Big news of the week: Sandy Hook families reach $73M settlement in suit targeting gun marketing

 The big news this week was the announcement of a settlement in the case of the Sandy Hook families against gun manufacturers.  This is the first time a firearms manufacturer has settled a lawsuit brought by gun violence victims since Congress granted the industry sweeping immunity from civil liability in 2005.  The $73 million settlement is covered by The ABA Journal (where you can find more links), NPR (print) and NPR (audio).

The plaintiffs (Sandy Hook families) hope the settlement will lead to changes in the gun industry.  Yet, here is an article arguing why it probably won't.

Bill to allow parents of adult children to recover in malpractice cases fails in Florida

A couple of weeks ago I wrote that the Florida House has voted to pass a bill to allow parents to pursue pain and suffering damages when their adult children die due to medical malpractice negligence.  See here.

Today I am writing to report that the attempt to pass the bill has failed.  See here. Medical interests and the Florida Chamber of Commerce had opposed the bill, arguing that current state of the law helps keep malpractice insurance premiums affordable, an old claim that has been proven to be wrong many times. 

Thanks to the TortsProf blog for the update.