The Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee Explained
In complex legal battles involving multiple plaintiffs with similar claims, a panel of federal judges, the Judicial Panel of Multidistrict Litigation (JPML), has the power to form an MDL and consolidate lawsuits around the country before one federal judge for case management. Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) emerges as a crucial mechanism to streamline proceedings. At the […]
Product Recalls & Safety Notifications
Recent & Important Updates The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission is an independent federal regulatory agency which oversees the safety of most consumer products. Similarly, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is a federal agency which oversees transportation safety. Below are important recalls and safety notifications from these agencies. Subaru Outback and Legacy Sedans […]
What is the Firefighter PFAS Injury Compensation Act?
Senate Bill 4013, entitled “Firefighter PFAS Injury Compensation Act of 2024,” seeks to establish a program to compensate firefighters who suffer from health conditions related to exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) during their firefighting activities. Firefighters exhibit diseases connected to PFAS exposure from use of firefighting foam and turnout gear. The proposed program […]
Update in the Taxotere Litigation
Thousands of women allege that Taxotere, a breast cancer chemotherapy drug, caused them to suffer from permanent alopecia, or hair loss. Lawsuits have been filed against Sanofi-Avetis, US, LLC (“Sanofi”), the manufacturer of Taxotere. The majority of cases are consolidated in a Multidistrict Litigation (“MDL”) in Federal Court in the Eastern District of Louisiana before […]
Court Appointment to the PEC:
Understanding the Significance In complex legal battles involving multiple plaintiffs with similar claims, Multi-District Litigation (MDL) emerges as a crucial mechanism to streamline proceedings. At the heart of MDL cases lies the court appointment of an executive committee to represent the interests of the plaintiffs. This is called the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee or “PEC”. This […]
Recent Update in the AFFF Litigation
Cases involving Aqueous Film Forming Foams (“AFFF”) have been consolidated in Federal Court in South Carolina before Judge Richard Gergel. Such consolidation is known as a multi-district litigation (“MDL”). Establishing an MDL is common and allows one judge to oversee all pretrial discovery in cases where there exist common questions of fact. What is the […]
Recent Food Recalls and Safety Notifications
The Food & Drug Administration (“FDA”) oversees the regulation and safety of prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, medical devices, and most food. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) oversees certain food. This includes meat, poultry, and egg products. Below is a list of recent recalls and safety notifications concerning products overseen by the FDA and USDA. […]
AFFF MDL Judge Reappoints Mike Stag to the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee
The PEC serves as the driving force behind the litigation, tasked with coordinating strategies, conducting discovery, conducting bellwether trials, negotiating settlement, and advocating for the collective interests of the plaintiffs. This includes funding of the high costs of litigation necessary to prosecute the cause. Court appointment to this committee is a pivotal moment in the […]
PFAS Contamination at Cannon AFB
The Department of Defense concluded Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico is one of the most heavily contaminated sites in the country. The DOD included Cannon in the “top 10 of prioritized active US Air Force installations” for addressing PFAS contamination. This article discusses environmental concerns, health risks, ongoing cleanup efforts, and lawsuits related […]
US Production of Biomass
Background Recently, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the release of the Bioenergy Technologies Office’s (BETO) 2023 Billion-Ton Report (BT23). This is the fourth in a series of assessments of potential biomass resources available in the United States. BT23 provides estimates of biomass resource potential in response to market demand scenarios. According to the […]