Will Chinese Drywall Plaintiffs Collect? One Company Settles, Another Contests Jurisdiction

Two recent rulings favor plaintiffs suing over allegedly defective Chinese drywall, but the possibility of eventual collection from the foreign manufacturer is unclear. The rulings—one last month by a federal judge in Louisiana and the other on Aug. 31 by a Florida state judge—found that U.S. courts had jurisdiction, the…

Oct 15, 2012 12:42 PM CDT

‘Flame Arrester’ at Issue in Gas Can Litigation; Was It Lawsuit Abuse?

Abusive lawsuits are blamed for the shutdown of gas can manufacturer Blitz USA in an ad by the Institute for Legal Reform. The ad shows plant employees in Oklahoma who lost their jobs and invites viewers to visit FacesofLawsuitAbuse.com to learn how in-house lawyers ranked states for their business legal…

Oct 9, 2012 10:59 AM CDT

Judge Approves $37.5M FEMA Trailer Settlement

A $37.5 million class-action settlement involving FEMA trailers with high formaldehyde levels was approved today by a New Orleans federal judge. Approximately 55,000 individuals, who lost their homes during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, will be eligible for the payment, the Associated Press reports. Government tests performed on the trailers found…

Sep 27, 2012 9:25 PM CDT

Attractive Nuisance? When Fun Factor Overshadows Risk, Lawsuits Are Sure to Follow

Apr 1, 2012 5:30 AM CDT

Can Cop Get Emotional Distress Damages for Spit on Burger? 9th Circuit Seeks Wash. Opinion

A federal appeals court has asked the Washington Supreme Court for its opinion on whether state product liability law allows a police officer to recover emotional distress damages caused when he found a glob of spit on a Whopper. Sheriff’s Deputy Edward Bylsma of Clark County claims he checked out…

Jan 12, 2012 2:16 PM CST

Family Sues American Airlines After Man Eats International Flight Meal and Dies

A 73-year-old Florida man contacted food poisoning and died shortly eating an in-flight meal on American Airlines, according to his family, and they recently filed a lawsuit against the carrier in the U.S. District Court in Miami. Othon Cortes was flying from Barcelona to New York when he ate a…

Dec 2, 2011 4:15 PM CST

Research on Junk Foods and Addiction Could Lead to Tobacco-Type Litigation, Yale Prof Says

Processed foods that contain high sugar and fat and little in the way of nutrients could be changing the brain in a way that resembles addiction, some researchers believe. The findings are leading Yale psychology and public health professor Kelly Brownell to suggest food companies could face lawsuits similar to…

Nov 3, 2011 12:49 PM CDT

Judge Slashes $4.7M Fee Request in Prius Headlight Case, Calls Amount ‘Highly Unreasonable’

Lawyers who obtained a class-action settlement valued at more than $3.8 million in a Prius headlight suit won’t get anywhere near the $4.7 million they requested in attorney fees, according to the federal judge presiding in the case. U.S. District Judge Manuel Real of Los Angeles called the request “highly…

Oct 18, 2011 12:07 PM CDT

Miss. Supreme Court Removes Judge from $322M Asbestos Case Because of Dad’s Lawsuits

The Mississippi Supreme Court has ordered the recusal of a judge who presided over an asbestos trial that resulted in a $322 million award for the plaintiffs. The court ordered Judge Eddie Bowen of Smith County to recuse himself after the defendant, Union Carbide, said in a motion that the…

Oct 7, 2011 12:33 PM CDT

Birth Control Pills Are Recalled Over Packaging Error That Could Lead to Pregnancy

A pharmaceutical company is recalling certain lots of its birth control pills over a packaging error that leaves women at risk for unplanned pregnancies. The recall was announced last week after the company, Qualitest Pharmaceuticals, discovered that select blisters in some of its packaging were rotated 180 degrees, which had…

Sep 29, 2011 9:10 PM CDT

Suit Says Defect in Cruise Control May Have Sparked Blaze that Destroyed Trailer Home

A Chicago-area woman claims in a lawsuit that the cruise control system in a parked Ford F-150 may have started a blaze that burned down her family’s trailer home. The suit, filed on behalf of Guadalupe Mendez of Aurora, Ill., claims a flaw in the truck’s cruise control may have…

Sep 27, 2011 11:00 AM CDT

FDA to Review Safety of Osteoporosis Drugs as Lawsuit Begins in Bellwether Trial

The Food and Drug Administration is expected to review the safety of osteoporosis drugs taken over the long-term amid growing concerns about side effects. The drugs, known as bisphosphonates, add bone mass by inhibiting a bone renewal process called resorption, the New York Times reports. The fear is that long-term…

Sep 6, 2011 5:02 PM CDT

Perry Nomination Could Motivate Trial Lawyers to Spend Big Bucks on Obama

Trial lawyers are already gearing up to oppose Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry. The Texas governor presided over several rounds of tort reform, and that makes him unpopular with the trial bar, Politico reports. “Among litigators, there is no presidential candidate who inspires the same level of hatred—and fear—as Perry,”…

Aug 22, 2011 4:37 PM CDT

Suits Claim Skechers Shape-ups Cause Injuries, Are Fraudulently Marketed

A Illinois woman is the latest plaintiff to file a suit claiming her Skechers Shape-ups are a dangerous product. The suit (PDF) was filed on behalf of Theresa Croak of suburban Chicago by Kentucky-based law firm Schachter, Hendy & Johnson, according to The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times. Croak…

Aug 15, 2011 4:08 PM CDT

Nexgen Defamation Suits Amount to Scare Tactics, Say Targets

Plaintiff lawyers with product liability cases against knee replacement manufacturer Zimmer Holdings Inc. are getting hit with cease-and-desist letters from company, which claims the attorneys’ Internet writings and television advertisements distort the product’s safety record. The company faces 78 product liability actions over its artificial knee product known as NexGen…

Aug 8, 2011 3:35 PM CDT