Products Liability Blawg
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Friday, March 07, 2003
 

Cell Phone Class Action Lawsuits Dismissed.  A federal judge dismissed five class action lawsuits against cell phone manufacturers that sought to require them to provide headsets to protect users from radiation emitted by the devices.  The federal judge reportedly dismissed the suits on the grounds that they are pre-empted by federal standards regulating cell phones.  As reported by The Associated Press in The New York Times.


11:19:40 PM    

Federal-Mogul Proposes Settlement.  Federal-Mogul Corp. proposes setting aside one-half of its stock to settle asbestos lawsuits.  As reported by The Associated Press in The New York Times.
11:13:44 PM    

Agency Refuses to Require Product Registration.  Today federal regulators refused a request from the Consumer Federation of America to require manufacturer's of children's products to include registration cards to be filled out by consumers and mailed back to the manufacturer.  The CFA wanted manufacturers to keep the registration information for twenty years to use to notify consumers of potential dangers of the products.  As reported by The Associated Press in The New York Times.


11:10:10 PM    

Victory for Gun Industry.  Today, a California state court dismissed thirty-eight gun manufacturers, distributors, and trade associations from a lawsuit brought against them by major cities, including Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco.  The municipalities' lawsuit, patterned after the one brought by State attorney generals against the tobacco industry, claimed the industry created a public nuisance by supplying guns to ineligible buyers, violated state business laws by making misleading statements about the dangers of gun ownership, failed to incorporate safety features, and failed to prevent guns from falling into the hands of criminals and juveniles. As reported by Reuters in The New York Times.


10:54:24 PM    

Toyota Settles Clean Air Suit.  To settle a Clean Air Act lawsuit, Toyota has agreed to retrofit up to 3,000 diesel vehicles that it did not manufacture with modern antipollution devices.  The government's lawsuit alleged that in documents certifying compliance with the Clean Air Act, Toyota failed to disclose limitations in a diagnostic system that warns drivers of fluid leaks that can cause pollution.  However, the government does not want Toyota to do anything with the 2.2 million vehicles that triggered the lawsuit because, as the EPA says, "there is nothing wrong with the cars."  Toyota just "didn't follow the proper certification process."  As reported by The Washington Post.
10:03:12 PM    

Compensation Fund for Smallpox Vaccinations

Although not yet a "products liability" issue, I am concerned enough (personally and professionally) about what is happening with smallpox vaccinations to put it on by weblog.  As we all know, the United States government is in the process of immunizing healthcare workers and other emergency response personnel with the smallpox vaccination.  I previously reported that initially only eight persons out of over 7,000 vaccinated had developed what could be considered serious complications therefrom.  

Now, I read in The Washington Post here and here that The White House is supporting the establishment of a "compensation fund" for immunized health care workers.  Those who become sick or die from the vaccination would be entitled to lost wages, medical treatment, and a "one-time $262,100 payment."  All that in addition to the government trying to protect them first from a biological terrorist attack.  Perhaps those healthcare workers should simply be given the choice of either protecting themselves now or running the risk later of either dying a horrible death or becoming permanently disfigured.


9:43:31 PM    


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