The Structure of Pennsylvania Judicial System

Like every other state, Pennsylvania has its own judicial system. Most residents of the state of Pennsylvania, however, likely do not know the structure of their own court system. This is unfortunate, especially for those people who wish to file personal injury claims. People who want to file personal injury lawsuits can better utilize the court system of the state of Pennsylvania by understanding its structure and the specific functions of its various parts.

Like all court systems, Pennsylvania's court system is structured like a pyramid. At the bottom of the pyramid are Special Courts, which deal with most people's claims and problems. Special Courts are divided into four types:

District Justice Courts. These are one of the two sub-types of Special Courts that deal with personal injury claims. With regards to personal injury lawsuits, these courts hear cases in which the damages do not exceed $8,000. They also deal with some criminal matters. Philadelphia Municipal Court. This is the other sub-type of Special Courts that deal with personal injury claims. The maximum damages that can be claimed are $10,000. It also deals with some criminal matters. Philadelphia Traffic Court. As its name implies, this sub-type of Special Court deals with traffic cases. Pittsburgh Magistrates Courts. These courts deal with criminal matters.

The second layer of Pennsylvania's court system consists of Common Pleas Courts, which have original jurisdiction in Pennsylvania trials. As such, they can deal with both criminal and with civil matters (personal injury claims fall under civil matters).

The third (and, discussed later, fourth) layer of Pennsylvania's judicial system consists of Appellate Courts. The third layer divides appellate courts into two sub-types: the Commonwealth Court and the Superior Court. The Commonwealth Courts have original jurisdiction on many civil cases, including personal injury. If someone wants to bring a personal injury claim against a governmental agency, for example, that individual would file the lawsuit in a Commonwealth Court. The Superior Court acts solely as an appeals court. As a result, personal injury lawsuit decisions from lower court can be appealed to the Superior Court.

The final, and highest, layer of the Pennsylvania judicial system is the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Although the Supreme Court has original jurisdiction in some cases, for most cases it has appellate jurisdiction. For personal injury cases, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has only appellate jurisdiction.

The Pennsylvania court system is relatively simple. Nonetheless, to be successful when filing a personal injury lawsuit, having the help of legal professionals is helpful. For more information on the Pennsylvania judicial system and how it relates to personal injury claims, contact the Philadelphia personal injury lawyers and attorneys of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. by calling 800-876-5299.