Personal Injury Roundup No. 35 (5/8/09)

Happy Mother’s Day to all moms!   Here’s what happened this week in torts:

Reform, Legislation, Policy

• Dr. Margaret Hamburg sailed through her confirmation hearing as FDA head on Thursday.  (NY Times, WaPo)
• President Obama seeks 19% increase in FDA budget.  (Reuters)
• “Sin” taxes on cigarettes, soda and alcohol being considered in Illinois.  (IL Register-Mail)
• Illinois Senate and House Judiciary Committee held hearings on a tort reform to tighten expert witness rules.  (Madison County Record)

New Lawsuits

• Queens residents sue city for improper sewer maintenance.  (NY Daily News)
• Numerous women sue over device to stop urinary incontinence.  (NY Times)
• Kentucky parents sue hit-and-run driver who killed their toddlers.  (Courier Journal)

Trials, Settlements & Other Ends

• 3M water pollution trial started this week.  (TortsProf) 
• Here’s Johnny – Ed McMahon settles med-mal suit. (TortsProf)
• New Jersey settles suit against Synthes, a medical products company, over its alleged financial ties with doctors involved in clinical trials of its products.  (Star Ledger)

Appeals    

• Illinois Appellate Court finds lack of causation in “dead body at the foot of the stairs case.”  (TortsProf)
• New Jersey Supreme Court rules that bars can’t be liable for drunk patrons unless they actually served them alcohol.  (Star Ledger, Court’s Opinion (pdf))
• Device preemption win in Connecticut Court of Appeals.  (Drug & Device)

Miscellaneous

• Richard Bourne (Maryland) proposes new tort against doctors for failing to disclose their own negligence.  (Maryland Injury Lawyer)
• Senior Judge Jack Weinstein on “Preliminary Reflections on Administration of Complex Litigations” (pdf).   

–SBS