Archive for April, 2006

Nursing home lawsuit results in $1.1 million verdict

The family of a man who died from an infection he received at a nursing home in Macon, Georgia was recently awarded $1.1 million by a Bibb County jury.

Woman wins $5.75 million in lawsuit against hospital

A jury in Fulton County, NY recently awarded $5.75 million to a woman who required a hysterectomy after she was discharged from a hospital with an undetected bacterial infection.

Prempro manufacturer rallies against custom-blended hormone mixes

Wyeth, manufacturer of Prempro, is urging the FDA to curb the availability of popular custom-blended hormone mixes, saying that they are unregulated and dangerous.

Maker of Prempro being sued by more than 4,000 women

Thousands of women are alleging that the menopause drug gave them breast cancer. The first of thousands of cases against drug maker Wyeth goes to trial this summer.

Bomb test in Nevada desert revives old fears and prompts lawsuit

A U.S. district court in Las Vegas will seek to determine if the testing of a 700-ton bomb 90 miles north of that city is safe for residents.

Insurer Ace Ltd. settles bid-rigging suit for $80 million

Bermuda holding company Ace Ltd. and its U.S. insurance subsidiaries agreed April 26 to pay $80 million to settle a bid-rigging suit brought by the Attorneys General from New York, Illinois, and Connecticut.

As lawsuits loom, DuPont rejects calls to eliminate potentially dangerous chemical

DuPont's shareholders rejected a proposal to phase out a chemical used to manufacture Teflon-coated cookware and other products that many consider dangerous.

Death of surgery patient prompts $1 million verdict against hospital, surgeon

An Oahu jury recently issued a $1 million award in a malpractice case against a Honolulu hospital and surgeon accused of negligence in the death of a surgery patient.

Formosa Plastics lawsuits filed almost 2 years after explosion

A legal battle has commenced almost two years after an explosion in the Formosa Plastics chemical plant in Illiopolis, Ill.

Family of boy injured in car accident wins $10 million award

A Charlotte, N.C. jury has awarded $10 million to the family of an 11-year-old boy. He suffered a traumatic brain injury and has been confined to a wheelchair since a 2004 car accident.

Heart attack victim receives $900,000 in malpractice case

A man who suffered a heart attack the day after being discharged from an urgent care facility was recently awarded $900,000 by a jury in Vigo County, Ind.

Calif. woman spanked by employers sues for $1.2 million

FRESNO, Calif. -- A woman who was spanked in front of her co-workers as part of what her former employer called a team-building exercise is seeking $1.2 million for the pain and humiliation she allegedly suffered.

Actress sentenced for DUI

Actress Michelle Rodriguez was sentenced to five days in jail after pleading guilty to DUI.

Woman sentenced to 8 years for fatal DUI accident

A Kentucky woman was sentenced to eight years after driving intoxicated and hitting a couple on a motorcycle, leaving the husband injured and the wife dead.

Victims of Rudolph Bombings Receive Meager Restitution

Although Eric Rudolph was ordered to pay millions of dollars in restitution to the victims of his string of malicious bombings in Birmingham and Atlanta, they have received little or no money for their pain and suffering.

Missouri jury awards $275,000 in nursing home death case

The daughter of a nursing home resident who died during a heat wave in 2001 was recently awarded $275,000 by a jury in St. Louis.

Carnival Cruise Lines blamed for man's fatal virus

SWARTZ CREEK, Mich. - The family of a man who died following a cruise is preparing to sue Carnival Cruise Lines.

Alaska midair collision kills five

Five people were killed, including two accomplished pilots, in a midair collision over the Palmer Hay Flats State Game Refuge, about 20 miles northeast of Anchorage.

Senators introduce legislation that could raise levels of dioxin in ground

Three Michigan state senators have introduced legislation that could raise the level of dioxin, a cancer causing chemical, in the ground.

Class action status granted in suit against Farmers Insurance Co.

