Product Safety & Liability Reporter: Current Reports Index-Summary

NANOTECHNOLOGY

– Cosmetics and sunscreen, study shows ingredients safe, 630
– CPSC ill-equipped to deal with products, PEN report, 808; project recommendations, 809
– Insurance group excludes from coverage, 967
– National Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act, draft bill includes 10 percent of research going to safety studies, hearing held, 403
– Regulations, CRS reports on huge challenges, 123

NASAL SPRAY

– Cold-Eeze, case properly dismissed, siblings fail to link zinc to loss of smell (8th Cir.), 846

NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (NHTSA)

– Ed. Note: This heading covers general administrative issues. For enforcement or regulatory actions, see specific subject headings.
– Administrator Nason to step down, 694; Bush names Kelly, 811; Nason talks about future challenges, 830; stability control major accomplishment, 830; Bush to nominate Kelly, 970
– Agenda, fuel economy, stability control, and child safety dominate, Outlook 2008, 74
– Budget FY2009, Bush request includes increase, 150; House Appropriations panel approves, 633; Senate Appropriations panel approves, 697
– Nader critical of auto industry “takeover” of NHTSA, 476
– Recalls, BNA monthly report, Dec., 41; Jan., 154; Feb., 249; April, 479; May, 562; June, 673; July, 764; Aug., 859; Sept., 999
– Vehicle Owner's Questionnaires, NHTSA seeks comments on collection, 322

NEBRASKA

– Air ambulance helicopter crash, parties settle for $18.4M (Neb. Dist. Ct.), 441
– Fireworks cause eye injury, preemption defense disallowed when plead too late (8th Cir.), 714
– Strattera, family sues ADHD drug maker for failure to warn of suicide risks (D. Neb.), 168

NEURONTIN

– Off-label use, branded makers may be liable for generic product use (Pa. Ct. C.P.), 331

NEVADA

– HRT as cause of breast cancer, court refuses new trial, orders remittitur hearing on award (Nev. Dist. Ct.), 166; verdict reduced, 185
– Spine discs, parent company dismissed from defect suit (D. Nev.), 717
– Taser guns, wrongful death suit dismissed (D. Nev.), 925

NEW JERSEY

– Accutane as cause of inflammatory bowel disease, woman awarded compensatory damages (N.J. Super. Ct.), 439
– Aredia and Zometa, N.J. calls for mass tort designation (N.J. Super. Ct.), 171
– Asbestos, automotive parts warehouse worker, jury award to widow (N.J. Super. Ct.), 259
– Baseball aluminum bat blamed for brain injury (N.J. Super. Ct.), 517
– Bone plates allegedly cause ligament damage, class certification sought (D.N.J.), 143
– Brakes, Kia Sephia owners awarded $6M (N.J. Super. Ct.), 595
– Car rolled backward down driveway, plaintiff's expert lacked support from factual record (N.J. Super. Ct.), 1055
– Gadolinium-based contrast dyes, mass tort created (N.J. Super. Ct.), 471
– Hip prostheses, noisy implants, suit fails to state cause of action (D.N.J.), 90
– Horse trailer gate latch, expert allowed, feasibility study not needed (N.J. Super. Ct.), 86
– HRT as cause of breast cancer

– – Mass tort suit, warning adequate, argument based on label change rejected (N.J. Super. Ct.), 684
– – Pa. court, woman to appeal statute of limitations and causation decisions (Pa. Ct. C.P.), 61

