To help with your writing efforts, here’s what people are looking for in Products Liability online. Trending topics culled from JD Supra, search analytics, social media conversations, and other sources:
Consider writing about:
A measure passed by Illinois legislators last month regarding frontier AI models; what to know about this type of AI technology; goals of the Illinois legislation, and what it could mean for AI developers; how Illinois’ Artificial Intelligence Safety Measures Act compares to AI-related measures signed into law in other states.
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Litigation filed against Gilead Sciences by users of the biopharmaceutical company’s HIV medicine; what to know about a case recently heard by the California Supreme Court; what the outcome of this csae could mean for the pharmaceutical industry specifically and, more broadly speaking, for manufacturers’ duty of care, other obligations, and liability risks regarding their existing products and their related product development options and actions.
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A defense verdict in favor of Johnson & Johnson in a bellwether trial regarding allegations that the company’s talc products caused ovarian cancer; key factors that may have contributed to the outcome of the Los Angeles trial; how the issues and outcome in this trial compare to those in other lawsuits against J&J over its personal care products; and perhaps a comparison of talc-related legal developments, and relevant product liability laws, in the United States to those in other countries.
Related information:
https://finance.yahoo.com/sectors/healthcare/articles/j-j-beats-lawsuit-alleging-222409519.html
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The latest developments involving social media’s alleged addictive qualities, whether involving minors or adults. How are lawsuits, legislation, or regulatory actions on this front evolving? What significant outcomes or trends are you seeing on this front? Which developments strike you as especially noteworthy? How do addiction claims against social media companies compare to addiction claims in other contexts (whether involving pharmaceutical manufacturers, the tobacco industry, or other industries)?
Related information:
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/12/tiktok-instagram-social-media-addictive-eu-crack-down.html
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Vermont’s groundbreaking ban on the pesticide paraquat; reasons for the state ban; when the ban will be phased in; whom the ban mainly affects; how it will be implemented and enforced; whether other states are considering similar bans or restrictions; and perhaps a look at any noteworthy litigation involving alleged health impacts of exposure to paraquat or similar products.
Related information:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/may/26/vermont-paraquat-weedkiller-ban
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Consumer lawsuits over products advertised as “natural” or “naturally flavored;” product types that are seeing the most litigation over “natural” marketing claims; any noteworthy patterns or recurring themes among such lawsuits; how courts have regarded these types of consumer complaints; how companies can minimize potential liability stemming from “natural” claims; alternative options for companies that may be tempted to make risky “natural” claims.
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The Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to include microplastics and pharmaceuticals for the first time on a draft of a periodically updated list of contaminants mandated under the Safe Drinking Water Act; what to know about the Act’s history and mandate; what items’ inclusion on the contaminants list could mean for related industries and their obligations; current status of the latest draft list; process for revising, approving, implementing, and enforcing the contaminants list.
Related information:
https://www.npr.org/2026/04/02/nx-s1-5771155/epa-microplastics-pharmaceuticals-drinking-water
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Voluntary and/or mandated product recalls; how to determine when a voluntary recall is the best course of action in response to a product defect or potential liability risks; under what circumstances a product recall may be externally mandated and enforced, and by whom; potential repercussions if a company fails to meet recall requirements; lessons from past product recalls or best practices for companies on conducting either voluntary or externally required recalls.
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The Federal Trade Commission’s April 14 announcement of enforcement actions involving three companies over their claims that their products were made in the United States; financial penalties to be paid as a result of the enforcement actions; what to know about relevant sections of the FTC Act or applicable labeling requirements; related FTC enforcement trends regarding “Made in USA” product claims; practical guidance regarding supply chains, labeling, advertising, and other company practices.
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A California measure known as the Truth in Recycling or Truth in Labeling law; what to know about the law’s origins, key objectives, and effective date; compliance obligations and potential violation penalties under the Truth in Recycling law that businesses should be paying attention to; how the California law compares to other states’ recycling-related labeling laws; potential grounds for legal challenges to these types of laws.
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Trends involving chatbots; how state proposals regarding this tech development are evolving; which states have passed laws, or are considering legislation, on this matter; types of chatbots (business or “companion” types) and types of interactions or other activities that states are targeting; disclosure requirements and other key obligations under these state measures; potential penalties for violations; how either chatbot developers or businesses that make chatbots part of their operations can reduce potential risk to themselves or members of the public who interact with chatbots.
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Recent settlements that gaming platform Roblox has reached with several states over children’s safety; principal claims or concerns raised over the platform’s potential safety risks for young users; how Roblox is responding to those concerns; whether there are still additional child safety allegations against Roblox that have yet to be resolved; what other tech companies may be able to learn from the Roblox settlements regarding their own practices and whether they might need to improve them; and perhaps a wider-angle look at legal trends involving online child safety.
