Product Liability

  • July 22, 2026

    Cessna Maker Wants Cockpit Recording For Fatal Crash Case

    Textron Aviation Inc. wants a Connecticut state judge to order the National Transportation Safety Board to release a two-hour-long cockpit voice recording from a Cessna airplane that crashed into an industrial campus shortly after takeoff, saying the full recording is necessary for fair trials in wrongful death and insurance disputes.

  • July 22, 2026

    10th Circ. Nixes Tractor Injury Verdict Over 'Obvious' Hazard

    The Tenth Circuit has reversed a jury verdict that favored a farmer who was run over by his own tractor, finding the tractor maker had no duty to warn him of the "open and obvious" hazard of getting out of, and stepping in front of, a moving tractor.

  • July 21, 2026

    Economist Concedes Opioid Stats' Limits In Albertsons Trial

    Despite testifying that Albertsons pharmacy records suggest some opioids dispensed in Washington state had "red flags" for potential diversion from legitimate use, an economist for the Evergreen State conceded Tuesday that he can't point to "even a single pill dispensed by Albertsons" that was actually improperly diverted. 

  • July 21, 2026

    Truck Bound By Pact Not To Sue Arbitrator, NY Judge Says

    A New York federal judge refused to remove a "side-switching" arbitrator from a dispute over coverage for millions of dollars' worth of asbestos bodily injury claims, ruling that Truck Insurance Exchange's lawsuit is barred under a "hold harmless" pact it inked with the counterparty, a group of foreign reinsurers.

  • July 21, 2026

    DC Circ. Backs Nuclear Plant Enviro Review Rules

    The D.C. Circuit on Tuesday upheld the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's updated rules for renewing nuclear power plant licenses, rejecting arguments from antinuclear groups that the rules don't adequately account for climate change risks.

  • July 21, 2026

    Nike's Discounts Based On Phony Reference Prices, Suit Says

    Nike was slapped with a proposed class action in California federal court on Tuesday that accuses it of hawking bogus discounts and savings on footwear and other goods sold online by displaying reference prices that don't reflect the actual prevailing market prices. 

  • July 21, 2026

    Class Cert. In Avandia MDL Undone For Lacking Stats

    The Third Circuit undid class certification for a group of health plans claiming GlaxoSmithKline deceptively marketed its diabetes drug Avandia, with a panel majority ruling Tuesday the plans needed stronger statistical analysis to show links between the marketing, the revelation of side effects and a drop in sales.

  • July 21, 2026

    Norfolk Southern Sued Over Worker's Lung Cancer Diagnosis

    A former track laborer claims Norfolk Southern caused his lung cancer after exposing him to carcinogenic chemicals, including benzene, for decades, according to a Pennsylvania state court lawsuit that could be "the first in a wave" filed by former railroad workers, plaintiffs' counsel said.

  • July 21, 2026

    18 State AGs Sue EPA Over Hydrofluorocarbons Rollback

    Eighteen Democratic attorneys general and the city of New York filed a petition with the D.C. Circuit Tuesday over a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule they argue will weaken federal limits on hydrofluorocarbons, which are refrigerants used in air conditioning and cooling systems.

  • July 21, 2026

    High Court Ruling Doesn't Impact Pipeline Fight, 9th Circ. Told

    California and environmental groups have told the Ninth Circuit that a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision clarifying federal arbitration jurisdictional lines has no bearing on their lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's assertion of jurisdiction over an in-state oil pipeline system.

  • July 21, 2026

    High Court To Hear Alaskan Pilot Plane Forfeiture Case

    The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to review a case in which the Alaska Supreme Court held that a pilot must forfeit his $95,000 plane to the state for transporting a six-pack of beer in a dry village.

  • July 21, 2026

    Mich. Panel Revives Forklift Injury Suit Against Meijer

    A warehouse worker whose leg was crushed between a forklift and a metal desk at a Meijer Inc. distribution center can proceed with his negligence suit after a Michigan appellate panel ruled a jury must decide whether faulty brakes, inadequate maintenance or his own actions caused the accident. 

  • July 21, 2026

    Smucker's Says It Didn't Claim 'Only' Splenda On Fudge Label

    The J.M. Smucker Co. is asking a New York federal court to throw out a proposed class action alleging that it misleads consumers by claiming its fudge topping is "Sweetened with Splenda," despite it using other sweeteners, saying the label never claims that Splenda is the only sweetener.

