Product Liability

  • February 04, 2025

    Walmart's Win In Fatal Shooting Suit Backed By Calif. Court

    A California state appellate court on Tuesday upheld a defense verdict for Walmart in a suit accusing the retailer of negligently storing handgun ammunition that purportedly allowed a man to steal several boxes and go on a crime spree, killing two people.

  • February 04, 2025

    Meta Can't Be Sued For Church Mass Shooting, 4th Circ. Says

    The Fourth Circuit ruled Tuesday that Meta can't be held liable for allegedly aiding in the radicalization of the shooter who killed nine people at a South Carolina church in 2015, saying a federal law granting immunity to third-party internet content providers applies to the claims.

  • February 04, 2025

    'Every Breath' A 'Struggle' For Lyondell Leak Worker, Jury Told

    A lung specialist told a Houston jury Tuesday that he would be "surprised" if the only surviving repairman who worked on a leak at a Texas LyondellBasell plant lived longer than 15 years without major medical intervention due to his chemical exposure four years ago.

  • February 04, 2025

    Calif. Women Drops Bindle Bottle Suit Over Lead

    A maker of water bottles will not have to face an Oakland woman's lawsuit accusing it of selling products with high levels of lead after a California federal judge approved a request by both sides to permanently dismiss her claims.

  • February 04, 2025

    Carcinogenic Risk Unknown When BI Owned Zantac, Jury Hears

    Boehringer Ingelheim didn't test whether the active ingredient in its over-the-counter Zantac was degrading into a carcinogenic compound because those risks weren't known when the company owned the drug, Illinois jurors heard Tuesday.

  • February 04, 2025

    Pushing The Envelope In Climate Law: Murder Charges

    Climate change legal advocates are pointing to wildfires in Los Angeles, hurricanes in the Southeast and a regulation-averse presidential administration as evidence that local prosecutors should begin going after fossil fuel companies with criminal charges — up to and including homicide.

  • February 04, 2025

    Norfolk Southern Hit With 'Toxic Nightmare' Derailment Suit

    Hundreds of Ohio and Pennsylvania residents affected by the fallout of the Feb. 3, 2023, Norfolk Southern train derailment have accused the rail company, government agencies and several businesses of downplaying the ongoing harm of the incident, marking one of the latest lawsuits filed on or near the two-year milestone.

  • February 04, 2025

    Another Cannabis Biz Faces THC Potency Suit In Illionis

    Ascend Wellness Holdings is the latest cannabis company to be sued by a putative class of customers in Illinois state court claiming its vape products contain more THC than is allowed under the state's cannabis law.

  • February 04, 2025

    Auto Cos., Mass. AG Make Final Case In 'Right To Repair' Fight

    The stagnated four-year battle over a Massachusetts law requiring vehicle manufacturers to provide open access to vehicle telematics software saw its final salvos Tuesday as attorneys for an automotive industry group and the state clashed over the merits of the federal preemption case.

  • February 04, 2025

    6th Circ. Urged To Back $600M Train Derailment Deal

    Norfolk Southern and East Palestine, Ohio, residents defended a $600 million class settlement in Sixth Circuit briefs Monday, saying the deal provides meaningful relief to people and businesses impacted by a 2023 train derailment and release of toxic chemicals.

  • February 04, 2025

    Boeing Supplier Tells 5th Circ. To Ax Texas Biz Records Law

    Boeing supplier Spirit AeroSystems Inc. cited U.S. Supreme Court precedent in urging the Fifth Circuit to uphold a lower court finding that a Texas statute requiring businesses to immediately comply with the state's demand to examine business records is facially unconstitutional.

  • February 04, 2025

    Trial Atty, Ex-Rep. Sister And Son Trio Start San Diego PI Firm

    A longtime San Diego trial attorney is teaming up with his son and his sister, a former California congresswoman, to start a new law firm focused on personal injury, business and mass tort law, the firm said Monday.

  • February 04, 2025

    Meta Attacks Insurers' Bid To Remand Social Media MDL Row

    Meta asked a Delaware federal court to postpone ruling on its insurers' request to remand a dispute over coverage for thousands of suits alleging harm from the company's social media platforms, saying the action will likely soon be transferred to multidistrict litigation in California alongside the underlying claims.

