You don't want to miss this! | Join TTLA December 8-9, 2016 at the Adolphus Hotel in Dallas for the 2016 Annual Meeting and CLE Seminar. See this year's Keynote Speaker, Matthew Dowd, and other great speakers while earning up to 7.50 hours MCLE credit. Click on the headline to learn more. | Texas Tribune Daily Brief | | Family Looks for Answers After Son's Suicide at The Menninger Clinic | | Although it's considered one of the nation's best psychiatric facilities, The Menninger Clinic's safety record has been protected by Texas laws that shield the public from learning about lapses at hospitals, a Chronicle investigation has found.There's no way of knowing how many patients have harmed themselves at Menninger or any other hospital because no agency tracks that information. The Chronicle called malpractice lawyers, scoured death records and contacted people who had left online reviews to find examples. Mike Hixenbaugh, Houston Chronicle 12/05/2016 | Read Article: Houston Chronicle | Huge Verdicts Won't Spur Settlement Talks In J&J Hip MDL | | Although a Texas federal jury hit Johnson & Johnson with a more than $1 billion verdict in the latest bellwether trial over the company's Pinnacle hip implants, fruitful settlement talks arenâ??t likely to happen before the Fifth Circuit weighs in on J&Jâ??s lengthy list of complaints about trial rulings, MDL experts say. Jess Krochtengel, Law360.com 12/05/2016 | Read Article: Law360.com | Texas High Court Won't Rehear $72M Wrongful Death Suit | | The Texas Supreme Court on Friday refused to reconsider a decision in which it axed a $72 million judgment against a drilling company's insurers linked to the death of an oil rig worker. The decision came in a brief text order and was not accompanied by a document outlining reasoning. In June, the court held that the wrongful death claim wasnâ??t covered under the insurance policies since the worker, Randall Seger, was "leased-in" personnel, and that category put him under an exclusion. Cara Salvatore, Law360.com 12/05/2016 | Read Article: Law360.com | Engineer in 2013 New York Train Derailment Files Suit Against Metro-North | | The engineer involved in a fatal train derailment three years ago in New York has filed a lawsuit against Metro-North. The plaintiff alleges in the lawsuit that the transportation agency should have equipped trains with a system that automatically applied the brakes when the train exceeded posted speed limits. The crash took place on Dec. 1, 2013, and resulted in the deaths of four passengers and injuries to a number of others. The lawsuit was filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in New York and seeks $10 million on behalf of the train engineer. Thomas C. Zambito and Jorge Fitz-Gibbon, LoHud.com 12/02/2016 | Read Article: LoHud.com | Newark Bus Crash Victims File $115M Lawsuit | | Victims and families of victims of a fatal bus crash that took place in Newark, New Jersey, have filed a lawsuit over the incident. The bus crash took place on Aug. 19 and resulted in the deaths of two people. The plaintiffs are seeking $115 million as compensation for what they have described as "catastrophic" injuries suffered during the crash. All of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit allege that they are permanently disabled from the accident. The bus was being driven by a 70-year-old driver, who had worked for the department for decades and was pronounced dead at the scene. Craig McCarthy, NJ.com 12/05/2016 | Read Article: NJ.com | Parents of Teen Who Committed Suicide Sue School Counselor | | A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed against a school counselor by the parents of a Virginia high school student who committed suicide. The lawsuit, filed in Loudoun County Circuit Court on Friday, alleges that the counselor received an email from one of the teenager's friends "with suicidal content." However, the school counselor talked with the teen and failed to notify his parents about the suicidal thoughts. The counselor is accused in the lawsuit of negligence and ignoring school guidelines dictating that parents are to be notified when their children express suicidal tendencies. Moriah Balingit, The Washington Post 12/03/2016 | Read Article: The Washington Post | | |