Product Liability

  • April 11, 2024

    Pacific Pipeline To Pay Calif. Landowners $70M Over Oil Spill

    A class of landowners urged a California federal judge to sign off on a $70 million deal with Pacific Pipeline Co. to resolve litigation stemming from the rupture of an onshore pipeline that leaked 140,000 gallons of crude oil near Santa Barbara, California, according to a motion for settlement approval entered Wednesday.

  • April 11, 2024

    Pool Co. Gets Rival's Assets Frozen After False Ads Verdict

    A North Carolina federal judge on Thursday temporarily froze the assets of a Chinese manufacturer of pool products and its American subsidiary after they were hit with a multimillion-dollar verdict for false advertising and unfair business practices, citing a concern they may move assets to try and duck payment.

  • April 11, 2024

    Ohio Judge Axes Norfolk's Derailment Cleanup Cost Defenses

    An Ohio federal judge has struck several of Norfolk Southern Corp.'s defenses against the government's environmental cleanup cost suit arising from the train derailment in East Palestine but said it is too early to rule on the company's argument that the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act claims are preempted by federal rail statutes.

  • April 11, 2024

    Birth Control Injury Claims Barred From Conn., Court Told

    Connecticut state courts have no basis to exercise jurisdiction over three of the four companies targeted in product liability lawsuits brought by 103 women who claim their Filshie Clip birth control devices migrated within their bodies and caused injuries, counsel for the defendants told a Waterbury judge Thursday.

  • April 11, 2024

    Insurer Drops Suit After Evidence Clears Stihl In Fire Case

    Pennsylvania National Mutual Casualty Insurance Co. agreed Wednesday to drop a lawsuit in North Carolina federal court seeking to hold Stihl Inc. liable for fire damages at a policyholder's home after evidence showed a hedge-trimmer battery didn't cause the fire.

  • April 11, 2024

    Judge Recommends State Court For Ore. County Climate Suit

    A federal magistrate judge has said an Oregon county's climate change lawsuit against Chevron, Exxon Mobil and other fossil fuel companies should be sent back to state court, rejecting arguments that the complaint was fraudulently crafted to evade federal jurisdiction.

  • April 11, 2024

    Exploding Shower Door Injury Suit Must Stay In Fed. Court

    A lawsuit seeking to hold a plumbing fixture company and Home Depot liable for injuries a child suffered when a shower door "exploded" will not be sent back to state court, a New Jersey federal judge ruled, saying an agreement to cap damages won't shake federal jurisdiction.

  • April 11, 2024

    US Sends Mixed Messages In Enbridge Line 5 Pipeline Dispute

    The U.S. government sent mixed messages to the Seventh Circuit in weighing in on Enbridge's controversial Line 5 oil pipeline, saying a lower court was right to determine that the company is trespassing on tribal lands, but recommended that the case be remanded and that a tribe's public nuisance claim be dismissed. 

  • April 11, 2024

    Conn. Attorney Accused Of Unreasonable Fees In VW Case

    Connecticut's attorney disciplinary authority has accused an attorney of charging an unreasonable fee to a plaintiff in a 2022 defective product claim against Volkswagen of America and not providing documentation to support the fee, in violation of professional conduct rules.

  • April 10, 2024

    Hyundai, Kia Engine Fire Deal OK'd With 60% Atty Fee Cut

    A California federal judge has given final approval to a settlement ending a second consolidated class-action litigation alleging Hyundai and Kia sold vehicles with defective engines prone to fires, while awarding plaintiffs' attorneys only $3.4 million of the $8.9 million they requested.

  • April 10, 2024

    Tribes Sue Social Platforms Over Native Youth Suicides

    Two Native American tribes are suing social media giants, accusing them of relentlessly pursuing a strategy of "growth-at-all-costs" that has contributed to the disproportionately high rates of mental health crisis and suicide affecting Indigenous youth that is devastating Indian Country.

  • April 10, 2024

    Landmark PFAS Rule Faces Battles Over Costs And Science

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday issued the first-ever federal drinking water standards for "forever chemicals," something communities, environmental groups and politicians of both major political parties had been clamoring for. However, experts said the novel rulemaking will attract tough legal battles over implementation costs, supporting science and other elements.

