Product Liability

  • March 26, 2024

    AI Weapons Detector Faces Investor Suit After Gov't Probes

    Evolv Technologies, which makes metal detectors that purportedly use artificial intelligence to detect weapons, is facing a proposed shareholder class action in Massachusetts federal court alleging that false claims about its products' abilities to screen for types of tactical knives and guns led to federal investigations and share declines.

  • March 26, 2024

    Conagra Can't Sink Sustainable Fishing False Ad Suit

    An Illinois federal judge trimmed but refused to toss a proposed class action claiming Conagra Brands Inc. deceptively labels its seafood products as sustainable when the fish is sourced with methods harmful to oceans, saying the customers have sufficiently alleged the phrase "Good for the Environment" is deceptive.

  • March 26, 2024

    Combat Arms Earplugs Settlement Moves To Final Resolution

    More than 249,000 U.S. service members who claimed they suffered permanent hearing loss due to 3M's allegedly faulty combat earplugs have signed onto the $6 billion settlement, boasting "more than 99%" participation, according to a Tuesday announcement by the company.

  • March 26, 2024

    Opioid Public Nuisance Claims 'Unique,' Ohio High Court Told

    Counsel for two Ohio counties that won a $650 million verdict against Walmart, CVS and Walgreens told the Ohio Supreme Court on Tuesday that opioids are a "unique" problem during oral arguments about whether the counties' public nuisance claims are blocked by the state's product liability law.

  • March 26, 2024

    Widow Gets $1.75M Verdict In SC Asbestos Death Suit

    A South Carolina jury has awarded a widow $1.75 million in damages from gasket-maker John Crane Inc. in a suit over her husband's death from asbestos-related mesothelioma, finding the company negligent.

  • March 26, 2024

    Fishers Say Tire Cos. Can't Escape Salmon ESA Suit

    Fishing groups are fighting tire companies' attempt to dismiss an Endangered Species Act suit over the use of a rubber additive known as 6PPD, which harms salmon, telling a California federal judge the companies are trying to delay accountability.

  • March 26, 2024

    BP, Chevron And Others Hit With Climate Change Suit In Pa.

    Bucks County in Pennsylvania has sued BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil and other major oil companies for allegedly deceiving the public about the dangers of fossil fuel pollution, claiming that climate change has caused increasingly severe weather leading to property damage in the county.

  • March 26, 2024

    Boeing Can't Exit Wash. Worker's Birth Defect Suit

    A Washington state judge has declined to throw out a lawsuit accusing Boeing of exposing a factory worker to chemicals that caused birth defects in his child, after casting doubt last month on the company's assertion it had no legal duty to protect employees' future children from foreseeable harm.

  • March 26, 2024

    Late Navy Lt.'s Dad Says Northrop Lied About Aircraft Safety

    The father of a U.S. Navy lieutenant who died during an aviation training mission alleges Northrop Grumman Corp. lied to the Navy about the safety of its advanced Hawkeye aircraft despite receiving hazard reports on engine failures dating back to 2015.

  • March 26, 2024

    K&L Gates Consumer Products Chair Joins Venable In LA

    Venable LLP said Monday that the co-chair of K&L Gates LLP's commercial litigation practice and chair of its consumer products and beauty and wellness practice groups has joined the firm's Los Angeles office as a partner.

  • March 25, 2024

    Judge Skeptical Of Ark. Social Media Law But Doesn't Block It

    An Arkansas federal judge appeared skeptical that the state's law limiting minors' social media access would survive a recent constitutional challenge but has allowed the state to continue with limited discovery on whether the law sufficiently targets only platforms that allegedly cause the most harm to underage users.

  • March 25, 2024

    Full 10th Circ. Stands By Revival Of Valero Pipeline Leak Suit

    The full Tenth Circuit refused to budge from a panel's February decision that partly revived an Oklahoma cattle ranch's lawsuit seeking to hold Valero Energy Corp. liable for a pipeline leak that allegedly contaminated the ranch property.

  • March 25, 2024

    J&J Exec 'Shocked' Over Atty's Ties With Talc Plaintiffs

    Johnson & Johnson's vice president of litigation said on Monday he was "utterly shocked and appalled" upon learning an attorney who served as the company's outside counsel was working with its adversary Beasley Allen Law Firm and one of its attorneys in litigation over the alleged link between the company's talcum powder products and ovarian cancer.

