A selection of the need-to-know civil justice news for the week of March 28-April 2.

 

Bread Lawsuit Half-Baked, Federal Judge Says

Thomas Zambito | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

A federal judge has tossed out lawsuits filed by health-conscious New Jersey consumers who claimed their supermarkets duped them into paying extra for bread by claiming that it was made from scratch in their stores.

Full story.

 

5 Things to Know about Christie’s Exxon Settlement

S.P. Sullivan | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

New Jersey’s decade-long fight over contamination at former Exxon Mobil industrial sites in the state came to a close Tuesday when a judge approved a controversial settlement agreement between the oil giant and Gov. Chris Christie’s administration.

Full story.

 

A Case Against Southwest Airlines Reveals the Biggest Problem with Consumer Lawsuits in America

Jacob Shamsian | Business Insider

Big consumer lawsuits are frequently a big win for lawyers but don’t do much for consumers or anybody else, and a recent lawsuit that objected to the way Southwest Airlines issued its drink coupons reveals just that.

Full story.

 

Do Supreme Court Decisions Move Markets?

Nicole Hong | Wall Street Journal’s Law Blog

Stock traders might want to start paying a bit more attention to the Supreme Court. That’s according to one research report published this week that says Supreme Court decisions moved the market value of publicly traded companies by a net $140 billion between 1999 and 2014.

Full story. 

 

Supermarket Chain Must Pay Michael Jordan $8.9 Million for Using Name to Sell Steak

The Associated Press

Jurors at a civil trial focused on the market value of Michael Jordan’s identity handed him a major win Friday, ordering a grocery-store chain to pay him $8.9 million for invoking his name in a steak ad without his permission.

Full story.

 

NJ Group Wants To Keep Time Limit On Asbestos Suits

Jeannie O’Sullivan | Law360

The New Jersey Civil Justice Institute has raised concerns that a bill by Sen. Robert Singer, R-Ocean, to remove the statute of limitations on mesothelioma lawsuits would make the state “a magnet for asbestos litigation.”

Full story.

 

The Sad Story of How “Never Events” Prevent Obese Patients From Getting New Hips

Thomas D. Guastavino, MD | kevinmd.com

Daytime TV advertising is dominated by two players. Pharmaceutical companies with direct to consumer pitches and the so-called “toxic tort.” How confusing it must be to the average person to see a new drug pushed by one commercial, to be immediately followed by another commercial from a lawyer trying to sue for the known side effects of the exact same drug. It doesn’t take much for a toxic tort to get started, and the last thing we need is to feed this monstrosity.

Full story. 

 

Poker Pro Says Sexy Borgata Waitresses Are Too Distracting

Bruce Golding | New York Post

One of the world’s best poker players is trying to turn the tables on card-cheat accusations from the Borgata — arguing that the Atlantic City casino stacks the deck all the time by distracting players with scantily clad cocktail waitresses.

Full story. 

 

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