Product Liability

  • January 23, 2025

    Calif. Kids' Privacy Law Ignores 1st Amendment, Judge Says

    A California federal judge appeared open Thursday to preliminarily blocking for the second time a landmark California law requiring tech giants to bolster privacy protections for children, telling the state's counsel that nothing shows the Legislature "cared one whit about the Constitution," and "now you're trying to reverse engineer it."

  • January 23, 2025

    Suncor Says Enviro Groups' Suit Duplicates Gov't Enforcement

    Suncor USA Inc. told a Colorado federal judge that environmentalists suing it for allegedly violating emissions standards have improperly tied their claims to events that are already resolved or are being investigated by federal and state governments.

  • January 23, 2025

    Federal Agencies Must Order Full Return To Office By Friday

    Federal agencies will order employees to return to the office by Friday at 5 p.m. to end the "national embarrassment" that remote work policies have fueled, the Office of Personnel Management said, following President Donald Trump's executive order.

  • January 23, 2025

    Meta Wants Mass. Justices To Intervene In AG's Suit

    Meta Platforms has urged Massachusetts' highest court to take up its challenge to a pending lawsuit brought by the state attorney general's office, which accused the social media company of intentionally designing Instagram to be addictive to children and teenagers.

  • January 23, 2025

    15 States Reach $7.4B Settlement With Sackler Family

    A bipartisan coalition of states on Thursday announced a $7.4 billion settlement in principle with the Sackler family and their company Purdue Pharma Inc., representing the largest settlement to date with the family accused of contributing significantly to the opioid epidemic.

  • January 22, 2025

    J&J Seeks To Defeat $30M Punitive Bid After Conn. Talc Trial

    Johnson & Johnson has blasted a bid requesting that it pay $30 million in punitive damages on top of a $15 million jury award to a real estate developer who allegedly contracted mesothelioma from the company's talc, telling a Connecticut state court that, "at most," it should pay $5 million.

  • January 22, 2025

    Apple Sued Over Alleged PFAS In Smartwatch Wristbands

    Apple Inc. is at least the second smartwatch maker to be hit with a proposed class action lawsuit accusing it of knowingly using toxic forever chemicals in manufacturing the devices' wristbands, according to a complaint filed in California federal court.

  • January 22, 2025

    Boeing Rips Investors' Class Cert Bid In 737 Max Blowout Suit

    Boeing told a Virginia federal judge that pension funds cannot reverse-engineer sweeping securities fraud claims based on last year's Alaska Airlines midair blowout incident, saying their bid to certify a class of investors who were purportedly misled by Boeing's assurances of the 737 Max jets' safety must be rejected.

  • January 22, 2025

    Justices Urged To Affirm Texas Nuke Waste Site Ruling

    Several states, Texas politicians and landowner groups threw their support behind the Lone Star State's fight against a temporary nuclear waste storage facility, telling the U.S. Supreme Court the federal government doesn't have the power to authorize the site.

  • January 22, 2025

    Toy Co. Not Covered In Unpaid Judgment Suit, Judge Says

    A Berkshire Hathaway insurer has no duty to defend a toy company accused of using legal proceedings to evade payment of an $8.5 million default judgment for false advertising, a Minnesota federal court ruled, finding that abuse of process claims are not covered under the policy.

  • January 22, 2025

    Judge Won't Toss Bulk Of Chrysler Minivan MDL Claims

    A Michigan federal judge has declined to significantly pare back multidistrict litigation over a risk of spontaneous explosion in certain Chrysler plug-in hybrid minivans, denying Chrysler's bid to toss fraud and other claims.

  • January 22, 2025

    'The Hills' Reality Stars Latest To Sue Over Palisades Fire

    "The Hills" reality TV show stars Spencer and Heidi Pratt are among the latest Palisades Fire victims to sue the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power alleging an empty local reservoir made it more difficult for first responders to put out the devastating blaze.

  • January 22, 2025

    8th Circ. Finds Monsanto PCB Case Can Stay In Federal Court

    The Eighth Circuit on Wednesday allowed General Electric Co. and others to keep in Missouri federal court a suit by Monsanto Co. seeking defense for suits against Monsanto over polychlorinated biphenyls, finding that the suit was removed to federal court on time.

