In the News Today – April 8, 2014

A Louisiana jury ordered Takeda to pay $6 billion in punitive damages to a plaintiff who was previously awarded $1.5 million in compensatory damages. The company plans to challenge the ruling. Eli Lilly, a codefendant, was ordered to pay $3 billion in the case. Wall Street Journal

The Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal from a defendant company that wants to move a class action lawsuit from Kansas state court to federal court under a provision of the Class Action Fairness Act. The plaintiffs did not specify damages, but the defendant says it will far exceed the $5 million threshold for sending suits to federal court. Law 360

Plaintiffs’ lawyers who were denied $4.7 million in legal fees are now asking for $855,000. A judge rejected the larger request after finding it “highly reasonable” for such a simple case over alleged Prius headlight defects. National Law Journal