It bars people engaged in economic warfare against Israel from getting government benefits and makes them liable to punitive damages in civil suits.

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Ministers also said legislation would be introduced next month to ensure that businesses will only be held liable for civil damages in health and safety cases if they can be shown to have acted negligently.

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It should decide whether Chevron is liable for the damages inflicted in the area.

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Furthermore, the radiation that has already been released in and around the plant could make TEPCO liable for an unknown amount of damages incurred by local residences, businesses, and farms in the area.

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If Apple is found to be liable, the company could face claims for damages in separate proceedings from a group of states that joined the Justice Department in the 2012 antitrust suit.

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"If some company is extremely negligent in the way they handle data, they could be liable for damages, " says Allen.

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That testimony is important for the Jackson case, since if the jury decides AEG is liable in his death, his expected lifespan will be key to calculating damages.

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At the very least, KPMG is almost certainly going to have to return the audit fees, amounting to tens of millions of dollars, and the firm may be liable for other damages if the courts determine that the firm was in any way derelict in monitoring and supervising Mr. London, who was in charge of some 50 audit partners and 500 employees.

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