John Sammon News
Anti-gun violence activist says Florida red flag law effective to prevent crimes
MIAMI – An activist with the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence said Florida’s new “red flag law” enacted last year allowing confiscation of firearms from people who have exhibited unstable behavior is an effective deterrent to stop senseless violence.
Report shows $27 billion to Florida amid city and county lawsuits over short-term vacation rentals
ORLANDO – The University of Central Florida (UCF) released a new report that shows vacation rentals to be a multi-million industry in the state, but it comes amid lawsuits over short-term rentals.
Bill introduced in House to crack down on double-dipping in asbestos damage claims
TALLAHASSEE – A bill introduced in the House Legislature HB741 and soon to be in the Senate SB1582 its author said would crack down on the practice of “double-dipping” by lawyers in asbestos exposure cases, seeking multiple recoveries for the same asbestos-related injury.
Florida Appeal Court upholds lower court ruling in garage mugging attack
MIAMI – Florida’s Third District Court of Appeal upheld a lower court ruling that 50 State Security Service, Inc. was not liable for the mugging suffered by a woman in a parking garage.
Florida Court of Appeal reverses birth-injury case over disputed statute of limitations
MIAMI – The Florida Third District Court of Appeal reversed a lower court judgement, ordering reconsideration of a malpractice case in which a child developed spastic cerebral palsy.
Florida district court backs City of Miami in wrongful termination lawsuit
MIAMI – Florida’s Third District Court of Appeal affirmed the decision of the Miami-Dade County Circuit Court to reject a wrongful termination suit filed by a former City of Miami employee.
Loews Miami Beach Hotel not negligent in guest's drowning death, Florida district court says
MIAMI – Florida’s Third District Court of Appeal upheld the earlier decision of a trial court that found a Miami Beach hotel was not liable for the drowning death of a guest in the hotel’s swimming pool.
Florida small business rep calls for reform of lawsuit lending practices
TALLAHASSEE – The state legislative director of the Florida National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) is asking state lawmakers to crack down on lawsuit lending by third parties, calling it potentially a perversion of the legal system.
Official says Florida Chamber supports reform of third party lawsuit lending practices
TALLAHASSEE – An official for the Florida Chamber of Commerce said his organization supports reform by state lawmakers of third party lending practices to plaintiffs in injury trials to prevent runaway interest rates subverting the justice process.
J&J top corporate rep grilled in Oklahoma opioid trial - state focuses on 'Norman' poppy strain
NORMAN (Legal Newsline) – A corporate spokeswoman for Johnson & Johnson and its drug subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals on Thursday faced questioning by lawyers for the State of Oklahoma who attempted to link the company’s quest for profits to an opioid epidemic in the state.
Father recounts loss of son in Oklahoma Johnson & Johnson opioid trial
NORMAN, Okla. (Legal Newsline) – Fighting back tears, a father who lost his son to an opioid overdose recounted the nightmare during testimony in a trial alleging that Johnson & Johnson flooded the state with addictive drugs for profit.
Opening remarks in opioid case against Johnson & Johnson alleges greed created drug epidemic
NORMAN, Okla. (Legal Newsline) – Opening arguments began Tuesday in a first-ever trial in attempt to hold drug manufacturers accountable for an opioid over-dose crisis, accusing Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary company Janssen Pharmaceuticals of providing medications for profit that destroyed thousands of lives.
Defense argues young smokers have caught on to dangers of tobacco
FORT LAUDERDALE – The defense appeared to keep to its people-knew-the-dangers strategy while plaintiff attorneys said dishonest denials from cigarette companies continued almost to this day in a lawsuit launched by a woman alleging her lungs were irreparably damaged by cigarette smoke.
Jury hands woman $1.6 million verdict in tobacco trial; Plaintiff had sought $20 million
FORT LAUDERDALE – A jury on Thursday awarded plaintiff Karla Zingaro $1.6 million in damages for pain and suffering both past and future, anguish and loss of enjoyment of life, from a smoking addiction that caused her to suffer life-threatening lung problems.
Closing arguments heard in trial of cigarette makers accused of woman's lung problems
FORT LAUDERDALE – Closing arguments began Wednesday in a trial accusing cigarette makers Philip Morris and R.J. Reynolds of fraud, conspiracy and responsibility for a woman’s nicotine addiction that resulted in her developing lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Defense paints picture of woman smoking not from nicotine addiction, but loneliness
FORT LAUDERDALE – Defense attorneys on Monday sought to portray plaintiff Karla Zingaro as a lonely woman who took to smoking because she enjoyed it and to help her deal with personal and family problems, not because of nicotine addiction as plaintiff attorneys contend.
Defense questions plaintiff about personal choice decisions in Philip Morris trial
FORT LAUDERDALE - Attorneys defending cigarette makers Philip Morris and R.J. Reynolds on Thursday sought to portray plaintiff Karla Zingaro as knowing about the dangers of smoking early in her life but who disregarded the warnings and smoked anyway.
Woman testifies at trial she smoked cigarettes not knowing the dangers
FORT LAUDERDALE – Karla Zingaro the plaintiff suing Philip Morris and R.J. Reynolds for the lung conditions she suffers from appeared in court for the first time on Wednesday telling attorneys she became hooked on smoking at a young age not knowing the dangers from cigarette smoke.
Nutrition company cleared of responsibility in man’s liver failure
WEST PALM BEACH – A South Florida online nutrition company was cleared of wrongdoing April 8 in the lawsuit launched by a man who alleged he suffered catastrophic liver damage after using the company’s green tea extract.
Defense seeks to convince jury that smoker's problems caused addiction, not cigarette makers
FORT LAUDERDALE – Defense attorneys in the trial of a woman suing cigarette makers Philip Morris and R.J. Reynolds argued Tuesday that is was the plaintiff’s problems including depression, anxiety and possible bipolar disorder that led Karla Zangaro to compulsively smoke causing her health problems.