3M Strikes $6 Billion Settlement in Historic Mass Tort Case Over Earplug Safety Claims

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota-based manufacturing behemoth 3M has agreed to a landmark $6 billion settlement to resolve a mass tort litigation involving its combat earplugs, marking this as possibly the largest case of its kind to date. The company announced that the settlement funds, to be paid between 2023 and 2029, will consist of $5 billion in cash and $1 billion in 3M common stock. Despite the agreement, 3M maintains that there has been no admission of liability, asserting that the products implicated in the lawsuit were safe and effective when used correctly. For … Read more

Law Scholar Anthony Casey’s Insights Crucial in Major Supreme Court Decision on Purdue Pharma Settlement

Chicago — In a landmark case, the U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled on a highly contentious bankruptcy settlement involving Purdue Pharma L.P., the maker of OxyContin, and its $6 billion proposal intended to resolve lawsuits spurred by the opioid crisis. At the heart of this legal battle was a key paragraph in the Bankruptcy Code, pivotal in determining how the courts could use bankruptcy to address mass-tort claims both swiftly and equitably. Purdue Pharma, under the ownership of the Sackler family, touched off a legal and moral storm with a proposal that included a condition … Read more

Supreme Court Decision Shapes Innovative Settlement Strategy in Rockville Diocese Bankruptcy Case

NEW YORK — In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court ruled in the 2024 Purdue case that the Bankruptcy Code does not permit the use of Chapter 11 to force claimants to absolve non-debtors of responsibility in a bankruptcy process without the claimants’ consent. This ruling was pivotal in shaping how debtors coordinate with creditors and third parties to resolve claims collectively. Despite such limitations, many are finding a way around these constraints to ensure quicker, more equitable settlements, highlighting a significant trend in bankruptcy practices. The case of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville … Read more

$1 Million Settlement Reached in Wrongful Death Suit Following 2022 Officer-Involved Shooting of Robert Langley

Williamsburg County, SC – A judge recently approved a $1 million settlement concluding a wrongful death lawsuit stemming from an officer-involved shooting in February 2022 that resulted in the death of 46-year-old Robert Langley. The incident, which led to the lawsuit, occurred after former Hemingway police officer Cassandra Dollard attempted to pull over Langley, leading to a high-speed pursuit that ended miles outside of her jurisdiction in Georgetown County. After Langley’s vehicle crashed, Dollard reportedly shot and killed him. Cassandra Dollard, 52, faces charges of voluntary manslaughter in Langley’s death, with the case still ongoing. … Read more