Supreme Court: Federal law might not shield companies from state lawsuits

The Supreme Court ruled this week that a woman who lost her arm because of the way medication was administered could sue Wyeth (WYE) in state court.

This may not seem like a big story, but companies try to shield themselves from negligence lawsuits filed in state courts if their product meets standards set by federal agencies, through laws and regulations. While the Bush Administration tried to help their cause and pushed to shield industries from negligence lawsuits brought in state courts, the Supreme Court ruled loud and clear in a six-to-three ruling yesterday -- don't count on our help.