Product Liability

  • July 17, 2026

    Conagra Can't Undo $25M Pam Spray Lung Disease Verdict

    A California state court judge denied a request Friday by Conagra Brands to reverse a jury's first-of-its-kind $25 million verdict finding it liable for causing a man's debilitating and rare lung disease known as bronchiolitis obliterans through his use of Pam butter-flavored cooking spray, but said it was a "close call."

  • July 17, 2026

    Top Transportation Rulings: Midyear 2026 Report

    U.S. Supreme Court rulings determining that freight brokers can face state-based negligence lawsuits and that last-mile drivers can also be exempt from arbitration are among the biggest court decisions of the first half of 2026 affecting the transportation industry. Here, Law360 highlights a few of the biggest transportation-related rulings of 2026 so far.

  • July 17, 2026

    How A 'Revolutionary' Charlotte Courtroom Advances Justice

    In the second of a two-part series on the Virginia Revival Courtroom in the Charlotte federal courthouse, judges, architects and a trial consultant explain the strategy behind designing a space they see as more conducive to justice.

  • July 16, 2026

    Northrop's $75M LA Contamination Deal Gets Preliminary OK

    A California federal judge Thursday preliminarily approved a $75 million class deal struck mid-trial by Northrop Grumman and residents of a Los Angeles suburb who accused the aerospace company of contaminating their properties, a day after hundreds of the neighborhood's residents filed a similar lawsuit in state court.

  • July 16, 2026

    Meta Can't Keep Certain Docs Secret In DC Social Media Row

    Washington, D.C.'s highest court refused to make a trial court vacate discovery orders requiring Meta to disclose certain communications concerning internal research related to the well-being of young social media users, saying Thursday that Meta failed to show it had a "clear and indisputable" right to such relief.

  • July 16, 2026

    Mich. Renews Enbridge Line 5 Permit, Tribes Vow Fight

    Michigan environmental regulators reissued key state permits for Enbridge Energy's proposed Great Lakes Tunnel project, allowing the company to continue pursuing approvals needed to replace the aging Line 5 pipelines beneath the Straits of Mackinac, while tribal leaders and environmental groups vowed to challenge the decision.

  • July 16, 2026

    Air Force Lt. Col. Says Housing Sickened Him, Family

    U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Travis Allen and his wife are suing companies that provide privatized housing to military service members in Texas federal court, saying that despite being assured the housing was safe and properly maintained, their home had a host of problems that harmed Allen and his daughter's health.

  • July 16, 2026

    5th Circ. Upholds Gun Ban Against Domestic Abuser

    The Fifth Circuit ruled that a man convicted of domestic violence cannot have his right to own a firearm restored despite the U.S. Supreme Court's expansion of gun rights in recent years, and that Congress did not exceed its constitutional authority by limiting his Second Amendment rights.

  • July 16, 2026

    Lowe's Hit With Post-Recall Suit Over Fire-Prone Yard Tools

    Lowe's sold gardening power tools without disclosing a defect in their lithium-ion batteries that have been short-circuiting or catching fire, ultimately leading to a "dangerously deficient" recall that unnecessarily has burdened customers with a tedious process to get battery replacements, according to a proposed class action in California federal court.  

  • July 16, 2026

    Parents Lose Most Claims In Child Car Seat Safety Suit

    A Massachusetts federal judge on Thursday threw out the bulk of a proposed class action alleging that Dorel Juvenile Group Inc. sold unsafe child car seats, saying most of the claims fail because the parents leading the suit didn't show Dorel was aware of the defect prior to their purchase.

  • July 16, 2026

    In Uber Assault Trial, A Courtroom Tests Truth Face-To-Face

    This is the first in a two-part series about the Virginia Revival Model courtroom in the Charles R. Jonas federal courthouse in Charlotte, North Carolina. Here, judges and attorneys recall how a sexual assault trial against Uber unfolded in a space designed to place focus on the witnesses.

  • July 16, 2026

    Amazon At Fault After Driver On Fentanyl Hit Bus, Suit Says

    The family of a 16-year-old Indiana student is suing Amazon and its courier subcontractor in state court, alleging that Amazon is responsible for one of its drivers working while under the influence of fentanyl and crashing into a school bus.

  • July 16, 2026

    Geico Gets Final OK On $2.6M Injury Coverage Deal In Wash.

    A Washington federal judge signed off on a $2.6 million settlement between Geico and a class of hundreds of drivers resolving a dispute over whether the insurer improperly withheld drivers' personal injury protection coverage by asserting they reached "maximum medical improvement."