  • March 25, 2024

    What To Watch As Opioid Litigation Goes To Ohio High Court

    The Ohio Supreme Court on Tuesday will become only the second state high court to hear oral arguments on whether the opioid epidemic is a public nuisance, the controversial legal theory underpinning numerous suits across the country including a $650 million award that two Ohio counties won against Walmart, CVS and Walgreens.

  • March 25, 2024

    Solar Co. Downplayed Exposed Wire Issue, Investors Claim

    Energy company Shoals Technologies Group Inc. has been hit with a proposed class action alleging it downplayed the cost of repairing exposed wires for customers and that investors were blindsided when the company finally revealed it would need to spend at least $60 million to fix the issue.

  • March 25, 2024

    Prior Deal Bars Issues-Only Classes In NCAA Football MDL

    An Illinois federal judge has denied a bid by former NCAA football players for issue-only classes in multidistrict litigation over concussion injuries, saying a settlement from a prior MDL specifically prohibits issue-only classes.

  • March 25, 2024

    Chiquita MDL Parties Urge Fla. Judge To Ax Trial Testimony

    Parties in the multidistrict litigation against Chiquita Brands urged a Florida federal judge Monday to exclude each other's witnesses ahead of the upcoming bellwether trials, saying they were not timely disclosed and have no direct knowledge of the claims in the case.

  • March 25, 2024

    Texas Co. Hit With COVID Products Ban, $37.6M Fine To FTC

    A federal judge has ordered a Houston-area man and his company to pay the FTC nearly $37.6 million, writing that he "took advantage of consumers' desperation" during the COVID-19 pandemic and "consistently misled" customers about his ability to deliver personal protective equipment. 

  • March 25, 2024

    Pool Co. Objects To Rival Counsel's Exit After $15M Verdict

    A swimming pool equipment supply company that won a $15 million verdict against a competitor in North Carolina federal court is now attempting to block the rival's counsel from leaving the case, saying the company may use the loss of its attorneys as justification for delaying final judgment.

  • March 25, 2024

    High Court Won't Review Texas Oil Spill Liability Fight

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to consider if a mixture of petroleum and chemicals is considered "oil" under federal oil spill law and rejected companies' attempt to revive their suit against a storage terminal operator for polluting the Houston Ship Channel.

  • March 25, 2024

    Boeing CEO To Exit At Year's End Amid 737 Max Crisis

    The Boeing Co. announced Monday that President and CEO Dave Calhoun will exit the company at the end of the year, and the chair of its board will also step down, as the American aerospace giant overhauls its leadership ranks amid an enduring 737 Max crisis.

  • March 22, 2024

    Robitussin Buyers' Lack Of Receipts Dooms Labeling Cert.

    A New York federal judge on Thursday denied class certification in litigation claiming GlaxoSmithKline lied about the "Maximum Strength" label on certain Robitussin cough syrup products, saying although the plaintiffs' lack of receipts does not warrant GSK's bid for summary judgment, it's enough to dismiss the customers' request for certification.

  • March 22, 2024

    Up Next At High Court: Abortion, Jury Trials And Estate Tax

    The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments this week over the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's decision expanding access to popular abortion pill mifepristone as well as whether juries should determine a defendants' eligibility for repeat offender enhanced sentencing under the Armed Career Criminal Act and how long federal employees have to appeal adverse employment decisions.

  • March 22, 2024

    Youths Ask 9th Circ. To Allow Climate Trial To Proceed

    Youth plaintiffs called on the Ninth Circuit to once again reject the U.S. government's renewed attempt to block a trial that's set to proceed in Oregon federal court over government policies they claim have exacerbated climate change and imperiled their futures.

  • March 22, 2024

    Social Media MDL Jury Issue Put On Hold For Justices' Ruling

    A California federal judge said Friday that she will await the U.S. Supreme Court's anticipated decision in SEC v. Jarkesy before deciding whether states' claims in multidistrict litigation over social media platforms' allegedly addictive design must go to a jury, after the plaintiffs' counsel argued that the case before the high court could implicate tech companies' Seventh Amendment rights.

Expert Analysis

  • Attorneys Have An Ethical Duty To Protect The Judiciary

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    The tenor of public disagreement and debate has become increasingly hostile against judges, and though the legislative branch is trying to ameliorate this safety gap, lawyers have a moral imperative and professional requirement to stand with judges in defusing attacks against them and their rulings, says Deborah Winokur at Cozen O'Connor.

