In a sprawling 163 page opinion issued just last week, the Connecticut Appellate Court addressed, as a matter of first impression, five different issues that will significantly affect the disposition of asbestos, and potentially other, long tail claims in Connecticut. The case, R.T. Vanderbilt Co., Inc. v. Hartford Accident and

Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge’s Insurance and Reinsurance Department recently published its latest Newsletter, Insurance & Reinsurance Review – March 2011, which contains nine articles about various topics in the insurance and reinsurance industry. 

In July 2009 in New Castle County in the State of Delaware, three separate plaintiffs filed civil suits against E. I. Du Pont De Nemours and Company, Inc. (“DuPont”) alleging that their work at a DuPont textile plant in Mercedes, Argentina from 1961 to 2002 caused them to be exposed to and inhale asbestos fibers. 

The Insurance and Reinsurance Department of Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge is holding a 60 minute complimentary webinar entitled “Emerging Trends in Asbestos Litigation: US/UK/European Issues and Perspectives” on Tuesday, May 25, 20 at 12:00 p.m. EST. 

The Unites States Department of Justice is expected to announce shortly a settlement with AstraZeneca plc over allegations that the drug manufacturer improperly promoted off-label uses of its antipsychotic drug, Seroquel.  Federal and state authorities have been investigating allegations that AstraZeneca promoted the use of Seroquel for purposes not approved by the Food and Drug Administration. 

A federal jury in Boston recently returned a verdict against Pfizer Inc. in connection with claims that Pfizer unlawfully promoted off-label uses of its anti-epilepsy drug Neurontin.  The plaintiffs, a group of hospitals and HMOs, claimed that Pfizer had fooled them into believing that Neurontin was effective in the treatment of bipolar disorder, neuropathic pain and other conditions.