| | Four former Target applicants will receive more than $500,000 as part of a settlement over claims that they were denied jobs because of their race. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuit, Target violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by refusing to interview the applicants because they were African-American. In a statement, Target maintained that it does not tolerate discrimination in hiring at its stores. AP, Forbes 12/11/2007 | |
| | The parents of a child who died after a babysitter left the 1-year-old in a hot car for over an hour should receive $2 million in damages, a jury has ruled. In the lawsuit, Timothy and Deona Ryan alleged that the babysitter failed to tell paramedics that the child had been left in the car, leaving doctors unsure what type of treatment to pursue. The couple said it was unlikely they would ever recover any damages from the woman, who has since moved toWyoming. Mary Vorsino, Honolulu Advertiser 12/13/2007 | |
| | A Massachusetts woman who was misdiagnosed with HIV has won a $2.5 million verdict against the doctor who treated her. According to the lawsuit, the woman was forced to take a variety of powerful drugs for more than nine years before she tested negative for the virus at another hospital. The woman’s attorney has said that the total judgment could reach $3.7 million including interest. Rodrique Ngowi, San Jose Mercury News 12/13/2007 | |
| | A lawsuit filed in federal court has accused retailers including Costco, Wal-Mart, Target and Safeway of selling "organic" milk that was not truly organic. The complaint focuses on milk produced at Aurora Organic Dairy which was recently disciplined by the Department of Agriculture for multiple violations of the 1990 Organic Foods Production Act. The lawsuit, which seeks class action status, hopes to force companies to provide refunds to consumers in addition to punitive damages and other fees. Gene Johnson, Chicago Tribune 12/13/2007 | |
| | The Illinois attorney general has asked Countrywide Financial to turn over documents as part of a state investigation into lending practices that may have contributed to the recent subprime mortgage crisis. Subpoenas issued to Countrywide follow a lawsuit filed by the attorney general against One Source Mortgage. According to the lawsuit, Countrywide served as the Chicago-based broker’s primary lender. Gretchen Morgenson, The New York Times 12/13/2007 | |
| | A federal lawsuit filed Wednesday in Wisconsin seeks damages against ConAgra for negligence in its production of Banquet pot pies. According to the lawsuit, Eric J. Mand became violently ill with salmonella-related symptoms that required hospitalization after eating one of the pot pies. In October, CongAgra recalled its Banquet pot pies after 272 people in 35 states were sickened with salmonella. Dinesh Ramde, Forbes 12/12/2007 | |
| | A Kansas judge has approved a $57.5 million settlement between Sprint Nextel Corp. and its shareholders. The class action lawsuit stemmed from allegations that company management artificially depressed the value of its PCS wireless stock during the late 1990s in order to avoid granting investors future shares. The settlement includes $15.8 million in legal fees and $2.2 million in plaintiff expenses. Dan Margolies, Kansas City Star 12/12/2007 | |
| | An appellate panel heard arguments Wednesday in two cases that could have widely felt ramifications for product liability cases. The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals must reconcile whether federal laws governing the Food and Drug Administration preempt state laws allowing plaintiffs to pursue damages against drug makers who issue allegedly inadequate warnings for their products. Judges in lower courts issued conflicting rulings as to whether drug manufacturers may be held liable for failing adequately to warn consumers of the increased risk of suicide associated with certain antidepressants. Shannon P. Duffy, Law.com 12/14/2007 | |
| | A judge has ordered the state of Nebraska to pay $9.9 million to a woman whose son was severely injured in an accident at a malfunctioning traffic signal. In 1999, the boy’s car was struck by a semitrailer while crossing an intersection where signals in all four directions showed green. The boy suffered traumatic brain injuries in the crash and is expected to live in a care facility for the rest of his life. Clarence Mabin, Lincoln Journal Star 12/13/2007 | |
| | Jurors in Georgia have found that Ford Motor Co. is liable for $3.3 million in damages for the death of a woman whose seat back broke in a rear-end collision. More than 70 lawsuits have been filed against Ford involving claims that the front seat of the Tempo is prone to breaking free during accidents. Ford maintains that the seats are designed to yield in order to protect passengers from receiving the full brunt of a collision. Tom Opdyke, AtlantaJournal-Constitution 12/13/2007 | |
| | A Texas appeals court has ruled that the identity of an anonymous Internet blogger who has been critical of the business management and health care quality of a private medical center should not be forced to reveal his identity. Essent Healthcare Inc., owner of the Paris Regional Medical Center, filed a lawsuit against the operator of the blog claiming that the posts were equivalent to defamation. The ruling, issued by a three-judge panel, found that Essent could not force the blogger to identify himself unless the company can prove it suffered actual losses as a result of the postings. R.G. Ratcliffe,Houston Chronicle 12/14/2007 | |
| | The Maryland Court of Appeals has ruled to reinstate a class action lawsuit against the state-charted Provident Bank. According to the lawsuit, the bank violated Maryland law by seeking to recapture waived closing costs if loans are repaid within a certain period. If found liable in the case, Provident could be forced to repay up to three times the amount assessed to borrowers plus interest. Laura Smitherman, Baltimore Sun 12/14/2007 | |
| | A federal civil rights lawsuit accuses Oakland police of conducting illegal public strip searches. The lawsuit was filed by ten men who claim that officers pulled down their pants and exposed their buttocks and genitalia on the street between 2003 and 2007. Plaintiffs are seeking $10 million in damages for extreme emotional distress, fear, terror, anxiety and humiliation. Henry K. Lee, San Francisco Chronicle 12/14/2007 | |
| | The California Department of Insurance is seeking to collect $12.6 million in fines from Blue Shield of California Life & Health Insurance Co. for violations that caused more than 200 people to lose their medical coverage. The department’s enforcement action cites more than 1,000 violations of claims-handling laws by the insurer. Blue Cross officials vowed to contest the proposed fine, saying their cancellation policies follow the law and are fair. Lisa Girion, LA Times 12/13/2007 | |
| | Maryland’s largest medical malpractice insurer will repay about $84 million to the state under a new deal between the insurer and state insurance regulators. The agreement marks the end of a three-year-old taxpayer-financed subsidy program designed to help doctors pay for rising medical malpractice premiums. During the announcement of the agreement, Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley suggested that the malpractice “crisis” that prompted the subsidy program may have been exaggerated. Lisa Rein, The WashingtonPost 12/14/2007 | |
| | Thousands of patients who have been implanted with defibrillators fitted with faulty Medtronic leads are struggling to decide whether to undergo a dangerous and expensive surgery to have the wire replaced. Earlier this year, Medtronic warned doctors that the wires were prone to breaking and other malfunctions. Thus far, Medtronic has only offered $800 per patient toward a replacement procedure and insurers have not committed to covering all patients. Barnaby J. Feder, The New York Times 12/13/2007 | |
| | A new law will make Minnesota the first state to institute an outright ban on the use of mercury in cosmetics and other beauty products. While most manufacturers no longer use mercury in makeup, some still add it as a preservative or germ killer. Under the new law, manufacturers who fail to disclose mercury-laced products could face fines up to $10,000. Martiga Lohn,Chicago Tribune 12/14/2007 | |
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