Injury & Accident Law

Dole Gets Legal Fees as Calif. Judge Details Attorneys’ Fraud on Court

Finding that United States and Nicaraguan counsel for plaintiff banana workers participated in a fraud on a California court, Judge Victoria Chaney today ordered that all defendants be reimbursed for their legal costs. The as-yet-undetermined fees award to Dole Food Company, Inc. and Dow Chemical Co., among other defendants, comes…

Jun 18, 2009 12:21 AM CDT

Dole Lawyer Doesn’t Like ‘Bananas’ or Starring Lawyer’s Recusal Motion

A lawyer accused of encouraging impoverished Nicaraguan men to fake claims of sterility in lawsuits against Dole food company is going on the offensive and provoking the ire of his courtroom opponent. Los Angeles lawyer Juan Dominguez claims the judge who reported his alleged fraud to federal prosecutors and state…

Jun 17, 2009 3:30 PM CDT

Paraplegic Ferry Victim OK with Paying Lawyer $2.5M in Additional Fees

A former fish market worker who was paralyzed in the 2003 Staten Island Ferry crash really liked his lawyer—and doesn’t mind giving him an extra $2.5 million. Testifying Wednesday, James McMillan told a federal magistrate in Brooklyn that he doesn’t support a judge’s ruling reducing his lawyer’s cut from one-third…

Jun 5, 2009 1:49 PM CDT

Bingo Melee Shot for New Movie Sparks New Litigation for ‘Borat’ Actor & Studio

A new reality-based movie in which observers react to the outlandish antics of Borat actor Sacha Baron Cohen is creating work for defense lawyers even before its scheduled July 10 release date. Claiming that she was disabled during a struggle for a microphone at a California bingo tournament after Baron…

Jun 5, 2009 12:46 AM CDT

Sonnenschein Partner Sued for Accident Caused by His Runaway Car

A Sonnenschein partner is facing a lawsuit by a 7-year-old girl and her mother alleging his Lexus ran into them after he tried to park in front of a California grocery store to buy Girl Scout cookies. The suit claims lawyer Paul Glad, a litigator who chairs the insurance group…

Jun 4, 2009 2:45 PM CDT

Bypassing Arguments, High Court Tosses $5M Verdict in Fear-of-Cancer Case

In a per curiam opinion issued without oral arguments or full briefing, the U.S. Supreme Court has overturned a $5 million verdict because the trial court refused to instruct the jury on the standards for awarding damages for fear of cancer. The plaintiff, former CSX Corp. railroad worker Thurston Hensley,…

Jun 1, 2009 4:04 PM CDT

Obama Pre-emption Rollback Is Last Nail in Coffin for Policy, Expert Says

President Obama has ordered federal agencies and departments to strike pre-emption language from regulations unless it can be legally justified, a move that has won applause from trial lawyers. The Bush administration had encouraged federal agencies to assert that their regulations pre-empted state laws on the same subject, the Wall…

May 21, 2009 4:55 PM CDT

Calif. Worker Lawsuit Accuses Costco of False Imprisonment

A class action lawsuit filed today against Costco Wholesale Corp. contends the national retailer has a routine store-closing policy that not only allegedly violates California labor laws but amounts to false imprisonment. Filed in San Diego County Superior Court, the suit seeks injunctive relief and $50 million in damages from…

May 16, 2009 1:10 AM CDT

Teflon Suit Dropped After Judge Denies Class Certification

A lawsuit claiming Teflon cookware poses a health risk was dismissed after plaintiffs lawyers failed in their bid to win class certification. The suit contended that a chemical used in the Teflon manufacturing process releases toxic particles when heated during cooking, the Associated Press reports. If successful, the suit could…

May 13, 2009 2:42 PM CDT

Woman Sues Wal-Mart Over Alleged Encounter With ‘Norman,’ a Nutria

A lawsuit filed by a Louisiana woman over foot injuries she allegedly suffered while shopping at her local Wal-Mart store has made international headlines because of the claimed cause of the action: Norman the Nutria. Rebecca White says in her lawsuit that she was pushing a full shopping cart when…

May 8, 2009 7:12 PM CDT

Would-Be Client Wins $2.2M Verdict in Law Office Chair-Collapse Case

Robert Friedrich went to Fetterman & Associates in 2003 seeking representation in an auto accident case. But after his chair collapsed in a conference room at the North Palm Beach, Fla., law firm he wound up with a new tort claim. A Palm Beach County jury yesterday awarded Friedrich and…

May 7, 2009 11:29 PM CDT

Taking Kids to Work Sparks Lawsuit, as Fla. Jail Guards Reportedly Stun Several

Updated: At least one parent of a Florida schoolchild has sued over “Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day,” after guards at three separate state prisons zapped visiting children with electronic stun guns on April 24 to demonstrate how they worked. The Florida Department of Corrections has acknowledged the…

May 7, 2009 8:15 PM CDT

Judge Blasts Law Firm for ‘Grisly Game of Asbestos Litigation’

A Los Angeles judge has blasted an asbestos litigation firm for refiling a Texas case in California where the standards for a defendant to obtain summary judgment are more exacting. Judge Aurelio Munoz said such tactics are a “waste of the court’s time,” the National Law Journal reports. Munoz said…

May 7, 2009 11:24 AM CDT

Vroom! Biker Barristers Rev Up for Motorcycle Cases

Getting laid off from a general-practice position redirected attorney Sy Nazif into what turned out to be a dream job. Although he keeps a suit in his Southern California law office, he’s likely to walk in wearing a leather biker jacket. And standard work hours don’t begin much before noon…

May 5, 2009 6:44 PM CDT

Crewman Sues Over Ship Safety in High-Profile Piracy Case

His ship’s high-profile story had a relatively happy ending, except for the alleged pirates accused of taking the American captain hostage near Somalia. But the chief steward has nonetheless filed suit in Harris County, Texas, contending that the owners of the U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama freighter didn’t do enough to keep…

Apr 27, 2009 11:39 PM CDT