Product Liability

  • September 05, 2024

    Lawmakers, AGs Urge Justices To OK Denial Of E-Cig Apps

    A coalition of state attorneys general and a group of Democratic Congress members are backing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in its fight to persuade the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a decision striking down the denials of applications to market flavored vapes.

  • September 05, 2024

    Law Firms Appeal Atty Fee Denial In Opioid Settlements

    Two law firms, Goldstein & Russell PC and Kelley & Ferraro LLP, have claimed in an appeal to the Sixth Circuit that they were improperly shut out of the $2.13 billion attorney fee pool created by recent national opioid settlements with major pharmaceutical companies and pharmacy chains.

  • September 05, 2024

    NM AG Sues Snapchat Over Child 'Sextortion' And Abuse

    New Mexico's attorney general on Thursday announced he has sued Snap Inc., alleging the social media company's policies and algorithm promote child sexual exploitation and the spread of child sexual abuse material.

  • September 05, 2024

    Clubman Talc Settles Prominent Developer's Asbestos Claims

    The company behind Pinaud Clubman talcum powder products has settled claims that its merchandise contained asbestos and caused cancer in a real estate developer described by attorneys for co-defendant Johnson & Johnson as the "Donald Trump of Springfield, Massachusetts."

  • September 05, 2024

    Asbestos Claimants Want A Say In 4th Circ. 'Two-Step' Appeal

    Asbestos cancer survivors and the estates of victims with pending claims against Aldrich Pump LLC, DBMP LLC and Murray Boiler LLC have asked the Fourth Circuit's permission to file an amicus brief in an appeal centered on the separate Chapter 11 case of Georgia-Pacific unit Bestwall, saying they had been prevented from pursuing relief while Aldrich, DBMP and Murray pursue bankruptcy.

  • September 05, 2024

    Dodge Ram Drivers Urge 6th Circ. To Revive Emissions Claims

    Dodge Ram drivers pressed the Sixth Circuit to revive their proposed class action alleging Fiat Chrysler and engine manufacturer Cummins deceptively marketed their trucks as being more environmentally friendly than they actually were, saying a Michigan federal judge incorrectly found that their claims conflicted with federal law.

  • September 05, 2024

    Biden Admin Issues Plans To Address PFAS Use, Exposure

    The Biden administration has said it will continue to look for new technologies to remove so-called forever chemicals from the environment and find safe alternatives for the substances, which are used in a vast number of consumer and commercial products.

  • September 05, 2024

    Hydropower Co. Asks Judge To Stem River Cleanup Suit

    NCR Voyix Corp. hasn't proven that the drawdown of a reservoir has hampered its cleanup of a Superfund site contaminated by paper waste nor that the drawdown was mishandled, a power company has told a Michigan federal judge.

  • September 05, 2024

    Fraud Claims Trimmed In Faulty VW Turbocharger Suit

    A New Jersey federal judge has thrown out the bulk of a putative class action suit from a woman alleging vehicles made and sold by Volkswagen Group of America Inc. had faulty turbochargers, only allowing a claim that the automaker was aware of the defect and failed to warn buyers.

  • September 05, 2024

    Ariz. Tribe Doubled Down In Lithium Project Row, Court Told

    The federal government has accused the Hualapai Indian Tribe of doubling down on conjecture with regard to the possible effects of the Big Sandy Valley Lithium Exploration Project, urging an Arizona federal judge to reject the tribe's request for a preliminary injunction.

  • September 05, 2024

    Fla. Law Firm Says It's Owed $247K In Fees From Chiquita MDL

    A South Florida law firm has urged a federal court to grant it $247,000 for its work in reaching a settlement from the long-running multidistrict litigation over Chiquita Brands International Inc.'s funding of Colombian paramilitaries, saying a fellow attorney waived objections after failing to meet with other lawyers in the case.

  • September 05, 2024

    Attys' Group Urges Justices To Back Trucker's CBD RICO Suit

    The American Association for Justice is urging the Supreme Court to side with a trucker whose racketeering claims against CBD companies allege their false advertisements cost him his job, arguing that the plain text of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act allows his claims of injury to "business or property."

  • September 04, 2024

    Albertsons Denied Texas Court Remand In Opioid MDL

    An Ohio federal judge overseeing multidistrict litigation over accusations that drug distributors contributed to the opioid epidemic denied a motion to transfer to Texas a portion of the dispute involving pharmacy company Albertsons.

