Tort Law

Man convicted in supermarket checkout line dispute files suit against shopper he shot and store

Convicted of assault and unlawful use of a firearm during a 2012 supermarket checkout line fight between two men who are now in their 60s, a suburban Portland resident is serving a six-year sentence in an Oregon prison. But Jerry Thomas Harryman, 68, is also battling on with a dueling…

Sep 17, 2014 3:40 PM CDT

Federal judge declares mistrial in Patti LaBelle case because there are no black jurors

A federal jury on Monday was about to begin hearing a civil case filed against soul singer Patti LaBelle and others over an alleged unprovoked beating of a West Point military academy cadet by her bodyguards. But then the judge overseeing the Houston case called a halt. Although he wasn’t…

Sep 16, 2014 10:45 AM CDT

Juror at center of SCOTUS case contests plaintiff’s version of events

A pending Supreme Court case seeking a new trial based on a juror’s alleged statements is apparently a surprise to the juror at the center of the case. The issue in Warger v. Schauers is whether a motorcycle rider who lost his leg in an accident with a truck can…

Sep 15, 2014 11:54 AM CDT

9th Circuit resurrects alien tort suit claiming companies aided child slavery overseas

A federal appeals court has resurrected an alien tort suit filed by former child slaves who claim three corporations aided Ivory Coast cocoa farmers who kept children in captivity. The decision (PDF) by the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals vacates a district court ruling dismissing the complaint…

Sep 12, 2014 5:45 AM CDT

Law firm mistakenly identifies dead smokers as alive in 588 suits; 11th Circuit upholds dismissal

A federal appeals court has upheld the dismissal of 750 tobacco suits, citing this major problem: The Florida law firm that brought the cases had mistakenly identified 588 dead smokers as still being alive. The Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed to toss 588 personal injury suits filed…

Sep 11, 2014 8:13 AM CDT

Former top NYC lawyer sues police department, says she was arrested for standing on a sidewalk

A former top lawyer for New York City is suing the municipality’s police department. She says she was arrested for simply standing on a public sidewalk in Times Square this summer as she waited for her husband and children to return from using the restroom at a nearby restaurant. Chaumtoli…

Sep 4, 2014 11:45 AM CDT

Suit targets billing by litigation support companies, names Jacoby & Meyers as a defendant

A would-be class action suit claims Jacoby & Meyers and another law firm are breaching their fiduciary duty to clients by giving support work to companies owned by a current and former partner of the law firms. The suit, filed in federal court in Newark, New Jersey, alleges that Jacoby…

Sep 4, 2014 8:18 AM CDT

Record $1.4B fine levied against gas company in fatal explosion and fire

A record $1.4 billion safety fine has been imposed by the California Public Utilities Commission concerning a 2010 gas pipeline rupture, explosion and fire that killed eight people, injured dozens of others and destroyed 38 homes in a San Bruno neighborhood. The penalty against Pacific Gas & Electric follows determinations…

Sep 3, 2014 11:05 AM CDT

Halliburton to pay $1.1B to resolve oil spill suits

Halliburton has agreed to pay $1.1 billion to resolve suits over its work on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that exploded in April 2010, killing 11 workers and spilling millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. The settlement covers claims by residents, businesses and local governments, report…

Sep 3, 2014 10:06 AM CDT

‘Seismic’ 9th Cir. rulings nix FedEx claim its drivers aren’t employees, could cost company millions

In a significant victory for FedEx drivers who contend they have been misclassified as independent contractors, a federal appeals court on Wednesday reversed a finding in multidistrict litigation in Indiana and held that nearly 2,700 plaintiffs in California and Oregon are in fact employees. In separate decisions concerning the California…

Aug 27, 2014 9:55 PM CDT

Former managing partner embezzled $30M from law firm and affiliated title company, suit says

Updated: A former managing partner of a well-known Atlanta real estate boutique has been sued by the law firm and an affiliated title company for allegedly embezzling $30 million. The suit says Nathan E. “Nat” Hardwick IV diverted funds from operating and trust accounts at Morris Hardwick Schneider and LandCastle…

Aug 27, 2014 6:35 PM CDT

Over 100 died from GM ignition-switch issues, survivors claim

When General Motors announced a compensation plan for those injured and killed because of ignition-switch issues in vehicles manufactured by the automaker, the company confirmed 13 deaths. However, claims have now been made concerning more than 100 deaths in the first month of a compensation program administered by disaster master…

Aug 27, 2014 5:04 PM CDT

Lawyer charged with witness-tampering; his counsel calls case ‘a total fabrication’

A New York lawyer who practices in upscale Westchester County has been charged with bribery and witness-tampering concerning the manner in which he allegedly handled a client’s criminal cases. During his Thursday arraignment, attorney George Galgano, 41, rolled his eyes and laughed as a prosecutor contended he had threatened in…

Aug 25, 2014 3:45 PM CDT

Archbishop drops lawsuit against satanist group after leader agrees to return consecrated host

Updated: A Roman Catholic archbishop in Oklahoma City is dropping a lawsuit he filed against a satanist group contending it was in unauthorized possession of a consecrated Eucharistic host. The group had planned to use the blessed bread wafer in a “black Mass” scheduled for next month. Adam Daniels, who…

Aug 22, 2014 11:39 AM CDT

Suit blames Care.com and a failed ‘premier background check’ in baby’s death

A Wisconsin couple has sued Care.com and a baby sitter hired through the website after their baby daughter died from a skull fracture while in the sitter’s care. The suit by Nathan and Reggan Koopmeiners of Kenosha claims they paid Care.com for a “premier background check,” but it failed to…

Aug 21, 2014 2:24 PM CDT