CASES OF CONSIDERABLE INTEREST, NEW AND OLD

A 36 million dollar settlement was reached in California for traumatic brain injuries a six year old child suffered when she was struck by a car mid-block when crossing the street to get to her school bus.  Her parents sued the school district and the bus company for failure to warn students and parents of the risks involved in mid-block crossings when they knew this was occurring and that it was a very dangerous practice.

Consumer activists recently sued Coca Cola Co. asserting that the giant soft drink maker intentionally misled the public about  research results that linked sugary drinks  to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.   Lawyers for the activists are using tactics  that were successfully used in tobacco litigation that led to cigarette makers agreeing to pay billions of dollars in settlement of lawsuits with 48 states pursuant to a 1998 Master Settlement  Agreement.

A federal court judge ordered Johnson and Johnson to pay 127 million dollars in damages to two families because of increased risk of cancer women experienced following their use of talcum powder manufactured by J and J.  The judge found that J and J concealed the  cancer risk for 40 years. Women who used  powder in their genital area and undergarments were reported to be at  the greatest  risk for  ovarian cancer.

Lawsuits against luxury hotel chains  were settled following incidents in which guests died or suffered  significant injuries while  using hotel spas.  Spa users became trapped underwater due to intense suction caused by spa pumps. Safety experts concluded that the   incidents were  avoidable by not placing  pump inlets on the bottom of  spas and/or by other minor minor modifications

Royal Carribean Cruise Lines paid a $1,000,000. settlement to a woman following the  disappearance of her husband while the couple was on on their honeymoon cruise.  Neither the man nor his body were ever located.    The wife contended that the cruise ship delayed in reporting her husbands disappearance  rendering it difficult for authorities to make a timely and proper investigation.

An Oregon nursing home agreed to a $100,000. settlement for an elderly woman following the surgical amputation of her legs.  The womans legs were fractured when she was dropped by staff while being moved from her bed.  The woman was not ambulatory at the time the incident occurred due to multiple medical conditions.  Her physicians concluded that the fractures were not likely to heal,given these conditions, which,   when coupled with the womans inability to walk led to the decision to perform the amputations.

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