An attorney filed a lawsuit this week under the Illinois Wrongful Death Act on behalf of the survivors of eight passengers killed in the crash of an Air France flight earlier this year, Reuters reports. The lawsuit names Airbus SA and various aerospace suppliers including Honeywell International, General Electric Co, Rockwell Collins Inc, Thales SA and chip maker Intel Corp. The suit seeks unspecified compensation for loss of support and other damages.

The families of two men killed in the 2006 crash of a private two-seat plane have filed a lawsuit against the companies that manufactured, sold or promoted the plane, according to the Modesto Bee. The lawsuit argues that the Zodiac CH-601XL and its parts were dangerous and defective. Since the crash, the National Transportation Safety Board has recommended that the plane be grounded because of design flaws in the wings of the plane.

The employer of a man involved in a fatal drunken driving accident was liable for allowing him to drive, the family of three people killed in the crash claims. According to the lawsuit, UGS Corp. should not have allowed Thomas Wellinger to leave its office after he arrived at work intoxicated. Wellinger’s blood-alcohol level was measured at 0.43 following the crash.

Hundreds of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center patients filed a class-action lawsuit against the hospital Tuesday over revelations that they were unwittingly exposed to high levels of radiation. The lawsuit comes after officials at Cedars-Sinai admitted that some patients were exposed to eight times the recommended radiation because of problems with a CT scanner. Attorneys for the plaintiffs said they expect to more patients to be added to the suit as more people learn of the error.

A fatal accident earlier this year involving a California Highway Patrol officer driving a 2009 Lexus ES 350 is raising new questions about safety problems with vehicles made by Toyota Motor Corp., the Los Angeles Times reports. Toyota has blamed such incidents on defective safety mats that can cause accelerators to become stuck. However, safety experts warn that complex systems in Toyota vehicles may make difficult for drivers to safely recover from unwanted acceleration.

A California company has announced the recall of its baby food products citing fears about botulism poisoning. The recall affects Plum Organics apple- and carrot-flavored baby food with a “best by” date of May 21, 2010. The food is available at Toys R Us and Babies R US stores.

Target Corp. has agreed to pay an undisclosed sum to settle a lawsuit by a woman who was wrongly accused of trying to use a counterfeit bill to purchase merchandise in 2006. The plaintiff Rita Cantrell filed a lawsuit accusing Target of defaming her. A federal appeals court had previously refused to dismiss a $3.1 million verdict against the retailer.

Massachusetts’ highest court has given the green light to a lawsuit by three smokers who are seeking to force Philip Morris to pay for medical monitoring to detect lung cancer. According to the lawsuit, Philip Morris negligently manufactured cigarettes containing carcinogens that put the plaintiffs at increased risk for lung cancer. In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Judicial Court held that the plaintiffs need not show that they already have an injury to receive medical monitoring.

Health care staff cannot be held liable for failing to prevent the murder of a woman killed by a mentally ill man under their care, the Illinois Supreme Court has ruled. Richard Street strangled his wife in 2003 after telling staff at Community Resource Center Inc. that she was trying to poison him and that he planned to kill her. The high court ruled that doctors and other staff at Community Resource Center Inc. owed no duty to the woman because she was not a patient

Nissan and Infiniti have recalled nearly 150,000 vehicles because of potential problems with tire-pressure monitors. The automakers said road salt in cold-weather states could cause the monitors to malfunction. The recall affects the 2008–10 Infiniti M35 and M45, the 2009 Nissan Cube, the 2009 Nissan Murano and the 2008 Nissan Rogue.