Welcome to the TGIF edition of Law News for You—brought to you by LawyersandSettlements.com.
#1 2018 Busy Year for HealthCare WhistleblowersWashington, DC: Of more than $ 2.8 billion that the Department of Justice (DOJ)obtained in settlements and judgments from fraudsters in 2018, $2.5 billion involved the health care industry, and the largest recoveries came from drug and medical device manufacturers. And 2018 was a very good year for most all Whistleblowers (three whistleblower fraudsters were also busted last year.)
#2 Johnson & Johnson Settles Deceptive Hip Implant Marketing Lawsuits for $120 MillionWashington, DC Johnson & Johnson (“J&J”) has agreed to pay $120 million to the attorneys general of 46 states and Washington, D.C. to settle claims that the company made unfair and deceptive statements in the promotion of its ASR XL and Pinnacle Ultamet hip implant systems. A separate agreement is expected to resolve most of the thousands of consumer-driven defective hip implant lawsuits against J&J and its DePuy unit.
#3 Trouble ahead for California trucker wage lawsuits? Los Angeles, CA The California Labor Commissioner awarded 24 truck port drivers a total of $6 million for unpaid wages and benefits. The underpayment arose from NFI/California Cartage Express’s practice of intentionally misclassifying the drivers as independent contractors, rather than as employees. Since the 2018 California Supreme Court decision in Dynamex Operations West, Inc. v. Superior Court, many California unpaid wage lawsuits that deal with misclassification problem have gone for workers. Dynamex is under legal assault, however, particularly in the trucking industry.
#4 Lisinopril—Hidden DangersLas Vegas, NV Many prescription drugs are as common as aspirin; it's no wonder that many consumers don't read warning labels or consider that a medication could be associated with side effects. Take Lisinopril, for instance. It is one of the most widely prescribed drugs in the US, and it also has the potential to harm a lot of people.
#7 California Startup Has Faced Three Class Action Lawsuits in its Young HistoryA shopping service that found favor with busy urban professionals but vilified by some of its service personnel is set to finalize a settlement worth $4.6 million in January 2018, reports the San Francisco Business Times (05/24/17). The class action California overtime lawsuit was brought by employees and independent contractors of Maplebear Inc., doing business as Instacart, and will settle plaintiff’s angst over various allegations, including a service fee that many users of the shopping service assumed was a built-in tip for drivers, but wasn’t.
#8 Lisinopril Suspected As Cause of DeathBuffalo, NY A negative impact on liver function is not amongst the more common Lisinopril side effects. Be that as it may, some patients taking the oft-prescribed treatment for high blood pressure have experienced Lisinopril liver damage, including a woman who posted to a blog in late 2010 that her (acute liver failure) was caused "by a blood pressure medicine called Lisinopril," Jennifer Roberts wrote in October of that year, by way of a post to the blog transplantcafe.com. "(Lisinopril) shut my liver down within six weeks."
#10 "Chantix Nearly Killed My Wife"North Fort Myers, FL "My wife, Louella, was a life-long smoker, so our doctor convinced her that she has to quit," says Jim. "He prescribed Chantix last April but she got weird—bizarre mood swings, and everything made her angry. Louella had tried quitting before, so it wasn't because of nicotine withdrawal, not this kind of anger."
