A woman suffering from mesothelioma caused by second-hand asbestos exposure has been awarded $3.6 million by a Florida jury. In the lawsuit, Lynda Daly claimed that she was exposed to asbestos from brakes while working at a Ford dealership and may have also been exposed by brake repairs done at her home. Attorneys on both [...]

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A man suffering from mesothelioma is challenging a court order requiring an autopsy in the event of his death. The autopsy requirement, which is part of an asbestos settlement, is unconstitutionally vague, an attorney for James Ross argues. According to the attorney, Ross objects to the autopsy because of personal moral beliefs. You can read [...]

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A national fraternity and its University of Texas affiliate have been ordered to pay $16.2 million in damages for an alleged hazing incident that lead to the death of a student. State District Judge John Dietz ordered the damages after both the national and university chapters of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity failed to respond the [...]

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In the wake of a recall affecting nearly 1.6 million cribs, federal regulators plan to institute new standards governing crib durability and hardware problems. A spokeswoman for the Consumer Products Safety Commission said that while voluntary standards have decreased the number of crib injuries and deaths, they have not fully addressed comprehensive durability standards. Durability [...]

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The law firm of Glassman, Edwards, Wade & Wyatt, P.C. is announcing that 1.59 million baby cribs have been recalled by privately-owned Delta Enterprises. The firm is reviewing potential cases for the drop side cribs that may have been linked to at least two infant deaths. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued the [...]

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As reported by Reuters, a drug-coated stent produced by medical device maker Medtronic has been linked to an increased risk of heart attack and clotting when compared to a competitive stent, according to a study released last week. The study, presented at the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics conference and sponsored by Johnson & Johnson, also found [...]

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The Supreme Court heard its first arguments of the new term Monday in one of several cases on the court’s calendar that will test the limits of federal pre-emption. At issue is whether a group of smokers should be allowed to pursue a class action against Altria Group Inc. and its Philip Morris USA unit [...]

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As previously noted by this blog, accusations that Medtronic paid kickbacks to doctors have prompted Senate leaders to push the medical device maker for more information about payments it made to physicians for consulting services. Citing past allegations, Senators Charles Grassley and Herb Kohl issued separate letters Tuesday asking Medtronic to provided detailed information about [...]

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As we have reported in the past (read: HERE), Medicare will no longer pay hospitals for added costs caused by medical errors, following a new policy that begins Wednesday. Under the guidelines, Medicare has created a list of 10 preventable conditions for which it will not compensate hospitals. The list includes incompatible blood transfusions, certain [...]

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Drug maker Cephalon Inc. will pay $431 million to settle a number of whistleblower lawsuits accusing the company of promoting drugs for unapproved uses. As part of the global Justice Department settlement the company will also plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of distributing misbranded drugs. Four whistleblowers will split a combined award of more [...]

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