For the last two decades, toxic tort litigation has involved slowly diminishing battles in the last great war (asbestos). New skirmishes have included silica, benzene, and welding rod fume exposure claims, but none of them have ever matched asbestos in size or importance....

In June 2015, the national media was abuzz after an apartment complex deck collapsed in Berkeley, California tragically killing six people. As part of the subsequent investigation by the California Contractors State License Board, it was determined that the cause of the deck collapse was a failure to properly lap the deck to wall flashing over the building paper and deck membrane. As a result, the structural support joists were severally rotted and ultimately failed. Further, reasonable maintenance efforts were deferred by the apartment property manager despite readily apparent indications of water damage....

In Maman v. Marx Realty & Improvement Co. Inc., the plaintiff, an ornamental ironworker, and a coworker were retrieving a piece of steel Q-decking for installation when the plaintiff slipped and/or tripped, lost his balance, and fell through an opening located between two steel beams. The plaintiff was wearing a harness with a lanyard at the time of the accident, but was not tied off....

As robot, drone and 3D printing technologies advance, human involvement and liability concerns change

Technological advancements in medical uses of robots, drones, and 3D printing continue at an impressive pace. Devices leveraging these advancements will enter mainstream medicine over the next five years, by some estimates.

The increasing use of advanced medical devices will reduce the need for certain staff, and will likely decrease available jobs for health care providers. The advent of new technology also poses new liability concerns due to a shift in the delivery of care.

To utilize this technology effectively, mitigate risk, and reduce job security fears, it is important to understand both the benefits of these advancements and the liabilities associated with their use, based upon current evidence.

By the time you read this, the most comprehensive and sweeping data security regulation will have just gone into effect. With a May 25, 2018 effective date, the European Union’s Global Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) reaches around the globe, including to entities in the U.S. Noncompliance can lead to significant fines of up to four percent of annual global revenue or 20 million euros, as well as civil and even criminal liability.

It is critical for U.S. entities and legal and insurance professionals advising those entities to be aware of the scope of this regulation to determine whether they are subject to it, and to take the necessary steps towards compliance. Even if it is determined that the GDPR is not applicable to your organization, there are a number of practical steps you can take to better your overall cyber hygiene.