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Product Liability
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August 30, 2024
Insurers Say Honda, Dealership Owe $1M For Auto Fire
Insurers for a homeowners association and two residents told a New York federal court that Honda and a local dealership must foot the bill for a 2021 vehicle fire that caused property damage and "additional expenses" totaling over $1 million.
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August 29, 2024
Jury Clears Ore. Hospital That Implanted FDA-Flagged Mesh
A state jury cleared an Oregon hospital system and a surgeon of liability Wednesday over a patient's claims that prolapse mesh was implanted almost two weeks after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ordered its maker to stop selling it.
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August 29, 2024
Judge Narrows Claims In Mercedes Sunroof Class Action
A Georgia federal judge has trimmed some claims from a proposed class action accusing Mercedes-Benz of offering vehicles with panoramic sunroofs prone to randomly shattering under normal conditions but allowed several state consumer protection claims, breach of implied warranty and fraudulent concealment claims to continue.
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August 29, 2024
Mars Wrigley Must Face False Ad Suit Over 'Real Cheese'
Snack maker Mars Wrigley could not escape claims it falsely advertised its Cheddar Cheese Combos as being made with "real cheese," after a New York federal judge ruled that consumers' adequately showed they paid a premium for inferior "cheese substitute."
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August 29, 2024
Schwab's 'Cash Sweep' Paid For TD Ameritrade Buy, Suit Says
The Charles Schwab Corp. has been hit with a proposed class action in California federal court by three customers alleging that the investment bank obtains "outsized benefits" from its cash sweep programs and used a significant amount of the cash to finance its $26 billion acquisition of TD Ameritrade Holding Corp. several years ago.
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August 29, 2024
Trucker Urges Justices To Back Wide RICO Scope In CBD Case
A commercial truck driver who alleges he lost his job after consuming products containing THC is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to affirm a Second Circuit ruling that the civil racketeering statute applies to personal injuries when they upset a person's employment.
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August 29, 2024
Ill. Judge Overrules Dismissal For 6 Paraquat Cases
An Illinois federal judge on Wednesday declined to dismiss several cases in multidistrict litigation over the herbicide paraquat, finding that even though counsel didn't fill out questionnaires on time, it was because he was left the sole attorney in the firm after others quit.
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August 29, 2024
GM Can't Shake Off Shuddering-Transmission Class
General Motors must face class allegations that it knowingly sold vehicles with defective transmissions that cause the vehicles to shake and shudder while being driven, a Sixth Circuit panel ruled Wednesday, finding no reason to undo class certification for the drivers.
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August 29, 2024
5th Circ. Says Pot Use Doesn't Bar Gun Ownership
The Fifth Circuit on Wednesday ruled that a federal law barring firearm possession by marijuana users is unconstitutional specifically as it pertains to a nonviolent user who was not actively intoxicated at the time of her encounter with law enforcement.
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August 28, 2024
Calif. Assembly OKs 1st-Of-Its-Kind AI Safety Bill
California lawmakers on Wednesday approved a groundbreaking proposal that would set safety and security standards for large artificial intelligence models.
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August 28, 2024
Telegram CEO Indicted In France Over Crimes On Platform
Paris prosecutors on Wednesday unveiled wide-ranging criminal charges against Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of encrypted messaging-platform Telegram, accusing him of aiding illegal child-pornography, fraud and other crimes and obstructing investigations, and barring him from leaving the country.
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August 28, 2024
Mich. Pot Co. Says Court Can Hear Suit Against IP Atty
A Michigan cannabis company can maintain its lawsuit against an attorney and his wife who it claims badmouthed it on social media, a federal judge ruled, after the business showed the court has jurisdiction over the couple.
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August 28, 2024
6th Circ. Frees Mich. City, Mayor From Lead Pollution Suit
The Sixth Circuit on Wednesday tossed all but one remaining defendant from a proposed class action filed by residents of Benton Harbor, Michigan, over elevated lead levels found in the city's tap water, finding allegations that the mayor misled the public to be vague and conclusory.
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August 28, 2024
'Smoking-Gun' Flaw Found In New Ark. Hemp Law, Say Cos.
In a legal fight over a recent Arkansas state law restricting hemp-derived intoxicants, the hemp companies who brought the challenge told a federal judge Wednesday they found "smoking-gun evidence" from regulators showing the 2023 law is unconstitutionally vague.
