Family Awarded $2.5 Million in Lead-Paint Case
A Baltimore jury awarded $2.5 million to a pair of siblings whose mom says suffered brain damage from lead paint in their rented home. Tiffini Wallace alleged her son, Dontae, 20, and daughter, Serra, 17, suffered cognitive and behavioral problems caused by lead even though the non-profit agency City Homes assured her the paint in […]
Insurer Fined Over Discount for Religious
An insurance company discriminated by offering special benefits and discounts only to “churchgoers” and “persons of faith,” the U.S. Justice Department said. Under a settlement, awaiting court approval, GuideOne Mutual Insurance Company of Des Moines, Iowa, and two of its agents must pay about $10,000 to each of three victims of religious discrimination, the department […]
Microwave Sponges to Kill Bacteria, Mold
If you want a clean kitchen sponge, ditch the bleach and nuke it. The federal government says testing has found that the best bets for killing harmful bacteria, yeast and molds that can inhabit kitchen sponges are the microwave and dishwasher. Government food safety experts tested common suggestions for cleaning sponges, including microwaving them, running […]
Triumph Close to Settlement with Insurers
Triumph Foods and three insurance companies could complete a settlement between them within the next two weeks, attorneys told Buchanan County Circuit Judge Randall Jackson on Monday morning. The lawsuit stemmed from Triumph’s $12.25 million settlement following an accidental explosion in 2005 that killed or injured 20 workers during the pork plant’s construction. Triumph and […]
Unreported Hazmat Spills Go Unpunished
The U.S. government rarely uses its authority to penalize transportation companies that fail to report serious spills of hazardous materials, records indicate. Few penalties are handed out even though the Department of Transportation says it needs accurate records of spills in order to ensure that hazmat carriers operate safely, USA Today reported Wednesday. The newspaper […]
Mold Problem Closes School on First Day
A school in Pleasanton, California, was closed on Tuesday after mold was detected in several classrooms. Tuesday would have been the first day of school for students at Hearst Elementary School. For the school’s 700 students, summer will last a little bit longer after test results came back Monday showing that 12 classrooms tested positive […]
Court Awards Largest Katrina Damages
A U.S. appellate court upheld the largest insurance verdict stemming from damage caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 in New Orleans, court records showed. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals confirmed a 2008 jury trial decision awarding $21.6 million to Robert Fresh Market, a grocery in New Orleans. The court further ordered United Fire […]
Effron Sued Over Car Crash
Teen hunk Zac Efron has been hit by a lawsuit three years after allegedly causing a three-vehicle pile up in Los Angeles. Katie Porter claims she was rear ended by a taxi, which was hit by the vehicle the High School Musical star was driving back in 2006. The plaintiff states she has spent the […]
AIG Ex-Chief to Pay Millions in Fraud Investigation
Two top former executives of troubled insurance giant American International Group (AIG) agreed Thursday to pay fines to settle charges by US regulators that they misled investors by inflating the firm’s results. Former long-time chief executive officer Maurice “Hank” Greenberg and former chief financial officer Howard Smith were involved in transactions that inflated results from […]
Claim Denied in Chemical Suit
A woman claimed that drifting agricultural chemicals made both her and her horses sick, and she sued the company responsible for applying the chemicals. Last week, a Hamilton County, Illinois, jury ruled against that woman. After a two-week trial, the jury deliberated about two hours July 22 before finding against Hamilton County horse breeder Elaine […]