Category: News

Exxon, the most profitable company in the history of the world (earning $40.61 billion last year), recently enjoyed a U.S. Supreme Court ruling which slashed roughly $2 billion of punitive damages awarded against it in 1994 over the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. The plaintiffs – over 32,000 Alaskans – have now asked the court to award $488 million…
There’s a good op-ed online in today’s Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Mississippi by insurance-defense lawyer Alex Alston (certainly no bomb-throwing liberal trial lawyer) about how that state’s high court has shifted to protecting businesses and insurers over injured consumers. Switch the states and names and he could as well be describing the Texas Supreme Court. Notable among Alston’s comments are…
Allegations of corruption and shaky oversight are plaguing the construction industry following two fatal crane collapses in New York City earlier this year. Critics point to failures at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in explaining the deaths of at least 72 workers in crane-related accidents since 2006. For its part, the construction industry maintains that it has a…
Texas A&M has settled claims against it arising out of the 1999 bonfire collapse that killed 12 people and injured dozens more. A&M agreed to pay $2.1 million to several of the victims and their families to resolve the suit, which will continue against some of the contractors involved. Hats off to Darrell Keith and Geno Borchardt for fighting…
I’m hearing some troubling things about the proposed legislative agenda being pushed by the trucking industry, such as their desire to increase truck/trailer weight limits from 80,000 lbs. to 97,000 lbs. and to once again try to increase the hours a trucker may drive without rest. With all the trucking activity around Texas and the Fort Worth/Dallas area, the…
A disturbing trend is emerging due to “tort reform” Fewer injured consumers are able to be fully compensated through the court system and more are being forced onto taxpayer-funded government and charity healthcare programs. For example, a baby injured by medical negligence can’t recover damages because of tort reform, and thus is cared for from now on by Medicaid. Or…
Horrible crane collapse in New York City again, resulting in the death of at least one construction worker and injury to a pedestrian. Eyewitness reports describe a catastrophic scene, like a drawn-out car wreck with screeching metal and even fire. A crane collapsing from a high-rise must be a terribly frightening sight….
Well, no surprise here, but appellate courts in Texas and New Jersey overturned two jury verdicts against drug giant Merck in cases over its drug Vioxx. Regarding the Texas court, Plaintiff’s lawyer Mark Lanier said, “It’s a sad day that they can write a 10-page opinion and wipe out a widow’s verdict with a new judicial activism that reinterprets the…
The Texas Department of Insurance and Allstate entered into an agreement whereby the insurance giant will refund some money to policyholders and reduce their rates. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that Allstate must pay $36.8 million in refunds for new and renewal policies written between Dec. 1, 2004 and April 23, 2006; give credits or refunds that amount to…