District of Columbia Legal News Articles & Interviews

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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).

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.