– JVC 1080p TVs don't get 1080p signal, claims go forward (D.N.J.), 625
– NuvaRing, “forum defendant rule” invoked, case remanded (D.N.J.), 35; more cases remanded, 736
– Pet food contamination MDL, Menu Foods announces tentative settlement (D. N.J.), 369; preliminary approval granted, 546
– PPA distributor not “seller” entitled to immunity (N.J. Super. Ct.), 597
– Remicade, defendants not “sellers” under N.J. law, remand motion denied (D.N.J.), 715
– Rotary hammer, Black & Decker database of claims and lawsuits meets test to admit evidence of no prior accidents (3d Cir.), 1021
– Stucco defective, full faith and credit governs case of plaintiff who didn't opt out of settlement (N.J.), 803
– Subaru repairs, consumer class action claims tossed due to economic loss doctrine (D.N.J.), 287
– Transmissions, BMW class action allowed (D.N.J.), 752
– Truck aftermarket finisher responsible for safety device not Ford (N.J. Super. Ct.), 310
– Tuna, whether FDA actions relating to methylmercury preempted warning claims (3d Cir.), 184; warnings case not preempted by informal FDA actions, 798
– Vioxx

– – Medical monitoring class suit thrown out due to no present injury (N.J.), 541
– – Punitive award vacated, consumer claims and attorneys' fees disallowed (N.J. Super. Ct.), 542; review granted (N.J.), 1022
– – Remedies limited, Analysis and Perspective, 790

– Yo-yo waterballs, N.J. signs ban, 39

NEW MEXICO

– Bridgestone/Firestone, nylon cap theory disallowed (D.N.M.), 897
– Dell memory capacity, class action ban in arbitration provision unconscionable (N.M.), 660
– Generic bupropion, information sharing provision of order too broad (D.N.M.), 578

NEW YORK

– Air bags, expert evidence needed to establish causation (N.Y. App. Div.), 664
– Bus depots, workers sue bus and engine makers for diesel emission exposure (N.Y. Sup. Ct.), 826
– Cigarettes, plaintiff failed to show safer alternative design, jury award reversed (N.Y. App. Ct.), 392
– Electric transformer explosion, injured worker unable to rule out other causes (N.Y.), 340
– Ephedra suit remanded on question of medical knowledge (2d Cir.), 821
– Firearms, public nuisance suit against gun industry tossed (2d Cir.), 466
– Fosamax, certification denied for three state medical monitoring classes (S.D.N.Y.), 63
– Freezer door handle, experience alone sufficient to qualify expert on assembly instructions (S.D.N.Y.), 895
– Lawn mower severs fingers, testing and alternate warning at issue (E.D.N.Y.), 446; expert reinstated after test submission, 580
– Lead paint makers not liable for distributing a legal product (N.Y. Sup. Ct.), 598
– Lipitor, Ga. proper forum for Ga. man's suit (N.Y. Sup. Ct.), 646
– Mercury exposure from broken blood pressure monitor, latent injury claim may proceed, proof of untimeliness unclear (S.D.N.Y.), 959
– Sudden acceleration, experts to testify to support circumstantial evidence (S.D.N.Y.), 8
– Televisions, rear projection high-definition, Sony settlement approved to replace optical blocks (S.D.N.Y.), 495
– Viagra, N.Y. not appropriate forum for plaintiffs prescribed drugs in Cal. and Ariz. (N.Y. Sup. Ct.), 186
– Zyprexa MDL, judge allows Internet broadcast of status conference (E.D.N.Y.), 263

NEW ZEALAND

– Mercury exposure from broken blood pressure monitor, latent injury claim may proceed, proof of untimeliness unclear (S.D.N.Y.), 959

NORTH CAROLINA

– Lotensin, claim that drug needed pregnancy hazard warning preempted (W.D.N.C.), 332
– Trasylol, N.C. woman sues Bayer alleging caused mother's death (D. Minn.), 1026

NORTH DAKOTA

– Combine catches fire, tort recovery denied for attached devices (D.N.D.), 953
– Copper-plated exploding bullet suit to proceed (D. N.D.), 9

NORWAY

– Consumer goods, harmful chemical ban proposed, 720

NOTICE

– Child seat and tire recall notification, NHTSA launches system, 321
– Class actions

– – Analysis and Perspective, 346
– – On-demand media use, Analysis and Perspective, 531