LAWSUITS NEWS & LEGAL INFORMATION
District of Columbia Legal News Articles & Interviews
The Legal Landscape for Whistleblowers May Have Changed
March 2, 2018. By Gordon Gibb.
Washington, DC: The filing of an SEC whistleblower lawsuit may become that much more focused following a recent decision by the US Supreme Court that puts the emphasis on the reporting of apparent corporate wrongdoing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), as required under guidelines entrenched in the Dodd-Frank Act.
Read [ The Legal Landscape for Whistleblowers May Have Changed ]
Takata Settles with 44 States. No Dough, Though
March 1, 2018. By Anne Wallace.
Washington, DC Takata airbag failures have already killed 22 people and injured nearly 200 more. The ensuing lawsuits and recalls affect nearly 13 percent of registered vehicles in the United States (and as many as a third of the cars on the road in Australia). It was the largest automotive recall in history, and it drove the company into bankruptcy.
Read [ Takata Settles with 44 States. No Dough, Though ]
EPA Now Says Monsanto Roundup 'Likely' Does Not Cause Cancer, Debate Continues
February 15, 2018. By Gordon Gibb.
Washington, DC: There is little doubt that the cloud which has been lingering for some time over Monsanto Roundup, billed as one of the most popular herbicides on the globe, remains controversial over continuing debate that Monsanto Roundup causes cancer: and specifically, the active ingredient known as glyphosate.
Read [ EPA Now Says Monsanto Roundup 'Likely' Does Not Cause Cancer, Debate Continues ]
More Pressure to Withdraw Essure
February 14, 2018. By Jane Mundy.
Washington, DC. Essure critics last week met with FDA chief Scott Gottlieb to discuss problems with the sterilization device, particularly Bayer's failure to warn of Essure's serious complications. But Gottlieb said they need to wait for Bayer to finish its safety study - in 2023! Perhaps those critics should have brought to the meeting lawyers, guns and money.
Read [ More Pressure to Withdraw Essure ]
Childhood Asthma Risk Linked to Mother’s PPI Use during Pregnancy
February 5, 2018. By Anne Wallace.
Washington, DC: As many as 80 percent of expectant mothers suffer from heartburn or acid indigestion during pregnancy. Until recently proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), such as Nexium, Prilosec and Prevacid, were thought to be both effective for mom and safe for baby.
Read [ Childhood Asthma Risk Linked to Mother’s PPI Use during Pregnancy ]
Are ER’s Cashing in on Upcoding?
February 3, 2018. By Anne Wallace.
Washington, DC Since 2009 emergency room charges have jumped by as much as 85 percent. Are patients really sicker? Has the actual cost of care gone up that much? Are hospitals price-gouging? For both uninsured patients and those with big deductibles, the bottom line is the same – a gaping hole in the pocketbook.
Read [ Are ER’s Cashing in on Upcoding? ]
Social Worker and Mother in Recovery 30 years from Opioid Prescriptions, Son Died from Overdose
February 2, 2018. By Jane Mundy.
Cranston, RI: When Lori was hospitalized for a back injury 40 years ago, she was given Demerol injections and sent home with a host of opioid painkillers and sedatives. “I became physically dependent, with an unlimited supply of drugs prescribed mostly by one doctor,” Lori says. “For many years I was non-functional and depressed, and a single mother. I am lucky to be alive.”
Read [ Social Worker and Mother in Recovery 30 years from Opioid Prescriptions, Son Died from Overdose ]
Medical Device Manufacturer Admits to Wrongdoing, Faces $14 Million Penalty
February 2, 2018. By Gordon Gibb.
Washington, DC: It was a little over a year ago that the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued an official press release announcing that a Texas-based medical device company, Orthofix International (Orthofix), had agreed to pay $14 million to settle charges brought by the regulator with the help of two SEC fraud whistleblowers. Orthofix, which has faced a SEC whistleblower lawsuit in the past, also agreed to admit to wrongdoing.
Read [ Medical Device Manufacturer Admits to Wrongdoing, Faces $14 Million Penalty ]
Kmart settles healthcare fraud lawsuit for $32.3 million
January 20, 2018. By Anne Wallace.
Washington, DC The Department of Justice announced that Kmart Corporation has agreed to pay $32.3 million ($59 million including state law issues) to settle a lawsuit that claims in-store pharmacies overbilled Medicare Part D, Medicaid, and TRICARE. The healthcare fraud scheme, which a Kmart pharmacist stumbled upon only when he had his own prescription filled, allegedly affected drug reimbursements in 46 states. The pharmacist was awarded $9.3 million under the whistleblower qui-tam provisions of the False Claims Act (FCA).
Read [ Kmart settles healthcare fraud lawsuit for $32.3 million ]
Despite Recent Settlements, Banks Still Bilking Consumers Out of Billions
January 19, 2018. By Gordon Gibb.
