November 21, 2010
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’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
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 [...]
June 28, 2010
Merck to Pay $8 million in Damages in Fosamax® Jury Trial July 28 2010 — A New York jury awarded Shirley Boles, of Fort Walton Beach, FL, $8 million in compensatory damages from her case against Merck & Co, which alleged the osteoporosis drug Fosamax caused her jaw osteonecrosis. This was the second lawsuit against [...]
January 26, 2010
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
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 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
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 [...]
September 2, 2009
Yamaha’s Rhino UTV–Unstable Design or Unsafe for Consumers? September 2, 2009 — Since its introduction in 2003, Yamaha’s Rhino UTV (Utility Terrain Vehicle) was an instant hit amongst the ATV (All-Terrain Vehicle) crowd, selling more than 150,000 units. With side by side seating, a small utility bed and the ability to be loaded into the [...]