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U.S. Orders Review of Risks of Some Birth Control Pills |
| Bayer’s birth control pills will be reviewed by regulators after some studies suggested they may cause more blood clots than competing medicines. Two recent reports in the British Medical Journal found a twofold to threefold greater risk of blood clots in women taking pills like Bayer’s Yaz, the Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday in a statement. Bloomberg, The New York Times 06/02/2011 | Read Article: The New York Times |
Toyota Recalls 106K Prius Cars for Possible Steering Problems |
| Toyota recalled 106,000 first-generation Prius hybrid cars globally on Wednesday for faulty steering caused by a nut that may come loose. The single minor accident suspected of being related to the problem was reported in the U.S., according to Toyota Motor Corp. The latest recall from Toyota affects 48,000 Prius vehicles in Japan, starting with the first Prius models that went on sale in 1997, and those manufactured through 2003. Associated Press, The Washington Post 06/02/2011 | Read Article: The Washington Post |
Laws/Cases |
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Holocaust Survivors Again Seek Insurance Claims |
| The legal claims by hundreds of American survivors of Nazi death camps have set off an intense lobbying campaign in Washington on their behalf. But opposition from the government and even from leading Jewish groups has created an uncomfortable rift between groups that are normally in alliance and has created a potential minefield for President Obama. The State Department, under both the Obama and George W. Bush administrations, has vigorously opposed the idea of allowing survivors to press claims in court against European insurance companies because they say it would undermine a reparations agreement that the United States reached in 2000 with Germany, which led to $300 million in insurance payments to survivors and their heirs. ERIC LICHTBLAU, The New York Times 06/02/2011 | Read Article: The New York Times |
Ex-leader at Texas Youth Prison Settles Civil Suit |
| The attorney for a former West Texas youth prison inmate said Tuesday his client has settled a civil lawsuit against a former prison school principal who was acquitted on sexual abuse charges, saying his 26-year-old client’s settlement for $2,000 doesn’t include an admission of wrongdoing by former West Texas State School principal John Paul Hernandez. The agreement includes a “vague” letter of apology from Hernandez. Associated Press, Houston Chronicle 05/31/2011 | Read Article: Houston Chronicle |
Sexual Harassment Suit Settled by Dunkin' Donuts |
| A Dunkin' Donuts franchise in New York has agreed to settle a $290,000 lawsuit filed against a manager of the store, alleging sexual harassment. The lawsuit, filed by female employees at the store, some of them teenagers, claimed the manager engaged in "unwanted touching and hugging, as well as making lewd sexual comments" toward the employees. As part of the settlement, Dunkin' Donuts has agreed to put all of its managers through sexual harassment training. Eric Anderson, Albany Times Union 05/31/2011 | Read Article: Albany Times Union |
$55,000 Settlement Reached in Bias Lawsuit |
| Drug store chain CVS Caremark has agreed to a $55,000 settlement in a lawsuit against Longs' Drugs, owned by CVS, that alleged racial and gender bias among employees. The suit claimed than an African-American woman at a California Longs' was assigned more difficult tasks and less help than her white and male counterparts. The suit also claims she was fired in May 2008 after complaining about the treatment. CVS acquired Longs' in October 2008. Bob Egelko, San Francisco Chronicle 06/01/2011 | Read Article: San Francisco Chronicle |
LSAT Targeted in Disabilities Lawsuit |
| A senior at Wesleyan University has filed a lawsuit against the Law School Admission Council after her requests for special accommodations during the LSAT were denied. The student, who suffers from attention deficit disorder, claims the council violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by refusing her request for more time to take the exam. A similar suit was filed recently by a blind man who alleged the test discriminated against the visually impaired. Ashby Jones, WSJ Blogs 06/02/2011 | Read Article: WSJ Blogs |
Groping Suit at Airport Settled for $2,350 |
| The U.S. government has agreed to a $2,350 settlement in a lawsuit filed by a Texas woman whose breasts were exposed during a pat-down at an airport in Corpus Christi, Texas. The lawsuit alleged one of the Transportation Security Administration employees exposed her breasts during a rigorous pat down, and that TSA employees laughed about the incident afterward. The plaintiff claimed intentional infliction of emotional distress on the part of TSA. Staff Report, Beaumont Enterprise 06/02/2011 | Read Article: Beaumont Enterprise |
Suit: SFPD Could Have Prevented Woman's Death |
| A California man has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city of San Francisco after his mother was found dead and floating in a suitcase in the San Francisco Bay last year. The lawsuit claims San Francisco police could have prevented the woman's death had they "not ignored [her] numerous pleas for help regarding her allegedly abusive relationship." Police have arrested the woman's boyfriend, who awaits trial. The suit claims the woman was a frequent visitor to the emergency room with domestic violence injuries, but public officials did nothing to investigate the crimes. The suit is seeking unspecified damages. Mike Aldax, San Francisco Examiner 06/01/2011 | Read Article: San Francisco Examiner |
KPMG Discriminates Against Women, Suit Says |
| A former female employee at the accounting firm KPMG has filed a $350 million class-action lawsuit against the company, claiming the firm discriminates against women. According to the lawsuit, while women comprise nearly 50 percent of the company, only 18 percent of all KPMG partners are female. The suit also claims KPMG cut the plaintiff's salary by $20,000 without justification when she took maternity leave. Terry Baynes, Reuters 06/03/2011 | Read Article: Reuters |
New Georgia Immigration Law Challenged by Lawsuit |
| A new immigration law in Georgia, similar to the one in Arizona, has brought opposition from local civil rights groups in the form of a class-action lawsuit. The suit claims the new law, which is to take effect July 1, "endangers public safety [and] invites the racial profiling of Latinos, Asians and others who appear foreign to an officer." While the suit questions the constitutionality of the Georgia law, it does not target the portion of the bill requiring employers to use E-Verify to determine if potential employees can legally work in the U.S. David Beasley, Reuters 06/02/2011 | Read Article: Reuters |
Suit Against Gay Softball League Allowed to Continue |
| A federal judge has declined to toss out a lawsuit filed by three bisexual men who claim their softball team was disqualified from the 2008 Gay Softball World Series because they weren't "gay enough." The organization sponsoring the event has a rule allowing only two bisexual or heterosexual people to a team. The judge said the organization can keep its rule under the First Amendment, but he also stated that because the organization operated as a "public accommodation," it must comply with state anti-discrimination laws. The Seattle Times reported that as a result of the lawsuit, the association "changed its rules to include bisexual and transgender people." Mike Carter, Seattle Times 06/02/2011 | Read Article: Seattle Times |
Healthcare |
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34 Patients Died as a Result of Mistakes in Oregon Hospitals in 2010 |
| At least 34 patients died as a result of preventable errors in Oregon hospitals last year, the same number of deaths reported in 2009, according to the Oregon Patient Safety Commission. The commission’s latest report suggests hospitals are making slow progress in reducing serious medical errors. Hospitals reported 136 incidents in 2010, matching the previous year. Surgical teams accidentally left objects in patients 18 times -- despite the commission setting a target of eliminating this type of error. In 10 cases, caregivers operated on the wrong body part or the wrong patient or performed the wrong procedure. Joe Rojas-Burke, Orlando Sentinel 06/02/2011 | Read Article: Orlando Sentinel |
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