Daniel Fisher News
Iowa jurors now need an expert to explain cow management
DES MOINES, Iowa (Legal Newsline) - Iowa jurors no longer can be counted upon to understand the basics of livestock management, the state’s highest court ruled, affirming the dismissal of a lawsuit by a truck driver who was injured after his vehicle plowed into a loose cow.
ChatGPT's mistakes could cost N.Y. lawyer an $8K punishment
NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) - A lawyer who cited a nonexistent lawsuit dreamed up by ChatGPT not only had her client’s case dismissed, but may face disciplinary action and have to pay $8,000 in the other side’s legal bills.
Hospital can cry 'COVID' to defend itself from slip-and-fall case
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (Legal Newsline) - An Alabama hospital can claim immunity under a law protecting healthcare providers against any lawsuit that “arises from or is related to Coronavirus,” even if the claim is that a plaintiff fell on the walkway out of an infusion therapy center.
Adult injured at kids' playground cant sue, Nevada court says
LAS VEGAS (Legal Newsline) - A law protecting property owners against lawsuits stemming from “recreational activities” shields a Nevada city from a lawsuit filed by a woman who tripped over the edge of a protective mat under a children’s slide and broke her leg in multiple places.
Inmate who refused medicine can sue doctors for malpractice
INDIANAPOLIS (Legal Newsline) - A prison inmate who stopped taking prescription medicine after complaining about side effects can sue his doctors for malpractice and deliberate indifference for refusing to provide an alternate medication, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled, reversing a trial court’s dismissal of the prisoner’s lawsuit.
Law professor loses fight to be paid extra for grading papers
PORTLAND, Maine (Legal Newsline) - A lawyer who taught classes on banking and admiralty law at the University of Maine Law School on the side isn’t entitled to extra pay for the hours he spent preparing for class and grading papers because he was working for a fee, the state’s highest court ruled.
Wisconsin conservatives challenge liberal Supreme Court's explanation for redistricting
MADISON, Wis. (Legal Newsline) - Wisconsin conservatives are fighting the state Supreme Court’s attempt to redraw legislative voting districts after a liberal majority threw out existing maps over so-called “municipal islands” that have existed for decades and were upheld by the court as recently as 2022.
Meta argues New Mexico has no mental-health case against Facebook, Instagram
SANTA FE, N.M. (Legal Newsline) - Facebook owner Meta has moved to dismiss New Mexico’s lawsuit claiming the social-media giant has caused a public nuisance and even increased suicides by using algorithms and other tricks to hook children on its services and serve them pornographic content.
'No punt' football coach wins $200K in lawsuit over email criticizing his paperwork
COLUMBIA, S.C. (Legal Newsline) - A high school football coach who was demoted after adopting a disastrous “no punt” strategy can keep $200,000 a jury awarded him in a lawsuit over an email criticizing his paperwork skills, the South Carolina Supreme Court ruled.
Hotel not liable for murdered man in roommate's bed
TRENTON, N.J. (Legal Newsline) - A man who discovered a murdered coworker in the bed next to him can’t win money from Wyndham Hotels for his emotional suffering, a New Jersey court ruled, upholding the dismissal of a lawsuit stemming from a bizarre incident involving transient utility workers.
Company not responsible after customer crushed between its wall and a U-Haul van
LANSING, Mich. (Legal Newsline) - True Value still isn’t liable for a tragic accident where a U-Haul van crushed a customer against a wall, a Michigan appeals court ruled, despite a landmark decision by the state’s highest court making it harder for property owners to defend claims over “open and obvious” risks.
After burying the wrong woman, funeral home may face lawsuit
TRENTON, N.J. (Legal Newsline) - A New Jersey funeral home may have to defend itself in a lawsuit after misplacing a woman’s body, an error discovered only after the grieving widower saw a video image of another woman wearing his late wife’s jewelry and clothing on the day she was supposed to be entombed.
Realtor/candidate can sue Nebraska Republicans over fliers during primary, court rules
LINCOLN, Neb. (Legal Newsline) - A real estate agent who was targeted by the Nebraska Republican Party with fliers accusing her of breaking the law when she entered a contested primary election can sue the party for defamation, the Nebraska Supreme Court ruled.
Lawsuit struck against doctor who delayed antivenom for snakebite victim
AUSTIN, Texas (Legal Newsline) - Parents who wanted $1 million in compensation for the suffering of their daughter after she was bitten by a rattlesnake have no case against the emergency-room doctor who refused to immediately administer antivenom, the Texas Supreme Court ruled.
FirstEnergy bribery suspect facing seizure of $8 million
COLUMBUS, Ohio (Legal Newsline) - A man accused of accepting a multimillion-dollar bribe from FirstEnergy in a scheme that also sent the former speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives to jail may face the seizure of $8 million after the Ohio Supreme Court reversed an appellate ruling striking down a court order attaching his assets.
Court lets private school expel students over 'woke' complaints from their parents
RALEIGH, N.C. (Legal Newsline) - A Charlotte, N.C. private school was within its rights to expel the children of parents who accused the school of advancing “woke” ideology and pursuing diversity at the expense of academic performance, a North Carolina appeals court ruled.
A deal is a deal: Lawyers get their contingency fees from wrongful death suit
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (Legal Newsline) - A mother whose lawyers negotiated a $2.5 million settlement over the death of her son lost her bid to prevent lawyers hired by her grandchildren to get a piece of the fees after a Missouri appeals court ruled contingency-fee contracts awarding more than a third of the money to attorneys were valid.
Doctor's failure to answer phone wins wrongful-death plaintiff a new trial
WARREN, Ohio (Legal Newsline) - An Ohio court wrongly dismissed a lawsuit over a 79-year-old woman’s death from heart failure, an appeals court ruled, giving plaintiffs another chance to convince a jury the woman’s cardiologist was to blame because he didn’t immediately answer pages and phone calls.
Delaware loses some claims against oil companies but can proceed with disinformation lawsuit
WILMINGTON, Del. (Legal Newsline) - Delaware has presented enough evidence to proceed with its lawsuit accusing BP, ExxonMobil and several other oil companies of misleading consumers about the dangers of global warming, although it can’t sue over damages stemming from out-of-state emissions, a state court judge ruled.
Phoenix may have to pay for police officer's COVID death
PHOENIX (Legal Newsline) - The City of Phoenix has to defend itself against claims by the widow of a police officer that he contracted a fatal case of COVID-19 at work, an appeals court ruled, reversing an administrative ruling that denied benefits for lack of evidence.