A suit brought by plaintiffs against the Farmers Insurance Companies alleging unfair use of consumer report information has been granted class action status by U.S. District Judge Stephen P. Friot of the Western District of Oklahoma.

Oklahoma man sentenced for second attempt at methamphetamine manufacturing

A Pawnee, Okla. man on probation for attempting to manufacture methamphetamine has been given a five-year sentence after again attempting to produce the illegal substance.

Scientist warn of lung disease linked to chemical in food flavorings

A potentially fatal lung disease linked to a chemical in food flavorings poses a growing health risk say government scientists who question the industry's willingness to protect its workers.

Pure oxygen may prove to be promising treatment for cerebral palsy patients

Ohio's Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Medical Center, in partnership with other medical institutions, is conducting a study to see if pure oxygen delivered in a pressurized chamber can improve motor functions in children with cerebral palsy.

Driver gets 50 years for DUI related death

A repeat DUI offender from North Carolina was sentenced to 50 years in prison after causing a collision that killed a grandmother.

Computer Associates Kumar pleads guilty

Former Chief Executive of Computer Associates International (CA Int'l), Sanjay Kumar, pled guilty to securities fraud and obstruction of justice charges related to accounting fraud at the software company.

Suspended Oklahoma teacher reinstated after drug charges dropped

A teacher in Broken Arrow, Okla. who was suspended is back in the classroom after a judge dropped the drug charges against her.

Toxic shirt from 9/11 reveals menacing information

Community liaison Yehuda Kaploun volunteered at Ground Zero for two days following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Since that time, he has kept the contaminated shirt he wore on those days in a sealed plastic bag.

JPMorgan agrees to settle IPO related suits

JPMorgan Chase, one of a list of banks that are currently being sued for allegedly manipulating the price of Initial Public Offerings, has agreed to a $425 Million dollar settlement.

Defective hair dryers recalled

The Consumer Product Safety Commission and Saroj International Inc. have announced the voluntary recall of Eusonic hair dryers. The hair dryers pose an electrocution hazard and consumers should stop using them immediately.

Connecticut woman suing local town for slip and fall injury

Westport resident Roseann Caruso is seeking monetary damages for a slip and fall accident that occurred when she fell on ice and snow that had accumulated on a local high school parking lot.

Would-be Katrina judge sues insurer for claim denial

U.S. District Court Judge Louis Guirola and his wife filed suit on April 19 against Columbus, Ohio--based Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. for the company's refusal to cover damages caused by Hurricane Katrina to the couple's Long Beach, Miss. home.

Canadian authorities investigating Accutane-related strokes

Health Canada is reportedly to start probing the cause of heart attacks and strokes that have occurred over the last two decades in patients taking Accutane, a potent and controversial acne drug.

Chicago suburbanites sue over contaminated groundwater

A lawsuit filed in U.S. district court in Chicago claims that carcinogenic chemicals from a landfill have seeped into the groundwater of a Chicago suburb.

Thousands of patients added to Zyprexa lawsuit

After settling a lawsuit over its defective schizophrenia drug Zyprexa last year, drugmaker Eli Lilly now faces a new round of lawsuits from up to 5,000 new patients.

Judge awards more than $1 million in toxic mold case

Two La Mesa, Calif. families are entitled to more than $1 million after they were exposed to toxic mold in a duplex, a judge says.

New York men charged in "boiler room" scheme

Five men have been charged in connection with an elaborate "boiler room" investment scheme that federal prosecutors contend scammed at least 50 people out of $2.5 million.

New York State Comptroller files suit against Qwest Communications

New York State Comptroller, Alan G. Hevesi, has filed a securities lawsuit against Qwest Communications International, several of its former executives, and auditor Arthur Anderson contending conspiracy to commit securities fraud.

New studies show mercury dental fillings do not present health risks

We know mercury is toxic; however, according to recent studies, using the heavy metal in dental fillings does not appear to pose a significant health risk.

