In The Courts
BP Faces $1B Lawsuit For Texas Refinery Gas Leak
April 16, 2013 1:21 pm | News | CommentsMore than 470 people are suing BP for $1 billion, saying they became sick due to a 15-day gas leak at its refinery in Texas City.The Galveston County Daily News reports that BP says mercaptan leaked from a storage tank in November 2011.
BP Manager Testifies At Trial Over Gulf Oil Spill
April 15, 2013 2:03 pm | by Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press | News | CommentsA BP team leader who supervised managers on the rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 says he was frustrated by last-minute changes to the drilling project but didn't have any safety concerns before the deadly blast. John Guide was the first witness to testify Monday as a trial over the disaster entered its eighth week.
Court: Can Human Genes Be Patented?
April 15, 2013 10:57 am | News | CommentsThe Supreme Court grapples Monday with the question of whether human genes can be patented, and the ultimate answer could reshape U.S. medical research, the fight against diseases like breast and ovarian cancer and the multi-billion dollar medical and biotechnology business.
Jury Finds Helmet Maker Riddell Negligent
April 15, 2013 7:47 am | by Catherine Tsai, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe jury awarded $11.5 million to the family of Rhett Ridolfi, who suffered a concussion during practice at Trinidad High School in 2008. Ridolfi, now 22, wasn't immediately taken to the hospital and now has severe brain damage, as well as paralysis on his left side.
Ex-BP Engineer Responds To 'Farcical' Claims
April 11, 2013 2:08 pm | by Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press | News | CommentsA former BP engineer charged with deleting text messages about the company's response to its 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico claims federal prosecutors have tacked on "farcical" allegations that he also deleted dozens of voicemails to stymie a grand jury probe of the disaster.
2 New Indictments In Cancer-Data-To-China Plot
April 11, 2013 1:49 pm | News | CommentsOnline court records say 42-year-old Hua Jun Zhao was indicted Tuesday on charges of computer fraud and lying to a federal agent. A previous charge of economic espionage was superseded by the indictment, meaning it no longer applies unless he's indicted on that charge as well.
Judge: University Must Shield 'Pink Slime' Data
April 10, 2013 11:15 am | by Ryan J. Foley, Associated Press | News | CommentsA judge has blocked Iowa State University from releasing documents about food safety research conducted for the maker of the beef product that critics call "pink slime." District Judge Dale Ruigh ruled last month that releasing the information would cause "irreparable harm" to Sioux Falls, SD-based Beef Products, Inc.
French Workers Sue Goodyear In Ohio To Save Jobs
April 10, 2013 8:11 am | News | CommentsThe class-action lawsuit was filed in Summit County Common Pleas Court against Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. on behalf of workers at its factory in Amiens, France. Robert Gary, an attorney who worked on the filing, said the labor dispute was taken to court in Ohio because corporate decisions affecting French workers were made in Akron.
Court: Motorist Can't Use iPhone Map
April 9, 2013 2:18 pm | by Paul Elias, Associated Press | News | CommentsSteven Spriggs was stopped in a traffic jam near downtown Fresno and thought nothing of whipping out his iPhone 4 and clicking on the map feature to see if there was an alternate route around the construction mess.He was startled when he looked up and saw a California Highway Patrol motorcycle officer ordering him to pull over.
Trial Begins Over Baby Food Lead Warning
April 8, 2013 8:05 am | by Jason Dearen, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe nation's largest baby food makers face a lawsuit by an environmental group aimed at forcing them to alert consumers that some products contains low amounts of lead. The case scheduled for trial Monday will determine whether they should put warning labels on such products sold in California.
4 Former BizJet Execs Charged With Foreign Bribery
April 8, 2013 8:01 am | by Chuck Bartels, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsThe indictment, which followed an FBI investigation, accuses the former BizJet executives of bribing government officials in Brazil, Mexico and Panama to secure maintenance contracts. BizJet cooperated with authorities and entered into a deferred prosecution agreement that had the company pay a penalty of $11.8 million.
Judge Deals Blow To High-Tech Workers' Lawsuit
April 8, 2013 7:58 am | by Michael Liedtke, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsA federal judge on Friday struck down an effort to form a class action lawsuit to go after Apple, Google and five other technology companies for allegedly forming an illegal cartel to tamp down workers' wages and prevent the loss of their best engineers during a multiyear conspiracy broken up by government regulators.
Wis. Lawmaker Defends Asbestos Lawsuit Changes
April 5, 2013 11:43 am | by Todd Richmond, Associated Press | News | CommentsAsbestos-exposure lawsuits would be slowed until plaintiffs reveal how many businesses their attorneys plan to go after under a bill introduced Thursday by a Republican lawmaker, who said the measure would prevent lawyers from hiding multiple claims in hopes of maximizing awards.
