#3 Mental Health Patient Advocates Fight Wit ReversalSan Francisco, CA In 2019, the Northern District of California’s decision in Wit v. United Behavioral Health was hailed as a big win for patients seeking coverage parity for mental health disorders. But on March 22, 2022 the Ninth Circuit panel reversed the District Court’s decision. The latest twist in this ERISA lawsuit has thrown longstanding and developing law concerning mental health patients’ rights into turmoil.
#4 Aftermath of a Horrific Amusement Park AccidentLouisville, KY It is not only a parent's worst nightmare but anyone's worst nightmare??"in this case an Amusement Park Accident at a popular theme park that resulted in a 13-year-old girl having both of her feet severed above the ankle. Kaitlyn Lasitter survived, and doctors were able to re-attach her right foot. But they could not save her left, and Kaitlyn now walks with a prosthesis.
#5 Toxic Herbicide Paraquat Lawsuit Claims and Risk of Parkinson’s DiseaseParaquat is a commercial herbicide widely used in the United States. Farmers have had access to it since 1962, and it is known as "gramoxone" in the country. It is used to control and kill weeds in cotton, potato, sugarcane, soybean, and vegetable varieties. This herbicide contains extremely toxic properties, which can be fatal to humans if consumed directly. Paraquat is also used as a post-harvest drying agent.
#6 Seroquel Side Effects for the ElderlyPearblossom, CA Seroquel is a neuroleptic indicated for the treatment of bipolar disorder—and like most drugs carries a host of Seroquel side effects, including diabetes, tardive dyskinesia and even birth defects. However, there is a little-known use for Seroquel off-label that concerned the daughter of one Alzheimer's patient for whom she was caring.
#7 Zetia and/or Statins: The Good, the Bad and the UglyHalle-Wittenberg, Germany Can a drug designed to curb heart attacks also cause heart attacks in some people? Apparently, it's possible with statins or medication like Zetia when used in combination with a statin. Statins are designed to lower the "bad" cholesterol thought to be a contributing factor for heart attack and stroke, while leaving the so-called "good" cholesterol to do the good work that good cholesterol, ultimately, does.
#8 Equinox Employees Go Ahead with Three Class ActionsLos Angeles, CA Over 9,000 Equinox employees, including personal trainers and group fitness instructors, have been given the green light by a California federal judge to have their wage claims and other California labor laws resolved by three class actions rather than individually.
#9 Former Head of Third-Party Billing Company on trial for Health Care FraudIslip, NY A number of elements go into the calculation of emergency room fees. Apart from the cost of providing care, hospitals must factor in reasonable expectations that some bills will go unpaid and that insurance companies will try to negotiate certain charges down – sometimes because of suspicions of healthcare fraud. The net effect, however, is that patients pay more.
#10 The Big Story of UBS Whistleblower LawsuitNew York, NY After nearly seven years in court, Trevor Murray prevailed in his whistleblower lawsuit against UBS Securities, his former employer. The latest flurry of activity is an after-the-fact attempt by UBS’s attorneys to reduce the firm’s financial liability. No harm, no foul. It’s simply what diligent lawyers try to do.
