#1 Bayer Essure Settlement a Victory for Thousands of Essure Victims and E-SistersSanta Clara, CA On the ”Essure Problems” Facebook Page, which was started in 2011, Angie Firmalino advises about 44,000 women, called E-sisters, not to discuss their settlement as it comes with a confidentiality agreement that includes “restrictions about discussing your settlement online… discussing your settlement will jeopardize it.” Ms. Firmalino, who started the group, is referring to the $1.6 billion Bayer is paying to thousands of women who said they have suffered severe, long-term health problems from Bayer’s Essure birth control implant.
#2 Bayer’s Bumps over Mosanto’s Roundup LitigationSanta Clara, CA Bayer stated on its website in June 2020 that it will make a total payment of $10.1 billion to $10.9 billion to resolve current and address potential future Roundup Litigation. The $10.1 billion figure will settle about 75 percent of Monsanto’s Roundup lawsuits by an estimated 125,000 people who claim exposure to its weed killer and other glyphosate herbicides caused them to develop the form of cancer called non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
#3 Court Greenlights Class Action Status for Home Depot 401k ERISA LawsuitAtlanta, GA On September 21, the District Court for the Northern District of Georgia ruled that an ERISA lawsuit brought by participants in the Home Depot FutureBuilder 401(k) Plan against plan fiduciaries could proceed as a class action lawsuit. Pizarro v. The Home Depot is particularly notable for the number of participant who may be affected – now estimated to top 300,000.
#4 Hewlett Packard Settles Gender Discrimination Wage ComplaintSan Diego, CA On October 26, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) announced that Hewlett Packard Inc. and Hewlett Packard Enterprise (collectively “HP”) have agreed to pay $1,450,000 to resolve systemic pay discrimination allegations involving 391 female employees. The affected employees worked at several locations including San Diego. Like federal law, the California Labor Code prohibits gender discrimination in wage rates for substantially similar work.
#5 California Jury Decision in Zoom Asbestos Trial AdmirableSanta Clara, CA Despite Metalclad Insulation LLC arguing that COVID-19 restrictions and juror irregularities unfairly impacted an asbestos lawsuit claiming the manufacturer was liable for negligently failing to recall or warn about the risks of using insulation containing asbestos, a California jury awarded the plaintiffs, a Navy admiral and his wife, over $2.5 million.
#6 Earnin Agrees to PayBackSanta Clara, CA A proposed settlement by Earnin, an app-based pay advance service, would theoretically pay up to $12.5 million to consumers who claim they were misled by Earnin and were charged bank fees they weren’t aware of before signing on with the service.
#7 C.R. Bard Hernia Mesh Trial Gets the Green LightSanta Clara, CA Federal hernia mesh lawsuits filed against C.R. Bard are proceeding with the first bellwhether trial scheduled for January 2021 (it was postponed due to COVID), despite numerous efforts by the medical device maker to have the case dismissed. This trial may well indicate the future of hernia mesh litigation and significantly impact up to 10,000 pending hernia mesh cases.
#8 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.
#9 Lisinopril—Hidden DangersLas Vegas, NV Many prescription drugs are as common as aspirin; it's no wonder that many consumers don't read warning labels or consider that a medication could be associated with side effects. Take Lisinopril, for instance. It is one of the most widely prescribed drugs in the US, and it also has the potential to harm a lot of people.
#10 Getting Totaled by State FarmRedlands, CA Over the past several years, State Farm Insurance has taken public steps to shine up its image of fair dealings with its policyholders. Yet it revealed quite a darker face to Rachel when she tried to obtain a State Farm totaled vehicle title for an unfit car.
