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Injury during baby’s adenoidectomy leads to stroke
The plaintiff was a 1-year-old who sustained injury to her left internal carotid artery during an adenoidectomy, resulting in ischemic stroke.
Meta asks California judge to throw out landmark social media addiction verdict
Meta has asked a Los Angeles judge to overturn a $4.2 million verdict in a landmark social media addiction case tied to a woman's depression.
Jurisdiction – FTCA – Suits in Admiralty Act
Where a plaintiff brought suit under the Federal Tort Claims Act alleging that agents of the Coast Guard used unlawful force when they fired several gunshots at a vessel he was helming, the dismissal of the plaintiff’s complaint should be affirmed because his claim satisfies both the location and connection elements of a maritime claim and thus falls under maritime jurisdiction.
Worker trapped in freezer, dies during steam cleaning
The plaintiff’s decedent, an undocumented laborer, owned a small company that contracted to clean freezers at the defendant’s seafood production facility. He died when he became locked inside one of the freezers.
Pedestrian, 69, hit by motor vehicle while in crosswalk
On April 26, 2025, at 6:57 a.m., a motor vehicle making a left-hand turn struck a 69-year-old pedestrian crossing the street in a crosswalk.
Jurisdiction – Hotel – Discovery
Where a complaint over a fatality that occurred at a hotel in Canada was dismissed for lack of personal jurisdiction, the lower court abused its discretion by disallowing jurisdictional discovery into the involvement of one of the defendants in the hotel's operation, including advertising and room-booking activities.
Four-vehicle pileup leaves driver with spinal cord injury
The case arose from a multiple-vehicle collision on a highway near Boston. The plaintiff was driving home from an evening appointment and was entering a highway construction zone, which was funneling traffic into a single lane.
Nursing home staff blamed for kidney-failure death
This was a wrongful death case involving a 66-year-old retired Boston police officer.
Products liability – Cigarettes – Punitive damages
Where a jury returned a verdict in favor of a plaintiff in a wrongful death action against a defendant cigarette manufacturer, the verdict should be upheld because the punitive damages award, remitted by the trial judge from $1 billion to slightly more than $56 million, was within constitutionally permissible bounds.
Punitive damages in cigarette case upheld by SJC
The Supreme Judicial Court has affirmed an award of more than $56 million in punitive damages in a wrongful death action against a cigarette manufacturer.
Pharmacy’s late delivery blamed for patient’s death
The case involved the death of an elderly woman following her admission to a rehabilitation facility after surgery for a brain aneurysm.
Tort – SLAPP – Social media
Where a plaintiff has brought suit over online statements that the defendants posted on social media pages, the defendants’ special motion to dismiss pursuant to the Massachusetts anti-SLAPP statute should be denied because they have not met their burden of showing that the plaintiff’s claims are based solely on their legitimate petitioning activities.
Verdicts & Settlements
- Injury during baby’s adenoidectomy leads to stroke
- Construction worker’s hand caught in cement mixer
- Worker trapped in freezer, dies during steam cleaning
- Pedestrian, 69, hit by motor vehicle while in crosswalk
- Four-vehicle pileup leaves driver with spinal cord injury
- Nursing home staff blamed for kidney-failure death
- Pharmacy’s late delivery blamed for patient’s death
- Man, 25, drowns after swimming lesson at fitness club
Opinion Digests
- Jurisdiction – Forum selection clause – Non-signatory
- Criminal – Responsibility
- Attorneys – Lien
- Landlord and tenant – Default judgment
- Zoning – Constructive grant – Comprehensive permit
- Fraud – False Claims Act – Settlement share
- Civil practice – Discovery – Cybersecurity
