Features
Relearning the Learned Intermediary Doctrine
In typical product liability cases, the manufacturer owes a duty to the eventual consumer to warn of any risks associated with the product. However, in the context of prescription drug cases, courts have recognized that the prescribing doctors, and not their patients, are in the best position to weigh the risks and benefits of a given drug for a particular patient.
Features
FTC Seeks New Privacy Authority
The FTC is about to turn 100, and agency leaders have some gift suggestions for Congress ' new privacy legislation plus a statutory change that would position the FTC as the net neutrality cop.
Features
Will Fracking Become the Next Mass Tort?
Opponents of fracking have presented some concerns about potential health effects from fracking and its byproducts. Whether those health concerns are legitimate and who would be responsible for adverse health effects is of interest to the plaintiffs' bar.
Features
Updated Guidelines For Forensic Psychologists
A year ago this month, the American Psychological Association (APA) published a revised and updated set of guidelines for the practice of forensic psychology. This document represents a substantial and long-awaited improvement over the prior set of guidelines, especially with respect to its breadth and clarity.
Features
The Pitfalls of Arbitration Administrator Rules
Picking the applicable rules, without more, does not identify the administrator that will oversee the arbitration process. An "expertly drafted" clause must identify the rules and the organization or person who will administer the rules.
Features
When Online Harassment of Tenant Turns Violent
Does a landlord have an obligation to act once it learns a resident is being harassed by another tenant on Facebook or similar social media site? According to a recent Ohio state appellate decision, not only is liability possible, but landlords who ignore warning signs may be doing so at their own peril.
Features
FTC Update on Gathering Data; Disclosures To Consumers
In an area of major interest to the entertainment industry, the FTC continues its active enforcement of advertising practices in emerging areas such as social media and mobile marketing. At the same time, advertisers and marketers are attempting to piece together best practices as new consumer protection requirements come into effect and the first cases applying new regulatory standards are settled.
Features
Practice Tip: Medical Expenses In CA
Damages in product liability personal injury cases inevitably involve medical expenses. Depending on the nature and extent of the injury, those medical expenses can generate extraordinarily high numbers. When it comes to recovering medical expenses, the question in determining the amount of damages often turns on what number can be presented to the jury.
Features
The Duty of Good Faith in Franchise Agreements in European Civil Law
The duty of good faith seeks to deliver a degree of equilibrium to the inherent tension within the franchise relationship between the desire of both parties to obtain the best commercial deal for themselves and a need to have a good ongoing commercial relationship based upon a modicum of mutual trust. It is currently a topic of considerable interest in the United States as a number of states consider enacting legislation imposing a duty of good faith.
Features
E-mails and Privilege for In-House Counsel
Courts employ a heightened standard when companies attempt to shield their employee'in-house lawyer communications under the attorney-client privilege. The dominant reason for this scrutiny is the recognition that employees often involve in-house counsel in business and legal-related conversations, forcing courts to scrutinize whether the putatively privileged communication pertained to legal or business advice.
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