Personal Injury Roundup No. 32 (4/17/09)

Here's the past week in Torts:

Reform, Legislation, Policy

• Bill creating market-share liability for lead paint in Baltimore fails to pass Maryland General Assembly.  (Law & More, Point of Law)
• Point:  Texas Med-Mal Damages Caps Worked.  (Point of Law)
• Counterpoint:  Do Texas Med-Mal Damages Caps Work? (What Do You Mean By "Work"?) (Turkewitz)
• Two pending bills in U.S. Senate would give state attorneys general the authority to file suits to enforce specified federal laws.  (Point of Law)

Trials, Settlements & Other Ends

• Iowa jury awards $500k for food poisoning at wedding rehearsal dinner. (KTIV News)
• Final settlements in Minnesota bridge collapse.  (Torts Prof)  
• $1.8 million libel judgment against blogger.  (Overlawyered)
• Megabrands settles Magnetix toy hazards charges with CPSC.  (Products Liability Profs, Pop Tort)

Appeals

• United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit tosses defamation case against Rep. Murtha on immunity grounds. (Turley, San Diego Union Trib)
• Illinois Supreme Court reverses "Lipke" rule, and holds evidence of plaintiff's exposure to other asbestos products is admissible.  (Download Nolan v. Weil-McLain) (pdf)

Miscellaneous

• Wall Street Journal Op-Ed on "pay-to-sue" lobbying.  (WSJ)
• NACA guidelines for settling class actions published in FRD. (CL&P)
• Beck & Herrmann update their 50 state survey on medical monitoring claims.  (Drug & Device)

Thanks to Mark Behrens and my student John Harloe for material this week. 

--SBS