#1 Santa Cruz Seaside Co. Pays $6M in Unpaid WagesSanta Cruz, CA - The Santa Cruz Seaside Co., which runs the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, has settled a California labor lawsuit filed by current and former employees for close to $6 million. The class action lawsuit filed in July 2023, accuses the company of eight labor law violations.
#2 Exactech Files BankruptcySanta Clara, CA - Exactech has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the US Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. The medical device manufacturer will sell its assets to investors due to "unsustainable liabilities associated with knee and hip litigation related to the packaging recalls we voluntarily initiated between 2021 and 2022.” However, lawyers advise plaintiffs who have filed defective Exactech knee and hip implants not to panic because insurance and assets are available to victims in bankruptcy.
#3 NCAA Volunteer Coaches Seek Class Certification in Anti-trust ComplaintsSanta Clara, CA - Volunteer coaches for Divison 1 baseball have requested a California federal judge to certify their proposed antitrust class action against the National Collegiate Athletic Association. They argue that the NCAA's "uniform wage fix" bylaw (now repealed) paid volunteer coaches nothing, which prevented them from getting compensated market value for their services.
#4 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.
#6 Depo-Provera Lawsuit November 2024 Update Santa Clara, CA - Since its approval, the Depo-Provera contraceptive has been linked to serious health risks--particularly the development of brain tumors like meningiomas; these tumors have allegedly been associated with drospirenone-containing birth control, like Depo-Provera.
#7 New Research Links PFAS to Kidney Damage & Poor SleepSanta Clara, CA - Researchers have published new studies linking PFAS to kidney damage and poor sleep. These “forever chemicals” are already known to increase a host of health problems, but now researchers are connecting the dots between problems and potential solutions. And another study has found that over 20 percent of people in the U.S. rely on water sources containing detectable amounts of PFAS.
#8 UPS Bathroom Break LawsuitLos Angeles, CA - A UPS employee has sued the global shipping company for failing to provide suitable bathroom facilities to employees--primarily its drivers. The Private Attorneys General Act suit claims that UPS has violated other California Labor laws, including failure to provide a place of employment that is safe and healthful.
#9 VA Doctor Convicted of Sexually Assaulting Female Veteran PatientAtlanta, GA - On November 5, a federal jury in the Northern District of Georgia convicted Dr. Rajesh Motibhai Patel, a primary care physician at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Decatur, Georgia, of sexually assaulting a veteran patient. The jury found that he violated her constitutional right to bodily integrity while acting under color of law.
#10 Hair Relaxer Cancer Litigation Ongoing and Advocates Fight for ChangeSanta Clara, CA - As advocates and watchdogs with organizations like the NAACP and the Environmental Working Group, and at least one politician, create more awareness amongst Black women about serious health risks of hair straightener products, more hair relaxer lawsuits are filed. And they are insisting that the regulatory framework needs to change.
