Pine v. Synkonis’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

8 state decisions

Most-quoted passages

The sentences later courts lift from this opinion, ranked by how many decisions quote each — the parts of the opinion doing the work. These counts are smaller than the citation total above because most of the 8 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “1. . Can the official be held to a predictable standard of care, which can be defined and applied with relative ease. 2. Do the officials decisions or actions have a significant impact on the public or impact on a large portion of the public. The greater the impact of such decision making, the greater the need to isolate the official from the threat of liability. 3. Did the official himself engage in actionable conduct. Officials will not be held liable for the acts of those under them simply because they are in the chain of command. 4. But for a defendants status as an official, would an action in negligence lie. Plaintiff must establish a duty, breach of that duty, causation and injury. 5. Would any public policy be promoted in shielding the official from liability. 6. Has the plaintiff failed to pursue other available remedies.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 110 Pa. Commw. 199 - Hall v. ACME MARKETS, INC.

2. “We do not disagree that this [sovereign immunity] language, enacted after the jury verdict in the instant case, expresses the legislature’s clear intent to limit recovery against Department [of Transportation] officials and other Commonwealth employees. We find no cause, however, to apply this language to the circumstances before us. A statute which is not by its terms made retroactive should not be so construed.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 166 Pa. Commw. 1 - Mason & Dixon Lines, Inc. v. Mognet