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Product Liability
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October 11, 2024
Monsanto Inks $35M Deal With LA For Waterway Cleanup
Los Angeles announced Friday it inked a $35 million settlement with Bayer AG's Monsanto Co. and two other companies over their alleged contamination of the city's bodies of water with toxic chemicals, ending the 2½-year-old lawsuit, with the companies agreeing to various cleanup efforts and reimbursement for previous costs.
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October 11, 2024
Sleep Machine Maker Sued Over Recalled Baby Devices
A New Yorker hit a California-based sleep product manufacturer with a proposed class action alleging that one of the company's products for babies — which has been recalled — has a defective power adapter that can cause shocks.
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October 11, 2024
Court Allows Calif. Hemp Ban To Remain In Effect
A California state judge on Friday ruled that the Golden State's new ban on hemp products with THC will remain in effect, rejecting a bid by a leading hemp industry trade organization and the cannabis brand fronted by stoner comedians Cheech and Chong to halt the emergency rules.
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October 11, 2024
Bellwether Plaintiffs Let Halliburton Escape Pollution Dispute
Two bellwether plaintiffs in litigation seeking to hold the owners and operators of a former pipe manufacturing facility liable for contamination have agreed to permanently drop their claims against Halliburton Energy Services.
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October 11, 2024
J&J Should Pay $30M For Developer's Cancer, Conn. Jury Told
Attorneys for a western Massachusetts real estate developer on Friday urged a Connecticut jury to award $30 million for past and future suffering to a lifelong Johnson & Johnson baby powder user diagnosed with mesothelioma, but the company's attorneys suggested $4 million was a more reasonable figure while contesting liability whatsoever.
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October 11, 2024
Justices Will Evaluate RICO Scope In Trucker's CBD Case
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday will hear a case brought by a trio of CBD companies asking the justices to establish whether a trucker can bring a personal injury claim under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO.
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October 11, 2024
Asbestos Claimants Say Kaiser Ch. 11 Plan Should Stand
Asbestos injury claimants in Kaiser Gypsum Co.'s bankruptcy case have asked the Fourth Circuit to uphold the company's Chapter 11 plan, saying the arguments against it by Kaiser's primary insurer are based on speculative harms.
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October 11, 2024
Lyft Algorithm Defect Claim Dismissed In Sex Assault Suit
A Pennsylvania federal judge has thrown out a products liability claim in a woman's suit against Lyft Inc. over a sexual assault by a man posing as one of its drivers, saying she didn't seek leave from the court to add the claim and it was filed too late.
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October 11, 2024
Stellantis Defeats Utah Class Cert Bid In Gearshift MDL
A Michigan federal judge declined to certify a class of Utah drivers seeking to hold Stellantis North America liable for defective gearshifts in certain Dodges, Chryslers and Jeeps, reasoning that each of the claims would have to be evaluated to determine if drivers noticed issues in the vehicles but purchased or leased them nonetheless.
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October 11, 2024
DOJ Tells Judge Boeing Plea Is 'The Best The Gov't Could Do'
The federal government told a Texas federal judge Friday that its proposed deal with The Boeing Co. over allegations that it lied to safety regulators about the 737 Max 8's development is "the best the government could do," pushing back against vehement objection from crash victims' families, who called the deal "rotten" and "morally reprehensible."
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October 11, 2024
Nintendo, Epic Games Dropped From Addictive Gaming Suit
Nintendo of America Inc. and Epic Games Inc. have been dropped from a lawsuit filed against them and other well-known companies by a gamer who alleged they intentionally got users addicted to boost profits.
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October 11, 2024
More Ga. PFAS Suits Are Coming. Here's How Attys Prepare
Leading attorneys in PFAS litigation say new regulations and ever-increasing lawsuits require attorneys to think carefully about proactive measures clients can take to limit PFAS use, and about the latest scientific research into how the so-called forever chemicals impact humans and the environment.
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October 10, 2024
Social Media Apps Don't Need User Warnings, MDL Judge Told
A lawyer for TikTok urged a California state judge on Thursday to cut failure-to-warn claims from multidistrict litigation over social media's alleged effects on youth mental health, saying this theory is akin to suing newspapers for "not including a warning that reading the news could put you in a bad mood."
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October 10, 2024
Trade Group, Enviros Clash Over EPA Methylene Chloride Rule
American Chemistry Council and the Sierra Club are taking aim at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's methylene chloride rule, with the industry group telling the Fifth Circuit the agency overstepped when it outright banned most applications of the chemical for no valid reason and the conservation organization arguing it didn't go far enough.
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October 10, 2024
Wash. Judge Condemns Monsanto's Bid To Delay PCB Trial
A Washington state judge grew frustrated on Thursday with Monsanto's eleventh-hour attempt to shelve a PCB poisoning tort headed to trial next week until the state Supreme Court weighs in on a similar case, calling out the chemical giant for taking stances on "both sides of the fence" about the stakes on appeal.
