Personal Injury & Medical Malpractice

June 11, 2024
Mich. Court Says Insurer Can Yank Benefits For Litigation Lies

The Michigan Supreme Court unanimously reversed an appeals court decision, ruling Tuesday that misrepresentations made during discovery could prevent the family of a deceased car accident victim from recovering benefits from an insurer assigned to his claim by a state safety net program.
June 11, 2024
Singleton Schreiber Adds Tribal And Environmental Law Pro

Robert O. Saunooke, a citizen of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and previously a solo practitioner, has spent the past 30 years representing the underdog, working pro bono in almost every area of tribal law to protect the rights of Native American tribes across the country.
June 11, 2024
Wilson Elser Attys Officially Exit Airline Suit After Filing Gaffe

A Texas state judge has approved American Airlines' request for the departure of its Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP legal team that blamed a young child for a then-flight attendant's alleged covert bathroom recording, a week after the same lawyers were replaced from a similar suit in North Carolina federal court.
June 11, 2024
FDA Urges 11th Circ. To Back E-Cig Ban Over High Nicotine

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is urging the Eleventh Circuit to not let Bidi Vapor market an e-cigarette product that the agency claimed would expose users to nearly twice as much nicotine as a typical combustible cigarette.
June 11, 2024
Immigration Firm Says Rival Poached Workers And Stole TM

A Washington immigration law firm specializing in visas for domestic violence and sex trafficking victims is accusing a competing Texas firm of poaching its employees and stealing a Spanish phrase covered by its trademark — "Arreglar sin salir!" — which translates to "fix without leaving."
June 10, 2024
ATF Says States Lack Standing In Suit Over Gun Show Rule

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives told a federal judge in Texas that a coalition of Republican-led attorney generals could not prove how a rule closing the so-called gun show loophole harmed the states.
June 10, 2024
Navy Liable In 'Take-Home' Asbestos Death, Trial Judge Told

The U.S. Navy can't avoid a $12 million wrongful death suit by arguing asbestos safeguards were only advisory at a Washington state shipyard in the 1970s, counsel to the family of a service member's deceased spouse said Monday at the start of a bench trial.
June 10, 2024
6th Circ. Won't Rethink Drop Of Suit Over Doped Derby Horse

A Sixth Circuit panel on Monday declined to rehear arguments from a group of gamblers who claim they should have been paid for their 2021 Kentucky Derby winning bets after the first-place horse was eventually disqualified for doping.
June 10, 2024
Home Flooding Was Unavoidable, Agency Tells Appeals Court

A Texas river management agency has told a state appeals court that a group of Houston residents' properties would have flooded regardless of its actions to mitigate Hurricane Harvey's effects, urging the appellate court to overturn a trial court order denying its bid for release from the residents' suit.
June 10, 2024
Feds Want Ex-Army Officer's FTCA Claims Cut From Suit

A former major general's defamation lawsuit against the U.S. Army over an alleged domestic assault should be partially tossed, the federal government told a Pennsylvania federal judge Friday, arguing that soldiers can't sue the Army for incidents that happened while they were serving.
June 10, 2024
Injured Teen Athlete Drops Michigan Supreme Court Appeal

A high school athlete who claimed a car crash ended his hopes of a college baseball career settled his lawsuit Friday, weeks after Michigan's top court had expressed interest in his appeal, which turned on who decides the seriousness of a crash victim's injury.
June 10, 2024
NY Lawmakers Pass Kids Social Media Addiction Bill

New York lawmakers have passed a bill that will rein in social media algorithms from delivering addictive content to minors and sent it to Gov. Kathy Hochul's desk for approval, which is widely expected.
June 10, 2024
Triumph Motorcycles Hit With Complaint Over Defective Brakes

An Iowa resident has accused a Georgia-based motorcycle company of putting defective brakes on a bike that caused him to sustain permanent brain injuries after he was unexpectedly thrown from the vehicle, in a complaint filed in North Carolina federal court.
June 10, 2024
Colo. Justices Say Toxic Tort Plaintiffs Didn't Waive Privilege

