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Product Liability

  • August 06, 2025

    Ga. Judges Weigh Birth Defect Ruling in Sterigenics Case

    A group of Georgia residents who alleged they were injured by emissions from a Sterigenics sterilization plant urged the Georgia Court of Appeals on Wednesday to overturn a lower court's grant of partial summary judgment to the company on the issue of whether the plant's emissions caused birth defects.

  • August 06, 2025

    RJ Reynolds Keeps Trial Win In Cancer Death Suit, Panel Says

    A Massachusetts intermediate-level appeals court on Wednesday affirmed RJ Reynolds' trial win in a suit accusing it of causing a man's lung cancer, saying a new trial was not warranted as the trial judge did not unfairly exclude certain evidence.

  • August 06, 2025

    Indivior Beats Investor Suit Over Opioid Drug Sales Forecasts

    A Virginia federal judge Wednesday tossed an investor class action accusing drugmaker Indivior PLC of overstating the financial prospects of its drugs used to treat opioid use disorders and its ability to forecast such financial projections, finding, among other things, that the complaint's challenged statements are inactionable.

  • August 06, 2025

    Feds Give Amazon's Zoox Robotaxis Green Light

    Amazon's self-driving car unit, Zoox Inc., has received federal approval to deploy fleets of robotaxis, making the company the first to receive an exemption from Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for U.S.-built autonomous vehicles under a newly expanded program, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Wednesday.

  • August 06, 2025

    Feds Launch Safety Probe Of SEPTA After EV Bus Fires

    The Federal Transit Administration has launched an inquiry into the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority's storage of decommissioned electric buses, which the federal agency said comes after a lithium-ion battery fire in one of SEPTA's yards.

  • August 06, 2025

    Judge OKs Addition Of Kenvue, Janssen To J&J Talc MDL

    A New Jersey federal judge has rejected Johnson & Johnson's challenge to cancer patients' bid to add additional corporate defendants to multidistrict federal litigation over its talcum powder products, finding the additions would not be futile.

  • August 06, 2025

    2nd Circ. Backs J&J Spinoff In 'Rapid Release' Label Suit

    The Second Circuit on Wednesday declined to revive a proposed class action alleging a Johnson & Johnson spinoff company misled consumers by claiming that "Rapid Release" Tylenol gelcaps dissolve faster than other types of Tylenol.

  • August 06, 2025

    Meta Says Section 230 Blocks Teen's Nude Photo Suit

    Meta Platforms Inc. and its affiliates are urging a California state court to throw out a teen's claims against it over a partially nude photograph that his classmates shared over Instagram, saying the case involves "quintessential Section 230-protected publishing activity."

  • August 05, 2025

    Novo Nordisk Lodges Suits Over 'Knockoff' Semaglutide Meds

    Novo Nordisk said Tuesday it has recently filed more than a dozen lawsuits accusing weight loss companies, med spas and pharmacies of tricking patients into purchasing and using unapproved drugs containing semaglutide, which the Danish pharmaceutical company uses in its blockbuster medicines Wegovy and Ozempic.

  • August 05, 2025

    Judge Mulls Sanctioning Hagens Berman In Thalidomide Suits

    The Pennsylvania federal judge presiding over dozens of product liability actions against manufacturers of the morning sickness drug thalidomide Tuesday ordered Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP to explain why it shouldn't be sanctioned for allegedly conducting "grossly inadequate" pre-suit inquiries, obstructing discovery and doctoring evidence.

  • August 05, 2025

    OptumRx Urges Panel To DQ Motley Rice In LA Opioid Suit

    OptumRx told a California appellate panel Tuesday that Motley Rice should be disqualified from representing Los Angeles County in a lawsuit alleging it colluded with drugmakers to fuel the opioid crisis, saying the firm violated state law by using confidential information obtained in the case in other lawsuits it's handling against Optum.

  • August 05, 2025

    Walmart Largely Snuffs Out Exploding Candle Class Action

    An Ohio federal judge has largely thrown out a proposed class action claiming that Mainstays-branded candles sold at Walmart have dangerous defects that can lead to them exploding, finding a long list of deficiencies in the candle purchasers' sprawling complaint.

  • August 05, 2025

    Key Opioid Theory Actually Irrelevant, Drug Cos. Tell 4th Circ.

