Product Liability

  • April 04, 2024

    Smith & Wesson Scolded At 7th Circ. For Minimizing Victims

    A Seventh Circuit judge on Thursday lambasted counsel for Smith & Wesson for stating "several" people were killed or wounded in the July Fourth shooting in Highland Park, Illinois, saying he was tempted to use up some of the company's allotted time by listing the names of all 55 victims.

  • April 04, 2024

    Parents Deny Need For Defect In Amazon Suicide Suit

    Families accusing Amazon of negligently selling chemicals teens used in their suicides told the Ninth Circuit Wednesday that their suit should get another chance, arguing they did not have to show the lethal chemical was defective in order to prove Amazon's liability.

  • April 04, 2024

    Judge Axes Experts In Chiquita MDL, With More On The Way

    A Florida federal judge presiding over a long-running multidistrict litigation against Chiquita Brands rejected expert witnesses offered by both Chiquita and plaintiffs who accuse the banana grower of financially supporting a defunct Colombian paramilitary group that allegedly killed their relatives.

  • April 04, 2024

    W.Va. Plaintiff Drops Telemarketing Claim Against Fla. Firm

    A West Virginia woman who alleged in a putative class action that law firms had bombarded her and others with unwanted legal advertising phone calls has announced a joint dismissal with one of the firms involved.

  • April 04, 2024

    NYC Sues 11 Vape Shops Over Sales Of Flavored E-Cigarettes

    The city of New York on Thursday sued 11 e-cigarette wholesalers, saying they're in violation of both city and federal regulations by selling disposable, flavored vapes, which the city said are responsible for a boom of youth vape use.

  • April 04, 2024

    BMW Dealer, Claims Manager End $4M Injury Settlement Fight

    A South Carolina BMW dealership and its insurers have agreed to end their suit against a claims manager over a $4 million personal injury settlement, with the claims manager also dropping allegations against the dealership's automotive group, according to a notice filed in North Carolina federal court.

  • April 03, 2024

    Sanofi Plans To Settle 4,000 Zantac Cancer Claims

    Sanofi said Wednesday that it has reached an agreement in principle to settle about 4,000 personal injury claims linking the discontinued heartburn drug Zantac to cancer.

  • April 03, 2024

    Colo. Judge Unpersuaded By Insurer's 3rd Dismissal Bid

    A Colorado federal judge recommended keeping alive an insurer's lawsuit seeking a declaration that it doesn't owe $4 million in coverage to a climbing equipment manufacturer and its primary insurer over a recalled product, calling a third dismissal bid a "wasted effort."

  • April 03, 2024

    Tort Report: Cert Bid For NY Gun Law; Insult Atty Update

    A high court challenge of New York's gun sales law and an update on disciplinary proceedings against an attorney who hurled insults at judges, calling them "scumbags," lead Law360's Tort Report, which compiles recent personal injury and medical malpractice news that may have flown under the radar.

  • April 03, 2024

    Family Drops Suit Against Taser Co. Over Ga. Man's Death

    A family who sued Taser maker Axon Enterprise Inc. and a south Georgia sheriff's office over the 2019 death of a relative at the hands of deputies has dropped its claims against the stun gun manufacturer, a few weeks after it similarly released the sheriff's office from liability.

  • April 03, 2024

    6th Circ. Won't Revive RV Driver's Ford Chassis Warranty Suit

    A Sixth Circuit panel has found that a lower court was correct to rule in favor of Ford Motor Co. in a potential class action claiming it is responsible for fixing alignment issues in recreational vehicles built with the car company's chassis.

  • April 03, 2024

    Family Not 'Trespassers' In Revived Deck Collapse Suit

    A Texas appeals panel on Wednesday revived a family's claims against Silverleaf Resorts LLC and Holiday Inn Club Vacation Inc. over injuries from a deck collapse, finding the trial court was wrong to find they were trespassers as a matter of law.

  • April 03, 2024

    Beekeeper Groups Seek Fees From EPA After 9th Circ. Appeal

    Attorneys for beekeeper groups in an appeal over a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency decision on insecticides have asked the Ninth Circuit to award nearly $750,000 in legal fees after a ruling that hammered the EPA but left the agency's decision intact.

  • April 03, 2024

    Ethiopian Air Trial Set For November Over Boeing's Objections

    An Illinois federal judge said Wednesday that some pending lawsuits over a 2019 Ethiopian Airlines crash will go to trial late this year, despite Boeing's objections that he should hold off on setting a trial date to allow for fruitful settlement negotiations.

