Judge awards record sums in breast implant deal

A judge in Birmingham, Alabama, has approved a $4.25bn (sterling2.83bn) compensation deal for more than 90 500 women worldwide with silicone breast implants. It is the biggest product liability settlement in legal history in the US. The deal was struck after thousands of women sued manufacturers, including Dow Corning, Bristol-Myers, and Union Carbide, for damages for alleged complications, including serious neurological and immune disorders.

Final approval by Judge Sam Pointer came just days after a hearing at which lawyers for foreign claimants argued that the settlement, which proposed to cap payment to foreigners, was unfair to their clients. The judge increased …