  • April 10, 2024

    9th Circ. Mostly Affirms Industry Ban For COVID PPE Delays

    A Ninth Circuit panel on Tuesday largely upheld a district court's ruling requiring personal protective equipment suppliers to pay over $3 million after finding that they misrepresented the shipping times of hand sanitizer products at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, while reversing the Federal Trade Commission's injunction against one of the companies' owners.

  • April 10, 2024

    Emissions Rules' Foes May Be Forced To Yield To Automakers

    Potential challengers of vehicle emissions rules were shown they're not necessarily in the drivers' seat on the issue when the D.C. Circuit upheld California's authority to set its own greenhouse gas emissions standards and run a zero-emission vehicles program while citing the auto industry's peace with the regulations.

  • April 10, 2024

    Talc Death Liability Should Have Been Even Split, Panel Finds

    A Pennsylvania appeals court on Wednesday partially reversed a $400,000 verdict in a mesothelioma suit against American International Industries, with a panel finding the trial court should have split the verdict in even thirds, rather than putting 50% of it on AII.

  • April 10, 2024

    Paper Companies Still Liable In Superfund Row, Judge Says

    A Michigan federal judge held that International Paper Co. and Weyerhaeuser Co. can still be sued for future cleanup costs of a Michigan superfund site after the Sixth Circuit cut them loose from their portion of a $49 million bill for cleanup costs to date.

  • April 10, 2024

    Botched Herbicide Job Spoiled 'God's Creation,' Ga. Jury Told

    Counsel for a rural Georgia quail hunting operation told an Atlanta federal jury Wednesday that when their client hired a company to thin out the woods on its property with herbicide, it instead brought "death and destruction" to the bucolic retreat.

  • April 10, 2024

    GM Hit With Class Action Over 'Shift-To-Park' Defect

    General Motors vehicles have a defect that prevents vehicles from detecting when they are in park, stopping drivers from shutting off or locking the vehicle and causing batteries to drain, a proposed class of drivers alleged in a new suit Tuesday.

  • April 10, 2024

    Children Fight Feds' Bid To Dodge Constitutional Climate Suit

    A group of children has fired back at the federal government's attempt to dismiss its California federal court lawsuit alleging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency knowingly allows unsafe levels of climate pollution despite the Constitution guaranteeing "a life-sustaining climate system." 

  • April 10, 2024

    BCLP Adds Former Prosecutor As Trial Partner In Seattle

    One week after combining with a 12-member Seattle litigation group, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP has added a litigation and investigations partner in the Emerald City, the firm said Wednesday.

  • April 10, 2024

    EPA Finalizes First-Ever PFAS Drinking Water Standards

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday announced the final version of its first-ever regulatory limits on "forever chemicals" in drinking water, a move the EPA said will be accompanied by nearly $1 billion in new funding for implementation.

  • April 09, 2024

    After Uproar, New MDL Rule Advances With Attys Assuaged

    Following years of debate and months of outcry, a judicial panel Tuesday approved the first formal rule aimed at improving efficiency and fairness in the nation's burgeoning realm of multidistrict litigation, earning plaudits from placated lawyers in the defense and plaintiffs bars.

  • April 09, 2024

    Calif. AG Backs Bill To Revamp 'Abysmal' Corporate Penalties

    California Attorney General Rob Bonta gave his full support Tuesday to a state bill that would increase the cap on criminal penalties for corporate malfeasance from the "abysmal penalty" of $10,000 per felony to $25 million, or twice the value of the inflicted loss, and provide all proceeds to California's crime victim services.

  • April 09, 2024

    Philips, Feds Enter Consent Decree Over Sleep Apnea Devices

    Philips Respironics can't make sleep apnea breathing machines until it hires an independent monitor, undergoes inspections and meets its obligations under a plan to remediate patients affected by a 2021 recall of such devices, the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday.

  • April 09, 2024

    What's In The Norfolk Southern $600M Derailment Deal

    Last year's fiery Norfolk Southern train derailment and toxic chemical spill in East Palestine, Ohio, reached a litigation milestone Tuesday with the disaster's first major settlement, a proposed $600 million deal with nearby residents and businesses, but the rail giant must still contend with a federal investigation and other lawsuits.

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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