An Oregon court has delayed until 2010 a lawsuit that accuses a nursing home of neglect and wrongful death. In the lawsuit, Barbara Dickerson claims that her mother lost the ability to walk, suffered significant weight loss, developed a severe pressure ulcer and contacted pneumonia within 49 days of entering the Evergreen Milton-Freewater Health and Rehabilitation Center. Attorneys for the facility told the judge they needed more time in order to prepare their defense.

The National Highway Safety Administration announced Tuesday that it is in talks with Toyota Motor Corp. over how to fix sudden acceleration problems that triggered the recall of more than 3 million Toyota vehicles, the Detroit Free Press reports. At issue is whether the automaker should focus on defective floor mats, accelerators or other parts of the vehicles. Attorneys representing those killed or injured in sudden acceleration crashes have pointed to electronic throttle control malfunctions as another serious design issue.

A new study is casting added doubt on the effectiveness of the embattled blockbuster cholesterol drugs Zetia and Vytorin, reports USA today. In a report presented Monday, researchers concluded that the vitamin niacin was significantly more effective in reducing artery plaque than Zetia or Vytorin. The results of the study were published online in the New England Journal of Medicine.

A new analysis has concluded that children who regularly eat balsamic and other red wine vinegars may be at risk for dangerous lead-related health problems. The study conducted by Environmental Health News says that daily consumption of some vinegars can raise lead levels by as much as 30 percent in young children. Lead exposure has been linked to neurological, learning and behavioral disorders in previous scientific studies.

A Tennessee jury has awarded $6.5 million to a 6-year-old boy who was severely injured in a 2002 car crash. In the verdict, jurors found that Ford Motor Co. was negligent for injuries caused by an adult seatbelt installed in a 1995 Mercury Grand Marquis. Ford is expected to appeal the verdict, an attorney for the boy indicated.

Republican lawmakers have proposed a bill that would force plaintiffs who lose medical malpractice lawsuits to pay legal costs for both sides. The bill, introduced by Sens. Saxby Chambliss of Georgia and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina also calls for an arbitration provision for medical malpractice cases. Opponents of the measure have called it unnecessary and dangerous.

The Nebraska Supreme Court has cleared the way for a lawsuit arising from injuries suffered by a woman whose family purchased a used automobile from a dealer that failed to inspect it prior to the sale. In the ruling, the high court held that the dealer was obligated to warn consumers about potential defects. The lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages.

Dozens of U.S. soldiers and military contract employees have joined lawsuits that accuse Halliburton and others of exposing them to toxic chemicals in Iraq and Afghanistan. According to the suits, the plaintiffs developed various health problems following exposure to so-called burn pits in which contractors disposed of items ranging from medical waste to batteries. At least one of the suits seeks class-action status on behalf of personnel who allegedly developed health problems after being exposed to the burn pits.

A Virginia jury has ordered the owners and driver of a tractor-trailer to pay more than $5 million to the family of a 16-year-old girl who was killed in a 2008 auto crash. Following a two-day trial, jurors found that Don B. Swisher Trucking Corp. and McCann Delivery Service were negligent for failing to properly supervise the driver and allowing him to drive a truck with defective parts. Separately, the driver was sentenced to two years in prison for his role in the crash.

The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association has filed motions seeking immunity from lawsuits stemming from its handling of claims in the wake of Gulf Coast hurricanes, the Houston Chronicle reports. The state-created insurer argues that its semi-governmental status protects it from some types of liability. The insurer currently faces nearly a thousand lawsuits over its handling of hurricane-related claims.