As reported by Law360 (subscription), the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a $20.7 million verdict against the tobacco giant Philip Morris in favor of a now-deceased former smoker, Judith Berger. The panel found that the $20.7 million award was within constitutional limits and not excessive, given various facts presented in the case, including that Phillip
As reported by Law360 (subscription), on October 23rd, 2020, U.S. District Judge William Orrick of the Northern District of California issued a ruling that plaintiffs in the multidistrict litigation (MDL) against Juul and Altria had adequately pled their cases, finding their public nuisance and negligence claims against the e-cigarette makers and marketers to be legitimate. Complaints against
Lawsuit includes allegations that JUUL and Altria deliberately targeted vulnerable native populations Lieff Cabraser and its co-counsel, Zwerling Schachter & Zwerling LLP, have filed a federal lawsuit in the Northern District of California on behalf of the California Yurok Tribe against JUUL and Altria for violations of the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act
Lawsuit includes allegations that JUUL and Altria deliberately and expressly sought to develop and market the blockbuster sequel to combustible cigarettes, the “Most Successful Consumer Product of All Time” September 15, 2020, Denver, Colorado—(BUSINESSWIRE)—Lieff Cabraser announces that it has filed a federal lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Colorado against JUUL and Altria on behalf
As reported by Law360 (subscription required), the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a $2.12M verdict against the tobacco company R.J. Reynolds in favor of a smoker’s widow. The three judge panel also said she was entitled to a new trial on punitive damages in her Engle progeny case, that is, a trial that
The PG&E Fire Victim Trust announced today that it has been funded effective today. The Trust received the Fire Victim Trust settlement proceeds from PG&E which includes 476,995,175 shares of PG&E Common Stock and the first installment of cash funding of $5.385 billion ($5.4 billion reduced by previous court-ordered advances of $15 million) in accordance
A U.S. bankruptcy judge has approved Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s $59 billion reorganization plan, resolving a turbulent bankruptcy that started when the nation’s largest utility sparked a series of wildfires that killed more than 100 people, leveled entire California communities, and led it to plead guilty to over 80 separate counts of involuntary manslaughter.
The New York State Legislature has approved a bill extending the Child Victims Act that gives survivors of childhood sexual abuse more time to bring lawsuits for allegations that occurred even decades ago. As reported by Law.com (subscription), on Wednesday, lawmakers in the state voted to extend the legal “look-back” window by an extra year, officially
As reported by The San Francisco Chronicle, facing blowback, PG&E has announced that it no longer intends to pay the criminal fines and expenses related to its negligence in the 2018 deadly Camp Fire with the funds from a trust intended to compensate victims.
Court of Appeal’s reversal of trial court’s entry of summary judgment in favor of two defendants in Kim v. County of Monterey will serve as new benchmark for courts wrestling with the distinction between ordinary and gross negligence The California Supreme Court has denied a petition for review of the Court of Appeal’s published opinion