Transportation

  • 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.

  • April 08, 2026

    Juror Nondisclosure Can't Trigger Crash Retrial, Panel Says

    A car crash plaintiff who sought $1 million in damages but was awarded only $20,000 can't get a new trial because of juror misconduct, a Florida state appeals court ruled Wednesday, saying a juror's lengthy legal history could have been easily uncovered online.

  • April 08, 2026

    Norfolk Southern Must Face Jury On Age Bias Claims

    An Alabama federal judge rejected Georgia-based Norfolk Southern's bid to shut down a suit from a longtime rail worker who said he was forced out of his job due to his age, ruling that there was "ample evidence" to send the case to a jury.

  • April 08, 2026

    Boeing, Bell Textron Get Fatal Osprey Crash Suit Tossed

    A Pennsylvania federal judge has dismissed without prejudice a suit from the families of eight U.S. service members killed in a V-22 Osprey crash in November 2023, saying their claims against The Boeing Co., Bell Textron Inc. and Universal Stainless & Alloy Products Inc. have to proceed under the Death on the High Seas Act, not through state law.

  • April 08, 2026

    Prudential Can't Enforce 'Illusory' Policy, Beneficiaries Say

    The beneficiaries of two pilots who died in a plane crash said a Prudential insurer can't escape their suit seeking accidental death and dismemberment benefits under an aviation company's life insurance plan, telling a Washington federal court that the policy departs from the industry standard because it is "illusory."

  • April 08, 2026

    Fiat Chrysler Loses 'Absurd' Arb. Bid In Defect Suit At 9th Circ.

    A Ninth Circuit panel has rejected Fiat Chrysler's request to send a certified class action over allegedly defective Jeep and Dodge headrests to arbitration, finding that FCA's theory would lead to "absurd" results in which third parties with "no connection whatsoever to the underlying arbitration agreement" could force arbitration.

  • April 08, 2026

    VW Beats 'Clean Diesel' NY Shareholder Derivative Suit

    A New York state trial court has thrown out a shareholder derivative suit seeking to hold current and former Volkswagen AG supervisory board members and executives in Germany liable for perpetrating the 2015 emissions cheating scandal, saying the dispute doesn't belong in the Empire State.

  • April 08, 2026

    NJ Car Dealer Accused Of Picking Pricey 401(k) Funds

    Holman Automotive Group Inc. was slapped with a proposed class action in New Jersey federal court accusing the company and unidentified plan fiduciaries of breaching their duties under ERISA by saddling employees with unnecessarily expensive retirement plan investments that allegedly drained more than $1 million from workers' savings.

  • April 08, 2026

    FedEx Says NY Attys And Medical Providers Staged Crashes

    FedEx accused a network of lawyers, medical providers and clinics of orchestrating an insurance scam in which they staged motor vehicle accidents in order to defraud the delivery giant through sham lawsuits and inflated medical bills, according to a suit filed in New York federal court.

  • April 08, 2026

    Teamsters, United Defeat Bid To Revive Suit Over Pay Formula

    A memorandum alleging union misconduct and claims that a union representative may have simultaneously worked for United Airlines do not justify reopening a lawsuit accusing the airline and the Teamsters of underpaying workers, a California federal judge ruled.

  • April 07, 2026

    1-Year Biofuel Exemptions Eligibility Upheld For 2 Refineries

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency violated its own regulations by denying exemptions from biofuel blending requirements to two oil refineries in Louisiana and Wyoming, the D.C. Circuit ruled Tuesday.

  • April 07, 2026

    11th Circ. Faults Job Seeker's Atty But Upholds $3.4M Win

    The Eleventh Circuit declined Tuesday to grant a trucking company a new trial on a $3.4 million verdict handed to an applicant who claimed the business walked back a job offer after learning that he is Black, ruling his attorney's "improper" arguments didn't taint the trial's outcome.

  • April 07, 2026

    CSX Shortchanged Workers On Meal Allowances, Union Says

    CSX Transportation shortchanged employees on meal allowances that were guaranteed under an arbitration award involving the company and a labor union, according to a complaint filed in D.C. federal court Tuesday.

