Product Liability

  • February 27, 2025

    Abbott Beats Ill. Customers' Similac Metals Suit

    Similac customers who say Abbott Laboratories illegally failed to warn the public about heavy metals in its infant formula cannot take those claims to trial because they haven't established damages, an Illinois federal judge said Wednesday.

  • February 27, 2025

    Georgia's Outside Funding Regulations Clear State Senate

    The Georgia State Senate unanimously advanced new regulations on third-party litigation funding Thursday as Gov. Brian Kemp's marquee tort reform package continues to march largely unimpeded through the state Legislature.

  • February 27, 2025

    Conn. Firm Windup Fight Belongs In Arbitration, Court Told

    Connecticut attorney Ryan McKeen asked a judge Thursday to pause a derivative lawsuit his onetime 50-50 law partner Andrew Garza brought against him over the dissolution and windup of their firm, arguing that the claims should be heard in arbitration proceedings that were already cleared in a related suit.

  • February 26, 2025

    Mercedes-Benz Drivers Win Class Cert. In Fla. Airbag MDL

    A Florida federal judge overseeing the multidistrict litigation over defective Takata airbags granted certification to several single and multistate class of Mercedes-Benz drivers on Wednesday, finding common issues connect the cases and that they can be efficiently managed in a single trial.

  • February 26, 2025

    Tesla Wins Punitive Damages Appeal In Fla. Fatal Crash Suit

    Tesla Inc. won't face punitive damage claims in a lawsuit accusing it of causing a 2019 crash that killed a Model 3 driver, a Florida appeals court ruled Wednesday, saying the driver's widow failed to prove that the company likely knew its self-driving feature would cause death or great bodily injury.

  • February 26, 2025

    Walmart Injury Suit Wrongly Axed For Fraud, Panel Says

    A Florida state appeals court on Wednesday revived a suit seeking to hold Walmart liable for injuries suffered by a woman who allegedly ate contaminated chicken from the store, saying possible lies the woman told during a deposition didn't warrant dismissal.

  • February 26, 2025

    Driver's Suit Time-Barred Because Alleged Defect Too Obvious

    A supposed defect with a Mercedes-Benz 2016 compact sedan was so apparent that buyers should've been aware of the alleged issue at the time of purchase, a Georgia federal judge has ruled, ending a proposed class action because the driver filed suit too long after he bought the car.

  • February 26, 2025

    Enviro Group Says Chemours Is Dumping PFAS In Ohio River

    A nonprofit has asked a West Virginia federal court to stop Chemours from releasing a "forever chemical" into public drinking water sources along the Ohio River.

  • February 26, 2025

    Wash. Judge Says Officials Are Immune To Energy Code Suit

    A Seattle federal judge has thrown out a building industry coalition's renewed legal challenge to Washington regulations that discourage natural gas appliances in new construction, ruling the state officials named as defendants are protected because they aren't responsible for enforcing the rules.

  • February 26, 2025

    Supreme Court Backs Broad View Of Lawsuit Revival Rule

    Despite fears of "litigation gamesmanship," the U.S. Supreme Court held Wednesday that cases dismissed voluntarily can later be eligible for special judicial relief and reopening, even if a statute of limitations would typically block the lawsuit.

  • February 25, 2025

    YouTube, TikTok Evade Deadly 'Challenge' Video Suit, For Now

    A California magistrate judge has dismissed, for now, parents' product liability proposed class action alleging YouTube's and TikTok's reporting features are defectively designed since they did not result in the removal of deadly "choking challenge" videos, finding the suit does not clearly identify the product in question or its alleged design defect.

  • February 25, 2025

    DC Judge Blocks Trump's Federal Funding Freeze

    A D.C. federal judge on Tuesday issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration from implementing a federal spending freeze while a group of nonprofits challenge the freeze, calling the measure "ill-conceived from the beginning."

  • February 25, 2025

    Sig Sauer Asks 6th Circ. For Second Shot At Expert Ruling

    The full Sixth Circuit should disqualify expert testimony that said gunmaker Sig Sauer Inc. failed to use existing safety features found in rival products when designing its model P320, the pistol at the center of many unintentional discharge lawsuits, according to the company's petition, which alternatively asked the judges to send it to Kentucky's top court.

  • February 25, 2025

    Cannabis Cos. Want THC Potency Suits Consolidated

    About two dozen cannabis companies, including multistate operators like Columbia Care and Acreage, have urged an Illinois federal judge to consolidate a series of "nearly identical" proposed class actions accusing them of mislabeling their products to get around state-mandated THC potency limits, saying "there is no question" the suits "involve the same questions of law and fact."

