Issues |
Texas Health Officials will Further Study Harris County Cancer Cluster |
State health officials took an unprecedented step on Friday in announcing plans for further study of cancer in eastern Harris County after a cluster investigation identified pockets of elevated childhood cancers. The Department of State Health Service's long-awaited report identified several census tracts near the polluted San Jacinto River with greater-than-expected incidences of childhood cancers of the eyes, skin and brain that prompted state officials to consider a deeper investigation. "While these cancers are rare and few total cases were identified, the analysis determined that these findings are significant enough to warrant a discussion of whether additional study is feasible," state officials concluded. Susan Carroll, Houston Chronicle 06/22/2015 |
Read Article: Houston Chronicle |
Report Finds NHTSA Too Troubled to Ensure Auto Safety |
The nation's top auto-safety regulator is beset by problems preventing it from adequately protecting consumers from vehicle defects, culminating in a failure to spot faulty ignition switches in General Motors Co. cars now linked to more than 100 deaths, a government audit found. The audit, laid out in a report by the Transportation Department's inspector general and reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, cites many gaps in the way the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration collects and assesses reports on possible auto defects. It suggests those gaps have caused regulators to overlook early warning signs of safety hazards, including those involving the defective ignition switches on millions of cars that GM began recalling in early 2014. JOSH MITCHELL and MIKE SPECTOR, Wall Street Journal - $$ Subscription Required 06/22/2015 |
Read Article: Wall Street Journal - $$ Subscription Required($) |
Laws/Cases |
Lawsuit Alleges Health Care Fraud Involving Spinal Implants |
A group of Las Vegas doctors and four hospitals are facing a lawsuit alleging a health care fraud scheme which involved "implanting counterfeit spinal hardware into unsuspecting patients." The lawsuit was filed in February in Los Angeles County Superior Court by dozens of insurance companies. The lawsuit alleges that Spinal Solutions knowingly manufactured faulty hardware "at a fraction of the cost when compared with genuine product, and insidiously co-mingled fake implantable hardware with genuine product to make it difficult to trace." The lawsuit further alleges that surgeons were paid kickbacks to use the fake hardware. Carri Geer Thevenot, Las Vegas Review Journal 06/20/2015 |
Read Article: Las Vegas Review Journal |
Lawsuit Filed Against Boeing for Toxic Plane Cabin Air |
A lawsuit has been filed against Boeing alleging that air plane cabins can turn toxic and cause passengers to become ill. The lawsuit was filed by four flight attendants who work for Alaska Airlines, alleging that they were exposed to toxic air on flights that sickened them. The lawsuit accuses Boeing of knowing about the risks of toxic air in cabins but failed to act to prevent it and further alleges that Boeing attempted to hide the issue with fumes injected into air plane cabins. The lawsuit cites "fraud and negligence, as well as design defects and failure to warn about the dangers of toxic cabin air." Staff Report, KIRO TV 06/23/2015 |
Read Article: KIRO TV |
Power Company Sued Over Wildfire Death |
A lawsuit has been filed against Rocky Mountain Power by the sister of a Utah man who was killed in a wildfire three years ago. The lawsuit was filed in federal court and contends that the power company failed to fix a a safety violation that left a transmission line too close to a power pole. The pole caught fire and led to the wildfire which spread across Sanpete County, Utah. The fire took place in June 2012 and destroyed 47,400 acres and 160 structures, including 52 homes. Dennis Romboy, The Deseret News 06/22/2015 |
Read Article: The Deseret News |
Details Emerge in Manor's $500,000 Settlement with Former Administrator |
The Manor school district has agreed to pay an assistant superintendent about $500,000 to settle a lawsuit in which he alleged racial discrimination, whistleblower violations and other malfeasance at the district. Robert Peters sued the school district in November, as the school board took steps to fire him. Julie Chang , Austin American Statesman 06/23/2015 |
Read Article: Austin American Statesman |
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