Legal news affects our everyday lives, whether we notice it or not. Here’s a summary of a few of this month’s major cases.
Johnson & Johnson Seeks to Block Plaintiffs from Dropping Cancer Warning Lawsuit
Johnson & Johnson is fighting a lawsuit seeking to force it to put a cancer warning on the company’s Baby Powder. The company urged a judge not to allow the plaintiffs to suddenly drop the lawsuit. Attorneys for Johnson & Johnson say the product does not need a warning label under California’s Proposition 65 law, which requires it for products that contain known carcinogens. In forcing the plaintiffs to continue with the lawsuit, Johnson & Johnson would prevent the case from being refiled with more plaintiffs.
Judge Reduces Bayer’s Roundup Verdict to $25M, But Says Behavior Was “Reprehensible”
A $75 million verdict against Bayer in a lawsuit alleging its Roundup weed killer causes cancer has been reduced to $25.3 million. The lawsuit was filed by a man who alleges that his years of exposure to Roundup caused his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. A U.S. District Judge ruled that the $75 million portion of the verdict against Bayer was too high, based on legal precedent. Despite making the cut, the judge found the company’s behavior “reprehensible.”
Ford Faces Class Claims Over Inaccurate Emissions Ratings
On July 22, 2019, American automotive giant Ford Motors Co. was hit with a staggering $1.2 billion punitive class action lawsuit in Michigan federal court alleging that Ford manipulated its coast-down testing and used inaccurate drag and resistant figures to boost the vehicles’ EPA mileage ratings, making the vehicles more appealing to potential buyers. Plaintiffs alleged that Ford didn’t follow appropriate testing procedures on 2019 Ford Ranger, 2019 and 2018 F-150 Series truck.
Parents of Las Vegas Shooting Victim Sue Gun Manufacturers and Dealers
The parents of one victim of the mass shooting in Las Vegas in 2017 have filed suit against the makers of the gun used in the attack. Named as defendants in the lawsuit are Colt Defense LLC, Daniel Defense Inc, Patriot Ordinance Factory, among others. The lawsuit alleges the gunmakers were aware the gun could be rigged to work similarly to illegal machine guns. The wrongful death suit seeks unspecified damages from 16 gunmakers and gun dealers. The plaintiffs’ daughter was one of 58 people killed in the shooting on Oct. 1, 2017, at a concert in Las Vegas.
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