#1 Agreement to settle nearly 38,000 Bard hernia mesh lawsuitsColumbus, OH - Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD), the parent company of BARD, has agreed to settle about 38,000 hernia mesh lawsuits. Reports indicate that the total payouts could exceed $1 Billion. The mesh lawsuits, some of which go back almost 20 years, allege that Bard designed defective mesh products, failed to adequately test them, and didn’t properly warn users about potential risks.
#2 AA Pilot Not Guilty of Assaulting Flight AttendantsLos Angeles, CA - An American Airlines pilot has been vindicated of sexual assault and harassment. Two former flight attendants did not convince the eight-person Los Angeles jury, which delivered the unanimous California labor verdict to U.S. District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald on September 25.
#4 ETHEX Patient Suspected of Deliberate OverdoseTampa, FL - Imagine taking your regular prescription for ETHEX corporation drugs and waking up in the hospital, only to be told that you had purposely suffered an ETHEX overdose. Imagine the shock and fear when you are told that you will have to stay in the hospital for observation because you could be a danger to yourself. Imagine trying to survive the ETHEX side effects while trying to figure out how you could possibly have followed your prescription properly only to suffer an overdose.
#5 Darden Restaurants Hit with California Wage and Hour LawsuitLos Angeles, CA - On September 23, Antonia Rodriguez filed a class action lawsuit against Darden Restaurants in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The lawsuit alleges that Darden, the parent company of California restaurants, including Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen, Yard House, the Capital Grille, Seasons 52, Bahama Breeze and Eddie V's, failed to pay overtime and did not provide hourly workers with full, uninterrupted meal and rest periods in violation of California labor law. A collection of derivative allegations follows, including failure to provide accurate wage statements and failure to pay all wages due on termination of employment.
#6 Suboxone Tooth Decay MDL – Status UpdateCleveland, OH - In recent years, Suboxone, a critical medication used to treat opioid addiction, has come under fire for its unintended side effects—specifically, severe tooth decay. While the drug has helped millions overcome opioid dependence, patients across the country have filed dangerous drug lawsuits claiming that Suboxone caused serious dental problems, leading to painful and costly procedures as well as social isolation for some individuals. These claims have been consolidated in an ongoing multidistrict litigation (MDL) in the Northern District of Ohio, where patients are suing the manufacturers of Suboxone for failing to warn about the risk of tooth decay.
#8 Splintered Decisions in ERISA 401k Forfeiture LawsuitsSan Diego, CA - On September 24, the Southern District of California granted Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.’s motion to dismiss Konstantina Dimou’s ERISA lawsuit. Dimou v. Thermo Fisher Scientific claims that forfeited contributions should have been used to pay the administrative expenses of the Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. 401(k) Retirement Plan rather than to offset required employer contributions. The financial difference can be significant.
#9 Zantac Maker Agrees to $2.2 Billion SettlementSanta Clara, CA - The drug maker GSK agreed a few weeks ago to pay up to $2.2 billion to resolve Zantac lawsuits. The blockbuster heartburn drug, which was sold over-the-counter, was removed from the market in 2020 after the FDA ordered all ranitidine (the generic name) products withdrawn, citing unacceptable levels of the chemical N-nitroso dimethylamine (NDMA), a probable human carcinogen.
#10 Ozempic and Addiction: A Potential Game-Changer?Washington, DC - Ozempic, a semaglutide, is a medication primarily used to treat type 2 diabetes. It works by mimicking the effects of a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which helps regulate blood sugar levels. However, recent studies have revealed a surprising potential benefit: addiction reduction, specifically with reference to alcohol and opioid abuse.
