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Product Liability
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July 23, 2024
X's Tesla Ties Could Require Judge's Recusal, Watchdog Says
Elon Musk's X Corp. wants to avoid disclosing its financial links with Tesla in the social media company's defamation lawsuit against Media Matters for America because the Texas federal judge overseeing the case likely holds Tesla stock and would need to recuse himself, the progressive media watchdog said.
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July 23, 2024
EPA Must Ban PFAS In Pesticides, Environmental Groups Say
Farmer advocacy groups and environmentalists urged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to flex its regulatory muscles and prohibit the use of pesticide formulas and containers made with so-called forever chemicals, according to a petition that says the agency is doing little to address the issue.
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July 23, 2024
Aviation Co. Sheds Claims In Conn. Cessna Crash Suit
A Connecticut state court judge has struck numerous product liability claims against two individuals and Interstate Aviation Inc., a Plainville company that employed the pilots of a Cessna that crashed into a factory in 2021, but kept alive the same allegations against the Florida company that owned the plane and arranged the flight.
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July 23, 2024
Laser Sights Not 'Arms,' Judge Rules, Backing Chicago Ban
An Illinois federal judge Monday upheld the constitutionality of Chicago's laser sight ban and refused to entertain a resident's "eleventh-hour request" to pursue nominal damages, ending the 14-year-old case.
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July 23, 2024
EPA Tells 5th Circ. Louisiana Can't Stall Chemical Regulation
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says the Fifth Circuit cannot decide whether a Louisiana regulator can give a neoprene maker an extra two years to comply with a federal chemical rule because the issue is already before the D.C. Circuit.
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July 23, 2024
Yamaha Sinks Defective WaveRunner Watercraft Suit
An Illinois federal judge on Tuesday threw out a proposed class action alleging Yamaha Motor Corp. USA sold WaveRunner-brand personal watercraft with defective fuel gauges and trip computers, saying the complaint fails to properly allege a breach of warranty or fraud.
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July 23, 2024
Mercedes-Benz Wants Defective Wheel Suit Tossed
Mercedes-Benz USA LLC is asking a Georgia federal judge to scrap a proposed class action over an allegedly defective wheel configuration on S580 sedans, arguing that a Nevada man's two punctured tires on a cross-country road trip aren't enough to support his claims.
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July 23, 2024
House Panel Weighs New Rail Safety Regs After East Palestine
The fiery Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, last year has created new urgency for strengthening federal standards for tank car designs, rail safety technology, track inspection protocols and classifying hazardous materials-carrying trains, industry experts told a House subcommittee Tuesday.
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July 23, 2024
4th Circ. Says Bad Jury Instructions Gave J&J Win In Mesh Suit
The Fourth Circuit has vacated a judgment in Ethicon Inc. and Johnson & Johnson's favor in a suit from a woman alleging Ethicon's pelvic mesh was defective, saying a federal judge was wrong to limit her expert's opinion based on the so-called elimination mandate.
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July 23, 2024
Tesla Crash Victim's Parents Urge Fla. Top Court To Allow Depos
The father of a Florida teenager killed in a Tesla Model S crash in 2018 has urged the state's high court to review a lower court's orders quashing depositions of company CEO Elon Musk and another executive, saying the orders directly conflict with Florida case law.
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July 23, 2024
Fiat Chrysler Escapes Damages, But Defect Finding Stands
Fiat Chrysler doesn't owe anything to consumers who sued it over allegedly faulty automatic head restraints in its vehicles, a Florida federal judge ruled, affirming a Fort Lauderdale jury's determination, but he declined to give the automaker a total win because it did violate the state's unfair trade law.
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July 23, 2024
Split 2nd Circ. Keeps Zantac Suits In Conn. State Court
A split Second Circuit panel on Tuesday allowed nine consolidated suits over carcinogens in heartburn medication Zantac to remain in Connecticut state court, with the majority ruling that the cases' consolidation is not enough to open up federal jurisdiction.
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July 23, 2024
General Mills Settles 2012 Suit Over 'All Natural' Kix Cereal
Consumers have reached a settlement with General Mills Inc. to resolve a 2012 suit alleging it lied about Kix cereal being "all natural" even though it contains bioengineered ingredients, according to a New Jersey federal court order.
