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Product Liability
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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."
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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June 25, 2024
Conn. Firefighters Sue Over PFAS In Protective Gear
Connecticut firefighters slapped 3M, DuPont and 17 others with a proposed class action on Tuesday, alleging they have been exposed to dangerous levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, contained in their protective gear manufactured and sold by the companies.
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June 25, 2024
6th Circ. Revives Part Of Barge Worker's Lung Injury Suit
The Sixth Circuit has revived a maintenance and cure claim brought by a former crew member on one of Marathon Petroleum Co. LP's barges, saying there's enough evidence to create a question of whether his lung deterioration manifested during his service on the vessel.
Expert Analysis
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Series
The Pop Culture Docket: Judge Djerassi On Super Bowl 52
Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Ramy Djerassi discusses how Super Bowl 52, in which the Philadelphia Eagles prevailed over the New England Patriots, provides an apt metaphor for alternative dispute resolution processes in commercial business cases.
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Considerations For Lawyer Witnesses After FTX Trial
Sam Bankman-Fried's recent trial testimony about his lawyers' involvement in FTX's business highlights the need for attorney-witnesses to understand privilege issues in order to avoid costly discovery disputes and, potentially, uncover critical evidence an adversary might seek to conceal, says Lawrence Bluestone at Genova Burns.
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Opinion
Proposed Rule Misses The Mark On Improving MDLs
The Advisory Committee on Civil Rules' recently proposed rule on multidistrict litigation would provide some guidance for courts on managing MDLs — but without any requirement for the early vetting of claims, it is particularly unhelpful for defendants in pharmaceutical and product liability cases, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.
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Staying Ahead Of The AI Policymaking Curve
With artificial intelligence poised to be the hottest legislative and regulatory topic in 2024, expect the AI policymaking toolbox to continue to expand and evolve as stakeholders in the U.S. and abroad develop, deploy, use and learn more about these technologies, say attorneys at Hogan Lovells.
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The 7th Circ.'s Top 10 Civil Opinions Of 2023
Attorneys at Jenner & Block examine the most significant decisions issued by the Seventh Circuit in 2023, and explain how they may affect issues related to antitrust, constitutional law, federal jurisdiction and more.
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Employee Experience Strategy Can Boost Law Firm Success
Amid continuing business uncertainty, law firms should consider adopting a holistic employee experience strategy — prioritizing consistency, targeting signature moments and leveraging measurement tools — to maximize productivity and profitability, says Haley Revel at Calibrate Consulting.
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And Now A Word From The Panel: A Strong Year For MDLs
While the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation granted even fewer MDL petitions last year than in 2022, hitting a 21st-century low, a closer look at the record-setting number of total actions encompassed within current proceedings reveals that MDL practice is still quite robust, says Alan Rothman at Sidley.
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How Consumer Product Cos. Can Keep Up With Class Actions
Recent cases show California's federal courts and the Ninth Circuit remain the preferred arena for consumers pursuing false advertising and trade deception claims against companies — so manufacturers, distributors and retailers of consumer products should continue to watch these courts for guidance on how to fight class actions, say attorneys at Dechert.
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Series
Competing In Triathlons Makes Me A Better Lawyer
While practicing law and competing in long-distance triathlons can make work and life feel unbalanced at times, participating in the sport has revealed important lessons about versatility, self-care and perseverance that apply to the office as much as they do the racecourse, says Laura Heusel at Butler Snow.
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Where Justices Stand On Chevron Doctrine Post-Argument
Following recent oral argument at the U.S. Supreme Court, at least four justices appear to be in favor of overturning the long-standing Chevron deference, and three justices seem ready to uphold it, which means the ultimate decision may rest on Chief Justice John Roberts' vote, say Wayne D'Angelo and Zachary Lee at Kelley Drye.
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Perspectives
6 Practice Pointers For Pro Bono Immigration Practice
An attorney taking on their first pro bono immigration matter may find the law and procedures beguiling, but understanding key deadlines, the significance of individual immigration judges' rules and specialized aspects of the practice can help avoid common missteps, says Steven Malm at Haynes Boone.
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Lessons From Country Singer's Personal Service Saga
Recent reports that country singer Luke Combs won a judgment against a Florida woman who didn’t receive notice of the counterfeit suit against her should serve as a reminder for attorneys on best practices for effectuating service by electronic means, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.
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The Section 230 Immunity Provision Debate Continues
The Fifth Circuit last month voted in Doe v. Snap Inc. not to reconsider en banc its decade-old interpretation of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which generally allows websites to police objectionable content as they see fit — but a growing number of judges appear motivated to further limit the scope of its immunity, say Jordan Rice and Caleb Hayes-Deats at MoloLamken.
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Opinion
Why Justices Should Protect Public From Bump Stocks
In Garland v. Cargill, the U.S. Supreme Court has the opportunity to restore the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' rule banning bump stocks — thus preserving Congress' original intent to protect the American people from particularly dangerous firearms, says Douglas Letter at Brady United Against Gun Violence.
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Series
Baking Bread Makes Me A Better Lawyer
After many years practicing law, and a few years baking bread, I have learned that there are a few keys to success in both endeavors, including the assembly of a nourishing and resilient culture, and the ability to learn from failure and exercise patience, says Rick Robinson at Reed Smith.