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| County Settles Over Death at Troubled Hospital |
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Los Angeles County has agreed to pay $3 million to settle a lawsuit filed by the children of a woman who died after staff at a troubled hospital denied her treatment. The lawsuit alleged civil-rights violations and medical malpractice. The death of the Edith Rodriguez gained national attention after security camera footage from Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Medical Center showed the woman writhing in pain as nurses and other staff ignored her. Staff, LA Times 04/09/2009
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LA Times
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| Attorneys Note Rise in Suits Against Debt Collectors |
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An increasing number of consumers are filing lawsuits against debt collectors who use illegal practices, the Houston Chronicle reports. However, few debtors realize they may seek relief from harassing debt collectors under the law, according to attorneys familiar with such cases. Attorneys who defend debt collectors say that while abuses do take place, they are the exception rather than the norm. Mary Flood, Houston Chronicle 04/13/2009
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Houston Chronicle
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| Jury Awards Damages in Workplace Fall Case |
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An Iowa jury last week ordered a construction company and hotel builder to pay $7 million to a worker who fell three stories during a 2005 incident. Allen Frohne suffered severe injuries when a lift tipped over causing the fall. Jurors found that Le Claire Hotel Group and Gibbs Construction were negligent for the fall. Register Staff and News Services, DesMoines Register 04/12/2009
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DesMoines Register
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| Ponzi Scheme Targeted Hispanics, Lawsuit Says |
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A California firm defrauded Latino and Hispanic investors in seven states out of $23 million over more than two years, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission lawsuit filed Monday. In the suit, the SEC accuses Clelia A. Flores and her company, Maximum Return Investments Inc. of operating a Ponzi scheme targeting investors in California, New York, Georgia, Utah, Nevada, Texas and Illinois. The lawsuit seeks restitution and penalties on behalf of affected investors. Stuart Pfeifer, LA Times 04/14/2009
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LA Times
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| Lawsuit: Sonic Franchisee Discriminated Against Applicant |
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The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit this week accusing a Louisina-based Sonic restaurant franchisee of discriminating against an applicant because of a disability. The lawsuit alleges that Gravlee's Sonic of New Iberia, Inc. violated federal law by refusing to hire a woman with a speech impediment. The lawsuit seeks back pay, compensatory and punitive damages. Staff, New Orleans Times-Picayune 04/14/2009
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New Orleans Times-Picayune
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| Jurors to Weigh Damages Over Alleged Chemical Dumping |
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Jurors began deliberations Tuesday in the first trial involving claims that Monsanto Co. dumped polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, near an Alabama plant, causing local residents to develop health problems. In the lawsuit, five former residents of Anniston, Ala. claim they were more likely to develop diabetes and arthritis because of the dumping. Nearly 3,000 related claims against the company are still outstanding. David Beasley and Margaret Cronin Fisk, St. Louis Post Dispatch 04/14/2009
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St. Louis Post Dispatch
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| Stairwell Collapse Victims File Lawsuit |
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Two city of Louisville employees have filed a lawsuit accusing a local building owner of negligence in a stairwell collapse that trapped the two last month. According to the lawsuit, Paul Bariteau, his wife and Forte Development Inc. should have known that the century-old building was unsafe. The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages and a jury trial. Jason Riley, Louisville Courier Journal 04/14/2009
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Louisville Courier Journal
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| Study |
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| Study Faults Safety of Minicars |
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An insurance group faulted the safety of three models of minicars in a study released to the public on Tuesday. According to the report, produced by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the Honda Fit, the Toyota Yaris and the Smart Fortwo were significantly less safe in a head-on collision than their mid-size car counterparts. The popularity of minicars has increased dramatically recently as consumers seek to save money on gasoline and minimize their contribution to global warming. Matthew L. Wald, The New York Times 04/14/2009
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The New York Times
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