News from March 2019
Okla. opioid settlement: Most to OSU, lawyers, and small percentage to cities and counties
OKLAHOMA CITY (Legal Newsline) – A small portion of the $270 million settlement reached by Purdue Pharma and Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter “directly” addresses the opioid crisis around the state, while the bulk goes to lawyers and a treatment center at Oklahoma State University.
Class action alleges online ticket vendor ran 'bait-and-switch scheme' with deceptive pricing
CHICAGO — An Illinois man has filed a class action lawsuit against an online ticket vendor, alleging the company uses deceptive pricing and advertising as part of a consumer "bait-and-switch scheme."
EPA accused of not issuing regulations mandated by Congress nearly 30 years ago
NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) — The Environmental Justice Health Alliance For Chemical Policy Reform (EJHA) has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over the federal government agency's alleged failure to issue regulations mandated by Congress nearly 30 years ago.
OurBus alleges Ithaca permit system violates federal law
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (Legal Newsline) — OurBus, a passenger motor carriers broker based in New York, has filed a lawsuit against the city of Ithaca, alleging it established a permit system for motor carriers that violates federal law.
Welch's fruit snacks make misleading nutrition claims, class action says
BROOKLYN, N.Y. (Legal Newsline) — A class action lawsuit has been filed against Welch Foods, alleging the food producer's fruit snacks have deceptive and misleading labels regarding the nutritional value of their products.
When it comes to Roundup and cancer, everybody's lobbying the regulators
The federal jury that this week ordered Monsanto to pay $80 million for allegedly causing a man’s cancer likely was swayed by internal documents suggesting the unit of Bayer AG had improperly influenced regulators to keep its Roundup weedkiller from being classified a carcinogen.
New Jersey jury rules for Johnson & Johnson in talc-mesothelioma case
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., (Legal Newsline) – A jury on Wednesday decided Johnson & Johnson was not at fault in a lawsuit brought by a man who alleged that the company’s baby powder was contaminated with asbestos and caused his mesothelioma.
Mikal Watts defeats competitor's lawsuit that claims he misled farmers who wanted to sue Syngenta
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (Legal Newsline) – A federal judge in Kansas has dismissed a lawsuit brought against plaintiffs attorney Mikal Watts by one of his competitors who cried foul over the recruitment of farmers to sue Syngenta.
Washington State joins suit against U.S. Navy over ship hull scraping in Puget Sound
OLYMPIA, Wash. (Legal Newsline) — The state of Washington has joined a lawsuit filed by the Puget Soundkeeper Alliance and the Suquamish Tribe against the U.S. Navy over pollution of the Sinclair Inlet due to the hull scraping of decommissioned vessels.
New Jersey talc-meso trial winds down, verdict expected today
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (Legal Newsline) – During closing arguments on Tuesday, attorneys for Johnson & Johnson seemed to stick to their strategy suggesting that plaintiff Ricardo Rimondi’s mesothelioma came as a result of his once living near a factory in Lima, Peru that dealt with asbestos-laden cement and not from J&J baby powder.
Church challenges Washington State law mandating employers provide coverage for abortions
SEATTLE (Legal Newsline) — A Washington State church has filed a lawsuit against the state's insurance commissioner and governor challenging the constitutionality of a state law that mandates employer-sponsored insurance to provide coverage for abortion in plans that include maternity care.
Making money out of spam: 'Excessively punitive' Calif. law allows $1K per email
LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) – Instead of clearing out their spam folder, some email users are instead using a California law - one that a telecommunications attorney thinks is possibly unconstitutional - to file lawsuits.
Xarelto litigation resolved with $775M global settlement; Louisiana federal court, Philadelphia's CLC handled most cases
PHILADELPHIA – Though juries had sided with defendants in early trials, more than 27,000 federal and state court lawsuits nationwide surrounding blood-thinner Xarelto have culminated in a global settlement of $775 million with its makers admitting no liability.
MedStar Health OKs $35 million settlement over alleged kickbacks for referrals
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) — MedStar Health Inc. has agreed to pay $35 million to settle claims by the federal government that it paid kickbacks disguised as professional service agreements in exchange for referrals from a cardiology practice.
EEOC: Blue Cross/Blue Shield Texas settles charges of disability discrimination
DALLAS (Legal Newsline) — BlueCross/Blue Shield of Texas (BCBS) has reached a $75,000 settlement with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) over allegations the insurance provider refused to hire an applicant because she was deaf.
D.C. attorney general backs legislation to expand protections for consumers' personal information
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) — District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine has proposed legislation that expands legal protections for consumer's personal information, including requiring companies to put additional safeguards in place to guard against data breaches.
Female athletes sue U.S. Olympic Committee over sexual assaults by Nassar, other coaches
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Legal Newsline) – A group of female athletes have sued the U.S. Olympic committee for “failing to prevent the sexual assault, abuse, molestation and nonconsensual sexual touching and harassment by Lawrence Gerard Nassar and other USOC/USA Gymnastics Coaches,” according to a recent complaint.
New York consumers start to receive $62.5 million in credits from Spectrum settlement
ALBANY, N.Y. (Legal Newsline) — New York consumers have begun to receive $62.5 million in credits from cable, Internet, telephone and wireless services provider Spectrum as a result of a 2018 settlement regarding the company's alleged failure to provide reliable and fast Internet service.
Democrat AGs push Ninth Circuit to allow climate change lawsuits
SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline) — A coalition of 11 attorneys general has filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in support of two California cities that are suing the oil industry over climate change.
Legal but illegal: How Illinois shut down a company that played by the rules
CHICAGO (Legal Newsline) - As of Oct. 29, 2018, a medical sterilization firm called Sterigenics was in full compliance with state and federal regulations over its use of ethylene oxide, a carcinogen. Then on Oct. 30, it wasn’t.