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July 23, 2024
Funds Say Boeing Can't Ditch 737 Max Securities Suit
Pension funds leading a proposed securities fraud suit against Boeing have fired back at the airline manufacturer's attempt to dismiss allegations that it misled investors about the safety of its 737 Max jets, saying the suit sufficiently showcases how missteps by Boeing's top brass diminished shareholder value.
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July 23, 2024
LA Sued Over Illegal Pollutant Discharges In San Pedro Bay
The city of Los Angeles was hit with a Clean Water Act suit in California federal court Tuesday by a nonprofit accusing it of regularly violating its wastewater discharge permit by exceeding limits on dangerous pollutants dispelled into the San Pedro Bay, threatening aquatic life and public health.
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July 23, 2024
Senate Dems Roll Out Bill To Codify Chevron Deference
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., led a group of Democratic senators Tuesday in introducing a bill to codify the now-defunct doctrine of Chevron deference after it was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court last month.
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July 23, 2024
GM Says $100M Fee Request In Engine Defect Suit Is Too Much
General Motors LLC is urging a California federal court not to grant more than $100 million in fees and $1 million in costs to counsel for a class of car buyers who won a $100 million trial in 2022, saying many of the fees and costs can't be recovered under the law.
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July 23, 2024
Insurers Must Defend Well Driller In Lead Contamination Suit
Insurers must defend a drilling company accused of contaminating a rental property's water supply with dangerous levels of lead, a Montana federal court ruled, saying they haven't shown the underlying claims fall outside the policies' insuring agreements or are otherwise excluded from coverage.
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July 23, 2024
Sig Sauer Says $2.35M Verdict Result Of 'Passion & Prejudice'
After a Georgia jury hit gunmaker Sig Sauer Inc. with a $2.35 million verdict last month over charges that a defect in its popular P320 pistol caused a man to accidentally shoot himself, the company filed a slew of motions Monday saying the judgment should be tossed or, at the least, cut down in size.
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July 23, 2024
Chemours Loses 3rd Circ. Fight Over EPA Water Advisories
In a precedential ruling Tuesday, the Third Circuit shot down Chemours Co.'s challenge to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's health advisories over chemicals in drinking water, finding that the advisories couldn't be reviewed by a court.
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July 22, 2024
GSK Inks $4.5M Deal Resolving 'Non-Drowsy' Robitussin Suit
GlaxoSmithKline has agreed to pay $4.5 million as well as remove the "non-drowsy" label from its Robitussin cough medicine to put to rest allegations it mislabeled the medicine, which consumers claim does cause drowsiness, according to a motion filed Monday in New York federal court.
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July 22, 2024
Conn. PFAS Judge Needs More Info Before Deciding Toss Bid
A water utility and a proposed class of water customers agreed to submit additional briefs to a Connecticut state court judge tasked with determining whether those who claim to have experienced "subclinical cellular changes" after drinking water that allegedly contains "forever chemicals" have alleged an injury sufficient for judicial review.
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July 22, 2024
Tesla's Autopilot Caused Calif. Man's Fatal Crash, Family Says
The family of a Fresno, California, man who died following a car crash last year says Tesla Inc.'s Autopilot system is to blame, according to a wrongful death suit filed in Santa Clara County Superior Court.
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July 22, 2024
Michigan's Cases To Watch 2024: A Midyear Report
Michigan's highest court is preparing to take on cases that could restore imperiled PFAS regulations, prevent employers from cutting short employees' window to file civil rights claims and expand the reach of Michigan's consumer protection law. Here are some of Michigan's most important cases to watch for the rest of the year.
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July 22, 2024
Mich. Justices Say Fired Safety Whistleblowers Can Sue
Michigan's highest court revived a former Fiat Chrysler employee's lawsuit against the automaker Monday, saying that occupational safety laws don't preempt his claims that he was fired because he raised concerns about potential asbestos at his jobsite.
Expert Analysis
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Back Labels In False Ad Cases Get Some Clarity In 9th Circ.
Courts in the Ninth Circuit have recently delivered a series of wins to advertisers, making clear that any ambiguity on the front of a product's package can be resolved by reference to the back label — which guarantees defendants a powerful tool to combat deceptive labeling claims, say attorneys at Patterson Belknap.
