PLAINTIFF LAWYER DOES IT AGAIN

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$49 Million Awarded in Fatal Highway Accident

A California jury has awarded $49 million in a lawsuit stemming from a highway accident in 2007 that left one man dead and a police officer paralyzed. The officer had pulled a man over on the highway when a truck slammed into them, killing the other driver and rendering the police officer a quadriplegic. The truck driver pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.  Wire Report , San Francisco Chronicle  01/27/2011

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VERDICTS KEEP COMING

$142.1 Million Awarded in False Drug Marketing Case

Drug maker Pfizer Inc. has been ordered to pay $142.1 million in damages over illegal marketing of the epilepsy drug Neurontin. Pfizer was accused of marketing the drug as a treatment for migraines and bipolar disorder, neither of which have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The original jury award was $47.3 million, but was tripled under a provision of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.  Jef Feeley and Janelle Lawrence, Bloomberg  01/28/2011

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THERE IS MONEY IN LAW  KIDDIES

Johnson & Johnson Pay Millions for Patent Violation

Johnson & Johnson has been ordered to pay $482 million to a New Jersey doctor for patent infringement. A Texas jury ruled the company violated a patent held by Bruce Saffran for a device used to treat damaged heart tissue. In 2008, Saffran was awarded a $50 million settlement in a similar lawsuit against Boston Scientific Corp. over the same device.  Susan Decker and Dennis Robertson, Bloomberg  01/28/2011

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mr gop businessman

more product recalls

Products

Compressors Recalled Due to Fire Risk

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced a recall of 460,000 air compressors that can overheat and pose a fire risk. The compressors are manufactured by DeVilbiss Air Power Company, and it has been reported that the motors tend to overheat and may catch fire. DeVilbiss received nine reports of motors overheating, including three reports of fire damage to surrounding property.  Staff Report, PR Newswire  02/03/2011

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Volkswagen Passats Investigated by Government

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating nearly 500,000 Volkswagen Passats that could have problems in their 4-cylinder turbo engines that could lead to fires. The agency has received 14 complaints of fires involving the Passats from customers. The agency also said that due to records provided by Volkswagen, there is a "sufficient reason for concern to begin a more serious 'engineering analysis' and greatly expand the number of vehicles covered."  Christopher Jensen, The New York Times  01/31/2011

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todays hot cases

Laws/Cases

Suit Filed Against Safeway over Product Recalls

A class-action lawsuit against grocery store chain Safeway has been filed claiming the company does not alert its members when product recalls have been issued. Many of the plaintiffs claimed they did not learn about egg or peanut butter recalls until long after they had purchased items that could have made them sick. Other loyalty-card stores such as Sam's Club and Costco contact their members during a recall, the suit claims, and so should Safeway.  Stacy Finz, San Francisco Chronicle  02/03/2011

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Beat-Down Inmate Files Suit Against County

A Pennsylvania inmate who suffered an almost-fatal beating in prison last year has filed a lawsuit against Lackawanna County. He claims in his suit that "prison officials showed deliberate indifference and ignored warnings about his safety." He suffered permanent neurological damage from the attack. The suit is seeking $250,000 in damages.  Wire Report, Seattle Post-Intelligencer  02/03/2011

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Strip-Search Suit Settled in Massachusetts

A $1.1 million settlement has been reached with half the plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit over illegal strip searches at the Franklin County Jail in Massachusetts. The suit accused jail officers of conducting the illegal searches between 2004-2007. Each of the 250 plaintiffs will receive about $2,900 in damages, the Boston Herald reported.  Wire Report, Boston Herald  02/02/2011

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Suit: Importing of Lethal Injection Drug is Illegal

Six death row inmates have filed a lawsuit against the Food and Drug Administration in an attempt to halt the importing of a "key drug" used by states for lethal injection. The suit claims that by allowing states to import "unapproved supplies of sodium thiopental," the FDA is violating federal regulatory laws. The lone U.S. manufacturer of the drug announced it was permanently halting production last month.  Kevin Johnson, USA Today  02/02/2011

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Attorney at work

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first person called when in trouble

is a lawyer

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Suit: Kentucky Man Was Abused in Boy Scouts

A Kentucky man has filed a lawsuit against the Boy Scouts of America and the Episcopal Diocese of Kentucky claiming he was sexually abused by a scout master more than 30 years ago. The suit claims the Boy Scouts were aware of sexual predators among troop leaders for years but "never warned parents or scouts to be alert for such dangers." The suit also claims the statue of limitations should not apply to this case because "the Boy Scouts allegedly concealed what it has long known about sexual abuse by scoutmasters."  Peter Smith, Louisville Courier Journal  02/03/2011

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Suit Filed Against Gas Company over Explosions

A lawsuit against Dominion East Ohio gas company is seeking class-action status after a gas pressure surge in January led to fires and explosions in a residential area. The suit claims at least eight homes were damaged by fires or explosions, and appliances and furniture was damages in countless others. The suit argues that Dominion was "negligent as a result of its distribution system being improperly designed," and "failed to keep its pressure regulators in proper working order."  John Funk, Cleveland Plain Dealer  02/03/2011

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