Product Liability

  • April 04, 2025

    Bigelow Drinkers Overpaid 11% Due To 'USA' Label, Jury Told

    An expert testifying for a California class of R.C. Bigelow tea purchasers on Friday told a federal jury considering damages caused by false advertising claims that the class overpaid by 11.3%, or $3.26 million, due to a "Manufactured in the USA 100%" label the judge already found is deceiving.

  • April 04, 2025

    Bayer Wants Supreme Court To Review Roundup Litigation

    Bayer subsidiary Monsanto has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review a Missouri jury's $1.2 million award to a man who claimed that Roundup weed killer caused his cancer, arguing that courts are split on whether federal law preempts state failure-to-warn claims like the claims in this case.

  • April 04, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Backs Ruling Against Parents In Vaccine Case

    The Federal Circuit has upheld a lower court's ruling in a Vaccine Act case brought by parents of a child who has seizures and developmental delays, finding that they failed to show that his conditions were caused by vaccines.

  • April 04, 2025

    House Dem Seeks Caffeine Warnings After Student Death

    Fast food chains and energy drink makers should be required to slap a "high caffeine" warning on certain beverages, a U.S. House Democrat said, announcing his intention to push such a bill while standing next to the parents of a University of Pennsylvania student who died after drinking a now-discontinued caffeinated drink.

  • April 04, 2025

    Kia's Defective Seat Caused Wife's Paralysis, Driver Says

    A Kia owner filed a negligence suit against the automotive giant in Pennsylvania state court Thursday alleging that a defective design of the front passenger seat frame in his 2022 Kia Sorento caused his wife to become paralyzed after the couple was rear-ended by a Chevy pickup truck driver.

  • April 04, 2025

    Meta Wins Bid To Transfer Del. MDL Coverage Fight To Calif.

    The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation sent a Delaware insurance-coverage dispute between Hartford, Chubb Group entities and Meta to California where underlying personal-injury litigation is centralized, finding that although the parties accuse each other of forum shopping, "we are not inclined to finely parse which is the guiltier party."

  • April 04, 2025

    Sports Group Looks To Muzzle Maryland Gun Liability Law

    A sports shooting and hunting group has asked a Maryland federal court to prevent the state from enforcing a law that holds gun manufacturers liable for gun-related crimes, which the group says contradicts the U.S. Constitution and federal statute.

  • April 04, 2025

    GSK Inks $67M Deal To Resolve Zantac Cancer Risk FCA Suit

    GlaxoSmithKline PLC cut a $67.5 million deal to resolve allegations that it defrauded federal health insurance programs by hiding that its heartburn drug Zantac can decompose into a carcinogen while still in the bottle, ending a case that began in 2019 and was unsealed last year.

  • April 03, 2025

    Optum, Express Scripts Want Judge Ousted From Opioid MDL

    Pharmacy benefit managers Optum and Express Scripts say the Ohio federal judge overseeing multidistrict opioid litigation should recuse himself because he "regularly communicates" with plaintiffs' attorneys in the litigation and is biased in favor of plaintiffs, according to a motion filed Wednesday.

  • April 03, 2025

    3 Ways The Trump EPA Could Impact The Chemical Industry

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's potential deregulatory actions, staffing reductions and shifts in scientific practices portend changes for the chemical industry that could ultimately benefit the sector. Here, Law360 looks at three key areas of concern for the chemical industry.

  • April 03, 2025

    Wash. Justices To Hear Amazon Chemical Suicide Suits

    The Washington Supreme Court will review whether Amazon can be sued under the state's product liability law for the online sale of a chemical that four people used to kill themselves, in cases brought by family members that were dismissed by a lower appellate court.

  • April 03, 2025

    3M, DuPont Sued Over Ga. Carpet Industry's PFAS Pollution

    A Georgia environmental group and a farm owner have sued 3M Co., DuPont de Nemours Inc. and other companies involved in the state's carpeting manufacturing industry, seeking to hold them liable for "forever chemical" contamination in the Conasauga River.

  • April 03, 2025

    Gun Website Can't Sue Facebook Over Removal, Panel Says

    A Pennsylvania appeals court said Thursday it won't order Facebook and Instagram to ​reinstate an online gun marketplace's banned social media accounts, saying there is no valid claim that a state agent violated the company's free speech rights.

