Product Liability Law

Suppliers of unwashed poppy seeds face suits over overdose deaths and injuries

Lawsuits are being filed around the country on behalf of people who brewed tea with unwashed poppy seeds in search of a home remedy for anxiety, arthritis or diarrhea.

Sep 14, 2021 2:57 PM CDT

Nearly two-thirds of female multidistrict litigation plaintiffs are dissatisfied with their lawyers, survey finds

A survey of female plaintiffs in multidistrict litigation has found that most were dissatisfied with their lawyers, most didn’t trust their lawyers to act in their best interest, and most were unhappy with lengthy litigation.

Aug 13, 2021 9:14 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Hate speech mustn’t be normalized, ABA president says; Title IX protects gay and transgender students

ABA president: Hate speech legitimizes intolerance ABA President Patricia Lee Refo said Tuesday the association is “deeply troubled” by recent hate speech directed at Jewish, LGBTQ, Asian American and Muslim people. Refo said studies show a correlation between exposure to hate speech and the increase in hate crimes. Hate speech…

Jun 16, 2021 3:45 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: McDonald’s faces Illinois privacy suit; NYPD accused of violating graffiti artists’ rights

McDonald’s sued over voice recognition software McDonald’s is accused of violating Illinois’ biometric privacy law by using voice recognition software to recognize repeat customers at drive-thrus. The suit, filed in April, was removed to federal court in Chicago, according to a May 28 notice. Law.com spoke with several lawyers who…

Jun 3, 2021 4:16 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Lawyer, 75, is oldest American to scale Mount Everest; fake claims made of SCOTUS justice’s arrest

Retired lawyer is oldest American to climb Mount Everest Retired Chicago lawyer Arthur Muir became the oldest American to scale Mount Everest last month. Muir, 75, tried to climb the mountain in 2019, but he had to turn back after hurting his ankle. Muir took up mountain climbing seven years…

Jun 1, 2021 4:34 PM CDT

Plaintiff who alleges hip implant injuries must turn over Fitbit data, federal judge rules

A plaintiff who alleges that he was injured by a defective hip implant must turn over data from his Fitbit to the defendant, a federal judge ruled Monday.

May 26, 2021 10:49 AM CDT

Maker of Snapchat can be sued for speed filter used by youths before fatal crash, 9th Circuit rules

A federal appeals court has ruled that Snapchat isn’t protected from liability by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act in a case alleging that three youths died in a car crash after using the app’s speed filter.

May 6, 2021 9:46 AM CDT

Chemerinsky: Despite SCOTUS ruling, questions of personal jurisdiction remain unsettled

Ford Motor Co. v. Montana Eighth Judicial District is important in clarifying the law of personal jurisdiction, but it also raises many questions that will confront lower state and federal courts and ultimately need Supreme Court resolution.

May 3, 2021 8:52 AM CDT

Kagan cites Ford’s ‘truckload of contacts’ with plaintiffs’ home states in jurisdictional SCOTUS ruling

The Ford Motor Co. can be sued for alleged defects in its vehicles in the states where the plaintiffs lived and the alleged harm happened, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday in an 8-0 opinion.

Mar 25, 2021 11:55 AM CDT

‘Cataclysmic’ decision striking down strict liability drug law puts past convictions at risk in this state

Years of convictions could be at risk following a Washington Supreme Court decision that struck down the state’s felony drug possession law.

Mar 15, 2021 10:43 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: These SCOTUS justices skipped the inauguration; student loan deferments extended

3 SCOTUS justices didn’t attend the inaugurations of Biden and Harris The U.S. Supreme Court’s three oldest justices did not attend President Joe Biden’s inauguration Wednesday: Stephen G. Breyer, 82; Clarence Thomas, 72; and Samuel A. Alito Jr., 70. It’s the first time since 2001 that all the justices did…

Jan 21, 2021 4:05 PM CST

Lawyer has filed nearly 100 consumer lawsuits over vanilla labeling

Long Island, New York, lawyer Spencer Sheehan wants consumers to know that they are sometimes being deceived by the "vanilla" label on the products that they buy.

Dec 23, 2020 1:19 PM CST

Can businesses require employees to get a COVID-19 vaccine?

Employment lawyers are beginning to field questions from employers about whether they can require workers to be vaccinated for COVID-19.

Dec 8, 2020 1:05 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Trump pardons Michael Flynn; lawyer suspended for cyberattack knowledge

Trump pardons former national security adviser Flynn President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he has pardoned former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in the Russia probe and then sought to withdraw the plea. The Department of Justice moved to drop the case,…

Nov 25, 2020 4:00 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Judge requires report disclaimer; $2.1B baby powder verdict allowed to stand

Judge requires disclaimer in cop commission report U.S. District Judge John Bates of the District of Columbia has said President Donald Trump’s national commission on policing can’t release a report unless it carries a disclaimer saying the group didn’t comply with federal requirements for advisory committees. The disclaimer must say…

Nov 4, 2020 3:28 PM CST