Foley Hoag LLP publishes this quarterly Update primarily concerning developments in product liability and related law from federal and state courts applicable to Massachusetts, but also featuring selected developments for New...more
The United States Supreme Court first recognized products liability, including strict liability, as part of the general maritime law in East River Steamship S.S. Corp. v. Transamerica Delaval, Inc., 476 U.S. 858 (1986). The...more
Suboxone is a medication used to treat opioid addiction, containing buprenorphine and naloxone. While Suboxone is highly effective in helping individuals overcome opioid dependence, there have been concerns about its...more
The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (“Second Circuit”) addressed in an August 24th Opinion whether the federal Hazardous Materials Transportation Act (“HMTA”) preempted certain state tort law claims in...more
Last week, we highlighted a wave of litigation targeting underwear manufacturers. This week, litigation activity is now focusing on outerwear. On April 25, 2022, the same firm behind several of the underwear complaints...more
Massachusetts federal and state courts issued several important product liability decisions in 2021. Nutter’s Product Liability practice group reviewed these cases and report on their significant holdings as follows...more
In Kenney v. Watts Regulator Co, No. 20-2995, 2021 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4539 (E.D. Pa. Jan. 11, 2021), the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania considered whether to exclude the plaintiff’s...more
Massachusetts state and federal courts issued a number of important product liability decisions in 2019. The Product Liability practice group at Nutter recently reviewed these cases. Highlighted below are some of the key...more
A New Jersey federal judge recently applied Tennessee and California law in dismissing a proposed class action concerning allegedly leaky water heater sensors/valves (valves) made by Honeywell International Inc. The decision...more
On March 26, 2019, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed the removal and dismissal of claims brought against two pharmaceutical companies. Gibbons v. Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Pfizer Inc.,...more
LEGISLATION, REGULATIONS & STANDARDS - ASA Upholds Complaints Against Ads Targeting Children - The U.K. Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld the Obesity Health Alliance’s complaints against advertisements...more
In a recent decision, Great Northern Ins. Co. v. Honeywell Int’l, Inc., 2018 Minn. LEXIS 236, the Supreme Court of Minnesota addressed two important legal questions: (1) did the “machinery and equipment” exception to...more
Harris Beach attorneys Judi Abbott Curry, Victoria A. Graffeo and Marina Plotkin prevailed on plaintiffs’ appeal to the Second Circuit of product liability failure to warn claims against Pioneer Surgical Technology, Inc. and...more
To prepare the best product liability defense for pharmaceuticals and medical devices as well as anticipate and strategically plan for future challenges in the medical and life sciences legal world, it is often helpful to...more
United States Supreme Court Holds Due Process Forbids Exercising Specific Jurisdiction Over Nonresident Plaintiffs’ Claims Against Nonresident Defendant Where Claims Did Not Arise From Defendant’s Contacts with Forum,...more
Massachusetts Federal Court Dismisses Putative Class Action Because Defendant’s Unconditional Checks for Named Plaintiff’s Maximum Damages, Even Though Uncashed, Mooted Suit - In Demmler v. ACH Food Companies, Civil No....more
Welcome to California! California is a great place to live and work, and we are fortunate to call it home. But there is no sugarcoating the fact that California presents unique and daunting challenges to product...more
In March 2014, Jenna Thurmond sued Bayer in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, alleging that her use of the Mirena contraception system caused her to develop pseudotumor cerebri. Her symptoms...more
Massachusetts Federal Court Holds Proof of Testing of Proposed Alternative Design Not Required in Design Defect Claim, Evidence Plaintiff Ignored Defendant’s Warnings Did Not Establish He Was Sole Proximate Cause of Injury on...more
Mesh products have been regularly used to repair abdominal hernias since the 1950s. In the 1970s, gynecologists used surgical mesh products designed for abdominal hernia repair to repair prolapsed organs....more