North Carolina Lawyer Interviews

Durham, NC They might be retired, but that doesn't mean they're going to lie down and take it. A group of former employees, whose retirement benefits were covered by a contract with the communications giant Embarq, have launched a national class action to have their medical and life insurance benefits restored.

Boston, MA Patients who have been diagnosed with Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis (NSF) know how devastating the disease can be, but many don't know what causes it or how to treat it. In this two-part series, we interview John Dalimonte, partner at Karon & Dalimonte, about MRI contrast agent side effects, causes of NSF and how patients often end up misdiagnosed.

Washington, DC Home healthcare provider Gentiva has been hit with an overtime lawsuit alleging its compensation plan shortchanges its thousands of nurses and physiotherapists across the US. "It is an unusual pay scheme," says attorney Christine Webber, who filed the suit on behalf a group of nurses from North Carolina and New York State. "Certain activities are done on an hourly basis; other activities are on a fee basis, other activities they don't count at all."

Wilmington, NC People who regularly use denture cream, including Fixodent, PoliGrip and Super PoliGrip adhesives might be surprised to learn that the products have been linked to a risk of health problems including neurological issues. In fact, a study published in the journal Neurology, in 2008, has found a link between overuse of denture creams and a risk of zinc toxicity. That has prompted lawsuits against the makers of denture creams, alleging consumers should have been warned about the risks of these products.

Willmington, NC Wage and Hour lawyer Greg Jones says that many people are unaware of overtime laws; they don't realize that issues such as donning and doffing or unpaid meal periods may constitute overtime. "Most people think of overtime as working more than 40 hours a week, but there are other types of overtime that aren't apparent, and a lot of these employees are getting screwed," says Jones.

Phoenix, AZ The Arizona real estate market in the mid 90's got hotter than habanero pepper—homebuyers gulped down some of those "too good to be true" mortgage deals only a few years later to find themselves looking at personal and financial disaster. The phone at attorney Kevin Harper's downtown Phoenix law firm rings constantly, "Yes," Harper says, "we've been pretty busy, there's no doubt about that."