Âé¶¹´«Ã½

Product Liability

  • April 29, 2025

    Apple Beats Claim Amber Alert On AirPod Hurt Boy's Hearing

    A California federal judge on Monday tossed a Texas mother's lawsuit accusing Apple Inc. of being responsible for her teenage son's permanent hearing loss after an Amber Alert allegedly rang through defective AirPods and ruptured his eardrums, saying a physician's expert opinion they leaned on was unreliable for proving causation.

  • April 29, 2025

    PacifiCorp Hit With $11M Verdict In Latest Wildfire Case

    A Portland, Oregon, jury awarded around $10.8 million in noneconomic damages Tuesday to nine plaintiffs who suffered property damage in a group of 2020 wildfires attributed to PacifiCorp's negligence, with the awards likely to be increased to account for punitive damages.

  • April 29, 2025

    Opioid MDL Judge Won't Recuse Over Ex Parte Allegations

    An Ohio federal judge will not step aside from multidistrict opioid litigation after the plaintiffs' attorney, who had alleged the judge "regularly communicates" with other lawyers involved in the litigation, testified that there was no such communication after all, the judge ruled Tuesday.

  • April 28, 2025

    Biz Groups Fight NY's Bid To Join Their Climate Suit With States'

    Fossil fuel industry groups countered the New York attorney general's bid to transfer their lawsuit fighting a $75 billion tab they must pay for climate change adaptation projects, saying joining their suit with one from a group of Republican states would serve neither justice nor judicial economy.

  • April 28, 2025

    Second Round Of Conn. Firm Windup Fight Sent To Arbitration

    A Connecticut state court judge has paused a derivative lawsuit that an attorney filed against his onetime 50-50 law partner at Connecticut Trial Firm LLC, sending it instead to arbitration.

  • April 28, 2025

    Century Surety Seeks Exit From Vape Battery Âé¶¹´«Ã½suit

    Insurance provider Century Surety Co. says it shouldn't be on the hook for the legal defense of a smoke shop being sued by a customer who was burned when a vape pen battery caught fire in his pocket, arguing that one defendant isn't actually covered under the larger policy and the incident did not take place at one of the insured's retail locations.

  • April 28, 2025

    Ex-Disney Worker Gets 3 Years For Profanity-Laced Menus

    A former Walt Disney World employee was sentenced to three years behind bars after he pled guilty in Florida federal court to hacking into a program used to create menus for the theme park's restaurants, adding profanities, changing prices and altering allergen information that could have put patrons at risk.

  • April 28, 2025

    Imerys Halts Ch. 11 Trial Over Foreign Claimant Issues

    Bankrupt talc suppliers Imerys Talc America and Cyprus Mines Corp. and parties supporting their Chapter 11 plan to deal with asbestos injury claims unexpectedly announced Monday they wanted to halt the plan confirmation proceedings, following more than four days of evidence, citing issues surrounding the treatment of foreign claims against the debtors.

  • April 28, 2025

    Veolia Settles Flint Water Crisis Claims For $53M

    A Michigan federal judge entered final judgment Monday in litigation brought by the state of Michigan and about 26,000 individuals against Veolia North America alleging it prolonged the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, after a $53 million settlement was approved earlier this month.

  • April 28, 2025

    Judge In NY Dismisses Athlete's Suit Over Gatorade Gummies

    A New York federal judge on Monday tossed a lawsuit lodged by a promising Texas-based sprinter alleging the Gatorade Co. supplied him with contaminated recovery gummies that led to his doping ban, saying lost endorsement opportunities were purely economic harm and not a personal injury.

  • April 28, 2025

    Ziploc 'Microwave Safe' Bags Shed Microplastics, Buyer Says

    S.C. Johnson & Son Inc. falsely markets Ziploc bags and containers as "microwave safe" and suitable for use in freezers despite knowing they are made from materials that shed microplastics into food when the products are used as directed, according to a proposed class action filed in California federal court.

  • April 28, 2025

    High Court Takes On Removal Issue In Hain Baby Food Case

    The U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether the erroneous dismissal of a defendant upon a case's removal to federal court warrants undoing the years-later final result, agreeing Monday to hear Whole Foods and Hain Celestial Group's bid to preserve a midtrial win over allegedly tainted baby food. 

  • April 28, 2025

    Boeing Rips Investors' Class Cert. Bid In 737 Max Fraud Suit

    Boeing has told an Illinois federal judge that pension funds and private investors cannot certify a sweeping class action seeking a "jaw-dropping" $15 billion in damages by alleging Boeing repeatedly misrepresented the overall safety and certification process for the 737 Max 8 jets after two deadly crashes in 2018 and 2019.

