Product Liability

  • June 30, 2025

    Teen's Family Can't Stay Anonymous In Grindr Death Suit

    A Florida federal judge won't let the family of a 16-year-old who was allegedly killed after matching with a 35-year-old man on Grindr proceed anonymously in their suit against the company, saying they haven't shown that their privacy concerns outweigh the public interest in disclosure.

  • June 30, 2025

    Justices Seek SG's View In $1.2M Roundup Verdict

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday asked the U.S. solicitor general to weigh in on Monsanto's petition challenging a $1.2 million jury award given to a man who claimed that the company's Roundup weed killer caused his cancer.

  • June 30, 2025

    Justices Pass On Exxon Mobil $14M Clean Air Act Dispute

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to review an en banc Fifth Circuit opinion that upheld $14.25 million in air pollution fines against Exxon Mobil Corp.

  • June 30, 2025

    Justices Take On Enbridge Pipeline Remand Fight

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to review a Sixth Circuit decision that found Enbridge Energy LP missed a statutory deadline to transfer to federal court a lawsuit from Michigan's attorney general seeking to shut down one of the company's pipelines.

  • June 27, 2025

    Hershey Says Wrapper PFAS Suit 'Built On A House Of Cards'

    The Hershey Co. on Friday urged a Pennsylvania federal court to dismiss a putative class action that alleges its packaging for its chocolate bars and candies contains dangerous levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, saying consumers' testing allegations failed to back a viable claim that its products contain the forever chemicals known as PFAS.

  • June 27, 2025

    Meta, TikTok Can't Escape 'Subway Surfing' Death Suit

    TikTok and Meta Platforms can trim, but not escape, a lawsuit over the death of a teen who allegedly participated in a "subway surfing" social media challenge, a Manhattan judge ruled Friday, saying the complaint plausibly pleads the algorithms inundated the teen with dangerous "challenge" content he never sought.

  • June 27, 2025

    Gunmaker, Ammo Co. Sued In Ga. Over Exploding Cartridge

    A Georgia man is suing gunmaker Chiappa Firearms USA Ltd and ammunition supplier Olin Winchester LLC over permanent eye damage he sustained when a bullet unexpectedly exploded in a pistol he was target firing, according to a lawsuit recently removed to federal court.

  • June 27, 2025

    6th Circ. Vacates Class Cert. In GM Transmission Defect Suit

    The full Sixth Circuit on Friday unraveled class certification for drivers claiming General Motors LLC sold vehicles with defective transmissions that caused the cars to shudder and shake on the road.

  • June 27, 2025

    Tesla To Face Punitive Damages Claim At Trial Over Fla. Crash

    Tesla will face a punitive damages claim at trial next month in a wrongful death suit over a deadly collision in 2019, with a Florida federal judge saying there is enough evidence the carmaker knew about dangers associated with its autopilot system to send the claim to a jury.

  • June 27, 2025

    Sunbeam Says 'Reptile Theory' Tactics Doom $8.8M Verdict

    Sunbeam Products Inc. and parent company Newell Brands Inc. want a new trial in a case where a woman won an $8.8 million verdict on claims that a slow cooker made by the companies left her with burns, asserting that her attorneys committed misconduct aimed at using "Reptile Theory" to inflame the jury.

  • June 27, 2025

    Insurer Fights Cosmetic Co. Over Coverage For Pollution Row

    A Markel unit had no duty to defend a cosmetics company against prior water pollution claims simply because it agreed to defend a subsequent suit brought by the California attorney general, the insurer told a California federal court Friday.

  • June 27, 2025

    Recently Retired US District Judge Joins JAMS In Los Angeles

    Alternative dispute resolution service JAMS continues expanding its roster, announcing Thursday it has added a former California federal judge as one of its neutrals.

  • June 27, 2025

    Ghost Gun Seller Sued Over Deadly Philly Mass Shooting

    The parents of a victim of a 2023 mass shooting in the Kingsessing neighborhood of Philadelphia are suing a retailer they say sold the shooter parts to assemble a "ghost gun" version of an AR-15 in violation of Pennsylvania law.

  • June 27, 2025

    Idaho Justices Dismiss Suit Over Skier's Death On Slopes

    The Idaho Supreme Court has dismissed a widow's suit against Sun Valley Co. alleging the company was negligent and liable for the death of her husband from hitting a snow machine while skiing, finding that the machine was clearly marked in keeping with state law, and the skier had assumed the risks of the sport.

