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CFPB Arbitration Rule Will Enrich Trial Lawyers, Not Protect Consumers

Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau closes the comment period on its proposed rule to enrich trial lawyers at the expense of consumers. The Bureau misleadingly styles its proposal as one to regulate arbitration agreements. The truth is that the proposal is very intentionally designed for the singular goal of promoting class action lawsuits—the number one policy priority of the trial …


What the Fitbit Lawsuit Means for Clinical researchers

Fitbit is facing a class-action lawsuit regarding the accuracy of their heart-rate data, which have been shown to be inaccurate by a margin of up to 20 beats per minute by researchers at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. This news risks sending back to the drawing board many of us who have been optimistically experimenting with biotelemetry. We’ve been asked about the lawsuit nearly …


Advertisements Play Role in Class Actions Following Ovarian Cancer Study, Verdict

An uptick in the filing of class-action lawsuits stemming from a study linking talc to ovarian cancer can be largely traced to advertisements aired by personal injury attorneys in the wake of a recent verdict, according to Julie Griffiths of California Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALA). Johnson & Johnson was recently hit with a $72 million verdict in a case filed by the family …


Want to Sue Your Bank? Regulators Push to Make It Easier

If government regulators get their way, it’s going to become a lot easier to sue your bank. By and large, U.S. bank customers have signed away their right to sue their bank in court, often without being aware of it. Buried in the fine print of credit card agreements, bank accounts and insurance policies are what are known as binding, or mandatory, arbitration …


Regulators Want Easier Path to Suing Banks

The nation’s top consumer financial regulator wants to put a stop to that. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau proposed a rule Thursday that would ban arbitration clauses, which would affect the entire financial industry and the hundreds of millions of bank accounts, credit cards and other financial services …


Brooklyn Man Files Class-Action Lawsuit vs Quaker Oats Over Glyphosate Which Could Be Carcinogenic

Medical experts are identifying what food to eat, such as red vegetables and fruits, to cut risk of cancers. But a company that manufactures oatmeal, a food considered a very healthy food, is being sued for allegedly containing an ingredient that is possibly carcinogenic. The New York Post reports that Brooklyn resident Lewis Daly filed a $5 million (AUD$6.57 million) class-action lawsuit …


Attorney Backs Emory Law Prof’s Study on No-Injury Class Action Settlements

A recent university study offers objective empirical evidence that no-injury class action lawsuits only benefit the attorneys who bring the litigation, leaving little to trickle down to the plaintiffs while raising costs for consumers. The findings of Emory University School of Law professor Joanna Shepherd are backed by Philadelphia attorney James Beck, who works for…


Valeant Fighting Class-Action Application for Cold-fX Lawsuit

The makers of Cold-fX are in court fighting allegations they ignored their own research and misled consumers about the short-term effectiveness of the popular cold and flu remedy. Valeant Pharmaceuticals was in British Columbia Supreme Court on Monday, opposing an application to grant the lawsuit class-action status. Vancouver Island resident Don Harrison launched a claim in 2012 against …


Key Lessons From the Tyson Decision

I’m sure many of you have now read or heard about the Supreme Court’s Tyson vs. Bouaphakeo decision on Tuesday upholding a Court of Appeals decision in the Eighth Circuit, which sides with Tyson workers at an Iowa pork-processing plant. The employees’ main grievance was that they did not receive mandated overtime pay for time spent “donning and doffing” protective equipment. In its attempt to …


Class-Action Lawsuit Reveals Company Sat on 2004 Study Indicating Cold-Fx Does Nothing to Fight Colds

The makers of Cold-FX have sat for years on a study that suggested Canada’s most popular cold and flu remedy was no more effective than a placebo in treating symptoms of the viruses. The 2004 trial was conducted by Dr. Gerry Predy, a top Alberta public-health official, at a time when the supplement’s makers told consumers the product would bring fast relief from the effects of such ailments. …