Personal Injury Roundup No. 95 (3/4/11)

New Cases

• Charlie Sheen plans to sue CBS for “mental anguish” following the cancellation of Two and A Half Men. (NY Post)
• And also from Hollywood:  Katie Holmes has filed a libel suit against American Media. (The Wrap, ABA Journal)
• Deepwater Horizon Spill claimants sue Feinberg and BP seeking to renounce settlements. (ABA Journal)

Appeals

• U.S. Supreme Court holds First Amendment protects anti-gay protests at military funerals and thus bars tort claims against protestors.  (TortsProf)
• Louisiana Supreme Court holds riding an oil pump was not a reasonable foreseeable use.  (Mass Tort Defense)

Reform, Legislation, Policy

• House holds hearings on Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act.  (Mass Tort Defense)
• NY Medicaid Redesign Team proposes $250k cap on non-economic losses in med mal cases, NY State Bar Association voices objection.  (NY Law Journal/law.com, Turkewitz)
• NC Senate Judiciary Committee passed the Medical Liability Reforms Act, which limits noneconomic damages in med mal actions to $500k; the full NC Senate is expected to consider the bill this week.  (Civitas)
• OK Senate passes bill eliminating joint and several liability.  (The State)

Trials, Settlements and Other Ends

• Medical device preemption summary judgment in Texas.  (Drug & Device)

Miscellaneous

• Good luck to Bill and the Western New England team at the Rendigs National Products Liability Moot Court competition.  (TortsProf)

–SBS