Product Liability

  • April 26, 2024

    Frito-Lay Subcontractors Hit With $72M Factory Death Verdict

    A Dallas County jury has awarded a nearly $72 million verdict to the family of a man who plunged to his death at a Frito-Lay facility, finding that his employer and another subcontractor working at the facility were liable for the accident.

  • April 26, 2024

    Rail Group Sues Minnesota Over New Hazmat Safety Fee Law

    The lead lobbying group for the largest freight railroads sued Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison in federal court on Friday, challenging a state law requiring railroads to dedicate $2.8 million for responding to hazardous material incidents.

  • April 26, 2024

    French Auto Parts Co. Can't Nix Ford Supplier's $4.5M Suit

    A French automotive company can't evade a $4.5 million lawsuit accusing it of selling defective speed sensors that were later built into Ford vehicles, causing oil leaks and short circuits, a Michigan federal judge ruled, saying the company is subject to the court's jurisdiction.

  • April 26, 2024

    Feds Probe Tesla Autopilot Recall Fix Amid 'Misuse' Risks

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating whether Tesla's software update following a December recall, intended to more clearly warn drivers to stay alert and attentive while using its vehicles' Autopilot advanced driver-assistance system, effectively addressed the risks of "driver misuse."

  • April 26, 2024

    5th Circ. Upholds Pecan Farm's Flood Win Against Sand Mine

    A Fifth Circuit panel has upheld a more than $659,000 jury verdict against the owner of a sand and gravel mine after a "120-year flood" event severely damaged an Austin pecan farm, holding the evidence showed the company's large freshwater pit was responsible for the damage.

  • April 26, 2024

    Commerce Restricts Gun Exports To 'High-Risk' Countries

    The U.S. Department of Commerce on Friday issued a rule restricting exports of firearms and ammunition to "high-risk" countries, a move it said is intended to avoid U.S. national security and foreign policy interests being undermined by misuse of those weapons.

  • April 26, 2024

    Insurers Say BASF Can't Seek Same PFAS Coverage In 3 Suits

    BASF Corp.'s insurers have said a South Carolina federal court lacked jurisdiction and should toss the chemical manufacturer's case in favor of similar New Jersey state litigation seeking coverage for thousands of underlying allegations that a substance made for firefighting foam caused pollution and injury.

  • April 26, 2024

    $2.3B Roundup Win 'Unconstitutionally Excessive,' Judge Told

    Counsel for Roundup maker and Bayer AG unit Monsanto asked a Philadelphia judge on Friday to undo a $2.25 billion award to a man who claimed the weed killer caused him to develop lymphoma, calling the massive verdict "unconstitutionally excessive" during a state court hearing.

  • April 26, 2024

    RJR Gets $12M Judgment Tossed In Tobacco Death Suit

    A Florida appeals panel on Friday threw out a $12 million judgment against R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. in a wrongful death suit by the wife of a smoker, saying the evidence didn't support the jury's finding in the wife's favor on her conspiracy to fraudulently conceal claim.

  • April 25, 2024

    Lockheed Martin Sued By Widow Over 'Toxic Stew' At Facility

    The widow of a former Lockheed Martin Corp. employee sued the aerospace defense company on Wednesday in Florida federal court, alleging her husband died because of Lockheed's "reckless mismanagement" of dangerous chemicals at a weapons manufacturing facility.

  • April 25, 2024

    9th Circ. Upholds $1.7M Injury Verdict Against Genie

    Equipment manufacturer Genie Industries Inc. can't upend a jury verdict and a $1.7 million judgment awarded to a Portland, Oregon, shipyard worker who was injured by the company's allegedly defective lift boom, the Ninth Circuit has ruled, rejecting the arguments that he failed to prove his injuries were permanent.

  • April 25, 2024

    Conn. Judge Sends Colo. Mass Shooting Cases To State Court

    A Connecticut federal judge sent two lawsuits against gunmaker Sturm Ruger & Co. Inc. back to state court Thursday, finding that the complaints brought by the estates of two Colorado mass shooting victims did not meet a key standard for handling the claims in federal court.

  • April 25, 2024

    Microsoft, Nintendo And Others Sued Over Addictive Games

    A gamer sued Microsoft Corp., Nintendo of America Inc., Rockstar Games Inc. and other video game developers Wednesday in Georgia federal court over allegations that they are intentionally getting users addicted to boost profits, saying he's suffering from depression and anxiety because of his addiction.

