TortsProf Blog

Editor: Christopher J. Robinette
Southwestern Law School

Friday, August 8, 2008

Personal Injury Roundup No. 2 (8/8/2008)

We hope to have a "Roundup" category in the near future.  In the meantime, however, you can find previous editions of the Roundup by scrolling under the Current Affairs category (in the Topical Archive off to the lower right).

Now on to the week in torts: 

Reform, Legislation, Policy

  • Bills to overturn the Supreme Court's preemption decision in Riegel v. Medtronic have been introduced in both the House and Senate.  [TortsProf, Point of Law, Drug&Device]
  • FDA to advertise a fake blood pressure drug in order to study whether the visuals divert consumers from the warnings.  [Pharmalot]
  • NY Assembly Speaker makes personal loans to Counsel Financial, a company that finances plaintiffs' contingency fee litigation.  [NY Times]
  • State AGs, lawyers and lobbyists all attend Conference of Western Attorneys General.  [Legal Newsline]
  • Senate bill would create "Health Care Comparative Effectiveness Research Institute" to review clinical research on drugs, devices and surgical procedures. [Pharmalot]
  • FDA announces new conflict-of-interest rules for advisory committees.  [FDA, SanFran Chronicle]
  • Debate on medical malpractice.  [Overlawyered]

New Lawsuits

  • Finally, a lawsuit in the salmonella outbreak [WSJ Law Blog].
  • Class action against Ford over not-so-limited edition Mustang.   [Reuters]
  • Another mortgage meltdown suit:  Connecticut sues Countrywide, alleging company violated state consumer protection laws by misleading borrowers to take on loans that they could not afford.  CT joins California, Illinois, Florida and the City of San Diego in pursuing litigation against the financial lender.  [Newsday/AP]
  • Beat up because he's a Red Sox fan; suing the Yankees [MassLive.com].
  • Second amended complaint in AutoAdmit lawsuit identifies one defendant.  [ABA JournalWSJ Law Blog, Overlawyered]

Discovery

  • Medblogs give outsiders chance to eavesdrop on break-room conversations and learn insiders thoughts on clinical studies.  [LA Times, GruntDoc]

Trials, Settlements & Other Ends

Appeals

  • Second Circuit certifies strict liability question on "when a seller of used machinery may be deemed a regular seller" to New York Court of Appeals.  [Court's opinion (pdf), NY Law Journal/law.com]
  • Fourth Circuit rejects defamation claim against Air American radio host. [AmLawyer/Law.com]
  • In a case of first impression, Seventh Circuit affirms removal of 144 plaintiff Burlington Northern wood processing case to federal court under CAFA's provision for "mass actions."   [Court's opinion (pdf), Business Insurance]
  • Eighth Circuit affirms dismissal of switched-at-birth suit under Federal Tort Claims Act on SOL grounds.  [OnPoint]
  • Ninth Circuit considering meaning of "interception" in civil e-mail hacking lawsuit. [WaPo]
  • Federal Circuit hears oral argument in Bikini Atoll nuclear case.  [WSJ Law Blog]

Damages

  • House passes bill authorizing unlimited punitive damages in pay discrimination cases.  [Cal Punitive Damages]

Miscellaneous

  • Bryan Cave starts FDA practice group.  [BLT]

Goofy Stuff

  • Okay, this has nothing to do with torts or personal injury, but I just love those guys over at JibJab

Shameless Self-Promotion (favorite posts of this week)

Thanks

If you enjoy the Roundup, please send us suggested links; our e-mail addresses are to the left.

- SBS

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/tortsprof/2008/08/personal-inju-1.html

Current Affairs, Damages, Legislation, Reforms, & Political News, MDLs and Class Actions, Products Liability, Roundup | Permalink

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Comments

Like those of most blogs, your Seventh Circuit link is broken. Google for Bashman's tutorial on how to link to Seventh Circuit opinions.

Posted by: Ted | Aug 8, 2008 6:39:00 PM

Thanks, Ted. The link should now be fixed.

Posted by: Sheila | Aug 9, 2008 4:46:22 AM

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