2016 Midyear Conference & CLE: Early Bird Pricing Ends April 30th. | TTLA Midyear Conference, May 5-6, San Antonio Hilton Palacio del Rio, 200 South Alamo Street. San Antonio on the River Walk . . . CLE Seminar with Pat Malone plus 5 hours on Reptile, and Med Mal breakout . . . Wednesday Board of Directors Reception . . . amazing Thursday night party at the Briscoe Museum . . . what are you waiting for? Click on the headline to learn more and register. | Texas Tribune Daily Brief | | Lawsuit Claims Workers Comp Insurers Hacked into Injured Workers' Files | | A lawsuit, which seeks class action status, was filed in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles against Omaha, Nebraska-based Berkshire Hathaway Homestate, San Francisco-based Cypress Insurance, Woodland Hills, California-based Zenith Insurance, Palmdale, California-based HQSU Sign Up Services Inc. and two California private investigators hired by the insurers. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages from the alleged breach of personal information found in workers comp files. The lawsuit is based on the case of Adela Gonzalez, who was a client of Los Angeles-based Reyes & Barsoum L.L.P. a workers comp law firm that she hired to represent her workers comp suit. She claims her personal information was stolen from her lawyer's databases by private investigators hired by the insurers, according to court documents. Donna Mahoney, Business Insurance 04/26/2016 | Read Article: Business Insurance | AOC Hit With $16M Asbestos Verdict Over Faulty Respirator | | A California jury on Friday ruled American Optical Corporation must pay a former machinist who developed incurable mesothelioma $16 million, along with possible punitive damages, finding the respiratory equipment manufacturer knew its product couldnâ??t prevent dangerous asbestos exposure and hid that fact from purchasers. Bonnie Eslinger, Law360.com 04/26/2016 | Read Article: Law360.com | Ariz. Jury Awards $17M For Navy Worker's Asbestos Death | | An Arizona federal jury on Friday awarded $17 million to the family of a former civilian U.S. Navy worker who died after exposure to asbestos, finding Crane Co. and William Powell Co. were partially liable, the family's attorneys said. Jurors awarded $9 million in compensatory damages and $8 million in punitive damages, according to a statement released by the plaintiffs' attorneys. Brandon Lowrey, Law360.com 04/26/2016 | Read Article: Law360.com | Former USC Player Drops Concussion Injury Lawsuit | | A former University of Southern California football player has dropped his lawsuit against the university. The football player alleged that he was forced to play in a game despite suffering a concussion. The lawsuit alleged that the plaintiff suffered cardiopulmonary damage and a brain injury after playing in the game while having concussion-induced symptoms. The player was suffering from high fever, chills and abdominal distress before the game in Sept. 2012. Despite the recommendation of the medical team, coaches forced the plaintiff to play in the game, in which he collapsed on the field. The details of the lawsuit settlement have remained confidential. Zach Helfand, Baltimore Sun 04/25/2016 | Read Article: Baltimore Sun | Fiat Chrysler Announces 1.1M Car Recall | | Fiat Chrysler has recently announced the recall of 1.1 million vehicles. The company announced on Friday that it is recalling the vehicles because they can roll away unexpectedly and cause injuries when the transmission is not used properly. The number of vehicle recalls has continued to rise as automakers attempt to keep up with tougher federal regulations. While the number of auto recalls so far this year is higher than a normal year, it is unlikely that the number will exceed the 60 million recalled in 2014 by General Motors for faulty ignitions. That year, 124 deaths were linked to the large recall by GM. Bill Vlasic, The New York Times 04/22/2016 | Read Article: The New York Times | Frozen Vegetables May Contain Listeria, Recall Announced | | CRF Frozen Foods has announced the recall of frozen vegetables which may be contaminated with listeria. The recall was announced after testing at the Pasco vegetable-processing plant revealed the presence of the illness-causing bacteria. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Saturday that Ohio health officials found listeria in a CRF-produced package of vegetables. The FDA has stated that no illnesses have been reported in connection with the recall, which "covers 15 frozen vegetable packages, primarily peas and corn, that were shipped to Costco, as well as to Meijer, a Michigan retailer, and BJâ??s, a wholesale club with locations along the East Coast and in Ohio." Matt Day, The Seattle Times 04/23/2016 | Read Article: The Seattle Times | | |