What is an AFI? How is it used in my case?
Today, the Supreme Court of the United States granted certiorari in two cases: Berk v. Choi, No. 24-440: Many states, including Delaware in this case, have “affidavit of merit” statutes that require certain types of...more
In another in the seemingly endless series of decisions parsing the interpretation of the statutory requirements for an affidavit of merit in medical liability claims, on January 22, 2025 the New Jersey Supreme Court issued...more
The culmination of every successful sweepstakes promotion involves the picking of a winner, or multiple winners, as applicable. Winner selection also provides the sweepstakes operator with the opportunity to generate positive...more
Background - On December 10, 2024, the Supreme Court of Ohio issued its decision in Stull v. Summa, a medical negligence case in which the defendants argued that Ohio’s statutory peer-review privilege protected from...more
On October 30, 2024, in Alternative Global One, LLC v. Feingold, the New Jersey Appellate Division affirmed a trial court’s orders denying a New Jersey litigant’s motion to quash a subpoena for his deposition in underlying...more
Wiggins v. Hackensack Meridian Health, 478 N.J. Super. 355 (App. Div. 2024) - The plaintiffs alleged that the defendant, Dr. Goyal, prescribed tramadol to the decedent for pain associated with a medical condition. One month...more
Starting on Monday, October 21, 2024, the Butler County, Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas will require an Affidavit about the use of Generative AI to be attached to court filings. This marks a new development in courts’...more
Most people likely understand the risks of trying to rely on an oral agreement to vary the terms of a commercial lease. Nonetheless, parties often get into disputes over whether there was an oral agreement that varied the...more
In civil litigation, depositions are a key pretrial discovery tool used to uncover facts, obtain admissions, gather evidence for motions, and assess witnesses. They prevent “trial by ambush” by revealing crucial information...more
Hearsay is an important legal concept that lawyers learn in law school. Under Federal Rule of Evidence 801, hearsay is an out-of-court statement offered for the truth of the matter asserted. Even many lawyers are often...more
Jurisdiction: Supreme Court of New York, New York County - DAP filed a motion for summary judgment by arguing plaintiff cannot sufficiently demonstrate DAP’s exposed him to asbestos. DAP contends that it did not manufacture...more
An “almost perfect storm of events” warranted additional time to file an Affidavit of Merit. Gonzalez v. Maher Ibrahim, et al., No. A-3719-22, 2024 WL 649332 (N.J. App. Div. Feb. 16, 2024) (approved for publication) - The...more
Gonzalez v. Maher Ibrahim, et al., No. A-3719-22, 2024 WL 649332 (N.J. App. Div. Feb. 16, 2024) (approved for publication) - The plaintiff and her husband, by way of a per quod claim, initiated a medical malpractice action...more
To diminish the number of frivolous lawsuits that patients file against doctors and hospitals, 28 states require that a plaintiff submit an affidavit or certificate of merit when they file a medical malpractice case....more
A version of this article was previously published in the Michigan Defense Quarterly, Vol. 40, No. 3 (2024). There may be times when a party facing an adverse summary disposition decision (whether it be the grant or denial...more
Hargett v. Hamilton Park OPCO, LLC, et al., No. A-2036-22, 2023 WL 8533057 (N.J. App. Div. Dec. 11, 2023) (approved for publication) - The trial court dismissed the plaintiff’s complaint with prejudice for failure to provide...more
As of January 1, 2024, the amended CPLR 2106 concerning affirmations provides that - [t]he statement of any person wherever made, subscribed and affirmed by that person to be true under the penalties of perjury, may be...more
Notarized affidavits will not be required for court submissions starting in the new year. As of January 1, 2024, New York CPLR Rule 2106 is amended to permit that an affirmed statement can be used in a New York action...more
On November 1, 2023, a statutory amendment went into effect in Oklahoma which requires an affidavit be completed and attached as an exhibit to all deeds filed for record in any county in the state certifying compliance with...more
In an October 3 decision, U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Ellis III granted a motion to transfer venue of a patent case brought in the EDVA to California under 28 U.S.C. § 1404(a). Monarch Networking Solutions LLC .v Juniper...more
In Castello v. Ex’r of the Est. of Castello, the decedent died leaving a will that left his property to his wife “for life” and then to his three children by a prior marriage. No 03-22-00012-CV 2023 Tex. App. LEXIS 4454 (Tex....more
Business records can be vital to divorce or family law matters. Business records can become important in various ways. Business records could comprise of many types: employment, medical, school, investment, retirement,...more
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every aspect of our lives, and the legal system is no exception. Court hearings went from being in-person to virtual, and court dockets swelled as cases were postponed. In 2023, the legal...more
We previously wrote about the requirements many jurisdictions impose for affidavits or declarations submitted in conjunction with motions for summary judgment, including that they must be based on personal knowledge, show the...more
The trial court granted the insurer’s motion for final summary judgment and considered the affidavit of the corporate representative, as well as the attachment. According to the court, the corporate representative is an...more