  • April 07, 2026

    $1.4M Chicago Tow Notice Settlement To Receive Initial OK

    An Illinois federal judge signaled Tuesday he'll greenlight a $1.4 million settlement to end litigation over claims the city of Chicago tows vehicles it deems abandoned without properly notifying their owners.

  • April 07, 2026

    Auto Insurance Co. Escapes Retirement Fund Suit

    An auto insurance company defeated a proposed class action claiming its employee retirement plan was unlawfully overinvested in a conservative default investment option, with a Michigan federal judge saying Tuesday that the suit lacked information about participants who voluntarily put money in the fund.

  • April 07, 2026

    Delta Passengers Say They Were Injured In Fire Evacuation

    Two passengers of a Delta Air Lines flight were injured when an electrical fire forced them to be evacuated from the plane after it landed at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, according to a suit filed in Washington state court.

  • April 07, 2026

    Law Profs Back Boeing In 7th Circ. Bid To Void 737 Max Class

    Law professors have told the Seventh Circuit that an Illinois district court improperly certified a class of investors alleging Boeing misrepresented the 737 Max 8 jets' safety after two deadly crashes in 2018 and 2019, saying there's been a "troubling" pattern of courts blessing classwide damages theories backed by zero evidence.

  • April 07, 2026

    First Brands IP Sale Decision Paused For Possible New Bidder

    A Texas bankruptcy judge on Tuesday put off a final decision on auto parts maker First Brands' move to speedily sell several of its filter and windshield wiper brands for $25 million, saying he wanted to know whether the buyer is dead set on purchasing a bundle.

  • April 07, 2026

    John Deere Inks $99M Deal In Farmers' Right-To-Repair Suit

    John Deere has agreed to pay $99 million to a putative class of farmers to resolve claims that it limits competition for farm equipment repairs by preventing unaffiliated shops from acquiring the necessary tools, and will also provide injunctive relief that would allow those independent repair providers to be able to diagnose and fix John Deere-brand agricultural equipment.

  • April 07, 2026

    Fishermen, Seafood Sellers Sue LOOP Over La. Oil Spill

    A group of fishermen and seafood companies is suing the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port, or LOOP LLC, over a February oil spill that saw 31,500 gallons of heavy Venezuelan crude oil spill into the Gulf of Mexico, saying LOOP's slow-walking of cleanup puts their livelihoods and the local ecosystem in danger.

  • April 07, 2026

    Ohio Derailment Class Attys Fight Morgan & Morgan Fee Probe

    Co-counsel for plaintiffs in litigation over a Norfolk Southern train derailment urged a federal court to reject Morgan & Morgan's bid to investigate the allocation of attorney fees stemming from a $600 million class settlement, arguing that it was unnecessary to revisit the issue and that the firm may have even gotten more than it deserved.

  • April 07, 2026

    Mercedes Says Shatter-Prone Sunroof Claims Lack Evidence

    Mercedes-Benz customers offered no evidence that vehicles were sold with defects that caused sunroofs to spontaneously shatter, the automaker told a Georgia federal court, arguing it should be granted an early win in the customers' suit.

  • April 07, 2026

    Squires Rejects 2 PTAB Petitions, Grants 2 In Merits Orders

    U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director John Squires has shot down a pair of requests from automakers Kia and Toyota challenging vehicle technology patents, while granting a separate duo of challenges Amazon had asked for.

  • April 07, 2026

    Uber Says Atty Ads To Rider Admissible In NC Bellwether Trial

    Uber wants to introduce evidence at an upcoming bellwether trial in multidistrict litigation for alleged passenger sexual assaults that a North Carolina plaintiff was exposed to advertisements from attorneys before she sued, saying the evidence goes to her credibility.

