Myron Levin

Myron LevinMyron Levin founded FairWarning after more than 20 years as a staff writer for the Los Angeles Times, where he was a member of the California investigations desk. He has won numerous honors and awards for his detailed investigations of health and safety matters, including an Alicia Patterson Foundation fellowship and the National Press Club’s Consumer Journalism Award. He has reported on the tobacco industry, auto and tire safety, and a variety of product liability issues. He likes hiking and playing racquetball, and he owns a minuscule share of a professional minor league baseball team. Myron is a member of FairWarning’s board of directors.

Articles

ARTICLES

Today's News
A FairWarning story

Mistrial declared in high-stakes Johnson & Johnson talc-cancer case

Myron Levin
September 25, 2018
A mistrial was declared today after a California state court jury deadlocked on whether Johnson & Johnson was responsible for the asbestos-related cancer of a woman who blamed her illness on longtime use of contaminated baby powder. Soon after starting a sixth day of deliberations, jurors in Los Angeles Superior Court told Judge Margaret L. Oldendorf that they were at an impasse, with eight of 12 favoring an award of damages to the plaintiff, Carolyn Weirick.
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regulations
A FairWarning story

Safety would take a back seat if Senate passes bill on driverless cars, critics say

Myron Levin
September 13, 2018
Consumer advocates are attacking a bill heading for a vote soon in the U.S. Senate that would clear legal obstacles for the deployment of driverless cars — a proposal that, critics say, lacks safeguards needed to protect the public and largely would let vehicle manufacturers regulate themselves. The measure, which is being pushed by auto and tech industry lobbyists, is called the AV START Act, standing for “American Vision for Safer Transportation through Advancement of Revolutionary Technologies.”
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Today's News
A FairWarning story

Johnson & Johnson hit with $4.69 billion loss in baby powder-ovarian cancer case

Myron Levin Stuart Silverstein
July 13, 2018
The legal assault on Johnson & Johnson and its signature baby powder reached new heights today, when a state court jury in Missouri found the company responsible for the ovarian cancers of 22 women, and ordered the drug and consumer products giant to pay $4.69 billion in compensatory and punitive damages to the cancer victims or their survivors.
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accident
A FairWarning story

Study finds Apple’s CarPlay, Google’s Android less distracting, but still not safe

Myron Levin
June 27, 2018
Automakers have packed many of their new models with distracting infotainment features that allow drivers not only to play music and get directions, but to talk, text and use social media while tooling down the road. Now new research has found that two popular smartphone-based systems –Apple’s CarPlay and Google’s Android Auto – are somewhat simpler and safer to use than the built-in electronics.
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justice
A FairWarning story

Johnson & Johnson absorbs another big loss in baby powder-mesothelioma case

Myron Levin
May 29, 2018
For the second time in less than two months, Johnson & Johnson has suffered a big courtroom loss in a case that blamed a rare asbestos-related cancer on long-term use of contaminated baby powder. A state court jury in Southern California today ordered the drug and consumer products giant to pay $4 million in punitive damages to mesothelioma victim Joanne Anderson and her husband, Gary Anderson.
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Today's News
A FairWarning story

A win for Johnson & Johnson in baby powder-mesothelioma case

Myron Levin
November 20, 2017
A California jury today rejected claims that Johnson & Johnson and its talc supplier were responsible for the deadly cancer of a woman who blamed her illness on breathing asbestos fibers from contaminated body powders. On a 9-3 vote, the jury in Pasadena absolved J&J of negligence in the sale of Johnson’s Baby Powder and another talc product, Shower to Shower. The Los Angeles Superior Court jury also cleared Imerys Talc America, Inc., a supplier of talc to J&J.
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