Tort Law

Law Student Among Plaintiffs Claiming Baldness Drug Causes Concentration Loss, Impotence

A class action lawsuit filed against Merck & Co. claims its baldness drug Propecia can cause permanent sexual dysfunction and mental problems such as anxiety and insomnia. One of the plaintiffs is a man forced to drop out of law school because the drug caused an inability to concentrate, the…

Mar 16, 2011 1:44 PM CDT

Fla. Couple’s Suit over Anonymous Claim of Affair Part of Textual Harassment Litigation Trend

A Florida couple is seeking the identity of a person who sent an anonymous text message claiming the husband was having an affair with one of his employees. Their suit claiming defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress is part of growing trend of litigation involving “textual harassment,” the Naples…

Mar 14, 2011 2:53 PM CDT

A ‘Pro-Business’ Supreme Court? Recent Rulings Favor Workers and Injured Plaintiffs

Recent decisions indicate the U.S. Supreme Court isn’t reflexively pro-business, despite some assertions to the contrary. So far this term, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has had four losses and just one win, the Los Angeles Times reports. The court has also sided with “hard-luck plaintiffs who were mistreated by…

Mar 14, 2011 11:00 AM CDT

Texas Bill Requiring Loser-Pays Rule in Lawsuits Is Drafted with Push from Governor

In his State of the State address in February, Texas Gov. Rick Perry endorsed a loser-pays system that would require “those who sue” to pay attorney fees. Now he’s pushing a loser-pays bill that is in the draft stages, the New York Times reports. Still unclear is whether the bill…

Mar 11, 2011 12:48 PM CST

Charlie Sheen’s Lawsuit Isn’t All Talk: It Seeks $100M and Cites ‘Alleged’ Disability

Charlie Sheen was exaggerating a bit when he said his lawsuit against Warner Bros. would seek “bazillions” in damages. His suit filed on Thursday against Warner Bros. and producer Chuck Lorre seeks at least $100 million for his firing from the show Two and a Half Men, TMZ reports. It…

Mar 10, 2011 7:31 PM CST

KC Royals Not Liable for Injuries Caused by Errant Hot Dog Toss, Jury Finds

A Kansas City Royals fan has lost his lawsuit that claims he suffered a detached retina when he was hit by a flying, foil-wrapped hot dog tossed by the team’s lion mascot, Sluggerrr. Jurors deliberated for slightly more than an hour before finding the team not liable for injuries suffered…

Mar 10, 2011 1:04 PM CST

7th Circuit Zaps Lawyer for Exceeding 14K Word Limit in Brief, Summarily OKs Lower Court Decision

In a blistering opinion (PDF) today, a federal appeals court not only stated or implied that a lawyer had been untruthful in his certification that a brief met the 14,000-word limit but criticized his “rambling” writing. Then, saying that any further effort by appellant attorney John Caudill to file a…

Mar 10, 2011 12:15 AM CST

Mississippi Lawsuit Takes on Corporal Punishment of Students, Seeks State Ban on Paddling

A federal lawsuit seeking to have paddling banned in Mississippi claims race and gender unfairly affect how the punishment is applied. While the court contemplates prohibiting the practice permanently, the suit is asking for a preliminary injunction or temporary restraining order to stop paddlings, the Calhoun County Journal reports. “Mississippi…

Mar 9, 2011 9:48 PM CST

Ex-Associate Can’t Seek Punitives from Orrick for Allegedly Misstating His Partnership Potential

A former associate seeking big bucks from Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe for allegedly misleading him that he would be seriously considered for partnership has had his damages claim further narrowed by the New York state judge hearing the case. Justice Bernard Fried last week granted the law firm’s motion to…

Mar 8, 2011 7:32 PM CST

Judge Order May Remove Acclaimed Film on Mexico’s Flawed Justice System from Mexican Theaters

A critically lauded documentary on Mexico’s corrupt justice system may be pulled from theaters after a federal judge received a complaint from a disgruntled witness who appears in the film. Presumed Guilty, which tells the story of an innocent man who is found guilty of murder twice, is facing legal…

Mar 8, 2011 7:21 PM CST

School Board Mulls $490K Settlement with Ex-Counsel Who Reported Chief Attorney’s ‘Postal’ Comment

A cash-strapped Florida school district is expected to consider tomorrow whether to pay $490,000 to a former senior associate general counsel who reported that his supervisor had allegedly made threatening comments about “going postal” and threatened to kill district employees, reports the Palm Beach Post. During the soap opera that…

Mar 8, 2011 5:32 PM CST

‘A Big Day of Gladness at the Sober Valley Lodge,’ Says Fired Sheen: I’ll Sue for ‘Bazillions’

Word today that he had been fired by Warner Brothers Television from his hit comedy, Two and a Half Men, following a series of reported wild behavior is good news, star Charlie Sheen tells TMZ. “It is a big day of gladness at the Sober Valley Lodge because now I…

Mar 8, 2011 1:00 AM CST

Lawyer Sues Ex-Fiancé, Also an Attorney, Seeking Alleged $63K Cost of Bora Bora Wedding

Robert Leighton’s alleged bad behavior after a Las Vegas bachelor’s party created a rift between Chicago attorney Lauren Serafin and her ex-fiance, who is also a lawyer. The result, she says, was the couple’s break-up prior to their planned Bora Bora destination wedding. But Serafin still is out nearly $63,000…

Mar 8, 2011 12:07 AM CST

Lady Gaga Threatens Suit re ‘Baby Gaga’ Human Breast Milk Ice Cream Sold at UK Eatery

News reports that a London eatery was selling “Baby Gaga” ice cream made of human breast milk initially sparked health concerns and scrunched-up faces from those to whom the product seemed a bit disgusting. But now the nearly $23 dish sold briefly by the Icecreamists has another objector—Lady Gaga. Not…

Mar 7, 2011 11:36 PM CST

Law Clerk at Corboy & Demetrio ‘A Little Freaked Out’ by Fire Sunday; Multiple Law Offices Closed

A quiet day at the office Sunday became unexpectedly dramatic for a number of workers after a fire broke out on the ground floor of a 25-story downtown Chicago highrise. Stephanie Sainsbury, who works as a law clerk at Corboy & Demetrio, was one of 10 to 15 people escorted…

Mar 7, 2011 9:32 PM CST