  • June 27, 2025

    Mass. Cannabis Labs Call Rival's Suit 'Publicity Stunt'

    Seven Massachusetts cannabis testing labs are asking a state court judge to toss out a lawsuit brought by a competitor accusing them of manipulating test results, with three of the defendants calling the complaint a "publicity stunt" driven by the plaintiff's declining market share.

  • June 26, 2025

    Phillip Morris Moves To Arbitrate Rivals' Tobacco Deal Suit

    Philip Morris USA is urging a Washington state judge to force arbitration in a dispute with R.J. Reynolds and other tobacco companies over deals delineating billions of dollars in annual payments owed to states under Big Tobacco's 1998 master settlement agreement.

  • June 26, 2025

    Bayer Investors' $38M Settlement Over Monsanto Deal OK'd

    A California federal judge on Thursday preliminarily approved Bayer AG's $38 million settlement with investors who accused the German multinational of downplaying litigation risks related to the weedkiller Roundup when it acquired Monsanto in 2018, saying the deal appeared to be "fair, reasonable and adequate."

  • June 26, 2025

    Suit Blaming Big Oil For Heat Wave Death Moved To Fed Court

    Chevron removed to Seattle federal court a first-of-its kind wrongful death suit brought by the daughter of a woman who died during a 2021 heat wave alleging oil and gas giants — including BP PLC, ConocoPhillips and Shell PLC — knew for decades their fossil fuel products would one day "claim lives."

  • June 26, 2025

    Grocer Drops Insurer From NC Opioid Coverage Suit

    A grocery chain and a Chubb unit told a North Carolina state court they've agreed to drop their insurance coverage claims against each other with prejudice over a raft of underlying opioid lawsuits.

  • June 26, 2025

    Volvo's US Unit Escapes Film Producer's Hearing Loss Suit

    The co-founder of Armory Films — the production company behind "The Peanut Butter Falcon" and "Fool's Paradise" — can't sue Volvo Car USA LLC for hearing loss suffered due to a purported defect in his vehicle's speakers, a Nashville federal judge ruled, saying the domestic company didn't manufacture the SUV so it can't be found liable under state law.

  • June 26, 2025

    5th Circ. Revives Biz Records Law, Citing Review Safeguard

    The Fifth Circuit on Thursday tossed a permanent injunction blocking a Texas statute requiring businesses to immediately comply with the state's demand to examine business records, saying the Texas Supreme Court recently "harmonized" the law in a way that addresses Spirit AeroSystems Inc.'s constitutional challenge.

  • June 26, 2025

    Kimberly-Clark Inks $4.15M Deal In Gown Fraud Suit

    Kimberly-Clark Corp. has agreed to pay $4.15 million to settle a suit brought by a doctor on behalf of the federal government alleging it violated the False Claims Act by falsely claiming its surgical gowns protected against contagious diseases.

  • June 26, 2025

    Judge Casts Doubt On Plea Deals In Blood Test Defect Case

    A set of plea agreements between Massachusetts federal prosecutors and former Magellan Diagnostics executives has been thrown into uncertainty amid a dispute over whether the executives admitted to fraud related to defective blood tests or merely an intent to mislead, a question a judge said Thursday might be "a very expensive rabbit hole."

  • June 26, 2025

    Boeing Wins Discovery Stay In Chancery Derivative Suit

    Pointing to court doctrines barring discovery while a derivative suit faces dismissal motions, a Delaware vice chancellor on Thursday grounded a Boeing Co. stockholder bid to continue demanding records pending a final decision on the company's right to control the action, which alleges massive, costly safety failures.

  • June 26, 2025

    Kroger, Growers Sued Over Frozen Mango Contamination

    The Kroger Co., family-owned grower Townsend Farms Inc., SunOpta Grains and Foods Inc. and two unnamed corporations have been sued in Georgia federal court over allegations that a man developed a listeria infection after buying a frozen mango product from a Kroger in Douglasville, Georgia.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Teaching Business Law Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Teaching business law to college students has rekindled my sense of purpose as a lawyer — I am more mindful of the importance of the rule of law and the benefits of our common law system, which helps me maintain a clearer perspective on work, says David Feldman at Feldman Legal Advisors.

