In The Courts
Kraft Group Sued Over Fatal Crash
November 21, 2012 10:29 am | News | CommentsThe family of a woman who died in a crash about a mile from Gillette Stadium after drinking in the stadium parking lot during a concert, as well as a woman who survived the same crash, have sued the Kraft Group, owner of the stadium and the New England Patriots.
Meningitis Victims Want Judge To Freeze Assets
November 20, 2012 10:04 pm | by Denise Lavoie, AP Legal Affairs Writer | News | CommentsLawyers for two people who claim they contracted meningitis from contaminated steroid injections made by a Massachusetts pharmacy asked a judge on Tuesday to freeze up to $461 million in assets of the pharmacy, its owners and two related companies while lawsuits are pending.
Judge In Beef Products Lawsuit Recuses Himself
November 20, 2012 9:57 pm | News | CommentsA federal judge overseeing a $1.2 billion defamation lawsuit filed by a South Dakota beef processing company against ABC News has recused himself from the case. Judge Lawrence L. Piersol recused himself from the case that is being heard in U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota.
California Egg Producers Sue Over Cage Law
November 20, 2012 8:03 am | by Tracie Cone, Associated Press | News | CommentsCalifornia's landmark Proposition 2 said chickens in cages must be able to stand up and stretch their wings without touching cage walls. Whether that means one chicken at a time or a bunch at once is the impetus behind the third lawsuit filed by egg farmers since passage of the ballot measure.
AP: $500M Slaughterhouse Settlement Reached
November 16, 2012 1:21 pm | by Tracie Cone, Associated Press | News | CommentsA landmark $500 million settlement was reached in a slaughterhouse abuse case that led to the biggest meat recall in U.S. history in 2008, an animal welfare group announced Friday. The settlement is largely symbolic because the company is bankrupt.
AstraZeneca Says German Court Voids Seroquel Patent
November 14, 2012 8:15 am | News | CommentsAstraZeneca PLC said Tuesday a German court threw out a patent protecting its antipsychotics drug Seroquel XR. The British drugmaker said the patent was being challenged by several companies, including the German unit of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.
Edwards: Court Upholds Medtronic Patent Ruling
November 14, 2012 8:08 am | News | CommentsEdwards Lifesciences Corp. said Tuesday a federal appeals court upheld a ruling that Medtronic Inc.'s CoreValve System infringes on a patent belonging to Edwards. Edwards said the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld the patent and an April 2010 ruling by a federal jury, which found that Medtronic was willfully infringing on the patent.
W.Va. AG Says Deadline Looms For LCD Claims
November 13, 2012 4:35 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsA deadline is looming for consumers and businesses to file refund claims in a price-fixing settlement involving liquid crystal display screens. West Virginia Attorney General Darrell McGraw says consumers and businesses have until Dec. 6 to file claims for LCD screens bought between 1999 and 2006. The screens are used in televisions, computer monitors and laptop computers.
Olympus Investors Want $240 Million
November 13, 2012 11:16 am | News | CommentsOlympus Corp. says nearly 50 shareholders have filed a suit seeking $240 million in compensation for their investment losses stemming from a massive accounting scandal. Officials at the company have acknowledged hiding huge losses for years, using overseas bank accounts, paper companies and dubious acquisitions to keep them off its books.
Boeing Sued Over Plane Crash
November 9, 2012 1:11 pm | News | CommentsPassengers on a plane that crashed in Poland when its landing gear didn't deploy are suing Boeing and the firm that inspected the 767 before it departed from New Jersey. The nine-page filing contends Boeing design flaws contributed to fluid leaking from the hydraulic system. It accuses employees of New York-based Mach II Maintenance of failing to detect the leak.
2 Oil Companies Pay $35M In MTBE Suit
November 8, 2012 10:11 am | News | CommentsNew Hampshire's attorney general says two oil companies are paying the state a total of $35 million to settle pending claims from a lawsuit alleging that they added MTBE to gasoline, knowing that it would contaminate ground water supplies. The state, which sued the companies and others in 2003, contends they knew they were supplying a product with unique hazards.
Judge To Hold Fairness Hearing On BP Settlement
November 8, 2012 7:45 am | News | CommentsA federal judge in New Orleans is set to hold a hearing on whether a proposed class-action deal is a fair settlement for economic damage claims from the BP oil spill. During Thursday's hearing, the London-based oil giant and a team of private plaintiffs' attorneys will urge U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier to give his final approval to the agreement.
Malaysians Lose Bid To Halt Rare Earths Plant
November 8, 2012 12:01 am | by Eileen Ng, Associated Press | News | CommentsMalaysian activists lost a court battle Thursday to halt Australian miner Lynas Corp. from firing up a rare earths plant that has sparked health and safety concerns. After months of delay, Lynas in September obtained the Malaysian government's approval to start processing rare earths, which are minerals crucial for manufacturing high-tech products.
