United States: Personal Injury

In a unanimous 9-0 decision, the United States Supreme Court held that state-law negligent hiring claims against freight brokers are not preempted by the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act (“FAAAA”).

The Seventh Circuit issued two landmark decisions in early 2026 that fundamentally reshape civil litigation practice. One establishes that strategic choices at summary judgment constitute waiver rather than forfeiture, foreclosing appellate review even when counsel changes hands. The other applies the Supreme Court's recent Hippocratic Medicine framework to organizational standing, potentially ending the diversion-of-resources theory that advocacy groups have relied upon for decades.

On February 27, 2026, a federal court in New York granted a motion to dismiss a tobacco premium surcharge lawsuit.