Jay W. Belle Isle, Author at Legal Reader

Before becoming LegalReader's Editor-in-Chief, Jay W. Belle Isle worked as a freelance copywriter with clients on four continents. Jay has a degree in Business Administration from Cleary University and a Juris Doctor from Thomas M. Cooley Law School. Jay has also worked as a contracts administrator for a DOD contractor specializing in vehicle armor.

Chrysler Appeals Remi Walden Verdict, Says Excessive

August 21, 2017

Remi Walden died in a horrible vehicle fire in March, 2012. He was safely seated in the rear of a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee when it was struck from behind. The fuel tank, mounted behind the rear axle of the Jeep, exploded engulfing the vehicle in flames. It’s estimated that then four-year-old Remington lived for approximately one minute. The jury in the original case found that Chrysler knew the location of the fuel tank was dangerous and awarded the family $150M ($120M in compensatory damages and $30M in pain and suffering). The judge later reduced the award to $40M ($30M compensatory and $10M pain and suffering). Not content to face its responsibility, Chrysler appealed. The appellate court upheld the verdict and award. Now, Chrysler has taken its appeal to the Georgia Supreme Court.

Essure Loses Commercial License in European Union

August 17, 2017

Despite Bayer’s strident claims to the contrary, regulators in Ireland aren’t exactly certain the German company’s Essure “permanent” birth control device is a safe option. That uncertainty prompted the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) to decline renewal of Essure’s CE marking – the commercial license that allows the device to be sold in the EU.

Gavel and stethoscope; photo illustration by DNY59 / www.pbs.org.

Lobbyists Proudly Claim Responsibility for Medical Malpractice Reform Bill

August 14, 2017

There are two things you don’t want to see being made – sausage and legislation. ~ Otto von Bismarck. This axiomatic quote says it all: you don’t want to see these things being made because the process will likely turn your stomach. The latest effort by Washington’s true masters is no less disgusting. Lobbyists for the insurance and medical industries are proudly – and loudly – claiming responsibility for a recent medical malpractice reform bill.

Composite image (bottles from www.empr.com; woman holding stomach from www.medtruth.com).

Breaking News: Parties Reach $300M Settlement in Benicar MDL

August 1, 2017

Almost two and a half years after the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) created the Benicar MDL, the parties reached a $300M settlement. At issue was whether the manufacturers, Daiichi Sankyo and Forest Laboratories, knew or should have known and failed to warn consumers that Benicar, a popular high blood pressure medication, may cause

Litimetrics: Data + Skill = Winning Combination for Litigators

August 1, 2017

As the old saying goes, “An army marches on its stomach.” This refers to the importance of making sure one’s people are properly fed and supplied. What about lawyers, that civilian group of warriors busy fighting for justice? The same is true, though in this case, we’re talking about data, not MREs. Enter Litimetrics, “a legal technology engine for attorneys and their clients.”

A cutaway of a steering wheel with an air bag. Credit Alexauto321/Wikkimedia Commons.

Takata’s Troubles Keep Piling Up

July 17, 2017

Takata, the beleaguered airbag company, got hit with a trifecta of bad news this month: the 12th U.S. airbag-related fatality was announced, the reorganization bankruptcy continues with a Special Master managing restitution payments, and yet another 2.7 million airbags were recalled. The problems keep piling up faster than the Japanese auto supplier can deal with them.

The Supreme Court building; image courtesy of www.commons.wikimedia.org, Joe Ravi, under license CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Will SCOTUS’ Plavix Decision Change Mass Tort Landscape?

July 5, 2017

The U.S. Supreme Court handed down a decision on June 19 that may change the landscape for mass tort/class action lawsuits and not in a way favorable to injured plaintiffs.

Takata CEO Shigehisa Takada bows at the beginning of a press conference in Tokyo on Monday, after the company filed for bankruptcy protection. Image courtesy of www.afr.com, Akiko Matsushita.

Takata Bankruptcy Underway

June 26, 2017

Airbag manufacturer Takata Corp. filed bankruptcy on June 25 in response to the billions of dollars in liabilities it has incurred over the recall of its dangerous airbag inflators.

The Oasis device; image courtesy of www. boredpanda.com.

Feel Good Friday: Ten-Year-Old Invents Life-saving Tool for Use in Hot Cars

June 23, 2017

Bishop Curry is not your average ten-year-old boy. In fact, I think he’s rather exceptional, which is why he’s the focus of this week’s Feel Good Friday. This young man has invented a device, the Oasis, that can prevent infant and child fatalities caused by being left unattended in hot cars. Motivated by the tragic

FDA building; image courtesy of www.statnews.com.

Open Letter to FDA Regarding Essure

June 22, 2017

I just read the response sent to one of the victims of the Essure “permanent” birth control device (response pasted below). Honestly, I understand the use of “canned responses.” However, this is appalling. The FDA is ignoring it’s own mandate to Bayer regarding the new study. Fewer than a dozen participants? So, just how soon is

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