  • AI Can Help Lawyers Overcome The Programming Barrier

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    Legal professionals without programming expertise can use generative artificial intelligence to harness the power of automation and other technology solutions to streamline their work, without the steep learning curve traditionally associated with coding, says George Zalepa at Greenberg Traurig.

  • Transparency And Explainability Are Critical To AI Compliance

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    Although there is not yet a comprehensive law governing artificial intelligence, regulators have tools to hold businesses accountable, and companies need to focus on ensuring that consumers and key stakeholders understand how their AI systems operate and make decisions, say Chanley Howell and Lauren Hudon at Foley & Lardner.

  • Preparing Law Students For A New, AI-Assisted Legal World

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    As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms the legal landscape, law schools must integrate technology and curricula that address AI’s innate challenges — from ethics to data security — to help students stay ahead of the curve, say Daniel Garrie at Law & Forensics, Ryan Abbott at JAMS and Karen Silverman at Cantellus Group.

  • How Social Media Can Affect Trial Outcomes

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    With social media’s ability to seize upon an issue and spin it into a specifically designed narrative, it is more critical than ever that a litigation communications strategy be part of trial planning to manage the impact of legal action on a company's reputation, say Sean Murphy and Steve Wood at Courtroom Sciences.

  • General Counsel Need Data Literacy To Keep Up With AI

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    With the rise of accessible and powerful generative artificial intelligence solutions, it is imperative for general counsel to understand the use and application of data for myriad important activities, from evaluating the e-discovery process to monitoring compliance analytics and more, says Colin Levy at Malbek.

  • Opinion

    Civil Litigation Against Gun Businesses Can Reduce Violence

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    With mass shootings skyrocketing, and gun control legislation blocked by powerful interest groups, civil litigation can help obtain justice for victims by targeting parties responsible beyond the immediate perpetrator — including gun manufacturers, dealers and retailers, says Tom D'Amore at D'Amore Law Group.

  • Navigating Discovery Of Generative AI Information

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    As generative artificial intelligence tools become increasingly ubiquitous, companies must make sure to preserve generative AI data when there is reasonable expectation of litigation, and to include transcripts in litigation hold notices, as they may be relevant to discovery requests, say Nick Peterson and Corey Hauser at Wiley.

  • Finding Focus: Strategies For Attorneys With ADHD

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    Given the prevalence of ADHD among attorneys, it is imperative that the legal community gain a better understanding of how ADHD affects well-being, and that resources and strategies exist for attorneys with this disability to manage their symptoms and achieve success, say Casey Dixon at Dixon Life Coaching and Krista Larson at Stinson.

  • Opinion

    Time To Ban Deferred Prosecution For Fatal Corporate Crime

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    As illustrated by prosecutors’ deals with Boeing and other companies, deferred prosecution agreements have strayed far from their original purpose, and Congress must ban the use of this tool in cases where corporate misconduct has led to fatalities, says Peter Reilly at Texas A&M University School of Law.

  • Why Hemp-Synthesized Intoxicants Need Uniform Regs

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    State laws regulating hemp-synthesized intoxicants are a patchwork with little consistency between any given state, and without the adoption of a uniform regulatory framework, producers and consumers alike will need to be very cautious, say Dylan Anderson and Seth Goldberg at Duane Morris.

  • Attorneys, Law Schools Must Adapt To New Era Of Evidence

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    Technological advancements mean more direct evidence is being created than ever before, and attorneys as well as law schools must modify their methods to account for new challenges in how this evidence is collected and used to try cases, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • Analyzing The Legal Ripples Of The EPA's PFAS Regulation

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    As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency makes major moves on its pledge to regulate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, the developing body of PFAS regulation will lead to an increase in litigation, and personal injury and product liability claims, say attorneys at Gordon & Rees.

  • Boeing Opinion Strikes Blow Against Overpayment Theory

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    The Fifth Circuit's decision in Earl v. Boeing Co. casts doubt on consumers' standing to bring claims of overpayment for products later revealed to have defects — and suggests that it's more likely that those products would have been removed from the market, driving up the price of alternatives, say attorneys at Bush Seyferth.

  • Tips For Litigating Against Pro Se Parties In Complex Disputes

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    Litigating against self-represented parties in complex cases can pose unique challenges for attorneys, but for the most part, it requires the same skills that are useful in other cases — from documenting everything to understanding one’s ethical duties, says Bryan Ketroser at Alto Litigation.

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