Personal Injury Roundup No. 97 (3/18/11)

New Cases

• Guatamalans who were deliberately infected with syphilis in the 1940s file class action against U.S. government under Alien Tort Statute. (MSNBC/AP, WSJ Law Blog)

Appeals

• DOJ opposes Virginia's attempt to take a direct appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court on health care bill suit. (WSJ Law Blog, ABA Journal, SCOTUS Blog)

Reform, Legislation, Policy

• Movie theater owners fight calorie disclosure rules for movie menus.  (WaPo)
• California punitive damages bill fails to pass out of committee.  (Cal Punitive Damages)
• Florida Senate passes bill allowing evidence of everyone who contributed to accident in "crashworthiness" cases against manufacturers.  (Naples News)

Trials, Settlements and Other Ends

• In honor of spring training, two baseball items:
  • Kansas City Royals not liable for hot dog flung at plaintiff during game. (Overlawyered)
  • MLB Umpire injured by foul ball wins $775k in products suit against manufacturer of face mask. (BLT)

--SBS