Announcements | | | Share with your FB friends! | | Gibson Vance: How our cars got safer, Washington Post 4-16-11. Traffic deaths in the United States have dropped to their lowest level since 1949, according to a report released this month by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Remarkably, this drop occurred even as Americans drove 21 billion more miles in 2010 than they had the previous year. Click on the headline to continue reading. | TTLA Annual Conference has moved to June 1-3 in Austin | | We’ll be hosting all the events you’ve come to expect from our December conference. Between the 2-day CLE, parties, meetings, legislative update & special events. Check out the CLE program agendas for Wednesday and Thursday, which include a live video presentation with David Ball plus family friendly events to make this a true vacation opportunity. Register now! | Products | | | Toyota Recalls 308,000 SUVs to Fix Airbag Problem | | Toyota has announced a recall of 308,000 sport utility vehicles that are equipped with airbags that can deploy without a crash. The recall covers 214,000 2007-2008 RAV4s and 94,000 Highlander and Highlander hybrids from 2008. The company said it first learned about the problem in 2007, discovering the cause to be a short circuit of two sensors in the vehicle. Christopher Jensen, The New York Times 04/22/2011 | Read Article: The New York Times | Laws/Cases | | | Suit Filed Against Apple over 'In-App Purchases' | | A class-action lawsuit has been filed against Apple Inc., alleging customers have lost millions of dollars because their children have been "lured to purchase virtual items needed to succeed at games" found in the App store for an iPod, iPhone or iPad. The suit claims the fees always come from free games their children download and are made during gaming, called "in-app purchases." After receiving complaints, Apple has since required a password to be entered for these purchases, but the suit claims the problem still persists. Jeff Gelles, Philadelphia Inquirer 04/24/2011 | Read Article: Philadelphia Inquirer | US Drugmaker Files Patent Infringement Suit | | U.S. drugmaker Pozen has filed a lawsuit against India's Dr Reddy's Laboratories Ltd. over patent infringement related to the pain medication Vimovo. The suit claims Dr Reddy's is attempting to sell a generic version of the drug before the Vimovo patent expires. With the lawsuit filed, the Food and Drug Administration will automatically hold the generic drug's approval for 30 months or until litigation is completed. Bharghavi Nagaraju, Reuters 04/25/2011 | Read Article: Reuters | Suit: Woman Murdered by Resident at Group Home | | A lawsuit has been filed over the death of a young woman who was a counselor at a Revere, Mass., group home earlier this year. The lawsuit claims the woman was killed by one of the residents at the home who has a history of violence and medical illness. The suit names the directors of the agency as plaintiffs, as well as two doctors and the suspect in the murder. Wire Report, Boston Herald 04/21/2011 | Read Article: Boston Herald | US High Court May Hear Claim of Medical Malpractice in Military | | The U.S. Supreme Court has asked for more information from attorneys and will decide next month whether to hear the case of a 25-year-old noncommissioned officer who died after a nurse put a tube down the wrong part of his throat. If the law is overturned, it could expose the federal government to billions of dollars in liability claims. That makes it highly unlikely that a divided Congress desperate to cut expenses will act on its own to change the Feres Doctrine, a 1950 Supreme Court ruling that in effect equates injuries from medical mistakes with battlefield wounds. Mitch Stacy, AP, Austin American Statesman 04/25/2011 | Read Article: Austin American Statesman | Issues | | | Pediatricians Want Tighter Regulation of Chemicals | | Alarmed by studies showing children are vulnerable to toxic chemicals in scores of consumer products, the nation's largest pediatricians group is joining a campaign to overhaul how the U.S. regulates hazardous substances. In a policy statement to be issued Monday, the American Academy of Pediatrics condemns a 1976 federal law that largely relies on chemical manufacturers to raise concerns about their products. Unlike the system for guaranteeing the safety of pharmaceuticals or substances added to food, the Toxic Substances Control Act limits the authority of federal officials to order tests on or ban industrial chemicals. Michael Hawthorne, Chicago Tribune, LA Times 04/25/2011 | Read Article: LA Times | | | | |