  • February 04, 2025

    Party-Line Vote Sends Kennedy's HHS Nomination To Senate

    Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s nomination to be the nation's top healthcare official cleared a key confirmation hurdle on Tuesday, setting the stage for the anti-vaccine lawyer and activist to take the helm of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

  • February 03, 2025

    Boeing Slams Funds' Bid To Bump 737 Max Fraud Suit To Va.

    Boeing has told an Illinois federal judge that equity funds suing the American aerospace giant for allegedly defrauding investors by downplaying the 737 Max jets' safety flaws following a pair of deadly crashes in 2018 and 2019 shouldn't be allowed to forum-shop by moving their suit to Virginia.

  • February 03, 2025

    DOJ's LA Fitness ADA Suit May Be 'Inadequate,' Judge Says

    A California federal judge expressed doubts Monday about the U.S. Department of Justice's lawsuit alleging that LA Fitness failed to accommodate patrons with disabilities and said the court so far finds the pleadings to be "inadequate" in arguing there is a "pattern and practice" of discrimination.

  • February 03, 2025

    DOJ Poised To Prosecute Threat-Makers Against DOGE

    A federal prosecutor appointed by President Donald Trump offered Elon Musk his office's support to "protect" the work of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency headed by the billionaire businessman, including "legal action against anyone who impedes your work or threatens your people."

  • February 03, 2025

    Zantac's Discoloration Merely 'Cosmetic,' Boehringer Rep Says

    A Boehringer Ingelheim corporate representative testified Monday that the company considered changes to the color of its over-the-counter Zantac heartburn drug as no more than a harmless "cosmetic" abnormality, as the pills were consistently tested as safe to take.

  • February 03, 2025

    QBE Insurance, Walmart Cite Pending Opioid Appeal In Ark.

    Walmart Corp. and a fleet of insurers notified Delaware's Supreme Court Monday that they are awaiting an Arkansas Court of Appeals hearing on challenges to a lower court's finding that Walmart is entitled to excess coverage for state and local government insurance suits arising from the opioid epidemic.

  • February 03, 2025

    Baby Sock Co. Inks $3.5M Deal In Investor's FDA Approval Suit

    Investors suing digital baby monitoring device manufacturer Owlet Inc. have asked a California federal court to preliminarily approve a $3.5 million deal to settle claims the company misled investors about approvals required from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to sell its "smart socks."

  • February 03, 2025

    Yacht Building Co. Faces Sanctions For Hiding Hoist Failure

    A Washington federal judge has said yacht builder Delta Marine Industries owed sanctions over its failure to provide access to parts related to a boat hoist that failed during the launch of a yacht in a $3.4 million dispute between Lloyd's syndicates, underwriters and a Seattle boat builder.

  • February 03, 2025

    Child Porn Victims Urge 9th Circ. To Revive Claims Against X

    Child sex trafficking survivors urged the Ninth Circuit on Monday to revive allegations that X Corp. defectively designed its platform and knowingly benefited from sex trafficking when it refused to remove pornographic videos of the 13-year-old boys, arguing that X isn't shielded under Section 230.

  • February 03, 2025

    Tesla Says Judge DQ Bid In Crash Suit Arrived On Time

    Tesla Inc. has doubled down on its bid to disqualify a California federal judge from an accident case over his prior law firm's work, rejecting the plaintiff's argument that the automaker filed the motion too late.

  • February 03, 2025

    Law Firm Involved In Talc Fee Fight Seeks To Arbitrate Claim

    The Smith Law Firm PLLC is urging an Alabama federal judge to compel arbitration of a cross-claim that Porter Malouf brought against it amid a lawsuit over an agreement the two firms and the Beasley Allen Law Firm entered to represent plaintiffs in litigation over Johnson & Johnson's tainted talcum powder.

  • January 31, 2025

    Justices Implored To Consider Tipster Medical Device Row

    A nonprofit formed by Gretchen Carlson, a former Fox News anchor who has advocated against forced arbitration after suing the network's chairman for harassment, has urged the U.S. Supreme Court to consider a whistleblower's challenge to an arbitration award given to a medical device company in a trade secrets dispute.

Expert Analysis

  • Mich. Whistleblower Ruling Expands Retaliation Remedies

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    The Michigan Supreme Court's recent Occupational Health and Safety Act decision in Stegall v. Resource Technology is important because it increases the potential exposure for defendants in public policy retaliation cases, providing plaintiffs with additional claims, say Aaron Burrell and Timothy Howlett at Dickinson Wright.

