Scout Badges Recalled Over Lead Concerns
Painted plastic badges, often worn by young members of the Boy Scouts of America are being voluntarily recalled after a test revealed high levels of lead in the paint. “We’re doing everything we can,” Boy Scouts spokesman Gregg Shields, said. As many as 1.6 million of the badges, which are made in China, may be […]
Insurance Companies Fight Law on Punitive Payouts
Insurance giants like, State Farm, Allstate, Safeco and Farmers have poured over $8 million into the referendum battle regarding how insurers are required to treat their customers. Their goal is to convince voters to reject a law passed earlier this year that could force insurers to pay up to triple damages and lawyer fees if […]
DuPont Wins Battle Against Dioxin Lawsuit
A Mississippi jury has found DuPont Co. is not liable for the death of an 8-year-old girl who had liver cancer and heart problems. Kerman and Naomi Ladner of DeLisle, Miss., sued the company for $30 million, alleging dioxin from the DuPont plant near their home caused their daughter’s death, The (Biloxi, Miss.) Sun Herald […]
Miss. Attorney General Sues State Farm
Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood sued State Farm Fire and Casualty Co. on Monday, claiming the company failed to honor an agreement for a mass settlement of claims over Hurricane Katrina damage. In January, Hood agreed to drop State Farm from a lawsuit his office filed against several insurance companies for refusing to cover damage […]
Hurricane Causes Mold Problems for Florida Homes
Scattered across Broward County are scars from Hurricane Wilma’s rampage 19 months ago: houses, condos and commercial buildings still so badly damaged they can’t be occupied. As a new hurricane season gets under way, at least eight Broward municipalities — Davie, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Lauderhill, North Lauderdale, Oakland Park, Pembroke Pines, Sea Ranch Lakes and Tamarac — […]
Katrina Lawsuit to Go to Appeal
In November, a judge gave hope to homeowners trying to collect insurance money for flood damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. Now, that decision is under scrutiny. U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval Jr. sided with policyholders who argued that language excluding water damage from some of their insurance policies was ambiguous. Duval said the policies did […]
Lawsuit Over Lead Paint Goes to Trial
The makers of lead paint knew as early as the 1930s that the lead pigment was dangerous to children but still promoted the product as safe and superior to others, a city lawyer told jurors as the trial of an $85 million lawsuit got under way. NL Industries Inc., which for years was the largest […]
Toxic Mold Puts Family Against Insurer
Gary and Andrea Zinck had a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home on a quiet corner lot with a coy pond, a pool and patio bar in their backyard, but they gave it all up last August – doctor’s orders. The Zinck’s actually still own the 2,100-square-foot home, including the 7,000 square feet of toxic mold growing in […]
Rhode Island City Targets Paint Firms
Columbus is taking steps to sue paint companies, and city leaders hope to reap big money for lead-paint-abatement and health programs. Lawyers and city officials started making plans after Rhode Island won a landmark lawsuit in February against three paint companies. The state stands to collect billions to remove lead paint from aging homes. The […]
First Katrina Homeowner´s Insurance Lawsuit Begins
Attorneys carried files and exhibits into a federal courthouse Monday for what they expect to be a groundbreaking trial on whether insurance policyholders who lost homes inHurricane Katrina are entitled to recover losses that insurance companies claim were caused by flooding. “A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step, and this is the […]