Product Liability

  • October 30, 2025

    Senator Presses Md. Biz For Info On East Wing Demolition

    U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., asked a Maryland business tapped to demolish the White House's East Wing to explain what steps were taken to protect workers and the public from hazardous building materials such as asbestos and lead paint.

  • October 30, 2025

    Allstate Says Whirlpool Must Pay For Dishwasher Fire Damage

    An Allstate insurer told a Pennsylvania federal court that it is entitled to recoup more than $100,000 from Whirlpool Corp. after a dishwasher the company manufactured set fire to a policyholder's property.

  • October 30, 2025

    Bob Mackie Claims JCPenney's Apparel Rips Off His Name

    Celebrity fashion designer Robert Mackie hit JCPenney with a lawsuit in New York federal court Wednesday, alleging the retailer recently launched its "Mackie: Bob Mackie" clothing collection without his permission and claiming the licensing deal may have been illegitimately cut by his former general counsel who he cut ties with.

  • October 30, 2025

    Mich. Top Court Upholds Gilead Immunity In COVID Drug Case

    The Michigan Supreme Court on Wednesday said it won't consider an appeal from a man who was injected with a COVID-19 treatment made by Gilead Sciences Inc. that was later recalled for containing glass shards, a few months after a lower appellate court found the company immune because of a federal health emergency law.

  • October 30, 2025

    NHTSA To Probe 700K Hondas For Airbag, Seat Belt Issues

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened investigations into more than 700,000 Honda vehicles following safety reports regarding side airbags, rear seat belt warnings and loss of propulsion while moving at high speeds.

  • October 30, 2025

    Green Groups Can't Intervene In Feds' NY Superfund Suit

    A New York federal judge won't let environmental groups intervene in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's suit challenging a New York state Superfund law, saying the addition of five defendants would overcomplicate the litigation.

  • October 30, 2025

    Wash. Justices Reinstate $185M Monsanto PCB Verdict

    The Washington State Supreme Court has restored a $185 million jury verdict against Monsanto in the first of a series of chemical poisoning trials tied to a Washington state school site, finding a lower appellate court misapplied choice-of-law principles when overturning the win for three school teachers.

  • October 29, 2025

    Pharmacies Say $1.5B Damages Too Much In Fla. Opioid Suit

    CVS, Walgreens and Walmart on Wednesday grilled an economics expert witness over his opinion that they owe as much as $1.5 billion to a group of Florida hospitals that treated opioid-harmed patients, with defense counsel suggesting damages shouldn't be based on the full sticker price of the medical care.

  • October 29, 2025

    Character.AI Will Ban Underage Users From Using Chatbot

    Amid multiple lawsuits over the suicides of at least four teenagers, Character.AI announced Wednesday that it is taking "extraordinary steps" to restrict minors' access to its flagship artificial intelligence chatbot.

  • October 29, 2025

    BP Unit Sued Over Wash. Refinery's 'Noxious Odor' Emissions

    BP Products North America was hit with a proposed negligence class action in Washington federal court on Tuesday, alleging it emitted noxious odors from its oil refinery that damaged nearby properties, forcing some residents to retreat to Airbnb homes for temporary relief from the foul smells.

  • October 29, 2025

    Royal Caribbean's Bartending Blamed For Passenger's Death

    The family of a woman who fell overboard during a Royal Caribbean cruise last year is blaming her death on crew members who continued serving her alcohol despite her visible intoxication, according to a lawsuit filed in Florida federal court.

  • October 29, 2025

    Climate Change Heat Death Suit Returns To Wash. State Court

    A Washington federal judge on Tuesday sided with the Seattle-area family of a woman who died during a 2021 heat wave, sending their first-of-its-kind wrongful death suit against oil and gas giants like Exxon back to state court.

