Product Liability Law

Teens’ Parents Claim 2006 VW Beetle Was ‘Unreasonably Dangerous’

After one Texas teen was killed and another paralyzed in a rollover accident, their parents are suing the manufacturer of their 2006 Volkswagen Beetle. The vehicle was “unreasonably dangerous,” contend Earl and Juanita McGilvra and Michael Kitchings and his daughter, Ashley, in the federal court product liability suit, which seeks…

Oct 7, 2008 6:38 PM CDT

Shook Hardy Smokes ‘Em

Tough litigation tactics and low rates make this Kansas City firm the darling of corporate America—and the bête noire of product liability plaintiffs

Oct 1, 2008 9:45 PM CDT

Final Answer for Victim’s Family in Boston ‘Big Dig’ Death: $28M

The family of a 38-year-old woman who was crushed to death in 2006 when a portion of the so-called “Big Dig” tunnel ceiling collapsed in Boston will get $28 million in settlements, after reaching an agreement with the remaining defendants in the wrongful death case. “Milena Del Valle’s family agreed…

Oct 1, 2008 8:06 PM CDT

Sonar, F-Bombs and Public Parks

An eclectic blend of cases and three-a-day arguments are on tap this term

Oct 1, 2008 6:45 PM CDT

Tort Suits Claim Chinese Chairs are Toxic

Sitting in an armchair or lying on a sofa isn’t ordinarily considered a hazardous activity. But for well over 1,000 people in several European countries, it allegedly was. After the Chinese manufacturer of furniture distributed by a French company put extra packets of a chemical mold retardant, customers began reporting…

Sep 19, 2008 6:50 PM CDT

Tobacco Makers Sift Through Thousands of Documents in $1B Hospital Suit

A 10-year-old lawsuit filed by Missouri hospitals against cigarette makers seeking $1 billion for the cost of treating tobacco-related illnesses has been stalled in discovery. The tobacco companies are sifting through tens of thousands of records for indigent patients provided by more than 30 hospitals under a court order, the…

Sep 15, 2008 5:54 PM CDT

New Indictment of Fen-phen Lawyers Adds Charges, Seeks $50M More

A new indictment against two lawyers accused of defrauding their fen-phen clients adds new charges and seeks $50 million more in forfeiture. The lawyers, William Gallion and Shirley Cunningham Jr., were tried in Kentucky this summer on a single charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. A mistrial was declared…

Sep 5, 2008 3:53 PM CDT

Buyer of Bassinet Maker’s Assets Says it Didn’t Take on Liabilities

A hedge fund affiliate claims that it did not assume the legal liabilities of a troubled baby furniture maker, Simplicity for Children, when it purchased its assets in an April deal. SFCA, an affiliate of Blackstreet Capital Management, bought the assets before last week’s recall of Simplicity bassinets but after…

Sep 4, 2008 1:14 PM CDT

Chrysler’s GC Retires; Replacement is Assistant GC

Chrysler’s longtime general counsel Kenneth Gluckman is retiring. He worked for the company for 30 years. His replacement is Louann Van Der Wiele, the National Law Journal reports. Most recently she served as assistant general counsel for product litigation and discovery, according to a press release. She joined Chrysler in…

Aug 29, 2008 2:48 PM CDT

$1.55B in Fees is Enough, Judge Rules in Vioxx Case

A federal judge has capped fees in the $4.85 billion Vioxx settlement at 32 percent. U.S. District Judge Elden Fallon of New Orleans said the usual contingency award ranges from 33.3 percent to 40 percent, but in this case the capped fees are not “a paltry award,” the Associated Press…

Aug 28, 2008 4:33 PM CDT

Joe Biden & Relatives Have Ties to Asbestos Law Firm

An Illinois law firm that specializes in plaintiffs asbestos litigation reportedly has close ties with Sen. Joe Biden, the expected running mate of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, and several of Biden’s relatives. A brother and son of Biden obtained a $1 million investment from SimmonsCooper in 2006, which…

Aug 27, 2008 11:07 PM CDT

Clean & Sober, Yet Convicted & Jailed

George Damaa doesn’t remember the accident that put him in the hospital in a coma, with multiple injuries, and killed three other people, including his girlfriend, in 1995. He apparently hadn’t been speeding, or drinking or doing drugs, and had a clean driving record and no criminal background. Although there…

Aug 25, 2008 8:12 PM CDT

Order Raises Question: Did Bextra and Celebrex Cases Settle?

A federal judge’s order is leading to speculation that Pfizer has quietly settled several of 3,000 pending cases claiming injuries from the painkillers Bextra and Celebrex. On Friday, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer of San Francisco ordered a law firm handling 250 of those cases to submit detailed information to…

Aug 4, 2008 12:56 PM CDT

Gibson Dunn Fights ‘Yo-Yo Effect’ in $13M Punitive Damages Case

From $98 million to $20 million to $13.3 million to zero and now back to $13.4 million again, the value of a closely watched Tennessee wrongful death case against an automobile manufacturer has swung back and forth, in what one defense lawyer refers to as a “yo-yo effect.” Now, after…

Jul 29, 2008 7:30 PM CDT

Plaintiffs Lawyers Have New Target: Radon-Emitting Granite Countertops

Plaintiffs lawyers are advertising on the Internet for clients whose granite countertops are emitting high levels of radon. The lawyers see opportunity in surprising disclosures that a small number of granite countertops contain radioactive uranium that releases radon as it decays, the New York Times reports. Preliminary results from tests…

Jul 24, 2008 11:13 AM CDT