Lanier Law Firm attorney in key role battling vaping epidemic
HOUSTON – Acclaimed Houston trial lawyer Richard “Rick” Meadow of The Lanier Law Firm has been named to the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in litigation against e-cigarette maker Juul in California state court. Nearly 100 cases have been filed so far in the Judicial Council Coordinated Proceeding, or JCCP, which follows a similar process to federal multidistrict litigation (MDL) by consolidating similar legal claims against a common defendant.
The lawsuits are brought by school districts across the state, alleging that Juul created an ongoing vaping epidemic through aggressive marketing of e-cigarettes to teenagers, resulting in a decline in student performance and a diversion of the school districts’ resources and revenue to battle the crisis.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Ann Jones appointed Mr. Meadow to the committee, which will continue to investigate and develop the claims while also overseeing the coordination, preparation, and presentation of the cases.
“JUUL specifically targeted the youth of our society in an effort to addict an entire new generation of smokers,” says Mr. Meadow. “They did this with specific intent and by using the old tobacco playbook. We will stop them and compensate those who are injured.”
Mr. Meadow, National Mass Tort Leader for The Lanier Law Firm, has been a practicing trial attorney for more than 30 years and has successfully tried more than 25 cases to verdict. He is also serving on the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee in the federal multidistrict litigation against Johnson & Johnson over ovarian cancer claims involving the company’s talcum powder products.
“This appointment shows the respect that Rick has earned from the courts and from his fellow attorneys over many years,” says Lanier Law Firm founder Mark Lanier. “Rick has proven himself time and again in these complex proceedings, and I know his style and experience will play a key role in bringing this litigation to a successful conclusion.”
The JCCP litigation is separate from a federal MDL that consolidates similar personal injury claims brought by individuals, as well as a lawsuit brought by the California attorney general tied to Juul’s alleged failures in age-verification in sales and distribution.
For more than 30 years, the men and women at the Lanier Law Firm have worked tirelessly, throughout the United States, to find unique and effective solutions for their clients. More than 60 skilled attorneys practice law in a broad array of areas, including business litigation, pharmaceutical litigation, asbestos exposure, oil and gas litigation, personal injury, and defective and dangerous products, among others. Named an Elite Trial Law Firm by The National Law Journal, the Lanier Law Firm has offices in Houston, New York, Los Angeles and Oklahoma City. To learn more about Mark Lanier and the Lanier Law Firm, visit https://www.lanierlawfirm.com/.
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