Mass injuries or damage caused by chemicals, defective products, drugs, medical devices, or any substance or environmental factor that cause harm to a group of individuals. Relates to Environmental.

Climate Change Law: Tension Increases Over Governmental and Corporate Responsibility

August 8th, 2025|Categories: Emerging Litigation & Risk, Environmental Torts, HB Tort Notes, Journal, Mass Torts, New Featured Post for Home Page, News|Tags: , , , , |

The world’s leaders still don’t agree on what, if anything, to do about climate change – despite mounting evidence that, as a planet, we are in the soup. A major ruling from the International Court of Justice says states have an obligation to save the planet, as the U.S. president is enthusiastically sprinting the other way, inspiring cheers from his base and jeers from scientists. As for domestic litigation designed to pin liability on the fossil fuel industry, a case in South Carolina faltered as another in Hawaii is clearing hurdles. Read the update from Tom Hagy.

PFAS Litigation Deepens as 3M Reaches $450M Deal with New Jersey

July 1st, 2025|Categories: Environmental Torts, Mass Torts|Tags: , , , , |

Guest contributor, Jennifer Holmes discusses the growing legal, regulatory, and financial fallout from PFAS—also known as “forever chemicals”—through the lens of 3M’s recent $450 million settlement with the state of New Jersey. In this wide-ranging piece, she explores how PFAS litigation is evolving beyond environmental cleanup to include product liability suits against major brands like Apple, insurance coverage battles over pollution exclusions, and the uncertain regulatory landscape shaping outcomes. As public pressure and legal scrutiny mount, Holmes offers a timely look at what businesses, insurers, and legal teams need to know about this rapidly expanding area of risk.

Wildfire Litigation: Building a Case and Establishing Liability with Ed Diab

March 27th, 2025|Categories: ELP, Environmental Torts, Mass Torts|Tags: , , , , |

In this episode of the Emerging Litigation Podcast, you will discover the legal complexities of wildfire litigation as Ed Diab, founding partner of Diab Chambers LLP, unpacks the strategies used to establish liability against utility companies in the wake of Southern California’s devastating January 2025 wildfires. With over 100 lawsuits filed against power providers like Southern California Edison, plaintiffs—including public entities, individuals, and insurers—face an uphill battle proving negligence and inverse condemnation claims. Ed shares insights on case-building strategies, the role of expert investigations, key legal defenses raised by utilities, and the evolving litigation landscape. Tune in for a deep dive into how these high-stakes cases unfold. Don't miss this episode!

Fall bellwether trials for social media addiction cases to test novel legal theories

March 3rd, 2025|Categories: Business Litigation, HB Tort Notes, Journal, Mass Torts, New Featured Post for Home Page, News|Tags: , , , , |

Are social media platforms the next Big Tobacco? A major lawsuit argues they’re designed to be addictive—will the courts agree? Justin Ward explores the upcoming bellwether trials against major social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube. The consolidated lawsuits, involving over 1,900 claims, argue these platforms are deliberately designed to exploit young users and cause addiction—drawing comparisons to cases against nicotine and opioids. Ward examines the complex legal challenges, including First Amendment issues and Section 230 protections, as courts determine whether these claims of negligence and failure to warn will move forward. The trials could set major precedents for social media regulation and corporate accountability.

When Litigation Financing Goes Wrong, Who Pays?

February 27th, 2025|Categories: Complex Business Litigation, Emerging Litigation & Risk, HB Tort Notes, Journal, Mass Torts, New Featured Post for Home Page, News|Tags: , , , , |

The bankruptcy of Houston's AkinMears LLP highlights the risks of relying too heavily on third-party litigation financing and the broader implications for transparency, regulation, and financial sustainability in mass torts. The firm filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy citing more than $200 million in debt owed to litigation funding companies Virage SPV 1 and Rocade Capital. According to Bloomberg Law’s U.S. Bankruptcy Tracker, AkinMears LLP was the only U.S. law firm filing for bankruptcy in January 2025 with $50 million or more in liabilities. In total, 12 large law firms declared bankruptcy in January 2025, up from seven in January 2024 but slightly below the 17 cases recorded in January 2023. Read our report by guest contributor Jennifer Holmes.

Trump’s rollback of draft PFAS regulation means uncertain future for ‘forever chemicals’ torts

February 21st, 2025|Categories: Emerging Litigation & Risk, Environmental Torts, HB Tort Notes, Journal, Mass Torts, New Featured Post for Home Page, News|Tags: , , , , |

With federal PFAS regulations in limbo, lawsuits targeting “forever chemicals” are expanding—what does this mean for businesses and consumers? Justin Ward examines the uncertain future of PFAS (“forever chemicals”) regulation and litigation after former President Trump rolled back a draft rule expanding Biden-era guidelines. The rising PFAS lawsuits are increasingly targeting consumer product manufacturers alongside chemical companies. Despite concerns over deregulation, several states have enacted their own strict PFAS rules, ensuring continued legal challenges and regulatory pressure. Read our report by guest contributor Justin Ward.

