The Tao of Daubert
All too often, the outcome of a "child custody dispute" will turn upon the recommendations contained within the custodial or parenting plan evaluation of the psychological expert. This first of a two-part article contains: 1) a brief review of <i>Frye v. United States,</i> and <i>Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharm., Inc.</i>, standards; 2) an exploration of why evaluations are so rarely challenged by <i>Frye/Daubert</i> hearings; and 3) the foundation for a meaningful review of the evaluation under either <i>Frye</i> or <i>Daubert</i> standards.
Case Notes
Recent rulings of interest to you and your practice.
Product Liability Suit Pre-empted by Federal Vaccine Act
A Philadelphia judge recently ruled that a federal law governing the liability of pharmaceutical companies for drug vaccines pre-empts state tort claims of design defect and failure to warn in the product liability case of an 11-year-old boy who has autism.
A Multidistrict Litigation Primer
What do FEMA trailers, peanut butter, Viagra, pet food, tires, implantable defibrillators, Agent Orange and iPods have in common? A really weird dream? Maybe. Mass product liability litigation? Ding!
Practice Tip: Foreign Statutes of Limitations
When you file a suit on behalf of an out-of-state plaintiff, the state in which you file may have a borrowing statute. This type of statute usually prevents forum shopping by requiring the out-of-state plaintiff to file his case in the forum state within the statute of limitations permitted by his home state. Following is an analysis of this situation.
Wyeth v. Levine
One of the great dramas playing in the theater of American jurisprudence is the epic struggle that roils pharmaceutical labeling. Simply put, the labeling issue confronting the Supreme Court this term is: Who decides the adequacy of drug labeling ' the FDA or a jury of plaintiff's peers?
DMCA: A Safe Harbor for Video Sharing?
As the popularity of Web video continues to grow, so too does the potential for contributory copyright infringement on popular video-sharing Web sites. These Web sites become venues for infringing behavior, simply due to the sheer number of users uploading new videos daily. Consequently, content owners have contended that such Web sites must take a greater role in stemming their users' infringement. The Web site owners have countered that they need only follow the dictates outlined by the DMCA safe harbors that can immunize service providers from copyright liability. Thus, both sides continue to dispute what it means to be compliant with the DMCA. They also dispute which entity should bear the ultimate responsibility for policing video-sharing sites for infringing content: the Web site owner or the content owner.
