Class Dismissed

May 04, 2017 - Product Liability, Consumer Products, Class Action
Closing the Door on Hybrid Product Defect/Fraud Claims
By: Erin M. Bosman and Julie Y. Park
On April 13, 2017, in Azoulai v. BMW of N. Am. LLC (Case No. 16-cv-00589), the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California dismissed a proposed consumer fraud class action against BMW of North America LLC (BMW) concerning the soft-closing automatic doors
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April 24, 2017 - Product Liability, Consumer Products, Class Action
Court Dismisses Peeling Paint Class Action Against Hyundai, But Grants Third Opportunity to Amend
On April 13, 2017, United States District Judge Beverly Reid O’Connell for the Central District of California granted a motion to dismiss a class action complaint alleging that Hyundai sold cars with an alleged latent paint defect that caused the “self-healing” paint to bubble,
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April 07, 2017 - Environmental Law, Product Liability, Consumer Products, Retail
California Adds New Priority Consumer Product for Green Chemistry Regulation
California’s innovative Safer Consumer Products regulations, also known as the Green Chemistry Initiative, are ready for another step forward with the proposed inclusion of Spray Polyurethane Foam (SPF) Systems containing Unreacted Methylene Diphenyl Diisocyanates (MDI) as a Priority Product. These SPF systems are used
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April 05, 2017 - FDA, Drug & Medical Device, Product Liability
Another Step Toward Reasonable Preemption Case Law
By: Erin M. Bosman and Julie Y. Park
Last month, the Sixth Circuit affirmed a complete defense verdict for Abbott Laboratories Inc. which was based in part on branded drug preemption. Rheinfrank v. Abbott Laboratories Inc., Case No. 16-3347, 2017 WL 680349 (6th Cir. Feb. 21, 2017). This defense decision is another
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March 30, 2017 - FDA, Drug & Medical Device, Product Liability
Trump’s Nominee for FDA Commissioner Likely Dooms Generic Drug Labeling Rule
By: Erin M. Bosman, Julie Y. Park and Brittany Scheinok
President Trump recently announced his intent to nominate a new commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), likely sealing the fate of FDA’s proposed generic drug labeling rule. The proposed rule would give generic drug manufacturers responsibility for maintaining the accuracy of
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March 24, 2017 - False Advertising, Appellate & Supreme Court, Food Misbranding, Product Liability
Judge Koh Issues First Blow to “Added Sugars” Plaintiffs
By: Claudia M. Vetesi
The Big Picture: On Tuesday, Judge Koh granted Kellogg’s Motion to Dismiss in its entirety in Hadley v. Kellogg Sales Company , No. 5:16-cv-04955-LHK (N.D. Cal.). Hadley is one of three cases [1] against well-known cereal makers pending in the Northern District of California.
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March 21, 2017 - Product Liability, Consumer Products, Retail, CPSC
CPSC to Consider New Magnet Set Safety Standards Following 10th Circuit Decision in Zen Magnets
By: Erin M. Bosman and Julie Y. Park
We have entered the next chapter in the ongoing saga of the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (“CPSC”) regulation of high-powered, small, rare earth magnet sets (“SREMS”). [1] On March 1, 2017, CPSC met and unanimously approved removing the Magnet Sets Safety Standard from the
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March 10, 2017 - Product Liability, Consumer Products, Class Action
House Passes Bill Proposing Sweeping Changes to Class Action Litigation
By: Claudia M. Vetesi
The House of Representatives has passed legislation that will fundamentally change class actions as we know them. The Fairness in Class Action Litigation Act of 2017 (the “Act” or “H.R. 985”) leaves no stage of class action litigation untouched. For example, the provisions require
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March 07, 2017 - Product Liability, Consumer Products, Retail, CPSC
A Changing of the Guard: Same Enforcement Trend under New CPSC Leadership?
By: Erin M. Bosman and Julie Y. Park
Republican Ann Marie Buerkle was named Acting Chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on February 9, 2017, replacing former Chairman and Democrat Elliott Kaye. This transition has many wondering whether the trend of increased CPSC enforcement, and its pledge to issue increased
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February 17, 2017 - Drug & Medical Device, Product Liability
Expanding Duties and Eroding Protections for Medical Device Manufacturers
By: Erin M. Bosman and Julie Y. Park
Earlier this month, the Washington Supreme Court saddled medical device manufacturers with a new duty to warn under Washington law—the duty to warn hospitals about potential risks their products may pose—and eroded exemptions from strict liability afforded to manufacturers of certain “unavoidably unsafe” products.
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