| Justice Undone: Is It Time to Reform Tort Reform? | Article explores the real consequences of so-called "tort reform" in medical malpractice cases in Texas. Click on the headline to access the article by John Nova Lomax in the October 2014 edition of the Houstonia Magazine.
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| Save the Date | TTLA Members: please mark your calendars to attend the TTLA Annual Membership Meeting & Board of Directors Meeting December 4th & 5th at the Sheraton in Austin. Details and registration information coming soon.
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Texas Tribune Daily Brief
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| Trial Over Waste Pits to Begin |  | A half-century ago, a Pasadena paper mill sent its waste for burial to a site along the San Jacinto River. The cancer-causing chemicals eventually leaked from the pits, turning these murky waters into one of the nation's most polluted places. Now, Harris County and the state of Texas want those responsible to pay for the mess. With more than $1 billion in penalties at stake, a long-awaited civil trial is scheduled to begin this week with jury selection in the 295th state District Court. The county and state are asking for the companies involved to be fined as much as Texas law allows - $25,000 a day - dating back to the site's 1965 opening. The potential damages set the stage for a legal slugfest of epic proportions. In legal filings, the state and Harris County claim that International Paper Co., McGinnes Industrial Maintenance Corp. and Waste Management Inc. intentionally abandoned the three pits and allowed the poisonous sludge to leak into the river every day for decades.
Matthew Tresaugue, Houston Chronicle 10/06/2014    | | Read Article: Houston Chronicle |
| Lawsuit Involving Houston Veteran Charity Settled | | A defamation lawsuit involving a Houston charity that builds homes for veterans has come to a close as both sides have agreed to an undisclosed settlement. The organization, Helping a Hero, filed suit against its former director and one of its board members alleging that the two conspired to defame the organization. In response to the lawsuit, the attorney for the defendants threatened the organization with a whistleblower lawsuit and filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit on the grounds that the group was violating the plaintiffs' right to free speech. Before the case was set to go to trial to consider its dismissal, both sides agreed to a settlement. The terms of the settlement have not yet been released.
Cindy Horswell, Houston Chronicle 10/05/2014 | | Read Article: Houston Chronicle |
| Lawsuit: Ind. State Trooper Preached to Woman at Traffic Stop | | An Indiana woman has filed a lawsuit after a State Trooper allegedly "pitched Christianity to her" during a traffic stop. According to the lawsuit, the Indiana State Trooper pulled her over in August for an alleged traffic violation, and after giving her a warning ticket, proceeded to ask her about her religious beliefs. The lawsuit alleges that the trooper violated the plaintiff's First and Fourth Amendment rights by asking her about her religious beliefs and giving her a church pamphlet while he had her stopped for the alleged traffic violation. After the incident, the plaintiff contacted the Indiana State Police and requested a formal investigation into the matter.
Jill Disis, Indianapolis Star 10/05/2014 | | Read Article: Indianapolis Star |
| TX Company Recalls nearly 91,000 pounds of beef | | A Texas company is recalling nearly 91,000 pounds of ground beef products that might be contaminated with pieces of metal. Corpus Christi-based Sam Kane Beef Processors is recalling the beef products after four consumer complaints were received about pieces of metal, approximately 3 mm in size, being found. Three of the products being recalled â?? packages of 3, 5 and 10 pounds â?? were sold by HEB stores and another was a set of 10 pound packages of formed patties made from Sam Kane Beef Processors "Ground Chuck." The packages were produced between Sept. 9, 2014 and Sept. 18, 2014, with sell by dates between Sept. 29, 2014 and Oct. 8, 2014. The products were shipped to retail outlets in Texas.
Associated Press, The Dallas Morning News 10/06/2014 | | Read Article: The Dallas Morning News |
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