Product Liability Law

Amazon isn’t liable for vendor’s caffeine product that killed teen, state supreme court rules

Amazon.com Inc. can’t be held liable for the death of a teenager from caffeine powder sold by one of its vendors, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

Oct 2, 2020 11:16 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Bankruptcy classes more popular; John Pierce representing teen in Kenosha shootings

More law students are taking bankruptcy classes Some law professors are reporting the demand for their bankruptcy classes is booming. Ronald Mann, a Columbia Law School professor, told Thomson Reuters Legal that more than a hundred students are enrolled in his fall 2020 bankruptcy course—three times as many as last…

Aug 28, 2020 4:22 PM CDT

Amazon may be liable for injuries caused by defective products sold by third-party vendors, court rules

A California appeals court ruled Thursday that Amazon can be held strictly liable for injuries caused by defective products sold by third-party vendors through its online marketplace.

Aug 14, 2020 9:46 AM CDT

Accused of hiding asbestos evidence, Cahill Gordon and chemical company agree to pay $73M

Cahill Gordon & Reindel and the chemical company BASF have agreed to pay $72.5 million to settle claims that the law firm and a company acquired by BASF had hidden evidence of asbestos in talc products during litigation.

Jul 27, 2020 12:04 PM CDT

Potential jurors exercised, curled up on bed during virtual voir dire, motion says in asbestos case

Potential jurors were distracted or absent during a virtual voir dire that was “riddled with various problems,” according to a mistrial motion filed on behalf of an asbestos defendant.

Jul 22, 2020 2:41 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Another law firm cuts pay; officer fired in shooting death of Breonna Taylor

Another law firm cuts pay for lawyers and staffers Holland & Hart is reducing profit distributions to equity partners and cutting pay for salaried lawyers by 15%. Staff members who make $100,000 or more will see a pay cut of 7.5%, while those making more than $60,000 and less than…

Jun 24, 2020 4:48 PM CDT

Bayer will pay up to $10.9B to resolve Roundup litigation

Bayer AG has agreed to pay up to $10.9 billion to settle current and potentially future litigation contending that its Roundup weed killer causes cancer.

Jun 24, 2020 2:57 PM CDT

Malpractice suit against Boies Schiller alleges overly aggressive litigation tactics

A malpractice lawsuit filed against Boies Schiller Flexner alleges that the law firm gave bad advice and used overly aggressive litigation tactics that cost its former clients extra money in intellectual property litigation.

May 18, 2020 1:22 PM CDT

As exposed health care workers seek legal remedies, who’s liable for lack of personal protective equipment?

Doctors and nurses across the country are asking about legal remedies they may have because of exposure to COVID-19 and a lack of personal protective equipment, or PPE. Invariably, their main concern is the dangers to which they’re being exposed.

Apr 2, 2020 11:35 AM CDT

Apple agrees to pay up to $500 million in settlement over slow phones

Apple has agreed to pay up to $500 million to settle a class action lawsuit that accuses the multinational technology company of slowing down older iPhones to induce owners to buy new models.

Mar 3, 2020 10:50 AM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Law firm agrees to solicitation settlement; judge is accused of funds theft

Law firm to pay nearly $1M to drivers it solicited from crash reports Utah-based law firm Craig Swapp & Associates will pay nearly $1 million to thousands of Washington drivers it solicited as clients after buying crash reports from the state police. A federal judge in Washington gave preliminary approval…

Jan 31, 2020 3:23 PM CST

Lawyer who successfully sued Roundup is accused of trying to extort $200M from unnamed company

A lawyer who helped a groundskeeper obtain a $289 million verdict against the maker of Roundup has been charged with trying to extort $200 million from an unnamed company.

Dec 20, 2019 2:14 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Alex Kozinski returns as litigator; judge blocks firm’s defamation suit against ex-partner

Alex Kozinski returns to the 9th Circuit on the other side of the bench After retiring in 2017 amid allegations of sexual misconduct, former Judge Alex Kozinski is returning to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at San Francisco to argue a copyright case. Kozinski will contend that the…

Dec 6, 2019 4:20 PM CST

Suit seeking to hold gunmaker liable in Sandy Hook shooting can proceed after SCOTUS denies cert

The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to hear an appeal by the maker of the Bushmaster semi-automatic rifle in a suit seeking to hold the gun manufacturer liable for the shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Nov 12, 2019 12:20 PM CST

Defense bar decries ‘reptile’ approach by plaintiffs’ lawyers

Defense lawyers in tort cases are looking for ways to counter what they describe as an increasingly popular “reptile” approach by opposing counsel.

Oct 24, 2019 10:44 AM CDT