The death of a spectator at a California 200 desert off-road race this past August has prompted a suit against the race promoter and driver involved in the accident. The suit claims the race promoter was negligent in allowing spectators to stand in dangerous areas. The accident, which occurred when one of the drivers lost control of his truck, killed eight people. The suit is seeking unspecified damages

A California paint company has agreed to pay $1 million to settle a lawsuit accusing it of “illegal transportation and mismanagement of hazardous waste and materials.” Vista Paint Corp. will pay the settlement to six district attorney’s offices and will also have to improve their training and storage methods. The company allegedly improperly transported paint thinners and solvents, unusable paint materials and rags and absorbents used to clean up spills of hazardous materials.

Environmentalists and farm workers in California have filed a lawsuit over the approved use of a toxic fumigant and carcinogen on state crops. The chemical, methyl iodide, will be used primarily on strawberry fields, but the lawsuit calls the decision “irresponsible and illegal.” According to the suit, methyl iodide can cause cancer and thyroid disease and can harm the lungs, liver, kidneys, brain and central nervous system.

A California jury has awarded an Oakland man more than $11.7 million in a lawsuit filed by a man who suffered injuries in 2007 while working at the Extended Stay hotel in San Rafael, Calif. The plaintiff had complained about the dark and litter-strewn area and hit his head multiple times on low-hanging crossbeams while working in the hotel, the lawsuit stated. He suffered herniated discs which caused near-paralysis corrected by surgery.

California grocery store group Raley’s Family of Fine Stores announced a recall of cantaloupes due to the presence of salmonella. The Food and Drug Administration informed the chain that the fruit had tested positive for the bacteria and the produce was pulled from shelves immediately. The cantaloupes were sold from December 4-17 but the company has received no reports of illness

The city of San Diego has agreed to a $3.6 million settlement with residents of the De Anza mobile-home park for “the poor treatment they received from a property management company hired by the city.” The suit claimed barbed wire and concrete speed bumps were unnecessarily installed at the park and armed guards walked the grounds. Plaintiffs in the suit claimed the treatment caused many to leave the park even though a court order was in place allowing them to stay in the prime real estate location.

The family of an 11-year-old boy has filed a lawsuit against California-based Easton-Bell Sports Inc. over the company’s aluminum baseball bats. The suit claims the bats have a dangerous “exit velocity” — the speed at which the ball comes off the bat. The boy was struck in the head by a baseball hit by one of the bats and lost hearing in one ear. The suit is seeking unspecified damages.

A Florida jury has awarded a local woman $80 million over the death of her father from lung cancer after 60 years of smoking cigarettes. The R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. will be responsible for paying the damages. The verdict is another in a long line of rulings in Florida against the tobacco companies since 2006. Since early 2009, Florida jurors have awarded close to $310 million to smokers and their families.

A lawsuit has been filed against the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) over the death of a truck driver whose big rig toppled over the side of the Bay Bridge last year. The suit claims the newly installed S-curve on the bridge where the accident happened “didn’t have adequate warning signs or other measures to alert drivers to the then-new roadway.” There were 43 documented accidents on that curve before the trucker’s death, the suit claimed. The family is seeking damages, including loss of income and future earnings, as well as funeral expenses.