Overlawyered » Mississippi http://overlawyered.com Chronicling the high cost of our legal system Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:11:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 “Mississippi Court Reverses $322 Million Asbestos Verdict” http://overlawyered.com/2012/01/mississippi-court-reverses-322-million-asbestos-verdict/ http://overlawyered.com/2012/01/mississippi-court-reverses-322-million-asbestos-verdict/#comments Wed, 04 Jan 2012 05:08:15 +0000 Walter Olson http://overlawyered.com/?p=26594 “A Mississippi court has reversed a $322 million asbestos verdict against Union Carbide — believed to be the largest in U.S. history — after the judge failed to disclose his own father had pending asbestos litigation against the same company. … The jury ruled for Brown even though nine treating physicians, an independent medical examiner and an X-ray technician all testified that the plaintiff had no symptoms of asbestos-related disease.” [Daniel Fisher, Forbes; earlier here, here and here]

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]]> http://overlawyered.com/2012/01/mississippi-court-reverses-322-million-asbestos-verdict/feed/ 0 “Business Leaders for Loser-Pays” http://overlawyered.com/2011/12/business-leaders-for-loser-pays/ http://overlawyered.com/2011/12/business-leaders-for-loser-pays/#comments Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:17:36 +0000 Walter Olson http://overlawyered.com/?p=26498 In a new Cato post, I explain why I wish such an organization existed.

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]]> http://overlawyered.com/2011/12/business-leaders-for-loser-pays/feed/ 0 September 14 roundup http://overlawyered.com/2011/09/september-14-roundup/ http://overlawyered.com/2011/09/september-14-roundup/#comments Wed, 14 Sep 2011 18:36:41 +0000 Walter Olson http://overlawyered.com/?p=24543
  • Large newspaper group drops RightHaven; “it was a dumb idea” [Kravets/Wired, more] Courtroom reverses for copyright aggregator assume a comic tone [BoingBoing, Slashdot, Corporate Counsel]
  • Dan Snyder drops suit against Washington City Paper [WCP, Wolfman/CL&P, Adler, earlier here, here, etc.] More reactions to TSAer’s lawsuit threat against columnist/blogger Amy Alkon [Treacher, Balko, Bader]
  • Jury declines to credit testimony about when victim took Children’s Motrin [Beck]
  • Mississippi high court strikes down widely noted $7 million lead paint verdict in Sherwin-Williams vs. Gaines [AP, Freeland, LNL, opinion]
  • “Is suing the bar a new drunk driving trend?” [NJLRA]
  • Decline of chemistry sets tells a story of fear and liability [John Browning, SETR, earlier]
  • “Expectedly pleasing,” that’s me [Katherine Mangu-Ward, Reason]
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    ]]>     http://overlawyered.com/2011/09/september-14-roundup/feed/ 3     September 2 roundup http://overlawyered.com/2011/09/september-2-roundup-3/ http://overlawyered.com/2011/09/september-2-roundup-3/#comments Fri, 02 Sep 2011 05:17:11 +0000 Walter Olson http://overlawyered.com/?p=24312
  • Jury acquits ex-firefighter who claimed disability while competing as a bodybuilder [Boston Herald]
  • Authorities snatch kids from homes after parents busted with small amounts of pot [NYT, Tim Lynch/Cato]
  • “Case Study on Impact of Tort Reform in Mississippi” [Mark Behrens via Scheuerman/TortsProf]
  • When opt-in works: “More than 27,000 S. Korean users join class-action suit against Apple” [Yonhap]
  • Casino liable after customers leave kids unattended in cars? [Max Kennerly]
  • All is forgiven, says frequent investment plaintiff: “State Street Rehired by Calpers After Being Likened to ‘Thugs’” [Business Week]
  • Vintage comic book covers on law themes are a regular Friday feature at Abnormal Use.
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    ]]>     http://overlawyered.com/2011/09/september-2-roundup-3/feed/ 1     July 19 roundup http://overlawyered.com/2011/07/july-19-roundup-2/ http://overlawyered.com/2011/07/july-19-roundup-2/#comments Tue, 19 Jul 2011 13:52:12 +0000 Walter Olson http://overlawyered.com/?p=23917
  • More on CPSC’s crib ban train wreck [Commissioner Anne Northup, more, earlier]
  • One man’s nightmare of false accusation [LA Times via PoL]
  • How many plaintiff’s-side flicks is HBO going to air this summer, anyway? ["Mann v. Ford," Abnormal Use]
  • Apple granted “incredibly broad patent” over screen gesture technology [Tabarrok]
  • Will Congress reverse this term’s much-attacked SCOTUS decisions? [Alison Frankel] Podcast on Wal-Mart v. Dukes with Brian Fitzpatrick [Fed Soc] “Wal-Mart ruling no knock-out blow for class actions” [Reuters] Contrary to some assertions, current law does strongly incentivize individual job-bias claims [Bader] More on case: Dan Bushell, and welcome Craig Newmark readers.
  • Mississippi stops proceedings in $322 million asbestos case to consider judge’s possible conflict [JCL, earlier here, here]
  • Nice coat, where’dja get it? [annals of incompetent crime, UK Daily Mail]
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    ]]>     http://overlawyered.com/2011/07/july-19-roundup-2/feed/ 1     June 2 roundup http://overlawyered.com/2011/06/june-2-roundup/ http://overlawyered.com/2011/06/june-2-roundup/#comments Thu, 02 Jun 2011 14:17:02 +0000 Walter Olson http://overlawyered.com/?p=23209
  • “Italian Seismologists Charged With Manslaughter for Not Predicting 2009 Quake” [Fox, earlier]
  • “With context in place, it appears the WHO isn’t saying cell phones are dangerous” [BoingBoing, Atlantic Wire, Orac]
  • Wrongful convictions and how they happen — new book “Convicting the Innocent” by Brandon Garrett [Jeff Rosen, NY Times]
  • SEC to Dodd-Frank whistleblowers: no need to go through company’s internal complaint route [D&O Diary, WSJ Law Blog]
  • “British Press Laws Facing Twitter Challenge” [AW]
  • Despite legislated damages cap, jackpot awards continue in Mississippi [Jackson Clarion-Ledger] More problems with that $322 million Mississippi asbestosis verdict [PoL, earlier]
  • Golf club erects large net to comply with legal demands to prevent escape of errant balls, is promptly sued by neighbors who consider net too ugly [five years ago on Overlawyered]
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    ]]>     http://overlawyered.com/2011/06/june-2-roundup/feed/ 3     Judge’s impartiality questioned in $322 million Mississippi jury verdict http://overlawyered.com/2011/05/judges-impartiality-questioned-in-322-million-mississippi-jury-verdict/ http://overlawyered.com/2011/05/judges-impartiality-questioned-in-322-million-mississippi-jury-verdict/#comments Thu, 19 May 2011 16:45:02 +0000 Walter Olson http://overlawyered.com/?p=23043 “In a motion filed Tuesday, attorneys for Union Carbide said Circuit Judge Eddie H. Bowen neglected to notify defense lawyers that his parents had been involved in similar asbestos litigation and had settled a case against Union Carbide.” A rural Mississippi jury earlier this month returned the largest asbestos verdict in American history, $322 million, against Union Carbide and other defendants. [AP/Stamford Advocate; Jackson Clarion-Ledger] More problems with verdict: Point of Law.