  • January 22, 2025

    Benzene Suits Against Retailers Not Covered, Insurer Says

    An insurer doesn't have to cover claims that CVS, Walmart, Walgreens and others sold products linked to a carcinogen, benzene, because the customers making the underlying allegations sought only reimbursement for the products they bought, the carrier told a California state court.

  • January 22, 2025

    Wyden Urges National Standard For Hemp Regulation

    Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., rallied on Wednesday for his bill that would beef up regulation of products with hemp-derived cannabinoids in order to protect consumers, particularly children.

  • January 22, 2025

    Army, SD Tribe Fight For Early Win In Dakota Access Row

    The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers are both asking for early wins in a challenge to shut down the Dakota Access Pipeline over alleged violations of federal environmental laws.

  • January 22, 2025

    Kirkland Adds 5 Skadden Attys As Firm Plans Philly Launch

    National law firm Kirkland & Ellis LLP has announced plans for a new Philadelphia office to be helmed by a civil litigator who is one of five attorneys moving their practices to the firm from Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP.

  • January 21, 2025

    Stanley Tumbler Lead Contamination Suit Gets Shelved

    A Washington federal judge has tossed a proposed class action against the maker of the popular "Stanley" tumbler for selling it without disclosing that it contained lead, saying the claims failed due to overly vague allegations of harm, but allowed the consumers to revise their lawsuit.

  • January 21, 2025

    Amazon Settles Consumer Suit Over Exploding Batteries

    Amazon.com Inc. has entered into a settlement resolving a proposed class action accusing the company of selling thousands of faulty lithium-ion batteries that were prone to explosions, according to a stipulation and order filed in Washington federal court Friday.

  • January 21, 2025

    SoCal Edison Must Hand Over Data In Eaton Fire Suit

    A Los Angeles County judge ordered Southern California Edison Co. on Tuesday to produce data from its distribution circuits in the Altadena, California, neighborhood to a victim of the Eaton Fire, the first step in litigation over this month's deadly and destructive blaze.

  • January 21, 2025

    EPA Tells DC Circ. Its PFAS Superfund Rule Is On Solid Ground

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has claimed that it is perfectly within its authority to label two forever chemicals as "hazardous substances" under the federal Superfund law, urging the D.C. Circuit to toss an industry group's challenge to its designation powers.

  • January 21, 2025

    4 Plaintiffs' Firms Is Too Many, Chrysler Says In EV Class Suit

    Fiat Chrysler slammed an "extremely excessive" bid asking a Michigan federal court to appoint four law firms as plaintiffs' counsel in a suit accusing the automaker of selling electric vehicles with defective batteries, telling the court there was no way that many firms could be efficient.

  • January 21, 2025

    Last Sackler Family Members Join Purdue Draft Deal

    The final holdouts among two branches of Sackler family members are ready to join a settlement in the bankruptcy of OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP, a business owned by the family, according to a report from the co-mediators handling negotiations.

  • January 21, 2025

    NJ Unveils Plans To Retool Congestion-Pricing Fight

    Undeterred by the denial of its bid to temporarily halt New York City's controversial congestion toll pricing plan, the state of New Jersey has notified a federal judge that it plans to drop its Third Circuit appeal and pursue a new plan of attack in district court. 

  • January 21, 2025

    Justices Doubt Retailers Are 'Bystanders' In FDA Challenge

    Several U.S. Supreme Court justices appeared to agree Tuesday that Texas and Mississippi retailers could join a North Carolina e-cigarette manufacturer in challenging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's denial of its marketing application, and Justice Clarence Thomas questioned the agency's motivation to argue otherwise.

Expert Analysis

  • Key Trends In PFAS Regulation And Litigation For 2025

    Author Photo

    The critical policy milestones for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances expected in 2025 will not only shape the trajectory of PFAS regulation, but also set key precedents for environmental accountability, potentially reshaping the corporate approach to these "forever chemicals" for decades to come, say attorneys at MG+M.

