Insurance Companies in Denial regarding Long COVID
Santa Clara, CA Despite government entities recognizing Long Covid as a disability, attorneys are litigating against health insurance companies that deny disability benefits to COVID long haulers.

$90 Million Missing -- “Embezzlement and fraud,” cry AME Pastors in Pension Lawsuit
Memphis, TN  Count IX of this class-action ERISA lawsuit, alleges the “Tort of Outrage.” That, if nothing else, captures the flavor of the case.

Converse Inc. Settles $450K Wage-and-Hour Lawsuit Settlement
Santa Clara, CA  Converse Inc. has reached a settlement for $450,000. The California wage-and-hour class action lawsuit brought by Andres Campos claiming the largest manufacturer of athletic footwear in the U.S. didn’t pay its workers at two of their California warehouse facilities for all of the hours that they worked.

Class Action Toxic Tort Lawsuit Filed in Camp LeJeune Water Contamination Case
Wilmington, NC On August 14, Donald Stringfellow filed a class action toxic tort lawsuit in the Eastern District of North Carolina, alleging that he and others stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune suffered injuries because of their exposure to contaminated water. The lawsuit may ultimately include thousands of Marines and civilians who lived on base between 1953 and 1987 and were exposed to water containing cancer-causing chemicals like benzine, vinyl chloride, trichlorethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PCE).

Two More Philips CPAP Sleep Machine Recalls
Santa Clara, CA On the heels of its massive sleep apnea machine recall, Philips announced yet another recall but this time it involves a plastic component that can release cancer-causing chemicals into the user’s airway. Incredibly, a third and separate recall was announced on September 6, involving masks worn with the sleep machines.

Utah Business Ordered to Pay Employees $600k for Overtime Violations
Salt Lake City, UT A tile company has been ordered to pay its employees over $600K in back wages after an investigation conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor.

IBM to Settle Sales Reps Claims for $4.75M
Santa Clara, CA IBM will pay $4.75 million to settle claims that it shortchanged about 1,500 sales representatives out of their rightful commissions, and that Big Blue had violated California Labor Code, according to a preliminary approval motion filed August 23rd in federal court. 

Working from Home Expenses Covered—or not-- in California
Santa Clara, CA A number of California employers are facing class actions or actions under the Private Attorneys General Act filed by employees seeking reimbursement for expenses incurred while working from home during the pandemic. Even though the California Labor Code states what can and cannot be claimed, it has been written in a way that leaves room for interpretation by the courts.

$30.5 Million Apple Settlement Approved
San Francisco, CA An Apple Inc. class action lawsuit filed almost a decade ago has finally been approved. Back in 2013, the technology giant’s retail workers claimed they were shortchanged for time spent in mandatory security checks after their shifts, which is a violation of the California labor law. The $30.5 million settlement includes compensation for 15,000 employees.

Marine with Ulcerative Colitis Files Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Lawsuit
Camp Lejeune, NC A former marine stationed at Camp Lejeune was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, which he claims was directly caused by PFAS contamination in the water he drank and bathed in from 1985 to 1987.