United States: Professional Negligence

The Supreme Court of Alabama, applying Alabama law, has held that a pharmacy technician’s act of compounding medication constitutes a “professional service” under a professional services exclusion in a commercial general liability policy. OMS Pharmacy, Inc. v. Nationwide Prop. & Cas. Ins. Co., 2026 WL 3031566 (Ala. Oct. 9, 2026).

Boat operators face legal responsibility when excessive speed or dangerous wakes cause accidents on the water. Understanding safe speed requirements, no-wake zones, and how speed violations factor into maritime injury claims can help determine liability when collisions, wake damage, or passenger injuries occur.

The Louisiana Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed dismissal of negligence claims against a title agent, ruling that the buyer's March 2015 title insurance claim triggered a one-year filing deadline that expired before the September 2016 lawsuit. This decision clarifies when the clock starts ticking on professional liability claims against title agents and whether non-final liability rulings prevent defendants from raising timeliness defenses.

The Mississippi Supreme Court has established a new framework for evaluating consent-based battery claims in medical procedures, particularly when patients withdraw consent during operations. This landmark decision clarifies when expert testimony is required and draws crucial distinctions between different types of medical consent claims.

Shopping centers can harbor hidden dangers like wet floors, uneven walkways, and poor lighting that turn routine errands into serious accidents. When property owners fail to maintain safe conditions, injured visitors may have legal recourse. Understanding liability, common hazards, and the claims process is essential for protecting your rights after a slip and fall injury.

Colorado law has long distinguished between the duty to defend and the duty to indemnify in litigation, but the state's construction anti-indemnity statute creates an unresolved tension with this traditional framework. When construction agreements are governed by statutory limits on risk transfer tied to proportional fault, how does a present duty to defend operate before that fault has been determined? This intersection of established legal principles awaits definitive appellate guidance.

A wave of class action lawsuits targeting data center operators has emerged, alleging that noise from cooling systems and generators constitutes nuisance and negligence. Plaintiffs' firms are deploying coordinated legal strategies across multiple jurisdictions, following playbooks used in prior mass tort campaigns. Data center operators face growing legal exposure as complaints expand from property damage claims to broader health impact allegations.

A Washington Court of Appeals has ruled that an employee's not-yet-conceived child may pursue a negligence claim against the employer for birth defects allegedly caused by workplace chemical exposure before conception. The decision addresses whether employers owe a duty of care to future children and whether workers' compensation exclusivity bars such claims, with significant implications pending potential Supreme Court review.

An Illinois circuit court recently imposed $60,000 in sanctions on a law firm and attorney for submitting AI-generated fabricated case citations in court filings, marking a significant escalation in judicial penalties for artificial intelligence misuse. The case reveals how multiple instances of AI hallucinations across several filings, combined with inadequate disclosure and failure to take responsibility, led to one of the largest sanctions to date for AI-related misconduct in legal practice.