Michael Carroll News
CA appeals court ruling could allow biz to be sued for not selling 'better' products, company warns
Pharmaceutical companies and business advocates say the decision could have a devastating impact on innovation, unless the California Supreme Court steps in
Disney accused of underpaying Southern California hotel workers in class-action lawsuit
Southern California hotel maintenance workers have filed a class-action lawsuit against Florida-based Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, alleging Disney violated the California Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) and evaded the minimum pay rate.
California utility agrees to pay federal government $80 million to resolve wildfire litigation
Southern California Edison will pay $80 million to the federal government to compensate for firefighting costs and property damage resulting from a 2017 fire that charred more than 100,000 acres of National Forest lands in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.
America National Insurance is the latest to leave California market over profitability concerns
American National Insurance is the latest insurer to announce it is either exiting California or limiting its property insurance business due to decreased profitability in the wake of devastating wildfires and state regulations that critics say are excessive.
Federal judge compares litigation about social-media addiction to landmark tobacco lawsuits
A California federal judge who is overseeing multidistrict litigation alleging that social media companies’ platforms lead to addictive behavior among youths has likened these cases to the multibillion-dollar tobacco settlement of 1998.
Lawsuit challenging Santa Monica elections sent back to L.A. Superior Court
A California appeals court has tossed a Santa Monica voting rights case back to a lower court that previously ruled Latino residents’ ability to elect their preferred candidates was hampered by the city’s at-large City Council elections, in one of the most high profile lawsuits under California's Voting Rights Act
L.A. County's civil litigation costs shoot up 129% due to several large settlements
Total litigation costs paid out by Los Angeles County during the 2022-2023 fiscal year shot up 129% to more than $340 million, largely driven by several unusually large legal settlements, according to recently released county reports.
Judge blocks California law allowing residents to sue gun manufacturers
A federal judge in San Diego has barred the state’s attorney general from enforcing a new California law that allows the filing of civil lawsuits against firearms manufacturers that make and market “abnormally dangerous” weapons.
Judge orders attorney Mark Geragos to pay attorney fees to L.A. Times after failed libel lawsuit
A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge has ordered celebrity attorney Mark Geragos to pay $218,000 in legal fees to the Los Angeles Times as a result of a failed libel lawsuit that accused three of the newspaper’s reporters of attempting to defame him.
Los Angeles-area attorneys turn to billboards to expand their reach
Personal injury attorneys in Los Angeles seeking to boost their client leads have increasingly turned to freeway billboards to get their message out to captive audiences sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic, recent data shows.
California PAGA filings continue to soar amid initiative effort to repeal labor law
Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) claims in California have shot up 34.5% from 2022 to 2023, reaching a record 7,826 PAGA notices last year, according to a new tally of both PAGA and class-action filings by the Ogletree Deakins law firm.
'Call Jacob' personal-injury attorney faces class action alleging predatory fee practices
A former client of Jacob Emrani is suing the Los Angeles personal-injury attorney and his law firm in a proposed class action alleging that unlawful “administrative fees” were charged to help fund the firm’s familiar “Call Jacob” legal advertising.
California sues energy companies over 'climate' problems; 'Kitchen sink' lawsuit a 'political stunt,' industry says
Energy companies say the state's lawsuit is little more than a "meritless, politicized" effort to extract big paydays from oil and gas companies, while accomplishing little to address the alleged problems caused by "climate change"
Constitutional lawsuits could tee up vs LA if voters OK ballot measure forcing hotels to house homeless
Hotel owners warn industry could be gutted and city could face lawsuits, accusing the city of trampling constitutional rights, if city approves ballot measure next spring to force hotel owners to house homeless in vacant rooms, paid only by city vouchers
'Chilling speech of employers in their own business': Pro-union legislation bogs down in Assembly amid criticism
The legislation would bar employers from speaking with their workers about union organizing efforts, and give trial lawyers new powers to sue employers accused of violating the new law for potentially big money damages
Court trims Gascón recall supporters’ access to voter records, but recall supporters call it a win
The committee seeking to recall Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said LA County election officials wrongly spiked their recall petition, and are now wrongly fighting recall supporters' efforts to show why it was improper
Oakland NAACP head calls on city to end 'no-consequences' mindset to crime fighting
A letter co-authored by Oakland NAACP president urges elected leaders to pull the city out of a “doom loop” of rising crime, depopulation and economic stagnation by rejecting a “no-consequences” approach to public safety and “defund the police” rhetoric.
California appeals court's ban on towing cars with parking tickets seen as setback for public safety
A California appeals court has barred municipal government agencies from towing vehicles that have been the subject of multiple unpaid traffic tickets, provided the car is parked legally and is not causing a safety hazard.
California Christian school sues after social services agency bars it from receiving funding
An El Cajon Christian preschool is suing the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), alleging that the agency unconstitutionally barred the school from taking part in a state program to provide food to low-income children.
Jury awards L.A. County prosecutor $1.5M in lawsuit alleging Gascón retaliated for opposing policies minimizing juvenile prosecutions
A Los Angeles jury has awarded a county prosecutor $1.5 million in damages, concluding that District Attorney George Gascón demoted her in retaliation for her questioning of Gascón’s justice reforms.