Comcast and O.C. Communications California Wage and Hour Settlement Finally ReachedSan Francisco, CA: After two years of litigation, a California labor lawsuit involving about 4,500 technicians has finally settled for $7.5 million, after legal fees. The federal class action alleged that O.C. Communications Inc., a tech talent supplier, and Comcast Corp. violated state and federal laws, including not paying the workers for all the hours worked and failure to compensate the techs for piecework, overtime or minimum wages.
New FLSA Interpretation Would Limit Worker Wage LawsuitsWashington, DC The Department of Labor has
proposed changes in the interpretation of the “joint employer rule.” The rule allows workers, especially in class action wage and hour lawsuits, to reach beyond an immediate employer to seek recovery from a franchisor, corporate parent or other related business entity. If the change goes into effect, it will affect the application of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), but it will not necessarily limit wage and hour protections under California labor law.
Another Victory for J&J Talc Lawsuit PlaintiffAlameda, CA: Patricia Schmitz, age 61, a mother of two with grandchildren and former school teacher, was diagnosed with mesothelioma last year and her doctors say she has little chance to survive. Her asbestos talc case states that J&J products caused the disease; J&J’s attorneys and expert witness argued her cancer was “spontaneous in nature”. The jury awarded Schmitz $12 million in damages.
UCSD Study: Monsanto Roundup Linked to Liver DiseaseSan Diego, CA A new
study, conducted by researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, suggests an association between
glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto’s weed killer Roundup, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in human beings.
Too Hard to Eat Lunch? – That Cost Wal-Mart $6 MillionLos Angeles, CA Chelsea Hamilton and Alyssa Hernandez brought a class action California labor lawsuit against Wal-Mart, claiming that going through the mandatory security check took so much time and was so intrusive that they were left with less than their
legally protected half-hour meal break. Taking feminine hygiene stuff out of their purses was embarrassing. Ms. Hernandez also said the break room was crowded and noisy. They were not prevented from taking the break, but they were discouraged out of it. In April, they won a $6.1 million jury award on behalf of Wal-Mart workers.
MRI with Gadolinium – Better to be Safe than Sorry?Washington, DC: The FDA in December 2017 recommended that repeated use of MRIs with gadolinium contrast dye be minimized wherever possible, and when MRIs are taken closely together in particular. It’s like a Catch-22: an MRI can detect cancer but it can also pose certain risks -- is it better to be safe than sorry?
$80 Million Verdict in Ethicon Prolift Pelvic Mesh LawsuitPhiladelphia, PA On May 17, a jury returned an $80 million verdict for Patricia and George Mesigian in their surgical mesh lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Ethicon. The award included $50 million in punitive damages and a record-setting $30 million in compensatory damages.
Still No Pay for California Residential Care WorkersLos Angeles, CA Residential care workers can win California unpaid wages lawsuits when they sue their employers for wage theft and other illegal employment practices. That’s the good news. But the bad news is that they are still having trouble getting paid, and the violations of California state labor laws continue.
Monsanto Roundup: Killer Cocktail?Oakland, CA The jury in
Pilliod v. Monsanto Co heard evidence that was not presented in previous Monsanto glyphosate lawsuits. It may have prompted the record-breaking $2 billion award, and the information may be central to the more than 13,000 Roundup lawsuits still pending.