  • Choosing A Road To Autonomous Vehicle Compliance

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    As autonomous vehicle manufacturers navigate the complex U.S. regulatory landscape, they may opt for different approaches to following federal, state and local rules and laws, as they balance the tradeoffs between innovation, compliance and speed of deployment, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Mastering Discovery

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    The discovery process and the rules that govern it are often absent from law school curricula, but developing a solid grasp of the particulars can give any new attorney a leg up in their practice, says Jordan Davies at Knowles Gallant.

  • What New Study Means For Recycling Compliance In Calif.

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    Companies must review the California recycling agency's new study to understand its criteria for assessing claims of product and packaging recyclability under a law that takes effect next year, and then decide whether the risks of making such claims in the state outweigh the benefits, say attorneys at Keller & Heckman.

  • Series

    Playing Guitar Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Being a lawyer not only requires logic and hard work, but also belief, emotion, situational awareness and lots of natural energy — playing guitar enhances all of these qualities, increasing my capacity to do my best work, says Kosta Stojilkovic at Wilkinson Stekloff.

  • Addressing PFAS Risks In Public Company Disclosures

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    As individual lawsuits and class actions over PFAS risks spanning multiple sectors and products increase, and rapidly evolving and often unclear regulatory initiatives on both the federal and state levels proliferate, it's more important than ever for companies to know how and when to complete PFAS-related disclosures, say attorneys at Venable.

  • Crisis Management Lessons From The Parenting Playbook

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    The parenting skills we use to help our kids through challenges — like rehearsing for stressful situations, modeling confidence and taking time to reset our emotions — can also teach us the fundamentals of leading clients through a corporate crisis, say Deborah Solmor at the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and Cara Peterman at Alston & Bird.

  • High Court's Ruling May Not Stop Ghost Gun Makers

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    In Bondi v. VanDerStok, a majority of the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Gun Control Act applies to untraceable "ghost gun" kits under certain circumstances — but companies that produce these kits may still be able to use creative regulatory workarounds to evade government oversight, says Samuel Bassett at Minton Bassett.

  • Justices' Labcorp Questions Explore Class Cert. Tensions

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    At the recent oral argument before the U.S. Supreme Court in Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings v. Davis, the justices' questioning highlighted a fundamental tension between constitutional standing requirements, the procedural framework of Rule 23, and the practical challenges of managing large, diverse classes in complex litigation, say attorneys at Winston & Strawn.

  • 4 Ways To Leverage A Jury's Underdog Perceptions

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    Counsel should consider how common factors that speak to their client's size, power, past challenges and alignment with jurors can be presented to try and paint their client as a sympathetic underdog, says Ken Broda-Bahm at Persuasion Strategies.

  • Why Hiring Former Jurors As Consultants Can Be Risky

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    The defense team's decision to hire former juror Victoria George in the high-profile retrial of Karen Read shines a spotlight on this controversial strategy, which raises important legal, ethical and tactical questions despite not being explicitly prohibited, says Nikoleta Despodova at ND Litigation.

  • What To Watch For As High Court Mulls NRC's Powers

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    If successful, Texas’ challenges to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s authority — recently heard by the U.S. Supreme Court and currently pending before a Texas federal court — may have serious adverse consequences for aspiring NRC licensees, including potential nuclear power plant operators, say attorneys at Haynes Boone.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From NY Fed To BigLaw

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    While the move to private practice brings a learning curve, it also brings chances to learn new skills and grow your network, requiring a clear understanding of how your skills can complement and contribute to a firm's existing practice, and where you can add new value, says Meghann Donahue at Covington.

  • Top 3 Litigation Finance Deal-Killers, And How To Avoid Them

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    Like all transactions, litigation finance deals can sometimes collapse, but understanding the most common reasons for failure, including a lack of trust or a misunderstanding of deal terms, can help both parties avoid problems, say Rebecca Berrebi at Avenue 33 and Boris Ziser at Schulte Roth.

  • How Attys Can Use A Therapy Model To Help Triggered Clients

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    Attorneys can lean on key principles from a psychotherapeutic paradigm known as the "Internal Family Systems" model to help manage triggered clients and get settlement negotiations back on track, says Jennifer Gibbs at Zelle.

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