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| The Mississippi Supreme Court has ordered a new trial in a case that alleged chemicals from a DuPont plant caused an oyster fisherman to develop a rare form of blood cancer. According to the lawsuit, dioxins released from the plant caused Glen Strong's multiple myeloma. The high court also overturned a $15.5 million judgment for the fisherman, citing a litany of errors in expert testimony and affidavits submitted into evidence against DuPont. Jack Elliot Jr., Yahoo News 10/18/2007 | |
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| A South Florida jury cleared a doctor and the medical center where he worked from liability Friday in the death of a woman during child birth. Attorneys for Susan Special’s family claimed that she died of anesthesia related complication, saying that Dr. Ivo Baux failed to monitor her vital signs and respond to her deteriorating condition. Experts for the defense countered that Special’s death was the result of an amniotic fluid embolism. Attorneys for the family are expected to move for a new trial. Nancy L. Othon, South FloridaSun-Sentinel 10/20/2007 | |
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| Jurors in Florida have found that Merrill Lynch took advantage of the deteriorating mental capacity of New Jersey philanthropist George Rothman and his wife. According to the lawsuit, filed by the couple’s daughters, Merrill Lynch brokers convinced the couple to shift significant amounts of money into annuities without disclosing fees and costs associated with the investments. Punitive damages are still pending before the jury. AP, The New York Times 10/22/2007 | |
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| DuPont will appeal a jury verdict that ordered the company to pay almost $200 million in punitive damages to the residents of a West Virginia town who claim they were sickened by a toxic waste site. Residents of Spelter allege that the former zinc smelting plant exposed them to lead, cadmium and arsenic. An attorney for DuPont said the company was unfairly punished and plans to petition the state supreme court to review the verdict. Reuters, Reuters 10/19/2007 | |
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| Last week, California became the first state to ban a common chemical compound that some contend is linked to a variety of health problems. The compound, known as phthalates, is found in a host of consumer goods, ranging from teething rings to vinyl flooring. Advocates of the ban contend that phthalates can contribute to reproductive problems, testicular cancer and liver and thyroid damage. Scott J. Wilson, LA Times 10/22/2007 | |
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| Archstone-Smith, one of the nation’s largest apartment building owners, will pay more than $600,000 to tenants who were improperly billed for water, attorneys announced Friday. The consumer-protection lawsuit, filed by the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office and others, claimed that Archstone-Smith billed residents using estimates rather than actual measurements. The settlement covers tenants who rented apartments from Archstone-Smith between 2002 and 2005. Sharon Noguchi, San Jose Mercury News 10/20/2007 | |
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| A California judge has lifted a temporary injunction that had halted the spraying of a pesticide to fight a crop-eating moth. Earlier this month, the judge ordered officials to stop spraying CheckMate pesticide after residents complained of shortness of breath and sharp stomach pains. An environmental advocacy group has filed a lawsuit that contends the state failed to prepare an environmental impact report to ensure that the pesticide would not harm residents or aquatic wildlife. Juliana Barbassa, TheWashington Post 10/20/2007 | |
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| The Carlyle Group, a private equity firm that recently purchased Manor Care nursing homes, has agreed to provide a written pledge that promises adequate staffing and resources to the chain. The company’s assurance follows protests by Manor Care workers who urged the firm not to put financial goals above patient care. Senate leaders have recently called on firms such as Carlyle to account for increasing rates of health and safety violations at nursing homes owned by private investors. Thomas Heath, The WashingtonPost 10/22/2007 | |
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| Federal heath advisers voted Friday to halt the sale of over-the-counter cold and cough medicines for children under the age of 6. The Food and Drug Administration panel based its ruling on findings that the medicines were ineffective for children in the age group. In rare cases, the medicines may be harmful to children, advisers concluded. Last week manufacturers of the medicines withdrew more than a dozen products labeled for toddlers and babies. Gardiner Harris, The New York Times 10/20/2007 | |
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