Personal Injury Roundup No. 79 (9/10/2010)

We’re back!  Did you miss our rounduppy goodness?  We’ve all started back at our respective institutions, and we’re ready to rumble, er, provide a list of links to things happening in tort law.

New Suits

• Family to sue Extreme World amusement park where daughter critically injured; free-fall ride had no fail-safe to ensure the catch net was in place before patrons were dropped 80 feet.  [WFRV]
• Suit follows tea bottles allegedly exploding (linked to largely for the tag “Don’t Tazo Me Bro”) [Consumerist]
• Burn from hot chocolate at McDonalds results in lawsuit (focus is on lid attachment as well as temperature) [Chicago Tribune]
• Echoing the always-good-for-a-squirm Shoshone Coca-Cola Bottling Co. v. Dolinski, a new lawsuit against Wal-Mart for milk containing a dead mouse.  [Justice News Flash]

Appeals

• A fascinating case involving third-party intervening criminal misconduct; Tennessee appellate court concludes no manufacturer liability when an amusement park operator intentionally bypassed a safety system. [MassTort.org]
• Dismissal of tort suit for torture upheld based on state secrets doctrine [Washington Post]
• Plaintiff’s verdict in mesothelioma suit upheld; exposure came from cleaning husband’s clothes.  [NJ.com]
• Plaintiff’s $20.5 million verdict in welding rod suit vacated, remanded for new trial with expert excluded. [Plain Dealer]

Policy, etc.

• Defensive medicine costs: a couple of looks.  [WSJ Health Blog, Health Affairs]

Trials, Settlements and Other Ends

• Ford settles faulty-seatbelt case post-$131 million jury compensatory (should there be air quotes there?) verdict, before punitives.  [AOL Autos]

Miscellaneous

• BP’s report: “An Exercise in Rebutting Gross Negligence Claims?”  [WSJ Law Blog]
• A (defense-oriented) look at the status of global warming litigation.  [Mass Tort Defense]
• Bumbershoot would like you not to stage dive or mosh, but if you do, to be aware that it’s risky.  I think that’s what they mean anyway.  [Woot.com]
• Do you have kids?  Do you know someone who does?  You might want to buy this CD, released on a label started by, uh, me.  New music from Pete Seeger, Dan Zanes, They Might Be Giants, Jonathan Coulton, and more.  Benefiting Haiti relief.  [ManyHandsCD.com]

–BC