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August 28, 2024
J&J Spinoff Beats Suit Over Tylenol 'Rapid Release' Labels
A New York federal judge tossed Tuesday a proposed class action accusing a Johnson & Johnson spinoff of misleading consumers by falsely claiming Tylenol's "Rapid Release" gelcaps relieved pain faster than alternative acetaminophen pills, finding the consumer's state claims are preempted by federal regulations.
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August 28, 2024
9th Circ. Rejects Brady Violation Claim In CWA Conviction
The Ninth Circuit on Wednesday upheld a Seattle barrel cleaning company owner's conviction for dumping chemical-laden wastewater into public sewers, rejecting his argument that federal prosecutors kept information from the jury about the immigration status of a key witness who worked for him.
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August 28, 2024
Injured Driver Asks 6th Circ. To Revive Hyundai Car-Theft Suit
An Ohio motorist who was injured in a crash involving a stolen Hyundai vehicle driven by a teenager told the Sixth Circuit on Wednesday that the automaker must be held liable for knowingly selling defective theft-prone vehicles, and ineffectively combating a viral TikTok trend that launched a car-theft "epidemic."
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August 28, 2024
Calif. Couples Drop FujiFilm Suit Over Destroyed Embryos
California couples who sued a manufacturer of oil used in the in vitro fertilization process claiming the product killed their embryos are looking to drop their federal suit.
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August 28, 2024
Ford Buyers Fight Arbitration Bid In Faulty Transmission Case
A class of car buyers who claim Ford Motor Co. sold vehicles with bad transmission systems asked a Massachusetts federal judge to deny the carmaker's bid to arbitrate some of the claims, arguing Ford is trying to "dramatically expand the scope" of arbitration agreements with dealerships.
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August 28, 2024
Del. Justices OK Mid-Case Appeal In Zantac Class Suit
The Delaware Supreme Court on Tuesday said it would hear a mid-case appeal in mass tort litigation over claims that the heartburn drug ranitidine, widely sold under the name Zantac, caused cancer.
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August 28, 2024
The Biggest Enviro Cases To Watch In 2024: Midyear Report
Environmental attorneys can expect to see several developments in pending litigation during the remainder of 2024, including two cases that the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear about Clean Water Act regulations for San Francisco and the extent of the federal government's authority as part of environmental reviews for projects. Here are some of the biggest cases to watch in the rest of 2024.
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August 28, 2024
TikTok Lawsuit, Kids' Privacy Bills Push Cos. 'Back To Basics'
The federal government's lawsuit challenging TikTok's policing of kids on its platform and mounting efforts to boost online protections for teens is ramping up pressure on a broad range of website operators, highlighting the importance for companies to think beyond existing legal frameworks to avoid growing legal scrutiny.
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August 28, 2024
Attys Duel Over Fees After $12.8M Deal In Chiquita MDL
Attorneys for different sets of plaintiffs in long-running multidistrict litigation over Chiquita Brands International Inc.'s funding of Colombian paramilitary groups are facing off over attorney fees after a settlement in the case.
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August 27, 2024
No Section 230 Shield For TikTok's Algorithm, 3rd Circ. Says
The Third Circuit Tuesday revived a lawsuit alleging TikTok's algorithms recommended a "blackout challenge" to a 10-year-old Pennsylvania girl that led to her unintentional hanging death, saying the social media platform curates recommendations through its "For You Page" algorithm, which is not protected by a law shielding traditional publishers.
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August 27, 2024
Miss. Seafood Co. Pleads Guilty To 'Fish Substitution' Scheme
The largest seafood wholesaler in the Mississippi Gulf Coast and two of its managers pled guilty Tuesday to scheming with others to market and sell cheap frozen fish imports as premium and locally sourced, federal prosecutors in Mississippi announced.
Expert Analysis
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Think Like A Lawyer: Always Be Closing
When a lawyer presents their case with the right propulsive structure throughout trial, there is little need for further argument after the close of evidence — and in fact, rehashing it all may test jurors’ patience — so attorneys should consider other strategies for closing arguments, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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Series
Playing Chess Makes Me A Better Lawyer
There are many ways that chess skills translate directly into lawyer skills, but for me, the bigger career lessons go beyond the direct parallels — playing chess has shown me the value of seeing gradual improvement in and focusing deep concentration on a nonwork endeavor, says attorney Steven Fink.
