Breaking news: Merck won the most recent Vioxx case in New Jersey. The jury decided Merck failred to warn of the risk of heart attack associated with Vioxx, but that failure did not cause the plaintiff’s death. The jury found no fraud or misrepresentation by Merck. Commentary to follow, as John is on the road to…
Day on Torts
Jurisdiction Exercised Over Foreign Manufacturer
The Illinois Appellate Court has ruled that Illinois courts have jurisdiction over a Japanese parent corporation in a case alleging negligent design. Plaintiff alleged that her daughter died as a result of a fire started with a Aim ‘n Flame II lighting rod. The lighting rod was designed by Tokai…
Blue Chipper – Medical Malpractice – Locality Rule
The case: Robinson v. LeCorps, 83 S.W.3d 718 (Tenn. 2002). Author: Justice E. Riley Anderson Why it is a Blue Chipper: Robinson made it crystal clear that a standard of care expert in a medical malpractice case may not base that testimony on a national standard of care and that…
The Back Door is Open …
Ok, so you spend millions of dollars on Congressional elections trying to avoid responsibility for making a product that a jury may determine is defective or unreasonably dangerous and you can’t get enough votes to make it happen. What’s a Pharma to do? Go through the back door, via regulation,…
Allstate’s Claims Handling Practice
Allstate is notorious for its hardball approach to handling claims. Now, Business Week Online tells about a new book “From Good Hands to Boxing Gloves” that will reveal the role that the consulting firm McKinsey & Co. played in changing the business practices of Allstate. An excerpt from the article:…
Consumer Protection Act Applies to Claim Against Financial Advisor
Judge Bill Koch has written a opinion that is worth a read by everyone who visits this blog. The case is Johnson v. John Hancock Funds, No. M2005-00356-COA-R3-CV (Tenn. Ct. App., M.S., June 30, 2006). Plaintiffs claimed that they received poor advice from their financial advisor and suffered a loss…
Blog Report
I am happy to report that this blog has reached the 750-post milestone. The blog began in February, 2005 and has grown to appoximately 500 unique vistors per business day (only a couple hundred on weekends). The experience has been a very positive one. It takes me back to the…
New Tennessee Supreme Court Opinion on “Foreign Object” Exception to Medical Malpractice Statute of Repose
The Supreme Court of Tennessee issued an important ruling on the “foreign object” exception to the medical malpractice statute of repose and statute of limitations. The case is Chambers v. Semmer, M.D., and deals with what exactly constitutes a foreign object. The plaintiff’s theory in the case is that a…
Sorry for the Infrequent Updates
I am at my cabin right now struggling with problems with the “internets.”
Medical Negligence
I apologize for the lack of a post Friday and Saturday. Friday morning I was in North Carolina and did not have access to a computer. By the time I made it to the office I had back-to-back conference calls or appointments until 4:15 and just decided to wait until…