Tort Law

Amazon sues over claimed fake reviews posted on its site

An Amazon lawsuit says three websites and a California man are free-riding on the Internet retail giant’s name–and hurting sellers and consumers–by posting fake product reviews on Amazon.com. The suit accuses the defendants of violating consumer and intellectual property laws by using domain names that are confusingly similar to Amazon’s…

Apr 9, 2015 2:30 PM CDT

Blogging law prof didn’t defame plaintiff with ‘between the lines’ analysis, appeals court says

A University of San Diego law professor didn’t defame a plaintiff who sued for disability benefits when he described a ruling in the case and offered his own opinion on his blog, a California appeals court has ruled. The April 2 opinion (PDF) by California’s Fourth District Court of Appeal…

Apr 9, 2015 11:41 AM CDT

Lawyer who read medical document from anonymous sender can’t represent med-mal plaintiff, court says

A lawyer can’t continue to represent a medical malpractice plaintiff after reading hospital documents sent by an anonymous source, a New Jersey appeals court has ruled. The Somerville, New Jersey, lawyer, Brian Levine, had contended the documents weren’t privileged under the New Jersey Patient Safety Act, the New Jersey Law…

Apr 9, 2015 10:26 AM CDT

Prosecutors hid proof of innocence in NYC shooting case, says man exonerated after 24 years

Jonathan Fleming had a strong alibi as to his whereabouts at the time of a fatal 1989 shooting. When the New York City crime was being committed, he was vacationing in Florida. And he had a time-stamped paid hotel telephone bill to support his story. But when he turned over…

Apr 8, 2015 4:00 PM CDT

Injured woman’s suit blames ‘zombies’ near Comic-Con, San Diego and driver

A pedestrian injured in an auto accident last year is blaming not only the driver but the walking dead and the city of San Diego. In a recent lawsuit, Cynthia Campbell says the city failed to properly permit and plan for Zombie Walk: San Diego. As a result, driver Matthew…

Apr 7, 2015 11:25 AM CDT

Appeals court ruling reviving $40M courthouse-renovation asbestos suit will go to state’s top court

Survivors of a woman who worked for 27 years at a Missouri courthouse before dying of mesothelioma settled her case against U.S. Engineering several years ago for a record $10.4 million. But a related class-action is still ongoing. It seeks a $40 million medical monitoring for other former employees and…

Apr 6, 2015 3:05 PM CDT

Lawyers who sued over meds given to wrong dog can seek $67K, says appeals court

Two lawyers who sued a Georgia dog kennel over an alleged medication error to one of the two pets they boarded there have been limited in the amount of damages they can claim. Robert and Elizabeth Monyak can present evidence of the veterinary bills they paid over a nine-month period…

Apr 6, 2015 1:50 PM CDT

Nursing homes ask court to nix Cohen Milstein probe and void contingency-fee pact with state AG

Saying that Pennsylvania’s state health department has exclusive authority over the regulation of nursing homes, a group of 19 facilities has sued the state attorney general over an ongoing probe by a private law firm. Its Commonwealth Court petition seeks to void a contingency-fee agreement between the AG’s office and…

Apr 6, 2015 11:20 AM CDT

Jury awards $150M against Fiat Chrysler in fiery death of boy, 4, after Jeep is rear-ended

A jury in rural Georgia on Thursday awarded $150 million against Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV in the death of a four-year-old boy in a fiery rear-end crash. It found the automaker 99 percent responsible, due to the position of the gas tank in the 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee., for the…

Apr 3, 2015 8:00 AM CDT

Man jailed in double-homicide case sues Chicago, says surveillance showed a different shooter

A man who says he spent nearly two years in jail, based on false statements for a double-murder he did not commit, has sued the City of Chicago and 13 police detectives. A nearby surveillance camera caught the shooter in the act of committing the June 17, 2012 crime on…

Apr 2, 2015 12:25 PM CDT

Appeals court: Driver who kicked drunken friend out of his car is liable for 3rd-party hit-and-run

Drunk and belligerent, Piero Larrea was kicked out of a friend’s car on the way home from a New Orleans bar on Oct. 29, 2011. Then he died in a hit-and-run accident after John Cefalu pulled away. Sued by Larrea’s dad, Cefalu was found liable for 28 percent of a…

Apr 1, 2015 9:00 AM CDT

Data from wearable devices is being eyed as evidence in the courtroom

What’s one (and possibly the only) thing your mother, your spouse and you might have in common? You might all be sporting wearable technology around your wrists, recording everything from your heart rate to sleep cycles. On an individual level, that information could suggest that you take the stairs instead…

Apr 1, 2015 4:00 AM CDT

Stop efforts to close Sweet Briar, lawsuits by county attorney and alumna urge Virginia court

Echoing arguments made by unhappy alumnae about the planned closing of Sweet Briar College, the county attorney for Amherst County, Virginia, has filed suit seeking a court order to reconfigure its leadership. Filed Monday, the suit seeks an injunction, putting what amounts to a receiver in charge, and asking the…

Mar 31, 2015 1:55 PM CDT

Two Duane Morris partners resign after malpractice suit alleges their own LLC collected fees

Updated: Duane Morris corporate practice chief George Nemphos and corporate partner Jay Cohen have resigned after a malpractice suit claimed they told a client to pay fees to a company they created. The $10 million suit by Angela Singleton, the inventor of a high heel shoe insert, alleges Nemphos and…

Mar 31, 2015 8:14 AM CDT

Slater & Gordon makes $947M offer to acquire major UK personal injury law firm

Slater & Gordon, the world’s first publicly traded law firm, is poised to acquire most of a major United Kingdom competitor. Assuming that Quindell partners agree in an April 17 vote with the recommendation of their board of directors, Slater & Gordon is to pay 637 million pounds (about $947…

Mar 30, 2015 9:05 AM CDT