BAP1 is a genetic mutation that may possibly increase the chances of developing mesothelioma from asbestos exposure. A few defense attorneys around the country are hoping they can use BAP1 as a possible genetic defense in asbestos exposure litigation. HeplerBroom attorney Rebecca Nickelson is heading the defense team for Georgia Pacific in an ongoing asbestos
National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) Administrator, Mark Rosekind, has indicated that the nation’s top automotive regulator may take a more aggressive stance toward Fiat-Chrysler following a massive $150 million judgment against the company over the burning death of 4 year-old Remi Walden due to an exploding gas tank on his Aunt’s 1999 Jeep Grand
Amazon has been a pioneering company in a number of respects, from becoming the world’s largest online retailer to introducing cloud computing technology to the masses, and 20 years ago, when they implemented the user product review. On Wednesday, April 8th, the company took major strides in protecting the integrity of the review process when
Drug giant Novartis settles Zometa “bone death” case, Meng v. Novartis, one of two cases in New Jersey concerning the bone loss drug to make it to trial. The settlement was reached at the last minute before the case was to go before a state appeals court. The three-judge panel that was to hear the
U.S. District Judge Claire Cecchi of the District of New Jersey dismissed a class action suit against Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey over a data breach. Two laptop computers were stolen from Horizon’s Newark office in November 2013. Data for 839,000 members was compromised, including names, addresses, dates of birth, medical histories
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) voted unanimously on Thursday, April 9th to issue the largest fine for a utility company in state history, and the largest fine in U.S. history for a natural gas utility. The $1.6 billion fine against PG&E was issued in response to a 2010 pipeline explosion in the San Francisco
In the previous section of this report, I highlighted how multiple political and budgetary factors are limiting the number of judges needed to address the growing case overload in federal courts. 43 positions remained vacant by the end of 2014 due to confirmation politics, and the Judicial Conference of the United States has asked Congress
An April 6th Wall Street Journal report highlights a growing crisis of case overload within the U.S. judicial system. In 2014, a record number of 337,302 civil cases remained pending in U.S. federal courts, a 20 percent increase since 2004. These cases involve fairly common complaints such as discrimination, Social Security, and personal injury, among
On Tuesday, April 7th in Brownsville, Texas, U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen ruled against a request by the Obama administration to lift the injunction he placed on it regarding immigration reform. The ruling comes as a precursor to an April 17th hearing in the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in which the Justice Department
A case of improper employee classification in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Sabrina Hart, et.al v. Rick’s Cabaret International, Inc., has resulted in a settlement of almost $15M for exotic dancers. The court has yet to approve the deal. The suit, brought on behalf of approximately 2,000 dancers who worked