| | | | | Announcements | | | My TTLA - Enhance Your User Experience | | We’ve made improvements to the TTLA website that we think will make your user experience better. With the new ‘My TTLA’ page, we’ve created a place where you can manage your ttla.com account from one single page. Click on headline to learn more. | Laws/Cases | | | Jury Issues Settlement in "Popcorn Lung" Suit | | A jury in Colorado has awarded $7.2 million to a Colorado man who suffered from a condition known as "popcorn lung" due to a chemical used in flavoring microwave popcorn. In his lawsuit, the plaintiff claimed that Gilster-Mary Lee Corp., a private food-labeling company, failed to alert customers that its popcorn product contained diacetyl, which can be dangerous. The man is believed to be the first consumer diagnosed with the disease from years of eating buttered popcorn. Robert Boczkiewicz, Chicago Tribune 09/20/2012 | Read Article: Chicago Tribune | Suit Filed by Actress over Controversial Anti-Islamic Film | | An actress has filed a lawsuit against a California man who produced an anti-Islamic film, accusing him of "duping" her into appearing in the "hateful" film by deceiving her about its topic. The woman, who said she has received death threats as a result of the video, believed the film to be "a simple desert adventure movie," and that there was no mention of "Mohammed" or religion while on the set. The suit accuses the defendant of fraud and slander, and is demanding the video be removed from YouTube. Alex Dobuzinskis, Reuters 09/20/2012 | Read Article: Reuters | Dallas PD Blamed for Untimely 911 Response | | A lawsuit has been filed against the city of Dallas and the police department over the death of a local woman, accusing officers of failing to log her 911 call and not responding quick enough to prevent her death. The suit says officers took 50 minutes to respond to the woman's frantic call - she was being beaten by her ex-husband - and left the property when they received no response at the door. The woman's ex-husband has been charged with her murder. Wire Report, The Washington Post 09/19/2012 | Read Article: The Washington Post | Judge Sets Fine Limit in Citgo Case | | The fine imposed against Citgo during sentencing for federal environmental convictions cannot exceed the statutory limit of about $2 million, a judge ruled Tuesday. In a separate order granted late Thursday, the federal government has 40 days to provide community notice to identify additional potential victims living around Citgo's East Refinery. U.S. District Judge John Rainey's maximum fine decision grants Citgo's request to block the federal government from seeking penalties beyond what the law states is the maximum. The ruling also is the court's answer to one of the questions that surfaced during a sentencing hearing this month about the court's powers to impose such penalties. Mike D. Smith, Corpus Christi Caller Times 09/21/2012 | Read Article: Corpus Christi Caller Times | Purge of Suspected Dead Voters Halted in Texas | | A Travis County, Texas, judge has temporarily halted the removal of thousands of suspected dead people from voting rolls after four people filed suit when they were improperly identified as deceased. The suit accuses state officials of using a "weak list" to identify voters for removal, which created thousands of wrongful removals of living voters. The judge ordered both sides to agree on a hearing date to determine if the temporary restriction will be made permanent. Chuck Lindell, Austin American Statesman 09/20/2012 | Read Article: Austin American Statesman | Man Allegedly Beat for No Reason by Police | | An Alabama man has filed a lawsuit against the Watauga, Texas, police department after officers allegedly beat and shocked him with Tasers unnecessarily. The suit claims the man's family had called paramedics to take him to a psychiatric hospital, but told dispatch officers that he was not violent. Officers allegedly attacked the man upon arriving on scene unprovoked, leaving him with a severe concussion and a sprained spinal column. Deanna Boyd, Ft. Worth Star Telegram 09/20/2012 | Read Article: Ft. Worth Star Telegram | Products | | | Kroger Recalls 10-oz Spinach Bags | | Kroger has issued a recall of spinach sold in 15 states over a Listeria contamination. The