Declarations

Star Trek Tragedy

“In spite of our unbelievable grief, we decided to come here to prevent other families from the same tragedy.”

— Victor Yelchin, father of “Star Trek” movie actor Anton Yelchin, and his family sued Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV for negligence and product liability over the rollaway crash of a Jeep Grand Cherokee that killed their son.

Crop Abandonment

“Some farmers are abandoning crops because it’s not worth the financial risk of harvesting them.”

— Katie Campbell-Nelson, a vegetable production specialist with the UMass Extension, comments on the drought that swept the Northeastern U.S. this summer. Massachusetts was one of the hardest hit states, with more than 74 percent of the state experiencing some degree of drought, according to the United States Drought Monitor.

Consumer Complaints

“2016 is again shaping up to be a busy year as our team responds to consumer complaints and works diligently to advocate for Tennessee consumers from all walks of life.”

— Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance’s Assistant Commissioner of the Insurance Division Michael Humphreys. The department reported it has returned $1.5 million in insurance restitution for Tennessee consumers during the first six months of the year.

Coastal Crisis

“Our coast is in crisis.”

— Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, in a letter to oil executives after a meeting in May, pushing for pre-trial settlement to resolve claims that the oil industry is at least partly to blame for the destruction of the state’s coastline. Edwards has now joined a campaign by local governments suing the industry. Louisiana has lost 1,900 square miles of coast since the 1930s.

Axle Design

“Standard Steel admits that it knew its axles would be used on railcars, but denies that any of its axles were improperly designed or manufactured.”

— Elizabeth Sorenson Brotten, an attorney for Pennsylvania-based Standard Steel, which has been named in a lawsuit over a fiery oil tanker train derailment near Casselton, N.D., in 2013. The lawsuit alleges a defective axle made by Standard Steel contributed to the crash.

Topics Tennessee