#1 Equinox $36 million settlement for California Wage and Hour LawsuitsAlameda, CA - Equinox has agreed to pay $36 million to resolve two California labor lawsuits alleging the fitness company required more than 15,000 employees to perform pre-shift work without pay and to skip meal breaks. The settlement, which resolves California state and federal actions, covers those who worked for Equinox in California between April 3, 2015, and Dec. 31, 2022.
#2 Gig Economy Company Settles Wage Theft Lawsuit for $2.1 MillionSan Francisco, CA - Qwick, a gig economy online staffing company for hotel and restaurant workers, is required to pay its misclassified California workers $1.5 million in restitution and convert all workers to employees. This agreement settles a misclassification lawsuit brought by the City Attorney of San Francisco and it significantly reclassifies thousands of workers – permanently. Misclassified as independent contractors, workers will now be entitled to employee rights and benefits.
#3 Exactech Defective Hip Implant MDL Takes ShapeBrooklyn, NY - As of March 2024, 1,244 defective, ankle, knee and hip implant lawsuits were pending in multidistrict litigation in the Eastern District of New York. Although no trials or settlements have yet occurred, some speculate that individual hip plaintiffs may ultimately expect to recover as much as $300,000.
#4 Is Tampa's population growth causing dangerous roads?Santa Clara, CA - Florida is a prime destination not only for occasional vacationers, but also for people looking to settle down. With its warm climate, sunny skies, endless beaches and tourist attractions, there are so many reasons why people are choosing to call Florida their home. Florida has a population of 20.6 million, making it the third most populated state in the United States. This number does not account for the millions of visitors who descend upon Florida each year.
#5 Ozempic MDL and Semaglutide UpdatePhiladelphia, PA - Fifty-five Ozempic and similar weight loss drug lawsuits have been centralized in Eastern Pennsylvania, with U.S. District Judge Gene E.K. Pratter at the helm of the MDL and scheduled to commence March 14 at the first status conference. The litigation claims that Novo Nordisk's Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus and Eli Lilly's Mounjaro and Trulicity cause gastroparesis and other serious gastrointestinal injuries, and the companies failed to warn patients about the risks associated with GLP-1 receptor agonist medications.
#6 $155 Million Overtime Settlement Approved for Prison SupervisorsSan Francisco, CA - A $155 million overtime settlement filed by current and retired California prison supervisors has been approved by a San Francisco Superior Court Judge. The original California labor lawsuit, dating back to 2008, alleged unpaid overtime wages for tasks performed before and after their shifts.
#8 Seroquel Side Effects for the ElderlyPearblossom, CA - Seroquel is a neuroleptic indicated for the treatment of bipolar disorder—and like most drugs carries a host of Seroquel side effects, including diabetes, tardive dyskinesia and even birth defects. However, there is a little-known use for Seroquel off-label that concerned the daughter of one Alzheimer's patient for whom she was caring.
#9 Meat Processors Pay $127.2 Million to Settle Wage-Fixing CaseLincoln, NE - Plaintiffs in a wage-fixing class-action lawsuit asked a judge in Colorado federal court to preliminarily approve deals with two meat processors. In early March, Brazil’s JBS, the world’s largest beef producer, agreed to pay $55 million and Arkansas-based Tyson will pay $72.25 million to settle a complaint involving several companies that allegedly participated in a nationwide scheme to fix and depress wages for meat plant workers.
#10 44 Million Americans Drink PFAS-Contaminated Water, Says New StudyWashington, DC - Data released by the Environmental Protection Agency shows that 44 million people in the U.S. have toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS in their drinking water, but that could be just the tip of the iceberg as the full scale of PFAS contamination is likely much more widespread. However, scientists at the Environmental Working Group (EWG) estimated in 2020 that more than 200 million Americans are exposed to forever chemicals in their drinking water.