  • Series

    Coaching Little League Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    While coaching poorly played Little League Baseball early in the morning doesn't sound like a good time, I love it — and the experience has taught me valuable lessons about imperfection, compassion and acceptance that have helped me grow as a person and as a lawyer, says Alex Barnett at DiCello Levitt.

  • Courts Must Stick To The Science On Digital Addiction Claims

    Author Photo

    A number of pending personal injury and product liability lawsuits allege that plaintiffs have developed behavioral addictions to the use of social media and video games — but this is not yet recognized by relevant authorities as an addiction, so courts must carefully scrutinize such claims, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

  • 5 Litigation Funding Trends To Note In 2025

    Author Photo

    Lawyers and their clients must be prepared to navigate an evolving litigation funding market in 2025, made more complicated by a new administration and the increasing overall cost of litigation, says Jeffery Lula at GLS Capital.

  • A Look At FDA's Plans To Establish New OTC Drug Category

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's recently finalized rule, creating a new over-the-counter pathway for drugs when patients satisfy certain conditions, may be useful for off-patent drugs with established safety records, though switching to OTC comes with additional costs and considerations, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • Rethinking Litigation Risk And What It Really Means To Win

    Author Photo

    Attorneys have a tendency to overestimate litigation risk before summary judgment and underestimate risk after it, but an eight-stage litigation framework can clarify risk at different points and help litigators reassess what true success looks like in any particular case, says Joshua Libling at Arcadia Finance.

  • How DOGE's Bite Can Live Up To Its Bark

    Author Photo

    All signs suggest that the Department of Government Efficiency will be an important part of the new Trump administration, with ample tools at its disposal to effectuate change, particularly with an attentive Republican-controlled Congress, say attorneys at K&L Gates.

  • New York Climate Superfund Law May Face Preemption Fight

    Author Photo

    New York state's new climate superfund law highlights a growing trend of states supplementing their climate litigation efforts with legislative initiatives — but it will likely encounter the same federal preemption questions raised about state and local lawsuits seeking redress for climate harms, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

  • Series

    Playing Rugby Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    My experience playing rugby, including a near-fatal accident, has influenced my legal practice on a professional, organizational and personal level by showing me the importance of maintaining empathy, fostering team empowerment and embracing the art of preparation, says James Gillenwater at Greenberg Traurig.

  • Looking Back At 2024's Noteworthy State AG Litigation

    Author Photo

    State attorneys general across the U.S. took bold steps in 2024 to address unlawful activities by corporations in several areas, including privacy and data security, financial transparency, children's internet safety, and other overall consumer protection claims, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • Opinion

    No, Litigation Funders Are Not 'Fleeing' The District Of Del.

    Author Photo

    A recent study claimed that litigation funders have “fled” Delaware federal court due to a standing order requiring disclosure of third-party financing, but responsible funders have no problem litigating in this jurisdiction, and many other factors could explain the decline in filings, say Will Freeman and Sarah Tsou at Omni Bridgeway.

  • Liability Risk For AI In Medical Devices Demands Greater Care

    Author Photo

    As regulators push for legal reform surrounding artificial intelligence and cases implicating product liability for AI in medical technology continue to rise, manufacturers must adapt and implement new strategies to accommodate evolving risks, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • 5 E-Discovery Predictions For 2025 And Beyond

    Author Photo

    In the year to come, e-discovery will be shaped by new and emerging trends, from the adoption of artificial intelligence provisions in protective orders, to the proliferation of emojis as a source of evidence in contemporary litigation, say attorneys at Littler.

  • NY Plastic Pollution Verdict May Not Bode Well For Other Suits

    Author Photo

    The dismissal of New York state's public nuisance complaint against PepsiCo over pollution of the Buffalo River with the company's single use plastic bottles may not augur well for similar lawsuits filed by Baltimore and Los Angeles County, although tort law varies from state to state, say attorneys at Winston & Strawn.

  • Defense Strategies For Addressing Conspiracy-Minded Jurors

    Author Photo

    As conspiracy theories continue to proliferate and gain traction in the U.S., defense attorneys will need to consider ways to keep conspiracy-minded jurors from sitting on the jury, and to persuade them when this isn’t possible, say consultants at IMS Legal Strategies.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!