Monthly Archives: <span>May 2019</span>

Prevent Runaway Jury Verdicts by Neutralizing the Reptile Theory: Viewpoint

We see the frequent headlines: A plaintiff is awarded millions of dollars in damages for a physical or emotional injury purportedly sustained at the hands of a small business or large corporation. While many applaud an injured plaintiff for holding …

Three Mile Island Plant, Site of Nuclear Accident, to Close

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Three Mile Island, site of the United States’ worst nuclear power accident, will begin a planned shutdown starting June 1 now that it is clear that it will not get a financial rescue from Pennsylvania, its owner …

Following Opioid Suits, Family Behind Deadly OxyContin Squabbles

NEW YORK (Reuters) – A united front among members of the billionaire Sackler family behind painkiller OxyContin is showing signs of strain from litigation over who bears responsibility for the deadly U.S. opioid epidemic. At least twice in recent months, …

Heavy Rain and Widespread Power Outages Hit Southeast Texas, Louisiana

Hailstones the size of golf balls accompanied by as much as four inches of rain pelted the U.S. Gulf coast from Texas to Louisiana, flooding highways, downing power lines and closing some schools, officials said. About 150,000 homes and businesses …

NYC Leaves Billions in Sandy Aid Unspent, Adding to Risks

New York City has only spent 54% of the $14.7 billion in already-approved U.S. funds for recovery and storm-protection following 2012’s Hurricane Sandy, according to city Comptroller Scott Stringer. The unspent money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the …

J&J’s Talc Defense Gets Harder After Cases Kept in State Courts

Johnson & Johnson failed to get 2,400 state-court cancer lawsuits tied to its baby powder immediately transferred to a federal court in Delaware, where it could forge a single defense strategy. U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika in Wilmington dismissed J&J’s …

Boeing Sends 737 Max to Brand Rehab to Avoid Fate of Ford Pinto

Boeing Co.’s 737 Max is about to join the list of brands trying to come back from ignominy. Analysts are digging into decades-old safety scares for clues to the future of the jetliner — and Boeing’s finances. There’s the Chevrolet …

Insurers Dabbling with Smart Home Tech, but No Winning Model has Emerged

An instinct for self-preservation has carriers dipping their toes into the smart home technology space, but no U.S. insurer has taken a full plunge so far. The industry hasn’t settled on how it should get devices such as water-leak detectors …

Michigan Senate Approves Plan to Cut Car Insurance Rates

LANSING, Mich. — Michigan’s Senate passed legislation Tuesday aimed at cutting the country’s highest average auto insurance premiums by eliminating a requirement that drivers buy unlimited medical benefits to cover crash injuries. No other U.S. state has such a mandate. …

Crews Assess Environmental Threats Flooding Leaves Behind

HAMBURG, Iowa — Driving along a deeply rutted levee, Heath Smith points to a basketball, picnic basket and pink Big Wheel. He drives past a massive porch. A boat and a semi’s missing trailer sit up ahead. He’s found a …