    With federal judges in West Virginia suddenly split over the central legal theory in opioid litigation, major drug distributors are insisting the theory actually doesn't matter, telling the Fourth Circuit it can uphold their triumph in a landmark trial without even touching the hot-button issue.

  • August 05, 2025

    Tesla Verdict Could Embolden Plaintiffs With Similar Claims

    The $329 million verdict handed down by jurors in Miami on Friday over a fatal Florida Keys crash is the first to find Tesla's autopilot defective and will likely embolden other plaintiffs with similar claims to take them to trial, personal injury attorneys told Law360.

  • August 05, 2025

    Fed. Hazmat Law Doesn't Bar Negligence Suit, 2nd Circ. Says

    A Connecticut federal judge was wrong to find that the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act preempted a propane company's common-law negligence and recklessness claims over damage it suffered from a heating oil spill, the Second Circuit ruled Tuesday in restoring a lawsuit seeking more than $500,000 to cover remediation costs.

  • August 05, 2025

    Lead Kicked From Pharma Investor Case Over Rogue Emails

    The lead plaintiff in a securities class action against Spectrum Pharmaceuticals in Manhattan federal court was removed from the case Tuesday when a federal judge found he broke confidentiality rules by going behind his lawyers' backs in an attempt to push his own settlement plan and fixating on unrelated conspiracy theories.

  • August 05, 2025

    Feds Aim To Shut Off Kids' Challenge To Trump Energy Orders

    A lawsuit filed by youths alleging that President Donald Trump's energy policy directives harm their future by exacerbating climate change should be dismissed because their claims can't be addressed by courts, the federal government said Monday.

  • August 05, 2025

    Shuttered NJ Importer Pleads Guilty To Hiding AC Fire Risks

    A defunct New Jersey importer of consumer appliances pled guilty on Tuesday to one count of willfully violating the Consumer Product Safety Act for its failure to report dangerous defects in more than 33,000 portable air conditioners that have been linked to more than 40 fires and one death, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.

  • August 05, 2025

    Calif. City Sanctioned Over Missing Reports In Dow, PPG Case

    A San Francisco Superior Court judge found that a California city that's pursued decades-long litigation against Dow Chemical and PPG Industries over dry cleaning chemicals that allegedly contaminated city sites "committed egregious discovery violations" by destroying and concealing 1991 reports related to the chemicals leaking into the city's groundwater.

  • August 05, 2025

    Utah Judge Blocks 'Bad Faith' Prosecution Of Psilocybin Church

    A Utah federal judge has blocked a state court prosecution of the leader of a church that uses psilocybin in its sacrament, finding the prosecution was initiated in bad faith to harass the church and its members following a ruling against the state in the federal case.

  • August 05, 2025

    Fla. Biz Won't Sell Knockoff Weight Loss Drugs After AG Deal

    A string of Florida companies and their owner have agreed to stop selling what Connecticut authorities called "bootleg" GLP-1 weight loss drugs nationwide and enter into a $300,000 settlement, records in a consumer protection enforcement action show.

  • August 05, 2025

    Tesla Hit With Suit Over Autonomous Vehicle Issues

    A Tesla Inc. investor has launched a proposed securities class action against the company in Texas federal court, claiming it overhyped its autonomous driving vehicles despite flaws that led to regulatory and legal blowback, including a recent $329 million verdict involving the Autopilot feature.

  • August 05, 2025

    Alaska Airlines Can't Nix Flight Attendant's Surgery Win

    A Washington state appeals court won't disturb a jury's finding that a flight attendant was entitled to coverage of a spine surgery for an injury she sustained while working for Alaska Airlines, saying the trial court judge rightly rejected the airline's proposed jury instruction for its confusion.

  • August 04, 2025

    Roundup Judge Threatens Sanctions For Unpaid Plaintiff Fees

    The California federal judge presiding over multidistrict personal injury litigation over Monsanto's Roundup weed killer has threatened to sanction 37 plaintiffs' firms that have not held back a percentage of their recovery fees for a common benefit fund.

  • August 04, 2025

    FCA Juror's Possible Conflict Can't Justify Retrial, Judge Says

    A class action trial against Fiat Chrysler in 2023 was not tainted by a juror whose employer was negotiating a deal with the automaker's parent company Stellantis NV, a Massachusetts federal judge ruled Friday, rejecting a bid by a class of drivers who sued over allegedly defective headrests.

