John O'Brien News
Connecticut Supreme Court decides when COVID immunity from lawsuits applies
HARTFORD, Conn. (Legal Newsline) - A pair of rulings from the Connecticut Supreme Court will give guidance to health care providers hoping to use the immunity afforded them during the COVID pandemic to fight lawsuits.
Those who think cough drops are permanent cures won't be part of class action after early individual settlement
ALBANY, N.Y. (Legal Newsline) -- A proposed class action lawsuit brought on behalf of consumers who think cough drops permanently cure their ailments has been settled after the maker of Halls lozenges moved to have it tossed out of court.
Wrongful death suit over closed highway in Mississippi fails
JACKSON, Miss. (Legal Newsline) - The Mississippi Department of Transportation and a road construction company will not be liable for the death of a woman who drove down a closed portion of highway and struck a crane.
Washington Supreme Court won't extend 'public nuisance' to animal cruelty allegations
OLYMPIA, Wash. (Legal Newsline) - Allegations of animal cruelty can't create a claim for public nuisance, the Washington Supreme Court has ruled in a lawsuit brought by the Animal Legal Defense Fund.
Michael Jackson's companies can't escape sexual abuse lawsuits
LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) - A California appeals court has ruled that two companies wholly owned by the late Michael Jackson can be held liable for sexual assault of children allegedly committed by him.
North Dakota Supreme Court affirms seven-figure med-mal verdict for man who needed kidney transplant
BISMARCK, N.D. (Legal Newsline) - A man whose kidney failure went unnoticed by his doctors will get to keep most of his $1.6 million medical malpractice verdict.
Property owner defeats wrongful death lawsuit over murder of musician at open mic night
BOSTON (Legal Newsline) - The landlord of a now-closed nightclub in Massachusetts won't be held liable for the execution-style murder of a musician who performed there in 2016.
Fruit snacks never promised to be 'all natural,' defendant in class action says
LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) - A maker of fruit snacks that contain malic acid is fighting a class action lawsuit, arguing the plaintiff fails to show the malic acid is artificial.
Dispute between hernia mesh lawyers transferred out of federal court
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - Mass tort lawyers will get their wish to have their lawsuit against colleagues sent back to the court in which they filed it.
Prop 65 group loses latest challenge to injunction blocking coffee-causes-cancer lawsuits
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Legal Newsline) - A new judge is no more receptive to a California group run by a plaintiffs lawyer that wishes to sue companies that don't warn consumers about products like coffee possibly causing cancer.
Appellate judge removed from office in Georgia over alleged ethics violations
ATLANTA (Legal Newsline) - The Georgia Supreme Court has removed a Court of Appeals judge and former Republican lawmaker from the bench over allegations he took advantage of an elderly client while in private practice.
Lawyer kicked out of Los Angeles plaintiff attorney group sues, claims anti-Semitism on message board
LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) - An ex-member is suing the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles for giving him the boot when he says he was just standing up to anti-Semitism and a threat of violence on CAALA's message board.
Plaintiff who sued because Ana de Armas was cut from the film Yesterday faces motion to dismiss
CHICAGO (Legal Newsline) - The class action lawyer who wants money for fans of the actress of Ana de Armas failed to support his argument, Comcast is arguing.
FedEx questions why odometer fraud case filed in New Jersey, asks for dismissal
CAMDEN, N.J. (Legal Newsline) - FedEx and its co-defendants have made their arguments for dismissal of a class action lawsuit alleging they engaged in odometer fraud.
Lead lawyers picked to sue Disney on behalf of shareholders
LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) - The firm Robbins Geller will lead class action litigation against The Walt Disney Company that claims investors were misled by executives' statements about the success of its Disney+ streaming platform.
Ex-Colo. chief justice censured after okaying contract for woman who taped conversation with other justice
DENVER (Legal Newsline) - It's a simple public censure for the former chief justice of the Colorado Supreme Court accused of failing to notice a disgruntled former employee had recorded a conversation with another justice before giving her a five-year, multimillion-dollar contract.
Judge to class action lawyers: Deal with arbitration, then appeal
TRENTON, N.J. (Legal Newsline) - A federal judge won't fast-track an appeal by class action lawyers upset their case over knobs on LG electric and gas ranges was sent to arbitration.
Lawyers ask for their share from cheese sticks class action settlement
CHICAGO (Legal Newsline) - Class action lawyers want $250,000 for their work on a case that claimed snackers were tricked by the maker of TGI Friday's bagged mozzarella sticks into thinking the product contained actual mozzarella.
Too late, Wisconsin court tells widow of man who died in corn trailer
MADISON, Wis. (Legal Newsline) - The widow of a man who fell into a trailer attached to a semi-tractor and suffocated in corn gluten missed her chance to sue, as a Wisconsin appeals court has found his death involved a motor vehicle.
Jury's damages affirmed in Kentucky day care abuse case, as plaintiff had asked for their opinion
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Legal Newsline) - You asked for it, the Kentucky Court of Appeals has told a woman upset with the amount a jury awarded her in a lawsuit alleging her kids were abused at a daycare.