Philadelphia Construction Law Blog
Author: D Borzor
After the economy went south in 2008 and 2009, many parts of the construction industry suffered along with the economy at large. The housing sector – which reports now suggest may be in the process of a slight rebound – was hardest hit at the time. Because of the lack of work, many construction companies shifted their focus to public and institutional work. This sector seemed less impacted, perhaps largely due to money made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Continue Reading SIGNIFICANT CUTS ON THE WAY IN SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION?...
Tags: Construction Industry News, Pennsylvania, Public Projects, Schools
Philly.com reports that a deal has finally been struck between Post Brothers and the Philadelphia trade unions in relation to the Goldtex construction project. Congressman Bob Brady brought the two sides together at the Sheet Metal Workers union hall this week and brokered at least a temporary peace.
Continue Reading DEAL STRUCK TO STOP LABOR DISPUTE AT GOLDTEX SITE...
Tags: Construction News, Current Events in Construction, Labor, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
The Construction Research and Policy Center recently reported that falls on construction sites remain an issue. They are still the single leading cause of construction site fatalities, causing 1/3 of all deaths. The annual fall fatality rate is 3 per 100,000 among construction workers, a number six times that of deaths caused by texting while driving accidents.
Continue Reading Construction Site Falls Remain An Issue...
Tags: Construction News, Construction Safety, OSHA
On behalf of Kaplin Stewart Meloff Reiter & Stein, P.C. posted in
Insurance on Sep 6, 2012.
In a recent opinion, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court significantly broadened an employer’s responsibility as a “statutory employer” under the Worker’s Compensation Law. In Six L’s Packing Co. v WCAB, a produce company subcontracted the trucking of its harvested produce to its warehouses. Although the trucking subcontractor had agreed to provide worker’s compensation insurance to its employees, it failed to do so. One of the subcontractor’s drivers was injured in a motor vehicle accident while transporting the employer’s produce. The driver filed a worker’s compensation claim against the produce company alleging that it was his “statutory employer” under the worker’s compensation law.
Continue Reading Recent Pennsylvania Supreme Court Case Expands Employer’s Worker’s Compensation Liability...
Tags: Insurance, Recent Court Decisions
On behalf of Kaplin Stewart Meloff Reiter & Stein, P.C. posted in
General on Aug 31, 2012.
We here at Kaplin Stewart are excited about our new blog. But we also think it is important to stop, take the time to inquire if we can make it better, and listen to the answers. In this regard, we would love to hear from you. Please let us know how we are doing. Comments, questions, or suggestions are all welcome. We look forward to getting your thoughts!
Continue Reading LET US KNOW HOW WE ARE DOING: WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU...
Tags: General
On behalf of Kaplin Stewart Meloff Reiter & Stein, P.C. posted in
Uncategorized on Aug 30, 2012.
This summer, Pennsylvania became another in a lengthening list of states to pass legislation relating allowing public entities to enter agreements with private developers to manage the public entity’s interest in public projects. In essence, public transportation projects like toll roads can now be turned over to private entities to build, manage, and care for in return for a profit. The difference between this and the more traditional approach is that while the state or local governmental entity still owns the property in a technical sense, a private entity is the practical owner.
Continue Reading A QUESTION ABOUT PENNSYLVANIA’S NEW PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP LEGISLATION...
Tags: P-3, Pennsylvania, Public Construction Contracts, Public-Private Partnerships
PennDOT District 5, out of Allentown, has started construction on improvements on I-176 between US 422 and Pa 724. The work is to include full depth reconstruction of the existing travel lanes, adding a collector/distributor lane for ramp traffic between the US 422 and PA 724 interchanges, and 3 new bridges among other things. Crews have started staging equipment and doing other preparatory work for the start of construction in earnest. The work is set to start on August 24th.
Continue Reading PENNDOT Projects Underway...
Tags: Construction Industry News, PennDOT, Pennsylvania
McGraw Hill has released an update on its 2012 economic forecast for the construction industry. Although there seems to be a slight rebound on residential construction starts, the overall numbers have not improved. Rather, they have flattened out and remain low
Continue Reading CONSTRUCTION ECONOMIC NUMBERS FLATTEN OUT, REMAIN LOW...
Tags: Construction News, Economic Numbers
On behalf of Kaplin Stewart Meloff Reiter & Stein, P.C. posted in
General on Aug 13, 2012.
On July 1, 2009, the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act (HICPA) went into effect in Pennsylvania. HICPA is intended to protect homeowners who hire contractors for home improvement projects.
Continue Reading Are Additions Covered By The Pennsylvania Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act?...
Tags: Home Improvement Construction, Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act, Pennsylvania
Here are a few recent developments in in the green building industry worth noting:
Continue Reading GREEN BUILDING UPDATE...
Tags: Construction News, Green Building, USGBC