Is There Ever a Valid Time to Sue?

A resident of Alabama sued for exposure to benzene that allegedly caused him to be stricken by leukemia. According to Alabama law, if he sued when he was first exposed to benzene then it would have been too early, but now that he developed leukemia years later it is too late to sue. This legal Catch-22 is one of many protections big businesses have against legitimate lawsuits.

Malpractice Insurance Crisis Improving in Illinois

ISMIE Insurance Co., Illinois’s largest malpractice carrier, has plans to partially lift a moratorium on accepting new businesses, crediting better economics and litigation reforms in the state. The insurer provides coverage for 13,000 doctors and will accept at least 400 new physician policyholders. Prior to the moratorium, the few who were allowed to buy malpractice insurance were doctors who were part of clinics already insured by ISMIE and doctors who were fulfilling their residencies and were graduating and needed insurance. The Illinois Trial Lawyers Association believes greater disclosure on how they set rates is the key reason they are covering more doctors.

Court Allows Negligence Suit Against Bars

The Mississippi high court has allowed a paralyzed man to sue several bars for serving him alcohol as a minor. The court had rejected the man’s claims that the bars knowingly served him alcohol when he was intoxicated, but did allow him to sue for negligence. The man admitted to having carried a fake ID that night when his vehicle collided with another car, leaving him paraplegic.

Judge Rules Former CIA Agency Can Continue Lawsuit Against CIA

A federal judge has ruled that a man suing the CIA for wrongful termination may proceed with his lawsuit. According to the ruling, the former agent had the right to argue his termination was based on false information in his employee file. The lawsuit accused the CIA of performing two "sham investigations" of him before firing him in 2004.

Omni Hotel Facing Lawsuit Over Child’s Balcony Fall

A divorced couple is suing Omni Hotel Management Corp. for the death of their 20-month-old son. The couple alleges that Omni should have known that the supports for their balcony railings were spaced too wide apart to prevent young children from slipping through. The hotel contends that the mother was at fault because she was "too busy partying to watch her son."

Jury Finds For Passenger Mistaken For a Terrorist

In a landmark post 9/11 verdict, a jury ruled against American Airlines for suspecting a computer consultant of being a Middle Eastern terrorist. The man was removed from his flight by state police for frightening the flight crew by making "inappropriate, suspicious comments." The consultant was awarded $400,000 by the jury.

Wyeth Accused of Deceiving Women About Drug’s Cancer Risk

In a retrial over Wyeth’s menopause treatment Prempro, the plaintiff’s lawyer alleged the company downplayed the drug’s risk of cancer. Wyeth also allegedly failed to study Prempro’s risks before putting it on the market in 1995. The company faces over 5,000 similar lawsuits involving Prempro and a separate menopause treatment, Premarin.

Maternity-Clothing Retailer Settles Discrimination Claims

A lawsuit against Mothers Work Inc. accused the company of refusing to hire qualified applicants because they were pregnant. The lawsuit also alleged the company retaliated against an assistant manager who complained about the discrimination. The company settled the cases for a total of $375,000.