californianlawyer.com

San Francisco jury last week awarded $10 million in punitive damages to a plaintiff who suffered from asbestosis and asbestos pleural disease. The plaintiffs’ $1.6 million in economic and noneconomic damages alone would make the jury’s verdict the second-largest asbestosis award reported in California in the last two years to VerdictSearch, a verdict-tracking publication affiliated with The Recorder. But despite their victory, the fight may not be over for Brayton Purcell or the firm’s clients, Joseph and Mary Garza: defendant Asbestos Corp. Limited’s location — in Canada — may complicate efforts to collect on the judgment

An AR woman who suffered from breast cancer is blaming Wyeth’s osteoporosis drug pills, Prempro, for her affliction. The lawsuit alleges Wyeth ignored studies on the drug that found breast cancer risks were nearly doubled. This is the first lawsuit Wyeth faces over Prempro, although it has settled more than $21 billion in lawsuits over their weight-loss drug, fen-phen.  Theresa Agovino, Law.com

A groundbreaking case that challenges one of the nation’s largest insurers for refusing to cover damage from Hurricane Katrina’s monster storm surge went into the hands of a federal judge on Wednesday. U.S. District Judge L.T. Senter Jr., who presided over an eight-day trial without a jury, heard closing arguments and promised a ruling ‘just as rapidly as possible.’ Paul and Julie Leonard of Pascagoula sued Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. after the Columbus, Ohio-based insurer paid them roughly $1,600 for the more than $130,000 in damage to their home

A set of plaintiffs in a class action suit argued Monday that Google had not exercised reasonable care to prevent swindlers from repeatedly clicking on Web site links to drive up advertising costs. They also argued that Google misrepresented its efforts to prevent the ‘click fraud.’ The arguments came as an Arkansas judge considered whether to accept a $90 million settlement offer from Google Inc. A Texarkana company, Lane’s Gifts and Collectibles, filed the lawsuit, which Miller County Circuit Judge Joe Griffin certified as a class action.”

Jill Zeman, Kansas City Star

General Electric has agreed to settle a lawsuit for $11.5 million after being accused of distributing defective parts. The suit was filed by seven employees who claimed the company covered up defects in aircraft turbine blades and vanes during production. Potential recipients of these products include two versions of fighter jets and helicopters.  Dylan T. Lovan, Houston Chronicle

An OH family whose daughter suffered brain damage during a surgical preparation was awarded almost $18 million in a malpractice lawsuit. The suit named anesthesiologist Dr. Sharon Benoit and her company, Children’s Anesthesia Associates, as defendants. The five-year old girl, who can’t speak, suffers from cerebral palsy and will need a wheelchair for the rest of her life.  The Associated Press, Akron Beacon Journal

An unidentified whistleblower filed suit in Federal District Court against medical device manufacturer Medtronic. The suit claims the company’s spinal-plant division gave doctors kickbacks to encourage the use of its products. The company settled the first of two similar lawsuits for $40M.  Reed Abilson,

Brinker Restaurant Corp., the owner of Chili’s and other restaurants, is facing a class action suit alleging that it denied workers meal periods and breaks that are mandated by CA law. An attorney representing the plaintiffs estimates that damages could amount to as much as $100M for the class, which includes roughly 63,000 current and former employees.  Michael Kinsman, San Diego Union Tribune

Vincent Rennich, 42, claims 25 years of involuntary inhalation of secondhand smoke at Tropicana Casino and Resort has caused his lung cancer. The suit claims the owner failed to provide a reasonably safe workplace and failed to warn employees about the dangers of second-hand smoke. The indoor smoking ban adopted by the state this past April did not apply to NJ casinos.  Lisa Brennan, Law.com

Super Steel Inc. has fired eight employees following a $175M lawsuit filed by current and former employees of the company. The company claims they do not tolerate violators of harassment and discrimination policies. Plaintiffs attorneys allege the company has ignored incidents of racial bias in the past.