  • April 03, 2024

    Forchelli Appoints Environmental Practice Chair

    Forchelli Deegan Terrana LLP has announced the hiring of a partner with experience in organizations such as Miller Environmental Group Inc. and New York American Water to chair its environmental practice group.

  • April 03, 2024

    Blue Bell Creameries Panel Seeks Del. Derivative Suit Revival

    Citing a failure to reach a mediated settlement, a Blue Bell Creameries Inc. board panel has moved to reactivate a long-sidelined Delaware Court of Chancery derivative suit seeking to hold the ice cream company's past directors and officers accountable for deadly food-safety oversight failures in 2015.

  • April 02, 2024

    Citi Says 'Misguided' NY Fraud Protection Suit 'Mangles' Law

    Citibank NA on Tuesday urged a New York federal court to throw out the Empire State attorney general's suit claiming it lacks necessary online security measures, slamming the complaint as "misguided" and arguing that it "mangles" the text of the Electronic Fund Transfer Act.

  • April 02, 2024

    Uber Seeks Exit From Texas Riders' Claims In Assault MDL

    Uber urged a California federal court Monday to toss Texas plaintiffs' claims in the multidistrict litigation seeking to hold the ride-hailing company liable for drivers' sexual assault, saying it can't be held responsible for the actions of individual drivers under Texas law.

  • April 02, 2024

    Alaska Judge Tosses Opioid Nuisance Case Against Pharmacies

    Retail pharmacies including Walgreens Co. and Walmart Inc. have escaped a suit brought by Alaska in state court over their role in the opioid epidemic after a judge found the state's public nuisance claims were a "bridge too far."

  • April 02, 2024

    9th Circ. To Hear Ex-Theranos Execs' Criminal Appeals In June

    The Ninth Circuit has set oral arguments in former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes' high-stakes appeal of her criminal securities fraud conviction and 11-year prison sentence for June 11 — the same day the panel is scheduled to hear arguments in convicted ex-Theranos executive Ramesh "Sunny" Balwani's appeal.

  • April 02, 2024

    Utility Cos. Must Face Uri MDL Gross Negligence Claims

    Transmission and distribution utility providers can't escape allegations they were grossly negligent in cutting off power to Texans during winter storm Uri, a Texas state appeals court ruled Tuesday in an opinion that keeps intact only two claims against the companies in the multidistrict litigation created to handle consumer actions from the severe weather event.

  • April 02, 2024

    OxyChem Opposes Feds' $150M Lower Passaic Deal

    Occidental Chemical Corp. is fighting the federal government's proposed $150 million consent decree with 82 small companies that share some responsibility for New Jersey's Lower Passaic River pollution, with the businesses filing a brief supporting the deal.

  • April 02, 2024

    Transportation Department Finalizes New Train Crew Size Rule

    The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Railroad Administration on Tuesday finalized a rule requiring freight trains to be operated with at least two people, forging ahead with a mandate long supported by rail workers' unions and safety advocates, but one that major rail carriers have decried as unnecessary and costly.

  • April 02, 2024

    2 Firms Seek To Lead Boeing 737 Max Safety Investor Suit

    Labaton Keller Sucharow LLP and Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP have each asked a Virginia federal judge for a lead role in a securities lawsuit against Boeing over the safety of its 737 Max jets and the role Boeing's top brass allegedly played in diminishing shareholder value.

  • April 02, 2024

    7th Circ. Won't Revive Parents' Claims in Abbott Formula Row

    The Seventh Circuit upheld on Tuesday the dismissal of parents' claims they were economically harmed from buying infant formula that could have been contaminated with bacteria at an Abbott Laboratories plant, saying their alleged injuries aren't enough to prove standing. 

Expert Analysis

  • Tapping The Full Potential Of The Juror Questionnaire

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    Most litigators know that questionnaires can reveal biases that potential jurors would never reveal in voir dire, but to maximize this tool’s utility, attorneys must choose the right questions, interpret responses effectively and weigh several other considerations, say George Speckart and Steve Wood at Courtroom Sciences.

  • Law Firm Professional Development Steps To Thrive In AI Era

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    As generative artificial intelligence tools rapidly evolve, professional development leaders are instrumental in preparing law firms for the paradigm shifts ahead, and should consider three strategies to help empower legal talent with the skills required to succeed in an increasingly complex technological landscape, say Steve Gluckman and Anusia Gillespie at SkillBurst Interactive.

