Product Liability

  • April 10, 2026

    Maryland, Ship Owner Reach Deal On Baltimore Bridge Wreck

    Maryland has reached a settlement in principle with the owner and manager of the container ship that slammed into Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge and triggered its March 2024 collapse, ending the state's claims that their negligence and mismanagement left six people dead and destroyed a vital transportation corridor.

  • April 10, 2026

    Philip Morris Urges 11th Circ. To Affirm FDA Rule Toss

    Philip Morris urged the Eleventh Circuit to affirm a decision that struck down a U.S. Food and Drug Administration rule calling for graphic warnings on cigarette packaging, arguing a district court rightly found the FDA had not followed proper procedure when crafting the regulations.

  • April 10, 2026

    Uber Wants NC Jury To Hear Rider's Mental Health History

    Uber wants to be able to bring up a passenger's mental health history during a sexual assault trial to discredit her damages theory, saying the jury should be able to evaluate her alleged emotional distress in the context of her preexisting conditions.

  • April 10, 2026

    NJ Justices Won't Review Beasley Allen's DQ From Talc Cases

    The New Jersey Supreme Court has declined to review a lower court's order booting the Beasley Allen Law Firm from multicounty litigation in the Garden State over Johnson & Johnson's talcum powder, according to an order made public Friday.

  • April 10, 2026

    Drugmakers Can Intervene In Texas, Fla. Abortion Drug Suit

    A federal judge Friday allowed abortion medication manufacturers GenBioPro Inc. and Danco Laboratories to intervene in litigation brought by the states of Texas and Florida seeking to undo a slew of federal regulations concerning the abortion drug mifepristone.

  • April 10, 2026

    Ill. Jury Adds $17M Punitive Award To Baby Formula Verdict

    Illinois jurors on Friday slapped another $17 million in punitive damages atop the $53 million they awarded the previous afternoon to four mothers who accused Abbott Laboratories of selling preterm infant formula that contributed to a serious and often fatal gut condition their babies developed.

  • April 10, 2026

    Meta Must Face Mass. AG's Instagram Addiction Suit

    Meta Platforms Inc. will have to face a suit brought by the Massachusetts attorney general claiming the company is illegally hooking kids on Instagram, the state's top court ruled Friday.

  • April 09, 2026

    Clinic Charged Patients For Faulty Mammograms, Suit Claims

    A West Virginia clinic provided "worthless" mammograms to hundreds of patients for more than two years, according to a proposed class action filed in federal court which seeks refunds and other damages in excess of $5 million.

  • April 09, 2026

    LA Cannabis Edibles Maker Settles Prop 65 Warning Suit

    A Los Angeles cannabis-infused edibles producer has agreed to pay $70,000 to end a Proposition 65 lawsuit accusing the company of deliberately hiding the state-required warning with a peel-back product label, with most of the money going to the plaintiff's lawyer.

  • April 09, 2026

    Chinese Vape-Maker Seeks Narrow Discovery In Battery Suit

    The Chinese manufacturer of Geekvape is asking to limit discovery in a lawsuit seeking to hold it liable for burns a man suffered when the battery for his vape exploded while in his pocket, arguing that what the plaintiff asked for was too broad.

  • April 09, 2026

    Drivers Say GM, Bosch Can't Ditch Chevy Cruze Fraud Claims

    Drivers told a Michigan federal judge that General Motors and Bosch cannot dodge the remaining fraud claims in long-running litigation alleging the companies deceptively marketed Chevrolet Cruze vehicles as clean vehicles when they were actually outfitted with emissions-cheating software.

  • April 09, 2026

    Judge Says Poultry Enviro Deals In 20-Year Suits Fall Short

    An Oklahoma federal judge has rejected a bid by the state and several poultry companies to enter consent decrees in their two-decade-old dispute, finding the agreements did not go far enough to address pollution of the Illinois River Watershed.

  • April 09, 2026

    Abbott Hit With $53M Verdict Over Baby Formula Harms

    A Cook County jury on Thursday awarded a total of $53 million in damages to four mothers claiming Abbott Laboratories' preterm baby formula contributed to their babies' development of a serious and often fatal gut condition, in the first of such claims to go to trial in Illinois.

  • April 09, 2026

    Trade Secrets Suit Is A 'Far-Flung Conspiracy,' Law Firm Says

    A Georgia law firm wants a Nevada federal court to throw out a lawsuit accusing it of stealing trade secrets from litigation lead generator Archetype Capital Partners, calling the whole case "a far-flung conspiracy."

