#1 Google Settles Disability LawsuitSanta Clara, CA - Google and a former employee have settled a disability discrimination lawsuit in California federal court. Plaintiff Steven Newman claimed he was unlawfully terminated after taking medical leave for bipolar disorder. The settlement terms have not yet been disclosed.
#2 NEC Infant Formula Makers Face Retrial in Only VictorySt. Louis, MO - Infant baby formula manufacturers are facing a new trial after a Missouri judge accused their lawyers of misconduct, which resulted in the jury’s unfair verdict over their only victory. The companies Abbott and Reckitt are accused of failing to warn that their specialised formulas used by intensive care units for newborns could cause necrotising enterocolitis (NEC), a disease that affects premature infants and has an estimated mortality rate of more than twenty percent.
#4 The Influence of Slip‑and‑Fall Litigation on Small Businesses: Between Liability and FraudSanta Clara, CA - The impact of slip‑and‑fall accidents is far more than a nuisance in modern commerce; it is a legal hazard that can jeopardize a company’s financial stability and reputation. What may appear to be a minor incident can quickly escalate into a costly lawsuit, placing small businesses in precarious legal and economic positions. This article examines how such accidents affect companies, reviews notable legal cases, and outlines strategies to prevent claims and mitigate liability.
#5 Family Awarded $8.7M for Medical Malpractice in Veteran’s DeathAtlanta, GA - An Atlanta family was awarded $8.7M last week after Jessie James Anderson, a U.S. Army veteran, died from veteran medical malpractice almost eight years ago. Anderson underwent surgery at the Atlanta VA Medical Center and died after a nurse’s feeding tube error. The wrongful death case, which was heard in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, led to a long and complex legal fight about the government’s failure to care for its veterans and its discovery violations.
#6 What Happens Next for Exactech Hip Implant Lawsuits?Brooklyn, NY – On October 29, 2024, Exactech filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. As a result, all hip failure lawsuits, including the four bellwether trials (Tarloff, larson, Kramer and Caputo) were paused.
#7 Albuterol Asthma Death and OptumRx LawsuitMadison, WI - Cole Schmidtknecht suffered from asthma for most of his short life. He died in January 2024, just 22-years-old, allegedly because his prescription for the Advair Diskus inhaler suddenly and unexpectedly went beyond his price range because it was no longer covered by his insurance. Instead, he bought generic Albuterol, for a $5 co-pay, and used Albuterol exclusively in the time leading up to his death.
#8 California Plant Nursery Pays $2.5 million in back wagesLos Angeles, CA - Altman Specialty Plants LLC has agreed to pay its workers $2.5 million in back wages and about $1 million in civil money penalties after a U.S. Department of Labor investigation determined that the largest horticultural grower in the U.S coerced workers to quit so it could dodge the H-2A temporary agricultural program’s wage and hour requirements.
#9 UnitedHealth Group to Settle ERISA lawsuit for $69 MillionMinneapolis, MN - On December 13, UnitedHealth Group, Inc. agreed to settle Snyder v. UnitedHealth Group, which claims the company mishandled its 401k plan by “imprudently and disloyally” including the Wells Fargo Target Fund Suite. The long-running class-action ERISA lawsuit alleges that the fund remained on the plan’s investment menu despite a history of poor performance.
#10 GigSmart to Settle Unpaid Wages Lawsuit for $703,000San Francisco, CA - GigSmart, Inc., a temporary staffing agency, has agreed to settle an unpaid wages lawsuit brought on behalf of gig workers who were paid as independent contractors, rather than employees. The agreement stipulates that GigSmart will pay the workers a total of $703,000 in restitution plus $100,000 in civil penalties. In accordance with the California Labor Code, the agency must prospectively furnish similarly misclassified workers with the full spectrum of employee benefits and rights, such as overtime, sick leave, and workers' compensation.