Renowned test pilot dies in plane crash

Officials have confirmed that the body of 84-year-old Scott Crossfield, a well-known test pilot, was discovered in the wreckage of a plane crash near Ranger, Ga.

Fatal DUI accident results in six year sentence

A Louisiana man was sentenced to six years in jail after a drunken driving accident left one dead and three injured.

Merck & Co. faced with negligence lawsuit over osteoporosis drug Fosamax

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Merck & Co. is facing another litigious nightmare and may need to hire additional attorneys to challenge a new lawsuit alleging the drug company was negligent in its handling of the osteoporosis drug Fosamax.

Office Max sued for defective chair

Illinois resident James McQuillan filed a lawsuit against Office Max for injuries he sustained after falling from an allegedly defective chair.

Surgical mistakes on the rise

Despite recent efforts to improve patient safety, surgical mistakes, involving removal of the wrong limb or organ, working on the wrong area of the body, and even performing surgery on the wrong patients are increasing.

DUI offender sentenced after deadly accident

A Pennsylvania man, who volunteered as a firefighter in Cambria County, was sentenced to prison after being involved in a drunken driving accident that left an elderly man dead.

Lawsuit against gynecologist results in $28 million verdict

A jury in Seminole County, Fla. recently awarded $28 million to a woman who claims she can no longer urinate naturally since undergoing an operation to correct minor incontinence.

Lawsuit alleges DuPont plant contaminated New Jersey water

A suspected carcinogen and other chemicals used in Teflon production have polluted the drinking water supplies near a DuPont plant in New Jersey, according to a federal lawsuit filed on Tuesday.

Kentucky lawyers in fen-phen case deny responsibility for excessive fees

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Attorneys William Gallion, Shirley Cunningham, and Melbourne Mills Jr., accused by their former clients of pocketing excessive fees from the settlement of a fen phen case, say that they paid themselves more than $20 million each on a court order from former Circuit Court Judge Joseph Bamberger.

Woman sentenced to prison and fined for DUI death

A South Carolina woman received two 12-year sentences and more than $20,000 in fines for her involvement in a fatal DUI accident.

Injured nuns file lawsuit

Two Franciscan sisters are suing the builder and owner of a townhouse in Wisconsin after they sustained injuries when a staircase collapsed.

Greensboro lead poisoning case against landlord settled

A case against the owner of a building in Greensboro, N.C. where a child was brain damaged as a result of exposure to lead paint has been settled out of court.

Kentucky teacher awarded $4.2 million after slip-and-fall accident

Tessa Zanke, a special education teacher in Lexington, Ky. slipped and fell on a patch of ice outside of her apartment in March 2003 leaving her with severe, burning pain in both of her arms.

Drug conviction 'set aside' for high school principle who completed program

A judge has set aside the conviction of Dr. Harry Smith, the principle of Lee High School in Huntsville, Ala. who was arrested for drug possession.

Atrazine banned abroad but still in use in U.S.

American farmers make a springtime ritual of spraying atrazine, an herbicide, on their crops; however, the European Union's (EU) plan to ban the use of atrazine by 2007 is causing U.S. environmental groups to take notice.

Tyco agrees to $50 million settlement

Tyco International, Ltd. has agreed to pay the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission $50 million to settle accounting fraud allegations that were levied against the high tech conglomerate's previous management.

Proposed Colorado bill considers dogs dangerous after first bite

In an effort to reduce injury or death for animal care workers, the Colorado state government is considering a bill that would hold a dog's owner liable the first time the dog attacked another person or animal.

Weight loss drug tied to increased risk of cancer, says watchdog group

Consumer group Public Citizen alleges that Xenical, a prescription weight loss drug recently approved for over-the-counter use, has been connected with colon and breast cancer and should be banned from the marketplace.

Whistleblower says AT & T helped NSA spy

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is battling AT&T regarding a whistleblowers contention that the communications giant helped the National Security Administration monitor traffic on the internet.

