Product Liability

  • June 27, 2024

    NTSB Rips Boeing For Blabbing About Blowout Probe

    The National Transportation Safety Board sanctioned Boeing on Thursday for sharing nonpublic details of an ongoing investigation into January's 737 Max 9 midair door plug blowout, deepening the American aerospace giant's regulatory troubles amid multiple probes into its safety culture and quality control.

  • June 27, 2024

    Honeywell Says Sourcing Co. Backpedaled On Supply Deal

    Honeywell has accused a sourcing company of trying to claw its way out of a contract to buy medical-grade gloves by fabricating quality concerns and launching a bogus recall in an allegedly underhanded way to make itself more appealing to potential buyers.

  • June 27, 2024

    Supreme Court Freezes EPA's 'Good Neighbor' Rule

    The U.S. Supreme Court stayed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's plan to reduce cross-state pollution Thursday, finding several states and industry groups challenging it in court will likely prevail on the merits.

  • June 27, 2024

    Justices Nix 3rd-Party Liability Releases In Purdue Ch. 11 Plan

    The U.S. Supreme Court shot down the validity of nonconsensual third-party releases in an opinion issued Thursday in the case of bankrupt drugmaker Purdue Pharma LP, potentially exposing the Sackler family members who own the company to personal liability for the company's role in the opioid crisis.

  • June 26, 2024

    Conn. Zantac Ruling To Include Sanofi As Settlement Looms

    A Connecticut state judge will include Sanofi-Aventis US LLC and a related corporate entity in a forthcoming decision on whether Zantac makers must face novel innovator liability claims in the Constitution State, the judge revealed after the pharmaceutical giant suggested a ruling would help finalize a nascent settlement.

  • June 26, 2024

    Baby Bottle Cos. Face False Ad Suits Over Microplastics

    Philips North America and Handi-Craft face a pair of proposed class actions filed Tuesday in California federal court alleging they misled customers into thinking their sippy cups and baby bottles were "BPA free" and therefore safe for use, despite that heating them could cause harmful microplastics to leak into food and drinks.

  • June 26, 2024

    Window Seal Maker Can't Nix Condo's Faulty Glass Panel Suit

    A Washington federal judge on Tuesday refused to free a window component maker from a lawsuit claiming it helped conceal defects in a Seattle condominium's windows, saying the court had personal jurisdiction because the alleged wrongdoing was characterized as a deliberate act that affected a large number of actual Washington consumers.

  • June 26, 2024

    Talc Co. Barretts' Creditors Push To Dismiss Ch. 11 Case

    Unsecured creditors of Barretts Minerals have urged a Texas bankruptcy judge to dismiss its bankruptcy following the debtor's sale of its talc business, arguing that Barretts remains in bankruptcy only to get its fully solvent parent company out of its talc liability.

  • June 26, 2024

    Native Deodorant Doesn't Give 72-Hour Protection, Suit Says

    Procter & Gamble-owned Native was hit with a proposed consumer protection class action in New York federal court Wednesday by customers who accuse it of falsely advertising that its deodorant spray provides "72-hour odor protection," a claim that it allegedly ripped off from other brands and hasn't been clinically proven.

  • June 26, 2024

    New Hampshire Claims TikTok Exploits Kids For Profit

    Social media titan TikTok is exploiting children by intentionally designing its platform to be addictive, so children will keep scrolling on the app for as long as possible, the state of New Hampshire argues in a heavily redacted lawsuit in state court.

  • June 26, 2024

    Sig Sauer Can't DQ Gun Expert's Experiment In Defect Suit

    Gunmaker Sig Sauer Inc. can't dodge a police officer's lawsuit claiming its P320 pistol spontaneously discharged and injured her without the trigger being touched, after the company failed to convince a Massachusetts federal judge to disqualify an experiment by the plaintiff's gun expert comparing its gun to an analogous Glock model.

  • June 26, 2024

    4th Circ. Douses Fireworks Co.'s Challenge To CPSC Notices

    The Fourth Circuit on Wednesday affirmed the dismissal of a fireworks importer's challenge to safety notices from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, saying the notices are not a final agency action that can be reviewed under the Administrative Procedure Act.

  • June 26, 2024

    Travelers Nabs Partial Win In Asbestos Coverage Dispute

    A Travelers unit only has a duty to indemnify but not defend a drywall and paint company that faces several underlying asbestos injury lawsuits, a Texas federal court ruled, rejecting the company's reading of "not covered" in its umbrella policy providing excess coverage.

