Tort Law

Supreme Court Refuses Cert in Extraordinary Rendition Case

The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to hear an appeal by a Canadian engineer who claims the United States transferred him to Syria to be tortured after he was mistakenly identified as a terrorist. The New York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had dismissed the suit against U.S. officials…

Jun 14, 2010 2:28 PM CDT

Prominent Houston PI Lawyer Is Shocked to Learn of Alleged Plot to Kill His Wife

Someone has obviously been trying to kill the wife of prominent Houston personal injury lawyer Jeffrey Stern, but Stern isn’t behind the plot, according to his attorney. Yvonne Marie Stern was shot in the abdomen May 5 in what was at least the third shooting attempt, the Houston Chronicle reports.…

Jun 14, 2010 12:59 PM CDT

Partner’s Affair With Client’s Wife Isn’t a Breach of Fiduciary Duty, Court Rules

It is undisputed that a partner of Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz had an affair with the wife of a client and longtime friend while representing the fired bank executive in a wrongful termination suit. But without a showing that the affair adversely affected the representation the situation doesn’t…

Jun 11, 2010 8:33 PM CDT

Insurer to Pay $72.5M to Settle Alleged Structured Settlement Fraud in Earlier Cases

A federal judge in Connecticut has given a preliminary thumbs-up to an insurer’s agreement to pay $72.5 million to settle a class action over the structured settlements it provided to plaintiffs in earlier workers’ compensation and accident cases. A spokesman for the Hartford still says the company did nothing wrong…

Jun 11, 2010 4:36 PM CDT

Accused of Pulling Fire Alarm & Arrested, Librarian Can Sue Law Firm, Federal Judge Rules

A fire alarm activated a year ago on the third floor of Parker McCay’s offices has left the New Jersey law firm still dealing with a super-heated situation. The day after the June 2, 2009 incident, law librarian Sheila Ciemniecki was called into a Parker McCay conference room, where she…

Jun 10, 2010 7:39 PM CDT

Insurer to Pay More, Lawyers to Take Less in New Ground Zero Settlement

Less than three months after a federal judge rejected a proposed settlement for ground zero workers, a new deal has been reached that will put more money in plaintiffs’ pockets. The insurer for New York City will now contribute $712.5 million, an increase from a prior deal to pay up…

Jun 10, 2010 4:08 PM CDT

Tort Law Trumps Workers’ Comp in Parking Lot Shooting Case, Lawyer Says

Ordinarily, workers’ compensation provides the remedy for an employee who is injured or killed at work. But attorney Barry Cohen says he expects tort law to trump workers’ comp immunity for the defendant Florida supermarket in a wrongful death suit he filed over a parking lot shooting in which an…

Jun 10, 2010 2:57 PM CDT

Ex-Bull Scottie Pippen Blames Law Firm for Bad Investments, Seeks $8M at Trial

A famous former basketball player for the Chicago Bulls says he lost money because an Illinois law firm didn’t do enough due diligence on the trusted adviser who allegedly cost him millions in bad investments. Scottie Pippen has already settled for $1.5 million with the bankrupt adviser, Robert Lunn. But…

Jun 9, 2010 11:34 PM CDT

Ex-White House Lawyer Posts $750K Bail in Case Over Alleged Murder Attempt on Attorney Wife

Accused of beating his attorney wife with a metal flashlight so severely that her mental functioning was impaired, a former White House lawyer charged with attempted murder and first-degree strangulation has now posted $750,000 bail and been released to a mental hospital for treatment. John Michael Farren, 57, will be…

Jun 8, 2010 8:06 PM CDT

Report: BP Warned by Gov’t Agencies, Vinson & Elkins of Potential Issues at Multiple Sites

Government investigators, lawsuits and a law firm’s internal investigation have reportedly alleged an ongoing series of issues with maintenance and noncompliance with regulatory requirements at BP facilities in various United States locations. A lack of maintenance, inaccurate claims of compliance with regulatory standards and pressure on workers who report problems…

Jun 8, 2010 4:47 PM CDT

Ballard Spahr Bill Near $750K in Ongoing School Laptop Webcam Case

Legal fees charged by Ballard Spahr and a computer forensic expert the law firm retained are nearing $750,000 in a four-month-old matter concerning a school district’s controversial remote activation of webcams on the laptop computers it issued to students. A lawyer for the plaintiffs in a federal class action seeking…

Jun 8, 2010 2:44 PM CDT

Lawyer Can Sue Critic Over Craigslist War of Words, Says Appeal Court

Reversing a lower court ruling that a screenwriter’s critical comments on Craigslist about a California lawyer were protected by the First Amendment, a state appeals court last week reinstated attorney Richard Gibson’s suit. The comments allegedly posted by screenwriter Justin Swingle in conjunction with advertisements for Gibson’s law practice on…

Jun 7, 2010 11:09 PM CDT

Psychiatrist Had Duty to Warn Patient’s Spouse of Herpes Risk from Doctor-Patient Affair

A psychiatrist allegedly infected with the herpes simplex virus had a duty to warn his patient’s spouse before allegedly having unprotected sex with the patient, a New York judge has ruled. Upholding the husband’s right to bring a negligence suit for the alleged breach of duty by the psychiatrist, Westchester…

Jun 7, 2010 7:59 PM CDT

Workers File Massive $100M Wage Suit Against Bank of America

In a lawsuit that could eventually include some 180,000 plaintiffs, current and former workers at the Bank of America are seeking compensation for allegedly unpaid wages and overtime. In a lawsuit filed Friday in federal court in Kansas City, Kan., they seek to consolidate complaints filed in five states and…

Jun 7, 2010 7:26 PM CDT

Law Firm Points Trash-Out Crew to Paid-Up ‘Foreclosure,’ Is Sued

Martin Powelson paid off his delinquent Detroit mortgage. But after a law firm that handles a high-volume foreclosure practice mistakenly said told the lender that the redemption period had expired with the loan unpaid, a so-called trash-out crew paid a visit to his house. Contending that crew removed some $60,000…

Jun 7, 2010 6:51 PM CDT