Boy Scouts Of America Reaches Historic Settlement With Sexual Abuse Survivors

Boy Scout Abuse

The Boy Scouts of America has reached an $850 million settlement with more than 60,000 men who sued the iconic institution over alleged sexual abuse by adults in scouting over several decades.

The agreement, announced on Thursday, is the first legal settlement in a long list of lawsuits against the Boy Scouts, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February 2020.

Ken Rothweiler, one of three lead negotiators on behalf of the men who say they were raped, molested, or sexually harassed as children, called it historic.

In an emailed statement he called the deal “the largest settlement of sexual abuse claims in United States history.”

It is more than double the group’s initial proposal to victims.

Under the terms of the agreement, local councils are expected to contribute to the settlement fund. Court documents state they are required to pay at least $300 million.

Another aspect of the deal

New Mexico Opens Door to New Era of Civil Rights Lawsuits

Civil Rights

Efforts among a handful of states to hold police accountable for brutality and misconduct are expanding Thursday as New Mexico opens the door to civil rights lawsuits against government agencies in state court.

The New Mexico Civil Rights Act removes immunity provisions that shield government agencies from financial liability related to misconduct, though individual officials won’t pay for damages.

As the law takes effect, local police agencies are bracing for an onslaught of lawsuits that can carry liability awards of up to $2 million per event. At least one county sheriff’s department has been declined private insurance coverage — highlighting concerns about potential payouts.

The legislation, drafted amid nationwide protests over police brutality and institutional racism, reaches beyond law enforcement practices and applies to

$12M Med Mal Verdict: Mistaken Dose of Insulin Caused Brain Injury

Medical Malpractice

With 55% fault apportioned to a defendant doctor and 45% to a Perry hospital that settled out of the case before trial, a $6.6 million award is set to be entered in the plaintiffs’ favor against the surgeon.

A Houston County, Georgia jury awarded $12 million in total damages to a woman who suffered permanent brain injuries after she accidentally administered the wrong type of insulin at a hospital in Perry.

Because the jury apportioned 45% liability to the hospital and nurse there who had already settled out of the case, the actual judgment is set to be entered for $6.6 million against the surgeon, who was assigned the remainder of fault.

Troops Can Finally Sue The Military For Medical Malpractice

Medical Malpractice

The Defense Department on Thursday will officially publish the rules governing how uniformed service members or their representatives can file a claim against the military for malpractice.

The new regulation, which will take effect 30 days after Thursday’s publication in the Federal Register, marks a significant step in service members’ or families’ ability to seek recourse for malpractice. An advance look was posted online Wednesday morning.

For decades, the Feres Doctrine — named for a plaintiff in a landmark 1950 U.S. Supreme Court case — has kept active-duty military personnel from suing the government over personal injuries they incurred as a result of their service. This made it difficult for service members to seek recourse from the military when their medical treatment was mishandled.

But the National Defense Authorization Act passed by Congress in December 2019 contained provisions to change that. Service members — or their representatives if they are dead or incapacitated — became eligible to file claims for personal injury or death caused by a military health provider in certain medical treatment facilities.

3M Wins Lawsuit Over Military-Issued Earplugs

3M Earplugs

A federal jury in Florida sided with earplug manufacturer 3M that the company’s product did not cause hearing loss for a veteran who used them while serving in the military.

The trial was the second of three scheduled this year that could impact the outcome of a lawsuit involving nearly 236,000 veterans who were issued the earplugs while in the service.

3M, a Minnesota-based company, lost the first trial April in which a jury awarded $7.1 million to three Army veterans who said they suffered from hearing loss and tinnitus because of the earplugs. The second trial involved one veteran, Dustin McCombs, with a similar lawsuit.

The jury on Friday determined 3M was not liable, negligent or fraudulent when selling earplugs to the military, according to court documents.