  • April 03, 2025

    Helicopter Manufacturer Can't Nab Win In Mont. Crash Suit

    A Montana federal judge on Thursday said that there's a genuine factual dispute about whether aircraft maker Kaman acted with malice or disregard of injury in a suit accusing it of defectively designing a helicopter that crashed and killed a pilot fighting a wildfire.

  • April 03, 2025

    Nestlé, Other Parent Cos. Freed From Baby Food Metals MDL

    Overseas food giants Nestlé, Danone and Hero can exit a multidistrict litigation alleging baby food tainted with toxic metals caused children to develop autism, a California federal judge has ruled, but domestic subsidiaries who manufactured the products, such as Gerber, Nurture and Beech-Nut, must remain as defendants.

  • April 03, 2025

    Baby Food Suit Must Face Trial Or Calif. Panel, 9th Circ. Told

    Plum Organics buyers urged the Ninth Circuit on Thursday to ask the California Supreme Court to clarify Golden State's deception-by-omission law, or reverse Plum's summary judgment win and send to trial the consumers' allegations that the baby-food-maker failed to disclose potential toxins in its baby food products.

  • April 03, 2025

    SunSetter To Pay $9M Over Defective Awning Covers

    A Massachusetts awning manufacturer will pay $9.25 million and implement a new compliance program to settle civil claims that it failed to report defective awning covers to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, allegedly leading to multiple injuries and at least one death.

  • April 02, 2025

    Justices' Ghost Gun Decision Worrisome Win For Gun Control

    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision upholding a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives rule restricting so-called ghost gun kits is a clear-cut win for gun control proponents, but experts said it also signals a problematic shift to a supervisory role for the courts.

  • April 02, 2025

    Ill. Parade Shooting Survivors Can Sue Smith & Wesson

    Smith & Wesson and gun retailers can't escape a lawsuit brought by families of victims of a mass shooting that killed seven people during a 2022 July Fourth parade in Highland Park, an Illinois state judge has ruled, largely denying their requests to apply immunity found in federal law that would have shielded them from civil liability.

  • April 02, 2025

    Sprouts Hid Unsafe Heavy Metal In Sunflower Butter, Suit Says

    Sprouts Farmers Market misleads customers into thinking its sunflower butter spreads sold under Sprouts' own brand is made with high-quality protein and safe to consume, despite containing dangerous levels of cadmium, which poses serious health risks, according to a proposed class action filed Wednesday in California federal court. 

  • April 02, 2025

    Boeing CEO Tells Senate Panel Safety Overhaul Progressing

    Boeing's CEO told a Senate panel Wednesday that the company remains focused on overhauling its corporate culture and plugging safety gaps on production lines, as the plane-maker continues to stabilize its business after being rocked by two 737 Max 8 crashes and a door-plug blowout.

  • April 02, 2025

    Insurer Cites Exclusion To Avoid Covering Co.'s Silica Suits

    An insurance company has sued in California federal court to avoid covering any legal fees or potential settlements a Georgia-based countertop manufacturer might face from the more than 100 lawsuits filed by workers who claim to have suffered lung scarring and cancer due to exposure to dust.

  • April 02, 2025

    Parents, Distributor Settle Suit Over Baby Lounger Death

    The distributor of an infant lounger and a Texas couple who allege that their 7-month-old daughter died after falling out of the device told a Texas federal court this week that they had reached a deal in the parents' suit.

  • April 02, 2025

    CVS Asserts DOJ's Opioid Prescription Suit Lacks Facts

    CVS Pharmacy Inc. has told a Rhode Island federal judge that most of the U.S. Department of Justice's claims that it knowingly filed invalid prescriptions for opioids should be tossed, saying the agency failed to adequately allege the company willfully put profits over safety.

  • April 02, 2025

    Bidi Vapor Says FDA Denial Of E-Cig Was Unlawful

    Vape company Bidi Vapor LLC urged the Eleventh Circuit on Wednesday to reverse a U.S. Food and Drug Administration decision denying its application to market a disposable e-cigarette, saying the agency acted unlawfully and ignored evidence the company presented.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Playing Rugby Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My experience playing rugby, including a near-fatal accident, has influenced my legal practice on a professional, organizational and personal level by showing me the importance of maintaining empathy, fostering team empowerment and embracing the art of preparation, says James Gillenwater at Greenberg Traurig.

