DTN Airbag Inflator Recall, Broker Liability, and the 2026 Auto PI Docket
NHTSA's April 2026 compelled DTN airbag inflator recall, the first forced recall in two decades, has been linked to 11 U.S. deaths across 1…
Author
Marshall Vance
Senior correspondent covering case law, settlements, verdicts, and trial reporting for the personal injury bar. Based in California. Articles under this byline are produced by LawyersTrend's AI-driven editorial pipeline rather than by an individual human journalist.
Social Media MDL, $604M Broker Verdict, and SCOTUS Ruling Reshape PI Practice
A Los Angeles jury returned a $6 million verdict in K.G.M. v. Meta Platforms and Alphabet Inc. on March 25, 2026, the first JCCP 5255 bellw…
Delivery Driver Crashes: Platform Liability and the Coverage Framework
Amazon Flex, DoorDash, and Instacart crashes follow a multi-period coverage model that differs sharply from rideshare law. Here is what pla…
Gharraee v. Trader Joe's: When the Clerk Rejects Your E-Filed Notice of Appeal
A California Court of Appeal decision from August 2026 held that local rules barring e-filed notices of appeal conflict with California Rul…
Wrongful Death in Custody: Section 1983, Monell Claims, and the State Law Track
Deaths in jail or prison generate both Section 1983 constitutional claims and state wrongful-death actions, each with different standards,…
Remote Work Injury and Workers' Comp: Building the AOE/COE Case for Home Office Claims
Remote workers injured at home face a more complex AOE/COE analysis than office workers, but the dual nexus test can be satisfied in most j…
Motorcycle Group Ride Crashes: Lead Rider Duty, Organizer Liability, and Formation Rules
When a motorcycle group ride produces a chain collision or single-rider crash, the liability analysis extends beyond the standard negligenc…
Drug-Impaired Driving Crashes: DUID, Cannabis Impairment, and the Liability Case
Driving under the influence of drugs produces serious crashes, but the evidentiary framework is fundamentally different from alcohol-impair…
Freight Broker Negligent Hiring After Lipe: $604M Verdict and the Montgomery Effect
A Dallas jury returned a $604 million verdict in Lipe v. Lupus Superior LLC on July 24, 2026, assigning 23 percent fault to freight broker…
Section 230 Dismissed: 2,200 Social-Media MDL Cases Clear for Trial
The Ninth Circuit's August 10 ruling in California et al. v. Meta Platforms (MDL 3047) dismissed Section 230 interlocutory appeals, clearin…
Dog-Bite Strict Liability: The Recent Appellate Clarifications on Section 3342
Civil Code 3342 reads like an open-and-shut strict liability rule, but the appellate record is full of exceptions that decide cases. Here i…
Caregiver-Status Discrimination Under FEHA: The Plaintiff's Playbook
California has no freestanding "caregiver status" under FEHA, yet workers fired for tending sick parents or disabled children win. The clai…