Scholastic Update articles

Recent articles from Scholastic Update

The Damage Done.
April 12, 1999... In a new wave of lawsuits, people hurt by guns, cigarettes, and toxic waste are suing the companies that produced them. When products kill or injure, the question before the courts is: Who's Responsible? Suppose a company makes TV sets that explode when you plug them in. Under...

Made to Kill.(New York jury finds gun industry liable for damages in gun violence case)
April 12, 1999... Are gun makers responsible for gun violence? A New York jury says yes, and cities line up to sue the gun industry. The last thing Steven Fox remembers is seeing his friend raise his hand. Fox, a 15-year-old high school freshman, was visiting his friend, Alfred Atkins, when Atkins began...

A $51 Million Habit?(tobacco companies being sued by ex-smokers)
April 12, 1999... Ex-smokers are suing tobacco companies, claiming that cigarettes made them sick. But others say it was their choice to smoke. The year was 1962. Patricia Henley, 15, sneaked out of a school dance with her friends and smoked her first cigarette. "We thought we were cool," she recalls. ...

A More Civil Action?(Toms River cancer victim gets cooperation from corporate polluter)
April 12, 1999... Corporate polluters and kids with cancer. It sounds like the movie A Civil Action--but this time the two sides are cooperating. What interests Michael Gillick is fairly standard, 20-year-old guy stuff--playing video games, watching football and hockey on television, and collecting...

So Sue Me!(what lawsuits are and how they are used)(Brief Article)
April 12, 1999... Lawsuits are changing the world. But how do they work? Why do people sue? And what is a lawsuit, anyway? Anyone who's seen Ally McBeal knows that when people have a serious disagreement, they sue, and quickly end up in court, telling their heartfelt stories to a jury, In real life,...