  • October 29, 2025

    NC Justices Block Du Pont PFAS Suit On Eve Of Hearing

    The Republican majority of North Carolina's highest court on Wednesday issued a stay pausing the state's suit against E.I. Du Pont de Nemours and Co., The Chemours Co. and others over alleged forever chemical contamination the day before the Business Court was set to hold a hearing on summary judgment in the case.

  • October 29, 2025

    3 Pharmaceutical Firms Will Pay $4M To Tribes In Opioid MDL

    Indivior, Sun Pharmaceuticals and Zydus Pharmaceuticals have inked deals to compensate tribes for their role in the opioid crisis, according to stipulated dismissals entered on Wednesday in Ohio federal court.

  • October 29, 2025

    Fla. Couple Sues GM, Alleging Defective Ultium EV Chargers

    A Florida couple filed a proposed class action on Tuesday accusing General Motors of selling defective electric-vehicle home chargers that often trip breakers, fail to charge the cars, overheat and set off car alarms.

  • October 29, 2025

    9th Circ. Urged To Revive Kratom Extract Action

    A group of consumers urged the Ninth Circuit on Tuesday to reverse the dismissal of their action against companies that marketed an alkaloid derivative of the kratom leaf they allege is as addictive as opioids.

  • October 29, 2025

    Sens. Introduce Bill To Block AI Chatbots From Minors

    A bipartisan group of senators has introduced a bill that would regulate the use of artificial intelligence chatbots and companions by minors, levying fines of up to $100,000 against companies that violate the bill's terms.

  • October 29, 2025

    'Smart Drugs' Amphetamine Suit Moves Forward Minus Execs

    A Washington federal judge declined to trim claims from a former army nurse's suit alleging that Thesis "smart drugs" contained amphetamines without warning consumers, while dismissing her claims against two executives for the company.

  • October 28, 2025

    Social Media Apps Say Section 230 Halts Mental Health Claims

    Attorneys for Meta Platforms, YouTube, Snap and TikTok on Tuesday urged a Los Angeles judge to toss claims against them from an upcoming bellwether trial over the platforms' alleged harm to youth mental health, arguing that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act should prevent many of the claims from reaching a jury.

  • October 28, 2025

    Mondelez Wins Toss Of Clif Bar False Ad Claims

    An Illinois federal judge on Monday tossed a proposed class action alleging that "climate neutral" labeling on Mondelez International Inc.'s Clif Kid Zbars is deceptive, finding that the message was a true statement by a third party.

  • October 28, 2025

    States Ask Supreme Court To Resolve PFAS Removal Dispute

    Maryland and South Carolina are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the Fourth Circuit's decision to move their state court lawsuits against 3M Co. over environmental contamination from consumer products containing forever chemicals to federal court.

  • October 28, 2025

    NC Justice Blasts Attacks On Counsel In Plane Crash Case

    A visibly vexed chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court on Tuesday impugned a Philadelphia lawyer for seemingly making unsupported personal attacks against opposing counsel, including allegedly falsely accusing the opposing counsel of being in cahoots with a trade group that filed an amicus brief.

  • October 28, 2025

    Activists Drop Challenge To FDA Inaction On Menthol Cigs

    A lawsuit accusing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration of slow-walking the Biden administration's proposed ban of menthol cigarettes was voluntarily dismissed, months after the Trump administration withdrew the ban entirely.

  • October 28, 2025

    J&J Hit With $20M Verdict In Fla. Talc Trial

    A Florida jury on Tuesday awarded $20 million to the widow of a nephrologist who used Johnson & Johnson talcum powder for 50 years and died of mesothelioma, after a plaintiffs lawyer argued the company broke its "promise of purity."

  • October 28, 2025

    Vegan Protein Powder Contains Lead, Cadmium, Class Says

    A proposed class of buyers of protein powder is suing vegan meal and supplement maker Huel Inc. in Illinois federal court, saying the company hid toxic levels of lead and cadmium in its products.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Playing Soccer Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Soccer has become a key contributor to how I approach my work, and the lessons I’ve learned on the pitch about leadership, adaptability, resilience and communication make me better at what I do every day in my legal career, says Whitney O’Byrne at MoFo.