California Gets 200 EV Charging Stations
November 7, 2012 11:03 am | News | CommentsFederal energy regulators have approved a legal settlement between California and a New Jersey energy company that will see more than 200 electric vehicle charging stations get built around the state. The settlement came in response to lawsuits filed after California's energy crisis, when NRG and other companies overcharged Californians for power.
Jury Says Google, Others Infringed On Patents
November 7, 2012 10:08 am | News | CommentsRingtone company Vringo Inc. has won a patent lawsuit against Google and several other companies. The lawsuit claimed that Google, AOL, IAC/InterActiveCorp and others violate two patents related to Internet search filtering technology used to place the best ads in the best positions on websites.
Apple Suit Over Patent Rates Dismissed
November 6, 2012 11:39 am | by Peter Svensson, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsA federal judge in Madison, Wis., on Monday threw out a suit by Apple Inc. claiming that Google subsidiary Motorola Mobility is seeking unreasonably high license fees for the use of patents on wireless technology. The suit is part of a world-spanning battle between Apple and Google, whose Android software powers the smartphones that compete with Apple's iPhone.
Tobacco Companies Want Court To Throw Out $50B Suit
November 5, 2012 8:52 am | by Linda Nguyen, The Canadian Press | News | CommentsTwo big foreign-owned tobacco companies will ask Ontario's top court today to dismiss a $50-billion lawsuit launched against them by the provincial government. Lawyers for British American Tobacco and R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company are also expected to argue that they should not be included in the legal action if the appeal court lets the case proceed.
Orthofix Paying $30M To Settle Kickbacks Case
November 2, 2012 4:15 pm | by Ken Ritter, Associated Press | News | CommentsOrthofix International NV agreed to resolve claims that Blackstone Medical Inc. provided surgeons with travel, entertainment and benefits including sham consulting, royalty and research deals, according to a statement from the Justice Department civil division in Washington, D.C.
Merck Agrees To $220M Settlement In Vioxx Suit
November 2, 2012 11:37 am | News | CommentsDrugmaker Merck & Co. Inc. could pay up to $220 million in the settlement of a class action lawsuit filed on behalf of Missouri consumers of the prescription pain reliever Vioxx. Attorney for the consumers, Patrick Stueve, says Thursday's agreement settles claims that Merck violated the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act by promoting and selling the arthritis drug.
Coach Gets $257M For Fake Bags
November 2, 2012 10:51 am | News | CommentsLuxury handbag maker Coach Inc. said Friday that it received a $257 million judgment in a lawsuit filed against counterfeiters. Coach launched a concerted effort against businesses that counterfeit its bags in 2009, suing companies from manufacturers and wholesalers to flea market operators and landlords.
Microsoft Sued Over Windows 8 Elements
November 2, 2012 8:06 am | News | CommentsA small technology company based in Portland, Maine, has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Microsoft over elements included in Windows 8. The lawsuit claims Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft Corp. is using elements known as live tiles, rectangular icons linked to websites, apps and other items. SurfCast says it developed the elements in the 1990s.
ABC News Wants Judge To Toss 'Pink Slime' Suit
November 1, 2012 8:03 am | by Kristi Eaton, Associated Press | News | CommentsLawyers for ABC News asked a judge Wednesday to toss out a $1 billion defamation lawsuit filed by a South Dakota-based meat processor over a meat product that critics dub "pink slime," saying the news organization did not knowingly disparage the company or its product.
Kings Reach Settlement In Exploding Ball Case
October 31, 2012 8:15 am | News | CommentsThe Sacramento Kings have settled a lawsuit over an exercise ball the teams says exploded and injured a player. Roger Dreyer, the attorney who represented the NBA team and injured swingman Francisco Garcia, told the newspaper the settlement amount was confidential.
Iowa Woman Sues Deere Alleging Race Discrimination
October 30, 2012 6:07 pm | by David Pitt, Associated Press | News | CommentsA Des Moines woman who claims she was subjected to racial slurs by co-workers, including finding a doll whose face was painted black hanging outside her home with threats to quit her job at Deere & Co., has filed a discrimination lawsuit against the company. Copa Burse said racial slurs were painted on her work locker and that she was yelled at and taunted by co-workers.
High Court Hears Closely Watched Copyright Case
October 29, 2012 4:42 am | by Mark Sherman, Associated Press | News | CommentsCostco, eBay, Google and the nation's top art museums are backing a Thai graduate student against book publishers, the movie and music industries and other manufacturers in a Supreme Court battle over copyright protections with important implications for consumers and multibillion dollar annual sales online and in discount stores.