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Opinion
Federal MDL Rule Benefits From Public Comments
The new Federal Rule of Civil Procedure concerning multidistrict litigation that was approved this week by the Advisory Committee on Civil Rules incorporates ideas from public comments that will aid both plaintiffs and defense attorneys — and if ultimately adopted, the rule should promote efficient, merits-driven MDL case management, say Robert Johnston and Gary Feldon at Hollingsworth.
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Practicing Law With Parkinson's Disease
This Parkinson’s Awareness Month, Adam Siegler at Greenberg Traurig discusses his experience working as a lawyer with Parkinson’s disease, sharing both lessons on how to cope with a diagnosis and advice for supporting colleagues who live with the disease.
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Series
Playing Hockey Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Nearly a lifetime of playing hockey taught me the importance of avoiding burnout in all aspects of life, and the game ultimately ended up providing me with the balance I needed to maintain success in my legal career, says John Riccione at Taft.
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For Lawyers, Pessimism Should Be A Job Skill, Not A Life Skill
A pessimistic mindset allows attorneys to be effective advocates for their clients, but it can come with serious costs for their personal well-being, so it’s crucial to exercise strategies that produce flexible optimism and connect lawyers with their core values, says Krista Larson at Stinson.
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5th Circ. Clarifies What Is And Isn't A 'New Use' Of PFAS
The Fifth Circuit's March 21 decision in Inhance Technologies v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, preventing the EPA from regulating existing uses of PFAS under "significant new use" provisions of the Toxic Substances Control Act, provides industry with much-needed clarity, say Joseph Schaeffer and Sloane Wildman at Babst Calland.
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Opinion
Requiring Leave To File Amicus Briefs Is A Bad Idea
A proposal to amend the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure that would require parties to get court permission before filing federal amicus briefs would eliminate the long-standing practice of consent filing and thereby make the process less open and democratic, says Lawrence Ebner at the Atlantic Legal Foundation and DRI Center.
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4 Ways To Motivate Junior Attorneys To Bring Their Best
As Gen Z and younger millennial attorneys increasingly express dissatisfaction with their work and head for the exits, the lawyers who manage them must understand and attend to their needs and priorities to boost engagement and increase retention, says Stacey Schwartz at Katten.
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How Purdue Pharma High Court Case May Change Bankruptcy
The U.S. Supreme Court’s upcoming ruling in Purdue Pharma may be the death of most third-party releases in Chapter 11 cases, and depending on the decision’s breadth, could have much more far-reaching effects on the entire bankruptcy system, say Brian Shaw and David Doyle at Cozen O'Connor.
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Series
Serving As A Sheriff's Deputy Made Me A Better Lawyer
Skills developed during my work as a reserve deputy — where there was a need to always be prepared, decisive and articulate — transferred to my practice as an intellectual property litigator, and my experience taught me that clients often appreciate and relate to the desire to participate in extracurricular activities, says Michael Friedland at Friedland Cianfrani.
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Fears About The End Of Chevron Deference Are Overblown
While some are concerned about repercussions if the U.S. Supreme Court brings an end to Chevron deference in the Loper and Relentless cases this term, agencies and attorneys would survive just fine under the doctrines that have already begun to replace it, say Daniel Wolff and Henry Leung at Crowell & Moring.
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Former Minn. Chief Justice Instructs On Writing Better Briefs
Former Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie Gildea, now at Greenberg Traurig, offers strategies on writing more effective appellate briefs from her time on the bench.
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California Shows A Viable Way Forward For PFAS Testing
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has no good way of testing for the presence of specific per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances in food packaging — but a widely available test for a range of fluorine compounds that's now being used in California may offer a good solution, says Vineet Dubey at Custodio & Dubey.
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Stay Interviews Are Key To Retaining Legal Talent
Even as the economy shifts and layoffs continue, law firms still want to retain their top attorneys, and so-called stay interviews — informal conversations with employees to identify potential issues before they lead to turnover — can be a crucial tool for improving retention and morale, say Tina Cohen Nicol and Kate Reder Sheikh at Major Lindsey.
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Calif. High Court Ruling Has Lessons For Waiving Jury Trials
The California Supreme Court’s recent decision in TriCoast Builders v. Fonnegra, denying relief to a contractor that had waived its right to a jury trial, shows that litigants should always post jury fees as soon as possible, and seek writ review if the court denies relief from a waiver, say Steven Fleischman and Nicolas Sonnenburg at Horvitz & Levy.