Federal Rule 26 Expert Witness Disclosures: A Primer
August 31, 2006
Because expert testimony is so important in product liability litigation, disclosure is essential. Failure to comply with the rules governing disclosure can be fatal. A Rule 26 report disclosing proposed opinion testimony must meet specific and substantial criteria. Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(2)(b). The report must contain, <i>inter alia</i>: 1) a complete statement of all opinions to be expressed and the basis or reasons therefor, and 2) the data or other information considered by the witness in forming the opinions. Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(2)(B), <i>Tompkin v. Phillip Morris</i>, 362 F.3d 882, 895 (2004), <i>Brainard v. American Skandia Life Ins. Sopr.</i>, 2005 WL 3533545 (6th Cir. 2005).
Product Liability Insurance: Can You Not Have It?
August 31, 2006
Today's economy depends heavily on the enormous range of products that are sold daily to consumers. Indeed, consumer demand for both the necessities and conveniences of life ' everything from lawn mowers and ovens to trampolines and espresso makers ' drives many manufacturers constantly to develop new products to sell. In today's litigious society, however, virtually every product sold represents at least the potential for product liability exposure. Jury awards and settlements frequently make headlines ' everyday household appliances, such as coffee makers, fryers, and blenders, have yielded damage awards or settlements as high as $2.25 million. Injuries from lawn mowers have generated awards or settlements as high as $2.6 million. Even furniture has the potential to yield awards or settlements in excess of a million dollars. Moreover, product liability exposure has ruined certain industries, <i>eg</i>, asbestos, and small companies without adequate insurance protection could face bankruptcy from a single product recall.
Practice Tip: Check for the Sophisticated User
August 31, 2006
As with many things in law, there is a mental checklist. When a client calls seeking advice regarding a new product liability lawsuit, you run through the product liability checklist. What is the product? What is the product used for? What warnings accompanied the product? When was the product manufactured? How did the product allegedly cause injury?
Liability Without Harm: Is There a New Source of Catastrophic Liability Lurking Within Your State's Consumer Protection Statute?
August 31, 2006
The $10.1 billion judgment entered against Philip Morris in an Illinois state court in 2003 received national attention, as did the reversal of that judgment in December 2005. <i>Price v. Philip Morris Inc.</i>, No. 00-L-112 (Ill. Cir. Ct. March 21, 2003), <i>rev'd</i>, No. 96236 (Ill. Sup. Ct. Dec. 15, 2005). Less well known, however, is the theory under which the plaintiffs won their judgment at trial. Unlike the plaintiffs in some other large tobacco verdicts, the plaintiffs in Price did not claim personal injury or wrongful death. Instead, the plaintiffs alleged that Philip Morris deceived them into believing that 'light' cigarettes were safe and caused an entire class of people to pay more for the cigarettes than they should have.
The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act
August 31, 2006
In a recent decision written by Judge Richard Posner, The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit determined that the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) may be used to bring a private cause of action against a former employee who permanently erased confidential data from his company-issued laptop before returning it to the company. <i>International Airport Centers, L.L.C. v. Citrin</i>, (Slip Op.) No. 05-1522 (7th Cir. March 8, 2006). In so holding, the Seventh Circuit has joined the current tide of federal courts that have permitted companies to use the CFAA as a means with which to defend themselves against the malicious and competitive acts of departing employees.
Reduced Qui Tam Exposure for Firms That Fail to Self-Report?
August 30, 2006
A recent decision of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia limited the reach of the 'reverse false claims' provision of the civil False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. ' 3730(a)(7). This opinion, if followed by other courts, will reduce the risk of civil False Claims Act liability for companies accused of failing to self-report regulatory violations in settings where self-disclosure is required.
What Jurors Think Of American Corporations ' And What You Can Do About It
August 01, 2006
These are challenging times for those of us who represent and defend corporations in litigation. The recent criminal convictions of Enron's Ken Lay and Jeffrey Skilling only confirm what we have known for quite some time ' jurors are skeptical of, and even hostile toward, corporations and corporate executives. '
Case Notes
August 01, 2006
Highlights of the latest product liability cases from around the country.
Increased Scrutiny of Pharmaceutical Company Clinical Trials: The Plaintiff Responds
August 01, 2006
<i>'Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened.'</i> In this author's opinion, Winston Churchill's keen observation of human nature is an apt description for how the pharmaceutical industry deals with dangers revealed or at least signaled in clinical trials. For years, plaintiffs' lawyers have honed in on clinical trials conducted by pharmaceutical companies when preparing for and trying cases. These studies, often the banner touted by defendants as evidence of their innocence, are a natural place to begin the search for what went wrong when a drug is subsequently pulled from the market despite the supposed 'rigors' of clinical testing. While there is nothing new about plaintiffs' lawyers reviewing clinical trials with a fine-toothed comb, there has been a radical and bold step taken in the world of medical/science academia. Specifically, major publications such as the New England Journal of Medicine ('NEJM') and the Journal of the American Medical Association ('JAMA') are ensuring that industry-sponsored studies do not merely contain partial truths.
