Category Archives: Class Action

Class Action Lawsuits; Class Action Lawyers. May 24, 2010 … class action settlements and verdict information you need to know to file your case.

Haliburton Sanctioned for Destroying Gulf Spill Evidence & PLC Found Grossly Negligent

 

As reported by 360, A Louisiana federal judge sanctioned Halliburton Co. for destroying evidence related to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster amid a rash of decisions entered after the first phase of the trial on Thursday. U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier ordered the sanctions without detailing what they would be, while allowing motions to supplement the record of the first phase of the trial with details of Halliburton’s guilty plea to the destruction of evidence made last year. “The court finds that the deletion of the [evidence] was done intentionally and in bad faith,” the judge wrote. “The court also finds that this sanction does not amount to a default judgment, the dismissal of any of Halliburton’s claims or the disposal of any claims against Halliburton.” This latest blow to Halliburton comes just two days after the company agreed to pay nearly $1.1 billion to settle most private plaintiffs’ claims against Halliburton for its role in the disaster that sent millions of barrels of oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico. That settlement didn’t address any claims brought by states or the federal government. It also comes as the judge ruled Halliburton to be 3 percent at fault for the incident and that BP PLC must indemnify and release Halliburton relating to compensatory damage claims.

As reported by the WSJ the Court also found “PLC was grossly negligent in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster, …, handing down a decision that could cost the company as much as $18 billion in pollution fines for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.Thursday’s decision could leave BP on the hook for far more than the $3.5 billion it had set aside for civil penalties under the U.S. Clean Water Act and likely would easily exceed the biggest previous fine under the statute.The $3.5 billion was based in part on BP’s expectation that the court would rule the company liable for simple negligence. U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier’s finding of gross negligence, or more reckless and extreme behavior, means BP faces a penalty of as much as $4,300 for each barrel of crude spilled in the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history. That is nearly quadruple the maximum civil fine had the finding been simple negligence, which means the failure to take reasonable care.”

Johnson & Johnson Must Pay Out $1.2 Million Following Vaginal Mesh Jury Verdict

In the first ruling against Johnson & Johnson’s line of vaginal-mesh products, a Texas jury ruled that the TVT-O mesh sling was incorrectly designed. It awarded $1.2 million to Linda Batiste in compensatory damages. Batiste complained of pelvic pain while the device was inside of her. Johnson & Johnson is currently facing more than 12,000Continue Reading

This is Why We Need A Civil Justice System

The decision makers at General Motors ought to be ashamed of themselves. Just as they were crawling from the shadow of bankruptcy, they reminded us of their underhanded and back-alley tactics. The result is 13 wrongful deaths, countless injuries, a bevy of questions and few answers. Take a look at this video to get someContinue Reading

Medical Device Maker Settles Vaginal Mesh Insert Lawsuit

Coloplast A/S has agreed to pay approximately $16 million in settlements to women who have been allegedly injured by vaginal mesh inserts made by the Danish maker of medical products. In January, the company agreed to resolve about 400 suits with a settlement. Claimants will get an average payment of $40,000. Other vaginal mesh insertContinue Reading

NCAA Next in Line for Concussion Class Action Suit

It appears that class action lawsuits aimed at the violent nature of football leading to concussions and other traumatic brain injuries, are not limited to the NFL. The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) ruled to combine 10 lawsuits against the NCAA, citing that all of the suits were similar enough in nature to combineContinue Reading

NCAA Concussion Suit Seeking Class-Action Status

    Attorneys in the concussion lawsuit against the NCAA are seeking class-action status in a case they say could “change college sports forever.” The plaintiffs in the suit accuse the NCAA of failing to establish a strong, clear policy on concussions and say team doctors and trainers often put players at risk by allowingContinue Reading

Wells Fargo settles mortgage bias complaints with DOJ for $175 million.

  The Justice Department announced Thursday it had settled mortgage discrimination charges with Wells Fargo, the nation's largest home mortgage lender. Under the settlement, Wells Fargo will pay $175 million to 34,000 individuals who were discriminated against in the mortgage application process. The news garnered considerable print media coverage, but only a brief mention onContinue Reading

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