Tort Law

Ex-Crime Lab Supervisors Sue Texas DA, Claim Pointing to Booze Breath-Test Issues Led to Retaliation

Two former supervisors at a troubled police crime laboratory in Houston, Texas, have sued the local district attorney, contending that they suffered retaliation after blowing the whistle about problems with portable breath-alcohol testing stations. The Houston Chronicle reports that the plaintiffs, Amanda Culbertson and Jorge Wong, name three defendants in…

Dec 18, 2012 7:21 PM CST

Lawyer Sues Huff Post, Says He Wasn’t Author and Disagrees with Article Published Under His Name

Updated: A partner in a Panama law firm has sued the Huffington Post in federal court in Washington, D.C., contending that he wasn’t the author of a blog post published under his name (and featuring his photo) and disagrees with the views it expresses. Juan Carlos Noriega also says he…

Dec 17, 2012 9:59 PM CST

Baltimore Judge to Consider Plan to Revive Backburner Asbestos Cases

A law firm whose name partner bought the Baltimore Orioles with money earned from asbestos suits has a new plan to push more cases through the court system. The plan by the Law Offices of Peter G. Angelos would revive the cases of 13,000 people who claim they became ill…

Dec 17, 2012 4:28 PM CST

Judge Axes Most of Defamation Suit Filed By Former Phila. News Anchor Alycia Lane Against TV Station

A state court judge in Philadelphia has dismissed all claims made by former KYW-TV news anchor Alycia Lane against the station and CBS in a defamation suit. However, some claims against her former co-anchor, Larry Mendte, remain, CBS reports. The Associated Press and the Daily Mail also have stories. Lane,…

Dec 13, 2012 6:44 PM CST

Trial Lawyer Does Double Duty as SLU Law Dean While Winning $25M in Settlements

Some might find working either as a law school dean or a busy plaintiffs’ lawyer a more than full-time job. Tom Keefe Jr. is doing both. Temporarily at the helm of the law school at St. Louis University after his predecessor resigned suddenly in the midst of a dispute with…

Dec 12, 2012 9:09 PM CST

Michigan Appeals Court to Consider Anonymity for Blogger Who Criticized Cooley Law School

The Michigan Court of Appeals will consider today whether to protect the identity of a blogging former law student who criticized his alma mater, the Thomas M. Cooley School of Law. Public Citizen lawyer Paul Levy will appear on behalf of the anonymous blogger who questioned Cooley’s employment statistics and…

Dec 12, 2012 3:26 PM CST

George Zimmerman Files Defamation Suit Against NBC over Edited 911 Call

The man accused in the death of Trayvon Martin claims in a lawsuit filed on Thursday that NBC Universal defamed him and caused emotional distress by editing his taped 911 call to make him appear racist. The complaint filed in Florida on behalf of George Zimmerman alleges NBC was chasing…

Dec 7, 2012 12:33 PM CST

As Sites Like Yelp Increase in Popularity, More Consumers Get Sued for Defamation

A Virginia woman has been hit with a defamation suit after claiming in an online Yelp review that a contractor damaged her home and possibly stole her jewelry. Jane Perez called her contractor a “nightmare,” but says now she’s living her own bad dream, the Washington Post reports. Her contractor,…

Dec 6, 2012 11:30 AM CST

Florida School Seeks Dismissal of Hazing-Related Wrongful Death Suit

A Florida university has asked a judge to dismiss a wrongful death suit against it over the 2011 hazing death of a drum major in the school’s marching band. Richard Mitchell, a lawyer for Florida A & M University, said Wednesday that the victim, Robert Champion, willingly submitted to the…

Dec 3, 2012 5:41 PM CST

First-Class Action: Inaugural Case Draws Settlement Offers for Legal Newbie

Jonathan Jaffe has worked thousands of hours on a single case and hasn’t yet earned a cent. And he may never. But he’s certainly made a name for himself. The 2009 University of San Francisco School of Law grad took on the behemoth Facebook in a class action over the…

Dec 1, 2012 8:50 AM CST

That’s Hot: Plaintiffs Allege Burn Hazards, Say They Have the Scorched Hides to Prove It

With the onset of winter, it might be nice to get into a summer frame of mind, for a few minutes anyway. Here are some reminders that it can be a dangerous world—and a hot one too, apparently, if some recent lawsuits are any indication. Folks are finding that there…

Dec 1, 2012 7:00 AM CST

Dec. 3, 1984: Bhopal Chemical Leak Kills Thousands in India

Shortly after midnight on Dec. 3, 1984, a flat, eerie cloud began to settle over the Indian city of Bhopal. The cloud was a plume of deadly methyl isocyanate leaked from a chemical plant located in the heart of the city. An estimated 2,000 people were killed almost instantly, most…

Dec 1, 2012 6:50 AM CST

Strauss-Kahn Reportedly Reaches Settlement with Maid Who Accused Him of Rape

Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former chief of the International Monetary Fund, has reportedly reached an agreement to settle a civil suit filed by the hotel maid who accused him of rape. The New York Times attributes its information about the purported deal to “people with knowledge of the matter.” Details of…

Nov 30, 2012 2:31 PM CST

United Sues Over Customer Complaint Website Design; Operator Calls Blog an Obvious Parody

A major airline has sued a Canadian engineering professor in his home country, contending that the 15-year-old website on which he compiles customer and employee complaints violates its intellectual property rights and worker privacy. United Continental Holdings only sued after owner Jeremy Cooperstock reworked his untied.com blog in April to…

Nov 29, 2012 5:20 PM CST

Chief Justice Criticizes ‘Disingenuous’ Characterization of Administration Flip-Flops

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. made it clear during oral arguments on Tuesday that he wasn’t happy with footnote 9 in a brief by the Solicitor General’s office. Roberts “publicly dressed down an Obama administration lawyer” for disguising policy changes made under new presidents, Reuters reports. Though it wasn’t…

Nov 29, 2012 11:30 AM CST