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Gregory Speier

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The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has finalized its rule requiring U.S. and foreign air carriers to refund costs associated with tickets and ancillary service fees under certain circumstances related to airline delays and cancellations. This rule stems from and responds to President Biden’s Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy, issued on…

In a New Jersey personal injury action, when a plaintiff alleges physical and/or mental injury as a result of the defendant’s negligence or other tortious conduct, the defendant is entitled to have the plaintiff examined by one or more medical experts pursuant to New Jersey Court Rule 4:19. The purpose of such examinations is for defense-retained medical experts to assess and offer opinions concerning the injuries the plaintiff is claiming in the lawsuit. Oftentimes, the plaintiff’s counsel will request that a third-party be present for the DME or that it be audio or video recorded. Such requests typically lead to disagreements between counsel and ultimately motion practice.   Continue Reading New Jersey Supreme Court clarifies who may attend a Defense Medical Examination (DME) and whether the examination may be recorded

After 9/11, waves of lawsuits were filed seeking to hold those who sponsored and supported the al Qaeda terrorist organization accountable.  For instance, insurance companies, who paid out hundreds of billions of dollars in compensation for property damage and personal injuries as a result of the 9/11 attacks, filed subrogation lawsuits against al Qaeda and a host of other terrorist organizations, individual terrorists, nation states[1], and financial institutions allegedly involved in providing support and financial assistance to certain 9/11 hijackers and plotters.  In addition, family members of those killed in the attacks, as well as those injured, also filed lawsuits.  These lawsuits, among others, were consolidated into a multi-district litigation captioned In Re Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001. Continue Reading Southern District of New York dismisses defendant bank in 9/11 litigation for lack of personal jurisdiction

In the past week, the U.S. House and U.S. Senate separately proposed legislation to reauthorize and fund the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). While there are similarities and overlapping provisions in the two bills, there are many differences. For example, while the House’s version provides great funding and revitalization of the general aviation community, the Senate’s version does not. By way of further example, the Senate’s version provides sweeping provisions for what it calls “consumer protections” which would drastically alter a commercial airline’s financial obligations in the event of a delayed flight and requires hotlines for the general public. The House version takes a softer stance on such issues.    

The business, commercial, and general aviation communities should take note of our key takeaways from the two competing bills and monitor the developments in Congress over the summer as we approach the September 30 expiration deadline of Congress’ FAA authorization. Below we focus on certain highlights from the two pieces of legislation, including part 121 air carriers, advanced air mobility, general aviation, and consumer protections.Continue Reading U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate propose bills to reauthorize the FAA

Today, some commentators have even argued that autonomous flight is likely to become a reality much earlier than autonomous driving. However, a distinct issue is the extent to which artificial intelligence (AI) may be used in autonomous flight.
Continue Reading Legal challenges in autonomous flight: Things to consider before investing in an aircraft that flies itself

If you live in Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Texas, Utah, or Virginia, your recent online Walmart order may have been delivered to your home by a drone.  In May, Walmart announced that it completed hundreds of drone deliveries.  By this time next year, Walmart hopes to complete over a million drone home deliveries in these states. 

In the May press release, Walmart announced that its drone delivery program was made possible through its partnership with DroneUp, a company that offers drone flight services through a network of single pilots and pilot organizations. Through close consultation with DroneUp, Walmart is now able to deliver packages weighing less than 10 pounds, in as little as 30 minutes, between the hours of 8am and 8pm.  While Walmart believed most customers would use its drone-delivery service for “emergency items,” it turns out that the top selling item in one hub location is Hamburger Helper. 

This demonstrates that consumers quickly become comfortable using drone delivery service for all kinds of goods, including food and everyday household items. 

According to recent press releases, Walmart’s delivery process is as follows:  a DroneUp delivery hub, with a team of certified drone pilots, is tasked with the safe delivery of packages within the confines of FAA guidelines.  When a customer places an order, the item is fulfilled from the store, packaged, loaded into the drone, and delivered to the customer’s home using a cable that gently lowers the package to the ground. Continue Reading Walmart continues to expand its drone-delivery program

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), those who are fully vaccinated with an FDA-authorized vaccine or a vaccine authorized for emergency use by the World Health Organization can now travel safely within the U.S.  Face coverings, however, must still be worn at the airport and during flight.
Continue Reading FAA and Homeland Security issue warnings as unruly passenger incidents increase