LAWSUITS NEWS & LEGAL INFORMATION
Jane Mundy
Jane Mundy As the senior legal correspondent for Online Legal Media since 2004, Jane has interviewed over a thousand people—including plaintiffs and attorneys— about many issues for the company, from bad pharmaceuticals to labor law. She is also an award-winning freelance writer for a variety of international and national magazines and newspapers, including Scientific American, Readers Digest, the Globe & Mail and the National Post.
Jane has also written two Ocean Wise Cookbooks about sustainable seafood, the second having won Taste Canada's Gold Award. When Jane isn't at her computer or in the kitchen, she is hiking with her border collie Lizzy or traveling with her laptop. You can read some of Jane's travel and food articles at janemundy.com.
Farmers Insurance Cleared of Age Discrimination
May 30, 2023.
Los Angeles, CA After an eight-week trial and two days of deliberations, Farmers Group Inc. has been cleared of discrimination and wrongful termination charges. Former California-based insurance agents claimed they were discriminated against for their age and fired to be replaced by younger, ostensibly more productive workers. However, jurors determined that, because the four plaintiffs were independent contractors, Farmers Group did not violate California employment law.
Read [ Farmers Insurance Cleared of Age Discrimination ]
Hair Relaxer Lawsuit Update
May 28, 2023.
Santa Clara, CA Due to so many hair straightener lawsuits filed since a study found the products linked to certain cancers, a multi-district litigation (MDL) has been established in the Northern District of Illinois to consolidate all hair relaxer lawsuits. Recent complaints also allege the hair relaxer products cause fertility problems. Lawsuits against L’Oreal and other hair relaxer manufacturers have skyrocketed, however Revlon was not officially named in lawsuits because the cosmetic giant filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last June – one week before the NHI study was released that triggered hair relaxer litigation.
Read [ Hair Relaxer Lawsuit Update ]
Philips CPAP Recall and Test Results Update
May 24, 2023.
Santa Clara, CA Phillips Respironics, manufacturer of CPAP/ BiPAP sleep machines, on May 16 announced test results of its recalled devices. About two weeks previously the company announced it has set aside another $630 million to settle CPAP lawsuits, adding to $1 billion already earmarked to cover the cost of recalling, replacing or repairing millions of its recalled sleep apnea machines.
Read [ Philips CPAP Recall and Test Results Update ]
Tegria Software Employees allege 80-hour Weeks without Overtime
May 21, 2023.
Santa Clara, CA Former Tegria workers have filed a proposed class and collective action claiming the company, which provides consulting and technology services to healthcare clients, failed to pay overtime to consultants who “routinely” worked over 40 hours and often more than 80 hours per week, a violation of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
Read [ Tegria Software Employees allege 80-hour Weeks without Overtime ]
Five Guys and California Plaintiff’s Fifth Agreement Nearing Settlement
May 12, 2023.
Santa Clara, CA A class action lawsuit alleging the Five Guys violated California labor laws by denying its workers breaks and overtime pay has reached a fifth proposed settlement. The $1.2 million deal involves 2,206 non-exempt workers at the gourmet burger chain.
Read [ Five Guys and California Plaintiff’s Fifth Agreement Nearing Settlement ]
Another WARN complaint Hurled at Twitter
May 9, 2023.
San Francisco, CA A former Twitter employee has filed a California labor complaint accusing the social media platform of violating the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, the California WARN Act and the California labor code by failing to give workers requisite notice of companywide layoffs.
Read [ Another WARN complaint Hurled at Twitter ]
Community Hospice Slammed with California Wage and Hour Class Action
April 28, 2023.
Santa Clara, CA Current and former employees of California-based Community Hospice Inc. have filed a class action lawsuit asking nearly $5 million in alleged unpaid wages during the COVID pandemic. The complaint also alleges meal and rest periods were not provided. Plaintiffs allege that they were required to work even when they were clocked out for meal times and were denied rest periods for some shifts. And there are more complaints, including racial discrimination.
Read [ Community Hospice Slammed with California Wage and Hour Class Action ]
New Study Links Monsanto’s Roundup to Children’s Liver Disease
April 21, 2023.
Santa Clara, CA A new study has determined that metabolic disorders and liver diseases are increasing among youth and young adults. Researchers at the University of California Berkeley’s School of Public Health after studying mothers and children in Salinas Valley, California, have linked this disturbing increase to the use of glyphosate--the most widely used herbicide worldwide and the active ingredient of Roundup. And the next Monsanto trial is scheduled to take place next week in St. Louis County.