  • September 04, 2024

    Marathon Faces Wrongful Death Suit Over Refinery Explosion

    The family of a Texas machinist who burned to death in a refinery explosion is suing Marathon Petroleum Co. and others, claiming their shoddy build, maintenance and management of the facility caused the catastrophic failure.

  • September 04, 2024

    Ga. Justices Won't Disturb Distributors' Opioid Trial Win

    The Georgia Supreme Court affirmed a ruling that family members of drug abusers are not entitled to a new trial after a Glynn County jury cleared opioid distributors of wrongdoing, in response to claims regarding an allegedly dishonest juror and flawed jury instructions.

  • September 04, 2024

    Groups Urge DC Circ. To Reject Pharma Terrorism Liability Claims

    Business and nongovernmental organization advocacy groups have urged the D.C. Circuit to rule that terrorism victims can't hold pharmaceutical companies liable for their injuries, citing a U.S. Supreme Court decision rejecting similar liability claims against technology companies.

  • September 04, 2024

    Zoetis Sanctions Bid Denied In Racehorse Death Suit

    A Pennsylvania federal judge denied Wednesday a motion by drugmaker Zoetis Inc. for sanctions against the owners of a 3-year-old racehorse who say it died after being treated with one of the company's antibiotics, saying there's no indication that delays in responding to discovery were in bad faith, and by now the company has received all the relevant documents in the plaintiffs' possession.

  • September 04, 2024

    9th Circ. Blocks Calif.'s Social Media Content Disclosure Law

    The Ninth Circuit ruled Wednesday that a trial judge wrongly denied X Corp.'s bid to block parts of a new California law that requires social media giants to disclose their content-moderation policies, finding that provisions requiring the companies to disclose how and whether they define extreme content are likely unconstitutional.

  • September 04, 2024

    Chamber Backs Gilead's Immunity In COVID Appeal

    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and a trade association representing drug companies have urged a Michigan state appeals court to rule that Gilead Sciences is immune from a claim that a recalled batch of COVID-19 medication caused a man to suffer two strokes.

  • September 04, 2024

    3M Earplug Plaintiffs Want Child Support Subpoena Blocked

    The plaintiffs' leadership group representing service members and others in multidistrict litigation against 3M Co. over injuries stemming from its Combat Arms Earplugs asked a Florida federal court Wednesday to block the state of Washington Division of Child Support from interfering in the $6 billion settlement reached earlier this year.

  • September 04, 2024

    Polsinelli Adds Ex-Alston & Bird Litigator To LA Office

    Polsinelli PC announced Tuesday that it is continuing to expand its litigation bench by adding an experienced trial attorney as a principal to the firm's Los Angeles office.

  • September 04, 2024

    2nd Firearms Co. Settles Conn. AG's 'Ghost Gun' Suit

    A North Carolina-based firearms company would have to refrain from selling "ghost gun" components in Connecticut and pay a civil penalty under a deal announced Wednesday that would resolve an unfair trade practices lawsuit brought by the Constitution State's attorney general.

  • September 04, 2024

    AIG Avoids Defending Retailer Against Ghost Gun Lawsuits

    Two AIG units have no duty to defend a Texas-based firearms retailer against three lawsuits alleging that it knowingly sold unfinished firearm components that would later be assembled into untraceable "ghost guns," a New York federal court ruled, finding the underlying claims do not allege a covered occurrence.

  • September 04, 2024

    Trade Group Urges Court To Toss FDA Lab-Test Rule

    A clinical-lab trade group and an infectious disease laboratory that sued the U.S. Food and Drug Administration over its new final rule on laboratory-developed tests are asking a federal court to vacate it, saying Congress didn't grant the agency such power. 

  • September 04, 2024

    Arnold & Porter Adds Mintz Healthcare Enforcement Leader

    After setting up shop in Boston a little less than a year ago, Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP announced Tuesday that it was welcoming the co-chair of Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky and Popeo PC's healthcare enforcement defense group.

Expert Analysis

  • How Cos. Should Handle Research Org.'s Carcinogen Evals

    Author Photo

    In light of the International Agency of Research for Cancer's list of substances slated for review over the next five years, manufacturers of chemicals, pharmaceuticals and consumer products should monitor for potentially unbalanced determinations, which could stimulate litigation regarding potential exposure from products, say attorneys at Nelson Mullins.

  • Boeing Plea Deal Is A Mixed Bag, Providing Lessons For Cos.

    Author Photo

    The plea deal for conspiracy to defraud regulators that Boeing has tentatively agreed to will, on the one hand, probably help the company avoid further reputational damage, but also demonstrates to companies that deferred prosecution agreements have real teeth, and that noncompliance with DPA terms can be costly, says Edmund Vickers at Red Lion Chambers.