  • April 25, 2024

    Wash. Large-Magazine Ban Stays As Court Official Fears Tragedy

    The Washington Supreme Court commissioner said Thursday the state can maintain its ban on the sale of large-capacity magazines for now, saying in his ruling he was kept awake at night over the potential that lifting the ban would allow an especially "awful" mass shooting.

  • April 25, 2024

    3rd Circ. Lets Mallinckrodt Off Sanofi's Royalty Hook

    A Third Circuit panel said Thursday that Mallinckrodt PLC's Chapter 11 bankruptcy could sever its obligation to pay Sanofi-Aventis US LLC royalties on sales of an autoimmune disease drug, finding that Sanofi's contract to sell Mallinckrodt the rights to the drug created a claim ripe to be extinguished.

  • April 25, 2024

    Philips Gets $506M Economic Loss Deal OK'd In CPAP MDL

    A Pennsylvania federal judge on Thursday gave final approval to a $506.3 million settlement to end economic loss claims in multidistrict litigation over Philips' recalled CPAP breathing machines, including $94.4 million for the plaintiffs' attorneys.

  • April 25, 2024

    Dems Press DEA To Move Quickly On Rescheduling Marijuana

    A coalition of Democratic U.S. senators and House members are urging the U.S. Department of Justice to complete swiftly its review of marijuana's legal status and remove the drug from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act.

  • April 24, 2024

    Motley Rice, Morgan & Morgan Among Ozempic MDL Leaders

    The Pennsylvania federal judge overseeing multidistrict litigation over alleged risks associated with Ozempic and similar drugs has appointed lawyers from Motley Rice LLC, Morgan & Morgan PA and six other firms to leadership roles, according to an order issued Tuesday.

  • April 24, 2024

    3M And Ga. Utility Say $850M PFAS Cleanup Plan A No-Go

    3M, a Georgia utilities provider and carpet and chemical manufacturers told a Georgia federal judge Wednesday they shouldn't have to face an $850 million remediation plan to clean up alleged waterway contamination from forever chemicals.

  • April 24, 2024

    Investors Can't Hit Reset In 737 Max Fraud Suit, Boeing Says

    Investors claiming Boeing wiped out billions in stock value by misrepresenting the 737 Max's safety shouldn't be allowed to "effectively hit the reset button" and pursue an amended complaint that relies on statements already deemed inactionable, the aerospace giant argued Wednesday.

  • April 24, 2024

    FDA Can Keep Most Docs Hidden From Juul's FOIA Request

    A District of Columbia federal judge has largely sided with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in a suit by Juul Labs Inc. seeking documents related to the FDA's decision to ban its products, saying the bulk of the files fall under a privilege that protects predecision deliberations.

  • April 24, 2024

    Dow Loses Bid To Keep NJ Toxic Water Row In Federal Court

    A New Jersey federal judge on Tuesday remanded to state court the attorney general's lawsuit accusing Dow Chemical Co. and other companies of hiding the danger of 1,4-dioxane, a likely cancer-causing compound, and causing "pervasive and widespread" groundwater pollution.

  • April 24, 2024

    Joe Rogan Brain Health Supplements Don't Work, Suit Claims

    A proposed class of supplement buyers is suing a brain health supplement founded and promoted by podcaster Joe Rogan in New York federal court, saying the company's own studies prove false its advertisements claiming the product is "clinically" proven to promote cognitive function.

  • April 24, 2024

    3rd Circ. Won't Let Keystone Coal Escape Black Lung Payout

    The Third Circuit on Wednesday denied Keystone Coal Mining Corp.'s request to revoke benefits awarded to a miner with pneumoconiosis under the Black Lung Benefits Act, rejecting its argument that the administrative law judge hearing the case did not properly consider all the evidence.

  • April 24, 2024

    FDA Seeks Max Fines Against Shops Selling Elf Bar Vapes

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued another round of complaints and civil penalties to 22 brick-and-mortar and online sellers of illicit e-cigarettes, including the highly popular Elf Bar brand, according to an agency announcement that noted more than 100 retailers have been hit since September.

Expert Analysis

  • The Section 230 Immunity Provision Debate Continues

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    The Fifth Circuit last month voted in Doe v. Snap Inc. not to reconsider en banc its decade-old interpretation of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which generally allows websites to police objectionable content as they see fit — but a growing number of judges appear motivated to further limit the scope of its immunity, say Jordan Rice and Caleb Hayes-Deats at MoloLamken.

