A selection of the need-to-know civil justice news for the week of Oct. 18-24.

 

NJ Assembly OKs Limits On Consumer Fraud Fee-Shifting

Joshua Alston | Law360

A New Jersey General Assembly committee on Thursday advanced legislation to eliminate the award of attorneys’ fees and court costs in certain Consumer Fraud Act cases, a bill designed to end penalties for technical violations of the law made in good faith.

Full Story.

 

NJ Committee Votes to Remove Consumer Laws’ Fee Requirement

Hugh R. Morley | The Record

An Assembly committee approved a bill Thursday that would end a current requirement that companies automatically pay attorney and other fees if a court finds they violated the state Consumer Fraud Act.

Full Story.

 

N.J.’s Consumer Protection Law Needs Reform

Tiger Joyce | New Jersey Law Journal

Like many states’ consumer protection laws, New Jersey’s well-intentioned Consumer Fraud Act (CFA) traces its origins to the 1960s. But since then, the CFA has been so distorted and contorted by legislative amendments and judicial interpretations that it is now just as likely to be used to boost trial lawyers’ bank accounts as it is to compensate truly defrauded consumers.

Full Story.

 

Justices Mull Doctors’ Duty to Disclose Med Mal Coverage

Michael Booth | New Jersey Law Journal

The New Jersey Supreme Court has agreed to consider whether a doctor can be sued for not disclosing that he didn’t have malpractice insurance for the procedure he was performing, and if a medical office the doctor used can also be on the hook for not making sure he had coverage.

Full Story.

 

Johnson & Johnson Wins First Pinnacle Hip Implant Trial

Jef Feeley | Bloomberg Businessweek

A Johnson & Johnson unit’s design of a metal-on-metal version of its Pinnacle hip implants isn’t defective, a Dallas jury concluded, ruling against a woman who said the devices poisoned her in the first case of its kind to go to trial.

Full Story.

 

Avandia User’s Warranty Violation Suit Flops In 3rd Circ.

Michael Lipkin | Law360

The Third Circuit on Tuesday refused to revive a putative class action accusing GlaxoSmithKline PLC of violating the warranty on its diabetes drug Avandia, ruling a label declaring the drug “safe and effective” was not enough to create a warranty under New Jersey law.

Full Story.

 

‘Goodfellas’ Actor Sues Fox Over ‘Simpsons’ Mob Character

Mike Ayers | Wall Street Journal

Fox has been slapped with a $250 million lawsuit over a mob character on “The Simpsons.”

Full Story.

 

A Vodka With a Twist of Tort

Victorino Matus | Wall Street Journal

Is Tito’s Handmade Vodka really handmade? Would it taste any less good if it weren’t anymore?

Full Story.