  • April 09, 2026

    Merck Beats 295 Zostavax Suits Over Missed Deadlines

    A Pennsylvania federal judge has tossed 295 cases against Merck & Co. Inc. in the multidistrict litigation alleging its Zostavax shingles vaccine caused the disease, with the court reasoning that the plaintiffs' inactivity doomed the cases.

  • April 09, 2026

    McKinsey Settles Liability For $125M In Purdue Ch. 11

    Consulting firm McKinsey & Co. has agreed to pay $125 million to former client Purdue Pharma LP to settle potential claims related to its work advising Purdue on the sale and marketing of opioids, tying up another loose end in the nearly seven-year-old Chapter 11 case.

  • April 09, 2026

    Philip Morris, RJR Keep Win In Widower's Death Suit

    A Massachusetts appeals panel Thursday refused to reinstate a suit from a widower against Philip Morris USA Inc. and R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. over the death of his wife from COPD, saying he hadn't properly preserved his arguments for tolling the statute of limitations.

  • April 09, 2026

    Walmart Sued Over 'Plant-Based' Milk With Additives

    Walmart misrepresents its Bettergoods line of almond, oat and soy milks as "Plant-Based," even though the labeling shows inorganic and synthetic ingredients such as vitamin A palmitate, which "naturally occurs in liver, fish and dairy products ... not plants," a class action by consumers says.

  • April 09, 2026

    Pest Co. Can't Eradicate Workers' Suit Over Tobacco Fees

    Pest control company Rentokil can't escape a proposed class action alleging it unlawfully charged tobacco users more for health benefits without providing a reasonable way to avoid the fee, with a Pennsylvania federal judge rejecting the company's argument that decade-old regulations were invalid.

  • April 09, 2026

    Neb. Utility Allowed To Join Power Line Project Approval Fight

    A Colorado federal judge has allowed Nebraska's largest electric utility to back the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in litigation seeking to undo the agency's fast-track approval of the utility's 226-mile high-voltage transmission project.

  • April 09, 2026

    Rider Blasts Uber Bid To Admit Atty Ads In NC Bellwether Trial

    Uber should not be allowed to introduce evidence that a rider in North Carolina saw attorney advertisements before she sued the ride-hailing giant claiming she was sexually harassed by her driver, the passenger said, arguing it has "no relevance to any issue" in her upcoming trial.

  • April 09, 2026

    W.Va. Town Says Waste Co. Leaked PFAS Into Water Supply

    The city of Weirton, West Virginia, and its water utility are suing Arcwood Environmental affiliates in Ohio federal court, saying Arcwood has been incinerating waste containing forever chemicals, which have made their way into the city's water supply via the Ohio River.

  • April 08, 2026

    Fed. Circ. Questions Specificity Needed In Oxy IP Invalidation

    A Federal Circuit panel expressed frustration with attorneys from both Purdue Pharma LP and generic-drug maker Accord Healthcare Inc. Wednesday as it tried to navigate whether the Delaware district court order invalidating Purdue's abuse-deterrence patent was explicit enough.

  • April 08, 2026

    NY Panel Skeptical Of TikTok Bid To Ax AG's Addiction Suit

    A five-judge appellate panel Wednesday voiced doubts about TikTok's bid to dismiss the New York attorney general's claims that the social media platform is an addictive product that targets and harms children, pushing back on the company's free speech defense.

  • April 08, 2026

    Volkswagen Doubted In Bid To Defeat Seat Heater Burns Case

    A Washington federal judge hinted on Wednesday that a jury will probably need to weigh in on an Evergreen State resident's product liability claims against Volkswagen over second-degree burns allegedly caused by a vehicle seat heater, saying there's evidence that the subject heater reached "potentially unsafe" temperatures.

Expert Analysis

  • False Ad Suit Shows Need For Clear, Conspicuous Disclosure

    Author Photo

    The Eleventh Circuit's recent false advertising decision in Federal Trade Commission v. Corpay reiterated the FTC's guidance imploring advertisers to ensure that any disclosures are clear and conspicuous to consumers, providing companies with numerous lessons about truthful advertising and highlighting some common disclosure pitfalls to avoid, says Michael Justus at Carlton Fields.

