#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 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.
#3 California Poultry Processor Slapped with TROMerced County, CA On December 23, the Superior Court of California, Merced County ordered Foster Poultry Farms, a chicken processing plant, to comply with federal and California workplace safety protocols at its Livingston facility. The California labor lawsuit, brought by the United Farm Workers and two workers at the plant, details a persistent pattern of reckless disregard for worker safety that had continued even after Merced County shut the plant down as a “public nuisance,” the infection rate in the county spiked and workers died.
#4 "Nightmares from Chantix Drove Me Crazy"Flint, MI Posted on the Chantix website is a litany of side effects: one of the most common is abnormal dreams. But scroll down and in smaller print the popular smoking cessation drug also lists "nightmares". Harriet didn't read the small print and neither did anyone tell her that she would have nightmares so bad she would be afraid to go to sleep, and she would sink into depression.
#5 Target Red Card Lawsuit Poised to Settle for $8.2 MillionSan Diego, CA On December 2, the Southern District of California granted preliminary approval to the settlement of a class action lawsuit that shone a light on the real cost of Target’s Red Card purchases for thousands of Target shoppers since 2012. The store-branded payment card permitted Target to charge Returned Payment Fees (RPFs) of $20 to $40 in addition to multiple bank overdraft fees on purchases for which there were insufficient funds in a customer’s account.
#7 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.
#8 “Do I Have a Firefighting Foam or Contaminated Water Lawsuit?” PFAS Contamination Lawyer Weighs InHouston, TX PFAS contamination lawyer Bill Barfield, with McDonald Worley law firm, says the number of calls they receive about PFAS exposure is on the rise, from individuals worrying that their drinking water is contaminated to first responders exposed to firefighting foam at vehicle accident scenes. “Their first question is, ‘Do I have a claim?’ and their second question is, ‘Where can I get PFAS testing?’” says Barfield.
#10 Forever Waiting for EPA’s Limits on PFAS “Forever Chemicals”Washington, DC The EPA on January 19, 2021 finally announced two preliminary actions toward regulating “forever chemicals” in Americans’ drinking water. These toxic chemicals include PFAS, which do not break down in the environment. They are linked to serious health issues, including cancer, reproductive and developmental harm, and reduced effectiveness of vaccines. Over 2,300 sites in the U.S. are contaminated with PFAS.
