In the News

A Texas consulting company that arranges spine surgery and other medical care for people injured in car crashes has come under scrutiny in a widening federal bribery investigation.

Opioid abuse has resulted in enormous human and economic costs, as state attorneys general who have reached settlements aimed at combating the epidemic and alleviating its harms have stated.

A California appeals court reversed an award of $685,000 in fees for a lawyer who won his client $1 in a complicated dispute over a leased Jaguar. 

Plaintiffs and attorneys may no longer have to confront massive insurance companies in lawsuits alone. “Litigation funders” may bankroll legal cases and might provide support for medical or financial needs. In return, a “loan” must be repaid – with interest – after receiving an insurance settlement.

According to the lawsuit, Ole Mexican Foods, Inc. sells, packages and advertises products that lead the consumer to believe they are made in Mexico, when in fact, the products are not. The company uses the Mexican flag in the center of the package, Spanish phrases like “El Sabor de Mexico!” and a logo that displays the Mexican flag with the word “Authentic” to portray the idea of the products being made and from Mexico, the suit says.

While in the past, public nuisance claims typically sought recovery for damages in connection with land use in public spaces, pollution of public waterways, or extreme noise levels, litigators sought to expand the definition to areas outside these traditional applications, including public nuisance claims against manufacturers for their alleged role in the opioid epidemic. However, recent developments provide insight as to the narrowing of that possibility.

Punitive damages, long the scourge of businesses named in lawsuits, and a tricky issue for insurers, may soon be much harder to come by in Florida after a recent opinion handed down by the state Supreme Court.

Lawsuits targeting industries tied to public health and food supply chains can have a truly chilling effect not only on research and development but on the availability of products we use and need every day. If we continue down this path of lawsuit abuse, we’ll see more critical industries move production abroad, while the availability of new medicines and critical products decreases in the U.S.

As appellate courts issue decisions and trials across the country reach verdicts, the contours of tort law are being reshaped and defined — specifically the applicability of public nuisance in product liability and mass torts cases.

A coalition of 11 state attorneys general is accusing cities, counties and their private lawyers of engaging in fee-driven litigation that has interfered with the states’ ability to negotiate global opioid settlements with companies.