Maryland Shows Why Product Liability and Toxic Tort Plans Matter, Published in Bloomberg Law

In an article published on March 13 in Bloomberg Law, Segal McCambridge Shareholder Jay Evans discusses the impact of unexpected disasters and their translation into product liability and toxic tort work. Using the Key Bridge collapse and a major Montgomery County sewer spill as real-world reminders, he offers a practical playbook for national counsel, regional counsel, and in-house teams to reduce surprises and improve decision-making.  

"Unexpected events happen, but we are in the business of making sure that predictable risks are prepared for and never ignored," said Evans. "Every surprise cannot be predicted, but there should be no surprises with the predictable."  

Evans notes that the products map is expanding beyond legacy exposures, such as asbestos, into PFAS, lithium-ion battery issues, and GLP-1 weight loss drugs. He also explains why settlement expectations are trending upward, pointing to larger verdicts, inflation, litigation funding, and disappearing codefendants that can shift traditional value anchors.  

“In 2026, the plan should be straightforward: Align early, report clearly, and stay ready,” Evans explains. “The fewer unknowns that are tolerated, the fewer ‘unexpected’ hits that legal matters — and budgets — will take.” 

Read the article in full, click here.