A New York state judge has denied motions to dismiss actor Julia Ormond's claims against a film company, its parent company, and a talent agency based on conduct by film producer Harvey Weinstein, who Ormond alleges assaulted...more
For decades, both state and federal courts in Michigan have routinely applied the learned intermediary doctrine in products liability cases involving prescription medical products. Under the doctrine, a manufacturer’s duty to...more
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
Bayer and Monsanto are currently facing about 54,000 lawsuits filed by consumers who were exposed to the weedkiller Roundup (glyphosate), according to recent court documents....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
Bipartisan Momentum Builds to Shine Light on Litigation Funders - In October 2023, we discussed the efforts by Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and John Kennedy (R-LA) to address the concerns presented by opaque third-party...more
The number of cases involving so-called “nuclear verdicts” — that is, verdicts with awards of $10 million or more — have risen sharply, and many of those cases concern product liability claims. For large corporations, such...more
In Himes v. Somatics, LLC, No. S273887, 2024 WL 3059637 (Cal. June 20, 2024), the Supreme Court of California delivered a win to the defense, upholding the learned intermediary doctrine in cases involving prescription drugs...more
In Pelton v Maytag, 2024 ONSC 3016 (“Pelton”) the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (the “Court”) ruled that the defendant manufacturers were not liable for failing to warn consumers that the product could fail because of a...more
With each decision, the courts give shape to Chapter 93A. This is Attorney Thayer’s second article on such decisions. To read his July 2023 coverage, click here. In a surprising decision that heightens potential exposure...more
Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco - Plaintiff Lisa Castillo filed an action in the San Francisco, California Superior Court alleging that her husband, Abraham Castillo, died of mesothelioma as a result of...more
As of May 2022, Monsanto, the company that developed the allegedly cancer-causing weed killer Roundup, has settled more than 100,000 lawsuits, and paid nearly $11 billion in settlements. Despite this massive number, 30,000...more
A New York State trial court has held, in Patterson et al. v. Meta Platforms, Inc. et al., that the Communications Decency Act (CDA) does not preclude, as a matter of law, claims asserted against various social media...more
Federal preemption can be a very powerful defense. For example, claims concerning Class III medical devices requiring pre-market approval are generally preempted by the Medical Device Amendments of 1976, 21 U.S.C. § 360c, et...more
Aqueous film-forming foam, or AFFF, has been linked to an increased risk of several types of cancer, including kidney cancer, testicular cancer, and pancreatic cancers. Civilian and military firefighters who worked with AFFF...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
Massachusetts federal and state courts issued several important product liability decisions in 2023. Nutter’s Product Liability practice group reviewed these cases and report on their significant holdings as follows ...more
Crafting the perfect medical device is never an exact science—but a patient should never suffer because of defects in a product that was intended to improve their quality of life. Determining whether a device manufacturer or...more
In June 2020, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison sued ExxonMobil, three Koch entities, and the American Petroleum Institute — (energy companies and affiliates that produce or sell fossil fuels around the world and an...more
The Michigan Senate recently passed a bill to repeal a long-standing state law immunizing pharmaceutical manufacturers and sellers from product liability suits where the pharmaceutical products were approved by the U.S. Food...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
Court: Supreme Court of New York, New York County (NYCAL) - In this asbestos action, boiler defendant Burnham LLC was sued for a variety of claims, including failure to warn, loss of consortium, and punitive damages....more
You can’t judge a book by its cover, but you can hold the publisher liable for the packaging. In its recently issued opinion, Johnson v. Edward Orton, Jr. Ceramic Foundation, 71 F.4th 601 (7th Cir. 2023), the Seventh Circuit...more