Product Liability

Expert Analysis

• Keys To Estimating Damages In Deceptive Pricing Cases

  

  The liability fundamentals of deceptive pricing cases are easy to understand: To the extent that consumers are influenced by the perception of a bargain, a false or misleading reference price can result in higher prices and greater sales. But providing defensible estimates of classwide damages has remained a stumbling block, say Stephen Hamilton and Dan Werner of OnPoint Analytics.

• The Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act: 'Bedlam' Redux

  

  After four decades attempting to apply the commercial-activity exception of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act — the most significant exception to sovereign immunity — no court has ever decided the meaning of the heart of the exception, and with it the FSIA, says Robert W. Ludwig, a founding member of Ludwig & Robinson PLLC.

• Why A Subway Sandwich Class Settlement Didn't Measure Up

  

  The Seventh Circuit recently rejected a class action settlement involving Subway sandwich purchasers who sued for alleged consumer fraud, calling the settlement "worthless" in terms of alleged relief to the class. Companies defending such litigation cannot expect to "buy peace" by simply paying off plaintiffs lawyers, say Gerald Maatman Jr. and John Marrese of Seyfarth Shaw LLP.

• Storm-Damaged Businesses Need Environmental 'Baselines'

  

  What if, after a storm like Hurricane Harvey or Irma, a small business finds itself liable for hundreds of thousands (or even millions) of dollars of environmental contamination that spilled out during the storm? This is a very real concern for businesses that store and use chemicals, but there are ways to establish protections, says Kevin Daehnke of Daehnke Cruz Law Group LLC.

• The Role Legal Finance Can Play In Firm Year-End Collections

  

  Payment collection delays have caused law firms to seek new options, one of which is litigation finance. In this context, litigation finance can offer alternative avenues to firms as they approach the end of a fiscal year or partnership distribution dates, says Travis Lenkner of Burford Capital LLC.

• It's On Plaintiffs To Prove No Scientific Substantiation

  

  Historically, plaintiffs rest false advertising claims upon allegations that marketing claims are unsubstantiated and not supported by reliable scientific evidence. But two recent decisions out of California suggest courts may not recognize a private right of action for false advertising claims arising out of alleged improper scientific substantiation, say Brett Taylor and Amy Alderfer of Cozen O'Connor.

• 'Per-Doc' Pricing Can Improve Document Review

  

  Imagine going to a restaurant and ordering your steak medium-rare. The steak arrives burned. You expect the kitchen to bring you another one properly done, right? And you don’t expect to pay for two steaks, do you? Paying a vendor for document review should be no different, says Lisa Prowse, an attorney and vice president at e-discovery firm BIA Inc.

• As Medical Food Industry Grows, So May FDA Scrutiny

  

  An important regulatory advantage enjoyed by "medical food" products is the ability to make affirmative claims that a particular medical food may assist in treatment or management of a disease condition. But the category is poised to attract increased attention from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, says Kyle Diamantas of Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz PC.

• Extreme Weather Fuels New Climate Change Litigation Trend

  

  As federal efforts to roll back environmental regulations from the Obama era continue, environmental groups have been increasingly filing lawsuits against industry alleging damages related to climate change impacts. The most recent lawsuits show that extreme weather events such as Hurricanes Harvey and Irma likely will intensify this trend, say Michael McDonough and Stephanie Amaru of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP.

• Failure To Show Personal Jurisdiction In 'Show Me' State

  

  A federal judge recently said “show me” when 83 plaintiffs from 30 different states claimed personal jurisdiction in Missouri over a New Jersey-based talcum powder manufacturer. This ruling appears to be part of a trend that will likely lead to less talc-related litigation tourism in Missouri, says Steven Boranian of Reed Smith LLP.