Blog Posts in May, 2019

Opioids Are Deadlier Than Traffic Accidents

For the first time in history, the odds of Americans dying from an accidental opioid overdose are higher than from a traffic accident, according to an analysis conducted by the National Safety Council. This crisis has drawn the attention of lawmakers seeking tangible solutions for public health and safety. Medical professionals are responsible for prescribing these powerful drugs under controlled ...

Costco to Ban Cancer-Linked Glyphosate in All Stores

Costco will reportedly ban sales of glyphosate-containing herbicides in all stores nationwide, including Monsanto’s top-selling weed killer, Roundup. According to the World Health Organization’s cancer research, glyphosate has been deemed a “probable human carcinogen.” Glyphosate has been linked to an increased risk of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and multiple myeloma. This deadly product is readily ...

J&J Says Key Witness in Talcum Powder Case Made Falsities in Testimony

A jury in New York City’s controversial asbestos court reached a $25 million verdict against Johnson & Johnson. J&J also faces the possibility of punitive damages. Jurors will reconvene next week to deliberate whether punitive damages should be awarded as well. This is the first time since the 80s that a New York City asbestos case has had a jury deliberate punitive damages. So far, defendants ...

What Is an Attractive Nuisance?

Summer is just around the corner, which means your children will soon be on vacation from school. As your children take to the outdoors to explore and play with their friends, they are exposed to a number of dangers. Children are naturally curious and prone to exploring areas which interest them, despite how dangerous the location may be. Therefore, property owners are legally obligated to take ...

5 States File New Opioid Lawsuits

On May 16, 2019, state attorneys general in Kansas, Iowa, Maryland, Wisconsin, and West Virginia filed lawsuits against Purdue Pharma—the Oxycontin manufacturer—for contributing to the opioid epidemic that is now the leading cause of accidental fatalities throughout many states in the country. With the addition of these five states, a total of 45 states have now filed lawsuits in recent years ...

Monsanto Loses 3rd Trial, Ordered to Pay $2 Billion in Punitive Damages

Monsanto Co. was recently slammed by an Oakland jury that ruled the company must pay $2 billion dollars in total punitive damages to plaintiffs who sued after prolonged use of Roundup weedkiller caused them to develop non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL), a rare form of cancer. In particular, the jury ruled $1 billion in punitive damages be paid to Alva Pilliod and another $1 billion to Alberta Pilliod, ...

Plaintiffs’ Attorney Challenges Expert Witness Testimony in Roundup® Lawsuit

In the third case to go to trial against Monsanto, and its parent company Bayer, the lawyer for the plaintiffs exposed contradictions in statements given by an expert witness who was called in to testify against claims that Roundup® causes cancer. Dr. Celeste Bello, a hematologist-oncologist at Moffitt Cancer Center, testified that glyphosate, the main ingredient in Roundup®, does not cause ...