A selection of the need-to-know civil justice news for the week of October 29-November 4.
Gulfport Attorney Sues Popeyes After Choking On Chicken
WLOX
A Gulfport attorney who said he choked on a piece of Popeyes’ fried chicken last year believes a plastic knife could have prevented all his pain and suffering. Now he’s suing to get plastic knives included in all drive-thru orders and monetary compensation for himself.
Companies Face Lawsuits Over Website Accessibility For Blind Users
Sara Randazzo | Wall Street Journal
The disability lawsuits started hitting the Pittsburgh federal courthouse last July, all claiming corporations’ websites violated the law by not being accessible to the blind. The first round came against household names such as Foot Locker Inc., Toys “R” Us, Brooks Brothers Group Inc., and the National Basketball Association. Later suits targeted lesser-known retailers including Family Video Movie Club Inc. and Rue21 Inc.
Law Firm ‘Bonuses’ Tied To Political Donations
Andrea Estes and Viveca Novak | The Boston Globe
Jon Tester didn’t come all the way from Montana for the scrambled eggs and bacon. The US senator, virtually unknown in Boston, was in a conference room at the Thornton Law Firm that June morning to cash in at one of the most reliable stops on the Democratic fund-raising circuit, a law firm that pours millions into the coffers of the party and its politicians. Tester, a massive, jovial man who raises livestock on his family farm, was more compelling than many of the other breakfast guests, all of them political candidates the firm hoped would defend the interests of trial attorneys. But the drill was basically the same. The personal injury lawyers listened politely for a few minutes, then returned to their offices. And Tester walked away with $26,400 in checks.
NJ Atty Urges 3rd Circ. To Rethink Frivolity Sanctions
Jeannie O’Sullivan | Law360
A New Jersey attorney asked the Third Circuit on Friday to rethink frivolous-appeal sanctions it affirmed after it dismissed the pro se class action he’d filed over fish-oil supplements, arguing that his case was ripe for reconsideration because the appeals court adopted different reasoning than the district court.
From Police Shootings to Playground Injuries, Lawsuits Drain Cities’ Budgets
Mike Maciag | Governing
In large cities across the country, court challenges can be a drain on municipal coffers. To gauge the fiscal impact of claims and lawsuits, Governing requested financial data from the two dozen largest cities in the U.S., the first such national review of comprehensive legal costs. Twenty cities responded, and their combined financial information paints a picture of just how significant these claims costs can be. All totaled, the cities paid out more than $1.2 billion in their last fiscal year.
Follow @NJCivilJustice on Twitter for even more news.