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Product Liability
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June 20, 2024
Attys In Chiquita Case Say Victims Can't Proceed Together
A long-standing rift among plaintiffs' attorneys for victims of violence committed by paramilitary groups funded by Chiquita Brands International Inc. has reached a fever pitch, as attorneys have now told the court they cannot proceed together in a second bellwether trial of the multidistrict litigation set to start next month.
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June 20, 2024
GM's Cruise To Pay Calif. $112K Fine Over Robotaxi Crash
Cruise LLC agreed to pay a $112,500 penalty for mishandling its response to an October accident involving a pedestrian and one of its autonomous vehicles, and promised to disclose additional data on any collisions to California regulators under a settlement agreement approved Thursday.
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June 20, 2024
Judge Backs Virgin Over Boeing In Clash Over IP Injunction
A Virginia federal judge on Thursday ruled that Virgin Galactic can share allegedly proprietary Boeing documents with partner companies to help develop a space plane carrier aircraft, amid Boeing's breach of contract and misappropriation of trade secrets suit against Virgin.
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June 20, 2024
11th Circ. Upholds $2.5M Pelvic Mesh Verdict, Rules Suit Timely
The Eleventh Circuit on Thursday refused to throw out a woman's $2.5 million victory against Coloplast Corp. in a suit alleging she was implanted with defective pelvic mesh, saying the evidence does not support a conclusion that her claim was filed too late.
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June 20, 2024
Fireball Maker Must Still Face Claims It Duped Whiskey Lovers
A Florida federal judge has trimmed allegations that Sazerac Co. duped consumers into believing miniature bottles of malt beverage were whiskey by selling them under the Fireball brand name, but said a consumer can pursue claims that the beverage's bottle and their display case are nevertheless deceptive.
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June 20, 2024
Ga. Jury Awards $2.35M To Victim Of Sig Sauer Misfire
A Georgia federal jury awarded over $2.35 million Thursday to a man who was shot when his Sig Sauer handgun accidentally fired in its holster, finding the company was negligent when it failed to put a trigger-mounted safety on its popular P320 pistol.
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June 20, 2024
No Atty, No Case: Judge Tosses Attack On Psychedelics Ban
A federal judge in Washington state threw out a challenge to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's efforts to ban two psychedelic substances in an order Thursday that chided a psychedelic research company for doing "an end run" around requirements that corporations be represented by an attorney.
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June 20, 2024
11th Circ. Nixes J&J Sunscreen Benzene MDL Settlement
The Eleventh Circuit on Thursday vacated an order granting approval to a settlement resolving claims that Johnson & Johnson sold sunscreens containing benzene, saying a pair of circuit court decisions since the approval mean the deal needs another look.
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June 20, 2024
Conn. Firm Says Thomson Reuters Unit Bungled Web Overhaul
A Thomson Reuters unit botched a portion of a $2,336-per-month contract to overhaul a Middlebury, Connecticut, law firm's website, blend its online presence into FindLaw and include its attorneys in "Super Lawyers" listings, the firm says in a state court lawsuit made public on Thursday.
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June 20, 2024
Remote Depo Ruling 'Clearly' Wrong, MDL Judge Says
A federal magistrate judge erred by allowing all plaintiffs in multidistrict litigation to take their depositions remotely in a case alleging automaker FCA sold vehicles that have an exploding defect, according to a Michigan district court judge who said the earlier decision relied on a discovery rule the drivers didn't raise and that doesn't apply to the situation.
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June 18, 2024
Tesla Can't Beat 'Right-To-Repair' Monopoly Suit This Time
Tesla must face an amended proposed class action alleging the company runs an unlawful monopoly on parts for its electric vehicles, a California federal judge has ruled, finding that the plaintiffs have addressed issues in their previously dismissed complaint.
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June 18, 2024
Man 'Got Exactly What He Wanted' In Sig Sauer, Ga. Jury Told
As a weeklong federal trial wrapped up Tuesday, counsel for American gun-maker Sig Sauer told a Georgia jury that a man who claims faulty design of one of the company's pistols caused his gun to accidentally shoot him offered no credible explanation of how and why the pistol went off.
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June 18, 2024
Group Home's Atty In Europe On Day Of Depos, Court Told
The Connecticut Institute for the Blind should be sanctioned because its attorney went to Europe and three witnesses, including the CEO, failed to appear for depositions after a $13.4 million verdict arising from the death of a group home resident, the man's family told a state court judge Tuesday.
