When we think of “tort reform” we usually think of insurance and corporate lobbyists trying to convince legislators to limit the ability of people to sue wrongdoers for personal injuries or wrongful death. But the fight is much broader than that, as evidenced by this press release from the National…
Day on Torts
More Bad News for Guidant
People with injury claims against Guidant are learning more and more about how the company did business – and the news for Guidant is not good. This article reveals that a former employee is talking and says that the company set “unrealistic” goals for production of pacemakers and defibrillators.
Workplace Safety
When a employee is working on the property of another and is injured there is always a fight over whether the employee can sue the property owner who hired the injured person’s employer to perform the work. Here is a case out of California that the issue this way: “when,…
Frivilous Appeal?
“An appeal is frivolous when it “has no reasonable chance of success,” Davis v. Gulf Ins. Group, 546 S.W.2d 583, 586 (Tenn. 1977), or is “so utterly devoid of merit as to justify imposition of a penalty,” Combustion Eng’g, Inc. v. Kennedy, 562 S.W.2d 202, 205 (Tenn. 1978).” I see…
A Blunder By Senator Cornyn
Here is a good reason never to refer to someone by a nickname in private unless you would feel comfortable calling him that name to his face.
Vioxx Back in the News
The Vioxx litigation is heating up in a public way again. There is a trial in state court in Texas involving the death of a 71 year old man – he allegedly took 25 mg of Vioxx daily for seven days sometime in the last 30 days before he had…
A Day Off
I have two depositions today and need a little more time to prepare No post today. I would point out, however, that the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Mid-Winter Convention has a good line-up of speakers and topics this year. The seminar is February 1 in Nashville. See a brochure here.
Do You Bates Stamp Documents ?
You should. Or should do something like it. When you produce documents to an opponent it is nice to be able to demonstrate which documents you turned over. “In response to RFP #4 Plaintiff produces documents 0023 – 0045.” By marking each document (or photograph) with a unique number you…
Amendments to TRCP – What Was Missing
I wrote last week that the Tennessee Supreme Court approved certain changes to the Tennessee Rules of Civil Procedure (and other rules of procedure). What I did not address is the proposed rule change that was not adopted by the Court. That is the proposed change to Rule 8.01, which…
Practice Tip – Look at the Law First
Here is a tip that will improve the quality of your law practice and your life – look at the law first. Oh, it is different in the run of the mill auto case or other cases that you routinely handle. And it is different if you have recently handled…