More Plaintiffs Join Lawusit Against Eli Lilly |
| More than 50 current and former employees of drug maker Eli Lilly have joined a lawsuit that alleges the company racially discriminated against African-Americans. According to the lawsuit, Lilly paid blacks less and promoted them more slowly than their white peers. The 50 additional workers join four initial plaintiffs who filed the racial discrimination suit in federal court last year. John Russell, Indianapolis Star 11/01/2007 | Read Article: Indianapolis Star |
Judge Gives Go Ahead for Shareholder Action |
| A federal judge ruled Thursday that a shareholder lawsuit against Openwave Systems Inc. and its current and former executives could proceed. The lawsuit, headed by an Arkansas teacher pension fund, claims that top management received backdated stock options. The plaintiffs claim that the alleged backdating scheme caused the software company’s stock to drop, leading Openwave to restate financial results. Paritosh Bansal, Reuters 11/01/2007 | Read Article: Reuters |
Jury Considers Damages Against U-Haul |
| A jury began deliberations Friday to decide whether a woman, who was left disfigured, brain-injured and blind after an entertainment center flew from a U-Haul trailer in 2004, should receive the $38 million in damages proposed by her attorneys. Attorneys for Maria Federici argued that U-Haul failed to provide a safe way for renters to tie down loads in the trailer despite knowledge that similar incidents had happened before. Attorneys for U-Haul asked jurors to place at least 80 percent of the blame on the driver who has already been found negligent in the case. Tracy Johnson, Seattle Post-Intelligencer 11/02/2007 | Read Article: Seattle Post-Intelligencer |
Appraiser Allegedly Inflated Home Values |
| New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo filed a lawsuit Thursday accusing a subsidiary of the appraisal company First American Corporation of bilking homeowners and investors by inflating house values. Housing specialists have characterized the appraisal process as rampant with abuse and conflicts of interest. In a statement, First American denied the charges, saying the allegations were not based in fact. Vikas Bajaj, The New York Times 11/02/2007 | Read Article: The New York Times |
Staph Infection Prompts Lawsuit by Former Athlete |
| A former student athlete at Iona College has filed a lawsuit against the school alleging that unsanitary conditions caused him to develop a dangerous drug-resistant staph infection in 2005. Nick Zaffarese contends that players routinely share equipment and towels and that team trainers initially dismissed the MRSA infection. The college recently stepped up disinfection procedures and hygiene education after 10 members of a sports team were diagnosed with MRSA in September. AP, LA Times 11/02/2007 | Read Article: LA Times |
Groups File Lawsuit to Dispose of Toxic Ships |
| Environmental groups filed a lawsuit Monday that seeks to force the U.S. Maritime Administration to clean up toxic material in its decaying fleet of ships near Benicia, Cal. According to the groups, metals shed by the ships into theSuisun Bay pose an unregulated threat to the environment and human health. The lawsuit also calls for the Maritime Administration to develop a plan to safely dispose of ships in Virginia and Texas. Mike Taugher, San Jose Mercury News 11/02/2007 | Read Article: San Jose Mercury News |
Judge Hands Down Significant Ruling in Drug Research Case |
| A federal judge has found that a negligence and fraud lawsuit against a research firm that allegedly plotted with a drug maker to deceive the Food and Drug Administration can proceed. U.S. District Judge Gene E.K. Pratter ruled against Statprobe Inc.’s argument that the firm is not responsible for patients who were harmed by a drug approved on the basis of falsified test results. The judge also found that the plaintiff’s claims were not preempted by federal law because the manufacturer has pleaded guilty to criminal fraud charges. Shannon P. Duffy, Law.com 11/02/2007 | Read Article: Law.com |
Pizza Recalled Amid E. coli Fears |
| General Mills recalled almost 5 million Totino's and Jeno's frozen pepperoni pizzas Thursday because of possible E. coli contamination. State and federal investigators uncovered the possible contamination after 9 people with E. coli poisoning reported eating the pizzas. The recall covers Totino’s and Jeno’s pizzas with pepperoni topping or a combination of pepperoni and other toppings. Reuters, Reuters 11/01/2007 | Read Article: Reuters |
Study Calls for Appointment of ‘Lead Czar’ |
| A Baylor College of Medicine study, made public last week, is calling for officials to appoint a ‘lead czar’ to combat lead exposure in children. Researchers found that children in Galveston, Texas are nine time more likely to have dangerous lead levels in their system than children nationally. The study linked the majority of the lead exposure to lead-based paint used on many of the city’s older homes. Harvey Rice, Houston Chronicle 11/02/2007 | Read Article: Houston Chronicle |
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