Dee Thompson News
Businessman sues Fla. House of Representatives to block subpoena over Visit Florida investigation
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Legal Newsline) – Businessman Pat Roberts has sued the Florida House of Representatives and House Speaker Richard Corcoran after being served with a subpoena for documents that he says are not relevant to the investigation for which he is the subject.
State AGs speak up in Janus case to preserve collection of union fees from non-union workers
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) – Several friend-of-the-court briefs have now been filed with the U.S. Supreme Court in the lawsuit brought by Mark Janus, an Illinois state government employee who feels union dues should not be taken from his paycheck since he is not a member of a union.
With EEOC's support, pro se litigant's discrimination case against Sysco gets a second look
ST. LOUIS (Legal Newsline) – An appeals court has instructed a federal court to reconsider the case of a former worker at Sysco who filed a federal lawsuit over allegations of racial discrimination failure to promote, and a hostile environment who initially lost her case because she failed to file her charge of discrimination within 180 days of the alleged discrimination happening.
NYC's climate change lawsuit against energy industry is unnecessary, legal reform group says
NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) – On Jan. 10, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the city recently filed suit against the five largest investor-owned fossil fuel companies, namely BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Exxon Mobil and Royal Dutch Shell. The money from the lawsuit will be earmarked to protect the city from the effects of global warming.
Structured settlement company Future Income Payments behind suit against CFPB
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) – A previously anonymous company that filed suit against the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) last year has now been identified as Future Income Payments LLC (FIP), a company investigated by numerous states for questionable loan practices.
Chicago law firm the first to file lawsuits over Washington Amtrak derailment
CHICAGO (Legal Newsline) – A Chicago attorney says several factors may have led to the derailment of the Amtrak train near Tacoma, Washington, on Dec. 18. He is representing some of the plaintiffs who are suing Amtrak over the incident.
Judge allows class action over Cosco car seats to continue
LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) – A federal judge has denied a car seat maker's motion to dismiss a class action against it over allegations the seats were mislabeled as to the height and weight of the child the seats could accommodate.
Calif. court gives hope to class action filed by custodians at ABM Industries
SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline) – A California appellate court has reversed a lower court's decision denying class status to janitorial workers at ABM Industries who retained a wage and hour expert, noting “it appears that plaintiffs have identified a number of common questions suitable for classwide resolution.”
Philly judge voids third-party funding in NFL concussion litigation, but company hopes N.Y. colleague disagrees
PHILADELPHIA – A Philadelphia federal judge says agreements in which RD Legal Funding advanced money to plaintiffs in the pending NFL concussion litigation are void, but the attorney representing RD Legal has asked a judge in New York to ignore that finding.
Center for Class Action Fairness contests $8.5 million settlement in Google case, wants SCOTUS to review
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) – The Center for Class Action Fairness (CCAF) is opposing a proposed class action settlement involving Google and hopes the U.S. Supreme Court will hear its arguments.
New York high court rules on notification of class settlements
NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) – The New York Court of Appeals has affirmed that even if class actions are settled before the class is certified, potential class members must be sent notices of the settlement.
Jersey Central Power & Light loses appeal of $650,000 verdict to woman who fell in hole
TRENTON, N.J. (Legal Newsline) – A New Jersey appeals court has upheld a lower court’s ruling awarding $650,000 in damages to a homeowner who fell in a hole left by a power company worker on her property.
Security guard can sue employer after falling down stairs
TRENTON, N.J. (Legal Newsline) – Is a standard contract signed at employment ordering the employee not to file suit if injured on a customer’s premises contrary to public policy? In the case of a security guard injured at a client’s business, the answer is yes, according to a recent New Jersey Supreme Court ruling.
Church does not owe duty of care to man struck while crossing street
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Legal Newsline) – The California Supreme Court has ruled that a church whose parking lot is across the street from the building does not owe a duty of care to a man who was injured while crossing the street.
Buffalo Wild Wings objects to being sued by vegetarian
NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) – Buffalo Wild Wings, sued by a vegetarian for allegedly using beef tallow in its food and not disclosing it to customers, continues to argue that the case against it should be dismissed as a matter of law.
IMDb.com argues new age discrimination law is unconstitutional
SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline) – IMDb.com, the Internet movie database website, has filed a motion for summary judgment in its lawsuit against the Attorney General of California, arguing that the passage of California Assembly Bill 1687 restricts its right to free speech and is also not necessary.
California appellate court reverses decision against McAfee, Intel in share price suit
SAN JOSE, Calif. (Legal Newsline) – In a case stemming from the merger of McAfee and Intel and allegations of undervalued stock, a California appellate court recently affirmed the ruling dismissing the individual defendants but reversed the lower court as to the corporate defendants. David DeWalt, McAfee Inc., and Intel Corp. are still in the case.
Arizona Supreme Court rejects constitutional challenge to hospital assessment
PHOENIX (Legal Newsline) – The Arizona Supreme Court has reversed and remanded a case involving an assessment of hospitals to provide funds to expand medical coverage for low-income citizens of Arizona.
Tennessee Supreme Court defines 'reasonable charges' in personal injury lawsuits
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Legal Newsline) – The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled Nov. 17 that in personal injury cases, “reasonable charges” for medical treatment are what the medical providers charge, not what the insurance company ends up paying.
Alaska Supreme Court rules law firm owes Leisnoi thousands in decades-long dispute
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Legal Newsline) – The Alaska Supreme Court has found that a native corporation is owed hundreds of thousands of dollars by a law firm over a land deal litigated for decades.