Read [ New Study Links Monsanto’s Roundup to Children’s Liver Disease ]
Grubhub Owes Misclassified Former Driver $65 – with Implications
April 17, 2023.
San Francisco, CA A Grubhub delivery driver, who accused the food delivery company in 2015 of withholding minimum wage and overtime pay from drivers and that drivers are owed reimbursements for costs accrued through deliveries has been awarded $65.11 – yes, and eleven cents—for California minimal wage violation. The judge ruled that the gig driver was a Grubhub employee and not an independent contractor. That $65.11 award, however, could have implications for the gig economy.
Read [ Grubhub Owes Misclassified Former Driver $65 – with Implications ]
Trial Set for Bard Hernia Mesh Lawsuit
April 14, 2023.
Santa Clara, CA The third Bard hernia mesh bellwether trial has been rescheduled from May – it will now begin in October. The hernia mesh lawsuits address claims that the Bard PerFix Plug is defectively designed and caused painful and serious issues after hernia repair.
Read [ Trial Set for Bard Hernia Mesh Lawsuit ]
- Camp LeJeune First Hearing (Apr-13-23)
- West Marine Products to Settle California Labor Law Violations (Apr-12-23)
- Walmart Faces More Discrimination Complaints (Apr-10-23)
- Hair Straightener Lawsuits Growing (Apr-6-23)
- CPAP Sleep Machine Recall Update (Apr-5-23)
- Investigating the California Wage Theft Investigators (Mar-30-23)
- Camp Lejeune Litigation Logjam (Mar-29-23)
- Department of Defense Testing for Veterans’ Hearing Loss Falls on Deaf Ears at 3M (Mar-23-23)
- Bloomingdale’s and Macy’s Slammed with California labor lawsuit (Mar-22-23)
- Cumulus Media Settles ERISA class action for $1M (Mar-21-23)
- Another Overtime Complaint filed against Dr. Pepper (Mar-12-23)
- Virgin, Alaska Air Workers to Receive Almost $31M in California Wages Lawsuit (Mar-9-23)
- Lowe’s Class Action Alleges California Wage and Hour Violations (Mar-7-23)
- California Labor Contractor to Pay Farmworkers Damages and Penalties (Mar-6-23)
- United Airlines California Wage Statement Settlement (Feb-21-23)
- California Wage Theft Rampant (Feb-16-23)
- Kroger Slammed with Wage Theft Class Action Lawsuits (Feb-14-23)
- California Ranch Operator Says Judge is Biased in Second Wage Theft Class Action (Feb-9-23)
- Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Lawsuits Rising (Feb-3-23)
- Health IQ Slammed with Proposed California Labor Law Class Actions (Jan-26-23)
- Judge Irate Over 3M Earplugs Litigation (Jan-23-23)
- Another Philips CPAP Cancer Lawsuit (Jan-18-23)
- 3M Promises to end PFAS Toxic Chemical Production by 2025 (Jan-11-23)
- Walmart Wage Statement Lawsuit and $35M Settlement (Jan-10-23)
- NYC Cannabis Pizzerias Slammed with Labor Lawsuit (Jan-9-23)
- California FedEx Driver’s Misclassification Lawsuit Settles (Jan-6-23)
- Camp Lejeune Denied Claims Must Be Resubmitted Under New Act – AKA more Red Tape (Jan-4-23)
- Filing a Bair Hugger Lawsuit: Attorney Weighs In (Jan-3-23)
- Mortgage Loan Officers Entitled to Rest Periods (Jan-3-23)
- Judge Gives Green Light to Pepsi and Kronos Settlement (Dec-21-22)
- Car Wash Employers Don’t Come Clean (Dec-15-22)
- CPAP Recall Gone Wrong Nearing Settlement with Philips and Justice Department (Dec-14-22)
- Veterans Want Stay Lifted on 3M Earplug Hearing Loss Lawsuits (Dec-9-22)
- YouTube’s $4.3M to Settle Moderator Trauma Lawsuit (Dec-8-22)
- California Labor Lawsuit Alleges SpaceX Employees Unlawfully Fired (Dec-7-22)
- Twitter Layoffs Trigger Labor Lawsuits (Nov-30-22)
- 3M Earplug Injury Verdict of $50M Firm (Nov-28-22)
- Wells Fargo Settlement Raises Legal Fees Queries (Nov-25-22)
- Instacart Settles California Misclassification Lawsuit (Oct-24-22)
- New California Law Requires Pay Transparency (Oct-19-22)