  • Looking Back At 2024's Noteworthy State AG Litigation

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    State attorneys general across the U.S. took bold steps in 2024 to address unlawful activities by corporations in several areas, including privacy and data security, financial transparency, children's internet safety, and other overall consumer protection claims, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • Opinion

    No, Litigation Funders Are Not 'Fleeing' The District Of Del.

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    A recent study claimed that litigation funders have “fled” Delaware federal court due to a standing order requiring disclosure of third-party financing, but responsible funders have no problem litigating in this jurisdiction, and many other factors could explain the decline in filings, say Will Freeman and Sarah Tsou at Omni Bridgeway.

  • Liability Risk For AI In Medical Devices Demands Greater Care

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    As regulators push for legal reform surrounding artificial intelligence and cases implicating product liability for AI in medical technology continue to rise, manufacturers must adapt and implement new strategies to accommodate evolving risks, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • 5 E-Discovery Predictions For 2025 And Beyond

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    In the year to come, e-discovery will be shaped by new and emerging trends, from the adoption of artificial intelligence provisions in protective orders, to the proliferation of emojis as a source of evidence in contemporary litigation, say attorneys at Littler.

  • NY Plastic Pollution Verdict May Not Bode Well For Other Suits

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    The dismissal of New York state's public nuisance complaint against PepsiCo over pollution of the Buffalo River with the company's single use plastic bottles may not augur well for similar lawsuits filed by Baltimore and Los Angeles County, although tort law varies from state to state, say attorneys at Winston & Strawn.

  • Defense Strategies For Addressing Conspiracy-Minded Jurors

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    As conspiracy theories continue to proliferate and gain traction in the U.S., defense attorneys will need to consider ways to keep conspiracy-minded jurors from sitting on the jury, and to persuade them when this isn’t possible, say consultants at IMS Legal Strategies.

  • 7 Ways 2nd Trump Administration May Affect Partner Hiring

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    President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House will likely have a number of downstream effects on partner hiring in the legal industry, from accelerated hiring timelines to increased vetting of prospective employees, say recruiters at Macrae.

  • Trump, Tariffs And Tech: The Right To Repair In 2025

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    The "right-to-repair" movement has helped make it easier for independent repair shops and consumers to repair their devices and vehicles — but President-elect Donald Trump's complicated relationship with Big Tech, and his advocacy for increased tariffs, make the immediate future of the movement uncertain, say attorneys at Carter Ledyard.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Custodian Selection

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    Several recent rulings make clear that the proportionality of additional proposed custodians will depend on whether the custodians have unique relevant documents, and producing parties should consider whether information already in the record will show that they have relevant documents that otherwise might not be produced, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Opinion

    Section 230 Debates Will Continue, With Or Without TikTok

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    Regardless of whether TikTok is forced to shut down in the U.S. in the coming weeks, legal disputes will continue over social media platforms' responsibility under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act for harms allegedly caused by content shared on their apps, says Carla Varriale-Barker at Segal McCambridge.

  • When Judging Product Label Claims, Follow The Asterisk

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    A recurring question in false advertising class actions is whether misleading or ambiguous statements on a product's front label can be cured by information on the back label — but recent decisions from the Ninth Circuit suggest that a front-label asterisk can help alert consumers to seek further clarification, say attorneys at Hunton.

  • Complying With Seasonal Product Labeling Requirements

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    Though the holiday season is in the rearview, many seasonal alcohol products remain in the market, and producers should ensure that their labels comply with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau's additional requirements for such products, say attorneys at McDermott.

  • How Trial Attys Can Wield Amended Federal Evidence Rules

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    Trial lawyers should assess recent amendments to four Federal Rules of Evidence and a newly enacted rule on illustrative aids to determine how to best use the rules to enhance pretrial discovery and trial strategy, says Stewart Edelstein, former litigation chair at Cohen & Wolf.

  • Series

    Exercising On My Peloton Bike Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    While I originally came to the Peloton bike for exercise, one cycling instructor’s teachings have come to serve as a road map for practicing law thoughtfully and mindfully, which has opened opportunities for growth and change in my career, says Andrea Kirshenbaum at Littler.

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