November 20th, 2011 by manager
The dairy industry is named defendant in a dairy class action lawsuit that just keeps growing and growing. It all started in September, when the original dairy class action lawsuit was filed. Since then, another was filed in October and more and more plaintiffs keep signing up.
The dairy class action lawsuit was fueled by an animal advocacy group based in Maryland called Compassion Over Killing. They provided research for the dairy class action lawsuit, showing data over a seven year period. They show that half a million cows were “retired” (killed) in order to raise the price of milk.
The dairy class action lawsuit alleges antitrust violations due to price fixing. Reducing the nation’s herd in order to raise dairy prices has angered many dairy consumers and the number of dairy class action lawsuits grows steadily. Plaintiffs in the dairy class action lawsuit are also angry over what they call unethical practices as part of the nation’s herd retirement program.
One dairy class action lawsuit filed in Minnesota has already been dismissed. Spokespersons for defendants say they plan to vigorously defend their actions. Defendants include Cooperatives Working Together and National Milk Producers Federation.
October 31st, 2011 by manager
The world’s most 
famous and popular business smartphone is now involved in a Blackberry lawsuit after service outages left customers angry. Makers of the smartphone, Research in Motion, responded to customers’ dissatisfaction by offering them $100 worth of applications for the phones. That didn’t go well, since even some of the apps brought problems. Some didn’t work and others caused customers to get charged once used. This definitely fueled the fire for a Blackberry lawsuit.
Research in Motion, or RIM, is a Canadian company and has been at the top of its game for at least a decade now, with their smartphone called Blackberry at the top of list as far as business phones go. Plaintiffs involved in the Blackberry lawsuit rely on their phones not only for phone calls but also for emails, internet, and data storage services, all of which were unavailable for several hours last week.
Allegations in the Blackberry lawsuit are that RIM did not respond to the outages quickly enough, and that also customers were charged for services they did not use. The Blackberry lawsuit was filed in California Federal courts.
July 30th, 2011 by manager
Bank of America is facing numerous class action lawsuits, but in the area of its participation in President Obama’s loan modification program, they seem to just keep on comin’. It first happened this past February, but again this week, the lending giant is facing another Bank of America HAMP class action. Plaintiffs claim the bank delayed their permanent status by requiring them to resubmit financial documents every time they called about the status of their loan modification.
President Obama’s Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) gives cash incentives to loan officers who permanently modify at-risk mortgages to prevent foreclosure. First, however, mortgages are put into a temporary modification status, which is supposed to last three months. If that works out, the loan is permanently modified. The Bank of America class action alleges that the bank hindered the process and prevented plaintiffs’ mortgages from becoming permanently modified on a timely basis or at all.
June 25th, 2011 by manager
Meridia Lawsuit over Serious Health Risks
Hydroxycut is a diet supplement that’s marketed as a weight-loss drug. The active ingredients over the years have changed as the product has been removed from the shelves by the FDA. A Hydroxycut class action is pending right now in Federal courts, yet the product can still be found on the shelves of Walmart, CVS, GNC and Walgreens.
Hydroxycut makes fabulous weight-loss claims on its labels, but puts a disclaimer on its website stating the FDA does not evaluate their product. That’s because technically it’s not a drug, it’s a diet supplement. Diet supplements are out of reach of the FDA, unless someone dies, that is.
And someone has allegedly died form Hydroxycut, but they keep reformulating their product so it keeps on being sold. Originally, the product contained now-banned ephedra, which triggered heart attacks. Then it contained a fruit from Asia or Africa for which there was absolutely no evidence proving weight-loss claims. Now Hydroxycut contains caffeine and herbs. Yet they continue to make fabulous claims, from the days it contained powerful yet dangerous ephedra.
The company that makes and markets the product, and which is named in the Hydroxycut class action, is Iovate Health Sciences.
May 17th, 2011 by manager
Pamper Dry Max were touted as a breakthrough product, good for the environment and great for baby. However, after several Pampers Dry Max lawsuits were filed this month, consumers are re-thinking the new diaper. It seems that parents are linking use of the new kind of Pampers with diaper rash, and are suing Procter and Gamble for medical expenses incurred after treating diaper rash and chemical burns allegedly caused by Pampers Dry Max diapers.
Dry Max is P&G’s name for a new technology in the diaper industry, one which allows disposable diapers to be thinner. That’s how they’re good for the environment: they are thinner, so take up less space in any given landfill. The Dry Max technology was introduced in March 2011, and just two months later several Pampers Dry Max lawsuits have popped up.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission will investigate the allegations. Meanwhile, judges will decide on whether the Pampers Dry Max lawsuits have merit to become a class action lawsuit.
April 24th, 2011 by manager
Topamax is the subject of many professional medical discussions these days, and now with the beginnings of a Topamax class action lawsuit legal professionals are in on the talks as well. Topamax is an anticonvulsant given to patients for epilepsy and migraines, although it’s also prescribed off-label to treat bi-polar disease. It’s been available in generic form since 2006 as topiramate.
Topamax is manufactured by Ortho-McNeil Neurologics, which is a division of Johnson & Johnson. Last month, the company complied with FDA in supporting the Federal agency’s warning to doctors not to prescribe Topamax to pregnant women. The reason was Topamax side effects raised serious concerns about babies born to women who Topamax during pregnancy.
The Topamax class action is based on the fact that there was a study in 2008 in Neurology, a medical journal, that showed a link between serious birth defects and a mother’s use of Topamax during pregnancy. The Topamax side effects were cleft palate and cleft lip, which occurred at an eleven times higher rate. There are alternative epilepsy drugs that carry less risk of side effects on the baby.
April 16th, 2011 by manager
Depakote is given for treatment of epilepsy and the manic phase of bipolar disorder. The FDA has approved Depakote for these uses, but it is also used off label for treatment of migraines and for aggressiveness in elderly patients. The main active ingredient, valproate sodium, has been linked to increased risk of birth defects if taken during pregnancy. A Depakote class action may be formed based on allegations the makers of the drug did not warn doctors and patients about the side effects of Depakote.
In December 2009 the United States FDA issued warnings on valproate sodium, citing increased risk of birth defects such as neural tube damage. Other Depakote side effects can be cardiovascular defects, cleft palate, and face and skull malformations. The Depakote class action alleges that Abbott Laboratories, makers of Depakote, purposely left off warnings of birth defects and birth injury in order to mislead doctors and patients about dangers of taking the drug during pregnancy.
Depakote has been FDA approved since 1983 and is now available under other brand names as well as generic forms.
March 20th, 2011 by manager
Investors are mad, and they’ve got a Best Buy class action to prove it! Shareholders have come together and formed a class which is bringing charges against the big box electronics company in Federal court.
The charge? Failing to include information in their financial reports that the public’s demand for their products is declining and/or weak. Sign of the times, a more frugal public, and the price of Best Buy stock goes down, so investors feel that financial officers at Best Buy should have known this was coming, and put it in the report to shareholders.
Not only did Best Buy not disclose that demand was declining, they stated in their earnings forecast for 2011 that demand was good and strong, which caused stock prices to soar for a while, as investors lined up to buy shares.
As a result of declining demand for large screen tvs and such, the company missed its 2011 forecast earnings, so stock took a dive. Investors want their money back, so as is common in the financial world, they’ve formed an Best Buy class action. Shareholders who purchased stock between Septemeber 14, 2010 and December 13, 2010 are eligible to join the lawsuit.