The family of a woman killed by her husband can sue the husband’s doctor, the Utah Supreme Court held in February. In B.R. and C.R. v. West, et al, the children of Kristy Ragsdale sued the doctor and nurse practitioner who treated the children’s father, David Ragsdale, alleging that the…
A bill pending in the District of Columbia Council would extend the statute of limitations for filing a Washington DC wrongful death lawsuit. Known as the “Wrongful Death Act of 2012” (WDA), the bill would change the statute from one year to two years. Councilmembers Phil Mendelson and Marion Barry…
The families of two women killed during a 2007 shooting rampage on the Virginia Tech campus received a jury award of $4 million each in their claims against the university for negligence. The jury found that the university negligently delayed warnings about Seung-Hui Cho, who had shot and killed two…
A new product, described as “inhalable” or “breathable” caffeine, has drawn the attention of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) due to questions about its safety and suitability for the marketplace. This is due partly to recent incidents involving injuries and deaths allegedly caused by high-caffeine energy drinks, as…
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), an office within the U.S. Department of Transportation, has delayed a final rule regarding rear visibility requirements in cars. This is the second delay of the rule since the agency began working on it. The purpose of the rule would be to prevent…
BP, Transocean, and several other companies have settled lawsuits with some of the individuals injured in the April 2010 explosion in the Gulf of Mexico that killed eleven people and caused one of the worst oil spills in history. The companies have also settled some of the claims pending between…
The Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority (WMATA) settled seven lawsuits brought by the families of people killed in a 2009 crash on the Red Line. The crash remains the deadliest accident in WMATA’s history. The exact terms of the settlement are confidential. Along with three companies that provide equipment for the…
Nineteen students and alumni from the University of California at Davis have filed a lawsuit in federal court against various university administrators and police officials, including Chancellor Linda Katehi and Police Lieutenant John Pike. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is assisting them with the suit, which includes claims of…
A seven year-old student died at her Richmond, Virginia elementary school in January after she ate a peanut that a classmate gave to her. The girl, Amarria Denise Johnson, had a severe peanut allergy. She had an immediate allergic reaction and was taken to the school clinic. She then went…
A trucking accident on September 20, 1994 on the Capital Beltway in Prince George’s County, Maryland killed one person and left construction worker Brian Buber paralyzed. The subsequent fight over payment of damages shows how difficult it can be to enforce judgments against corporations and other business entities. On that…