companies have no standing to complain about any court order directing defendants to furnish plaintiff’s confidential records only to person who have an interest in the litigation and who agree, prior to the receipt of the records, to return or destroy the records upon completion of the litigation.”