News from August 2022
Court: Joel Silver can't be blamed for death of assistant after her night of wine, cocaine
LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) – A bottle of wine and some cocaine weren’t part of the job duties for the private chef of a Hollywood producer, a California appeals court has ruled.
Walmart launches Constitutional attack on Lina Khan's FTC
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - Days after the Federal Trade Commission accused Walmart of helping scam artists defraud customers by using its money-transfer service, the retailer fired back with a frontal assault on the agency’s constitutional authority to sue or seek financial penalties.The FTC sued Walmart on Friday for failing to protect customers against sending money to scam artists.
Class action targets alleged random braking in Tesla vehicles
SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline) - Tesla rushed its Autopilot system to market, a class action lawsuit alleges.
Lawsuit says Whole Foods lies about beef being antibiotic-free
SANTA ANA, Calif. (Legal Newsline) - A nonprofit is suing Whole Foods, claiming the grocery chain's promise that its beef doesn't contain antibiotics is false.
Bestwall gets access to key info as it targets asbestos lawyers
PHILADELPHIA (Legal Newsline) – Bestwall recently scored a major victory in its effort to show asbestos lawyers are manipulating their clients’ claims in order to score bigger paydays than they are entitled to.
Littler's Miguel A. Lopez Named Secretary of the New York City Bar Trade Secrets Committee
Littler's Miguel A. Lopez Named Secretary of the New York City Bar Trade Secrets Committee.
Attorney: 'Updated CDC COVID-guidance will lead to litigation for vaccine mandaters who don't adjust'
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - Now that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its COVID-19 guidance to include natural immunity, private and public entities are being urged to update their vaccination policies or face the prospect of litigation.
Amicus briefs filed in support of Johnson & Johnson's bankruptcy in appeal
NEWARK (Legal Newsline) - The Washington Legal Foundation (WLF) is among the organizations that have filed an amicus brief arguing against the appeal of a federal judge’s decision to allow Johnson & Johnson to proceed with its bankruptcy.
HHS sued over employment, financial disclosure records involving employment of Dr. Fauci's wife
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - Although Dr. Anthony Fauci will resign as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in December, a lawsuit Judicial Watch filed in July is not moot, according to former Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill.
Judge stops 3M's plan to handle massive earplug litigation
INDIANAPOLIS (Legal Newsline) - A bankruptcy judge shot down 3M’s attempt to halt litigation over its Combat Arms military earplugs, saying a generous funding agreement between 3M and its bankrupt Aearo unit eliminated any risk creditors – including some 290,000 earplug claimants – would suffer from an unfair distribution of assets if the lawsuits proceed.
Court: Rutgers right to keep game tape from teen girl who wants to coach
TRENTON, N.J. (Legal Newsline) - A father who said he needed proprietary Rutgers University football video so his daughter could learn to be a successful strategist of the game lost his bid to obtain the tape through a freedom of information request.
Med-mal plaintiff will have to be happy with $1 million settlement, court finds
LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) – A plaintiff who settled medical malpractice claims against a surgeon for $1 million can’t also recover from Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, a California appeals court has ruled.
Indoor cannabis farm polluting Oakland with diesel generators, lawsuit says
SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline) - A lawsuit filed by an environmental advocacy group says a cannabis farm in Oakland is polluting the surrounding community with toxic diesel particulate matter.
Law firm sues to take half of fees from CoQ-10 class action settlement
NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) - Class action lawyers are fighting over the fees from a seven-figure settlement with Walmart and other companies.
Bradley's Kim Martin Appointed to IADC Committee Leadership Role
Bradley's Kim Martin Appointed to IADC Committee Leadership Role.
Maryland Judiciary invites student entries for annual bookmark art contest
The Maryland Judiciary's Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office (MACRO) is calling on students to contribute to peacemaking efforts through art.
E-mail trail lands company in age discrimination pickle, though layoffs barely affected average age
BOSTON (Legal Newsline) - An engineer who was fired in his mid-50s can sue Schneider Electric for age discrimination because there was plenty of evidence managers were under pressure to use a “reduction in force” to make room for what they described as “young talent,” a Massachusetts appeals court ruled.
School escapes liability for sex abuse by teacher
HARTFORD, Conn. (Legal Newsline) - A Connecticut school district can’t be held liable for illegal sex between a female theater teacher and a student, an appeals court ruled, because the two took care to avoid being discovered and school officials had no reason to suspect wrongdoing.
Lawsuit targets Panera's Sip Club, complains refills have restrictions
CHICAGO (Legal Newsline) - Panera faces a class action lawsuit alleging it markets its Sip Club as all-you-can-drink but places limitations on it in the fine print.
Lawsuit: Facebook has access to users' health care info, thanks to Meta Pixel
SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline) - Facebook's Meta Pixel has allowed it to intercept communications between individuals and their health care providers, a class action lawsuit alleges.