News from March 2021
Maryland judiciary moves forward with phased reopening plan amid pandemic
Maryland Court of Appeals Chief Judge Mary Ellen Barbera has released a new video as the Maryland Judiciary prepares to transition into Phase IV of its COVID-19 operations plan.
Man watches hockey game, then sues MSG after slipping on stairs
NEW YORK (Legal Newslines) – Wet stairs are at the center of a new lawsuit against Madison Square Garden and the New York Rangers.
Lawyers say OGX shampoos can cause hair loss, scalp irritation
SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline) – Shampoo made by Johnson & Johnson contains ingredients that cause hair loss and/or scalp irritation, a class action lawsuit says.
Class action case over Ticketmaster's COVID plan booted out of court
CHICAGO (Legal Newsline) – A Chicago federal judge won’t hear a proposed class action lawsuit against Ticketmaster parent company Live Nation over its reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic last year.
Tootsie Roll asks for dismissal of class action over empty space in movie theater candy
SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline) – Now that it has been established a lawsuit over the empty space in movie theater candy should be heard in federal court, Tootsie Roll Industries is asking a judge to toss the case.The company on March 10 filed its motion to dismiss the lawsuit with the U.S.
Walmart wants federal judge to toss Greenpeace's lawsuit over recyclable products
OAKLAND, Calif. (Legal Newsline) – Greenpeace’s lawsuit against it over whether its recyclable products actually benefit the environment fails on at least three fronts, Walmart is arguing.
Old yearbook photos lead to lawsuit against Classmates.com
SEATTLE (Legal Newsline) – Classmates.com faces a class action lawsuit in Seattle federal court that says it is using photographs of people from yearbooks without their permission.
Student says chemicals scarred her in organic chemistry class
NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) – A science class gone wrong has resulted in a lawsuit against New York’s Barnard College.
Gay lawyer's discrimination case against church gets new life from Washington Supreme Court
OLYMPIA, Wash. (Legal Newsline) – Protection from lawsuits for religious institutions in an anti-discrimination law is OK, the Washington Supreme Court recently ruled, but a Seattle group is not free from litigation yet for refusing to hire a gay man for its open lawyer position.
Dead man can't recover $5 million for pain and suffering, Florida court rules
TALLAHASSEE - A man who died while a $5 million verdict in his favor in a wrongful death suit was still out on appeal recovers nothing, a Florida appeals court ruled, refusing to adopt a looser definition of the term “final judgment.”
Montana's CFWEP receives $1 million funding boost
The Clark Fork Watershed Education Program (CFWEP) has been granted an additional $1 million in funding.
Tort reform groups applaud W.Va. lawmakers' work on COVID immunity legislation
CHARLESTON – National and statewide tort reform groups are praising West Virginia lawmakers for work on the COVID-19 immunity legislation that could be on the governor’s desk soon.
New cleanup efforts launched for Upper Clark Fork River mine waste
The State has initiated a new phase of work to address the issue of toxic metals from mine waste, which has been present for over a century, seeping into the Upper Clark Fork River.
Theme park blamed for suicide gets access to woman's mental health history
ELGIN, Ill. (Legal Newsline) - A husband who blamed his wife’s suicide on a physical attack at the Great America amusement park several years before must turn over her psychiatric records to help determine if the two events were connected, an Illinois appeals court ruled.
Class action lawsuit is 100+ paragraphs of 'random' articles, two grafs of actual allegations, defendant argues
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Legal Newsline) – Plaintiffs lawyers’ second chance at a company that makes a charcoal-containing toothpaste fares no better than their first, the company says.
Lawsuit questions why NYC is open but yoga and other fitness classes stay prohibited
NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) – New York City gyms are tired of not being able to handle indoor fitness classes and have gone to court to strike down Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Aug. 31 executive order.
Marriott sued over prices; Lawyers say customers being duped
SAN DIEGO (Legal Newsline) – A class action lawsuit says Marriott is using unlawful practices when advertising its hotel rooms.
Plaintiff lawyers seek $200 million in fees from Flint water settlement
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (Legal Newsline) - Plaintiff lawyers who negotiated a $640 million settlement with the State of Michigan and other defendants over the Flint water crisis have asked the court for a third of the money as fees, representing a potential payoff of more than $1,000 an hour for some lawyers.
Glass pane smashes over man's head, then he loses case against Dallas hospital
DALLAS (Legal Newsline) – There is more bad news for a man who was minding his own business in a Dallas hospital when a pane of glass fell on his head.
Judge OKs $39M class action settlement with WWE over Saudi Arabia flop
NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) – A federal judge has approved a $39 million settlement between shareholders and World Wrestling Entertainment over a failed relationship with Saudi Arabia.