Injury & Accident Law

New Indictment of Fen-phen Lawyers Adds Charges, Seeks $50M More

A new indictment against two lawyers accused of defrauding their fen-phen clients adds new charges and seeks $50 million more in forfeiture. The lawyers, William Gallion and Shirley Cunningham Jr., were tried in Kentucky this summer on a single charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. A mistrial was declared…

Sep 5, 2008 3:53 PM CDT

Fangs a Lot

Couple—Howling Mad After Being Hung Up Above Zoo Denizens During Roaring Storm—File Lawsuit with Teeth

Sep 1, 2008 1:05 PM CDT

$1.55B in Fees is Enough, Judge Rules in Vioxx Case

A federal judge has capped fees in the $4.85 billion Vioxx settlement at 32 percent. U.S. District Judge Elden Fallon of New Orleans said the usual contingency award ranges from 33.3 percent to 40 percent, but in this case the capped fees are not “a paltry award,” the Associated Press…

Aug 28, 2008 4:33 PM CDT

Joe Biden & Relatives Have Ties to Asbestos Law Firm

An Illinois law firm that specializes in plaintiffs asbestos litigation reportedly has close ties with Sen. Joe Biden, the expected running mate of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, and several of Biden’s relatives. A brother and son of Biden obtained a $1 million investment from SimmonsCooper in 2006, which…

Aug 27, 2008 11:07 PM CDT

Clean & Sober, Yet Convicted & Jailed

George Damaa doesn’t remember the accident that put him in the hospital in a coma, with multiple injuries, and killed three other people, including his girlfriend, in 1995. He apparently hadn’t been speeding, or drinking or doing drugs, and had a clean driving record and no criminal background. Although there…

Aug 25, 2008 8:12 PM CDT

Pastor’s Wife Didn’t Assault Flight Attendant, Houston Jury Decides

Defended by a high-profile Houston trial lawyer in the trial of a Continental Airlines flight attendant’s lawsuit claiming that she had been assaulted by the wife of a well-known televangelist, Victoria Osteen exclaimed “Thank you Jesus!” yesterday as she learned that the jury had believed her side of the story.…

Aug 15, 2008 5:27 PM CDT

W. Va. Governor Reportedly Got DuPont’s Help Before Filing Amicus Brief

DuPont lawyers accommodated a request by West Virginia’s governor by supplying two draft briefs that he could use for the state’s amicus brief urging the state supreme court to hear a case involving the company, the New York Times reports. The brief urges the supreme court to hear an appeal…

Aug 13, 2008 3:15 PM CDT

Dallas Trial Lawyer Paid John Edwards’ Mistress to Relocate

Dallas trial lawyer Fred Baron says he paid John Edwards’ mistress to leave North Carolina so she could stop being hounded by the tabloids. Baron was the chairman of Edwards’ presidential campaign finance committee, but he said he used his own money to finance the move, the Dallas Morning News…

Aug 11, 2008 2:25 PM CDT

Calif. Appeals Court Rebukes Judge for Allowing Affair Evidence in Tire Case

Reversing a jury verdict for the defendant tire manufacturer that it described as resulting from a “miscarriage of justice,” a California appeals court rebuked the trial judge for allowing into evidence information about the plaintiff’s alleged extracurricular activities. “The now-retired superior court judge, David Workman, allowed Michelin to introduce evidence…

Aug 8, 2008 6:24 PM CDT

‘Cognitive Traps’ Ensnare Judges Taking Instant Survey

Judges and lawyers taking an instant survey with handheld devices Friday learned a disappointing lesson: Their decision-making is likely subject to errors and biases. The findings don’t square with the group’s self-confidence. Sixty-five percent of those attending the ABA Annual Meeting session said they were better than average at predicting…

Aug 8, 2008 3:29 PM CDT

Order Raises Question: Did Bextra and Celebrex Cases Settle?

A federal judge’s order is leading to speculation that Pfizer has quietly settled several of 3,000 pending cases claiming injuries from the painkillers Bextra and Celebrex. On Friday, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer of San Francisco ordered a law firm handling 250 of those cases to submit detailed information to…

Aug 4, 2008 12:56 PM CDT

Unhappy Ending

Spirited Performance, Poorly Aimed Heel Ensure That Patron Pays for Lap Dance in More Ways than One

Aug 1, 2008 4:42 PM CDT

Thong or Slingshot?

Woman Sues Maker of Sexy Apparel, Claiming Skimpy Undergarment Was an Unintended Eyeful

Aug 1, 2008 1:00 PM CDT

Gibson Dunn Fights ‘Yo-Yo Effect’ in $13M Punitive Damages Case

From $98 million to $20 million to $13.3 million to zero and now back to $13.4 million again, the value of a closely watched Tennessee wrongful death case against an automobile manufacturer has swung back and forth, in what one defense lawyer refers to as a “yo-yo effect.” Now, after…

Jul 29, 2008 7:30 PM CDT

8 Victims Get $11M for Delayed Reporting in Foster Child Sex Abuse Case

Eight foster children, aged 5 to 12, who were sexually abused for an additional 18 months because of delayed follow-up by authorities are to get an $11 million settlement from three government agencies and the convicted abuser’s wife. Although Wendy Young wasn’t charged (her husband, Ronald, was sentenced in 2005…

Jul 10, 2008 9:42 PM CDT