Judge Favors School in 'Hot for Teacher' Lawsuit A federal judge has ruled that a university student in Detroit who wrote an inappropriate essay about being sexually attracted to his teacher is not protected by the First Amendment. The student was suspended from school after turning in his essay in which he called his… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Consumer Protection
795,000 Kenmore Dehumidifiers Recalled
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The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a recall of 795,000 Kenmore dehumidifiers sold at Sears and Kmart stores across the county. The agency said the dehumidifiers can overheat smoke, melt and catch fire, posing burn and injury risks to users. There have been seven reports of shorting and fires associated with… Continue Reading
Ford faces class-action suit over touch-screen system defects.
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The National Law Journal (7/17, Bronstad) reports that a proposed nationwide class action lawsuit “has been filed against Ford Motor Co. over defects associated with the interactive touch-screen display systems in its Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles.” The MyFord Touch system, “launched in 2010, was designed to seamlessly operate audio controls, global positioning system… Continue Reading
NJ Supreme Court Clears the Way for Beach Replenishment
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Dune's Benefit to Shore Owner Can Be Setoff in Takings Case Michael Booth 07/08/2013 Text Size Oceanfront landowners who endure the building of protective sand dunes on their property aren't just losing a view; they're gaining a sea wall. That's the import of Monday's New Jersey Supreme Court decision that lets juries weighing… Continue Reading
Rule that would allow manufacturers to make label changes on generics could undo the great harm of recent Supreme Court Decisions
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The New York Times (7/4, B2, Thomas, Subscription Publication, 1.68M) reported that the US Food and Drug Administration “signaled its intention to permit generic drug makers to make changes to their safety labels, a move that could open the door to lawsuits against generic drug companies for the first time since a Supreme Court decision… Continue Reading
Infusion pump linked to 14 deaths under Class 1 recall.
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Bloomberg News (6/27, Cortez) reports Medtronic’s “SynchroMed infusion pumps were linked to four flaws that have led to 14 patient deaths,” since 1996, and spurred the US Food and Drug Administration into placing its “most serious” level of recall on the implantable system. In a statement Wednesday, the “world’s largest heart device maker” announced that… Continue Reading
Supreme Court Makes Discrimination Cases Much More Difficult
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In a split decision this week, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that only someone with the ability to “hire or fire someone should be considered a supervisor in discrimination lawsuits.” Experts say this ruling will be a blow to workers’ discrimination suits, making it more difficult for a business to be blamed for a co-workers… Continue Reading
A New Twist on a Toxic Kiss–Study finds carcinogens in lipstick.
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USA Today (5/2, Koch, 1.71M) reports that researchers at the University of California-Berkeley’s School of Public Health tested “32 commonly sold lipsticks and lip glosses” and found that they “contain lead, cadmium, chromium, aluminum and five other metals – some at potentially toxic levels.” The study notes that whereas the “average user applies lipstick 2.3… Continue Reading
Arbitration Clauses Steal Your Rights
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Do you know what is hidden in the fine print of the contracts you routinely agree to? Chances are you have signed away your right to access the courtroom and didn’t even know it! Included in many everyday consumer contracts are dangerous forced arbitration clauses that take away your right to go to court and… Continue Reading
Honda Recalls 200,000 CR-V Minivans
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The Los Angeles Times (4/18, Hirsch, 692K) reports, “Honda Motor Co. will recall 204,500 CR-V crossovers, Odyssey minivans and Acura RDX crossovers to replace a safety component.” The Times notes that “during internal testing of the vehicles, Honda discovered that in subfreezing temperatures it could be possible to shift the vehicle's transmission out of… Continue Reading