Legal Question in Business Law in California

The Next Big Legal Liability

I am doing research for one of my clients regarding the next big legal liability facing businesses today.

For example, exposure to asbestos leading to conditions like mesothelioma became a major liability in the early 1980's. Johns Manville, a major manufacturer of the material was forced to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1982 to protect itself from major class action lawsuits. It has since been reorganized and continues to operate. Similarly, there were the lawsuits against the tobacco industry around the issue of cigarette smoking and cancer.

The impact of this liability was seriously underestimated by many insurance companies and led to serious financial turbulence.

In your opinion ...

1. What do you think will be the next big corporate or government legal liability?

2. What current product liabilities -- or the impact of them -- might be seriously underestimated?

Thank you for your responses.


Asked on 1/26/09, 4:29 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Michael Stone Law Offices of Michael B. Stone Toll Free 1-855-USE-MIKE

Re: The Next Big Legal Liability

You are getting paid by some big corporation to research this issue and you've decided, like Tom Sawyer, to outsource the work onto LawGuru's volunteer attorneys??

Tell your client to treat its employees, customers and other individuals whose lives it touches with dignity and respect; to not manufacture unsafe products; and to apologize promptly when it makes mistakes.

If your client does these things it should have little to worry about.

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Answered on 1/26/09, 4:56 pm


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