Articles by Edvard Pettersson and Dana Hull

Tesla Sued over Fatal Crash Allegedly Caused by Autopilot Malfunction

Tesla Inc. was sued over a fatal crash on a California highway allegedly caused when the Autopilot system of a 2017 Model X malfunctioned and steered the car into a concrete barrier. The case was filed just two days after …

California Judges Target Class Actions That Benefit Lawyers Over Consumers

Federal judges in California are cracking down on warped incentives in class-action lawsuits, exerting tighter oversight of settlements that provide hefty fees for plaintiff lawyers but no meaningful benefit for those harmed by corporate misdeeds. A recent example was the …

Airbnb Loses Huge Battle Over California City’s Rental Law

Airbnb Inc. and Expedia Group Inc.’s HomeAway failed to persuade a U.S. court of appeals to strike down a Santa Monica law that makes the companies liable for illicit rentals in the Southern California beach city. The ruling Wednesday by …

Michael Jackson Estate $100M Lawsuit Alleges ‘Character Assassination’ by HBO

The estate of Michael Jackson sued HBO for $100 million over what it says is the “posthumous character assassination” of the late singer in the “Leaving Neverland” documentary. The Jackson estate alleges HBO, which is owned by AT&T Inc., violated …

Boeing Sued for Negligence in Southern California Wildfire

Boeing Co. was accused of negligence tied to a wildfire that tore through Malibu, California, in November and that purportedly started on the grounds of the nearby, disused Rocketdyne testing site. A group of homeowners sued Boeing along with Edison …

Edison Trying to Shift Blame for California Mudslides

Edison International said much of the damage from the mudslides that swept through the coastal town of Montecito last year was the result of poorly designed and maintained debris basins for which local governments are responsible. The parent company and …

Tesla Settles Most Sudden Acceleration Claims

Tesla Inc. resolved most of a purported class-action lawsuit by customers who alleged that their Model S and Model X vehicles would suddenly accelerate, which in some cases resulted in accidents. Lawyers for the carmaker and the plaintiffs said in …

California Says Judge Who Said Coffee Needs Cancer Warning is Biased

California said a state judge who earlier this year ruled that coffee requires a cancer warning is too biased to oversee a new lawsuit that challenges the state’s proposal to exempt the beverage from the requirement. The California Office of …

Judge Rules Trump’s Tweet Over Stormy Daniels Was Free Speech, Not Libel

Stormy Daniels’s libel lawsuit over a tweet by Donald Trump accusing her of “a total con job” was thrown out by a judge who said the president was engaging in free speech. The adult film star, whose real name is …

Judge Signals Trump’s Tweet Over Stormy Daniels Is Free Speech, Not Libel

Stormy Daniels’s libel lawsuit over a tweet by Donald Trump looks to be doomed after a judge said the president was engaging in free speech. The adult film star, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, claims she was threatened by …