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Pasternack v. Laboratory Corporation

2nd CircuitNovember 17, 2015No. 14-4101
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Case Details

Status — whether other courts must follow this ruling
Published
Procedural Posture — the stage the case had reached
appeal

Related Laws

No specific laws identified for this ruling.

Outcome

The Second Circuit reserved decision and certified unresolved questions of New York law to the New York Court of Appeals regarding whether drug testing regulations create a duty of care and whether fraud claims can be based on third-party reliance.

What This Ruling Means

**Pasternack v. Laboratory Corporation - What Workers Should Know** This case involved a dispute over drug testing procedures at Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings. An employee sued the company claiming negligence and fraud related to how the lab handled drug tests, but the specific details of what went wrong aren't provided in the available information. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals didn't make a final decision in this case. Instead, they took an unusual step called "certification," which means they asked New York's highest court to answer some important legal questions first. These questions involved whether drug testing regulations create a legal duty for employers to be careful in their testing procedures, and whether someone can sue for fraud based on how third parties (like other employers) relied on test results. This case matters for workers because it could affect how strictly employers must follow drug testing rules and what happens when they don't. If the courts eventually decide that testing regulations create strong legal duties, it might give workers more protection against sloppy or improper drug testing procedures. However, since the case was sent to another court for guidance, workers will have to wait for the final outcome to know how this might change workplace drug testing standards.

This summary was generated to explain the ruling in plain English and is not legal advice.

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This ruling information is sourced from public court records via CourtListener.com. Case outcomes, claim types, and summaries are extracted using AI analysis and may be incomplete or inaccurate. It is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.

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