Colorado's justices on Monday said plaintiffs suing a medical sterilization plant over exposure to a carcinogen cannot be forced to turn over communications with their lawyers related to an expert report, rejecting the plant's argument that the disclosure of a spreadsheet to an expert waived attorney-client privilege.
June 10, 2024
Ga. Panel Revives Woman's Crash Injury Suit Against Sheriff

A Georgia Court of Appeals panel revived a crash lawsuit against a Georgia sheriff and deputy Monday, ruling that the plaintiffs' serving of the suit upon county government officials instead of the sheriff himself did not doom her case after all.
June 10, 2024
Deputy Sheriff Denies Lying About Groping In $11M Case

The wife of a south Georgia sheriff who allegedly assaulted and jailed a man after she said he groped her in a gas station denied her accusations were false in response to an $11 million-plus federal civil rights lawsuit against the couple.
June 10, 2024
Judge Orders Site Worker To Film Drone Video In Cancer MDL

A state judge said Monday that additional drone video of cleanup efforts at a contaminated rail yard sought by Houston residents living near the site must be taken by a Union Pacific Railroad Co. employee following a dispute over allegedly improper drone videos filmed over the site last month.
June 10, 2024
Split Mich. Panel Says Attorney-Free Confession OK For Court

A split Michigan appellate panel said a judge should have admitted a video of a defendant confessing to hitting someone with his truck because the defendant signed multiple documents waiving his right to have counsel present, although a dissenting judge said police "misled" the defendant and took advantage of his confusion.
June 10, 2024
Parexel Says Staffing Firm Liable For Temp's Alleged Fraud

Clinical research company Parexel International says a Boston-based staffing agency is liable for damages caused by a rogue temporary employee who engaged in "egregious fraud" involving multiple drug trials, according to a complaint filed in Massachusetts state court.
June 10, 2024
Victims Of Chiquita-Funded Paramilitaries Win $38M Award

The first bellwether trial in multidistrict litigation against Chiquita over its funding of right-wing paramilitaries in Colombia's banana-producing region ended with a victory Monday afternoon for nearly all the plaintiffs, as a Florida federal jury awarded them $38.3 million in damages for the losses of their loved ones killed by paramilitaries.
June 10, 2024
Lin Wood's Ex-Colleagues Push To Keep Fraud Claims In Trial

Former law partners of controversial attorney Lin Wood have urged a Georgia federal court to block Wood's request to exclude unadjudicated allegations he committed fraud and contract breach, arguing that the details are relevant in an upcoming trial over the ex-colleagues' claims that Wood defamed them.
June 10, 2024
Tampa-Area Doctor May Sue Attorney, Appeals Court Says

A doctor's lawsuit over a medical bill dispute with a personal injury lawyer involving one of the lawyer's injured clients may proceed, a Florida appeals court has ruled.
June 10, 2024
Snap Slams Connecticut Girl's Renewed Sex Assault Suit

A renewed lawsuit alleging that Snapchat's Bitmoji avatars make it easier for sexual predators and other malicious individuals to groom minors must be dismissed again, Snap Inc. told a Connecticut state court, because the new complaint retreads the same allegations the court already tossed out.
June 10, 2024
Order Trims Cuomo Suit Over Harassment Probe Documents

A New York state judge has partially dismissed a petition brought by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo seeking dozens of unredacted transcripts of witness interviews as part of the state attorney general's sexual harassment investigation that led to his 2021 resignation.
June 10, 2024
Pa. Bridge Collapse Victim Can Only Get $5K, Court Told

Pittsburgh Regional Transit wants to trim claims brought by a passenger aboard a bus that was on the Fern Hollow Bridge when it collapsed in 2022, telling a Pennsylvania court that as a self-insured state agency, the most it would owe her is $5,000 for medical expenses.