Court Overturns $482M Patent Decision Against J&J
April 4, 2013 8:14 pm | News | CommentsA federal appeals court says that a Johnson & Johnson heart stent does not infringe a patent held by a doctor and inventor, overturning a $482 million decision against the company. The three-judge panel said a lower court misinterpreted the company's patent and should not have ruled in favor of Bruce Saffran, a doctor from Princeton, N.J.
Possible Deal Could Impact Ex-Enron CEO's Sentence
April 4, 2013 1:43 pm | by Juan A. Lozano, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe U.S. Justice Department says it is discussing possibly entering into an agreement with former Enron Corp. CEO Jeffrey Skilling which might reduce his prison sentence of more than 24 years. The possibility of a sentencing agreement was made public this week in a notice to victims of Enron's collapse.
BP Appeals Judge's Ruling In Gulf Spill Settlement
April 4, 2013 1:38 pm | by Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press | News | CommentsBP on Wednesday asked the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to review last month's ruling by U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier, who appointed Lafayette attorney Patrick Juneau to serve as claims administrator for a multibillion-dollar settlement between BP and a team of private plaintiffs' attorneys.
Cameron Dismissed From Trial Over Gulf Oil Spill
April 4, 2013 9:29 am | News | CommentsWednesday's ruling by U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier means Cameron International is no longer a defendant in an ongoing trial designed to identify causes of BP's well blowout and assign fault to the companies involved. BP PLC, rig owner Transocean Ltd. and cement contractor Halliburton are the remaining defendants.
Claims Administrator Seeks Dismissal Of BP Lawsuit
April 2, 2013 7:45 am | by Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe suit that BP filed last month accuses Patrick Juneau of violating the settlement's terms in the way he is using a complex formula to determine payments to businesses affected by the massive 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. In a court filing Monday, Juneau argued he is entitled to immunity from BP's suit.
Covidien Awarded $176.5M In Patent Lawsuit
March 29, 2013 2:45 pm | News | CommentsIrish drug and medical device maker Covidien said Friday that a federal court in Connecticut has awarded it $176.5 million after ruling that a Johnson & Johnson unit infringed on three of its ultrasonic surgical products patents. The lawsuit against J&J's Ethicon Endo-Surgery Inc. was related to Ethicon's Harmonic line of ultrasonic surgical products.
Court: EPA Can Stop Some Power Plant Modifications
March 29, 2013 2:17 pm | by John Flesher, AP Environmental Writer | News | CommentsGovernment regulators can try to halt construction projects at power plants if they think the companies didn't properly calculate whether the changes would increase air pollution, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday, marking the latest twist in a decades-long fight over the Clean Air Act.
3M And Avery Dennison Resolve Patent Lawsuits
March 29, 2013 9:53 am | News | CommentsOffice products makers 3M Co. and Avery Dennison Corp. said Friday that they have resolved patent infringement lawsuits filed against each other related to certain reflective sheeting products used on traffic signs, pavement markings and other traffic control products.
Whirlpool Sued In Ohio's Child Cancer Cluster Case
March 29, 2013 8:02 am | News | CommentsLawyers in Ohio filed a $750 million class action lawsuit Thursday against Whirlpool Corp. that's related to a child cancer cluster between Toledo and Cleveland. The lawsuit attempts to link Whirlpool and others to the cancer cluster, though the families of the children who've been diagnosed with cancer aren't involved.
DuPont Drops Kevlar Lawsuit Against Easton-Bell
March 28, 2013 2:17 pm | by Randall Chase, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsBut the fight may not be over. DuPont's filing Thursday dismissing the lawsuit comes two days after a federal judge in California refused to dismiss or transfer to Delaware a lawsuit filed by Easton-Bell. In that lawsuit, the Scotts Valley, Calif., company sought a declaration that it is not infringing on DuPont's trademarks.
Star Scientific Faces Class-Action Lawsuit
March 27, 2013 8:02 am | News | CommentsStar Scientific Inc. said Tuesday that it plans to vigorously contest allegations in a lawsuit filed against the dietary supplements and cosmetics company. The complaint says the company made false and misleading statements about the company's business, operational and compliance policies.
BP's Cement Contractor Denies Destroying Evidence
March 27, 2013 7:57 am | by Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press | News | CommentsIn a court filing, Halliburton attorneys accused BP PLC of trying to create a "sideshow" during an ongoing trial over the deadly disaster. They also argued BP is trying to deflect attention from its own actions. The explosion led to the deaths of 11 rig workers and triggered the nation's worst offshore oil spill.
