Personal Injury Roundup No. 43 (7/24/09)

It is the dog days of summer here in sunny South Carolina.  I hope you are staying cool.  Here’s what happened this past week in the world of torts:

Reform, Legislation, Policy

• Saying “sorry” works for Michigan doctors.  (KIMA TV (AP))
• Coverage everywhere on health care reform:  WaPo, ABC News Political Punch, WSJ, NYT, NYT#2)
• Michigan House Democrats introduced “bad faith denial” bill.  (The Pop Tort) 

New Lawsuits

• NY state judge reinstates Dan Rather’s fraud claim against CBS.  (AmLaw Daily)
• Two passengers in May 8th Boston trolley accident filed suit against the MBTA and the trolley driver, who was allegedly texting at the time of the accident.  (AboutLawsuits)
• Hepatitis exposure class action filed against McDonald’s.  (AboutLawsuits, Law and More)
• Steelers QB sued for sexual assault.  (TortsProf)
• Warning labels on hot dogs?  (ABA Journal, Overlawyered)

Trials, Settlements and Other Ends

• Shermin-Williams’s files post-verdict motions in Mississippi lead paint case.  (Point of Law)
• Donald Trump loses an invasion of privacy case in NY and a libel suit in NJ.  (ABA Journal, NY Law Journal/law.com, WSJ Law Blog)

Damages

• $24M verdict in TN med-mal case.  (TortsProf)

Appeals

• Eleventh Circuit reverses contempt ruling against Dickie Scruggs (NMissCommentator, Copy of opinion (pdf))

Miscellaneous    

• Laugh out loud at the coffee cup warning from Walter Olson. 

 – SBS