News

For Nebraska’s Poor, Get Sick and Get Sued

Two years ago, the president of Credit Management Services, a collection agency in Grand Island, Nebraska, presented a struggling local family with the keys to a used 2007 Mercury Grand Marquis. To commemorate the donation, the company held a ceremony that concluded outside its offices, where the couple and their two young girls could try out …



City of Hannibal, BPW File for Change of Venue in Class-Action Lawsuit

The City of Hannibal and the Hannibal Board of Public Works have filed a motion for a change of venue in a class-action lawsuit leveled against the two entities. The motion was filed in the 10th judicial circuit on Tuesday, April 26. If approved, action in the lawsuit — which alleges the BPW failed to provide potable water to customers, exposing them to “probable human carcinogens” — would take …



Do We Really Have to Tip Now? What Uber’s $100M Driver Settlement Means for Riders

To tip, or not to tip? That is the question for Uber riders this week following the $100-million US settlement of a class-action lawsuit brought against the company by its drivers — and many are wary of what the answer may be. The popular (and polarizing) ride-hailing service reached an agreement with groups in two states on Thursday to maintain the status of its drivers as independent …


Accounting-Based Class Suits, Settlements Reach New Highs

Accounting-related securities class action filings hit a four-year high in 2015, a new Cornerstone Research report found. According to the April 19 report, 71 securities class actions involving accounting allegations were filed during the year, compared to the 69 cases seen in 2014 and the 10-year average of 67 filings. The report said the increase represented “a return to the more …


Uber Class Action Lawyer Gives Her 2 Cents About Tipping Drivers

Uber’s recent class-action settlement includes a small proposed shift in the app’s tipping policy that could lead to changes for both drivers and passengers. On Thursday, ride-sharing service Uber announced an up to $100 million settlement for class-action lawsuits in California and Massachusetts, which cover 385,000 drivers. The proposed settlement, “recognizes that drivers should remain as …


The Power of Arbitration Agreements and Class Action Waivers

The most significant exposure an employer faces in employment litigation is a class action lawsuit. Whether it is a class asserting claims for discrimination, harassment, or overtime, the potential damages can quickly escalate when there are multiple employees all asserting the same claim. Matters only get worse when those claims are decided by juries, which will generally be predisposed to …


‘Chaos’ in Kansas: ACLU Says Two-Thirds Voter Registrations on Hold

Kansas is fending off multiple legal challenges from voting rights activists, and just months before the state’s August primary, the status of the “dual registration” system remains unclear. Federal judges in separate voter-registration lawsuits unfolding in Kansas and Washington, D.C., could rule at any time. There’s also greater urgency because registrations typically surge during an election …


Williamtown Class Action Against ADF Attracts Financial Backer

Litigation funder IMF Bentham plans to back a class action against the Australian Defence Force over the Williamtown contamination scandal. A firefighting chemical used by the Williamtown RAAF base, 30km north of Newcastle, five years ago has been found to have polluted groundwater and soil at the base and in the surrounding residential area. Now Williamtown residents want to sue the Defence …