  • Conn. Regulators Are Coming For Unlawful Cannabis Sales

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    Regulatory and enforcement efforts against unlicensed cannabis sales in Connecticut have been ramping up this year, so it behooves retailers to prioritize compliance with all relevant statutes, lest they attract unwelcome scrutiny, says Eric Del Pozo at Shipman & Goodwin.

  • 9th Circ. Kellogg Ruling Offers Protein Claim Defense Tips

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    The Ninth Circuit's recent opinion dismissing consolidated false advertising class actions against Kellogg and Kashi should be required reading for manufacturers that include protein-related claims on their product labels because it significantly clarifies the viability of state law challenges to those claims, say Olivia Dworkin and Cortlin Lannin at Covington.

  • The Basics Of Being A Knowledge Management Attorney

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Michael Lehet at Ogletree Deakins discusses the role of knowledge management attorneys at law firms, the common tasks they perform and practical tips for lawyers who may be considering becoming one.

  • Opinion

    Purdue Ch. 11 Case Exemplifies Need For 3rd-Party Releases

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    In the Purdue Pharma Chapter 11 case, the U.S. Supreme Court will eventually decide whether the Bankruptcy Code authorizes a court to approve third-party releases, but removing this powerful tool would be a significant blow to the likelihood of future victims being made whole, says Isaac Marcushamer at DGIM Law.

  • Mont. Kids' Climate Decision Reflects 3 Enviro Trends

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    A Montana district court's recent ruling in Held v. Montana represents a rare win for activist plaintiffs seeking to use rights-based theories to address climate change concerns — and calls attention to three environmental trends that are increasingly influencing climate litigation and policy, says J. Michael Showalter at ArentFox Schiff.

  • 3 Lessons From Mock Trials That Attys Can Use In Practice

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    The hordes of data gleaned from mock trial competitions can isolate the methods that maximize persuasion, providing key principles that attorneys in every practice area can incorporate into their real-world trial work, say Spencer Pahlke at Walkup Melodia and Justin Bernstein at UCLA.

  • To Hire And Keep Top Talent, Think Beyond Compensation

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    Firms seeking to appeal to sophisticated clients and top-level partners should promote mentorship, ensure that attorneys from diverse backgrounds feel valued, and clarify policies about at-home work, says Patrick Moya at Quaero Group.

  • Retailers Face Compliance Issues As PFAS Regulations Grow

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    As per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance legislation, and the potential for litigation, continues to evolve and spread nationally, retailers should focus on supply chain management, inventory audits and maintaining strong internal standard operating procedures as a way to manage compliance and minimize risk, say attorneys at Dentons.

  • Perspectives

    More States Should Join Effort To Close Legal Services Gap

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    Colorado is the most recent state to allow other types of legal providers, not just attorneys, to offer specific services in certain circumstances — and more states should rethink the century-old assumptions that shape our current regulatory rules, say Natalie Anne Knowlton and Janet Drobinske at the University of Denver.

  • Identifying Trends And Tips In Litigation Financing Disclosure

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    Growing interest and controversy in litigation financing raise several salient concerns, but exploring recent compelled disclosure trends from courts around the country can help practitioners further their clients' interests, say Sean Callagy and Samuel Sokolsky at Arnold & Porter.

  • How Jurors' Great Resignation Views Affect Corp. Defendants

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    With recent surveys finding that many workers expect to leave their jobs in the next year, corporate defendants should consider measuring potential jurors’ attitudes about the "great resignation," which may reveal biases against large corporations and beliefs about personal responsibility, say Jorge Monroy and David Metz at IMS Consulting.

  • 10 Legal Subject Matters Popping Up In AI Litigation

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    The past five years have brought judicial opinions addressing artificial intelligence in many different legal areas, so a study of existing case law is an important first step for in-house counsel addressing how to advise on the uncertainty driving many of the AI legal disputes, says Mark Davies at Orrick.

  • Steps To Take On AI Operations Amid FTC's ChatGPT Probe

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    Following the Federal Trade Commission's civil investigative demand for OpenAI, it is foreseeable that many more investigations into artificial intelligence and its impact on consumers are coming, but companies can be prepared, say David Shonka and Benjamin Redgrave at Redgrave.

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