  • June 26, 2024

    Ex-Worker Says NC Justices Needn't Review Carcinogen Test

    A former graduate student worker for North Carolina State University has told the Tar Heel State's highest court that the school is trying to delay a potential lawsuit by continuing its fight to keep the ex-employee and cancer patient from investigating a campus building for carcinogens.

  • June 26, 2024

    NHTSA Declines Calls For 'More Robust' Truck Safety Guards

    Roadway safety advocates are chiding the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration after it rejected requests for stricter requirements on rear impact guards on semitruck trailers, used to protect passenger vehicles that crash into the back of trailers, calling the decision "indefensible."

  • June 26, 2024

    NJ Cos. Can't Toss Contamination Claim In Green Groups' Suit

    A New Jersey federal judge won't let NL Industries Inc. and a subsidiary escape claims by two environmental groups under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, saying it's undisputed that the companies are considered persons who handled hazardous waste.

  • June 26, 2024

    Calif. AG Defends Chemical Org's Subpoena In Pollution Probe

    California Attorney General Rob Bonta is urging a D.C. federal judge to reject a bid from the American Chemistry Council that would block his office from enforcing a subpoena on the organization as part of an investigation into fossil fuel and petrochemical industries' role in global plastics pollution.

  • June 26, 2024

    House GOP Gears Up For The End Of Chevron Deference

    A new memo outlines how House Republicans are gearing up for the U.S. Supreme Court to potentially overturn the decades-old precedent that courts defer to agencies' interpretations of ambiguous statutes, as an opportunity to roll back the Biden administration's policies and reclaim Congress' power.

  • June 25, 2024

    Bulk Of Colo. Climate Case Against Oil Giants Beats Dismissal

    A Colorado state judge has paved the way for a county's lawsuit against major oil and gas companies that aims to hold them liable for damages caused by climate change, rejecting bids to toss claims for public and private nuisance, conspiracy and unjust enrichment.

  • June 25, 2024

    FAA Not Off The Hook In Nevada Plane Crash, 9th Circ. Rules

    The Federal Aviation Administration has been dragged back into a $6.5 million lawsuit accusing it of causing a fatal single-engine plane crash, killing its pilot and passenger, after the Ninth Circuit ruled that the agency's air traffic controller breached his duty of reasonable care.

  • June 25, 2024

    4th Circ. Revives Arranger Liability Claims In Superfund Suit

    The Fourth Circuit revived claims Tuesday against six companies that arranged the disposal of hazardous waste in the 68th Street dump site in Baltimore County, Maryland, ruling that a lower court was wrong to say the companies needed to know that the waste was hazardous to be liable for cleanup costs.

  • June 25, 2024

    Cummins Brass Face Investor Suit For $2B Clean Air Act Deal

    Executives and directors of engine manufacturer Cummins Inc. have been hit with a shareholder derivative suit accusing them of concealing the company's use of unlawful emissions control devices in certain engines, which eventually resulted in a record $1.68 billion fine against the company and more than $326 million in related payments.

  • June 25, 2024

    Norfolk Southern Torched In NTSB Final Derailment Findings

    Norfolk Southern used "reprehensible" tactics to interfere with the investigation into last year's derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, and pushed for an "unnecessary" controlled vent and burn of highly flammable vinyl chloride during the accident's chaotic aftermath, the National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday.

  • June 25, 2024

    Flint Judge Wants To Keep City 'Motivated' To Fix Lead Pipes

    A Michigan federal judge on Tuesday all but approved a proposal from the state to step in and help the city of Flint finish replacing lead water service lines and restoring properties for residents, noting the city's repeated failures to meet its obligations under a 7-year-old settlement agreement.

  • June 25, 2024

    Amazon Says It Shares 'Cookies,' But Not Prime Viewers' ID

    Amazon.com Inc. on Tuesday urged a federal judge to toss a proposed class action filed by Prime movie subscribers, calling the privacy complaint a "smokescreen" attempting to get around the terms of a use agreement that allows advertisers to access cookies that don't identify specific customers.

Expert Analysis

  • Attorneys Have An Ethical Duty To Protect The Judiciary

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    The tenor of public disagreement and debate has become increasingly hostile against judges, and though the legislative branch is trying to ameliorate this safety gap, lawyers have a moral imperative and professional requirement to stand with judges in defusing attacks against them and their rulings, says Deborah Winokur at Cozen O'Connor.