product, Kroger Fresh Selections Tender Spinach, has a use-by date of Sept. 16 and is sold in 10-oz bags. The recall affects products in states such as Illinois, Michigan, Georgia, Alabama, Ohio and Virginia, among others. Wire Report, San Francisco Chronicle 09/19/2012 | Read Article: San Francisco Chronicle | General Motors Recalls 474,000 Midsize Cars | | General Motors is recalling nearly 474,000 Chevrolet, Pontiac and Saturn cars to fix a transmission problem that can cause the cars to roll away unexpectedly. The recall affects 2007-2010 Chevrolet Malibus, Pontiac G6s and Saturn Auras in the U.S., Canada and Mexico as well as a small number of exports. All the cars have four-speed automatic transmissions. Associated Press, The Washington Post 09/21/2012 | Read Article: The Washington Post | Kindle Users Concerned About Cord Safety | | Kindle users are raising concerns about the cord for the second generation e-reader. Judi Ellis of Toano said she was charging her Kindle e-reader when the coating on the outside flaked off. "I picked it up and more pieces started falling off," said Ellis. She's worried the exposed wire is a fire hazard and could also shock someone who touches it while it's plugged into a socket. On SaferProducts.gov, there were several posts with the same complaints about the 2nd generation Kindle cord. There were also complaints on Amazon.com, which is still selling the cord. David Ham, WVEC, KXAN Austin News 09/21/2012 | Read Article: KXAN Austin News | Issues | | | Despite Risks, N.F.L. Leaves Helmet Choices in Players’ Hands | | Even as head injuries have become a major concern, the N.F.L. has neither mandated nor officially recommended the helmet models that have tested as the top performers in protecting against collisions believed to be linked to concussions. Some players choose a helmet based on how it looks on television, or they simply wear the brand they have been using their whole career, even if its technology is antiquated. As a consequence, despite lawsuits related to head injuries and the sport’s ever-increasing speed and violence, some players are using helmets that appear to place them at greater risk. SAM BORDEN, The New York Times 09/21/2012 | Read Article: The New York Times | Wrongful Death | | | Woman: Husband Fell Through Too-Thin Apt. Window | | An Oklahoma woman has filed a lawsuit against the University Club Tower in Tulsa, claiming the windows in her family's 25th-floor apartment were dangerously thin, allowing her husband to trip through one and fall to his death. The woman says the window glass was "too thin and violated safety codes," and was broken by a "minimal amount of pressure." Prosecutors, however, say the woman pushed her husband during an argument; she is currently being held on murder charges. Wire Report, NewsOK.com 09/20/2012 | Read Article: NewsOK.com | Suit Against Joyce Meyer Ministries Dismissed | | A Missouri judge has dismissed a wrongful death lawsuit against Joyce Meyer Ministries that blamed the ministry for the murder of the family of one of the bodyguards. The bodyguard murdered his wife and two sons, and the lawsuit claimed the ministry was aware the bodyguard had been threatening his family for months and was a danger to them. Attorneys for the defendants claimed the suit was "vague and lacked specifics." In dismissing the suit, however, the judge said it can be refiled within 30 days. Nicholas J.C. Pistor, St. Louis Post Dispatch 09/20/2012 | Read Article: St. Louis Post Dispatch | NJ Resident Home Blamed in Patient's Murder | | The murder of an Alzheimer's patient in a New Jersey resident home has prompted a suit by the victim's family against the home. In the suit, the family says the victim had been threatened by a fellow resident at the center, and had complained to staff members on numerous occasions. Staff members, the suit alleges, did nothing to ensure the woman's safety or protect her from other residents. Wire Report, San Francisco Chronicle 09/20/2012 | Read Article: San Francisco Chronicle | | | | | | Published by TRIALSMITH, Litigation Tools for Trial Lawyers 5113 Southwest Parkway, Suite 285, Austin, TX 78735 You received this email because you are subscribed to this service from your trial lawyers association. • Unsubscribe • Search National Litigation Bank • 800-443-1757 | |