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June 18, 2024
Chastened Boeing CEO Vows Fixes In Harsh Senate Hearing
Boeing's chief steadfastly defended the company's commitment to safety, even as he acknowledged a breakdown in how certain managers responded to whistleblowers who had flagged past questionable design or manufacturing practices, as he endured a grueling public hearing before a Senate panel Tuesday.
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June 18, 2024
Proposed Hemp Change In Line With Regs, Report Says
A controversial proposed change to the statutory definition of hemp in the next Farm Bill would be broadly aligned with existing federal regulatory practices, according to a new report from Capitol Hill's policy research arm.
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June 18, 2024
Insurer Countersues In Penile Implant Coverage Dispute
An insurer has no duty to defend or indemnify a urologist, his medical device company or his practice in a proposed class action over a penile enlargement implant and procedure, the company told a California federal court, saying the underlying suit doesn't seek bodily injury damages that would trigger coverage.
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June 18, 2024
Rival Pool Supply Co. Looks To Duck Blueworks Ch. 11 Stay
Pool supply company Hayward Industries Inc. has asked a bankruptcy court for a reprieve from the automatic stay protecting its bankrupt rival Blueworks Corp. as it seeks to secure final orders upholding a $16 million false advertising and unfair business practices judgment.
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June 18, 2024
COVID Test Maker Can't Shake All Of $30M Faulty Kit Suit
A New Jersey federal judge won't let California-based laboratory equipment maker Atila Biosystems Inc. out of a suit alleging it sold faulty COVID-19 testing kits, saying Fusion Diagnostic Laboratories LLC has adequately pled a breach of contract claim.
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June 18, 2024
Cozen O'Connor Names Ex-Arkansas AG As State AG Co-Lead
Philadelphia-based Cozen O'Connor announced on Tuesday the hiring of a former Arkansas attorney general to help lead the firm's state attorneys general group from its office in Little Rock.
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June 18, 2024
Ford Says Sanctions Violated Due Process In $1.7B Case
Attorneys for Ford Motor Co. urged the Georgia Court of Appeals on Tuesday either to order a new trial or substantially reduce a record-setting $1.7 billion punitive damages verdict returned against the automaker in litigation over a fatal rollover, arguing the award resulted from "death penalty sanctions" that essentially directed a verdict against it.
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June 18, 2024
FTC Escalates Probe Into TikTok's Privacy Measures For Kids
The Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday took the rare step of publicly disclosing its referral to the U.S. Department of Justice of a complaint against TikTok and its parent company over their compliance with a 2019 privacy settlement, saying there's "reason to believe" that the companies are out of step with their pledge to protect children on the platform.
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June 18, 2024
J&J Fights Law Firm's Bid To Nix Subpoenas In Talc Brawl
Information about the Beasley Allen Law Firm's litigation funding and settlement communications is relevant and necessary to resolving long-running multidistrict litigation over Johnson & Johnson's talcum powder products and so should be turned over, the pharmaceutical giant has told a New Jersey federal court.
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June 18, 2024
Restitution Plan For Lead-Test Defects Leaves Judge Uneasy
A Massachusetts federal judge on Tuesday questioned the legality of a plan to have a claims administrator, rather than the court, oversee victim compensation in a criminal case alleging Magellan Diagnostics hid information about inaccurate results in its lead-testing devices.
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June 18, 2024
Insurers Must Keep Defending Heating Oil Co. In Class Suit
Two Crum & Forster units must continue defending a heating oil company and several executives in a class action claiming the company provided oil with elevated levels of biodiesel that caused property damage, a Massachusetts federal court ruled, saying the policies' "failure to supply" provisions do not limit or exclude coverage.
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June 17, 2024
Excess Insurers May Need To Pay In Kaiser Asbestos Dispute
A policyholder can tap into first-layer excess policies as soon as the primary coverage for that period is exhausted, the California Supreme Court ruled, potentially implicating several first-level excess insurers to contribute to coverage for underlying asbestos exposure claims against Kaiser Cement and Gypsum Corp.
Expert Analysis
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9th Circ. Arbitration Ruling Could Have Int'l Implications
In Patrick v. Running Warehouse, the Ninth Circuit's recent matter-of-fact invocation of an unusual California rule in a domestic arbitration context raises choice of law questions, and could make California law a strategic option for some international arbitration parties, says Jerry Roth at FedArb.
