| | Dominique Strauss-Kahn Rape Lawsuit Settled | |  | | The parties in a sexual assault lawsuit against the former chief of the International Monetary Fund have reached an undisclosed settlement, a New York judge announced this week. The suit, filed by a New York City hotel maid, accused Dominique Strauss-Kahn of raping her while she was attempting to clean his suite at the Sofitel hotel. Criminal charges have been dropped against Strauss-Kahn due to credibility issues with the victim, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Tina Susman, LA Times 12/11/2012    | | Read Article: LA Times | | College Settles Suit with Dismissed Master's Student | | | | Eastern Michigan University has agreed to pay $75,000 to a former student who was allegedly dismissed from her master's degree program for "refusing to counsel a gay client because of her religious beliefs." The plaintiff contended in her suit that the school should have referred the client to another counselor instead of dismissing her. The suit accused the school of violating the American Counseling Association's code of ethics.
Melanie Scott Dorsey, Detroit Free Press 12/10/2012 | | Read Article: Detroit Free Press | | Zales Settles Racial Discrimination Lawsuit | | | | The owners of Zales Jewelers will pay $100,000 to settle a racial discrimination lawsuit with a customer at a Maine store. The lawsuit accused a store clerk of using "profanity and making derogatory comments toward [the plaintiff], who is black and Native American."
Wire Report, Boston Globe 12/10/2012 | | Read Article: Boston Globe | | Texas Judge Orders Halt on Keystone XL Pipeline | | | | A Texas judge has ordered TransCanada to temporarily halt work on a private property where it is building part of an oil pipeline designed to carry tar sands oil from Canada to the Gulf Coast, the latest legal battle to plague a project that has encountered numerous obstacles nationwide. Texas landowner Michael Bishop, who is defending himself in his legal battle against the oil giant, filed his lawsuit in the Nacogdoches County courthouse, arguing that TransCanada lied to Texans when it said it would be using the Keystone XL pipeline to transport crude oil.
Associated Press, Houston Chronicle 12/11/2012 | | Read Article: Houston Chronicle | | Aging Doctors Face Greater Scrutiny | | | | A distinguished vascular specialist in his 80s performs surgery, then goes on vacation, forgetting he has patients in the hospital; one subsequently dies because no doctor was overseeing his care. An internist who suffered a stroke gets lost going from one exam room to another in his own office. A beloved general surgeon with Alzheimer's disease continues to assist in operations because hospital officials don't have the heart to tell him to retire.These real-life examples, provided by an expert who evaluates impaired physicians, exemplify an emotionally charged issue that is attracting the attention of patient safety experts and hospital administrators: how to ensure that older doctors are competent to treat patients.
Sandra G. Boodman, Kaiser (This story was produced in collaboration with the Washinton Post), AARP Bulletin 12/11/2012 | | Read Article: AARP Bulletin | | Surgeon Infected Patients During Heart Procedure | | | | A heart surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center unwittingly infected five patients during valve replacement surgeries earlier this year, causing four of the patients to need a second operation. The infections occurred after tiny tears in the latex surgical gloves routinely worn by the doctor allowed bacteria from a skin inflammation on his hand to pass into the patients' hearts, according to the hospital. The patients survived the second operation and are still recovering, hospital officials said. The outbreak led to investigations by the hospital and both the L.A. County and California departments of public health. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was also consulted.
Anna Gorman, LA Times 12/11/2012 | | Read Article: LA Times | | Cosmetic Surgery Laws Often Aren't Enough | | | | Patients have found themselves disfigured or disabled. Others have died. Critics say the victims may not know that the rules that govern hospitals do not necessarily apply to the medical offices or spas popping up across the country. That's where a new breed of cosmetic surgeon now practices, often down the hall from where they do routine physicals, perform gynecological exams or pull wisdom teeth, according to state regulators, lawyers and plastic surgeons.
Jayne O'Donnell, USA Today 12/11/2012 | | Read Article: USA Today | | Wells Fargo Reniged on Loan Settlement, Suit Says | | | | A group of homeowners are attempting to reopen a lawsuit against Wells Fargo after accusing the company of "reneging" on a mortgage-modification deal. Homeowners say the banking giant has refused to "provide wide-ranging reductions of loan balances to delinquent borrowers" as they promised under terms of a class-action settlement in 2010. Of the 66,000 people who have requested loan modifications since the settlement, only 2.6 percent have been granted, the Los Angeles Times reports.
E. Scott Reckard, LA Times 12/11/2012 | | Read Article: LA Times | | |
