#1 Wells Fargo Settles Disability Discrimination Suit for 22.1 millionCharlotte, NC - A former Wells Fargo Securities supervisor was awarded $22.1 million by a federal court jury in Charlotte last month. Christopher Billesdon’s disability and age discrimination lawsuit accused the San Francisco-based bank of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act and wrongful discharge under North Carolina state law.
#2 Veterans Die of Neglect in Nursing HomesNorthampton, MA - In March, Bennett Walsh, the former superintendent of the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home, and its former medical director, Dr. David Clinton resolved criminal neglect charges against them. The veterans medical malpractice charges stemmed from the deaths of 76 veterans at the state-run facility during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. Neither leader pleaded guilty; they did, however, acknowledge that there were sufficient facts to warrant a guilty finding.
#4 Tesla’s Bid to Dismiss PAGA Lawsuit Gets Anti-SLAPPed DownOakland, CA - On August 8, the California Court of Appeal denied Tesla’s motion to dismiss a Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) lawsuit brought by former Tesla employees. At its simplest, Sharonda Taylor v. Tesla, Inc. is about the workers’ struggle to access their own wage and hour records.
#5 California Truck Drivers Misclassification SettlementLos Angeles, CA - A class action California labor lawsuit alleging STG Logistics and STG Drayage misclassified truck drivers as independent contractors has settled for a $4.2 million. As part of the deal, STG will no longer classify its long-haul drivers as independent contractors in California and New Jersey. And this isn’t STG’s first court appearance.
#6 Bayer Hopeful Farm Bill will End Roundup LawsuitsSanta Clara, CA - Bayer has aggressively lobbied the upcoming Farm Bill, which Congress has to adopt every five years to sustain federal agriculture and nutrition programs. The ag chemical giant is counting on the provision that would result in only EPA-approved labels on pesticide packaging, such as Monsanto Roundup – amounting to a “Get out of jail free” card for pesticide companies, says one victims’ rights representative.
#7 Baby Formula Lawsuits RisingSanta Clara, CA - The first lawsuit to go to trial against baby formula maker Abbott last month resulted in a Missouri state court jury awarding $495 million to a family who claimed their infant daughter developed necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) after receiving Similac while in a neonatal intensive care unit. The first trial against the Enfamil formula maker in March 2024 ended with a $60 million verdict to the mother of a premature baby who died of NEC.
#9 State AGs Nail $86 Million Suboxone SettlementNew York, NY - On July 26, New York Attorney General, Letitia James announced that Suboxone manufacturer Indivior had agreed in principle to pay $86 million to settle Suboxone lawsuits brought by the attorneys general of New York, Illinois, Tennessee, Utah and Virginia. The settlement was reached in coordination with 11 other states. Their dangerous drug lawsuits alleged that Indivior produced and then marketed buprenorphine-based products to dangerous prescribers who, under the guise of “medical treatment,” triggered further harm.
#10 CVS Pharmacy Faces California Labor LawsuitLos Angeles, CA - A class action lawsuit filed under the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) in Los Angeles County Superior Court by a former employee claims CVS Pharmacy violated California labor laws, including failure to pay overtime, altering time keeping records and more.