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Series
Being An Equestrian Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Beyond getting experience thinking on my feet and tackling stressful situations, the skills I've gained from horseback riding have considerable overlap with the skills used to practice law, particularly in terms of team building, continuing education, and making an effort to reset and recharge, says Kerry Irwin at Moore & Van Allen.
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Teach Your Party Representative The Art Of Nonverbal Cues
As illustrated by recent reports about President Donald Trump’s nonverbal communication in court, jurors notice what’s happening at counsel table, which may color their perceptions of the case as a whole, so trial attorneys should teach party representatives to self-monitor their nonverbal behaviors, says Clint Townson at Townson Consulting.
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Considering CGL Defense For Social Media Addiction Claims
A recent lawsuit filed in California state court against Meta seeks damages from technology companies for the costs of treating children allegedly suffering from social media addiction, but the prospects of defense coverage under commercial general liability insurance policies for a potential new wave of claims look promising, say Craig Hirsch and Tae Andrews at Pasich.
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4 Ways To Refresh Your Law Firm's Marketing Strategy
With many BigLaw firms relying on an increasingly obsolete marketing approach that prioritizes stiff professionalism over authentic connection, adopting a few key communications strategies to better connect with today's clients and prospects can make all the difference, say Eric Pacifici and Kevin Henderson at SMB Law.
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Cos. Must Prepare For Calif. Legislation That Would Ban PFAS
Pending California legislation that would ban the sale or distribution of new products containing intentionally added per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances could affect thousands of businesses — and given the bill's expected passage, and its draconian enforcement regime, companies must act now to prepare for it, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.
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FDA Warning Letter Tightens Reins On 'Research Only' Labels
A recent warning letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to Agena Bioscience alleged the company’s diagnostic devices were labeled for research use only, but improperly promoted for human clinical purposes, signifying a reinforcement — and a potential narrowing — of the agency's policy on products labeled “research only,” say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.
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Assigning Liability In Key Bridge Collapse May Be Challenging
In the wake of a cargo ship's collision with Baltimore's Key Bridge last month, claimants may focus on the vessel's owners and the agencies responsible for the design and maintenance of the bridge — but allocating legal liability to either private or governmental entities may be difficult under applicable state and federal laws, says Clay Robbins at Wisner Baum.
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Strategies For Challenging A Fla. Grand Jury Report's Release
A Florida grand jury’s recent report on potential wrongdoing related to COVID-19 vaccines should serve as a reminder to attorneys to review the myriad legal mechanisms available to challenge the lawfulness of a grand jury report’s publication and expunge the names of their clients, says Cary Aronovitz at Holland & Knight.
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NC Rulings Show Bankruptcy Isn't Only For Insolvent Debtors
Two recent rulings from a North Carolina bankruptcy court show that lack of financial distress is not a requirement for bankruptcy protection, particularly in the Fourth Circuit, but these types of cases can still be dismissed for other reasons, say Stuart Gordon and Alexandria Vath at Rivkin Radler.
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Series
Whitewater Kayaking Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Whether it's seeing clients and their issues from a new perspective, or staying nimble in a moment of intense challenge, the lessons learned from whitewater kayaking transcend the rapids of a river and prepare attorneys for the courtroom and beyond, says Matthew Kent at Alston & Bird.
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AI In The Operating Room: Liability Issues For Device Makers
As healthcare providers consider medical devices that use artificial intelligence — including systems to help surgeons make decisions in the operating room — and lobby to shift liability to device manufacturers, companies making these products must review potential product liability risks and important design considerations for such equipment, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.
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3 Lessons From Family Dollar's Record $41.7M Guilty Plea
Family Dollar's recent plea deal in connection with a rodent infestation at one of its distribution facilities — resulting in the largest ever monetary criminal penalty in a food safety case — offers key takeaways for those practicing in the interconnected fields of compliance, internal investigations and white collar defense, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.
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This Earth Day, Consider How Your Firm Can Go Greener
As Earth Day approaches, law firms and attorneys should consider adopting more sustainable practices to reduce their carbon footprint — from minimizing single-use plastics to purchasing carbon offsets for air travel — which ultimately can also reduce costs for clients, say M’Lynn Phillips and Lisa Walters at IMS Legal Strategies.
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Circumstantial Evidence Requires A Pointillist Approach
Because complex cases with sophisticated defendants are unlikely to reveal much, if any, direct evidence, attorneys must aggregate many pieces of circumstantial evidence into a cohesive narrative — much like the painting technique of pointillism, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.