Archive for November, 2007

Man Survives 5-Story Fall Aboard Cruise Ship

A man traveling aboard a Norwegian Cruise Line passenger vessel is being treated after falling from the eighth story onto a lower deck.

Illinois Train Collision Injures 5

An Amtrak train carrying 187 passengers collided with a freight train in Chicago on Friday, seriously injuring at least five crew members.

57 Dead after Plane Crash in Turkey

An AtlasJet Airlines MD 83 jetliner has gone down in the mountains of southwest Turkey, killing everyone aboard.

Missouri Supreme Court to Decide Fate of 2005 Workers' Compensation Law

The Missouri Supreme Court on Thursday heard a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the state's 2005 workers' compensation law.

New Charges in Monterey Workers' Comp Case

Additional charges have been filed recently against a manager and former manager of Smurfit-Stone Container Enterprises of Salinas, CA who, according to a pending criminal case, allegedly conspired to commit workers' compensation fraud.

Couple Accepts $5.5 Million to Settle Texas Oil Truck Accident Suit

A Michigan couple injured last year when their car was rear-ended by an oil truck on a Texas highway will receive a $5.5 million settlement from the trucking company, their attorney said.

Bars Sued After DUI Causes Crashes

Two West Chester, Pennsylvania auto accidents, one deadly, involving DUI sparked lawsuits alleging that the restaurants that served the drivers alcohol are at least partially responsible for the crashes.

Vaccinations Caused Son's Autism, Says Family

Angela and Rolf Hazlehurst recently testified against the Secretary of Health and Human Services, claiming that vaccinations received during his first year caused their son, Yates, to develop autism.

Tennessee Telecommuters Eligible for Workers' Compensation

According to a recent Tennessee Supreme Court ruling, telecommuters are eligible for worker's compensation benefits for injuries received while working.

Celebrex Suits May Suffer After Judge's Ruling

On Monday, a federal judge ruled to exclude certain experts from testifying on behalf of plaintiffs against the maker of the arthritis drug Celebrex.

Driver of truck in fatal off-road accident sentenced to 30 days

The family of a Bakersfield man who was killed last year when the ATV he was riding in a popular California desert recreation area was hit by a truck was disgusted when a judge sentenced the driver of the truck to 30 days in jail.

Utah Boy Clubbed with Baseball Bat Awarded $6.7M in Damages

A Provo, Utah boy, whose family sued a sports tournament organizer alleging negligence in a case where the 7-year-old received a traumatic brain injury after being accidentally struck in the head by a batter taking a warm-up swing while returning a foul ball to the playing field in 2004, was awarded $6.7 million when the company was found to be 92.5 percent responsible for the boy’s injuries.

Verizon Sued Over Former Nuclear Fuel Plant

Employees of a magazine distribution company will file a class action suit today in State Supreme Court in Brooklyn against Verizon Communications, Inc. claiming negligence which resulted in exposure to toxic chemicals, according to attorneys.

Fired Investment Centers of America Adviser Pleads Guilty to Fraud Charges

Former Investment Centers of America investment adviser representative Mark Leon Henry, 37, pleaded guilty to federal securities fraud and tax fraud charges in U.S. District Court in Springfield, Missouri on Tuesday.

Former University of Kentucky Professor & Auditor Files Whistleblower Suit

Dan Ross, a former accounting professor and internal auditor at the University of Kentucky, has filed suit against the school, claiming he was fired after reporting suspected violations following an internal audit of school finances.

Popcorn Lung Victims Receive Favorable Ruling from New York Appeals Court

A New York appeals court recently ruled that the supplier of a buttery flavoring used in microwave popcorn must pay at least $50,000 for each successful claim filed by injured workers at a Missouri popcorn plant.

Arizona Man Charged with Defrauding over 200 out of $20M

Owen A. Vilan has been indicted by a Maricopa County Superior Court grand jury and charged with fraud, theft, securities fraud, and the sale of unregistered securities and transactions by an unregistered dealer.

TSA Chief Says Screeners Need Whistleblower Protection, Denies Tipping Screeners about Testing

Speaking Wednesday before the House Homeland Security Committee, U.S. Transportation Security Administration head Kip Hawley said he will take action to extend federal whistleblower protection to the nation's airport checkpoint and baggage screeners.

Cayuga County Slammed with Fourth Asbestos Lawsuit

A fourth asbestos lawsuit was filed against Cayuga County earlier this month, the latest in a string of complaints involving the improper removal of asbestos from the county Board of Elections building last year.

