Products and Professional Liability
The United States and the European Union lead the world in legal policies and actions which impose strict liability for defective products, and Cooper Law Firm has an international reputation for its expertise in product and professional liability litigation.
Corporate liability for improper notice of dangers to the public and/or classes of individuals can include
- Handling of waste products
- Manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceuticals
- Equipment and safety protocols at worksites, including the use of chemicals
- Safety standards, or lack thereof, in the manufacture and retail of consumer goods such as boats, vehicles, HVAC systems, and other items
- Contamination of personal and/or real property due to corporate activities or equipment malfunction, including damage to homes, classes of workers such as fishermen, and environmental pollution
- Damages to individuals whose care was entrusted to health and/or private care/residential institutions
- Improper construction practices and outcomes
Every member of the CLF Legal Team has expertise in this area of litigation, in hiring experts to scientifically document damages and in handling the media promotions and examination that can often accompany such cases. The lead team on this area of practice are Barry Cooper and Celeste Brustowicz.
Groundbreaking case work: U.S.
Oil Disasters
Deepwater Horizon
The principals of Cooper Law Firm were the first to warn of a continuing oil leak at the site of the BP oil disaster documented in films and numerous articles since the explosion that killed 10 workers in 2012. With scientific and focused determination, a team led by Attorney Stuart Smith documented the on-going damage to the Gulf of Mexico, its wildlife, the health of Gulf area residents and cleanup workers/volunteers, as well as the local fishing industry. This work is documented in the film, The Big Fix.
Veterans
3M Combat Arms Earplug
Cooper Law Firm is representing U.S. Military veterans who used 3M Combat Arms Earplugs and suffered hearing loss or tinnitus in personal injury lawsuits against the manufacturer. If you served as an allied troop member in a European military deployment in Iraq or Afghanistan, you may also be able to make a claim.
Pharmaceutical
Vioxx Products Liability Litigation, 05-MD-1657 (Hon. Eldon E. Fallon)
Pharmaceutical company Merck paid out nearly $6 billion to settle 35,000 Vioxx lawsuits, federal charges, and criminal & civil claims; Mr. Cooper and his legal team successfully represented several hundred plaintiffs against Merck. The victims said the drug Propulsid (Cisapride) carried the risk of serious cardiovascular side effects.
Groundbreaking case work: The Americas and Europe
Hazardous Chemicals
Pesticide Justice
Nicaraguan banana plantation workers seek relief from Dow Chemical, Shell and Occidental Petroleum when repeated exposure to the banned chemical DCBP, a nematode pesticide which the defendant chemical companies knew to be dangerous to exposed workers when it was sold and used, caused sterilization. Judgements in favor of the workers have already been affirmed by the Supreme Court of Nicaragua and recognized by international courts for collection. The judgments are worth in excess of 1.6 Billion U.S. dollars for these long suffering victims.