Munley Law Blog

Don’t rely on autopilot: Car safety tech still flawed, inconsistent

IIHS report on driver-assistance technology shows its flaws

New report from IIHS shows driver assist technology is still flawed and is no substitute for a fully attentive human driver. If you’re not paying attention, driver assist systems can even land you in a crash.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, known for its extensive crash testing and safety ratings, investigated just how reliable driver assistance technology is. Their findings varied by brand. But, the overall conclusion was that autonomous vehicle technology has a long way to go before human drivers can feel comfortable giving up the steering wheel.

The 2017 BMW 5-series, 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class,  2018 Tesla Model 3 and 2016 Model S, and 2018 Volvo S90 were evaluated.

What is driver assistance technology?

Driver assistance technology refers to the features in a car designed to help prevent collisions. […]

J&J ordered to pay $4.69 billion to cancer victims in talcum powder lawsuit

Johnson & Johnson ordered to pay $4.69 billion in talcum powder lawsuit

A St. Louis jury returned a $4.69B verdict in favor of 22 women who claimed Johnson and Johnson’s products contained asbestos which caused them to develop cancer.

The verdict is the latest in a series of massive wins for women and their families who have filed cancer-related lawsuits against Johnson and Johnson. In August, 2017, a Los Angeles jury awarded a $417 million verdict in favor of a woman who claimed that Johnson and Johnson’s baby powder caused her to develop ovarian cancer, and in February 2016, a Missouri jury awarded $72 million to the family of a woman died of ovarian cancer after decades of using J&J’s baby powder.

In its natural form, talc (a common ingredient in cosmetic and personal care products, including the popular J&J baby powder) can contain asbestos fibers. […]

Judge says Monsanto cancer case can move forward

Earlier this week, a federal judge ruled that lawsuits against agricultural giant Monsanto could proceed and that key plaintiffs’ witnesses may testify. The lawsuits allege that Monsanto’s weedkiller Roundup caused users to develop cancer.

This move represents a win for victims, but they will still face an uphill battle at trial, as the judge called their claims “shaky” but admissible.

Thousands of individual plaintiffs claim Monsanto’s widely used weedkiller RoundUp caused them to develop cancer and that Monsanto provided no consumer warning. Specifically, the lawsuits link the ingredient glyphosate to an increased risk of non-Hodgkins lymphoma, and claim that the company knew about the risk and failed to warn the public, going so far as to suppress research that suggested the product was dangerous. The ingredient glyphosate is considered a probable human carcinogen according to the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.  […]

Truck crash on I-81 claims two lives

Yesterday, a tractor trailer crash on Interstate 81 killed two people and seriously injured two others.

A family from Canada was traveling on I-81 northbound in Scott Township near the Fleetville exit.  They were stopped in traffic when they were rear-ended by a tractor trailer operated by JVM Transport. The truck crash killed the 45-year-old father and 10-year-old son; the mother and daughter were taken to the hospital in Lackawanna County. The driver of another tractor trailer that had been stopped in traffic was also taken to the hospital.

Via WNEP: “According to investigators, the big rig did not stop in time and hit the car which was stopped in traffic from an earlier crash.” 

Dan Munley, former chair of the American Association for Justice (AAJ) Trucking Litigation Group, states that  “we have handled other cases in our area where a tractor trailer failed to stop in traffic and either killed or seriously injured another driver. […]

Summer grilling safety tips

Keep your backyard barbecue free of fire hazards

Grilling is a summertime staple, but it’s also an extremely common cause of house fires. Keep your family, friends, and party guests safe from harm by making sure you’re up to speed on grill safety.  It is very important to be aware of how dangerous grills are, what to do before you use a grill, and how to handle a grill when it is on, to prevent serious fires or injuries.

According to the National Fire Protection Agency, gas grills were involved in an average of 7,900 home fires per year, including 3,300 structure fires, and 4,700 outdoor fires.  Leaking and breakage were the top problems with gas grills.  Five out of six grills involved in home fires were fueled by gas, while 14% used charcoal or other solid fuel.  Grills not only are causing many structure, […]