News from June 2014
W.Va. AG objects to EPA's new power plant rules
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (Legal Newsline) - West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey has sent a letter to the administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency detailing legal objections to the EPA's proposed rule for existing power plants.
Class action says United Healthcare violated mental health and addiction law
SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline) - United Healthcare is being sued by customers who allege it denied claims for mental health and substance abuse-related health benefits and violated the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008.
Attorneys address Garlock ruling's impact on asbestos defense attorneys
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Legal Newsline) - Six months after the Garlock Sealing Technologies bankruptcy decision shook the ground in the asbestos tort system by revealing plaintiffs attorneys who were ruled to have withheld information in an effort to reach higher payouts, two defense attorneys have published an article in For The Defense addressing how important they feel the bankruptcy ruling is for asbestos
Lawyers, professors discuss ways around Fla. SC decision that struck down caps
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Legal Newsline) - Despite the Florida Supreme Court's recent decision to strike down a $1 million cap on non-economic damages in medical malpractice wrongful death lawsuits, many lawyers and legal scholars believe more can be done to limit the potential increase in those lawsuits in the future.
NYCAL Special Master excludes case alleging asbestos exposure from South Africa
NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) - Special Master Shelley Rossoff Olsen made two recommendations regarding which cases would be included in the New York County Asbestos Litigation's docket, approving one and denying the other.
Duty to warn extended to nephew in Calif. asbestos case, court rules
SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline) - A California appeals court has held that a company's duty to warn of asbestos dangers extended to an employee's nephew who developed mesothelioma - despite all other defendants in the case being the nephew's own employers, where he was exposed to asbestos occupationally.
Senators Cruz, Cornyn join challenge to ObamaCare
HOUSTON (Legal Newsline) - Two U.S. senators from Texas and a congressman have joined an ongoing constitutional challenge to the Affordable Care Act currently being heard in federal court.
Appeals court dismisses class action against State Farm
PHILADELPHIA, Penn. (Legal Newsline) - The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit has ruled that a district court property dismissed a breach of contract class action against State Farm.
Abbott campaign knocks Davis for campaigning for Texas governor out of Texas
AUSTIN, Texas (Legal Newsline) - Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott and his campaign are knocking state Sen. Wendy Davis, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, for spending time campaigning out of state when she still hasn't visited numerous Texas cities.
First Circuit rules John Hancock Life Insurance doesn't have to discover deaths, notify beneficiaries
BOSTON (Legal Newsline) - The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit has ruled that John Hancock Life Insurance Company did not breach its contract in a class action lawsuit in regard to how it handed unclaimed insurance policy proceeds.
Bear Naked settles class action over '100% Pure & Natural' claims
SAN DIEGO (Legal Newsline) - Bear Naked Inc. has agreed to settle a class action lawsuit alleging it falsely labeled food products as "100% Natural" and "100% Pure & Natural" when they included synthetic and artificial ingredients.
N.Y. announces settlement with Coachmaster
Schneiderman
Ohio AG sues contractor
DeWine