In the News

This being America, the lawsuit capital of the world, it was probably inevitable that businesses would eventually settle the crush of opioid suits as a ransom to put the issue behind them. On Wednesday state Attorneys General trumpeted a rich opioid settlement with drug distributors and Johnson & Johnson, and there will surely be more.

A controversial practice of financial firms funding litigation for attorneys who sue trucking companies is putting defense attorneys at a disadvantage — and is on the rise.

“Wilderness therapy” like rock-climbing can be considered health care for the purposes of litigation, the Utah Supreme Court has ruled. Asked by a federal appeals court whether an injury that took place during a hike can be subject to rules governing medical malpractice lawsuits, the court on July 9 said yes.

Now add COVID-19 lawsuits, the latest tool in the trial attorneys’ toolbox. Teams of lawyers across the state have been gearing up to bring COVID-19-related lawsuits against California’s small businesses. It’s usually impossible to know exactly where someone catches the coronavirus, but that won’t stop claims that someone got it from a coworker or their server at the restaurant or their client at the office — and that it’s the owner’s fault.

Among the noblest decisions a judge can make is to refrain from accepting an invitation to act in excess of his or her authority. In dozens of lawsuits across the country, asserting novel and extra-legal public nuisance claims – for climate change, opioids, guns, COVID-19, lead paint, vaping and other social ills – judges can nobly refuse to turn their state and federal courts into places for plaintiffs’ attorneys to profit or for public officials to politically posture.

A sanctions hearing has been slated for early next month in a Hurricane Harvey lawsuit against the Texas Fair Plan Association. Seeking up to $100,000 in damages, Harvey Guidry filed suit against the TFPA in Harris County, alleging the insurer “failed to properly adjust” his claim for property damages.

Amazon.com Inc cannot be held liable under Texas law for injuries caused by a third-party seller’s product that the e-commerce giant shipped from its warehouse, the state’s highest court has ruled.

Texas stands head and shoulders above all other states in the race to attract corporate headquarters exiting California, with Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin topping the list of destinations within the Lone Star State.

Gov. Greg Abbott has set a special session of the Texas Legislature starting July 8, his office announced Tuesday.

On Monday, Gov. Greg Abbott signed the Pandemic Liability Protection Act into law. The Act went into effect immediately because Senate Bill 6 was passed by both chambers by supermajorities.