March 18, 2011

California Supreme Court Justices Decide Fate of Smokers’ Lawsuits

Tobacco Companies Suggest Smokers See Into the Future to Preserve Their Statute of Limitations Twenty years ago Nikki Pooshs developed periodontal disease and COPD related to smoking. At the time, she decided to live with both of these conditions rather than pursue a remedy in the courts. According to Phillip Morris, now that she has [...]
November 21, 2010

New Graphic Warning Labels Showcase Tobacco Dangers

FDA Seeking Public Comment on Updates to Required Warning November 16, 2010 — Images of diseased lungs, corpses and addictive behaviors along with warnings like “Smoking can kill you” are among the example warning labels the FDA may require for cigarette packages and advertising. A by-product of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, [...]
November 2, 2010

Bayer Opts to Settle Trasylol® Suits on Case by Case Basis

Bayer’s Settlement Framework Weighs Each Suit on Several Factors November 2, 2010 — To date, Bayer has settled approximately 200 of the 2,000 cases against it over the drug Trasylol, used to control bleeding during heart surgeries. Rather than settlements based on a universal point system stemming from either bellwether trials or settlement negotiations, Bayer [...]
September 24, 2010

Expanded Medicare Coverage for Tobacco Cessation Counseling

Affordable Care Act Opens Door for Preventative Care Services September 24, 2010 — Smoking and tobacco-related diseases are the single most preventable cause of death in the United States. Diseases from smoking account for over 400,000 annual deaths in the US and consume an estimated 10% of Medicare’s annual budget. Yet Medicare only covered cessation [...]
January 26, 2010

National Gypsum Part of New Class Action Lawsuit

National Gypsum Focus of New Drywall Lawsuit January 26, 2010 — U.S. drywall manufacturer National Gypsum has been named in a class-action lawsuit for producing wallboard with similar corrosive properties to defective Chinese drywall. National Gypsum has denied blame for their product being the cause of corrosion of air conditioning coils, wiring, and other metals [...]
January 25, 2010

Asbestos Host Rock Serpentine Removed as CA State Rock

Success for the Drop the Rock Campaign – SB 624 Passes to Remove Serpentine as California State Rock Key Facts About Asbestos and Serpentine: Asbestos claims the lives of more than 10,000 Americans each year. Serpentine is found in 49 of California’s 58 counties (including Los Angeles). California and specifically Los Angeles County have the [...]
January 25, 2010

Bill Me Later faces Class Action Lawsuit Over Interest Rates & Fees

Bill Me Later Faces Lawsuit Over High-Interest Rates January 25, 2010 — Bill Me Later, a subsidy of eBay Inc., is facing a class-action lawsuit in California over claims that Bill Me Later is using a middleman to work around consumer protection laws and unfairly raise interest rates. The lawsuit seeks refunds of unjust fees [...]
October 5, 2009

Role of Postmenopausal HRT & Lung Cancer Studied

Postmenopausal Hormone Therapy May Increase Lung Cancer Risk October 5, 2009 — A new analysis of data from a hormone replacement trial of 16,608 postmenopausal women suggest those taking a combination form of hormone replacement therapy are at greater risk of developing lung cancer than those taking a placebo. The Women’s Health Initiative trial tracked [...]