A federal District Court in Philadelphia has rejected a motion to dismiss claims for punitive damages against a healthcare system, a hospital within the system, the director of the hospital’s emergency department and an emergency room nurse who allegedly disclosed protected health information about a police officer injured in an automobile accident.  The officer and his wife claimed damages from disclosure to superiors in his department.

A bank trustee has been found not liable for breach of fiduciary duty or breach of contract when a $1.9 million charitable remainder annuity trust (a “CRAT”) designed to provide a 7.5% annual payout to the annuitants for life was totally exhausted in 11 years.  An appellate court in Georgia has ruled that the bank neither violated its fiduciary duty within the applicable statute of limitations period nor breached its contract with the beneficiaries.  (Wells Fargo Bank v. Cook, Ct.