Tort Law

Their Day in Court

Animal protection attorneys are pushing the law to treat animals more like humans

Sep 1, 2010 9:20 AM CDT

Banks Gone Wild

Unlucky homeowners sue after being left out—literally

Sep 1, 2010 5:10 AM CDT

Maintenance Worker Wins $160K Award for Sprained Ankle, Due to Retaliation

A train maintenance worker who stepped off of a 12-inch platform while carrying garbage bags and sprained her ankle won a $160,000 award last week against her employer. Although Nicole Anderson fully recovered from the sprain, she was initially fired and then reinstated and disciplined after reporting the on-the-job injury,…

Sep 1, 2010 1:09 AM CDT

‘Sex Object’ Client Complains: My Lawyer Showed Me Nude Photos of His Wife, Now a Judge

Corrected: When Alexander Chapman retained a family lawyer in 2002, he was seeking a divorce. But he got a lot more than he bargained for from his then-counsel at Thompson Dorfman Sweatman in Winnipeg, Canada, the computer specialist contends in ethics complaints against husband-and-wife attorneys Jack King and Lori Douglas,…

Sep 1, 2010 12:37 AM CDT

Clemens’ Not-Guilty Plea is 1st Step in Expected Perjury Trial Saga

A not-guilty plea by famed baseball pitcher Roger Clemens yesterday is only the beginning of a long courtroom saga, predicts Sports Illustrated. The magazine’s lengthy article lays out the expected procedure in the high-profile perjury case against Clemens over his 2008 testimony before Congress on performance-enhancing substances. Although he is…

Aug 31, 2010 6:39 PM CDT

Suit Blames Pryor Cashman for Failing to Prevent $42M Fund Embezzlement

A lawsuit blames the New York-based law firm Pryor Cashman for failing to provide legal advice that may have prevented the embezzlement of $42 million from union benefit funds by a woman who loved expensive horses and Neiman Marcus. Trustees for three Construction Workers Local 147 funds allege the law…

Aug 31, 2010 2:34 PM CDT

$667M Nursing Home Verdict Surprised Even the Plaintiffs’ Lawyers

A class action lawsuit that resulted in a $667 million verdict last month against a for-profit nursing home company surprised even the plaintiffs’ lawyers. The verdict is thought to be the largest in the country so far this year, the Associated Press reports. The huge award is “sending shock waves…

Aug 31, 2010 11:00 AM CDT

Squire Sanders Motion Hits Lawyer’s ‘Delusions’ that LeBron James Is His Son

A onetime lawyer for the Securities and Exchange Commission who says he may be the father of LeBron James is basing his lawsuit on “rank speculation” and groundless damages claims, according to a motion to dismiss filed today. Leicester Bryce Stovell, a 1980 graduate of the University of Chicago Law…

Aug 30, 2010 6:11 PM CDT

Ruling Clears Way for Testimony by Ex-Toyota Lawyer on Hidden Documents

A ruling by the Texas Supreme Court is expected to clear the way for a former Toyota lawyer to testify about allegations the company failed to disclose information on design defects in its cars. The ruling allows a judge to consider a contempt of court sanction in a case brought…

Aug 30, 2010 4:42 PM CDT

Judge Rules Plaintiffs Lawyers Can’t Charge 9/11 Clients $6.1M in Interest

A federal judge in New York City is refusing to allow plaintiffs lawyers to collect $6.1 million in interest from ground zero clients to pay the interest on money borrowed to finance the litigation. U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein said the lawyers could make $150 million in fees in the…

Aug 30, 2010 12:52 PM CDT

Appeals Court Grants New Trial Due to Plaintiff Attorney’s Inflammatory Language

Finding that a trial judge had abused his discretion by failing to do so, a Florida appeals court has granted a new trial on most issues in a personal injury case because of inflammatory remarks made by the plaintiff’s lawyer in opening and closing remarks. For example, attorney Michael Laurato…

Aug 27, 2010 4:29 PM CDT

Suit Claims Baptism Injury Forced Law Student to Give Up School

A former law student claims in a lawsuit that he was forced to leave school after injuring his back while performing submersion baptisms for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The pro se suit by Daniel Dastrup, who now lives in Las Vegas, claims he suffered a herniated…

Aug 27, 2010 2:09 PM CDT

Billionaire Bren Owes Adult Kids Zip, Jury Rules; They Had Sought $134M in Child Support

If their mother had taken their billionaire father to court for child support years ago, she would have gotten some $400,000 a month, contend Christie Bren, 22, and David Bren, 18. So Donald Bren should now be required to pay them some $134 million, they and their mother, Jennifer McKay…

Aug 26, 2010 8:11 PM CDT

Steptoe Wins Injunction in Battle Over Wafting Burger Fumes

There may be no free lunch for a hamburger restaurant near Steptoe & Johnson in Washington, D.C. A superior court judge has granted Steptoe’s request and ordered Rogue States, a Burger Company to develop a plan to stop its fumes from wafting into the law firm’s air handlers. Judge John…

Aug 26, 2010 11:00 AM CDT

Wal-Mart Asks Supreme Court to Put the Brakes On Massive Employment Class Action

A federal appeals court gave the green light four months ago to a record-breaking employment discrimination case against Wal-Mart Stores Inc. that has been in the pipeline almost a decade. But now the gargantuan retailer is appealing that decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, reports the New York Times. If…

Aug 25, 2010 9:41 PM CDT