Judge Approves Historic $650M Facebook Privacy Settlement
More than 1.5 million Illinois Facebook users will receive at least $345 each under the terms of the landmark deal.
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Settlement
Cryptocurrency Deal
Bitfinex and Tether, two cryptocurrency trading platforms accused of hiding some $850 million in losses, will pay New York $18.5 million as part of a Tuesday settlement that also forces them to cease letting New Yorkers use their so-called stablecoin platforms.
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Heat Stroke
The family of a woman who was severely injured after suffering heat stroke during a jogging class at California State University San Bernardino reached a $39.5 million settlement with the university system. The system also agreed to implement a system-wide policy for heat illness prevention. The woman suffered a brain injury, cardiac arrest, multisystem organ failure and her cognitive function remains “severely imparied.”
Read moreIgnition Switches
California’s attorney general and General Motors entered into a $5.75 million agreement to settle claims that the car manufacturer misled investors, including the state’s largest pension system, “regarding the costs the company would incur due to its ignition switch problems.”
Read morePeople’s Court
In a small claims court dispute arising from repairs required for a car after its purchase, an appeals court in Florida declined to set aside a settlement agreement reached after the purchaser and seller of the vehicle appeared on the television show “The People’s Court” and agreed to arbitrate with the producer of the show.
Read moreHomelessness
The city of Boise, Idaho, reached a settlement agreement in Martin v. Boise, a lawsuit arising from a city ordinance that banned homeless people from sleeping in public. The city agreed to invest $1.3 million in homelessness prevention efforts and will amend two ordinances.
Read moreCigarettes
The Second Circuit ruled Canadian cigarette manufacturer Grand River Enterprises failed to state a claim for relief in its case challenging Connecticut’s “Reconciliation Requirement,” which imposes reporting requirements upon cigarette manufacturers that have chosen not to participate in the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement.
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OxyContin Marketer Blamed for Opioid Crisis Reaches Nearly $600M Deal
Global consulting firm McKinsey & Co. will pay $573 million to settle claims that the aggressive marketing campaign it designed for pharmaceutical drugs intensified the national opioid crisis.
Read moreHazardous Waste
California reached a $4.1 million settlement with Schnitzer Steel Industries over claims the company violated environmental laws while operating its metal shredding and recycling facility in West Oakland.
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Bayer Reaches $2 Billion Deal Over Future Roundup Cancer Claims
The German pharmaceutical giant hopes to resolve any future legal troubles it may inherit by purchasing Roundup manufacturer Monsanto.
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Shorting Delivery Drivers’ Tips Will Cost Amazon $61.7M in Settlement
After promising that drivers would collect 100% of any tips, Amazon kept tip amounts secret and dipped into the money to cover drivers’ payments.
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Prince Harry Accepts Apology, Damages in UK Libel Suit
Prince Harry on Monday accepted an apology and damages from the publisher of British tabloid The Mail on Sunday and its online version, MailOnline, in a libel lawsuit relating to articles about his relationship with the British armed forces.
Read moreDebt Collector
Debt collection agency Victim Services Inc, accused of charging illegal fees, settled a class action lawsuit on Friday for $1.1 million, including attorneys’ fees and court costs.
Read moreData Throttling
AT&T will pay $12 million to settle a consumer class action arising from its practice of “throttling,” which slowed down data speeds of customers with unlimited data plans. In 2019, the company settled a lawsuit brought by the Federal Trade Commission over the practice for $60 million.
Read moreSettlement Scuffle
In a suit arising from employment discrimination claims against IBM brought by an employee who said he was fired for being deaf, the Second Circuit ruled a lower court properly denied the former employee’s request to reopen the case, which was settled for $207,000. The employee claims his attorneys miscommunicated to him in American Sign Language and he thought the settlement amount was $207 million.
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Judge OKs Weinstein Bankruptcy Plan With $17M for Victims
A Delaware judge has approved a revised Weinstein Co. bankruptcy plan that provides about $35 million for creditors, with roughly half that amount going to women who have accused disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein of sexual misconduct.
Read moreGoogle Data
A federal court in California granted final approval of a settlement agreement in class action alleging software glitches made up to 500,000 Google Plus users’ private data accessible to third-party app developers without notice or consent.
Read moreTwo Decades Later, Orange County Court Returns Press Access ‘Upon Receipt’
After years of legal contest with the huge Southern California court of Orange County, a deal has been struck and the press will once again have access to the new civil cases when they cross the counter, one that was physical and is now virtual.
Read moreScooter Trouble
The city of Oakland, California, will settle claims it has allowed rental scooters to run amok on the city’s sidewalks and driveways by requiring the scooter operators to respond to complaints of dumped scooters and riders to take photos of properly parked scooters as part of closing their ticket.
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Judge OKs Preliminary Settlement for Victims of Flint Water Crisis
A federal judge granted preliminary approval Thursday to a massive settlement for Flint residents who were poisoned by contaminated water.
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