  • February 25, 2025

    Chicago Escapes Bulk Of Insurer's $26M Willis Tower Suit 

    An Illinois federal judge dismissed the majority of a dozen counts brought by Travelers against the city of Chicago and its water district seeking repayment for $26 million in flood damage to Willis Tower, leaving only common law negligence claims.

  • February 25, 2025

    Kroger Seeks More Sanctions For Prolific Consumer Atty

    Kroger is urging an Illinois federal judge to sanction prolific consumer advocate lawyer Spencer Sheehan for filing a meritless suit over the effectiveness of its lidocaine patches, citing his "history of filing frivolous lawsuits across the nation" and a "troubling pattern of recklessness and abuse of the federal judiciary" for which he has been sanctioned three other times.

  • February 25, 2025

    Calif. Wins Remand Of Exxon Plastic Suit, Green Groups Lose

    California convinced a federal judge to remand to state court its lawsuit alleging Exxon Mobil Corp. is responsible for plastic waste and pollution due to deceptive public messaging about recycling, but environmentalists' similar suit will stay in federal court.

  • February 25, 2025

    Couple, Biotech Co. Jointly Drop Lost Embryos Suit

    A Charlotte couple and the biotechnology company they accused of making a defective oil used for the in vitro fertilization process came together to drop their dispute from North Carolina federal court, ending the prospective parents' wrongful death claims.

  • February 25, 2025

    Purdue Gets Time To Document New $7.4B Ch. 11 Settlement

    Counsel for bankrupt drugmaker Purdue Pharma received approval Tuesday for an extension of a mediation window during which litigation against nondebtors is paused after telling a New York judge that it has reached definitive terms on a new $7.4 billion settlement of opioid claims and needs time to finalize documentation surrounding the deal.

  • February 25, 2025

    Sidley Brings On Dentons Consumer Safety Pros In Calif.

    Sidley Austin LLP continues expanding its West Coast team, announcing it is adding a pair of Dentons consumer products safety litigators as partners in its San Diego and Los Angeles offices. 

  • February 25, 2025

    Wiley Adds Environment And Product Regulation Pro In DC

    Washington, D.C., firm Wiley Rein LLP has expanded its environmental offerings with the addition of a veteran attorney and policy pro.

  • February 25, 2025

    Insurers Owe Chubb $3.3M For Safelite Defense Costs

    Two insurers must contribute $1.65 million each toward costs a Chubb unit incurred defending windshield repair company Safelite against a competitor's suit, an Ohio federal court ruled, finding the pair were not prejudiced by breaches of their policies' notice and voluntary payment provisions.

  • February 25, 2025

    8th Circ. Says Mo. Law Bars $60M Asbestos Coverage Suit

    An Eighth Circuit appeals panel affirmed that an insurer could not make arguments in Missouri federal court regarding payment of over $60 million for asbestos litigation because it had been battling its insured "for years" over the same issues in state court.

  • February 24, 2025

    Injury Attys Sanctioned Over AI-Hallucinated Case Citations

    A Wyoming federal judge overseeing a personal injury lawsuit against Walmart sanctioned the plaintiffs' attorneys from Morgan & Morgan PA and the Goody Law Group after they filed pretrial motions containing case law hallucinated by artificial intelligence, but acknowledged Monday their "remedial steps, transparency and apologetic sentiments."

  • February 24, 2025

    Feds Say Tribe's 'Vague' Claims Won't Save Pipeline Suit

    The federal government on Monday doubled down on its attempt to dismiss the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe's suit seeking to block an energy company from operating part of the Dakota Access Pipeline, saying the D.C. federal court can't grant the relief requested.

Expert Analysis

  • Rethinking Litigation Risk And What It Really Means To Win

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    Attorneys have a tendency to overestimate litigation risk before summary judgment and underestimate risk after it, but an eight-stage litigation framework can clarify risk at different points and help litigators reassess what true success looks like in any particular case, says Joshua Libling at Arcadia Finance.

  • How DOGE's Bite Can Live Up To Its Bark

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    All signs suggest that the Department of Government Efficiency will be an important part of the new Trump administration, with ample tools at its disposal to effectuate change, particularly with an attentive Republican-controlled Congress, say attorneys at K&L Gates.

  • New York Climate Superfund Law May Face Preemption Fight

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    New York state's new climate superfund law highlights a growing trend of states supplementing their climate litigation efforts with legislative initiatives — but it will likely encounter the same federal preemption questions raised about state and local lawsuits seeking redress for climate harms, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

  • 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.

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