Related information:
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/roblox-alabama-settlement-attorney-general-rcna341128
https://apnews.com/article/roblox-nevada-settlement-28b3d7d7a483dc28462a7504b67c9bbc
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A discussion draft released in mid-March by Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn in conjunction with a Trump administration Executive Order regarding AI laws; what this proposal aims to do; specifically, what it could mean for AI-related safety standards, product liability risks stemming from the development or use of AI technology, federal or state overview of AI systems, and related enforcement actions; potential oversights, gaps, or shortcomings in this discussion draft, or additional causes for concern.
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The latest significant developments involving PFAS, whether congressional legislation, labeling requirements, RICO lawsuits, or other actions or trends of note. The PFAS landscape seems to be roiling with an ever-increasing number of new developments that the business community should know about. What are the primary liability risk areas right now, or the emerging risks (whether generally speaking for the business community, or pertaining to a certain industry, product, practice, or region)? How can companies best defend themselves in this environment?
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How companies can use AI tools as a way to strengthen their product safety practices; types of tools that coulld prove helpful in this regard and/or that are already being used for this purpose; how companies can make best use of AI tools for the sake of their products’ quality and performance and the satisfaction of customers; potential drawbacks or risks that companies should be aware of before embracing AI as a product safety “assistant,” lest an AI tool become a product liability risk of its own; any real-life cautionary tales on this front.
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A New Mexico jury’s verdict in a trial over Meta platforms’ alleged dangers to children; key claims against the tech giant; relevant statutes under which Meta was sued; what to know regarding the next phase of the New Mexico trial, and also regarding any other still unsettled cases involving social media platforms’ alleged harm to young people, and what this New Mexico case could signal for the potential fate of those cases; and perhaps some additional guidance for companies of other types regarding minors’ online safety and related liability risks.
Related information:
https://www.npr.org/2026/03/24/g-s1-115019/new-mexico-meta-children-mental-health
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/24/jury-reaches-verdict-in-meta-child-safety-trial-in-new-mexico.html
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A proposed class action filed in California federal court this month against Target Corp. over “sustainably caught” claims that the retailer makes about its Good & Gather tuna products; what this case may demonstrate regarding best practices or potential perils in marketing products as being “sustainable;” what qualifies a product to be described as such; potential alternative phrasings to consider; related business or legal trends involving companies’ environmental claims, and how best to navigate possibly choppy waters.
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An $11.5 million civil penalty that Shimano Inc. and Shimano North America Holding have agreed to pay to settle U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission charges; nature of the CPSC complaint; factors that likely contributed to the large dollar size of the proposed settlement; additional repercussions for Shimano involving its compliance performance and internal operations; lessons that other companies may be able to take from this case as regards the CPSC’s role and powers and regarding how best to comply with the Consumer Product Safety Act.
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How a China-based tech company’s security lapse enabled a software engineer to acquire access to thousands of robot vacuums and the information they generated from their existence “in the field”; what this incident illustrates regarding perils that may arise from the presence of “smart” devices in homes and businesses; any noteworthy lawsuits or regulatory actions over security failures by the manufacturers of other IoT devices; best practices for IoT device makers, either in anticipation of, or in the wake of, a possible security failure; how best to communicate with customers regarding suspected or proven vulnerabilities; additional ways to minimize liability risk.
Related information:
https://www.theverge.com/tech/879088/dji-romo-hack-vulnerability-remote-control-camera-access-mqtt
https://www.techbuzz.ai/articles/dji-pays-30k-for-accidental-hack-exposing-7-000-robot-vacuums
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Recent or otherwise noteworthy developments involving microplastics. Take your pick of potential issues to explore, ranging from scientific studies to federal or state legislation to international regulatory efforts, consumer lawsuits, federal enforcement actions, state attorney general initiatives, and beyond. What are the key liability risks right now for manufacturers, retailers, and other companies? Are familiar risk areas accelerating or changing in other ways? How are legal battles faring over microplastics’ alleged harms to the environment, consumers, or the general public, and what practical takeaways may be gleaned from those?
Related information:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jan/13/microplastics-human-body-doubt
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Lawsuits involving the athletic equipment sector, whether involving sports gear for amateur or professional athletes. What are some noteworthy lawsuits over alleged product defects, safety risks, physical harm to users or spectators, or other significant issues? What are the related issues for buyers or suppliers of allegedly problematic sports equipment, whether they are schools, recreation centers, tourist sites, or other entities? What additional issues might arise in the case of minors who are allegedly harmed by defective sports equipment? How should businesses be protecting themselves from lawsuits over sports equipment’s alleged hazards?
