According to published reports, the Justice Department will sequester up to $40 million for victims of a 2012 fungal meningitis outbreak which resulted from steroid injections that had been contaminated with the fungus. The announcement follows the resolution of a dispute about whether or not the victims qualified for assistance from the … [Read more...]
ACLU Pushes to Stop Public Funding of Certain Catholic Charities over Reproductive Rights
A lawsuit, which was recently filed in federal court, alleges that the United States government has been providing funds to religious organizations that refuse to provide birth control and abortion to migrant teens, a violation of the terms of such funding. Charitable Organization Funding Requirements At issue is a legal requirement which … [Read more...]
Lawsuit Filed in California Alleging Workers’ Comp Gender Bias
On Wednesday three California women, with the help of the SEIU California State Council, filed a lawsuit claiming that California’s workers’ compensation system is gender biased. The plaintiffs say that they are seeking class-action status for the suit in order to enable other women who have been affected to come forward. Gender Based … [Read more...]
Political Activity Rises Due To Gun Control Legislation
Supreme Court Declines Hearing Monday, June 20th, the Supreme Court declined to hear two cases regarding the gun bans imposed in Connecticut and New York. Gun rights activists challenged two state laws that prohibited the ownership of specific assault-style firearms. However, both cases were denied certiorari leaving the current state laws will … [Read more...]
Department of Veteran Affairs Ordered to Reveal Settlement Data
In response to an investigation by the New York Daily News, Florida Rep. Jeff Miller is calling for reform of the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA). The investigation revealed that the expenditures on settlements has tripled in the past five years. In 2015, the VA spent $338 million in settlements compared with $98 million in 2011. The records, … [Read more...]
Tricky Legal Issues in Product Liability Lawsuit against Aircraft Manufacturers
When someone is injured or killed in a plane crash, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) usually attributes the cause to “pilot error”. In some cases, however, the cause of the accident can be traced to a manufacturing defect in the aircraft itself. In these cases, under certain circumstances the manufacturer of the aircraft or a component … [Read more...]
Appeals Court Rules in Favor of Boeing in Whistleblower Suit
On Monday, June 13th, the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with Boeing and its subcontractor in a whistleblower lawsuit involving claims of defrauding the government. Three ex-workers of Boeing claimed that the company had built and sold aircraft with faulty parts that could pose a severe risk of malfunction. One of the whistleblowers, … [Read more...]
Obama Administration Vehemently Disputes Judge’s Orders
In an effort to change the legal status of millions of undocumented immigrants in the United States, in 2014 the Obama Administration took the unprecedented step of issuing an executive order which essentially legalized up to 5 million people. 26 states filed suit against the Administration and claimed that the action was unconstitutional. So began … [Read more...]
Third Circuit Narrows Federal Preemption for Aircraft Product Liability Cases
By David Carnes, Staff Writer Federal courts have consistently held that federal law preempts the entire field of “aviation safety”. This means, in effect, that you cannot file a lawsuit based on a state aircraft safety statute. Instead, litigants are expected to file their claims based on Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations or other … [Read more...]
Supreme Court Avoids Major Ruling on Birth Control Issue
On Monday, the Supreme Court managed to rid itself of a complex dispute between the Obama Administration and faith-based groups over birth control, suggesting another struggle on the Court’s part to find a majority to take on controversial cases after Justice Antonin Scalia’s death. The case addresses concerns over allowing faith-based groups to … [Read more...]
