Headlines

The worst act of terrorism to ever to occur on American soil stole the lives of 2,977 people. Even more are injured, including emergency, rescue, and recovery workers. Twenty-two years later and still they wait for justice. Unraveling the al Qaeda plot led the survivors and victims’ families to discover that culpability spread far beyond Osama bin Laden. Saudi Arabia was eventually identified as the eye of the storm al Qaeda operators passed through in preparation for the attacks. Saudi agents are accused in the cases of providing material support in the form of housing, transportation, logistical support, and more.

Federal agencies and officials, including the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the United States Surgeon General, as well as national medical associations like the American Psychological Association (APA) and American Medical Association (AMA), have all released reports documenting the mounting concern surrounding the negative psychological impacts of social media use. Alarmingly, it seems social media platforms have suspected or known of this link for years, and yet did nothing to stop the harm caused by their products. 

For the first time in over 80 years, the FDA’s authority and ability to regulate cosmetics has expanded due to the passing of a new federal law, the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MOCRA). MOCRA marks the beginning of a shift in how cosmetics are regulated in the United States and is a victory for consumer safety advocates. 

At the end of January, the Third Circuit handed down an important bankruptcy ruling that may both protect injured mass tort plaintiffs and preserve the constitutional right to trial by jury. In In re: LTL Management, LLC (the Johnson & Johnson talc bankruptcy case) the court of appeals ordered the dismissal of the Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition filed by LTL, a J&J subsidiary created for the sole purpose of resolving its talc liabilities through bankruptcy. The decision is a significant setback—though not necessarily a death blow—for the infamous “Texas two-step” bankruptcy maneuver invented by a defense law firm.

I recently read a great article on the VA’s roll out of processing PACT Act disability compensation claims and the need to alert veterans of scammers who may be trying to profit off veteran’s injuries. The article explains that veterans can often file by themselves or with help offered for free by accredited veteran service organizations.

Being a teen is hard under the best of circumstances. Being a teen in an era of constant digital connectivity is harder. Unfortunately, some tech companies seem to have made things worse – a lot worse.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, flight attendant Sara Elizabeth Low went to work as usual and boarded American Airlines Flight 11 from Boston to L.A. Sadly, she and thousands of others would not survive the morning, but their memories and the courage shown that day in the face of unimaginable horror stay with us even now, 21 years later. Motley Rice attorneys have worked for two decades to seek justice for the survivors and families of the victims. After sifting through thousands of documents and searching the globe for answers, I often find myself returning to the stories of the people who were harmed, those who lost their lives that day, and the loved ones left behind. Surviving family members’ deep convictions that their loved ones shouldn’t die in vain are what move and motivate me. I’d like to share a few of their stories with you now in memorial.

President Biden signed into law the Honoring our PACT Act. This impactful piece of legislation is aptly named, signifying the promise we as a nation make (but so often fail to live up to) to support the members of our armed forces who selflessly put their lives on the line to protect us and our freedoms. 

Generic opioid manufacturer Teva Pharmaceuticals agreed today to pay nearly $4.25 billion to aid communities nationwide that are burdened with the effects of the opioid crisis.

Today’s announcement that the biggest three opioid distributors AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, McKesson and manufacturer Johnson & Johnson will move forward and finalize $26 billion in opioid funding comes as welcome news for the millions of families, first responders and others nationwide who know all too well that relief for the opioid crisis is desperately needed.