New York man sues Bausch & Lomb

A New York man has filed a suit in Federal District Court in Manhattan against Bausch & Lomb, the makers of ReNu with MoistureLoc, a contact lens solution.

Florida woman awarded $28 million in medical malpractice lawsuit

Jeanette Davis, a 42-year-old Florida resident, received $28 million for a faulty operation she underwent in 2001. Davis sued her gynecologist for botching the surgery that left her unable to urinate naturally.

Illinois woman paralyzed in Jeep rollover accident sues DaimlerChrysler, local dealer

An Illinois woman paralyzed from the neck down in a Jeep rollover accident blames unsafe design and irresponsible sales for her condition in a lawsuit brought against DaimlerChrysler and a Mt. Vernon car dealer.

Peregrine Systems consultant reaches agreement with prosecutors

A Colorado business consultant has reached a preliminary agreement with prosecutors regarding his involvement in an accounting scandal at San Diego's Peregrine Systems.

Survivors of military cargo plane crash say engine failed

Passengers of a military cargo jet that crashed after its takeoff from Dover Air Force Base say that the aircraft's engines lost power.

Drug conviction reversed after identity of informant not disclosed

The drug convictions of cousins Froilan and Juvenal Martinez have been reversed after an appellate court agreed that a confidential informant's identity should have been revealed.

Ice and extra weight blamed in Lake Erie plane crash

A Cessna that crashed into Lake Erie off Pelee Island, Canada two years ago, killing all 10 passengers, was overloaded and icy, the Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday.

Class action suit brought against companies over benzene contaminated soda

Bellywashers, a popular kids' drink produced by In Zone Brands, and Polar Beverage's Diet Orange Dry are named in a class action lawsuit over benzene levels.

Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch employees charged

Stanislav Shpigelman, a junior-level investment banker at Merrill Lynch & Co. and Eugene Plotkin, a bond analyst at Goldman Sachs Group have been charged along with a third man in an insider trading ring that netted $6.7 million and involved more than a dozen people.

U.S. Marshals Seize Texas Star Casino Boat

On Friday, U. S. Marshals confiscated the Texas Star casino boat due to their alleged failure to pay an electrical company for services.

Skilling vows he's "Absolutely Innocent"

Jeffrey K. Skilling, former Enron executive and 10th defense witness to take the stand in a Houston courtroom, denied any wrongdoing regarding charges that he conspired to defraud Enron and its shareholders. He used strong language proclaiming that he was "absolutely innocent" and would fight any charges "until the day I die."

Lawsuits allege contaminated water led to employee illnesses

More than 35 former employees of a telecommunications plant in Lake Mary, Fla. say they were poisoned by contaminated water. The water was used for everything from making coffee to washing of hands.

Mercury in vaccines: how much is too much?

While state lawmakers are advocating that mercury be banned in vaccines, they are facing resistance from vocal health groups that receive money from pharmaceutical companies and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Students hurt in West Virginia school bus crash file $10 million suit

WILLIAMSON, W.V. -- A $10 million lawsuit was filed this week against a landscaping firm on behalf of eight West Virginia students injured last week when a school bus was struck by a company truck.

Consumer group urges withdrawal of Xenical

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been petitioned to remove the prescription diet drug Xenical (orlistat) from the market. Public Citizen, a consumer watchdog group, filed the petition.

Scaffolding collapse kills 3; Incident mirrors 2003 tragedy

The recent scaffolding collapse in Boston that killed three people is the second of its kind for the manufacturer. Fraco Products Ltd. is already facing a $6 million lawsuit for a similar 2003 incident in New Jersey.

Legality of police search of man detained for urinating in public questioned

After discovering drugs on a man detained for urinating in public, California courts have been forced to defined public urination illegal or invalidate the drug search.

The Hartford Insurance Group accused of charging illegal fees

California Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi announced that the state has initiated legal proceedings against The Hartford Insurance Group for charging illegal fees to thousands of personal and commercial insurance policyholders.