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LexisNexis® Mealey's™ Personal Injury Legal News

1. Toy Maker Mattel Agrees To $12M Multistate Settlement In Lead Action

   TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum announced a $12 million multistate settlement with toy maker Mattel Inc. and subsidiary Fisher-Price Inc. on Dec. 15, resolving a 16-month investigation into the events surrounding a recall of the companies' products for excessive levels of lead paint (The State of Florida by Bill McCollum, Attorney General of the State of Florida, v. Mattel Inc. and Fisher-Price Inc., No. 08 60803, Fla. Cir., Broward Co.). Full story on lexis.com

2. California, Toy Makers Reach $1M Settlement Of Lead Claims

   SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The State of California and a group of toy makers reached a settlement Dec. 9 in an unfair competition law (UCL) action in which the defendants will pay a combined $1 million in fines and costs to fund public health initiatives to treat and prevent childhood lead poisoning (People of the State of California, ex rel. Edmund G. Brown Jr. v. Mattel Inc., et al., No. RG07356892, Calif. Super., Alameda Co.). Full story on lexis.com

3. Federal Judge Grants Summary Judgment On Retailer Punitive Claim

   SAN DIEGO - A federal judge on Dec. 4 granted partial summary judgment to Home Depot on a punitive damages claim stemming from an allegedly defective ladder but denied the same motion to the product manufacturer (Brian Bethel v. Home Depot U.S.A. Inc. and Louisville Ladder Inc., No. 07-863, S.D. Calif., 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 98161). Full story on lexis.com

4. Woman's Defective Space Heater Action Heads To Federal Court In Wisconsin

   MADISON, Wis. - A pair of companies named as defendants in a product liability action removed the case to federal court on Dec. 5, citing diversity of citizenship between the parties and the amount in controversy exceeding $75,000 (Katrina D. Clay, as special administrator and by Katrina D. Clay, individually, as mother of Hope and Erin Briney, and as daughter of DeVere and Barbara Clay, deceased, for their estates v. Mr. Heater Corp. et al., No. 08-701, W.D. Wis.). Full story on lexis.com

5. Iowa Federal Judge Denies Class Certification For Claims Nonstick Cookware Dangerous

   DES MOINES, Iowa - Plaintiffs seeking to represent purchasers of Teflon-brand nonstick cookware manufactured by DuPont failed to fulfill the typicality and adequacy of representation requirements of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(a) and the cohesiveness and superiority requirements of Rule 23(b) for class certification, a federal judge said Dec. 5 (In re: Teflon Products Liability Litigation, No. 06-1733, MDL 1733, S.D. Iowa). Full story on lexis.com