  • July 21, 2026

    Judge Wary Of Philly Firm's Uber, FedEx Antitrust Claims

    A Pennsylvania federal judge on Tuesday appeared doubtful that Uber and FedEx engaged in anticompetitive conduct when they accused Philadelphia injury firm Simon & Simon of a medical records falsification scheme meant to boost injury claims, pointing out during a hearing that the companies and the firm operated different types of businesses.

  • July 21, 2026

    Nintendo Seeks Game Over For Tariff Refund Class Suit

    A proposed class action looking to force Nintendo to reimburse customers for increased costs that were explicitly tied to President Donald Trump's now struck-down tariff regime should be handled in arbitration or tossed entirely, the company told a Seattle federal court.

  • July 21, 2026

    Wash. Tribe, Enviro Org. Say FERC Hydro Delay Imperils Sites

    A Washington tribe and an environmental group are asking the Ninth Circuit to deny a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission bid to hold a challenge against the agency's issuance of a hydroelectric license in abeyance, arguing that it won't stop the project from moving toward construction that will destroy resources.

  • July 21, 2026

    4th Circ. Asks SC Justices To Weigh In On Heater Death Suit

    The Fourth Circuit has certified a question to the South Carolina Supreme Court in a suit alleging the defective design of a propane heater led to the death of a man using it, asking the justices to determine if adequate labeling precludes a defect claim under state law.

  • July 20, 2026

    Albertsons Data Suggests Opioids Were Diverted, Expert Says

    Albertsons pharmacies in Washington state received considerably more opioid medications from distributors between 2009 and 2015 than the company reported dispensing — a sign of potential diversion, according to an expert witness who testified Monday at a bench trial in Washington's lawsuit accusing the chain of exacerbating the state's opioid crisis.

  • July 20, 2026

    Boeing Sues To Stop Cameroon Airlines' 1995 Crash Claims

    Boeing launched a lawsuit in Washington federal court on Friday accusing now-defunct Cameroon Airlines of wrongfully demanding $179 million in damages for a deadly 737 crash in 1995, saying the airline's jet purchase deal bars such claims and the African country did not fault Boeing in the accident investigation.

  • July 20, 2026

    Int'l Standards Preserve QLED False Ad Suit Against Hisense

    Hisense USA Corp. can't pull the plug on a proposed class action accusing it of falsely advertising its high-definition televisions as having QLED technology, a California federal judge has ruled, saying the buyers have sufficiently pled their case by leaning on articles and international standards.

  • July 20, 2026

    Uber Decries Punitive-Damages Bid Ahead Of Sex Assault Trial

    Ahead of a third bellwether trial in multidistrict litigation over alleged sexual assaults by Uber drivers, the company has asked a Texas federal judge to toss a bid for punitive damages, saying state law doesn't allow punitive damages for third-party criminal conduct.

  • July 20, 2026

    4th Circ. Overturns Class Cert. In Boeing Investor Case

    The Fourth Circuit on Monday reversed class certification granted in an investor lawsuit against Boeing over the company's alleged concealment of safety issues with its 737 Max fleet, finding that neither the plaintiffs nor the lower court met the standards for certification set in a 2013 Supreme Court ruling.

  • July 20, 2026

    Comcast Faces ERISA Suit Over Employee Tobacco Surcharge

    Comcast Corp. violated federal benefits law by charging employees who use tobacco an extra fee without spelling out alternatives like smoking-cessation programs and making full refunds available to workers who complete them, a worker says in a proposed class action in Pennsylvania federal court.

  • July 20, 2026

    Exxon Climate Suit Fate May Hinge On Preemption Precedent

    A Connecticut state judge on Monday seemed inclined to wait for upcoming U.S. Supreme Court preemption guidance before ruling on the state's attempt to nix one of Exxon Mobil's defenses in an environmental marketing lawsuit, though both sides drew some skepticism during oral argument Monday.

  • July 20, 2026

    Tilray Beats Suit Over Hemp Product Protein Claim, For Now

    A California federal judge dismissed, for now, a Tilray customer's proposed class action alleging she was misled about the protein content of the company's hemp powders on Amazon product listings, ruling Friday they complied with federal labeling requirements, since the listings feature complete nutrition facts panels and percent daily value.