  • How Generative AI Cos. Can Navigate Product Liability Claims

    Author Photo

    Increasingly, plaintiffs are aggregating disputes over generative artificial intelligence and pursuing them through mass-tort-style proceedings, borrowing tactics from litigation involving social media, pharmaceuticals and other consumer-facing products — but there are approaches that AI companies can use to narrow claims and manage long-term exposure, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

  • And Now A Word From The Panel: MDL Year In Review

    Author Photo

    2025 was a roller coaster for the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, with the panel canceling one hearing session due to the absence of new MDL petitions, yet also issuing rulings on more new MDL petitions than in 2024 — making it clear that MDLs are still thriving, says Alan Rothman at Sidley Austin.

  • Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: January Lessons

    Author Photo

    In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy discusses five rulings from October and November, and identifies practice tips from cases involving consumer fraud, oil and gas leases, toxic torts, and wage and hour issues.

  • Series

    Judges On AI: How Judicial Use Informs Guardrails

    Author Photo

    U.S. Magistrate Judge Maritza Dominguez Braswell at the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado discusses why having a sense of how generative AI tools behave, where they add value, where they introduce risk and how they are reshaping the practice of law is key for today's judges.

  • What US Cos. Must Know To Comply With Italy's AI Law

    Author Photo

    Italy's newly effective artificial intelligence law means U.S. companies operating in Italy or serving Italian customers must now meet EU AI Act obligations as well as Italy-specific requirements, including immediately enforceable criminal penalties, designated national authorities and sector-specific mandates, say attorneys at Portolano Cavallo.

  • Navigating Battery Validation Risk In The EV Supply Chain

    Author Photo

    Vehicle electrification has moved battery system supply chains from a background component into the center of the automotive universe — and for legal teams, battery validation is now a driver of contractual disputes, regulatory exposure and even shareholder litigation, say Samuel Madden at Secretariat Advisors and Vanessa Miller at Foley & Lardner.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: 5 Tips From Ex-SEC Unit Chief

    Author Photo

    My move to private practice has reaffirmed my belief in the value of adaptability, collaboration and strategic thinking — qualities that are essential not only for successful client outcomes, but also for sustained professional satisfaction, says Dabney O’Riordan at Fried Frank.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: How To Start A Law Firm

    Author Photo

    Launching and sustaining a law firm requires skills most law schools don't teach, but every lawyer should understand a few core principles that can make the leap calculated rather than reckless, says Sam Katz at Athlaw.

  • Key False Claims Act Trends From The Last Year

    Author Photo

    The False Claims Act remains a powerful enforcement tool after some record verdicts and settlements in 2025, and while traditional fraud areas remain a priority, new initiatives are raising questions about its expanding application, says Veronica Nannis at Joseph Greenwald.

  • Reel Justice: 'Die My Love' And The Power Of Visuals At Trial

    Author Photo

    The powerful use of imagery to capture the protagonist’s experience of postpartum depression in “Die My Love” reminds attorneys that visuals at trial can persuade jurors more than words alone, so they should strategically wield a new federal evidence rule allowing for illustrative aids, says Veronica Finkelstein at Wilmington University.

  • Opinion

    It's Too Soon To Remove Suicide Warnings From GLP-1 Drugs

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's decision this month to order removal of warnings about the risk of suicidal thoughts from GLP-1 weight-loss drugs is premature — and from a safety and legal standpoint, the downside of acting too soon could be profound, says Sean Domnick at Rafferty Domnick.

  • Series

    Hosting Exchange Students Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Opening my home to foreign exchange students makes me a better lawyer not just because prioritizing visiting high schoolers forces me to hone my organization and time management skills but also because sharing the study-abroad experience with newcomers and locals reconnects me to my community, says Alison Lippa at Nicolaides Fink.

  • FDA's 2025 Enforcement Scorecard Highlights Data Focus

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's increased enforcement activity in 2025 was driven by artificial intelligence and a focus on foreign manufacturers, necessitating proactive compliance strategies for an environment that is increasingly reliant on data, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

  • How A 1947 Tugboat Ruling May Shape Work Product In AI Era

    Author Photo

    Rapid advances in generative artificial intelligence test work-product principles first articulated in the U.S. Supreme Court’s nearly 80-year-old Hickman v. Taylor decision, as courts and ethics bodies confront whether disclosure of attorneys’ AI prompts and outputs would reveal their thought processes, say Larry Silver and Sasha Burton at Langsam Stevens.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Product Liability archive.