  • April 07, 2026

    Colo. Justices Say Disputed Costs OK In Public Works Claim

    Disputed or unliquidated costs, including delay and disruption damages, can be included in claims under Colorado's Public Works Act, the state's highest court has ruled, reviving a subcontractor's bid to recover a roughly $13 million claim tied to a Denver-area rail project.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Practicing Resilience

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    Resilience is a skill acquired through daily practices that focus on learning from missteps, recovering quickly without internalizing defeat and moving forward with intention, says Nicholas Meza at Quarles & Brady.

  • State Of Insurance: Q4 Notes From Illinois

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    In 2025's last quarter, Illinois’ appellate courts weighed in on overlapping homeowners coverages for water-related damages, contractual suit limitation provisions in uninsured motorist policies, and protections for genetic health information in life insurance underwriting, while the Department of Insurance sought nationwide homeowners' insurance data from State Farm, says Matthew Fortin at BatesCarey.

  • NYC Bar Opinion Warns Attys On Use Of AI Recording Tools

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    Attorneys who use artificial intelligence tools to record, transcribe and summarize conversations with clients should heed the New York City Bar Association’s recent opinion addressing the legal and ethical risks posed by such tools, and follow several best practices to avoid violating the Rules of Professional Conduct, say attorneys at Smith Gambrell.

  • Series

    The Biz Court Digest: Dispatches From Utah's Newest Court

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    While a robust body of law hasn't yet developed since the Utah Business and Chancery Court's founding in October 2024, the number of cases filed there has recently picked up, and its existence illustrates Utah's desire to be top of mind for businesses across the country, says Evan Strassberg at Michael Best.

  • Aerospace And Defense Law: Trends To Follow In 2026

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    Some of the key 2026 developments to watch in aerospace and defense contracting law stem from provisions of this year's National Defense Authorization Act, a push to reform procurement, executive orders that announced Trump administration priorities, the upcoming Artemis space mission and continuing efforts to deploy artificial intelligence, say attorneys at Thompson Hine.

  • Aviation Watch: Busy Skies, Tough Market For Airlines In 2026

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    After a turbulent year in the U.S. commercial aviation sector, demand for air travel and premium service shows no signs of slackening in 2026, with airlines facing the need to compete in a saturated market, while seeking opportunities for consolidation and pursuing other avenues to profitability, says Alan Hoffman, a retired attorney and aviation expert.

  • 4 Quick Emotional Resets For Lawyers With Conflict Fatigue

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    Though the emotional wear and tear of legal work can trap attorneys in conflict fatigue — leaving them unable to shake off tense interactions or return to a calm baseline — simple therapeutic techniques for resetting the nervous system can help break the cycle, says Chantel Cohen at CWC Coaching & Therapy.

  • Series

    Playing Tennis Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    An instinct to turn pain into purpose meant frequent trips to the tennis court, where learning to move ahead one point at a time was a lesson that also applied to the steep learning curve of patent prosecution law, says Daniel Henry at Marshall Gerstein.

  • False Ad Suit Shows Need For Clear, Conspicuous Disclosure

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    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.

  • Series

    Judges On AI: How Judicial Use Informs Guardrails

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    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.

  • Evenflo IP Ruling Shows Evidence Is Still Key For Injunctions

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    Notwithstanding renewed policy and doctrinal attention to patent injunctions, the Federal Circuit's December decision in Wonderland v. Evenflo signals that the era of easily obtained patent injunctions has not yet arrived, say attorneys at King & Wood.

  • State Of Insurance: Q4 Notes From Pennsylvania

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    Last quarter in Pennsylvania, a Superior Court ruling underscored the centrality of careful policy drafting and judicial scrutiny of exclusionary language, and another provided practical guidance on the calculation of attorney fees and interest in bad faith cases, while a proposed bill endeavored to cover insurance gaps for homeowners, says Todd Leon at Marshall Dennehey.

  • What A Calif. Mileage Tax Would Mean For Employers

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    California is considering implementing a mileage tax that would likely trigger existing state laws requiring employers to reimburse employees for work-related driving, creating a new mandatory business expense with significant bottom-line implications for employers, says Eric Fox at Ogletree.

  • Navigating Battery Validation Risk In The EV Supply Chain

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    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

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    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.

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