What you’ll learn in this post: How the tobacco industry has used the doctrine of “commercial free speech,” and the First Amendment against the public interest in this country. In case you thought that we as a society are making headway against one of the most pernicious and harmful industries…
Consumers and product safety advocates won a victory recently, with a decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit. This court is the federal appellate court for Massachusetts and surrounding states; it hears appeals from the U.S. District Court in Boston, and other federal District Courts in…
Usually, most of the legal stories giving rise to posts on this blog originate in or have to do with cases and legal issues in Massachusetts. However, a tragic incident at Yale University earlier this week, illustrates the importance of product liability law, and the impact it can have on…
While this post is about product liability law, it’s also about the age-old story of corporate greed and deception. Ever hear of on over-the-counter cold remedy called Zicam? Most people have. – Matrixx Initiatives Inc. and Zicam L.L.C., were jointly the developers, manufacturers and distributor of this product. Zicam was…
I love to report and comment on stories like this: A Massachusetts personal injury case that results in solid justice to the plaintiff. Readers of a certain age and above will remember that back in the late 1970’s and early ’80’s, tobacco companies would literally give away samples of their…
Most people who know me, know that as a Massachusetts product liability lawyer, I have a natural mistrust for big business. I’ve seen too many examples of their disregard for consumers’ safety and related interests, whether dealing with insurance companies, big banks, auto manufacturers or drug manufacturers. If anyone doubts…
Today is Thanksgiving Day, and so if this post can offer anything to be grateful over, perhaps you can say that you’re grateful you weren’t injured or killed by the negligence of the people who built Boston’s famous Big Dig tunnels. (You know, the same tunnels which ended up leaking…
Almost every other day, it seems, we hear of another case in the news where someone has been “tasered” by police or security personnel. The modern suspect-control device has grown in popularity with many police departments across the United States, as well as U.S. military and some private security agencies.…
Whether it’s Big Finance, Big Insurance, Big Tobacco or Big Pharma, overall, Big Business never seems to “get it” when it comes to acting ethically and obeying the laws they’re required to operate under in this country. This time the focus is on Big Pharma, though that’s nothing new. Pfizer,…
It’s no secret among people who know me, that, as a Boston Massachusetts product liability lawyer, I’m one of the sharpest critics in the legal community of the pharmaceutical industry, and particularly, pharmaceutical advertising. Yes, I’m fully aware of the societal value that pharmaceutical companies can and do bring to…