  • April 28, 2025

    Walgreens Opposes Merging 'Non-Drowsy' Labeling Suits

    Walgreens is pushing back on a bid to consolidate two Illinois federal lawsuits alleging the "non-drowsy" label on some of the retailer's cough suppressant medications is misleading, saying the two cases involve different allegations and are at different stages, and arguing that consolidation would cause a delay in the litigation.

  • April 28, 2025

    EPA Touts Intention To Act On PFAS Contamination

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday said it's planning a series of actions to address pollution from forever chemicals, including the designation of a leader for PFAS regulation and issues at the EPA.

  • April 28, 2025

    Sanofi Challenges Jurisdiction In Conn. Zantac Âé¶¹´«Ã½suits

    Sanofi-Aventis U.S. LLC on Monday sought to exit nine combined Connecticut lawsuits claiming the heartburn drug ranitidine degraded into a compound that causes cancer, saying it is beyond the state's long-arm statute and that due process guarantees prevent it from being sued in Connecticut.

  • April 28, 2025

    GE, Haier Owe Nearly $3M For Motel Fire, Insurer Says

    An insurer is seeking about $3 million from GE and Haier in connection to a Super 8 motel fire it claims was started by a faulty heating and cooling unit, according to a lawsuit removed to a Texas federal court.

  • April 25, 2025

    Baby Food Maker Keeps Win In Suit Saying It Concealed Toxins

    The Ninth Circuit on Friday affirmed a summary judgment win for California-based Plum Organics, saying in an unpublished opinion that parents who accused the baby food maker of failing to disclose potential toxins in its baby food products didn't sufficiently prove that Plum's products pose an unreasonable safety hazard.

  • April 25, 2025

    PacifiCorp Should Pay $96M To Wildfire Victims, Jury Told

    Nine plaintiffs who fled from wildfires started by PacifiCorp's negligence should get $95.5 million in noneconomic damages, an Oregon state jury heard in closing arguments Friday, while PacifiCorp's lawyer told the jury to focus on what the evidence actually supports and award roughly $2.2 million in that category.

  • April 25, 2025

    $2.1B Verdict 'Poisoned' By Omitted Evidence, Monsanto Says

    Monsanto has asked an Atlanta-area court to undo a more than $2 billion jury verdict awarded to a man who said his cancer was caused by the weedkiller Roundup, arguing that the award is unconstitutional and that the trial was riddled with inadmissible evidence and false testimony.

  • April 25, 2025

    Up Next At High Court: Class Cert., Religious Charter Schools

    The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in five cases this coming week, including in disputes over whether courts can certify classes of plaintiffs when some members haven't suffered an injury and whether students alleging disability discrimination in public schools must meet a higher standard of proof to bring claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

  • April 25, 2025

    Judge Keeps Boeing Fraud Case In Chicago

    An Illinois federal judge said Friday that equity funds accusing Boeing of defrauding investors by downplaying the 737 Max jets' safety flaws after a pair of deadly crashes in 2018 and 2019 must continue to litigate their claims in Chicago instead of having them heard in Virginia.

  • April 25, 2025

    Exxon Can't Use $8.5M Deal To Skirt Pa. Suit, Judge Says

    Exxon Mobil Corp. and ExxonMobil Oil Corp. can't use an $8.5 million settlement from 2012 to escape Pennsylvania's drinking water contamination suit, a New York federal judge has ruled.

  • April 25, 2025

    Hemp Co. Says Seller Can't Pass Buck On Pot Arrest

    A hemp company and its affiliates are urging a Wisconsin federal court to throw out a seller's claim that his shop was raided and he was convicted of drug possession because their products were falsely labeled as legal hemp, saying that the complaint fails to show the products had anything to do with the arrest.

  • April 25, 2025

    Father Trapped In Tesla During Fatal Fire, Family Claims

    The family of a father who died while trapped inside his Tesla Model 3 as it "spontaneously combusted and erupted into fire" is suing the automaker in California state court, claiming it was aware its doors would malfunction during a fire but hid that from consumers.

Expert Analysis

  • Consider The Impact Of Election Stress On Potential Jurors

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    For at least the next few months, potential jurors may be working through anger and distrust stemming from the presidential election, and trial attorneys will need to assess whether those jurors are able to leave their political concerns at the door, says Ken Broda-Bahm at Persuasion Strategies.

