Lawyer hating is nothing new. Over the years, thanks to some attorneys who manipulated their positions to make the largest profit possible, the legal profession writ large earned itself a bad reputation. So when it comes to major litigation against powerful corporations like Toyota and BP, legal critics are quick to finger lawyers as villains bloodthirsty for cash, thinking more about the bottom line than the well being of their clients. A recent editorial claims that lawyers will “get more moolah from Toyota and BP than victims” without citing facts or past any data from past class action lawsuits.
GJEL Accident Attorneys' Blog
Anti-Lawyer Editorial Blurs Facts on Toyota and BP Lawsuits
Wednesday, June 30th, 2010SCOTUS Rules for UC Hastings Law on Freedom of Speech Suit
Tuesday, June 29th, 2010
Six years ago, the UC Hastings College of Law, a state-funded institution, ended its offical recognition of the religious group Christian Legal Society when it announced that members had to sign a statement of faith that condemned “unrepentant participation in or advocacy of a sexually immoral lifestyle” and banned homosexuals from being members. To the question “What Would Jesus Do?” the group came to a modern day solution: sue Hastings. In its decision Monday, the US Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in favor of Hastings.
California’s Electronic License Plates Could Increase Car Accidents
Monday, June 28th, 2010
For a state bogged down by a $19 billion budget deficit, any idea to raise money without increasing taxes is attractive. That’s why a handful of California lawmakers have lined up to support a futuristic plan for electronic license plates which flash advertising information when the vehicle has stopped for more than four seconds, a plan critics say could induce an increase in dangerous distracted driving.
Anadarko — the Oil Spill’s Elusive Co-Owner — Dodges Legal Liability
Thursday, June 24th, 2010
There’s no point in letting BP take all the blame for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Since the oil rig exploded more than two months ago, Texas-based petroleum company Anadarko has stayed mostly under the radar, letting BP sink slowly into infamy. But just when the world needed a new villain, the 25 percent owner of Deepwater Horizon surfaced when it attempted to distance itself from BP and legal liability.
Paxil Agrees to Settle 200 Suits Claiming Birth Defects
Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010
The drug maker GlaxoSmithKline seems permanently out of fighting mode, as it agrees to settle nearly 200 lawsuits with patients who say the antidepressant Paxil was responsible for birth defects. In fact, GSK has settled every Paxil lawsuit since a Philadelphia court ordered the company to pay a single plaintiff $2.5 million in October.
Law Schools Inflate Grades, Blawgers Go Bizerk
Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010
Even better than finding a $20 bill in your ski jacket! The New York Times reported on Monday that a group of law schools is inflating grades retroactively to make students “look more attractive in a competitive job market.” Over the past two years, the story explains, schools like New York University, Georgetown and Golden Gate University have bumped grades up 0.333, transforming a B- into a B, a B to a B+, and so on.
Toyota Plaintiffs Face Key Legal Obstacle in Unintended Acceleration Suits
Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010
Last week, I pushed back against the assertions that Toyota plaintiffs will be disappointed by the fate of their lawsuits against the Japanese automaker that has recalled nearly 9 million vehicles worldwide this year. While unintended acceleration claims were unsuccessful against companies like Audi in the past, I wrote, Toyota’s mistakes are publicly well known, which could indicate that plaintiffs will be satisfied this time around.
VIDEO: Rewarding Good Drivers Improves Auto Safety
Monday, June 21st, 2010
There are a handful of great reasons to drive safely. If you want to avoid vehicular injuries, car damage, or just dodge tickets from police officers, obeying traffic signs while paying close attention to the habits of other drivers are good ways to do so. But I suspect the most common reason that drivers stay under the speed limit is a fear of getting a ticket or being harassed by police officers. And why operate based on fear when we don’t have to?
Do Past Unintended Acceleration Suits Mean Anything for Toyota?
Friday, June 18th, 2010
A front-page story in the San Francisco Daily Journal yesterday predicted that plaintiffs filing lawsuits against Toyota based on unintended acceleration problems could be disappointed by the results. The article points to past acceleration-related lawsuits, mostly against German automaker Audi, which failed to convince juries that electrical problems were to blame for the accidents rather than driver error.
Are California’s Bike-Car Accident Laws Too Lax?
Thursday, June 17th, 2010
Collisions between bicycles and vehicles are as close to a David and Goliath encounter as you’ll see on modern-day roads. Bicycles take up much less space, have a fraction of the carbon footprint as cars, but must constantly be aware of vehicular behemoths, when obeying all of the rules of the road. But when vehicles are involved in bicycle accidents, the law often favors the driver, according to a new report by Bicycle Times Magazine.
About the GJEL Blog
Ben Buchwalter is Director of Client Outreach for GJEL Accident Attorneys. Before joining GJEL, he studied political science at Haverford College and worked as a writer and researcher for Mother Jones Magazine and Talking Points Memo. Ben enjoys skiing, public transportation, and television detective dramas.
