Category Archives: In The News This Week

Can Plaintiff’s Delay In Serving a Lawsuit Lead to a Dismissal?

Plaintiff brought a product liability lawsuit alleging that defendant’s defective design and manufacturing of a dish caused her to suffer injuries.  She sustained burns to her arms when defendant’s dish broke as she was carrying hot foods.  The plaintiff filed … Continue reading

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Do Horse Owners Have a Duty to Limit the Spread of a Potential Virus?

This lawsuit arose out of a quarantine imposed to prevent the spread of a virus amongst thoroughbred horses at a New Jersey stable.  The virus was traced back to a Canadian stable owned by the defendants.  Around the time of … Continue reading

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Is the Name “New Boyz” Deceptively Similar to” “Newsboys”?

An Evangelical Christian rock band, the Newsboys, sued the hip-hop group, the New Boyz, alleging trademark infringement.  Newsboys alleged the New Boyz name was “deceptively similar to [their] trade name.”  New Boyz moved to dismiss the case.  The Court found … Continue reading

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Is a High School Liable for a Student’s Prank?

A high school hockey player stayed after school to workout when a friend played a prank on him that caused him to sustain a wrist injury.  He sued his high school for negligence.  A lower court granted the high school’s … Continue reading

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It’s Not in One’s Interest to Ignore a Complaint

Grammy-winning rapper Artis Leon Ivy, Jr., commonly known as Coolio, was sued after he jumped on a concertgoer’s back after one of his performances.  The patron brought a lawsuit alleging assault and battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction … Continue reading

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Would Humpty Dumpty Have a Legitimate Claim Today?

A teenager sued a rock-climbing facility for negligence after suffering injuries from a fall.  The accident occurred after the teenager reached the top of the wall, approximately 20-24 feet high, and was on his way down.  The safety rope, which … Continue reading

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Did a Beauty Cream Cause More Harm Than Good?

A Connecticut woman filed a complaint against Avon Products, Inc. alleging two of their creams were defective and caused her to suffer skin irritations.  Avon moved for summary judgment.  The District Court granted their motion and dismissed the case because … Continue reading

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Do Kids Have First Amendment Rights?

An elementary school in Pennsylvania prevented a 5th grade student from distributing a flyer to her classmates (during non-instructional time) inviting them to a Christmas party at her church.  The student sued.  A lower court noted that students at that … Continue reading

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Can the Mayor Put The Lid on Sugary Drinks in NYC?

Mayor Michael Bloomberg attempted to institute a ban on the sale of 16-ounce, or greater, sugary soft drinks in New York City.  His intention was to curb obesity, which has led to approximately $4,000,000,000.00 in medial costs. The National Restaurant … Continue reading

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Did the Creators of Heroes Copy Someone Else’s Storylines?

Jazan Wild, a cartoonist, sued NBC Universal for copyright infringement claiming their network show, Heroes, was substantially similar to his graphic novel, Carnival of Souls.  A lower court analyzed both Heroes and Carnival of Souls in detail and found that … Continue reading

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Q: When Does One Have a Reasonable Expectation of Privacy?

A:  Not while speaking with a celebrity backstage, after a stand-up comedy routine, while the cameras are rolling. A fan sued Joan Rivers, and others, for invasion of privacy and misappropriation of image because the fan’s 16-second conversation with the … Continue reading

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Is Speech Always Protected by the First Amendment?

Former Governor Jesse Ventura filed a Complaint against Chris Kyle, a Navy SEAL and author of the book, Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History.  He alleged several causes of action, including defamation.  His defamation claim stated that the author fabricated … Continue reading

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Is Grading a Student On a Curve Unconstitutional?

Two first-year law students sued their school after being expelled.  They received failing grades in their contracts class, and as a consequence, didn’t maintain above the (required) 2.0 (or “C”) grade point average.  They alleged their contract grades were so … Continue reading

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How Far Does a School’s Duty Extend?

In New York City a public school student was assaulted by another student two blocks from school property before school hours.  The victim sued the City of New York claiming his school failed to ensure his safety.  Two days earlier, … Continue reading

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What Are You Posting On Your Facebook Wall?

A 6th grader posted on her Facebook wall two comments that were brought to her school’s attention.  The first post stated she hated an adult hall monitor because she was mean to her.  The school interpreted that post as “bullying,” … Continue reading

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Does an Open & Obvious Condition Alleviate a Duty to Warn?

A Court of Appeals in Ohio said this week that it did.  The lawsuit arose after a woman attending a water aerobics class at a local athletic club fell leaving the pool area.  As she attempted to make her way … Continue reading

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Who Has Standing to Sue if a Student is Cut From a Team?

The student.  A student and his parents brought several claims against a Los Angeles School District.  They alleged that a coach at the student’s high school cut him from the varsity baseball team because of his animus towards Jews. The … Continue reading

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Can Buying a Season Pass Release A Ski Resort From Liability?

Yes.  Read carefully any agreements you intend to sign. Plaintiff suffered serious injuries snowboarding at defendant’s ski resort.  Almost a year later, and after the plaintiff filed a lawsuit against the resort, he applied for a new season pass.  When … Continue reading

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Can An 11 Year Old Be Held Accountable For His Own Injuries?

Yes he can. A mom sued a club for injuries her son sustained at one of its fundraising events. Her son was injured as he jumped out of a tree. It was undisputed that the boy was intelligent and understood … Continue reading

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Can A Middle School Censor a Student’s Speech?

A New York Court said absolutely. A student sued her School District after she was told to delete certain language from her “moving up” speech from middle school to high school.  The language at issue was– “As we say our … Continue reading

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