Verdict . News

1w ago•4 min read

•First Circuit partially reversed summary judgment, allowing design defect claims to proceed against Cincinnati Incorporated

First Circuit Revives Design Defect Claims in Fatal Laser-Cutting Death

The First Circuit Court of Appeals partially reversed a lower court's dismissal of a wrongful death lawsuit against Cincinnati Incorporated, allowing design defect claims to proceed while affirming dismissal of other claims in a case involving a laser-cutting system operator who died when trapped by a descending steel beam.

•Luis Prieto died when trapped by descending steel beam in laser-cutting system manufactured by defendant

1w ago•4 min read

•Gary Hebert, a USPS employee, executed a beneficiary form shortly before dying of cancer, but failed to fully complete it

1st Circuit Rules on Federal Employee Life Insurance Beneficiary Dispute

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit has ruled in a complex dispute over federal life insurance proceeds from a deceased postal worker. The case involves competing claims between the employee's ex-wife and children versus his deceased spouse's estate.

•District court ruled the incomplete form still met FEGLIA requirements and Hebert had mental capacity

1w ago•4 min read

•First Circuit addressed personal jurisdiction over Pennsylvania-based gun marketplace Armslist in case brought by former Boston police officer

First Circuit Rules on Website Jurisdiction in Gun Marketplace Case

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit addressed whether online gun marketplace Armslist, LLC can be subject to personal jurisdiction in New Hampshire based on its website operations. The case involves former Boston police officer Kurt Stokinger and his wife suing the Pennsylvania-based company over a 2016 shooting.

•Case involves 2015 New Hampshire gun sale allegedly facilitated by website that led to 2016 Boston shooting

2w ago•2 min read

•BlueRadios appeals district court ruling in malpractice case against Massachusetts patent firm HBSR

1st Circuit Reviews BlueRadios Malpractice Suit Against Patent Firm

The First Circuit Court of Appeals is reviewing a legal malpractice case brought by Colorado tech company BlueRadios against Massachusetts patent law firm Hamilton, Brook, Smith & Reynolds and several attorneys. The appeal challenges a district court ruling in what appears to involve allegations of conflicted representation.

•Company alleges the law firm engaged in conflicted representation described as 'two-timing'

•First Circuit affirmed dismissal of employment case against USPS for witness tampering

First Circuit Affirms USPS Case Dismissal Over Witness Tampering

The First Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a district court's dismissal of an employment case against the U.S. Postal Service after finding that plaintiff Orlando González Tomasini tampered with a witness on the eve of trial.

•District court held three-day evidentiary hearing before finding misconduct occurred

•First Circuit reversed district court dismissal of religious discrimination claims against Hasbro

First Circuit Revives Religious Discrimination Claims Against Hasbro

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit has revived discrimination and retaliation claims against toy giant Hasbro Inc. brought by two former employees who resigned after being denied religious exemptions from the company's COVID-19 vaccination policy. The court vacated lower court dismissals and remanded the case for further proceedings.

•Two former employees resigned after being denied religious exemptions from COVID-19 vaccine policy

•Ann Marie Maccarone sued Siemens Industry for alleged FLSA and state wage law violations

First Circuit Reviews Settlement Dispute in Siemens FLSA Case

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit is examining a complex employment dispute between Ann Marie Maccarone and Siemens Industry, Inc., centered on a disregarded settlement agreement in a Fair Labor Standards Act case that reached oral agreement during a court-annexed mediation.

•Parties reached oral settlement agreement during court-annexed mediation in March 2024

•Hassan Abbas, a former attorney, was convicted for facilitating romance scams and business email compromises worth millions

First Circuit Affirms Attorney Conviction in Romance Scam Case

The First Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction of Hassan Abbas, a disbarred attorney who facilitated romance scams and business email compromises that defrauded victims of millions of dollars. The court rejected Abbas's appeal in a case highlighting sophisticated online fraud schemes targeting vulnerable individuals.

•Abbas used his legal credentials to open fraudulent bank accounts for fake companies to process victim payments

3w ago•4 min read

•First Circuit granted rare en banc review, withdrawing previous panel decision from August 2025

1st Circuit Grants En Banc Review in Cambridge Police Speech Case

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit granted en banc review in Hussey v. City of Cambridge, withdrawing a previous panel decision and ordering the full court to rehear a case involving First Amendment protections for public employee speech. The court directed parties to address questions about how derogatory speech factors into constitutional balancing tests.

•Case examines First Amendment protections for public employee speech that mocks or disparages public issues