U. Penn student wrongful death suit heads to court.
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The wrongful death suit brought by the estate of Michael Tobin against the University of Pennsylvania landed in Philadelphia’s Court of Common Pleas on Monday, two years after it was first filed and over four years after the accident that claimed Tobin’s life. Contending that Penn’s alleged failure to maintain the stairs behind a University owned Locust Walk fraternity house caused Tobin’s death, the estate is seeking $5 million in damages, a figure based on estimates of Tobin’s prospective earnings. Jury selection was completed on Monday, though a number of pre-trial motions had to be resolved before opening arguments began the following day. Speaking briefly to the jury as the trial got under way, Court of Common Pleas Judge Paul Panepinto estimated that the case would take three weeks to try. |