Product Liability Law

Jury Awards Punitives in Hormone Case Against Wyeth, But Amount Is Sealed

A Philadelphia jury awarded punitive damages yesterday in Connie Barton’s case over the Prempro hormone replacement therapy marketed by Wyeth. But the amount of the award won’t be known for at least a month, because a judge in the Pennsylvania Common Pleas Court case agreed that the amount would be…

Oct 27, 2009 6:31 PM CDT

Toyota Whistle-Blower Lawyer Is Dogged and ‘Heavily Medicated’

Dimitrios Biller describes himself as an emotional guy. He says he sometimes cried for the plaintiffs who lost lawsuits he defended as an in-house lawyer for Toyota. But plaintiffs lawyers who opposed him in court had another description for him. “People thought on the plaintiff side that he was a…

Oct 22, 2009 3:34 PM CDT

3rd Circuit OKs $567M Legal Bill for Work By 72 Firms on Fen-Phen Case

A $567 million fee awarded by a federal district judge for 350,000 hours of legal work logged by 72 law firms in Fen-Phen diet drug litigation has been approved by the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Rejecting arguments over the cost to plaintiffs who opted out of the complex…

Oct 9, 2009 5:50 PM CDT

To Avoid E. Coli Issues With Hamburger, Some Suppliers Simply Don’t Test

Faced with the potential for a costly recall if their product is found to be contaminated with potentially deadly E. coli bacteria, some companies that supply the meat and fat from multiple sources that is often mixed together to create ground beef as cheaply as possible have found a simple…

Oct 5, 2009 10:53 PM CDT

Urgent Advisory: Remove Floor Mats on Eight Toyota & Lexus Models

As Toyota Motor Corp. plans a huge recall of some 3.8 million vehicles due to loose floor mats that could force the accelerator down, United States transportation officials say owners of eight Toyota and Lexus models manufactured in the last six years should immediately remove the driver’s-side floor mat. Officials…

Sep 29, 2009 10:45 PM CDT

Disclosures by Ex-Toyota Lawyer Spur Ethics Referral

A former lawyer for Toyota who claimed in a lawsuit that the automaker destroyed evidence is at the center of controversy over disclosures about his former employer. A Los Angeles judge has asked the State Bar of California to look into the propriety of disclosures by the lawyer, Dimitrios Biller,…

Sep 29, 2009 4:23 PM CDT

Judge OKs $24M Settlement Against Chrysler in Car Accident Death

A bankruptcy judge in New York has approved a $24 million settlement over a Chrysler longshoreman killed in a California auto accident. A Los Angeles Superior Court jury originally awarded a little more than $55 million to the family of 38-year-old Richard Mraz, who died of head injuries after he…

Sep 24, 2009 11:22 PM CDT

Mass Tort Case Contends Denture Cream Can Be Dangerous

Complaints by 25 individuals from at least 11 states that their denture cream is unduly dangerous are being consolidated into a mass tort case before a federal judge in Miami. The plaintiffs contend that the zinc-containing false tooth adhesive is defective, that they weren’t adequately warned of the risks that…

Sep 18, 2009 9:40 PM CDT

After a Cooling-Off Period for Jurors, Judge Declares Mistrial in Fosamax Case

A federal judge has declared a mistrial in a suit against the makers of Fosamax after jury deliberations turned contentious, resulting in shouting and a deadlock. Paul Strain, a lawyer for Fosamax maker Merck & Co., told the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) that the jury appeared to be leaning…

Sep 14, 2009 6:44 PM CDT

Report of Shouting Jurors, Thrown Chair Spurs Fosamax Judge to Order Time Out

The Manhattan judge overseeing the first Fosamax federal product liability trial has ordered a cooling-off period after one lawyer reported hearing shouting from the jury room and a juror reportedly claimed someone threw a chair at her. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge John Keenan ordered jurors to take a day…

Sep 10, 2009 2:23 PM CDT

First Federal Fosamax Case Goes to the Jury; Plaintiffs Lawyers Are Watching

In the first of about 900 federal Fosamax cases to go to trial, a lawyer for Merck & Co. argued in closing statements Wednesday that the drug didn’t cause the 71-year-old plaintiff’s jaw problems. Product liability lawyers are closely watching the New York trial to see which arguments resonate with…

Sep 3, 2009 12:19 PM CDT

Hungry for Change

The feds consider a steady diet of stronger regulation to help fix the U.S. food safety network

Sep 2, 2009 4:30 AM CDT

In Loco Parentis?

When offspring repay concern with contempt, some moms and dads might wish they had stand-ins

Sep 2, 2009 12:40 AM CDT

Ex-Toyota Lawyer Alleges Destruction of Evidence in Rollover Suits

The former managing counsel for Toyota Motor Sales USA has filed a lawsuit against his former employer alleging the automaker destroyed evidence in hundreds of rollover suits, leading to his mental breakdown and firing. The racketeering suit by Dimitrios Biller claims Toyota destroyed evidence in a “ruthless conspiracy” to keep…

Aug 31, 2009 1:43 PM CDT

Ex-Lawyers Get 20-25 Years for Bilking Fen-Phen Clients of $94M

A federal judge in Kentucky today sentenced to ex-lawyers to 20- and 25-year prison terms for bilking their former clients out of $94 million in fen-phen settlement money. U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves also ordered Shirley Cunningham Jr. and William Gallion to pay $127.7 million in restitution to 421 ex-clients…

Aug 17, 2009 10:29 PM CDT