News from May 2008
Man crushed by copper sheeting sues trucking company
GALVESTON � A Home Depot employee blames a Fort Worth-based trucking company for allowing a 2,300-pound pallet to fall and crush him.
Status hearing set for manufactured homes class action
TEXARKANA, Ark. -- A status hearing is scheduled for May 23 in the class action pending in the circuit court of Miller County, Ark., over charges for wheels and axles of manufactured homes.
Court's decision on mandamus review opens 'new world,' dissenter writes
Justice Scott Brister AUSTIN � Just as owners of professional football teams discarded tradition by deciding they could halt a game to review a ruling, justices of the Texas Supreme Court have discarded tradition by deciding they can halt court proceedings to review a ruling.
Texas SC: Small gaps in road not premises defect, city immune from litigation
Texas Supreme Court AUSTIN � Kenneth Reed's motorcycle wiped out on a 2-inch drop between lanes on a Dallas roadway, but according to the Texas Supreme Court he can't hold the city liable for injuries he suffered.
Woman accuses Union Carbide, others of exposing late husband to asbestos
GALVESTON � A Livingston woman accuses a multitude of businesses of precipitating the death of her husband by way of extensive asbestos exposure before Galveston County District Court.
Galveston man seeks more than $75K for auto collision
GALVESTON � A Galveston man and his children are suing a Houston-based business and one of its employees in Galveston County District Court for a two-vehicle accident that incurred more than $75,000 in damages.
Recent patent infringement cases filed in U.S. District Courts
Recent patent infringement cases filed in U.S. District Courts, May 14-19, 2008
Family of deceased worker sues Helena Labs for benzene exposure
The husband of a deceased employee of a Beaumont bio-medical company is alleging his wife was exposed to so much benzene that it caused her to develop myelogenous leukemia.
Witness says woman could not have burned feet at hospital as med-mal trial continues
Jurors heard testimony from medical personnel this week in the medical malpractice trial of Connie Woods, who in a delusional state burned her own feet in flesh-eating chemicals.
Legally Speaking: Through a Lens, Darkly
Last week, the California Supreme Court in a 4-3 decision struck down a state law banning same-sex marriages as unconstitutional, saying in part that the capacity to enter into a stable, loving relationship and to "responsibly care for and raise children does not depend upon the individual's sexual orientation."
Father crashes helicopter, then sues helicopter's manufacturer
A Robinson Helicopter R44 Raven I MARSHALL � While flying a Robinson Helicopter R 44 Raven I to a private residence on Cedar Creek Lake, Jay Scott Roden lost control and crashed the helicopter. Roden's wife and child were injured in the accident.
FELA suit filed after train derails
A Kansas City Southern Railway employee has filed suit against his employer and Kinder Morgan Petcoke, claiming he was injured when a train derailed last year.
Suit blames doctor for man's death following hernia surgery
Brian Sutton A 70-year-old man lost his life more than two years ago after undergoing hernia surgery. Now, the late Burton Richard's family is suing the doctor who performed the surgery for lost inheritance.
Appeals court scheduled to hear arguments over forum shopping
The John Minor Wisdom building in New Orleans, which houses the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals
MARSHALL � The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals is scheduled to rehear arguments over its previous decision In re VW IIb, which established the "100-mile threshold" for venues in product liability cases.
Father sues stepfather for daughter's death
A bereaved father is suing a local resident he claims acted with a blatant disregard for the welfare of others and created a dangerous condition on his premises, which allegedly was the cause of his daughter's death.
Woman reaches settlement with hospital for early discharge after giving birth at home
A settlement has been reached between a local hospital and a woman who claims she had to give birth at home after the hospital failed to recognize that she was in labor.
Merck agrees to $58 million multi-state Vioxx settlement
Greg Abbott DALLAS(Legal Newsline)-Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott on Tuesday reached a $58 million settlement with Merck & Co. Inc., capping three years of litigation by 29 state attorneys general.
After fall from roof, worker sues three companies
A construction worker has filed suit against three different companies, claiming they had a responsibility to keep him from falling off a roof.
Cleaning crew took belongings, suit alleges
After his Port Arthur home was ravaged by fire, Andrew Bigler hired Service Master Clean to restore several household items. Bigler alleges the company's employees didn't just clean his belongings, but also cleaned him out.
Woman sues Roadhouse after fall on ramp
While dining at the Texas Roadhouse in Port Arthur, Mitzi Stevens slipped and slid down the restaurant's wooden ramp, injuring her right knee.