Residents of a neighborhood where gasoline spilled in Hazleton and Hazle Township received praise from attorneys who represented them for a decade in a lawsuit that ended this week.  "Their lives were upended by gasoline contamination that affected their homes and their lives. Some died. All suffered nuisance and inconvenience to a significant degree. They put up with things no one should have to suffer, and they responded admirably," the Locks Law Firm and Wilentz, Goldman and Spitzer, which both have offices in Philadelphia, said in a statement.

An environmental expert who worked at the scene supported what Cabell said about the statute of limitations.  "We did not know the true magnitude of the problem until we completed our whole investigation," said Robert Gadinski, the hydrogeologist supervisor and special project manager for the Department of Environmental Resources at Laurel Gardens in 1994.  The lawsuits for 258 families ended on Monday in Luzerne County Court when they reached a settlement with Exxon Mobil.

Read more: standardspeaker.com.

In 10 Reasons Why Therapy May Not Be Working, Elvira G. Aletta, Ph.D. writes:

A few months ago I was called to be an expert witness at the county court. Not my favorite thing to do. What makes it hard is the tendency lawyers have to ask complex questions and expect a “Yes” or “No” answer. I have learned to slow myself down, detach myself from the process, and be absolutely truthful while remaining as unprovoked as possible. Otherwise it is an exhausting exercise.

Questions for Therapists About Lack of Progress in Therapy

Therapists learn about treatment resistance clients in the cradle of graduate school. Hitting a wall in therapy is not a reason to panic. In fact it could be an opportunity to step back and reassess. From the therapist’s point of view:

1. If someone is not showing improvement after a reasonable amount of time we may ask ourselves, are we the right therapist for this patient? Occasionally our patient would be better served with a specialist, sometimes in addition to, or in lieu of our own work. The patient may need supplementary professional help, for example a psychiatrist if medication might help.

Read more: psychcentral.com.

University of Chicago professor Don Coursey, whose role as an expert witness is central to discovery disputes in two proposed atrazine class actions, says he will comply with discovery requests. The City of Greenville, IL, proposes to lead a multi-state class of water providers against against Syngenta Crop Protection Inc. and Syngenta AG over alleged water contamination caused by their chemical atrazine.  Atrazine is a common weed killer used by farmers.  The federal suit is nearly identical to a series of proposed class actions filed seven years ago in Madison County.

Read more: madisonrecord.com.

JetAway Aviation’s attorneys argued strongly against certifying Montrose County’s expert Charlotte Ryan witness Thursday, but the witness was allowed.  JetAway is adjacent to Montrose Regional Airport, and operated under a “through the fence agreement.” It sued the county in 2005, when another company was awarded the contract for fixed-base operations at the airport.

This week’s trial is Round 2 of that case, which was decided in 2008. Under that ruling, JetAway’s land leasewith the county was terminated, and the county was ordered to issue an access permit both parties appealed portions of the 2008 order, and the Colorado Court of Appeals remanded questions concerning maintenance and attorneys’ fees to the Montrose District Court, which this week is also considering JetAway’s motion to compel access.

Read more: montrosedailypress.