  • A Preview Of AI Priorities Under The Next President

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    For the first time in a presidential election, both of the leading candidates and their parties have been vocal about artificial intelligence policy, offering clues on the future of regulation as AI continues to advance and congressional action continues to stall, say attorneys at Mintz.

  • Opinion

    Big Oil Climate Ruling Sets Dangerous Liability Precedent

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    The recent Maryland court dismissal of Baltimore's case seeking to hold BP responsible for climate damage mischaracterized the city's injuries as divorced from the conduct that caused them, and could allow companies that conceal the dangers of their products to escape liability, says Randall Abate at George Washington University Law School.

  • Opinion

    3rd. Circ. Got It Right On Cancer Warning Claims Preemption

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    The Third Circuit's recent, eminently sensible ruling in a failure-to-warn case against Roundup manufacturer Monsanto, holding that the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act preempts state law claims, provides a road map that other courts should adopt, says Lawrence Ebner at the Atlantic Legal Foundation.

  • How Methods Are Evolving In Textualist Interpretations

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    Textualists at the U.S. Supreme Court are increasingly considering new methods such as corpus linguistics and surveys to evaluate what a statute's text communicates to an ordinary reader, while lower courts even mull large language models like ChatGPT as supplements, says Kevin Tobia at Georgetown Law.

  • 5 Ways To Confront Courtroom Technology Challenges

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    Recent cybersecurity incidents highlight the vulnerabilities of our reliance on digital infrastructure, meaning attorneys must be prepared to navigate technological obstacles inside the courtroom, including those related to data security, presentation hardware, video playback and more, says Adam Bloomberg at IMS Legal Strategies.

  • The State Law Landscape After Justices' Social Media Ruling

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    Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent NetChoice ruling on social media platforms’ First Amendment rights, it’s still unclear if state content moderation laws are constitutional, leaving online operators to face a patchwork of regulation, and the potential for the issue to return to the high court, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • Why Attorneys Should Consider Community Leadership Roles

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    Volunteering and nonprofit board service are complementary to, but distinct from, traditional pro bono work, and taking on these community leadership roles can produce dividends for lawyers, their firms and the nonprofit causes they support, says Katie Beacham at Kilpatrick.

  • Firms Must Offer A Trifecta Of Services In Post-Chevron World

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    After the U.S. Supreme Court’s Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo decision overturning Chevron deference, law firms will need to integrate litigation, lobbying and communications functions to keep up with the ramifications of the ruling and provide adequate counsel quickly, says Neil Hare at Dentons.

  • 5 Tips To Succeed In A Master Of Laws Program And Beyond

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    As lawyers and recent law school graduates begin their Master of Laws coursework across the country, they should keep a few pointers in mind to get the most out of their programs and kick-start successful careers in their practice areas, says Kelley Miller at Reed Smith.

  • When Trauma Colors Testimony: How To Help Witnesses

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    As stress-related mental health issues continue to rise, trial attorneys must become familiar with a few key trauma-informed strategies to help witnesses get back on track — leaning in to the counselor aspect of their vocations, say Ava Hernández and Steve Wood at Courtroom Sciences.

  • Series

    Being An Opera Singer Made Me A Better Lawyer

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    My journey from the stage to the courtroom has shown that the skills I honed as an opera singer – punctuality, memorization, creativity and more – have all played a vital role in my success as an attorney, says Gerard D'Emilio at GableGotwals.

  • What Cos. Need to Know About Battery Labeling Law

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    With new labeling requirements for button cell battery packaging taking effect in September, manufacturers and importers must review compliance, testing procedures, and necessary paperwork as the consequences of noncompliance can lead to costly penalties and supply chain woes, says Aasheesh Shravah at CM Law.

  • How Law Firms Can Avoid 'Collaboration Drag'

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    Law firm decision making can be stifled by “collaboration drag” — characterized by too many pointless meetings, too much peer feedback and too little dissent — but a few strategies can help stakeholders improve decision-making processes and build consensus, says Steve Groom at Miles Mediation.

  • When The Supreme Court Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade

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    Instead of grousing about the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decisions overturning long-standing precedents, attorneys should look to history for examples of how enterprising legal minds molded difficult decisions to their advantage, and figure out how to work with the cards they’ve been dealt, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

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