Expert Analysis

  • Opinion

    CPSC's Amazon Ruling Is A Win For Safety, Accountability

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    A recent U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission order classifying Amazon.com as a distributor, and requiring it to comply with notice, recall, refund and remediation obligations for defective products, is a major victory for consumer safety — and for attorneys pursuing product liability claims against major online retailers, says Donald Fountain at Clark Fountain.

  • 4 Ways Women Attorneys Can Build A Legal Legacy

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    This Women’s History Month, women attorneys should consider what small, day-to-day actions they can take to help leave a lasting impact for future generations, even if it means mentoring one person or taking 10 minutes to make a plan, says Jackie Prester, a former shareholder at Baker Donelson.

  • A Judge's Pointers For Adding Spice To Dry Legal Writing

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    U.S. District Judge Fred Biery shares a few key lessons about how to go against the grain of the legal writing tradition by adding color to bland judicial opinions, such as by telling a human story and injecting literary devices where possible.

  • Unpacking Liability When AI Makes A Faulty Decision

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    As artificial intelligence systems become more autonomous and influential in decision-making, concerns about AI-related harms and problematic decisions are growing, raising the pressing question of who bears the liability, says Megha Kumar at CyXcel.

  • What Advisory On Alcohol And Cancer May Mean For Cos.

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    While the federal government has yet to take concrete steps in response to a January advisory from the outgoing U.S. surgeon general on links between alcohol consumption and cancer, the statement has opened the door to potential regulatory, legislative and litigation challenges for the alcoholic beverage industry, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.

  • 6th Circ. Ruling Paves Path Out Of Loper Bright 'Twilight Zone'

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s Loper Bright ruling created a twilight zone between express statutory delegations that trigger agency deference and implicit ones that do not, but the Sixth Circuit’s recent ruling in Moctezuma-Reyes v. Garland crafted a two-part test for resolving cases within this gray area, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • Navigating The Uncertain Future Of The Superfund PFAS Rule

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    The D.C. Circuit's recent grant of a pause in litigation while the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reviews the Biden-era designation of two per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances as "hazardous" under the Superfund law creates new uncertainty for companies — but more lawsuits are likely as long as the rule remains in effect, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • What To Know About Insurance Coverage For Greenwashing

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    As the number of public and private lawsuits relating to greenwashing dramatically grows, risk managers of companies making environmental claims should look to several types of insurance for coverage in the event of a suit, say attorneys at Hunton.

  • 7 Tips For Associates To Thrive In Hybrid Work Environments

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    As the vast majority of law firms have embraced some type of hybrid work policy, associates should consider a few strategies to get the most out of both their in-person and remote workdays, says James Argionis at Cozen O’Connor.

  • Series

    Playing Beach Volleyball Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My commitment to beach volleyball has become integral to my performance as an attorney, with the sport continually reminding me that teamwork, perseverance, professionalism and stress management are essential to both undertakings, says Amy Drushal at Trenam.

  • Opinion

    California Climate Lawsuit Bill Is Constitutionally Flawed

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    A bill in the California Legislature that would let victims of climate-related disasters like the Los Angeles wildfires sue oil and gas producers for spreading misinformation about climate change is too vague, retroactive and focused on one industry to survive constitutional scrutiny, says Kyla Christoffersen Powell at the Civil Justice Association of California.

  • What To Expect From 'Make America Healthy Again' Actions

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    The Make America Healthy Again Commission recently established by President Donald Trump and chaired by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will potentially bring energy and attention to important public health topics, and stakeholders should be aware of pathways for sharing their input and proactively informing proceedings, says Nicholas Manetto at Faegre Drinker.

  • How Law Firms Can Counteract The Loneliness Epidemic

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    The legal industry is facing an urgent epidemic of loneliness, affecting lawyer well-being, productivity, retention and profitability, and law firm leaders should take concrete steps to encourage the development of genuine workplace connections, says Michelle Gomez at Littler and Gwen Mellor Romans at Herald Talent.

  • What's At Stake In High Court's Class Member Standing Case

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s eventual decision in Labcorp v. Davis could significantly alter how parties prosecute and defend class actions in federal court, particularly if the court determines some proof of member standing is required before a class may be certified, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

  • 5 Keys To Building Stronger Attorney-Client Relationships

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    Attorneys are often focused on being seen as the expert, but bonding with clients and prospects by sharing a few key personal details provides the basis for a caring, trusted and profoundly deeper business relationship, says Deb Feder at Feder Development.

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