An overall rise in recalls of motor vehicles tracks with an increase of product liability lawsuits over autos in recent years, as motor vehicle lawsuits made up half of all product liability lawsuits outside multidistrict litigation filed in 2025, according to a new report by Lex Machina.
Law360
Transportation
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2026 Law360 iOS App Law360 Android App Follow Law360 on Facebook Follow Law360 on LinkedIn Follow Law360 on Twitter

TOP NEWS

Analysis

Motor Vehicles Lead Product Liability Litigation, Report Says

By Emily Field

An overall rise in recalls of motor vehicles tracks with an increase of product liability lawsuits over autos in recent years, as motor vehicle lawsuits made up half of all product liability lawsuits outside multidistrict litigation filed in 2025, according to a new report by Lex Machina.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Amazon Halts 21 Air Cargo Flights, Faces New Crash Suit

By Linda Chiem

Amazon has suspended operations with cargo carrier partner 21 Air LLC, a week after one of its planes overran a runway at Miami International Airport and plowed into vehicles, killing five people, as the company faces another negligence and wrongful death lawsuit over the wreck.

Complaint attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

9th Circ. Says Hyundai, Kia Parent Cos. Can't Slip Theft MDL

By Craig Clough

The Ninth Circuit on Monday found that a district court wrongly dismissed insurers' claims against the Korea-based parent companies of Kia and Hyundai alleging their vehicles were susceptible to theft, saying the lower court must conduct further analysis to determine if it can exercise personal jurisdiction over them.

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

SpaceXAI Drops Apple In Antitrust Claims For OpenAI Deal

By Spencer Brewer

SpaceXAI on Monday dropped its claims that Apple breached antitrust laws by signing a deal with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT into the iPhone but kept its claims against OpenAI Foundation intact.

Motion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

AVIATION

Gov't Beats Suit Over Fatal Georgia Plane Crash

By Kelcey Caulder

A Georgia federal judge threw out a suit Monday brought by a woman who alleged that negligent directives given by the Federal Aviation Administration led to her husband's death in a plane crash, finding her case too speculative. 

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Chamber Tells Justices Plane Forfeiture Should Be Blocked

By Mike Curley

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to reaffirm the Eighth Amendment's excessive fines clause and find that the state of Alaska's seizure of a $95,000 plane over a six-pack of beer is out of proportion to the alleged harm.

Brief attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

FCC Crafts Spectrum Plan For Drone 'Dominance'

By Christopher Cole

The Federal Communications Commission's staff has agreed to waive agency rules for a federal testing program it says will give a boost to the "dominance" of the U.S. drone industry.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Latvian Carrier AirBaltic Hits Ch. 11 After COVID, War Shocks

By Yun Park

Latvian carrier airBaltic filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in New York on Monday, citing liabilities of more than $1 billion, after years of financial strain from the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and a sharp increase in jet fuel prices following the outbreak of the Iran-U.S. conflict in early 2026.

3 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

AUTOMOTIVE

State Farm Spared Treble Damages In Policyholders' $38M Win

By Danielle Ferguson

A Washington federal judge on Monday said policyholders failed to show they were entitled to enhanced damages after the court determined State Farm shorted them on payouts for totaled vehicles, finding class members had already been fully compensated by the $38 million in actual damages they were already awarded.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Tesla Says Fatal Vehicle Crash Suit Belongs In Miami

By David Minsky

Tesla Inc. asked a Florida state court on Monday to transfer a lawsuit alleging the wrongful death of a passenger in a vehicle crash to Miami-Dade County, arguing that there's virtually no connection to the neighboring venue where the case was filed. 

3 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

RAIL

Trade Court OKs ITC's Freight Coupler Duty Determination

By Dylan Moroses

The U.S. International Trade Commission provided sufficient explanation for including a major U.S. producer and importer of Mexican freight rail couplers as part of the domestic industry during the course of its duty investigations, according to an opinion published Monday by the U.S. Court of International Trade.

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

LOGISTICS

Debt Buyer Settles Mass. AG Complaint Over Collection Tactics

By Julie Manganis

The owner of a Massachusetts debt buyer and collection agency has agreed to walk away from approximately $52 million he sought to collect through aggressive and allegedly illegal tactics, including seizing vehicles as a way to coerce payments on unrelated loans, the state attorney general's office said Monday.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

IP

Feds Want Justices To Skip Google 'Settled Expectations' Row

By Adam Lidgett

The federal government is telling the U.S. Supreme Court that Google didn't meet the appropriate standard to get the Federal Circuit to look at the company's challenge to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's policy of using the age of patents as a reason not to review them.

Brief attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

TECHNOLOGY

Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

By Jarek Rutz

The Delaware Chancery Court this past week saw disputes over allegedly fabricated board approvals at a telecom infrastructure startup, insider trading and child safety at Roblox Corp. and ownership of artificial intelligence technology used in legal proceedings.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

INSURANCE

1st Circ. Backs Travelers In RI State Worker's UIM Benefits Bid

By Hope Patti

A Travelers unit doesn't owe underinsured motorist coverage to a Rhode Island state employee who was injured in a car crash during the scope of her employment, the First Circuit said, refusing to depart from the Rhode Island Supreme Court's recent response to a pair of certified questions.

