Long thought to be safe (so safe that it was heavily marketed for use on babies’ bottoms to keep them dry in their diapers), it has been discovered that talc and talcum powder actually contains harmful carcinogenic ingredients like asbestos. Talc and Talcum Powder lawsuits became front-page news with the $55 million verdict in May, 2016, when a South Dakota woman was found to have ovarian cancer caused by her use of talc for feminine…
In a significant pre-trial ruling (Tuesday, May 10, 2016), a federal district court judge found in favor of plaintiffs in the national class action case against Pella windows for selling defective windows to thousands of customers over a period of years. U.S. District Court Judge James B. Zagel of the Northern District of Illinois today ruled that potential claims can be litigated under the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Trade Practices Act, 815 ILCS 501/1,…
Volkswagen agreed (on Thursday, April 21, 2016), to repair or buy back nearly 500,000 diesel cars in the United States that are equipped with illegal emissions software. Following the filing of class action lawsuits from thousands of disgruntled car buyers of certain models that were affected, the once largest car maker in the world, VW, reached a proposed settlement in San Francisco federal court with the federal government as well as with lawyers for the…
Kenneth Feinberg, an attorney internationally recognized for working out payments to victims of the BP Gulf oil spill, General Motors ignition switch scandal, the 9/11 victims’ compensation fund and other high-profile cases, has been hired by Volkswagen to work in a similar capacity to resolve thousands of lawsuits involving its emissions scandal. The German automaker has said that Feinberg, 70, will design and administer an independent claims programs for owners of the affected diesel cars…
A federal judge in the Northern District of California has been assigned to handle the multidistrict litigation (MDL) involving the Volkswagen emissions scandal. That means that all of the cases filed, more than 500 class actions in 60 different federal courts across the country, will be transferred to U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer who will hear all of the actions. The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation selected Judge Breyer, the brother of Supreme Court…
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently revealed that the Volkswagen emissions scam extends to thousands more cars including the 2015 Porsche Cayenne, the 2014 Touareg and the several more Audi models. In September, it was revealed that as many as 11 million cars were affected worldwide. The New York Times reported yesterday (Nov. 2, 2015) that the EPA discovered emissions-cheating software on more vehicles than previously reported, and now has found the illegal software…
West Virginia sued Volkswagen for deceiving car buyers after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that the automaker had installed software to hide that its diesel engine vehicles exceeded pollution standards. The state’s Attorney General is seeking restitution for VW customers who paid up to nearly $7,000 extra for cars that supposedly had clean diesel engines. Researchers at West Virginia University reportedly used technology pioneered by the EPA to uncover VW’s duplicity by exposing the…
In the wake of the tremendous debacle concerning Volkswagen cars sold since 2008, today its CEO resigned – or some say forced out – for his mishandling of the situation. VW’s global CEO Martin Winterkorn, an engineer, told the press that he had no knowledge of the diesel engine dupe, but apologized to the public and accepted responsibility after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) discovered the fraud that appears to have been intentional. The…
The class action lawsuit filed on behalf of owners of Volkswagen diesel-engine vehicles has garnered quite a bit of press, even around the globe, especially considering that the German car maker has admitted that up to 11 million vehicles worldwide may be affected by the “defeat devices.” Robert A. Clifford, founder and senior partner at the firm, spoke to the Chicago Tribune as well as to several other media outlets that resulted in stories that…