Washington, DC: When one looks back to 2017 and considers examples when banks have been called to account for excessive bank overdraft fees – including last November’s $66.6 million settlement to end a bank overdraft fees lawsuit against Bank of America – one would naturally assume progress is finally being made on an issue that has plagued Americans for years.
Read [ Despite Recent Settlements, Banks Still Bilking Consumers Out of Billions ]
- Emergency Room Charges and What to Do About Them By Gordon Gibb (Jan-14-18)
- Overdraft Fees Chewing Up Consumers By Brenda Craig (Dec-29-17)
- Cook Celect Filters Approved Through FDA Shortcut Protocol By Gordon Gibb (Dec-16-17)
- The Sad Pathway to Airbag Injury By Gordon Gibb (Dec-15-17)
- LTD Denial: Understanding "Own Occupation" vs "Any Occupation" By Gordon Gibb (Dec-6-17)
- Exploding Airbags Cause Chemical Burns By Anne Wallace (Dec-6-17)
- How Unum LTD Denials Forced Statute Of Limitations Ruling Against Victim By Anne Wallace (Dec-1-17)
- Are PPIs Especially Dangerous for Women? By Anne Wallace (Dec-1-17)
- The Odds Are Stacking Up Against Burn Pit Victims By Gordon Gibb (Nov-26-17)
- Taxotere Hair Loss Does Additional Harm to Breast Cancer Survivors By Anne Wallace (Nov-12-17)
- Did FDA Fast-Track Contribute to IVC Filter Injuries? By Anne Wallace (Nov-10-17)
- The Fix is In for St. Jude Defective Batteries, But Is it Enough? By Gordon Gibb (Nov-9-17)
- Time Runs Short for Actemra Lawsuits By Anne Wallace (Nov-7-17)
- It Just Got Harder to Sue Your Bank for Excessive Overdraft Fees By Anne Wallace (Oct-30-17)
- What is Next for Burn Pit Lawsuits? By Anne Wallace (Oct-26-17)
- Will Duodenoscope Redesign Prove Sufficient to Stem Endoscope Infection? By Gordon Gibb (Oct-22-17)
- Ohio Firm Loses Petition to Have SEC Lawsuit Dismissed By Gordon Gibb (Oct-21-17)
- Criticism for Both St. Jude Medical and FDA over Defective St. Jude ICD Batteries By Gordon Gibb (Oct-20-17)
- Are Actemra Claimants Headed for Multidistrict Litigation? By Anne Wallace (Oct-13-17)
- Hyundai Appears to Have Escaped the Horror of Takata Air Bags, Others Not So Lucky By Gordon Gibb (Oct-11-17)
- Were Defective St. Jude Cardiac Defibrillators Implanted Even After Recall? By Anne Wallace (Oct-9-17)
- Add Pancreatic Cancer to Your List of Saxagliptin Worries By Anne Wallace (Oct-9-17)
- Citibank Borrowers Beware By Anne Wallace (Oct-4-17)
- Smith & Nephew Defective Knee Replacements Under the Microscope By Gordon Gibb (Oct-2-17)
- New Invokana Research (Funded by Manufacturer) Disputes Earlier Studies Showing Amputation Risk By Jane Mundy (Oct-2-17)
- Is Fired Executive’s Case an SEC Whistleblower Lawsuit? Supreme Court to Decide By Gordon Gibb (Sep-29-17)
- Actemra: Failure to Warn By Jane Mundy (Sep-22-17)
- SEC Fraud Whistleblower Lawsuits Fly under the Radar By Anne Wallace (Sep-20-17)
- Infusion Pumps, Medtronic SynchroMed Among Them, Remain Under Scrutiny By Gordon Gibb (Sep-18-17)
- Sexual Dysfunction was Always There, but the Conversation Changed with Propecia By Gordon Gibb (Sep-18-17)
- Hurricane Flooding Ups Risk of Airbag Injuries By Anne Wallace (Sep-16-17)
- Faulty St. Jude Riata Defibrillator Leads Eyed for Link to Heart Infections By Anne Wallace (Sep-11-17)
- Despite Concerns over Onglyza, FDA Keeps Going Back to the Trough By Gordon Gibb (Sep-6-17)
- LTD Plaintiff Breaks Through ERISA Barrier By Anne Wallace (Sep-4-17)
- Study Suggests Abilify Risks Outweigh Benefits By Jane Mundy (Sep-1-17)
- Insulation Failure, Battery Failure and Cyber Hacking - A Triple Threat for Pacemaker Patients By Anne Wallace (Aug-24-17)
- Are Risk of Invokana and Invokamet Bone Fractures a Sign of Fractured Regulations? By Gordon Gibb (Aug-8-17)
- Why Mirena IUD implants are on the Rise By Jane Mundy (Aug-7-17)
- Xarelto Seeking FDA Approval for Lower Dosage While Litigation Posturing Continues By Gordon Gibb (Aug-5-17)
- Another DePuy Defective Hip Implant Lawsuit Heads to Trial By Anne Wallace (Aug-5-17)