  • Opinion

    Why Justices Should Protect Public From Bump Stocks

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    In Garland v. Cargill, the U.S. Supreme Court has the opportunity to restore the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' rule banning bump stocks — thus preserving Congress' original intent to protect the American people from particularly dangerous firearms, says Douglas Letter at Brady United Against Gun Violence.

  • Series

    Baking Bread Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    After many years practicing law, and a few years baking bread, I have learned that there are a few keys to success in both endeavors, including the assembly of a nourishing and resilient culture, and the ability to learn from failure and exercise patience, says Rick Robinson at Reed Smith.

  • Federal Courts And AI Standing Orders: Safety Or Overkill?

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    Several district court judges have issued standing orders regulating the use of artificial intelligence in their courts, but courts should consider following ordinary notice and comment procedures before implementing sweeping mandates that could be unnecessarily burdensome and counterproductive, say attorneys at Curtis.

  • Time To Step Up PFAS Due Diligence In Cross-Border M&A

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    Regulations in the U.S. and EU governing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances will likely evolve to become global standards out of necessity and scale, so PFAS due diligence — particularly for buyers, sellers, and lenders and investors involved in multijurisdictional mergers and acquisitions — will be essential in 2024, say attorneys at Shipman & Goodwin.

  • 7 E-Discovery Predictions For 2024 And Beyond

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    The legal and technical issues of e-discovery now affect virtually every lawsuit, and in the year to come, practitioners can expect practices and policies to evolve in a number of ways, from the expanded use of relevancy redactions to mandated information security provisions in protective orders, say attorneys at Littler.

  • Landmark Product Safety Prosecution May Signal Sea Change

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    U.S. v. Chu, a novel prosecution and guilty verdict of corporate executives for failing to report product defects under a consumer safety law, will certainly not be the last case of its kind, and companies will need to prepare for the government’s increasingly aggressive enforcement approach, say attorneys at Cooley.

  • 5 Litigation Funding Trends To Note In 2024

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    Over the next year and beyond, litigation funding will continue to evolve in ways that affect attorneys and the larger litigation landscape, from the growth of a secondary market for funded claims, to rising interest rates restricting the availability of capital, says Jeffery Lula at GLS Capital.

  • What To Know About FCA Cybersecurity Enforcement

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    Now is a good time for practitioners, government contractors and potential relators to review recent developments in cybersecurity-related False Claims Act enforcement, and consider best practices for navigating this space in the new year, say Ellen London at London & Stout, and Li Yu and Molly Knobler at DiCello Levitt.

  • What One Litigator Learned Serving On A Jury

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    Kilpatrick attorney April Isaacson shares insights for trial lawyers from her recent experience serving on a jury for the first time, including lessons about the impact of frequent sidebars, considerations for using demonstratives, the importance of clear jury instructions, and the unconscious habits that can drive jurors mad.

  • Evaluating Retroactivity Of Mich. Drugmaker Immunity Repeal

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    In assessing whether a new Michigan law lifting drugmakers' blanket immunity from product liability suits will apply retroactively, there are four key factors that Michigan courts will likely consider, say Sherry Knutson and Brenda Sweet at Tucker Ellis.

  • 4 Legal Ethics Considerations For The New Year

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    As attorneys and clients reset for a new year, now is a good time to take a step back and review some core ethical issues that attorneys should keep front of mind in 2024, including approaching generative artificial intelligence with caution and care, and avoiding pitfalls in outside counsel guidelines, say attorneys at HWG.

  • Environmental Justice: A 2023 Recap And 2024 Forecast

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    A 2023 executive order directing each federal agency to make environmental justice part of its mission, as well as the many lawsuits and enforcement actions last year, demonstrates that EJ will increasingly surface in all areas of law and regulation, from technically challenging to seemingly ordinary permitting and construction matters, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • What The Law Firm Of The Future Will Look Like

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    As the legal landscape shifts, it’s become increasingly clear that the BigLaw business model must adapt in four key ways to remain viable, from fostering workplace flexibility to embracing technology, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.

  • 4 PR Pointers When Your Case Is In The News

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    Media coverage of new lawsuits exploded last year, demonstrating why defense attorneys should devise a public relations plan that complements their legal strategy, incorporating several objectives to balance ethical obligations and advocacy, say Nathan Burchfiel at Pinkston and Ryan June at Castañeda + Heidelman.

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