Insurance and Drug Products Liability

An insurance policy is a contract between an insurance company (the insurer) and an individual or company (the insured). Under the contract, the insurer agrees to defend the insured if the insured is sued. The insurer also agrees to indemnify or repay the insured for any losses that are covered by the policy.

The Food and Drug Administration's Oversight of Human Cloning Technology

In 1996, Dolly the sheep became the first large animal cloned from a bioengineered embryo that had been implanted in a ewe's womb. It took 277 attempts before a viable lamb was born. Other animals have been cloned to date, but successful cloning has not occurred often and various abnormalities have been seen. In 1999, it was reported that DNA had been found in Dolly's cells, which was typical of an older animal.

Consumer Product Safety Act

The Consumer Product Safety Act of 1972 (Act) created the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (Commission). Under the Act, the Commission has authority to adopt consumer product safety rules. The Act requires manufacturers to place warning labels and information labels on consumer products. The Act also requires manufacturers to report defects that have or may cause serious injury or death. Manufacturers must also report a product that fails to comply with a consumer product safety standard. The Act creates a federal tort cause of action for a knowing violation of safety standards or the Commission's rules. Injured persons who win a lawsuit under the Act can receive attorney fees and recover expert witness fees.

The Food and Drug Administration Enforcement of Carbohydrate Claims on Food Labels

The low carbohydrate diet craze has hit the U.S., and consumers are scrambling to buy "low carb" food products. The food industry has asked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates food, drugs, medical devices, and cosmetics, to clarify what carbohydrate claims can be made on food labels.

Household Refrigerator Safety Act

The headlines are too familiar and too tragic: "Children, 4 and 7, Found in Old Refrigerator, Dead From Suffocation." The Household Refrigerator Safety Act (Act) was passed to prevent children from becoming trapped inside refrigerators and suffocating to death.