civil lawsuits

Read the latest reports on civil lawsuit cases in the news on Newser.com

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Lesbos Islanders Sue Gays on Name
Lesbos Islanders Sue
Gays on Name
May 2, 2008 7:50 AM CDT

Lesbos Islanders Sue Gays on Name

We're the only Lesbians, Greeks insist in lawsuit

(Newser) - Residents of the Greek island of Lesbos have decided that lesbianism is the love that must change its name, the BBC reports. Islanders, fed up with the word being used to denote sexual orientation, are suing a Greek gay rights organization with "lesbian" in its name and say if...

WR Grace Makes Deal to Settle Asbestos Claims

Chemical company hopes to leave bankruptcy by year's end

(Newser) - Chemical company WR Grace cleared a major hurdle in its 7-year effort to emerge from bankruptcy yesterday, agreeing to pay more than $3 billion to settle asbestos-related personal injury lawsuits, reports the Baltimore Sun. The deal, which a bankruptcy judge must approve, would establish a trust fund to settle current...

When Dumb Lawsuits Attack
 When Dumb Lawsuits Attack 
Mar 23, 2008 5:00 AM CDT

When Dumb Lawsuits Attack

Damages claimed for mistaken impressions, aggressive toilet seat

(Newser) - Emotional trauma because she used the men’s restroom? Surfer in pain after losing his wave? The Daily Mirror digs up the silliest lawsuits ever filed:
  1. Whale tale: After their 27-year-old son was found dead on the back of an orca, parents sued SeaWorld for depicting killer whales as huggable
...

'Dilbert' Mocks Comic Strip Firing
'Dilbert' Mocks Comic Strip Firing
Feb 23, 2008 8:54 AM CST

'Dilbert' Mocks Comic Strip Firing

Posted cartoon called bosses 'drunken lemurs'

(Newser) - What came first: the comic strip mocking the office, or the office emulating the comic? Both, in the case of one Iowa casino that fired a man for posting a "Dilbert" cartoon comparing management to "drunken lemurs," the Des Moines Register reports. This week, cartoonist Scott Adams...

Court Scraps Agent Orange Suit
Court Scraps Agent Orange Suit
Feb 22, 2008 3:17 PM CST

Court Scraps Agent Orange Suit

Judge says chemical was used as a defoliant, not a weapon

(Newser) - Vietnamese plaintiffs who say Agent Orange caused them serious health problems ran into a judicial dead end today. A federal appeals court upheld the dismissal of a civil lawsuit over use of the defoliant in the Vietnam War. The suit claimed that Dow Chemical and other companies violated a ban...

'Guards Gone Wild,' Claims Video Maker

Producer alleges mistreatment in Oklahoma jail

(Newser) - Girls Gone Wild producer Joe Francis claims prison guards abused him by denying him medication and visits and threatened to tie him naked to a chair for 2 days, the Oklahoman reports. In court filings, Francis says the abuse took place during a 3-week stay in an Oklahoma jail earlier...

Court Upholds $1B Judgment for Motorola

Rejects claim that fraud damages amount to 'economic death sentence'

(Newser) - A federal appeals court has upheld a finding of $1 billion in punitive damages against the Uzan family of Turkey for defrauding Motorola out of $2 billion in start-up loans, the Wall Street Journal reports. The family had argued that the damages were so high that they amounted to an...

Axed OJ Book Publisher Sues News Corp. for $100M

Says she was fired for dirt linked to Rudy

(Newser) - Axed publisher Judith Regan has filed a $100 million lawsuit against News Corp., charging the company made her the target of a smear campaign and fired her because she had information damaging to Rudy Giuliani's presidential campaign. "The smear campaign was necessary to advance News Corp.'s political agenda,...

Hannah Montana Fan Club Sued for 'Ticket Trick'

Fans claim $30 club didn't provide promised access to concert

(Newser) - Hannah Montana fans have filed a class-action lawsuit against the actress' fan club, charging they were deceptively lured into paying a $30 entrance fee with the promise that they would have better access to concert tickets. In fact the "vast majority of club members" couldn't get tickets to star...

Merck to Settle Suits for $4.85B
Merck to Settle Suits for $4.85B
Nov 9, 2007 5:19 AM CST

Merck to Settle Suits for $4.85B

Deal will be official once 85% of plaintiffs agree

(Newser) - Merck has agreed to shell out $4.85 billion to settle 27,000 Vioxx lawsuits brought by plaintiffs who argued that the pain medication damaged health and caused deaths. The agreement, one of the largest in history, must still be approved by 85% of the plaintiffs, but it's likely to...

Ads Could Spark Privacy Lawsuits by Facebook Users

Using member's images without consent could violate laws

(Newser) - Facebook's new cutting-edge ads which cherry-pick the names and faces of members who use featured products may violate privacy laws. The ads attach photos and identities of members to products they've purchased or endorsed, but without explicitly obtaining members' consent, reports the New York Times. That could open Facebook to...

Visa Settles $2.25B AmEx Suit
Visa Settles $2.25B AmEx Suit
Nov 8, 2007 8:28 AM CST

Visa Settles $2.25B AmEx Suit

Antitrust settlement could be largest ever

(Newser) - In what could be the largest settlement ever to resolve an antitrust lawsuit, Visa has agreed to pay American Express up to $2.25 billion for blocking member banks from offering rival credit cards, the AP reports. The deal helps clear the way for Visa’s IPO, expected early in...

Tyco-Case Lawyers Seek Record $460M Fee

Claim 488,000 hours working for plaintiff

(Newser) - It would be the largest payday ever in a securities class action suit: three law firms tomorrow will ask a federal judge in New Hampshire to approve $460 million in fees and $29 million in expenses for their work for the plaintiffs in the suit against Tyco, the Wall Street ...

Jury Adds Punitive $99M in Hormone Cancer Suit

Menopause pills cost Wyeth total of $134M

(Newser) - A Nevada jury has tacked on an additional $99 million in punitive damages against the Wyeth pharmaceutical company after ruling in favor of three women who argued that the drug maker's hormone replacement therapy caused their breast cancer. That amount, added to compensatory damages determined last week, makes the total...

Feds Pursue Fewer Polluters
Feds Pursue Fewer Polluters
Sep 30, 2007 8:15 AM CDT

Feds Pursue Fewer Polluters

EPA cuts down on criminal cases, says focus is on biggest offenders

(Newser) - The EPA has taken a decidedly less aggressive tack in criminal cases, the Washington Post reports, a trend advocates fear will embolden polluters. The number of prosecutions, new investigations, and total convictions have all dropped by more than a third. One ex-official, who resigned in protest, blamed the Bush administration,...

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