Military veterans around the United States have sued the manufacturers of 3M Combat Arms Earplugs V2. Their lawsuits allege the earplugs caused the loss of hearing and tinnitus they were supposed to protect against. The litigation came on the heels of the settlement of a whistleblower lawsuit that alleged 3M…
Illinois Injury and Mass Tort Lawyer Blog
Update on CPAP Litigation
Many people use continuous positive air pressure (CPAP) machines because they have sleep apnea, a common condition. Symptoms of sleep apnea that CPAP machines are meant to address include excessive daytime sleepiness, heavy snoring, memory difficulties and fatigue. When sleep apnea isn’t treated, the result can be depression, diabetes, heart…
Update to Necrotizing Enterocolitis Litigation in Illinois
Product liability lawsuits continue to be filed against manufacturer Abbott Laboratories for failing to warn parents that their baby formula Similac may cause premature infants to suffer from necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), which is a very serious gastrointestinal infection. A motion has been made to consolidate 33 NEC lawsuits against the…
Discovery and Motion Work Are Ongoing in the Paraquat Litigation
Recently, another lawsuit was filed on behalf of a farm worker alleging neurological injuries related to his application of paraquat, an herbicide, to farmlands to desiccate crops prior to planting new ones. Like many other lawsuits related to the herbicide, his complaint alleges failure to warn, design defects, negligence, breach…
Updates on Zantac Multidistrict Litigation
You may have used prescription strength Zantac, a heartburn drug, to treat and stop stomach ulcers and address gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). It’s important to be aware, however, that Zantac has been linked to cancer and discontinued. On October 8th, a federal judge presiding over the Zantac multidistrict litigation ruled…
Consolidation of Paraquat Litigation in Illinois
In the 1960s, Paraquat entered the market as an herbicide. It’s been used to kill weeds and grasses before planting, to control weeds in orchards, and to dry plants prior to harvest. It can be applied with hand-held sprayers, knapsack sprayers, and pressurized tanks drawn by tractors or trucks. Lawsuits…
Latest Developments in the 3M Earplug Trials
The 3M lawsuits arising out of defective earplugs worn by servicemembers have been consolidated into the largest multidistrict litigation (MDL) in history. The MDL is larger than the asbestos and talc product cases. In the litigation, United States military veterans and service members have alleged they experienced hearing damage because…
Recall of Ventilators, CPAP machines and BiPAP machines
On November 12, 2021, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) updated its recall of specific Philips Respironics ventilators, CPAP machines, and BiPAP machines. The recall for certain machines occurred on June 14, 2021. They were found to carry health risks connected to polyester-based polyurethane sound abatement foam that was…
Fatal Crowd Control Problems at Astroworld
It is crucial for organizers and personnel to take seriously the need to address crowd control accidents at big public events. Crowd surges can have deadly consequences, as we recently saw with the Astroworld Music Festival in Houston. Even before it was underway, there were signs that crowds could dangerously…
Recall of Kubota Utility Vehicles
Utility vehicles are motorized four-wheeled vehicles used for recreation and driving on rough terrain. Unfortunately, they also have a reputation for being dangerous. Many utility vehicle accidents have resulted in fatalities due to defects in the vehicle. Recently, the Kubota utility vehicle was recalled using the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s…