Tort Law

Federal judge sues Allstate, claims insurer is wrongly trying to evict him during pandemic

A federal judge in Brooklyn has filed a lawsuit contending that Allstate is trying to force him and his wife to leave the property that they rented after a fire destroyed their home, despite New York’s moratorium on evictions.

Apr 23, 2020 9:37 AM CDT

Insurance company’s suit says it has no duty to cover Geragos firm’s COVID-19 business losses

Travelers Casualty Insurance Co. of America has filed a lawsuit against Geragos & Geragos that contends that it has no duty to cover the high-profile law firm’s COVID-19-related business losses.

Apr 22, 2020 1:02 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Congress asked for COVID-19 lawsuit curbs; law school cuts pay for staff and faculty

Lobbyists seek COVID-19 lawsuit curbs Lobbying groups for U.S. businesses are asking Congress to curb liability for companies that could face lawsuits in connection with COVID-19. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is suggesting safe harbor from privacy laws for employers who inquire about health status, safe harbor from age and…

Apr 21, 2020 4:09 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Sick lawyer is back at work after speakerphone mistrial; judge tosses Twitter suit

Lawyer who tried to question witness by speakerphone recovers from COVID-19 An ill lawyer who tried to continue with a trial via a courthouse speakerphone, despite a fever and cough, has fully recovered and is working from home. New York lawyer Donald Vogelman told the ABA Journal that the March…

Apr 20, 2020 3:51 PM CDT

Trump and his 3,500 suits: Prosecutor and author reveals in interview his portrait of ‘Plaintiff in Chief’

Former federal prosecutor and author James D. Zirin illuminates more than 45 years of Trump’s legal disputes in his new book, Plaintiff in Chief: A Portrait of Donald Trump in 3,500 Lawsuits. Zirin recently answered some questions from Robin Lindley, a Seattle-based writer and lawyer.

Apr 20, 2020 8:49 AM CDT

Lawyer sues over social media posts claiming he made racist remarks in social distancing tiff

A Philadelphia lawyer has filed a defamation suit against a jogger and her cousin over their posts on social media about a confrontation over social distancing.

Apr 16, 2020 9:57 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Harvard Law prof drops ‘clickbait defamation’ suit; Trump campaign sues TV station over ad

Law prof drops ‘clickbait defamation’ suit after edits Harvard Law professor Lawrence Lessig has dropped his “clickbait defamation” lawsuit against the New York Times after the newspaper changed part of an article. Lessig had claimed that the article mischaracterized his essay in which he criticized the scapegoating of a researcher…

Apr 14, 2020 3:07 PM CDT

Wrongful death suit alleges Walmart failed to protect employee who died from COVID-19

The family of a suburban Chicago Walmart employee who died from COVID-19 filed a wrongful death lawsuit Monday alleging that the store failed to take steps to protect its workers.

Apr 7, 2020 11:35 AM CDT

As exposed health care workers seek legal remedies, who’s liable for lack of personal protective equipment?

Doctors and nurses across the country are asking about legal remedies they may have because of exposure to COVID-19 and a lack of personal protective equipment, or PPE. Invariably, their main concern is the dangers to which they’re being exposed.

Apr 2, 2020 11:35 AM CDT

Class actions and pending rules could change colleges’ sex assault procedures

In 2011, Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan shook up colleges when they introduced new guidance for handling sexual assault allegations. The officials proposed what’s now known as the “Dear Colleague” letter, which urged schools to crack down on sexual assault or risk losing funds for…

Apr 1, 2020 2:00 AM CDT

Federal judge trims law firm’s suit that claims a rival firm hijacked website traffic

A federal judge in Chicago has trimmed some claims from an Illinois law firm’s suit that alleges that a rival hijacked its website traffic and copied some of its website content.

Mar 26, 2020 3:01 PM CDT

Can jails return inmate cash in the form of fee-laden debit cards? 9th Circuit allows suit

A federal appeals court has revived a lawsuit by a jailed protester in Oregon who turned over nearly $31 to her jailers and was repaid upon release with a fee-laden debit card.

Mar 26, 2020 12:44 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: ABA backs stay-home exemption for legal services; PG&E to plead guilty in fire deaths

ABA: Exempt legal services from any US stay-home order ABA President Judy Perry Martinez says legal services should be deemed essential and exempted from any national stay-home order. “The American people and U.S. business community must have access to the legal services they need—when they need them most, in this…

Mar 25, 2020 4:05 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: ABA backs COVID-19 money for LSC; Larry Klayman files $20T suit against China

ABA president says LSC needs extra money for COVID-19 issues ABA President Judy Perry Martinez is asking Congress to provide a supplemental appropriation for the Legal Services Corp. The cash will help address the increasing legal needs of low-income Americans caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic. Extra money is needed…

Mar 20, 2020 3:30 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Harvey Weinstein gets 23 years; Sen. Rand Paul keeps $582K verdict in neighbor assault suit

Harvey Weinstein gets 23-year prison sentence Former film producer Harvey Weinstein, 67, was sentenced Wednesday to 23 years in prison for sexually assaulting two women. The minimum sentence was five years. Weinstein told the court that he thought the relationships were consensual, and he was “totally confused.” Weinstein faces additional…

Mar 11, 2020 4:35 PM CDT