A 19-year-old lawsuit continues to haunt State Farm Insurance, and billions potentially hang in the balance. A federal judge in East St. Louis on Sept. 16 conferred class-action status on plaintiffs representing 4.7 million State Farm policyholders. The plaintiffs allege that State Farm schemed to contribute millions to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce with the intention of having the money …
The action seeks national and state class certification, injunctive relief, and damages on behalf of plaintiffs and others who bought or leased a Ford, Lincoln, or Mercury vehicle with a sunroof that spontaneously shattered. “We trust that the vehicles we choose to drive will keep us and our families safe from accidents, including those caused by defects that car manufacturers have incorporated …
North Carolina’s Court of Appeals has rejected two former magistrates’ claim that their rights were violated by state guidance that they could lose their jobs if they refused to perform gay marriages. Their lawsuit cited late 2014 guidance memos from the Administrative Office of the Courts. The appeals court ruled Tuesday that Gilbert Breedlove and Thomas Holland lacked standing …
With the heat temporarily off fat, sugar is now public enemy #1, said defense attorneys after the three CPG giants were hit with class action lawsuits over the sugar content in leading cereal brands from Raisin Bran Crunch to Cheerios. The lawsuits*, filed in the northern district of California by the same team of attorneys (Jack Fitzgerald, Trevor M. Flynn and Melanie Persinger of the law …
A federal judge has signed off on a plan to award more than $4.8 million to attorneys who led a decade-long legal action against Sears and Whirlpool over allegedly defective washing machines the retailer sold. On Sept. 13, U.S. Magistrate Judge Mary M. Rowland approved the attorney fees, as the latest step in the execution of a settlement deal intended to end the litigation, launched in 2006 on …
It’s been three months since the city of Philadelphia became the largest city in America to enact a soda tax, and — as was expected — it’s now facing a legal challenge. The American Beverage Association, several beverage companies and associations as well as individuals and local businesses (like City View Pizza and John’s Roast Pork), are suing the city of Philadelphia in county court, …
A federal judge in Eugene, Oregon, is considering arguments about whether a lawsuit brought by a group of children and a leading climate scientist can go forward. The plaintiffs’ lawsuit alleges that the federal government has known for more than 50 years that carbon pollution causes climate change, but it has failed to implement plans to phase out greenhouse gas emissions. …
Jonathan Stempel| NEW YORK NEW YORK HSBC Holdings Plc on Thursday won the dismissal of a lawsuit by former Bernard Madoff customers who accused the British bank of fuelling his massive Ponzi scheme by ignoring red flags and encouraging “feeder funds” to invest with him. U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain in Manhattan said a federal law governing securities fraud cases prevented the …
The plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit against Caribbean Cruise Line and a tax-exempt non-profit group, among others, for their alleged robocalls — which offered a free cruise for taking part in a political opinion survey — reportedly could get a record $76 million. Nicole Su, an associate in Dorsey Whitney LLP’s Southern California office, reported earlier this …
Judge allows class-action antitrust suit against NorthShore to proceed Written by Ayla Ellison (Twitter | Google+) | September 13, 2016 | Print | Email U.S. District Judge Edmond E. Chang denied Evanston, Ill.-based NorthShore University HealthSystem’s motion for summary judgment Sept. 9 in a class-action antitrust lawsuit, according to the Cook County Record. In the suit, a group of health …