News from September 2014
Cruise line won't let diabetics snorkel, ADA class action claims
MIAMI (Legal Newsline) - A man has filed a class action lawsuit against NCL Corporation claiming it discriminates against diabetics and others and doesn't let them participate in snorkeling excursions.
Texas governor candidates spending millions to sell voters on two very different messages
AUSTIN, Texas (Legal Newsline) – As Texans watched their favorite teams on Sunday, chances are football lovers saw at least one or two, or perhaps a dozen, ads aired by the two candidates competing to become Texas’ next governor.
PTO hosts AIA ‘roadshows’ to increase understanding
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is hosting “roadshow” events across the country in an effort to increase understanding of the America Invents Act.
Class members drop lawsuit against Google over alleged data collection
OAKLAND, Calif. (Legal Newsline) - Class members alleging Google collected and shared user data through Android's mobile operating system without consent have dropped their class action lawsuit.
Jury: CBS must pay $1.3 million to Texas company over podcasting patent
MARSHALL, Texas (Legal Newsline) - A jury has awarded more than $1 million to a Texas company in a lawsuit over its podcasting patent.
Legal Helpers barred from debt settlement in North Carolina
Legal Helpers Debt Resolution, a Chicago-based company, has been banned from providing debt-relief services in North Carolina as part of a settlement announced by Attorney General Roy Cooper on Monday.
Asbestos attorneys discuss opposing arguments in government contractor defense
ST. LOUIS (Legal Newsline) – As more and more asbestos cases are filed by former Navy sailors and their families, asbestos attorneys from both sides of the litigation have expressed the importance of documents establishing Navy specifications in relation to the government contractor defense.
Seventh Circuit vetoes RadioShack class action settlement over attorneys fees
CHICAGO (Legal Newsline) - A federal appeals court has declared a settlement between class members and RadioShack void after deciding the actual benefits were too low in comparison to the proposed legal fees.
Maryland's share of Medtronic settlement is $6K
BALTIMORE (Legal Newsline) - A case brought by Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler, other states and the federal government alleging Medtronic Inc. paid kickbacks to persuade physicians to use their cardiac rhythm products was recently settled.
California’s AG shrugs off notion of succeeding Holder
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) – With her Nov. 4 victory all but secured, California Attorney General Kamala Harris, a rising star in the Democratic Party, says she’s staying focused on remaining the state’s chief lawyer.
La. U.S. Senate race still tight; Ernst has six-point lead in one Iowa poll
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) – With only five weeks to go until the general election, no candidate in the Louisiana U.S. Senate race has pulled away from the other, though the Republican in the Iowa U.S. Senate race has opened a six-point lead.
Paxton a 'weak' candidate for Texas AG benefiting from GOP reign, professor says
AUSTIN, Texas (Legal Newsline) – Texans are no stranger to droughts, especially Democrats who run for state offices in the Lone Star State.
No trends in asbestos replacement part cases, attorneys from both sides say
ST. LOUIS (Legal Newsline) – As more asbestos defendants seek bankruptcy protection, replacement part lawsuits have become more common in asbestos litigation - but two attorneys agree there seems to be no trend as states rule down the middle on the subject.
Study: Patent trolls, which tend to go after cash-rich companies, will hurt the economy
DALLAS (Legal Newsline) - A recent study has found that companies that sue other companies that make goods or products, but don’t manufacture anything themselves, are a threat to innovation and the economy in the United States.
Medicare set-asides can protect attorneys in settled asbestos cases, attorney advises
ST. LOUIS (Legal Newsline) – Just as jury verdicts take medical expenses into consideration in asbestos lawsuits, set-asides for medical expenses can also be important when settling cases, a settlement expert recently said.