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    ]]>     http://overlawyered.com/2011/05/judges-impartiality-questioned-in-322-million-mississippi-jury-verdict/feed/ 9     May 12 roundup http://overlawyered.com/2011/05/may-12-roundup-4/ http://overlawyered.com/2011/05/may-12-roundup-4/#comments Thu, 12 May 2011 12:18:14 +0000 Walter Olson http://overlawyered.com/?p=22956
  • Alabama state senate bans knowingly giving illegal immigrant ride in your car [Katherine Mangu-Ward]
  • Cato U., dynamite summer seminar from my institute, being held this year in Annapolis Jul. 24-29;
  • Calif.: “64% of Prop 65 settlements go to attorneys’ fees” [CJAC, earlier]
  • Mississippi jury votes $322 million to individual asbestos claimant [Fair Warning, Mass Tort Prof]
  • “Emails: Attorney nixed S.C. train injury fund” [AP/The State]
  • Trump files $100 million counterclaim against customer who sued his “Trump University” [Atlantic Wire, earlier] More: Lowering the Bar.
  • Two, three, a trend? Another trial-lawyer movie, this time starring Mark Lanier [WSJ Law Blog]
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    ]]>     http://overlawyered.com/2011/05/may-12-roundup-4/feed/ 1     Terrified of 4-pound dachshund http://overlawyered.com/2011/04/terrified-of-4-pound-dachshund/ http://overlawyered.com/2011/04/terrified-of-4-pound-dachshund/#comments Fri, 29 Apr 2011 16:13:06 +0000 Walter Olson http://overlawyered.com/?p=22774 A Mississippi court of appeals “has vindicated the honor of dachshunds everywhere” by reversing a $130,000 judgment in favor of a store customer frightened by the dog’s allegedly aggressive behavior. [Penny Pinchers v. Outlaw, PDF, via Tom Freeland and Philip Thomas] More: Eugene Volokh.

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    ]]>     http://overlawyered.com/2011/04/terrified-of-4-pound-dachshund/feed/ 11     October 9 roundup http://overlawyered.com/2010/10/october-9-roundup-2/ http://overlawyered.com/2010/10/october-9-roundup-2/#comments Sat, 09 Oct 2010 12:14:42 +0000 Walter Olson http://overlawyered.com/?p=19614
  • Update: “Tax Panel Rejects Lawyer’s Bid to Deduct Spending for Sex” [NYLJ, William Barrett/Forbes, earlier] And: “Musings on laws affecting adult entertainment, alcoholic beverages and other ‘vice’ industries” [Meeting the Sin Laws blog]
  • Mississippi: judge jails lawyer for not saying Pledge of Allegiance [Freeland]
  • More on much-written-about Israeli “rape by fraud” case [Volokh, more, earlier here and here]
  • “Tribune bankruptcy talks complicated by emergence of pugnacious hedge fund” [Romenesko; earlier on involvement of hedge funds in bankruptcies]
  • More disturbing tales from Connecticut probate court [Rick Green, Hartford Courant, earlier]
  • Marc Williams of the Defense Research Institute responds to Ted Frank’s criticism of many defense lawyers [PoL]
  • Advice for Australians: to fix your litigation system, look to Germany’s success [Ackland, Sydney Morning Herald]
  • Rep. John Hall (D-N.Y.) & ’70s band Orleans threaten suit against GOP remix ["Orleans Reunion Tour"]
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