#1 FDA Finally Pulls ZantacWashington, DC Since at least last summer the FDA has known that a contaminant known as N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) was present in ranitidine medications (commonly known as the brand name Zantac), but the agency didn’t order a withdrawal of the popular heartburn drug until this month – almost a year later. Chances are, countless people who have been taking a side of a potential carcinogen with their Zantac dose each day are concerned about the possibility of developing Zantac-related cancer —and many people are filing Zantac lawsuits.
#2 Wells Fargo Fake Account Scandal Grinds OnOakland, CA The Northern District of California has approved attorneys’ fees in the settlement of the latest lawsuit arising from the massive Wells Fargo fake account fraud. The scandal came to light in 2016 after account holders raised questions about mysterious bank overdraft fees that they were charged. The bank’s misconduct, however, may date back at least as far as 2002.
#3 California Suspends Worker Layoff Notifications. Did Velodyne Take Advantage?San Jose, CA Siers v. Velodyne Lidar is a class action lawsuit brought under the provisions of the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) and provisions of California labor law that afford employees similar protection against sudden and precipitous layoff. According to Benjamin Siers, Velodyne terminated a third of its workforce with just one day’s notice, citing the COVID-19 pandemic. In the context of Velodyne’s other business activities, however, that reason appears to have been a pretext – a very convenient pretext that relieved Velodyne of time and attendant costs it would otherwise have incurred as it moved production facilities overseas.
#5 Aftermath of a Horrific Amusement Park AccidentLouisville, KY It is not only a parent's worst nightmare but anyone's worst nightmare??"in this case an Amusement Park Accident at a popular theme park that resulted in a 13-year-old girl having both of her feet severed above the ankle. Kaitlyn Lasitter survived, and doctors were able to re-attach her right foot. But they could not save her left, and Kaitlyn now walks with a prosthesis.
#6 Employment Discrimination based on Perceived Sexual OrientationNew York, NY Vincent White, a partner at White, Hilferty and Albanese, spoke recently with LAS about the thorny problem of employment discrimination based on an employer’s perception (or misperception) of an employee’s sexual orientation. The hardest problem, according to White, is that the discriminatory comment or action often happens behind closed doors, with no witnesses. “It’s an elevator situation,” said White. “The doors close; the offense happens; and the doors open with no one the wiser, except the employer and a very shocked employee.”
#8 Emergency Room Overcharges –Surprise!Santa Clara, CA Almost one-third of Americans with health insurance who wind up in an emergency room find out after the fact that their health plan doesn’t cover as much as they thought. Given that there are about 140 million ER visits each year, and “surprise” emergency room charges are so frequent that 59 percent of Americans have been contacted by a debt collector and 16 percent of Americans’ credit reports include medical debt due to overdue medical bills, it’s not such as surprise that this debt totals about $81 billion.
#9 Bayer Settles Roundup Advertising Class Action LawsuitKansas City, MO Monsanto (owned by Bayer) and Scotts Miracle-Gro Products, Inc. claimed that glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup weedkiller, is not found in humans or pets and only affects plant enzymes—therefore it is not a health risk to humans and animals. But not everyone believed them.
#10 Putnam Investments to Settle 401k Self-Dealing Lawsuit for $12.5 MillionBoston, MA Participants in the Putnam Retirement Plan have agreed to settle their ERISA lawsuit against Putnam Investments and other Plan fiduciaries for $12.5 million and certain prospective changes in plan administration. Following close on the heels of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision not to review the lower court’s determination, the settlement leaves open two important questions that arise in countless 401k mismanagement lawsuits. But by keeping these issues alive, the end of Brotherston v. Putnam Investments represents a qualified victory for 401k plan participants.