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

EXPERT ANALYSIS

How Cos. Can Fight Consumers' Tariff Refund Class Actions

After the U.S. Supreme Court's February decision in Learning Resources Inc. v. Trump, invalidating $165 billion of presidentially imposed tariffs, consumers have filed numerous class actions seeking tariff refunds from businesses — but companies have substantial and multifaceted defenses available against these claims, say attorneys at Patterson Belknap.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

LEGAL INDUSTRY

How States' 'Perry Mason Moment' Led To $17B Meta Deal

By Dorothy Atkins

A recent landmark $17.1 billion settlement with Meta Platforms Inc. may have never happened if it weren't for a quick-thinking trial attorney and his close-knit team of lawyers representing 29 states, who worked together to swiftly shift strategies midtrial.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Ashurst Perkins Aided $230M ICap Ponzi Scheme, Suit Claims

By Ben Adlin

Ashurst Perkins Coie pocketed millions of dollars in legal fees by providing services to clients it knew were operating a Ponzi scheme that ultimately swindled investors out of nearly $230 million, plaintiffs claimed in a Washington state lawsuit accusing the firm of aiding and abetting fraud.

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Trump Taps Ex-DOL Official To Serve As EEOC Top Cop

By Anne Cullen

The White House nominated a former Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP attorney who previously led the U.S. Department of Labor's contractor compliance arm to serve as the general counsel of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Washington Sen. Murray Vows To Block Trump US Atty Pick

By Courtney Bublé

President Donald Trump's nominee to be U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington is under fire from one of the home state senators who vowed to use every avenue possible to block him.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Fla. Judge Won't Pause Trump-IRS Settlement Sanctions

By Jack McLoone

The Florida federal judge who barred President Donald Trump and others from citing a settlement resolving what she characterized as a sham $10 billion case against his own Internal Revenue Service won't pause her sanctions order while the president appeals to the Eleventh Circuit.

3 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

4th Circ. Appears Split On Reviving Comey, James Indictments

By Jared Foretek

Partisan splits were apparent Tuesday on the Fourth Circuit panel hearing the Trump administration's challenge to a federal district judge's dismissal of the indictments of former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, with two of the three judges appearing to agree an improper appointment doomed the cases.

Motion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Brief

Calif. Judge Charged Over Fatal Crash With Bicyclist

By Craig Clough

California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Tuesday that his office charged Kings County Superior Court Judge Kendra Weber with a misdemeanor count of vehicular manslaughter, alleging she struck and killed a bicyclist.

Complaint attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Slate blue promo that reads Law360 Pulse Pro Bono Leaders dark blue promo that reads 2026 Rising Stars

COMPANIES IN TODAY'S NEWS

21 Air LLC

3M Co.

Amazon.com Inc.

Amsted Industries Inc.

Apple Inc.

Atlas Air Inc.

Atlas Energy LP

ClearList LLC

Compass Minerals International, Inc.

Costco Wholesale Corp.

FCA US LLC

Five Below Inc.

Ford Motor Co.

Global Logistic Properties Ltd.

Google LLC

Hayfin Capital Management LLP

Herzog

Instagram Inc.

Johnson & Johnson

LG Chem Ltd.

Learning Resources Inc.

Lex Machina Inc.

LexisNexis Legal & Professional

Liberty Mutual Insurance Group

Mercedes-Benz USA LLC

Meta Platforms Inc.

Morgan Stanley

National Association of Manufacturers

Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.

Oaktree Capital Management LP

OpenAI OpCo LLC

Pratt & Whitney

RELX PLC

Roblox Corp.

San Francisco Giants

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co.

Strategic Value Partners LLC

Tesla Inc.

The Associated Press

The Travelers Cos. Inc.

TikTok Inc.

U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Wabtec Corp.

X Corp.

LAW FIRMS IN TODAY'S NEWS

Alston & Bird

Ashurst Perkins

Axinn

Badgley Mullins

Brito PLLC

Brown Pruitt

Cantey Hanger

Carmichael Ellis

Cooley LLP

Covington & Burling

Duggan & Gianacoplos

Gordon Rees

Grotefeld Hoffmann

Grunfeld Desiderio

Jenner & Block

Johnson Becker

Jones Day

Kelley Uustal

King & Spalding

Kornfeld LLP

Law Offices of Daniel R. Whitmore

Lowell & Associates

Luks Santaniello

Lynn Pinker

Milbank LLP

Morgan Lewis

Morrison Mahoney

Munger Tolles

Nelson & Fraenkel

Nelson Mullins

Norton Rose

Pachulski Stang

Patterson Belknap

Quill & Arrow

Rice Dolan

Rivero Mestre

Russ August

Shook Hardy

Strategic Legal Practices

Susman Godfrey

Theta Law Firm

Wachtell Lipton

Wheeler Trigg

GOVERNMENT AGENCIES IN TODAY'S NEWS

Alaska Attorney General

California Attorney General's Office

California Department of Justice

Colorado Attorney General's Office

Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Delaware Court of Chancery

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Executive Office of the President

Federal Aviation Administration

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Federal Communications Commission

Internal Revenue Service

International Trade Commission

Miami International Airport

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

National Transportation Safety Board

New York Attorney General's Office

Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs

U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts

U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

U.S. Department of Justice

U.S. Department of Labor

U.S. Department of Transportation

U.S. Department of the Treasury

U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington

U.S. Office of Personnel Management

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

U.S. Supreme Court

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington

United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia