Anastasia Baranowski and Meghan Wynkoop achieved a successful dismissal with prejudice on behalf of a Pennsylvania County Agency following the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania’s denial of the third-party plaintiffs’ Petition for Permission to Appeal the trial court’s order. The claims by the third-party plaintiffs alleged the County Agency was liable for plaintiff’s damages stemming from allegations of false reports of child abuse. Following our Preliminary Objections and oral argument, the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas found the County Agency was entitled to immunity and dismissed the Agency with prejudice.
The third-party plaintiffs then sought to appeal the trial court’s Order through a petition for permission to appeal with the Commonwealth Court on two separate grounds. After review of the parties’ briefs, the third-party plaintiffs’ petition for permission to appeal was denied. The defense Answers in Opposition to the Petitions for Appeal argued that the venue the third-party plaintiffs sought was improper and that the County agency was properly afforded immunity under Pennsylvania’s Political Subdivision Tort Claims Act and Child Protective Services Law.