Environmentalists at War with Feds Over Suisun Bay Pollution

Environmentalists sued the U.S. Maritime Administration late last month in a U.S. District Court in Sacramento over what has long been considered an environmental time bomb ticking away in the calm waters of Suisun Bay.

Legislation that Bans Asbestos is Watered-Down, Backers Say

A bill passed in October that was supposed to ban all products containing asbestos in the country has taken on a new, watered-down meaning, according to activists of the original legislation.

Man Pulled Over on Suspicion of DWI Sues Over Police Brutality

On Oct. 30, a Sacramento man arrested two years earlier on suspicion of driving while intoxicated testified that he was wrongfully brutalized by Sacramento police.

Rice Cooker Manufacturer Sued over House Fire that Killed 3 Children

Osaka, Japan-based Tiger Corp. was sued for negligence, product liability and strict liability, and breach of warranty in connection to a defective rice cooker that allegedly sparked a house fire that claimed that claimed the lives of three elementary school-aged children in Sioux Falls, Minnesota in 2004.

Ex-RenaissanceRe Holdings Executive Settles with SEC over Fraud Charges

Former RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. executive Michael W. Cash has agreed to pay a $130,000 fine in order to settle securities fraud charges brought against him by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Former Safety-Kleen CFO Sentenced To 70 Months in Prison for Securities Fraud

Paul Humphreys, the former chief financial officer of Plano, Texas-based Safety-Kleen Systems, Inc. was sentenced to five years and 10 months in a federal prison for his role in artificially inflating the company's earning reports.

OSHA Opens Investigation into Wal-Mart Whistleblower's Claims

The Labor Dept.'s Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has agreed to look into claims made by Wal-Mart employee Chalace Lowry, who alleges she suffered retaliatory treatment after reporting suspicious activities within the company.

AT&T Whistleblower Tells Congress of Domestic Internet Wiretapping by NSA

Former AT&T technician Mark Klein visited Capitol Hill last week in an attempt to convince the Senate and House Judiciary Committees not to grant retroactive immunity from eavesdropping lawsuits to telecommunications providers.

New Hampshire Woman Sues Hospital for Negligence over Fall

A Belmont, New Hampshire woman is suing Concord Hospital, claiming medical negligence in a case stemming from a 2005 incident where alleged failures in patient evaluation and supervision led to a fall which caused her to suffer a traumatic head injury.

Parents Sue When State Seizes Their Baby

On Oct. 11, Sheriff’s deputies entered the Omaha home of Mary and Josue Anaya to seize their 6-week-old baby against their will for blood testing. The couple sued health officials, believing their rights were violated.

San Francisco Bay Area Motorcyclist Awarded $2.2 Million in Accident Settlement

A motorcyclist who was injured last year when he collided with a mini van in Marin County near San Francisco has reached a $2.2 million settlement with the driver of the vehicle, his attorney said.

Vioxx Maker to Pay $4.85 Billion Settlement

The maker of Vioxx announced Friday it will pay $4.85 billion to settle thousands of lawsuits claiming that the drug caused stroke and heart failure in many users.

3 Women Awarded Additional $99 Million in Lawsuit against Pharmaceutical Company

A Reno jury recently ruled in favor of three Nevada women who claim hormone replacement drugs gave them breast cancer.

Scientists Link Shipping Pollution to Lung Cancer, Deaths

A new study released this month blames maritime industry pollution for more than 60,000 lung cancer- and cardiopulmonary-related deaths around the world each year, with almost 9,000 of them occurring in North America alone.

Light Up and Pay More for Health Insurance in Hall County

Starting in 2008, Hall County employees may find themselves paying more for health insurance if they don't kick their smoking habit.

Pot Becomes Lowest Priority for Denver Law Enforcement

Denver voters passed a measure Tuesday to make marijuana the lowest priority for law enforcement officers.

Federal Sentencing Guidelines End Cocaine Disparities

New guidelines implemented at the beginning of November to made crack offense prison terms more lenient have equalized the once disparate sentences between crack offenders and their powdered cocaine-offending counterparts.

Burned West Virginia Man Seeks $40 Million in Suit against Police

A man who suffered burns after being Tasered and pepper sprayed simultaneously during an arrest by police filed a lawsuit against several parties seeking $40 million in damages in US District Court on October 23.

Tyson Foods Ordered to Pay $8.5 Million for Fatal Truck Wreck

Tyson Foods must pay $7 million in damages plus $1.5 million in interest stemming from a fatal 2004 traffic accident caused by one of its truck drivers, a judge has ruled.