Expert Analysis

  • What Defense Teams Must Know About PFAS Testing Methods

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    Whether testing for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances produces results meaningful for litigation depends on the validity of the sampling methodology — so effectively defending these claims requires understanding the scientific and legal implications of different PFAS testing protocols, say attorneys at Hollingsworth.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Practical Problem Solving

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    Issue-spotting skills are well honed in law school, but practicing attorneys must also identify clients’ problems and true goals, and then be able to provide solutions, says Mary Kate Hogan at Quarles & Brady.

  • Opinion

    A Uniform Federal Rule Would Curb Gen AI Missteps In Court

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    To address the patchwork of courts’ standing orders on generative artificial intelligence, curbing abuses and relieving the burden on judges, the federal judiciary should consider amending its civil procedure rules to require litigants to certify they’ve reviewed legal filings for accuracy, say attorneys at Shook Hardy.

  • New Rule Shows NRC Willing To Move Fast To Reform Regs

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    The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s decision to forgo public comment and immediately rescind certain rules governing adjudicatory procedures, federal tort claims and disclosure of licensee information signals the agency's intent to accelerate the regulatory streamlining efforts ordered by the president this spring, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Series

    The Law Firm Merger Diaries: Integrating Practice Groups

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    Enacting unified leadership and consistent client service standards ensures law firm practice groups connect and collaborate around shared goals, turning a law firm merger into a platform for growth rather than a period of disruption, says Brian Catlett at Fennemore Craig.

  • Tapping Into Jurors' Moral Intuitions At Trial

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    Many jurors approach trials with foundational beliefs about fairness, harm and responsibility that shape how they view evidence and arguments, so attorneys must understand how to frame a case in a way that appeals to this type of moral reasoning, says Steve Wood at Courtroom Sciences.

  • Opinion

    Supreme Court Term Limits Would Carry Hidden Risk

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    While proposals for limiting the terms of U.S. Supreme Court justices are popular, a steady stream of relatively young, highly marketable ex-justices with unique knowledge and influence entering the marketplace of law and politics could create new problems, say Michael Broyde at Emory University and Hayden Hall at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.

  • Suncor Is Justices' Chance To Rule On Climate Nuisance Suits

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    If the U.S. Supreme Court chooses to hear Suncor Energy v. County Commissioners of Boulder County, Colorado, it will have the chance to resolve whether federal law precludes state law nuisance claims targeting interstate and global emissions — and the answer will have major implications for climate litigation nationwide, say attorneys at Liskow & Lewis.

  • Autonomous Vehicle Liability Trends To Watch In 2026

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    With autonomous vehicles increasingly making their own decisions, the liability landscape for AVs has changed over the past year — highlighting a number of important issues that companies and practitioners should keep a close eye on in 2026, says Farid Yaghoubtil at Downtown LA Law Group.

  • Series

    Knitting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Stretching my skills as a knitter makes me a better antitrust attorney by challenging me to recalibrate after wrong turns, not rush outcomes, and trust that I can teach myself the skills to tackle new and difficult projects — even when I don’t have a pattern to work from, says Kara Kuritz at V&E.

  • Series

    The Biz Court Digest: Welcome To Miami

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    After nearly 20 years in operation, the Miami Complex Business Litigation Division is a pioneer upon which other jurisdictions in the state have been modeled, adopting many innovations to keep its cases running more efficiently and staffing experienced judges who are accustomed to hearing business disputes, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • Identifying And Resolving Conflicts Among Class Members

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    As the Fifth Circuit's recent decision in Nova Scotia Health Employees' Pension Plan v. McDermott International illustrates, intraclass conflicts can determine the fate of a class action — and such conflicts can be surprisingly difficult to identify, says Andrew Faisman, a clerk at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

  • 6 Ways To Nuke-Proof Litigation As Explosive Verdicts Rise

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    As the increasing number of nuclear verdicts continues to reshape the litigation landscape, counsel must understand how to create a multipronged defense strategy to anticipate juror expectations and mitigate the risk of outsize jury awards, say attorneys at Norton Rose.

  • How MAHA Is Taking Shape At The State Level

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    The national spotlight on the federal government's Make America Healthy Again movement is bolstering state-level actions regarding potential health impacts of certain food ingredients, increasing the difficulty and importance of maintaining effective compliance programs, say attorneys at Cooley.

  • Rule Update May Mean Simpler PFAS Reports, Faster Timeline

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    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's recently proposed revisions to the Toxic Substances Control Act's per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances reporting rule would substantially narrow reporting obligations, but if the rule is finalized, companies will need to prepare for a significantly accelerated timeline for data submissions, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

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