  • July 15, 2026

    Albertsons Slow To Review Wash. Opioid Sales, Judge Told

    Albertsons conducted few reviews of opioid dispensing by its Washington pharmacies for years after establishing a controlled substances compliance team, according to testimony played on Day 3 of a bench trial in the state's lawsuit accusing the company and its Safeway subsidiary of exacerbating Washington's opioid epidemic.

  • July 15, 2026

    Circuit-By-Circuit Guide To The US Supreme Court's Term

    Federal appeals courts had wide-ranging successes and struggles during the U.S. Supreme Court's recently completed term: One had its best showing in years following its worst showing in years; one felt déjà vu after recently starting to find favor with the justices; and one saw its reputation for independence occupy a rare role in the Supreme Court spotlight.

  • July 15, 2026

    Oil Giants Can't Move Chicago's Climate Suit, 7th Circ. Says

    The Seventh Circuit on Wednesday kept the city of Chicago's climate deception suit against BP, Shell and other oil giants in Illinois state court, saying the oil companies could not lean on their fuel production for the federal government to remove the case to federal court.

  • July 15, 2026

    Unilever Tangled In Litigation Again Over TRESemme

    Unilever's personal care unit was hit with a products liability lawsuit in New Jersey federal court Tuesday by customers who say the company's TRESemme shampoo products caused them to suffer scalp irritation, bald spots or their hair to fall out in clumps.

  • July 15, 2026

    Meta Tries Again To Nix Android Users' Browsing-Profile Suit

    Meta on Wednesday took a second stab at nixing an amended consolidated litigation alleging it matched users' browsing activities to their Facebook accounts for targeted advertising purposes and personalizing content, telling a California federal judge the plaintiffs consented to the conduct, which was disclosed in Meta's privacy policy.

  • July 15, 2026

    Qatar Airways Sued Over Passenger's Food Allergy Death

    Qatar Airways negligently served a teen passenger a sandwich that triggered a severe allergic reaction despite being informed of his numerous food allergies, which caused his in-flight death while traveling with his family, according to a suit filed in Pennsylvania federal court.

  • July 15, 2026

    Hunter Says Recall Undercuts Umarex Bid To Exit Gun Suit

    A man who claimed a safety defect in a pistol led to him being shot in the leg while the safety was on asked a Colorado federal judge Tuesday to deny Umarex USA Inc.'s bid to dismiss his complaint because admissions made by its codefendant in its answer to the complaint implicate potential liability.

  • July 15, 2026

    GM Robotaxi 'Sign-In Wrap' Sends Injury Suit To Arbitration

    A California appeals court has sent a man's injury suit against General Motors' autonomous vehicle subsidiary to arbitration, saying the "sign-in wrap" agreement he assented to as a customer to Cruise LLC's service was sufficiently conspicuous and would give a reasonable consumer notice of the arbitration clause.

  • July 15, 2026

    Personal Injury & Med Mal Cases To Watch In 2nd Half Of 2026

    A trial in a suit brought by 29 states accusing Meta's Facebook and Instagram of causing young people to become addicted and a third bellwether trial in the Uber sexual assault multidistrict litigation are among the cases injury and malpractice attorneys will be following closely in the second half of 2026.

  • July 15, 2026

    Limetree Refinery Cos. Reach $35M Deal In Toxic Leak Action

    Affiliates of the former operator of a U.S. Virgin Islands oil refinery have reached a $35 million settlement of proposed class action claims from local residents concerning water contamination from oil releases five years ago.

  • July 15, 2026

    Covidien Hid Mesh Risk From Doctors, Bellwether Jury Told

    A Massachusetts federal jury in the first bellwether trial over Covidien LP's hernia mesh products was told Wednesday that doctors were not warned about how quickly a safety feature could dissolve after the mesh is implanted in a patient's body.

  • July 15, 2026

    New Jersey AG Targets Pa. Seller Of Ghost Gun Kits

    In a bid to stop the flow of untraceable firearms into the Garden State, New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport announced Wednesday that her office sued a Pennsylvania man alleged to be one of the largest suppliers of products used to make ghost guns.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Judges On AI: How Courts Can Survive The Tech Revolution

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    Colorado Supreme Court Justice Maria Berkenkotter and Colorado Court of Appeals Judge Lino Lipinsky de Orlov discuss how artificial intelligence has already fundamentally altered the legal system and offer tips for courts navigating deepfakes, hallucinations and a gap in access to AI tools.

