Iran Beirut Bombing Litigation
Iran Beirut Bombing Litigation (D.D.C.) Cohen Milstein is litigating three Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act lawsuits against the Islamic Republic of Iran for its alleged involvement in the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Marine Barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, which was carried out by Hezbollah, a terrorist organization, allegedly at the direction and with the support of Iran. The Beirut Marine Barracks Bombing, which killed 241 American servicemembers and injured numerous others, was the deadliest state-sponsored terrorist attack against United States citizens before September 11, 2001. To date, the court has awarded plaintiffs more than $1.5 billion in total default judgments.
Caterpillar, Inc. Engine Products Liability Litigation
Caterpillar Product Liability Litigation (D.N.J.): Cohen Milstein was co-lead counsel in a nationwide product liability class action lawsuit alleging Caterpillar sold diesel engines with defective exhaust emissions system that resulted in power losses and shutdowns. The case was settled in September 2016 for $60 million.
Mincey v. Takata
Mincey v. Takata (Cir. Crt., Duval Cnty., Fla.): Cohen Milstein was lead counsel in one of the first lawsuits brought against Takata for a defectively designed airbag which deployed so aggressively during a collision that it rendered our client a quadriplegic. The suit charged that Takata, the manufacturer of the airbag system, not only knew of the airbag defect but hid the defect from millions of consumers. After years of intensive discovery and in-depth work with renowned experts, on the eve of trial Cohen Milstein successfully reached a confidential settlement on behalf of our client. Further, our discovery efforts furthered the U.S. Department of Justice investigation into Takata Corporation and subsequent recall efforts of Takata airbags – one of the largest recalls in U.S. history.
Quinteros, et al. v. DynCorp, et al.
Quinteros, et al. v. DynCorp, et al. (D.D.C.): Cohen Milstein represented over 2,000 Ecuadorian farmers and their families who suffered physical injuries and property damage as a result of aerial spraying of toxic herbicides on or near their land by DynCorp, a U.S. government contractor. A bellwether trial on behalf of the first six Ecuadorian clients came to a conclusion in April 2017, when the ten-person jury unanimously determined that DynCorp was responsible for the conduct of the pilots with whom it had subcontracted to conduct the chemical spraying after April 2003. This resolution allowed for a successful case settlement.
Paz-Orjales v. Ford Motor Company
Paz-Orjales v. Ford Motor Company (Cir. Crt. Osceola Cnty., Fla.): Cohen Milstein successfully settled a catastrophic injury lawsuit against Ford Motor Company. Our client, Mr. Paz-Orjales, asserted that due to a defective design, the roof of the Ford truck, in which he was a passenger, collapsed and crushed him during a roll over accident, resulting in his quadriplegia.
BK Trucking Co., et al. v. PACCAR, Inc. et al.
BK Tucking Co., et al. v. Paccar, Inc., et al. (D.N.J.): Cohen Milstein represented current and former truck owners and lessees in New Jersey, Ohio and Texas in a putative class action against PACCAR, the third-largest manufacturer of medium- and heavy-duty trucks in the world, and its subsidiaries, Kenworth Truck Company and Peterbilt Motors for breach of warranty, unfair, deceptive and fraudulent business practices related to the manufacture and sale of defective products.
Edwards v. Tesla, Inc.
Edwards v. Tesla (Sup. Crt. Cal., Alameda Cnty.): Cohen Milstein represented the Edwards family in a first-of-its-kind crashworthiness product liability lawsuit against Tesla. Plaintiffs alleged that Ms. Edwards sustained catastrophic injuries because the airbags failed to deploy in her Tesla Model 3 during an accident. On January 24, 2024, a confidential settlement was reached.
Glen Mar Early Learning Center Litigation
Glen Mar Early Learning Center Litigation (Circ. Crt., Howard Cnty., Md.): Cohen Milstein represented the parents of five children, who were allegedly subjected to sexual abuse and exploitation by a predator over a two-year period in 2018-2019, while attending the Glen Mar Early Learning Center in Maryland. Parties agreed to a confidential settlement on September 25, 2023, concluding the lawsuit.
Bains, et al. v. American Tactical, Inc.
Bains, et al. v. American Tactical, Inc., et al. (W.D.N.Y.): On April 13, 2023, Cohen Milstein and Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence filed a negligence, public nuisance and unlawful marketing lawsuit against American Tactical, Inc. and others involved in the manufacturing, marketing, and sale of the 60-round high-capacity magazine (HCM) used by the perpetrator in a deadly mass shooting on April 15, 2021 at a FedEx Ground Package facility in Indianapolis, Indiana. Tragically, thirteen people were shot during the attack. Eight died. At least five other people were injured.