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That latest developments of note involving pesticides. Among the possible topics to choose from (or to tie together in one article): a proposed multibillion-dollar settlement by Bayer over the weed killer Roundup; a recent Executive Order on glyphosate production, the rationale for the order, and what it means for glyphosate manufacturers; whether the Defense Production Act provides a legally sound basis for the Executive Order, or whether it provides an opening for lawsuits; political blowback over the Executive Order, and what it could mean for the MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) movement or the wider MAGA coalition and its support of the Trump administration; other federal or state actions regarding pesticide safety, including campaigns to shield pesticide manufacturers from liability; whether there are any meaningful efforts being made to reformulate pesticides, in the face of potential liability risks involving glyphosate. Also, how are pesticides classified and regulated, whether in the United States or in other countries, and how has regulators’ approach to pesticides evolved in recent years?
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A recent Georgia jury verdict in favor of Teva Pharmaceuticals in the first U.S. jury trial over the company’s Paragard IUD; product defect allegations at issue in this case; the verdict’s potential implications for other IUD-related lawsuits against Teva; trends involving the manufacturing of IUDs, their history, and product liability claims against medical device makers over IUDs’ performance or alleged health risks.
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A lawsuit filed by Texas’ attorney general against fast-fashion company Shein; basis for AG Ken Paxton’s allegations that the retailer’s clothes contain toxic materials; whether other states’ attorneys general are making similar accusations against Shein or other fast-fashion companies or clothing companies with ties to China; how seriously to take the Texas lawsuit (do Paxton’s claims hold water, or is his lawsuit more about political messaging and/or anti-China sentiment?); whether other companies should be taking a hard look at their supply chains in the wake of the Texas lawsuit.
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A Feb. 6 ruling in an industry challenge to Oregon’s extended producer responsibility program; basis for the challenge to the state law; what the court’s action means for parties to this case, and, more broadly speaking, for the larger business community’s environmental obligations; next steps in the Oregon dispute, and what interested parties should be watching for; how EPR programs in other states are faring, and whether they are facing similar legal challenges.
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How Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” campaign is causing ripples on the state level for the food and beverage industry; new state laws or proposals that take aim at food dyes or other ingredients; legal challenges filed by food and beverage manufacturers against the state measures; other actions that industry has taken in response to the state laws, or may want to consider.
Related information:
https://www.statesman.com/news/politics/state/article/texas-food-labeling-lawsuit-maha-21225556.php
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Your choice of recent or otherwise noteworthy developments involving PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), whether involving lawsuits against consumer product manufacturers; liability shields; new or proposed laws potentially affecting the use of PFAS; or other issues of note. Also consider offering practical guidance on labeling and other disclosure practices, risk management, and related defense strategies.
Related information:
https://www.ajc.com/news/2026/02/bill-to-shield-georgia-carpet-companies-from-pfas-lawsuits-advances
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Lawsuits against major social media companies over the harm they allegedly cause to younger users; recent or otherwise noteworthy developments in litigation by individuals, school districts, or others; what to watch for as cases on this front head to trial; what other tech companies may want to consider regarding their own practices and guardrails, especially as they relate to young consumers.
Related information:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/meta-tiktok-youtube-trial-social-media-addiction-mental-health
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Legal or regulatory woes that may be ahead, or already surfacing, for Elon Musk over sexualized deepfake images created by Grok, the chatbot crated by Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI; issues that the images are raising, in the United States, the European Union, and potentially other jurisdictions; what to know about any applicable data services regulations, data privacy laws, online protections for minors, or other existing measures that may play a role in the pursuit of claims (whether by individuals, state attorneys general, or regional regulators); whether prior legal battles over individuals’ dissemination of non-consensual intimate images (sometimes known by the misleading term of revenge porn) or deepfake images could shed light on how legal battles over Grok’s creations may play out.
Related information:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/x-grok-ai-imagery-elon-musk-eu-uk-us-regulation
https://www.theverge.com/news/868239/x-grok-sexualized-deepfakes-eu-investigation
https://www.theverge.com/policy/857924/x-grok-ai-chatbot-bikini-images-regulators-congress
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Recent jury verdicts against Johnson & Johnson over alleged health impacts to consumers resulting from their use of the company’s personal care products containing talc; factors that may have contributed to the dollar size of the verdicts; how trials over these products are trending; new developments involving expert testimony and what they could mean for the outcome of still unresolved claims regarding talc-based products’ health impacts.
Related information:
https://thedailyrecord.com/2025/12/23/baltimore-jury-johnson-johnson-talc-mesothelioma-verdict