#1 Lawyers Predict Unprecedented Amount of PFAS LawsuitsSanta Clara, CA - Chemical companies making PFAS, also known as ‘forever chemicals” are advised to “do what you can, while you can, before you get sued”, but the battle has already begun for some manufacturers. For instance, 3M agreed to pay water utilities nationwide at least $10 billion for cleanup costs and at least thirty state attorneys general have also sued PFAS makers for widespread contamination. If you aren’t familiar with the extent of PFAS damages, a recent New York Times article is an eye-opener, to say the least, and the fallout will likely feed into PFAS litigation.
#2 New Study Indicates Monsanto’s Roundup Linked to InfertilitySanta Clara, CA - A new study has found glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup, in human sperm: it found that more than 55 percent of sperm samples from a French infertility clinic contained high levels of glyphosate. Researchers warn that glyphosate can contribute to infertility, damage DNA in the sperm, and could cause health problems in the men’s offspring.
#3 $9.5 Million Army Hospital Medical Malpractice SettlementHonolulu, HI - It was error after error that killed Julie Bond. She was the 31-year-old wife of former Army Staff Sgt. Donald Bond and a healthy mother of three. She just wanted to lose those extra pregnancy pounds. But six weeks after laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery, she was dead. Tripler Army Medical Center ultimately settled the medical malpractice lawsuit brought by her family for $9.5 million.
#4 Delta Airlines Settles with Flight Attendants for $16MLos Angeles, CA - After almost a decade, Delta Airlines has reached an agreement with its flight attendants. The workers told a California federal judge that a nearly $16 million settlement, which will end their California Labor Code and Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) claims, should be approved because that amount will give California-based Delta flight attendants almost full reimbursement.
#5 Loper Bright Fuels Fifth Circuit ERISA LawsuitNew Orleans, LA - On July 9, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals heard a new challenge to a Department of Labor rule, which permits ERISA plan fiduciaries to consider environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in their plan investment decisions.
#6 Thousands More Suboxone LawsuitsSanta Clara, CA - Just days before the Suboxone deadline to file, thousands of new Suboxone dental injury plaintiffs--many of whom have likely suffered more than tooth loss--have filed complaints against the manufacturers. June 2024 marked the second-year anniversary of a label warning update and potentially marked the statute of limitations on some claims.
#7 $6.5 Million Settlement for Déjà Vu Dancers Approved, But Delayed on AppealA settlement deal worth $6.5 million that was given preliminary approval in February of this year was granted final approval in June, ending about a decade of legal wrangling involving a gentlemen’s club franchise and the dancers who toiled within. The Déjà Vu lawsuit combined a somewhat unique sector with an old problem: whether or not dancers, in this case, are indeed employees or independent contractors.
#8 TJ Maxx Violates California Labor Laws – AgainLos Angeles, CA - A T.J. Maxx employee claims that thousands of its California employees had to work through their rest breaks but were forced to mark otherwise on their time sheets. The retailer is facing other California labor violations stated in the proposed class action, which the retailer has a habit of repeating.
#9 L’Oreal Hair Relaxer Lawsuit ProceedsAtlanta, GA - Several Georgia women who filed a lawsuit against L'Oreal for negligence and fraud related to the use of hair relaxers have been given the go-ahead by the Georgia Court of Appeals. The French multinational personal care company had previously asked the courts to dismiss the complaints. Plaintiffs, including Kiara Burroughs, accuse the companies of selling hair relaxation, or lanthionization, products that caused or increased the risk of women developing uterine, ovarian or breast cancer, endometriosis, uterine fibroids or other injuries to the reproductive system.
#10 Apple Hit with Sex Bias LawsuitSan Francisco, CA - Two female Apple employees in a proposed class action accuse Apple of paying women lower salaries than men for similar work. The California labor lawsuit, filed in San Francisco state court, says the tech giant violates California's Equal Pay Act, which bars sex discrimination in pay.