When Chemical Crises Strike with Ed Gentle and Kip Benson

November 12th, 2024|Categories: ELP, Emerging Litigation & Risk, Environmental Torts, Mass Torts|Tags: , , , , , , |

Soon after emergency response teams scramble into action to address chemical fires, explosions, or other toxic events, attorneys begin gathering and analyzing information either to mitigate corporate risk or to seek remedies for anyone impacted by such an event. Listen to our interview with Edgar C. "Ed" Gentle III and Katherine "Kip" Benson of Gentle, Turner & Benson LLC, about legal activity that goes on in the immediate aftermath of a toxic event. Ed and Kip draw on their deep experience resolving this type of litigation to discuss the flurry of activity that unfolds at law firms and inside legal departments within hours of a disaster.

The Medical Monitoring Tort Remedy: Advanced Level

August 29th, 2024|Categories: CLE OnDemand, Environmental Torts, Mass Torts|Tags: , , , , |

The medical monitoring tort remedy – allowing for medical monitoring without physical injury – is recognized in 14 states and not allowed in 23. The law is divided in two states while the rest have not specifically addressed the issue. States that allow medical monitoring to do so when a group of claimants is at increased risk of disease or injury due to exposure to a known hazardous substance or a dangerous product as the result of a defendant’s conduct. Under this tort remedy, claimants are tested periodically, for an agreed or decided period, usually between 10 and 40 years. In this CLE webinar, Gentle Turner & Benson LLC attorneys Edgar (“Ed”) C. Gentle III and Katherine (“Kip”) A. Benson discuss the evolution of the medical monitoring tort, related cases, tests to determine whether the tort should be applied, types of monitoring, and the arguments for an against medical monitoring.

PFAS Litigation: Predicted Trends Given Regulatory Changes

July 2nd, 2024|Categories: CLE OnDemand, Environmental Torts, Mass Torts|Tags: , , , , |

Every week, the PFAS litigation and regulatory landscape changes dramatically. The EPA presses forward full steam ahead with numerous PFAS regulations, while the states have proposed hundreds of pieces of legislation related to PFAS in the last three years. Meanwhile, class action litigation, environmental pollution litigation, and greenwashing suits are being filed against companies at a dramatically increasing rate year after year. In this CLE webinar, CMBG3 Law attorney John Gardella discusses the latest on regulatory and litigation issues related to PFAS and how they will impact corporations.

The Medical Monitoring Tort Remedy

June 4th, 2024|Categories: CLE OnDemand, Complex Business Litigation, Mass Torts|Tags: , , , , |

The medical monitoring tort remedy – allowing for medical monitoring without physical injury – is recognized in 14 states and not allowed in 23. The law is divided in two states while the rest have not specifically addressed the issue. States that allow medical monitoring to do so when a group of claimants is at increased risk of disease or injury due to exposure to a known hazardous substance or a dangerous product as the result of a defendant’s conduct. Under this tort remedy, claimants are tested periodically, for an agreed or decided period, usually between 10 and 40 years. In this CLE webinar, Gentle Turner & Benson LLC attorneys Edgar (“Ed”) C. Gentle III and Katherine (“Kip”) A. Benson discuss the evolution of the medical monitoring tort, related cases, tests to determine whether the tort should be applied, types of monitoring, and the arguments for an against medical monitoring.

Cracking the College Sports “Cartel”: Good for Athletes, Competition, and the Games by Joy Sidhwa and Tim LaComb

February 13th, 2024|Categories: Complex Business Litigation, Emerging Litigation & Risk, HB Tort Notes, Journal, Mass Torts, New Featured Post for Home Page, News|Tags: , , , , |

Momentum in the national debate over whether a college athlete should profit from licensing deals for their “names, images, and likenesses,” or NILs, swung in favor of players on June 21, 2021, when the Supreme Court ruled for the athletes in NCAA v. Alston. Authors Joy Sidhwa and Tim LaComb of MoginRubin, LLP discuss the impacts of the decision and subsequent court decisions and state legislation which have further cemented and defined the changing amateurism rules in college sports. As the authors note, "the ultimate test of whether amateurism drives demand will come after new state laws allow compensation unrelated to education. If compensation doesn’t trigger a drop in demand, the NCAA will lose its procompetitive justification for the restriction and likely bring an end to amateurism rules".

Massive Mass Tort Settlements and Liability Forecasting

February 1st, 2024|Categories: Business Litigation, ELP, Mass Torts|Tags: , , , |

In this episode, we discuss Liability Forecasting and the role it plays in the administration of massive, sometimes multi-billion-dollar mass tort settlement trusts with guests Mark Eveland and Ed Silverman of Verus LLC, which provides litigation support services to law firms working on mass torts, such as case management and medical review services, settlement administration, business and advisory services, and analytics. Liability forecasting mechanisms were built to fairly and judiciously compensate current and future claimants for their injuries. Listen and learn more!

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