Sophia M Landress
Sophia Landress provides comprehensive support to businesses that are facing mass tort and product liability risks.
View the full bio for Sophia M Landress at the Faegre Drinker website.
Articles by Sophia M Landress:
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania recently ruled that a product vendor’s silence is not deceptive when the vendor has no duty to speak.
The “catch-all” provision of Pennsylvania’s Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law (UTPCPL) prohibits vendors of goods and services from “[e]ngaging in any other fraudulent or deceptive conduct which creates a likelihood of confusion or of misunderstanding.” 73 P.S. § 201-2(4)(xxi). In March 2026, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania decided that omissions do not count as “deceptive conduct” under the UTPCPL.
Continue reading “What’s the Catch? Interpreting the “Catch-All” Provision of Pennsylvania’s Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law”
Even in the areas where the Product Liability Directive aims for full harmonisation, the EU member states’ early legislative activity reveals notable differences in implementation. Companies should continue to monitor national transposition closely and begin preparing for the new regime. Key steps include reviewing product safety documentation and post-market surveillance processes and ensuring that contractual arrangements with component suppliers and distributors adequately allocate responsibilities and risks under the revised framework.
Read the full article on the Faegre Drinker website
Preserving objections to jury instructions can be the difference between paying a significant judgment or making a plaintiff prove their case again at trial.
In October 2023, a Philadelphia jury handed down a mammoth $980 million verdict for the plaintiff in Amagasu et al. v. Mitsubishi Motors North America et al., due to an allegedly defective seat belt. The verdict included $800 million in punitive damages. Amagasu et al. v. Fred Beans Family of Dealerships, et al., No. 1594 EDA 2024 (Pa. Super. Ct. Dec. 22, 2025). The presiding judge increased the compensatory portion of the verdict, pushing the total award past $1 billion.
Continue reading “Instruction Malfunction: Pennsylvania Superior Court Vacates $1B Verdict Due to Faulty Jury Instructions”
