#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 Nova Southeastern University to Settle ERISA Lawsuit for $1.5 MillionFort Lauderdale, FL - On October 9, Nova Southeastern University agreed to settle a long-running lawsuit in which participants in the Nova University Defined Contribution Plan claimed that the school had mismanaged their retirement savings by paying excessive recordkeeping fees and retaining underperforming investment funds. The plaintiffs’ motion for preliminary approval was unopposed.
#3 A Setback for Suboxone Film Plaintiffs: Northern District of Ohio's Dismissal DecisionCleveland, OH - On September 10, 2024, the Northern District of Ohio dismissed claims against Indivior PLC and two Reckitt Benckiser entities in Suboxone (Buprenorphine/Naloxone) Film Products Liability Litigation in the multidistrict litigation centralized in the Northern District of Ohio. The court’s decision is a significant setback for individuals who suffered serious Suboxone side effects and dental damage from using the sublingual film form of the drug. They allege that Indivior and other defendants failed to adequately warn about the potential for dental erosion and decay associated with the film's acidic properties.
#5 Cinepolis Charged with Multiple California Labor Law ViolationsLos Angeles, CA - On October 21, Jacqueline Honorio filed a proposed class action lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on behalf of at least 100 individuals who worked for USA Cinema Services LLC, which does business as Cinepolis. Honorio v. USA Cinema Services LLC alleges that Cinepolis violated the California labor code in a wide variety of ways.
#6 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over-the-counter, was removed from the market in 2020 after the FDA ordered all ranitidine (the generic name) products withdrawn, citing unacceptable levels of the chemical N-nitroso dimethylamine (NDMA), a probable human carcinogen.
#7 Valsartan Lawsuit October 2024 UpdateSanta Clara, CA - Every day, doctors prescribe Valsartan--an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB)--to help patients manage high blood pressure. This drug, known under brand names like Diovan and Prexxartan, is effective in reducing hypertension by relaxing blood vessels.
#8 BP Retirees Win Long-Fought ERISA Lawsuit -- Sort ofHouston, TX - On March 28, Judge George C. Hanks of the Southern District of Texas held that more than 7,000 North Slope Alaskan pipeline retirees who had participated in the BP America Retirement Plan (BP plan) were entitled to equitable relief under Section 502(a)(3) of ERISA. Guenther v. BP Retirement Accumulation Plan, a long-running ERISA lawsuit, alleges that BP "committed fraud or similarly inequitable conduct" in how it announced a pension formula change more than 30 years ago.
#9 Schobinger v. Twitter: A Setback for Class CertificationSan Francisco, CA - On October 16, the District Court for the Northern District of California denied plaintiff Mark Schobinger’s petition for class certification in Schobinger v. Twitter. The California labor employment lawsuit centers on allegations that, during Elon Musk’s protracted takeover over the social media company in October 2022, Twitter, now X, misled users about the security of their data.
