US, French and German exports rise, Russian and Chinese exports fall However, at the same time, even at the height of the pandemic in 2020, several countries signed large contracts for major arms.’ ‘For example, the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic could see some countries reassessing their arms imports in the coming years. Wezeman, Senior Researcher with the SIPRI Arms and Military Expenditure Programme. ‘It is too early to say whether the period of rapid growth in arms transfers of the past two decades is over,’ said Pieter D. However, international arms transfers remain close to the highest level since the end of the cold war. Middle Eastern arms imports grew by 25 per cent in the period, driven chiefly by Saudi Arabia (+61 per cent), Egypt (+136 per cent) and Qatar (+361 per cent), according to new data on global arms transfers published today by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).įor the first time since 2001–2005, the volume of deliveries of major arms between countries did not increase between 2011––20. Substantial increases in transfers by three of the top five arms exporters-the USA, France and Germany-were largely offset by declining Russian and Chinese arms exports. (Stockholm, 15 March 2021) International transfers of major arms stayed at the same level between 2011––20. 19-md-2885.įor the plaintiffs: Bryan Aylstock of Aylstock Witkin Kreis & Overholtz, Shelley Hutson of Clark, Love & Hutson and Chris Seeger of Seeger WeissģM ordered to pay $77.5 mln to veteran in latest earplug trialģM hit with $110 million verdict in latest U.S.International arms transfers level off after years of sharp growth Middle Eastern arms imports grow most, says SIPRI District Court, Northern District of Florida, No. The case is In re 3M Combat Arms Earplug Products Liability Litigation, U.S. Juries sided with 3M in the remaining six cases. Plaintiffs prevailed in 10 of the cases, most recently when a jury last week awarded a veteran $77.5 million, the largest verdict to a single person. Plaintiffs allege the company hid design flaws, fudged test results and failed to provide instructions for the proper use of the earplugs. The verdict came in the 11th of 16 trials to result from the cases by more than 290,000 former and active military members who claim 3M's earplugs are defective and damaged their hearing.Īearo Technologies, which 3M bought in 2008, developed the product. 3M, represented by Mike Brock of Kirkland & Ellis, had no comment. Rodgers wrote that because the jury made such a finding in Wayman's case, the punitive damages award would be reduced to $14.5 million.Ī spokesperson for Wayman's lawyers, who include David Buchanan of Seeger Weiss and Bryan Aylstock of Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz, had no immediate comment. While punitive damages in general cannot exceed actual damages under the law of Colorado, where Wayman resides, they can be increased upon a finding that a defendant "engaged in bad faith conduct." Wayman and another veteran, Ronald Sloan, were each in January awarded $15 million in compensatory damages and $40 million in punitive damages, marking one of the biggest jury awards to date in the largest federal mass tort ever.īut Rodgers said some of the $15 million compensatory damages awarded to Wayman were subject to a Colorado cap on non-economic damages, and as a result, he was entitled only to $7.2 million with prejudgment interest. Wayman, who served a the Army from 1997 to 2017, said he suffers from permanent hearing damage and tinnitus due to using 3M's Combat Arms Earplugs Version 2 while exposed to noise, including during deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. Casey Rodgers in William Wayman's case marks the first time the Pensacola, Florida-based judge tasked with overseeing hundreds of thousands of cases over 3M's earplugs has reduced a jury award. Army veteran who said his hearing was damaged by combat earplugs sold by 3M Co to the military from $55 million to $21.7 million, citing limits under Colorado law on how much he could win. (Reuters) - A federal judge has slashed a jury award to a U.S.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |