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State Court
Friend of angry ex will face lawsuit after smear campaign cost student a spot at Dartmouth
SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline) - A student who claims he fell victim to a “vengeful smear campaign” by a spurned ex-girlfriend can sue over emails to Dartmouth College officials that led the prestigious school to rescind his offer of admission.
State Court
Firefighters pursue lawsuit over safety gear standard they once supported
BOSTON (Legal Newsline) - The largest union of firefighters is suing a standard-setting organization it says conspired with the manufacturer of Gore-Tex fabric and others to require chemicals known as PFAS in safety clothing - a standard the union itself supported for more than a decade and still requires in many of its collective bargaining agreements with municipal governments.
State Court
Phila. Roundup verdict is $3.5M; Monsanto claimed bias by trial judge
PHILADELPHIA – The manufacturers of weedkiller Roundup are facing a second loss at trial in Philadelphia to the tune of $3.5 million, just weeks after another local jury handed down a $175 million verdict award to plaintiffs in the first case in a series of trials.
State Court
Handwritten business agreement drafted in coffee shop is valid, court finds
LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) - A two-page, handwritten document drafted in a coffee shop is a valid contract between men who discussed buying a collection of gas stations for more than $12 million, a California appeals court ruled, reversing a trial court that found the document was too imprecise to enforce.
State Court
School district avoids liability for student hurt in TikTok challenge
JACKSON, Miss. (Legal Newsline) - A Mississippi school district isn’t liable for injuries suffered by an eighth-grade boy after two girls tricked him into a TikTok challenge called “Skull Crusher” in which they undercut the student after he jumped into the air.
State Court
Long window in Colorado for minimum-wage lawsuits
DENVER, Colo. (Legal Newsline) - Workers can wait up to six years to file claims over alleged minimum-wage violations under Colorado law, an appeals court ruled, even though federal labor law has a shorter statute of limitations and employers are only required to keep payroll records for three years.
State Court
'Rich Men North of Richmond' singer plays key role in W.Va. civil lawsuit
CHARLESTON – The musician behind “Rich Men North of Richmond” is a key part of a West Virginia civil lawsuit about a soured business relationship.
State Court
Court reinstates $940K verdict against cab company sued by Good Samaritan injured in assault
DENVER (Legal Newsline) – The Supreme Court of Colorado has affirmed a jury’s decision that a taxi cab company owed $940,000 to a man who attempted to stop an assault perpetrated on one of its drivers, only to be run over with the cab by the assailant.
State Court
Disabled golfer loses quest to park cart anywhere he wants on course
SANTA ANA, CALIF. (Legal Newsline) – A panel trio of justices from the California State Court of Appeal’s Fourth District have upheld a lower court ruling that the owners of a San Juan Capistrano-based country club did not discriminate against a golfer with a medical disability.
State Court
Attorney accused of smearing dog feces on neighbor's door
CHARLESTON – A Charleston attorney is being accused of smearing dog feces on his South Hills neighbor’s door.
State Court
Ga. halfway house may be liable for assault on resident
ATLANTA (Legal Newsline) - A Georgia halfway house that took in homeless people and convicted felons may be liable for the false imprisonment and rape of a resident who was assaulted by a man who was on parole for manslaughter, an appeals court ruled.
State Court
Indiana town wins lawsuit claiming police dog bit the wrong man
INDIANAPOLIS (Legal Newsline) - A food delivery man who was bitten after a police officer released a dog to chase a fleeing suspect has no case against the town, an Indiana appeals court ruled, citing broad immunity granted to law enforcement under state law.
State Court
Google's antitrust defense highlights investment, competition, and future threats
In the ongoing federal antitrust trial, the Justice Department has accused Google of monopolizing its search business through strong-arm tactics and multibillion-dollar deals. However, a Google executive recently presented a contrasting perspective, emphasizing Google's constant investment and innovation as the key to its dominant position.
State Court
$12 million verdict over broken roof hatch reversed; Mall owner not to blame
LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) - With narrow exceptions, property owners can’t be liable for injuries suffered by independent contractors working on their premises, a California appeals court ruled, reversing a $12.6 million jury verdict won by an electrical worker who was injured when a heavy roof hatch fell on him.
State Court
No lawsuit for woman who went bottoms up on bottomless mimosas
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (Legal Newsline) - A woman who suffered paralyzing injuries after consuming a large amount of alcohol and plunging from a parking garage has no case against the owner of the structure, a California appeals court ruled, reversing a trial judge who said there were fact questions about whether private security guards should have protected her.
State Court
Press release hyping overdose drug not protected speech, Calif. court rules
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (Legal Newsline) - A company that issued news releases touting a new treatment for opioid overdoses can’t protect itself against lawsuits by citing a California law shielding statements of general public interest, an appeals court ruled.
State Court
Settlement over reaction to hamburger bun is six figures
BOSTON (Legal Newsline) - A hamburger bun will cost a Massachusetts restaurant $110,000 - a figure it recently agreed to pay to settle claims a minor suffered an allergic reaction there.
State Court
Jurors in $7 billion case would be out to get us, BP and Shell tell U.S. Supreme Court
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - BP and Shell have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene in a lawsuit by a Louisiana parish over coastal flooding, saying they can’t get a fair trial in a place where any jurors know they have the opportunity to pump billions of dollars into their troubled local economy by ruling against the oil companies.
State Court
Mold plaintiff gets her expert back in case against property owner
VENTURA, Calif. (Legal Newsline) - A Santa Barbara County judge was wrong to exclude the expert testimony for a plaintiff hoping to prove mold caused her illness, a California appeals court has ruled.
State Court
Company defeats dangerous fungus allegations, but faces penalty for putting masks on workers
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Legal Newsline) - A subcontractor on the California Flats Solar Project has defeated allegations it could have exposed workers to a fungus that causes Valley fever.