  • A Simple Proposal For Improving E-Discovery In MDLs

    Author Photo

    Given the importance of e-discovery in multidistrict litigation, courts, parties and counsel shouldn't have to reinvent the wheel in each newly consolidated case — and a simple process for sharing e-discovery lessons and knowledge across MDLs could benefit everyone involved, particularly clients, say Benjamin Barnett and Shauna Itri at Seeger Weiss.

  • Opinion

    Now More Than Ever, Lawyers Must Exhibit Professionalism

    Author Photo

    As society becomes increasingly fractured and workplace incivility is on the rise, attorneys must champion professionalism and lead by example, demonstrating how lawyers can respectfully disagree without being disagreeable, says Edward Casmere at Norton Rose.

  • Opinion

    High Court Made Profound Mistake In Tossing Purdue Deal

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to throw out Purdue Pharma's Chapter 11 plan jeopardizes a multistate agreement that would provide approximately $7 billion in much-needed relief to help fight the opioid epidemic, with states now likely doomed to spend years chasing individual defendants across the globe, says Swain Wood at Morningstar.

  • Series

    Serving In The National Guard Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    My ongoing military experience as a judge advocate general in the National Guard has shaped me as a person and a lawyer, teaching me the importance of embracing confidence, balance and teamwork in both my Army and civilian roles, says Danielle Aymond at Baker Donelson.

  • A Midyear Forecast: Tailwinds Expected For Atty Hourly Rates

    Author Photo

    Hourly rates for partners, associates and support staff continued to rise in the first half of this year, and this growth shows no signs of slowing for the rest of 2024 and into next year, driven in part by the return of mergers and acquisitions and the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence, says Chuck Chandler at Valeo Partners.

  • California Adds A Novel Twist To State Suits Against Big Oil

    Author Photo

    California’s suit against Exxon Mobil Corp., one of several state suits that seek to hold oil and gas companies accountable for climate-related harms, is unique both in the magnitude of the alleged claims and its use of a consumer protection statute to seek disgorgement of industry profits, says Julia Stein at UCLA School of Law.

  • Opinion

    States Should Loosen Law Firm Ownership Restrictions

    Author Photo

    Despite growing buzz, normalized nonlawyer ownership of law firms is a distant prospect, so the legal community should focus first on liberalizing state restrictions on attorney and firm purchases of practices, which would bolster succession planning and improve access to justice, says Michael Di Gennaro at The Law Practice Exchange.

  • How Attorneys Can Reduce Bad Behavior At Deposition

    Author Photo

    To minimize unprofessional behavior by opposing counsel and witnesses, and take charge of the room at deposition, attorneys should lay out some key ground rules at the outset — and be sure to model good behavior themselves, says John Farrell at Fish & Richardson.

  • Series

    Solving Puzzles Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Tackling daily puzzles — like Wordle, KenKen and Connections — has bolstered my intellectual property litigation practice by helping me to exercise different mental skills, acknowledge minor but important details, and build and reinforce good habits, says Roy Wepner at Kaplan Breyer.

  • Series

    After Chevron: Environmental Law May Face Hurdles

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling overturning Chevron deference could prove to be as influential as the original 1984 decision, with far-reaching implications for U.S. environmental laws, including rendering recently promulgated regulations more vulnerable to challenges, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Texas Ethics Opinion Flags Hazards Of Unauthorized Practice

    Author Photo

    The Texas Professional Ethics Committee's recently issued proposed opinion finding that in-house counsel providing legal services to the company's clients constitutes the unauthorized practice of law is a valuable clarification given that a UPL violation — a misdemeanor in most states — carries high stakes, say Hilary Gerzhoy and Julienne Pasichow at HWG.

  • 2 Options For Sackler Family After High Court Purdue Ruling

    Author Photo

    After the U.S. Supreme Court recently blocked Purdue Pharma's plan to shield the family that owns the company from bankruptcy lawsuits, the Sacklers face the choice to either continue litigation, or return to the bargaining table for a settlement that doesn't eliminate creditor claims, says Gregory Germain at Syracuse University.

  • In Memoriam: The Modern Administrative State

    Author Photo

    On June 28, the modern administrative state, where courts deferred to agency interpretations of ambiguous statutes, died when the U.S. Supreme Court overruled its previous decision in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council — but it is survived by many cases decided under the Chevron framework, say Joseph Schaeffer and Jessica Deyoe at Babst Calland.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Product Liability archive.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!