Category: Current Affairs

Philip G. Peters, Jr., of the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law writes this enlightening article entitled “The Fairness of Malpractice Settlements.” He writes “Over the past quarter of a century, more than a dozen studies have collected data on malpractice settlements. With only one exception, they have consistently shown that plaintiffs with strong cases are more likely to receive a settlement payment than plaintiffs with weak cases. Moreover, the data on malpractice settlement strongly suggests that liability insurers possess a palpable advantage in bargaining power.” This is yet another article in support of the very strong assertion that frivolous lawsuits are… Read More

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (California) has sent a message to young drivers: no text messaging, no cell phone calls, no using laptops. At least not while behind the wheel. Schwarzenegger signed legislation yesterday that will make it illegal for drivers younger than 18 to engage in such activities. Reported in today’s issue of SignOnSanDiego.com. This law will take effect on July 1, 2008. Violators face a fine of $20 for the first offense; $50 for each additional ticket. There is an exemption for emergencies. The article goes on to say: “The dangers of sending text messages via cell phones or other electronic… Read More

The Public Citizen’s Consumer Justice Project publishes an incredible blog called Consumer Law & Policy Blog which has articles related to consumer safety, dangerous products, class actions, consumer lending and much, much more. The blog caught my eye with a recent posting which discusses Dangerous Kitchen Stoves — in essence, there are 15-20 million lightweight stoves currently in use in the United States which pose a danger “because they are so light-weight, have a tendency to tip over and maim and kill consumers” with the potential of causing great personal injury to their users. I urge you to view the informative Consumer Law & Policy… Read More

A skier has been awarded $14 million after being paralyzed in a fall from a ski jump at the Summit at Snoqualmie. In February 2004, Kenny Salvini of Lake Tapps fell 37 feet from a jump at Central Terrain Park and maintained by Ski Lifts, Inc. A King County jury on Friday found that the operator failed to take safety into consideration at its Summit West terrain park and therefore was partially responsible for the crash. The full jury award was for about $31 million, but that amount was decreased to $14 million after calculating “the comparative fault” of Salvini… Read More