The Law Firm of Navitsky, Olson & Wisneski LLP (NOW Law) is pleased to welcome Attorney Neil J. Rovner, formerly of Angino and Rovner, to the firm. Mr. Rovner was named Best Lawyers® 2014 Harrisburg "Lawyer of the Year" in the area of Plaintiffs' Personal Injury Litigation, has been selected by the National Trial Lawyers as a Top 100 Trial Lawyer, and has been listed in every edition of The Best Lawyers in America© since 2006. He has achieved favorable jury verdicts for his clients, each in excess of one million dollars, in Dauphin, Cumberland and Adams counties, along with multiple settlements of one million dollars or more. Mr. Rovner is a graduate of Lafayette College in Pennsylvania, served in the Peace Corps, then taught High School while earning his Master's and Law Degree from Temple University. Following his graduation from Law School, he served as Law Clerk to the Honorable Glenn Mercer (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania). In private practice since 1977, his area of expertise is in the area of Plaintiff's personal injury litigation. At NOW Law, Mr. Rovner will continue to represent clients injured by medical malpractice, defective products and motor vehicle accidents. NOW Law has offices in Philadelphia and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and serves clients throughout the State of Pennsylvania and nationwide (in conjunction with local co-counsel) in the areas of medical malpractice, cerebral palsy and birth injuries, personal injury and nursing home neglect. The experienced attorneys at NOW Law have a reputation for excellence and have been recognized by such organizations as Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers, and the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. They have repeatedly secured million dollar and multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements for their clients. NOW Law is pleased to have Neil Rovner join its team of experienced attorneys who are dedicated to helping those who have been injured. They are ready to evaluate each case individually to achieve the best possible outcome. The Best Lawyers in America© 2014 (copyright 2013 by Woodward/White, Inc. of Aiken, SC.)*
Legislation Would Change Medical Malpractice Standards
A new bill under consideration in the Pennsylvania legislature would change the definition of medical negligence for emergency room physicians throughout the state. The new measure would require additional evidence from plaintiffs who seek compensation for medical malpractice from emergency department staff. Lawmakers say that emergency physicians should not be held to the same strict standards for medical errors as doctors who are performing work under different circumstances.The measure, House Bill 804, would require clear and convincing evidence from plaintiffs that serious errors and omissions had occurred during emergency care. That standard would thus be changed to simple negligence from gross negligence. The bill would effectively provide additional protection against doctor errors for physicians who are practicing in the unpredictable emergency room environment.Legislators and physicians advocates say that the current standard is "fundamentally unjust" and encourages abuses of the civil litigation system. Emergency providers are required to make difficult decisions under duress. In many cases, those doctors do not have any prior relationship with the patient who is receiving care, and the patients' medical histories are often incomplete or missing entirely.This change would definitely benefit emergency room physicians, but it would do little to add to the peace of mind of victims who have been injured because of doctor errors. Patients who have been victimized by medical error in any venue deserve access to legal redress for additional medical expenses and other civil claims. Victims who have been harmed because of doctor negligence in Pennsylvania emergency rooms are not yet governed by this pending legislation. Those patients may be entitled to financial compensation for their pain and suffering, lost wages and a variety of other damages.Source: Pittsburgh Business Times, "Bill would change medical negligence definition" Kris B. Mamula, Apr. 02, 2014