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October 10, 2024
Tobacco Cos. Push To Move Dozens Of Cases Out Of Boston
Several tobacco companies asked a Massachusetts judge Thursday to send more than 30 pending liability cases to other venues in the state, arguing that the plaintiffs have no ties to Suffolk County and that the volume of cases is burdening judges in the Boston courthouse.
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October 10, 2024
Eli Lilly Tells Mich. Justices It's 'Wrong Time' For Insulin Case
A lawyer for pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly has urged the Michigan Supreme Court to reject a call to shake up the state's consumer protection precedent, saying during oral arguments Thursday that the attorney general is asking the court to do "by fiat" what Michigan lawmakers could soon accomplish with a bill package that got a hearing earlier this week.
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October 10, 2024
Animal Medication Co. Sued Over Dog Arthritis Treatment Risks
New Jersey-based animal medication company Zoetis Inc. was hit with a proposed class action Wednesday alleging that a drug used to treat osteoarthritis in dogs has harmful effects such as seizures, inability to walk, organ damage and even death, which the company has failed to warn about.
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October 10, 2024
Faulty New Balance Shoes Killed Olympian's Career, Suit Says
An athlete, who previously competed in two Summer Olympics, claims she missed this year's Paris Games after suffering a "career-ending injury" due to defective running shoes provided by her sponsor, New Balance, according to a lawsuit filed in Rhode Island federal court.
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October 10, 2024
Norfolk Southern Says Tank Car Cos. Should Help Pay $600M Deal
Norfolk Southern and tank car companies sparred in Ohio federal court over key questions of liability related to the February 2023 East Palestine derailment and toxic chemical spill, as the rail giant seeks to offload at least some damages, including a recent $600 million settlement to affected residents and businesses.
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October 10, 2024
3M Can't Put Pause On Connecticut Firefighters' PFAS Suit
A Connecticut federal judge on Thursday declined to let 3M Co. and other companies put a stay on a proposed class action by firefighters alleging their turnout gear contains so-called forever chemicals while the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation decides whether to roll it into a South Carolina MDL.
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October 10, 2024
3M, Other Cos. Hit With PFAS Contamination Class Action
Nantucket, Massachusetts, residents seek to hold the 3M Co., The Chemours Co. and other companies liable for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances that allegedly contaminated their properties, their drinking water and the residents themselves.
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October 10, 2024
Suppliers' $7.6M Deal To End Daily Harvest Leek Claims OK'd
A New York federal judge has given the go-ahead to a $7.6 million settlement with suppliers for meal kit delivery service Daily Harvest Inc. to end claims from buyers that a lentil and leek meal caused gastrointestinal illness.
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October 10, 2024
Fisher-Price Recalls Infant Swings After Five Deaths
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Fisher-Price on Thursday announced a recall of a type of infant swing, after there have been reports of five deaths when the products have been used for sleep.
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October 10, 2024
Monsanto Hit With $78M Verdict In Philly's 6th Roundup Trial
Bayer AG unit Monsanto was hit with a $78 million verdict on Thursday by a Philadelphia jury in the sixth trial in the city's Roundup weedkiller mass tort.
Expert Analysis
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FDA's Multifaceted Role On Display In MDMA Therapy Scrutiny
Ongoing deliberations at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regarding MDMA-assisted therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder serves as a window into the intricate balance of scientific innovation and patient safety oversight, and offers crucial insights into regulatory nuances, say Kimberly Chew at Husch Blackwell and Kevin Lanzo at Pharmaka Clinical Consulting.
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Lead Like 'Ted Lasso' By Embracing Cognitive Diversity
The Apple TV+ series “Ted Lasso” aptly illustrates how embracing cognitive diversity can be a winning strategy for teams, providing a useful lesson for law firms, which can benefit significantly from fresh, diverse perspectives and collaborative problem-solving, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.
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Nat'l Security Considerations For Telecom Products Counsel
An increase in federal national security measures in the telecommunications space, particularly from the Federal Communications Commission, means that products counsel need to broaden their considerations as they advise on new products and services, says Laura Stefani at Venable.
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How Cos. Should Handle Research Org.'s Carcinogen Evals
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.
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Boeing Plea Deal Is A Mixed Bag, Providing Lessons For Cos.
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.
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A Simple Proposal For Improving E-Discovery In MDLs
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.
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Opinion
Now More Than Ever, Lawyers Must Exhibit Professionalism
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.
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Opinion
High Court Made Profound Mistake In Tossing Purdue Deal
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.
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Series
Serving In The National Guard Makes Me A Better Lawyer
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.
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A Midyear Forecast: Tailwinds Expected For Atty Hourly Rates
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.
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California Adds A Novel Twist To State Suits Against Big Oil
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.
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Opinion
States Should Loosen Law Firm Ownership Restrictions
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.
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How Attorneys Can Reduce Bad Behavior At Deposition
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.
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Series
Solving Puzzles Makes Me A Better Lawyer
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.
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Series
After Chevron: Environmental Law May Face Hurdles
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.