  • How Judiciary Can Minimize AI Risks In Secondary Sources

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    Because courts’ standing orders on generative artificial intelligence and other safeguards do not address the risk of hallucinations in secondary source materials, the judiciary should consider enlisting legal publishers and database hosts to protect against AI-generated inaccuracies, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert & Wohl.

  • Newly Acquired Information Can Be Key In Drug Label Cases

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    The question of whether federal law preempts state law claims is often central in pharmaceutical labeling cases, like the Fosamax litigation now before the Third Circuit — but parties must also consider whether there is newly acquired information to justify submitting a proposed labeling change in the first place, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

  • How Attorneys Can Break Free From Career Enmeshment

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    Ambitious attorneys can sometimes experience career enmeshment — when your sense of self-worth becomes unhealthily tangled up in your legal vocation — but taking the time to discover and realign with your core personal values can help you recover your identity, says Janna Koretz at Azimuth Psychological.

  • Âé¶¹´«Ã½yers With Disabilities Are Seeking Equity, Not Pity

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    Attorneys living with disabilities face extra challenges — including the need for special accommodations, the fear of stigmatization and the risk of being tokenized — but if given equitable opportunities, they can still rise to the top of their field, says Kate Reder Sheikh, a former attorney and legal recruiter at Major Lindsey & Africa.

  • Opinion

    Judicial Committee Best Venue For Litigation Funding Rules

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    The Advisory Committee on Civil Rules' recent decision to consider developing a rule for litigation funding disclosure is a welcome development, ensuring that the result will be the product of a thorough, inclusive and deliberative process that appropriately balances all interests, says Stewart Ackerly at Statera Capital.

  • Fluoride Ruling Charts Path To Bypass EPA Risk Evaluations

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    A California federal court's recent ruling in Food and Water Watch v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ordering the agency to address the public health risks of fluoridated drinking water, establishes a road map for other citizen petitioners to bypass the EPA's formal risk evaluation process, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • The Strategic Advantages Of Appointing A Âé¶¹´«Ã½ Firm CEO

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    The impact on law firms of the recent CrowdStrike outage underscores that the business of law is no longer merely about providing supplemental support for legal practice — and helps explain why some law firms are appointing dedicated, full-time CEOs to navigate the challenges of the modern legal landscape, says Jennifer Johnson at Calibrate Strategies.

  • 7 Tips To Help Your Witness Be A Cross-Exam Heavyweight

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    Because jurors tend to pay a little more attention to cross-examination, attorneys should train their witnesses to strike a balance — making it tough for opposing counsel to make their side’s case, without coming across as difficult to the jury, says Ken Broda-Bahm at Persuasion Strategies.

  • Series

    Beekeeping Makes Me A Better Âé¶¹´«Ã½yer

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    The practice of patent law and beekeeping are not typically associated, but taking care of honeybees has enriched my legal practice by highlighting the importance of hands-on experience, continuous learning, mentorship and more, says David Longo at Oblon McClelland.

  • Useful Product Doctrine May Not Shield Against PFAS Liability

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    Courts have recognized that companies transferring hazardous recycled materials can defeat liability under environmental laws by showing they were selling a useful product — but new laws in California and elsewhere restricting the sale of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances may change the legal landscape, says Kyle Girouard at Dickinson Wright.

  • Opinion

    Legal Institutions Must Warn Against Phony Election Suits

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    With two weeks until the election, bar associations and courts have an urgent responsibility to warn lawyers about the consequences of filing unsubstantiated lawsuits claiming election fraud, says Elise Bean at the Carl Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy.

  • How Cos. Can Build A Strong In-House Pro Bono Program

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    During this year’s pro bono celebration week, companies should consider some key pointers to grow and maintain a vibrant in-house program for attorneys to provide free legal services for the public good, says Mary Benton at Alston & Bird.

  • Series

    Home Canning Makes Me A Better Âé¶¹´«Ã½yer

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    Making my own pickles and jams requires seeing a process through from start to finish, as does representing clients from the start of a dispute at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board through any appeals to the Federal Circuit, says attorney Kevin McNish.

  • Navigating The Bankruptcy Terrain After Purdue Pharma

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s June ruling in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma is having a significant impact on bankruptcies, with recent cases addressing nonconsensual third-party releases and opt-out mechanisms, and highlighting strategies practitioners can employ to avoid running afoul of the decision, say Brett Axelrod and Agostino Zammiello at Fox Rothschild.

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