This recent article by Kate Moser in The Recorder surveys some of the more interesting civil law issues that new Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye and the Court will address in the near future. The list includes: (1) whether employers owe a duty to ensure that employees take meal breaks (Brinker Restaurant Corp. v. Superior Court, S166350); (2) whether manufacturers can be liable for asbestos parts supplied by others (O’Neil v. Crane Co., S177401); and (3) whether the collateral source rule permits personal injury plaintiffs to recover the billed cost of medical care, or limits them to the negotiated amounts their insurers actually pay (Howell v. Hamilton Meats & Provisions Inc., S179115). On this last issue the Chief Justice has already weighed in, as we discussed in this post.
Full disclosure: Horvitz & Levy LLP represents the defendant manufacturer in O’Neil, and represents certain amici in Howell.