Injury & Accident Law

Lawyer Raps ‘Paralyzed’ Client, Opposing Counsel

A lawyer whose medical malpractice client claimed paralysis, then was caught on videotape walking with a cane, questions why defense lawyers waited almost two years to disclose the tape. John K. Lawlor of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., had harsh words in an interview with the Daily Business Review for both his…

Apr 26, 2007 12:33 PM CDT

Punitives Low in Ford Rollover Case

A jury awarded only $42,000 in punitive damages yesterday in an SUV rollover case after finding Ford Motor Co. liable for millions of dollars in compensatory damages. Plaintiff Rebekah Zakrocki, who was paralyzed in the accident, was awarded about $7 million in compensatory damages, the New Jersey Law Journal reports.…

Apr 19, 2007 12:50 PM CDT

Acne Drug Maker on Trial in Midwest

The first trial against the maker of acne drug Accutane opens today in Madison County, Ill., the National Law Journal reports. Jason Christopher Peipert claims Accutane caused him to develop Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel disease. He is also suing his physician. Piepert is one of nearly 500 plaintiffs who…

Apr 16, 2007 3:09 PM CDT

Pesticide Company Settles Sterility Suit

One of three defendants has settled a lawsuit that claimed an agricultural pesticide caused sterility in workers at Nicaraguan banana plantations, the Los Angeles Times reports. Amvac Chemical Corp. of Newport Beach, Calif., will pay $300,000 to settle the case. It denies any wrongdoing. Other defendants are Dow Chemical Co.…

Apr 16, 2007 2:24 PM CDT

$1 Billion Diet Drug Case Settles

Houston plaintiffs lawyer John O’Quinn has settled a case against the makers of a diet drug that originally resulted in a $1 billion verdict, Texas Lawyer reports. The agreement means dismissal of a pending appeal that would have considered whether the state’s cap on punitive damages limited recovery. The law…

Apr 16, 2007 12:50 PM CDT

Vioxx Ruling Expected to Favor Merck

A Texas judge is expected to dismiss a Vioxx case on Monday, an action that could affect 1,000 cases filed against the painkiller’s manufacturer in the state, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Apr 13, 2007 4:26 PM CDT

Estates Wrangle Over Rights to O.J. Simpson Book

The estates of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman both seek the rights to O.J. Simpson’s book, If I Did It. The book, which has not been published, describes how the killings of O.J. Simpson’s ex-wife and her friend Goldman might have been carried out. O.J. Simpson was acquitted of…

Apr 13, 2007 3:41 PM CDT

Widow Sues Over Husband’s Dead Body

A federal lawsuit claims the body of an airline passenger who died in the restroom during a flight wasn’t found until the Chicago cleaning crew began work. The passenger, 66-year-old Taisuke Matsuo, apparently died of a heart attack on the 2005 American Airlines flight. The suit by his wife seeks…

Apr 12, 2007 3:15 PM CDT

$101 Million Settlement OK’d in Casino Collapse

A New Jersey judge has approved a $101 million settlement of a lawsuit filed in the collapse of a parking garage at an Atlantic City casino. Four workers were killed and 36 others were injured when the garage at the Tropicana Casino Resort collapsed during construction in 2003, the Associated…

Apr 12, 2007 2:07 PM CDT

Clergy Sex Abuse Claims Dropping

A report by the Roman Catholic Church says sex abuse claims against clergy dropped in 2006 for the second consecutive year. Last year the church had 714 abuse claims, down from 783 in 2005 and 1,092 in 2004, the Associated Press reports. Costs related to abuse cases also declined by…

Apr 11, 2007 2:44 PM CDT