#1 Oracle in the Hot Seat over Gender Pay Discrimination (Again)San Mateo, CA On December 18, the California Superior Court refused to dismiss a Complaint alleging that Oracle America, Inc. systematically paid women less than men for comparable work. The California labor lawsuit, describes a pattern all-too-familiar from other gender discrimination lawsuits against Silicon Valley tech giants, including Google, Uber and HP as well as Oracle.
#2 Bank Overdraft Fees Lawsuit Stresses Lack of Consumer Sophistication, Unfair ProcessAtlanta, GA On December 17, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit heard oral arguments in Garcia v. Wachovia Bank, one of the bank overdraft fees lawsuits, consolidated in In Re: Checking Account Overdraft Litigation. The checking accountholders are appealing a September 2019 District Court decision that denied them the chance to proceed through a class action lawsuit, forcing them to arbitrate their claims individually. That would effectively end their chance to dispute excessive overdraft fees that resulted from Wells Fargo’s and Wachovia Bank’s practice of reordering checks from high to low amounts in order to maximize profits.
#3 What to Expect in Zantac Cancer Lawsuits for 2021 and BeyondWest Palm Beach, FL As 2020 draws to a close, the toll of death and injury from Zantac-related cancers continues to rise, as do the number of Zantac cancer lawsuits. Meanwhile, In Re: Zantac (Ranitidine) Products Liability Litigation, the multidistrict litigation into which many of the individual lawsuits have been consolidated, grinds on without much apparent news.
#4 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.
#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 Apple Owes $2 Million for California Labor LawsuitA California labor lawsuit that alleged Apple did not properly provide meal and rest breaks and did not pay employees in a timely manner has resulted in a $2 million award to employees. The lawsuit was originally filed in 2011 by employees who worked at Apple retail stores in San Diego and was later changed to a class action lawsuit including California employees who worked at Apple retail stores from 2007 and 2012.
#7 American Home Shield Lawsuit Alleges Improper DenialsMontgomery, AL Customers of home warranty companies, such as American Home Shield can take heart that some previous home warranty lawsuits have resulted in settlements. One American Home Shield lawsuit resulted in a settlement, although the company did not admit any wrongdoing or liability in the settlement.
#8 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.
