To enable plaintiffs and Merck & Co. Inc. time to work on a potential settlement, a New York federal judge delayed the transfer of hundreds of lawsuits that are part of a multidistrict litigation (MDL) brought over alleged jaw injuries tied to Fosamax.
In an amendment to his August remand order in which District Judge John Keenan ordered the lawsuits returned to their home courts beginning November 1st, the transfers will now begin on December 2nd, according to Law360. Subsequent transfers will be made on the first business day of each month until the remaining case are sent out of the MDL.
Lawsuit allegations include that Fosamax users developed osteonecrosis of the jaw—known as “Dead Jaw.” Almost 1,000 lawsuits remain pending; five bellwether trials and general expert discovery have taken place, according to Law360. While a plaintiffs’ steering committee was seeking a transfer delay, saying it would be in their best interests if the transfers began after November, Merck sought to keep to the planned MDL “wind-down,” stating that its review of the pending claims showed the drug maker that most were baseless.
To read the complete article, please click here: newsinferno.com.
Jim Silkenat is a corporate attorney in New York. He knows that the US has 1,268,011 licensed lawyers – far more than any other country. He believes that is too few.
Silkenat, who has just been elected president of the American Bar Association (ABA), warns that there is an enormous unmet legal need among those who cannot afford to pay: the under-privileged, detained immigrants and defendants fighting to escape death row.
His plan is to recruit the latest generation of graduates streaming out of American law schools who cannot find work immediately in a law firm. Silkenat intends to harness their skills, for a modest wage, to help those who cannot get access to justice.
To read the complete article, please click here: theguardian.com.
Audi drivers, listen up. If you bought or leased a 2002-06 model-year A4 or A6 with a factory-installed Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) that failed, you may be entitled to reimbursement under a recently settled class-action lawsuit with corporate parent Volkswagen.
According to Automotive News, the settlement covers about 64,000 vehicles and alleges that "manufacturing and design problems caused the transmissions to fail and left owners stuck with repair costs." While the suit also argues Audi was aware of these issues (going so far as to hide that knowledge from consumers), the settlement stops short of acknowledging any wrongdoing by the German automaker.
Audi drivers are eligible for a cash reimbursement if their CVT repairs occurred within 10 years or 100,000 miles of the date they bought or leased the vehicle before June 19, 2013. To be eligible for compensation, drivers must submit a claim form (found here) with supporting documents by November 18.
To read the complete article, please click here: autoblog.com.
Fracking Wastewater Blamed for Pennsylvania Contamination
Wastewater from hydraulic fracturing—fracking—released into local Pennsylvania streams contained contaminants, according to just released research.
The fracking waste was treated and released, but contained high levels of salts and other contaminants, according to LaboratoryEquipment.com. Those contaminants could pose a danger to aquatic and human health. Elevated levels of radioactive materials were also detected in stream sediments at the site of the disposal. The study appears in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology, and also indicates that the researchers recommend that advanced treatment technologies be used to remove the potentially harmful material.
To read the complete article, please click here: newsinferno.com.
How to Win Trucking Cases Seminar
How to Win Trucking Cases 2013
360 Advocacy Institute; November 3-5, 2013; Encore at Wynn, Las Vegas, NV
Winning trucking cases requires an understanding of the science,
engineering, driver training, regulations and industry practices, the law, and
the knowledge on how to apply to all stages of the case - from investigation
and analysis to case reparation and trial.
The faculty of 15 experts and trial lawyers at How to Win Trucking Cases 2013 will give you the knowledge to evaluate all types of
truck accidents; the skills to conduct discovery of these accidents; and the
trial skills to win the award due your client. For three days you will be the
partner of some of the best plaintiff trucking lawyers and experts who will
share their expertise through lecture, discussion, and demonstrations to assure
you have the knowledge to attack all types of trucking cases and win.
Don't miss out on the 360 Advocacy Room Block rate
of $189 (Sun. - Thurs.), $219 (Fri. & Sat.) by reserving a room today online.
Some obscure laws are still in the books because people forgot about them, others because nobody bothered to change them. The great thing is that you can still get a ticket for breaking them.
As leading experts in forensic meteorology, we’d like to invite you to attend our October 10th seminar in the East Brunswick area. This exclusive event is by invitation only with some of the most prominent enterprises in your area taking part. There is no fee for attending.
When weather has caused damage or serious harm to those in its path, the truth about these incidents is often sought, but obscured by opinion, misrepresentation, and bias. Led by AccuWeather’s Senior Vice President and top Forensic Meteorologist, Dr. Joe Sobel, our seminar will show you the effectiveness and versatility that fact-based forensic meteorology brings to the courtroom.
Check-in for the event will begin at 1:00PM. The presentation will run from 1:30PM until approximately 3:00PM, whereupon there will be Q&A. Remember, attendance is by invitation only, and there is no fee to attend the event. If you are interested in attending, please act quickly because space is limited. You can register for the event, or view other events here. Full details are listed below.
Finding the Truth:
Forensic Meteorology in the Wake of a Severe Weather Event
Hilton East Brunswick Hotel
-Cooper Room
3 Tower Center Boulevard
East Brunswick, NJ 08816
P: (732) 828-2000
Thursday, October 10th, 2013
Check-in from 1:00PM to 1:30PM
Presentation with Q&A from 1:30PM to 3:00PM
Events are by invitation only but have no fee to attend.