  • AI Can Help Lawyers Overcome The Programming Barrier

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    Legal professionals without programming expertise can use generative artificial intelligence to harness the power of automation and other technology solutions to streamline their work, without the steep learning curve traditionally associated with coding, says George Zalepa at Greenberg Traurig.

  • Transparency And Explainability Are Critical To AI Compliance

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    Although there is not yet a comprehensive law governing artificial intelligence, regulators have tools to hold businesses accountable, and companies need to focus on ensuring that consumers and key stakeholders understand how their AI systems operate and make decisions, say Chanley Howell and Lauren Hudon at Foley & Lardner.

  • Preparing Law Students For A New, AI-Assisted Legal World

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    As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms the legal landscape, law schools must integrate technology and curricula that address AI’s innate challenges — from ethics to data security — to help students stay ahead of the curve, say Daniel Garrie at Law & Forensics, Ryan Abbott at JAMS and Karen Silverman at Cantellus Group.

  • How Social Media Can Affect Trial Outcomes

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    With social media’s ability to seize upon an issue and spin it into a specifically designed narrative, it is more critical than ever that a litigation communications strategy be part of trial planning to manage the impact of legal action on a company's reputation, say Sean Murphy and Steve Wood at Courtroom Sciences.

  • General Counsel Need Data Literacy To Keep Up With AI

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    With the rise of accessible and powerful generative artificial intelligence solutions, it is imperative for general counsel to understand the use and application of data for myriad important activities, from evaluating the e-discovery process to monitoring compliance analytics and more, says Colin Levy at Malbek.

  • Opinion

    Civil Litigation Against Gun Businesses Can Reduce Violence

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    With mass shootings skyrocketing, and gun control legislation blocked by powerful interest groups, civil litigation can help obtain justice for victims by targeting parties responsible beyond the immediate perpetrator — including gun manufacturers, dealers and retailers, says Tom D'Amore at D'Amore Law Group.

  • Navigating Discovery Of Generative AI Information

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    As generative artificial intelligence tools become increasingly ubiquitous, companies must make sure to preserve generative AI data when there is reasonable expectation of litigation, and to include transcripts in litigation hold notices, as they may be relevant to discovery requests, say Nick Peterson and Corey Hauser at Wiley.

  • Finding Focus: Strategies For Attorneys With ADHD

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    Given the prevalence of ADHD among attorneys, it is imperative that the legal community gain a better understanding of how ADHD affects well-being, and that resources and strategies exist for attorneys with this disability to manage their symptoms and achieve success, say Casey Dixon at Dixon Life Coaching and Krista Larson at Stinson.

  • Opinion

    Time To Ban Deferred Prosecution For Fatal Corporate Crime

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    As illustrated by prosecutors’ deals with Boeing and other companies, deferred prosecution agreements have strayed far from their original purpose, and Congress must ban the use of this tool in cases where corporate misconduct has led to fatalities, says Peter Reilly at Texas A&M University School of Law.

  • Why Hemp-Synthesized Intoxicants Need Uniform Regs

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    State laws regulating hemp-synthesized intoxicants are a patchwork with little consistency between any given state, and without the adoption of a uniform regulatory framework, producers and consumers alike will need to be very cautious, say Dylan Anderson and Seth Goldberg at Duane Morris.

  • Attorneys, Law Schools Must Adapt To New Era Of Evidence

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    Technological advancements mean more direct evidence is being created than ever before, and attorneys as well as law schools must modify their methods to account for new challenges in how this evidence is collected and used to try cases, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • Analyzing The Legal Ripples Of The EPA's PFAS Regulation

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    As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency makes major moves on its pledge to regulate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, the developing body of PFAS regulation will lead to an increase in litigation, and personal injury and product liability claims, say attorneys at Gordon & Rees.

  • Boeing Opinion Strikes Blow Against Overpayment Theory

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    The Fifth Circuit's decision in Earl v. Boeing Co. casts doubt on consumers' standing to bring claims of overpayment for products later revealed to have defects — and suggests that it's more likely that those products would have been removed from the market, driving up the price of alternatives, say attorneys at Bush Seyferth.

  • Tips For Litigating Against Pro Se Parties In Complex Disputes

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    Litigating against self-represented parties in complex cases can pose unique challenges for attorneys, but for the most part, it requires the same skills that are useful in other cases — from documenting everything to understanding one’s ethical duties, says Bryan Ketroser at Alto Litigation.

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