Protecting your Constitutionally guaranteed rights as a citizen
Civil rights are those rights which protect the freedom of individuals from undue interference by the government of by other private citizens. Civil rights encompasses a wide range of freedoms guaranteed by the United States Constitution and the Pennsylvania Constitution, as well as statutes and other laws.
Civil rights litigation requires care
Most government agencies are run with good intentions; however, sometimes they overstep their authority. A government agency might conduct a harassing and biased investigation, revoke a person's professional license without following the rules, or publicly defame a citizen without first giving the citizen a right to clear their name. Because of the added legal protections which government agencies and employees enjoy, holding the government accountable requires both knowledge of the law and attention to detail.
If you think that you have been harmed by a government agency not following the rules, call the Mizner Law Firm for a consultation.
Excessive force claims
The vast majority of law enforcement officers are good, honest people who are willing to put themselves in danger to protect their communities. There are a few law enforcement officers, however, who break the rules and use more force than the law allows against citizens. At the Mizner Law Firm, we believe that law enforcement officers who break the rules should be held accountable both to compensate their victims and to let others know that there are consequences to violating the law. If you or somebody you love has been the victim of excessive force by a law enforcement officer, contact us today for a consultation.
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(814) 454-3889
It is our pleasure to review your case free of charge or financial commitment.
A look at our legal work
Every lawsuit is started when the person bringing the lawsuit, the plaintiff, files a complaint. Here are some cases the Mizner Law Firm has handled.
(United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania) - Represented the estate of a man who died in custody after suffering an asthma attack while on a work release detail in Erie County. The corrections officers repeatedly failed to call for emergency medical assistance or take him to a hospital, a violation of his Eighth Amendment rights. The case was settled for in excess of one million dollars.
(United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania) - Represented an incarcerated man who was assaulted by a corrections officer while he was locked in a cell at the Crawford County Prison, resulting in facial fractures. Mr. Gibson sued for excessive force in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment, and the case was settled for more than two hundred thousand dollars.
(United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania) - Represented an incarcerated man who was violently assaulted by two inmates at the Erie County Prison, after Erie County had been repeatedly warned by Mr. Allen that he was in danger because the two inmates were threatening him. Mr. Allen filed suit for the County’s failure to protect him under the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments, and the case was settled in his favor.
(United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania) - Represented an incarcerated man, whose medications for chronic pain were discontinued due to a prison policy of not prescribing narcotics. Mr. Buehl sued for violations of the Eighth Amendment and medical malpractice, and the case was settled in his favor.
(United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania) - Represented an incarcerated man who was injured while in prison, and was denied medical treatment and access to required specialists. Mr. Cooleen sued for violations of the Eighth Amendment, and the case was settled in his favor.
(United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania) - Represented an incarcerated man who suffered from an uncorrected hernia for nearly twenty years, all because the prison policy was to not repair a hernia until it became a medical emergency. Mr. Curtician sued for violations of the Eighth Amendment and professional negligence, and the case settled in his favor.
(United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania) - Represented a handicapped incarcerated man who was denied a shower for three months, because he was in an area of the prison which did not have a handicapped shower. Mr. Furgess sued for violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), and after the Third Circuit confirmed that denial of access to a handicapped shower violated the ADA, the case settled in his favor.
(Mercer County Court of Common Pleas) - Represented the estate of an incarcerated man whose oxygen tank was removed by two nurses without a doctor’s order, who immediately suffered low oxygen in his blood, had to be sent to the hospital and passed away a few weeks later. The Estate sued for negligence, and the case was settled in its favor.
(United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania) - Represented a man who suffered a seizure at home in his bed. His wife called 911, and two police officers entered his home and arrested him while he was having the seizure, breaking his hip. Mr. Guthrie’s suit for illegal seizure in violation of the Fourth Amendment, and excessive force in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment was settled in his favor.
(United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania) - Represented an incarcerated man who suffered a sudden loss of vision, a medical emergency, yet who was not taken to see an opthamologist for over a month. He was diagnosed with a detached retina, which needed to be treated immediately to have a chance to restore his eyesight. Mr. Haskins’ suit for violations of the Eighth Amendment, as well as for professional negligence, were settled in his favor.
(United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania) - Represented a man who was accosted by a police officer, who drew his gun and placed it against his head while he was seated in his car. The Mizner Law Firm filed suit for violations of the Fourth Amendment, as well as for intentional infliction of emotional distress, and the case settled in Mr. Kelly’s favor without need for trial.
(United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania) - Represented an incarcerated man who underwent oral surgery to remove several teeth. The surgery was performed negligently, and medical molding material was forced up into his sinus. Although the prison medical staff was aware of this issue, it was characterized as “non-emergent” and he did not receive surgery to have the material removed until massive amounts of bloody pus began flowing from his nose, over two months later. Mr. Jeffries' claims for violations of the Eighth Amendment and professional negligence was settled.
Erie Reader argues free press protects it from Republican lawmaker's libel suit, while Laughlin says Erie Reader's free status aids him in Erie Reader lawsuit against him over removed newspapers.
Erie Reader sued after state Sen. Dan Laughlin and wife said that, combined, they removed "hundreds" of copies of free paper that included column critical of him and fellow Republican Donald Trump.
In a landmark case, inmate Caine Pelzer's 15-year solitary confinement ends with a settlement, spotlighting the urgent need for reform in solitary practices.