Personal Injury Roundup No. 48 (8/28/09)

We just finished our first full week of classes here at Charleston.  Here's what happened this week in torts:

Reform, Legislation, Policy

• Health reform debate continues to percolate.  (WaPo, AP, ABC News Political Punch)
• Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA) takes on Medicare Part D drug program.  (NYT)
• As required by statute, FDA creates the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee and is requesting nominations for members.  (FDA Law Blog)

Experts

• Federal judge grants Daubert motion and excludes plaintiff's expert in Bausch & Lomb ReNu MDL. (Drug & Device) 
• Another federal judge excludes the plaintiff's causation expert in Viagra MDL.  (Mass Tort Defense, Mass Tort Profs)

New Lawsuits

• A coach and an aide have filed separate lawsuits over the collapse of the Dallas Cowboys training facility back in May.  (AP, Dallas Morning News)
• Unmasked blogger plans to sue Google for complying with a court order to reveal her identity in the "Skanks in NYC" defamation suit.  (CNN, ABA Journal, Concurring Op)
• Two Pennsylvania women sue over pitt bull attacks.  (Sun News)
• Yaz blood-clot lawsuit filed in Illinois.  (About Lawsuits)
• Mother-in-law sues comedienne for defamation based on daughter-in-law's jokes, and keeping it all in the family, the lawyer/husband/son is representing his comedienne wife.  (WSJ Law Blog, ABA Journal)

Trials, Settlements and Other Ends

• Beck & Herrmann collect Zyprexa andAredia-Zometa summary judgment rulings.  (Drug & Device)
• Federal judge dismisses Trasyol class action.  (Mass Tort Defense)
• $1.3M verdict in Maryland med-mal case.  (About Lawsuits)

Appeals

• Pennsylvania appellate court rejects assumption-of-the-risk defense for golfer struck by ball. (Point of Law)

Damages

•  LA jury awards $13.8 million punitive damages in tobacco case retrial.  (Cal Punitive Damages)

Miscellaneous

•  Wall Street Journal article on the Alien Tort Claims Act. (WSJ)
  

- SBS