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Litigation Inspiration: Attys Can Be Heroic Like Olympians
Although litigation won’t earn anyone an Olympic medal in Paris this summer, it can be worthy of the same lasting honor if attorneys exercise focused restraint — seeking both their clients’ interests and those of the court — instead of merely pursuing every advantage short of sanctionable conduct, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.
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Updated Federal Rules Can Improve Product Liability MDLs
The recent amendment of a federal evidence rule regarding expert testimony and the proposal of a civil rule on managing early discovery in multidistrict legislation hold great promise for promoting the uniform and efficient processes that high-stakes product liability cases particularly need, say Alan Klein and William Heaston at Duane Morris.
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Lean Into The 'Great Restoration' To Retain Legal Talent
As the “great resignation,” in which employees voluntarily left their jobs in droves, has largely dissipated, legal employers should now work toward the idea of a “great restoration,” adopting strategies to effectively hire, onboard and retain top legal talent, says Molly McGrath at Hiring & Empowering Solutions.
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How Cannabis Rescheduling May Alter Paraphernalia Imports
The Biden administration's recent proposal to loosen federal restrictions on marijuana use raises questions about how U.S. Customs and Border Protection enforcement policies may shift when it comes to enforcing a separate federal ban on marijuana accessory imports, says R. Kevin Williams at Clark Hill.
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Boeing Saga Underscores Need For Ethical Corporate Culture
In the wake of recent allegations about Boeing’s safety culture, and amid the U.S. Department of Justice’s new whistleblower incentives, business leaders should reinvigorate their emphasis on compliance by making clear that long-term profitability requires ethical business practices, says Maxwell Carr-Howard at Dentons.
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Why Jurors Balk At 'I Don't Recall' — And How To Respond
Jurors often react negatively to a witness who responds “I don’t remember” because they tend to hold erroneous beliefs about the nature of human memory, but attorneys can adopt a few strategies to mitigate the impact of these biases, say Steve Wood and Ava Hernández at Courtroom Sciences.
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Opinion
Bankruptcy Judges Can Justly Resolve Mass Tort Cases
Johnson & Johnson’s recent announcement of a prepackaged reorganization plan for its talc unit highlights that Chapter 11 is a continually evolving living statute that can address new types of problems with reorganization, value and job preservation, and just treatment for creditors, says Kenneth Rosen at Ken Rosen Advisors PC.
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How Federal And State Microfiber Pollution Policy Is Evolving
Growing efforts to address synthetic microfiber pollution may create compliance and litigation issues for businesses in the textile and apparel industries, so companies should track developing federal and state legislation and regulation in this space, and should consider associated greenwashing risks, says Arie Feltman-Frank at Jenner & Block.
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An Insurance Coverage Checklist For PFAS Defendants
With PFAS liability exposures attracting increased media attention, now is a good time for companies that could be exposed to liability related to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances to review existing and past insurance policies, and consider taking proactive steps to maximize their likelihood of coverage, say attorneys at Nossaman.
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Series
Fishing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Atop the list of ways fishing makes me a better lawyer is the relief it offers from the chronic stress of a demanding caseload, but it has also improved my listening skills and patience, and has served as an exceptional setting for building earnest relationships, says Steven DeGeorge at Robinson Bradshaw.
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10 Tips To Build Trust With Your Witness During Trial Prep
Preparing a witness for deposition or trial requires more than just legal skills — lawyers must also work to cultivate trust with the witness, using strategies ranging from wearing a hat when conducting mock cross-examination to offering them a ride to court before they testify, say Faye Paul Teller and Sara McDermott at Munger Tolles.
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Opinion
It's Time To Defuse The Ticking Time Bomb Of US Landfills
After recent fires at landfills in Alabama and California sent toxic fumes into surrounding communities, it is clear that existing penalties for landfill mismanagement are insufficient — so policymakers must enact major changes to the way we dispose of solid waste, says Vineet Dubey at Custodio & Dubey.
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A Healthier Legal Industry Starts With Emotional Intelligence
The legal profession has long been plagued by high rates of mental health issues, in part due to attorneys’ early training and broader societal stereotypes — but developing one’s emotional intelligence is one way to foster positive change, collectively and individually, says attorney Esperanza Franco.