  • What Jury Holdouts Can Teach Trial Lawyers About Strategy

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    Though a hung jury can be a disappointment, a psychological understanding of jury holdouts can help trial lawyers shape their damages arguments and understand leadership and group composition as a function of jury selection, says Clint Townson at Townson Litigation.

  • 3 AI Adoption Mistakes GCs Should Avoid

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    The pressure in-house legal teams face to quickly adopt artificial intelligence tools, combined with budget constraints and the need to evaluate a crowded market of options, sets the stage for implementation mistakes that are often difficult to undo, says former 23andMe general counsel Guy Chayoun.

  • Series

    Playing Basketball Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My grandfather used to say "I wear your jersey" as shorthand for wholly committing to support someone with loyalty and integrity — ideals that have shaped my life on the basketball court and in legal practice, says Tracy Schimelfenig at Schimelfenig Legal.

  • EPA Listing Signals New Scrutiny Of Drugs In Drinking Water

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    The recent publication of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's latest draft drinking water contaminant list highlights pharmaceuticals as a category of concern, marking the start of a process that could shape future research priorities, monitoring requirements, and federal and state actions, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Series

    The Biz Court Digest: Georgia Court Has Business On Its Mind

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    Thanks to recent legislation, the Georgia State-wide Business Court will soon offer business litigants greater access to the court than ever before, further enhancing the court's emphasis on efficiency, predictability and accessibility for sophisticated commercial disputes, says former GSBC judge Walt Davis at Jones Day.

  • Md. Justices' State Climate Tort Ban May Shape National Path

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    The Maryland Supreme Court’s recent ruling that federal law preempted state-level deceptive marketing tort claims brought by several municipalities could offer the U.S. Supreme Court a road map to use in the pending Suncor Energy v. Boulder County case to exclude states from the business of regulating global emissions, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

  • 4 Emerging Approaches To AI Protective Order Language

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    Over the last year, at least five federal district courts have issued or analyzed specific protective order provisions restricting the use of generative artificial intelligence platforms with protected materials, establishing that proactive AI-specific provisions are now standard practice and demonstrating that no single model works for every case, says Joel Bush at Kilpatrick.

  • Heppner Ruling Left AI Privilege Risk For Lawyers Unresolved

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    While a New York federal judge’s recent ruling in U.S. v. Heppner resolved a privilege question surrounding client-side artificial intelligence use, it did not address how to mitigate the risks that can arise when confidential information enters the operative context of an AI system used by an attorney, says Jianfei Chen at Quarles & Brady​​​​​​​.

  • The Ethics And Practicalities Of Representing AI Agents

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    With autonomous artificial intelligence agents now able to take action without explicit instructions from — or the awareness of — their human owners, the bar must confront whether existing frameworks like informed consent and client privilege will be sufficient on the day an AI agent calls seeking counsel, say attorneys at Morrison Cohen.

  • Series

    Speed Jigsaw Puzzling Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My passion for speed puzzling — I can complete a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle in under 50 minutes — has sharpened my legal skills in more ways than one, with both disciplines requiring patience, precision and the ability to keep the bigger picture in mind while working through the details, says Tazia Statucki at Proskauer.

  • AI Data Center Boom May Spur Wave Of Toxic Tort Suits

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    Nascent litigation matters against data center operators, set against limited government regulation and a growing body of public health research, suggests we may be on the cusp of an era of mass toxic tort claims, with a liability framework firmly rooted in precedent from other industries, says Benjamin Heller at RFZ Law.

  • 2 AI Snafus Show Why Attys Can't Outsource Judgment

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    The recent incident involving Sullivan & Cromwell where citations in a filed motion were fabricated by artificial intelligence, as well as a punitive ruling from the Sixth Circuit in U.S. v. Farris, demonstrate that the obligation to supervise AI has belonged and always will belong to lawyers, says John Powell at the Kentucky School Boards Association.

  • NY's Growing Enviro Reg Framework Will Transform Projects

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    Three closely connected environmental rulemakings in New York state — concerning greenhouse gas reporting, remediation standards and amendments to the State Environmental Quality Review Act — have reached critical stages, and taken together, they will have major impacts on business operations, construction project timelines and transactional risk, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • Series

    Playing Magic: The Gathering Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The competitive card game Magic: The Gathering offers me a training ground for the strategic thinking skills crucial to litigation, challenging me to adapt to oft-updated rules, analyze text as complicated as any statute and anticipate my opponent’s next moves, says Christopher Smith at Lash Goldberg.

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