  • And Now A Word From The Panel: Back In Action

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    A lack of new petitions at the May hearing session of the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation caught many observers' attention — but a rapid uptick in petitions scheduled to be heard at this week's session illustrates how panel activity always ebbs and flows, says Alan Rothman at Sidley.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Learning From Failure

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    While law school often focuses on the importance of precision, correctness and perfection, mistakes are inevitable in real-world practice — but failure is not the opposite of progress, and real talent comes from the ability to recover, rethink and reshape, says Brooke Pauley at Tucker Ellis.

  • How Courts Are Addressing The Use Of AI In Discovery

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    In recent months, several courts have issued opinions on handling discovery issues involving artificial intelligence, which collectively offer useful insights on integrating AI into discovery and protecting work product in connection with AI prompts and outputs, says Philip Favro at Favro Law.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From ATF Director To BigLaw

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    As a two-time boomerang partner, returning to BigLaw after stints as a U.S. attorney and the director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, people ask me how I know when to move on, but there’s no single answer — just clearly set your priorities, says Steven Dettelbach at BakerHostetler.

  • High Court Cert Spotlights Varying Tests For Federal Removal

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    A recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to review Chevron v. Plaquemines Parish, a case involving the federal officer removal statute, highlights three other recent circuit court decisions raising federal removal questions, and serves as a reminder that defendants are the masters of removal actions, says Varun Aery at Hollingsworth.

  • Rule 23 Class Certification Matters In Settlements, Too

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling in Trump v. CASA Inc. highlighted requirements for certifying classes for litigation in federal court, but counsel must also understand how Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure may affect certifying classes for settlement purposes, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Series

    Playing Baseball Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Playing baseball in college, and now Wiffle ball in a local league, has taught me that teamwork, mental endurance and emotional intelligence are not only important to success in the sport, but also to success as a trial attorney, says Kevan Dorsey at Swift Currie.

  • Ultra-Processed Food Claims Rely On Unproven Science

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    Plaintiffs' arguments that ultra-processed foods are responsible for the nationwide increase in certain chronic illnesses, though a novel approach to food-based personal injury claims, depend on theories that are still being tested, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

  • Managing Risks As State AGs Seek To Fill Enforcement Gap

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    Given an unprecedented surge in state attorney general activity resulting from significant shifts in federal enforcement priorities, companies must consider tailored strategies for navigating the ever-evolving risk landscape, say attorneys at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Skillful Persuasion

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    In many ways, law school teaches us how to argue, but when the ultimate goal is to get your client what they want, being persuasive through preparation and humility is the more likely key to success, says Michael Friedland at Friedland Cianfrani.

  • Litigation Inspiration: How To Respond After A Loss

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    Every litigator loses a case now and then, and the sting of that loss can become a medicine that strengthens or a poison that corrodes, depending on how the attorney responds, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.

  • FDA's Hasty Policymaking Approach Faces APA Challenges

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    Though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has abandoned its usual notice-and-comment process for implementing new regulatory initiatives, two recent district court decisions make clear that these programs are still susceptible to Administrative Procedure Act challenges, says Rachel Turow at Skadden.

  • The Metamorphosis Of The Major Questions Doctrine

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    The so-called major questions doctrine arose as a counterweight to Chevron deference over the past few decades, but invocations of the doctrine have persisted in the year since Chevron was overturned, suggesting it still has a role to play in reining in agency overreach, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • Compliance Lessons From 1st-Ever Product Safety Sentences

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    A California federal judge’s recent sentencing of two former Gree USA executives in a landmark Consumer Product Safety Act case serves as a reminder of the federal government’s willingness to pursue criminal prosecution of individuals who fail to report safety hazards, as well as companies’ need to strengthen their reporting and compliance programs, say attorneys at Cooley.

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