Expert Analysis

5 Litigation Funding Trends To Note In 2024

Over the next year and beyond, litigation funding will continue to evolve in ways that affect attorneys and the larger litigation landscape, from the growth of a secondary market for funded claims, to rising interest rates restricting the availability of capital, says Jeffery Lula at GLS Capital.
What One Litigator Learned Serving On A Jury

Kilpatrick attorney April Isaacson shares insights for trial lawyers from her recent experience serving on a jury for the first time, including lessons about the impact of frequent sidebars, considerations for using demonstratives, the importance of clear jury instructions, and the unconscious habits that can drive jurors mad.
4 Legal Ethics Considerations For The New Year

As attorneys and clients reset for a new year, now is a good time to take a step back and review some core ethical issues that attorneys should keep front of mind in 2024, including approaching generative artificial intelligence with caution and care, and avoiding pitfalls in outside counsel guidelines, say attorneys at HWG.
Environmental Justice: A 2023 Recap And 2024 Forecast

A 2023 executive order directing each federal agency to make environmental justice part of its mission, as well as the many lawsuits and enforcement actions last year, demonstrates that EJ will increasingly surface in all areas of law and regulation, from technically challenging to seemingly ordinary permitting and construction matters, say attorneys at King & Spalding.
What The Law Firm Of The Future Will Look Like

As the legal landscape shifts, it’s become increasingly clear that the BigLaw business model must adapt in four key ways to remain viable, from fostering workplace flexibility to embracing technology, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.
4 PR Pointers When Your Case Is In The News

Media coverage of new lawsuits exploded last year, demonstrating why defense attorneys should devise a public relations plan that complements their legal strategy, incorporating several objectives to balance ethical obligations and advocacy, say Nathan Burchfiel at Pinkston and Ryan June at Castañeda + Heidelman.
How 2023 Shaped Drug And Medical Device Legal Trends

2023 brought a number of positive developments for the life sciences industry, including great trial and multidistrict litigation outcomes, but also some heavy-handed regulations and other concerning developments that lay the groundwork for significant litigation, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.
Law Firm Strategies For Successfully Navigating 2024 Trends

Though law firms face the dual challenge of external and internal pressures as they enter 2024, firms willing to pivot will be able to stand out by adapting to stakeholder needs and reimagining their infrastructure, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Consultants.
The Most-Read Legal Industry Law360 Guest Articles Of 2023

A range of legal industry topics drew readers' attention in Law360's Expert Analysis section this year, from associate retention strategies to ethical billing practices.
5 Most Notable Class Action Standing Cases Of 2023

Key appellate class action decisions this past year continued the trend of a more demanding approach to the threshold issue of standing during each phase of litigation, say attorneys at MoFo.
NY Wrongful Death Law Revamp Retains Original's Drawbacks

If approved by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, the Grieving Families Act will transform the landscape of wrongful death law in New York by increasing the potential for damages, raising insurance premiums, burdening hospitals and courts, stifling the economy and subjecting parties to the unsettling effects of retroactive legislation, say attorneys at Shaub Ahmuty.
Attorneys' Busiest Times Can Be Business Opportunities

Attorneys who resolve to grow their revenue and client base in 2024 should be careful not to abandon their goals when they get too busy with client work, because these periods of zero bandwidth can actually be a catalyst for future growth, says Amy Drysdale at Alchemy Consulting.
In The World Of Legal Ethics, 10 Trends To Note From 2023

Lucian Pera at Adams and Reese and Trisha Rich at Holland & Knight identify the top legal ethics trends from 2023 — including issues related to hot documents, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity — that lawyers should be aware of to put their best foot forward.
Opinion

Animal Rights Are About Saving Nature, And Our Own Future

The climate crisis makes it clear that animal law — conceived of as an ecocentric approach to protecting the most vulnerable nonhumans who depend on the natural environment — is essential to restoring the Earth and safeguarding the future of humanity, says Carter Dillard at the Fair Start Movement.
How Attorneys Can Be More Efficient This Holiday Season

Attorneys should consider a few key tips to speed up their work during the holidays so they can join the festivities — from streamlining the document review process to creating similar folder structures, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.