Jay W. Belle Isle, Author at Legal Reader

Before becoming LegalReader's Editor-in-Chief, Jay W. Belle Isle worked as a freelance copywriter with clients on four continents. Jay has a degree in Business Administration from Cleary University and a Juris Doctor from Thomas M. Cooley Law School. Jay has also worked as a contracts administrator for a DOD contractor specializing in vehicle armor.

Johnson & Johnson packaging; image courtesy of Scott Eells/Bloomberg.

Johnson and Johnson Must Pay $57M in Pelvic Mesh Case

September 18, 2017

Ella Ebaugh, a resident of Pennsylvania, knows about pain. She was diagnosed with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in 2005. In 2007, Mrs. Ebaugh did as many women: she trusted that pelvic mesh implants would fix the problem. Also like many women, Mrs. Ebaugh discovered that the mesh devices – these made by Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon division – caused more problems than they solved. Problems that ultimately lead Mrs. Ebaugh to sue J&J. Earlier this month, a jury in Philadelphia awarded Mrs. Ebaugh $57.1M.

A flooded Porsche; image courtesy of EvLSkillZ on Facebook.

Car Buyers Beware: Flood Damaged Vehicles May Not be Safe

September 15, 2017

As Texas continues its recovery from Harvey and Florida is just beginning its recovery from Irma, it looks as though history may repeat itself in that it will be necessary to catalog vehicles damaged by these two immense storms. This is a vitally important project, as flood damaged vehicles may not be safe, even though they appear fine.

The vehicle fire that claimed Vicki Hill's life; image courtesy of www.news5cleveland.com.

Another Fatal Jeep Crash – Was the Recall Enough?

September 13, 2017

Vicki Hill’s 2007 Jeep Liberty was rear-ended on Monday, August 28, 2017. Ms. Hill, an Elyria, Ohio resident, was stopped at a traffic light on her way to work when her vehicle was struck from behind by a 2003 Buick Century, driven by Kristi Fitch. Elyria police Captain Phil Hammonds said that Ms. Hill’s vehicle was on fire when officers arrived on the scene.

Screenshot of Facebook friend indicator; image courtesy of www.youtube.com.

When is a “Friend” Not a Friend? Florida Court Defines Facebook Friendships

September 7, 2017

It may be true that “that which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet,” but the same cannot be said of “friends,” at least not on Facebook, according to a Florida court. There has been a question of whether our social media pals, or “e-friends,” as I used to call them, are really “friends,” according to some of the commonly accepted definitions. Personally, I long ago abandoned the distinction between “e-friends” and friends IRL. In my opinion, a friend is a friend is a friend, regardless of how we are connected. The issue is less clear when one looks at how friendships can impact the legal field, specifically, those between judges and the lawyers appearing before them.

Bair Hugger Device; image courtesy of www.youtube.com.

FDA Clears Bair Hugger Patient Warming Device for Use

September 5, 2017

What do you get when you blow hot air around a surgical patient? If you’re 3M Co., the maker of the Bair Hugger Forced Air Warming Device, you get over 2,600 lawsuits. You also get a letter from the FDA telling healthcare providers that the device is actually cleared for use. The Bair Hugger was designed to “promote post-surgical healing and cut down on infections by maintaining a patient’s body temperature in surgery.”

J&J Baby Powder and the scales of Justice; image courtesy of Austin Kirk CC by 2.0.

Other Brands’ Warning Labels Pivotal Evidence in $417M Talc-Ovarian Cancer Trial

August 31, 2017

On August 22nd, I reported on a huge verdict for the plaintiff in a case against Johnson & Johnson (J&J) over the company’s talc-based baby powder. The plaintiff, Mrs. Eva Echeverria, is currently undergoing aggressive treatment of ovarian cancer; a disease she (and the jury) believes is the result of years of using J&J’s baby powder for feminine hygiene. Mrs. Echeverria was awarded $417M ($70M in non-economic damages and $347M in punitive damages). The total in talc-related verdicts against J&J is now over $720M. All for want of a simple warning label.

Aaron Davis, image courtesy of www.vimeo.com; Behold Barbarity, image courtesy of www.discogs.com. Composite by author.

Neo-Nazi Loving Lawyer Loses Job for Owning Hateful Record Label

August 28, 2017

This is a case of facing the music. Aaron Davis, a patent attorney in Minneapolis, Minnesota recently learned that, if you’re gonna dance, you have to pay the band. The former partner at Patterson Thuente was recently ousted from his post after being outed as the owner of Behold Barbarity, a record label catering to the tastes of a small subset of black metal/death metal fans. Note: This article contains strong, hateful language.

Graphic of healthy and cancerous ovaries (left) with image of talc products (right); image courtesy of www.eathealthyplans.com.

Latest Talc-related Ovarian Cancer Verdict: $417M

August 22, 2017

Yesterday, a jury in Los Angeles handed down a verdict for the plaintiff in a suit against Johnson & Johnson (J&J) over the company’s talcum powder and its connection to the plaintiff’s ovarian cancer. The $417M verdict ($70M compensatory damages and $347M punitive damages) is the largest award in this type of suit thus far.

Chrysler Appeals Remi Walden Verdict, Says Excessive

August 21, 2017

Remi Walden died in a horrible vehicle fire in March, 2012. He was safely seated in the rear of a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee when it was struck from behind. The fuel tank, mounted behind the rear axle of the Jeep, exploded engulfing the vehicle in flames. It’s estimated that then four-year-old Remington lived for approximately one minute. The jury in the original case found that Chrysler knew the location of the fuel tank was dangerous and awarded the family $150M ($120M in compensatory damages and $30M in pain and suffering). The judge later reduced the award to $40M ($30M compensatory and $10M pain and suffering). Not content to face its responsibility, Chrysler appealed. The appellate court upheld the verdict and award. Now, Chrysler has taken its appeal to the Georgia Supreme Court.

Essure Loses Commercial License in European Union

August 17, 2017

Despite Bayer’s strident claims to the contrary, regulators in Ireland aren’t exactly certain the German company’s Essure “permanent” birth control device is a safe option. That uncertainty prompted the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) to decline renewal of Essure’s CE marking – the commercial license that allows the device to be sold in the EU.

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