Miscellaneous

• Department of Justice in Dispute with MedCath

  Christina Cole | March 18, 2007 11:38 PM | 0 CommentsScottsdale, AZ

  The Department of Justice is seeking $8.5 from MedCath Corp to settle an investigation surrounding a clinical trial that was conducted by one of MedCath's hospitals.The business dispute alleges fraudulent billings were made to federal health care programs for devices that were implanted into patients during a clinical study.MedCath says the hospital complied with internal policies and federal...

• UL Graduate Amends Lawsuit to Include Legal Malpractice

  Christina Cole | March 17, 2007 12:15 AM | 0 CommentsScottsdale, AZ

  A University of Louisiana-Lafayette graduate who sued her political science professor for sexual harassment last year has added UL's interim athletic director to the suit.In an amendment to the original lawsuit, she is now accusing Walker, an attorney, of legal malpractice. The suit states she met with university officials and Walker in a meeting the last week in September to discuss her...

• Copy Machines May Contain Identity Theft Risks

  Staff Writer | March 15, 2007 3:28 PM | 0 CommentsPhoenix, AZ

  If you thought that we have been exposed to way too many risks of identity theft, think again. According to the Associated Press, simply using older model photocopiers may present risks of identity theft: That's because most digital copiers manufactured in the past five years have disk drives - the same kind of data-storage mechanism found in computers - to reproduce documents. As a result,...

• Subprime Lending Woes and Mortgage Fraud

  Staff Writer | March 14, 2007 12:58 AM | 0 CommentsPhoenix, AZ

  Today, the stock market dropped considerably over continuing concerns about the stability of the so-called sub-prime mortgage lending market. Discussing consumer sub-prime mortgage market woes, the Associated Press described recent lender problems as follows:Investors, bracing for a wilting economy, fled the already deflated subprime mortgage sector on more news that lenders New Century...

• Mortgage Fraud Problems in Valley Lead to Indictments

  Staff Writer | March 09, 2007 8:53 PM | 0 CommentsPhoenix, AZ

  Today, the Arizona Republic reported on a series of indictments alleging real estate fraud against five people who work in the real estate industry. These criminal charges may signal some fallout from the once high-flying real estate boom experienced in Arizona these past few years. The Arizona Republic recently reported on several fraudulent schemes which have been used to inflate real estate...

• America On-Line Version of Tort Reform Incomplete and Inaccurate

  Staff Writer | March 06, 2007 7:04 AM | 2 CommentsPhoenix, AZ

  Today I discovered an interesting and entertaining page on the America On Line web site. Discussing so-called frivolous lawsuits, America On-Line lists as news several lawsuits without real attribution or legitimate discussion about corporate accountability for wrongdoing. Setting aside the issue of whether these lawsuits are in fact real or a political effort to encourage tort reform...

• Public Records Containing Social Security Numbers Readily Available in Arizona

  Staff Writer | March 01, 2007 9:48 AM | 2 CommentsPhoenix, AZ

  Yesterday News Channel Five reported that some county records containing social security numbers and other confidential information are readily available for inspection by anybody with internet access which unfortunately presents criminals with an invitation to commit identity theft. How would you feel if your social security number has been published on the internet because it has been...

• TJX Company Data Breach Leading to New Legislation

  Staff Writer | February 25, 2007 6:33 PM | 0 CommentsPhoenix, AZ

  The fallout from the data breach involving confidential data stolen from the TJX Companies continues. In Massachusetts, legislation has recently been introduced to shift the cost of a data breach onto retailers who do not follow security standards designed to prevent identity theft. Banks and credit cards currently protect consumers against fraudulent credit card use. However, according to...

• Vioxx Jury Selection to Begin

  Christina Cole | February 21, 2007 10:17 AM | 0 CommentsScottsdale, AZ

  It has been three years since a 52-year-old woman died of a heart attack. Now the widower and pharmaceutical company are getting ready to fight out whether the painkiller Vioxx was the cause of her death. This is one of many personal injury lawsuits filed against the makers of Vioxx.The jury selection has begun in the first Midwest trial over Vioxx, the arthritis medication that Merck & Co.,...

• United States Supreme Court Strikes Down Punitive Damage Award Against Phillip Morris

  Staff Writer | February 21, 2007 6:46 AM | 0 CommentsPhoenix, AZ

  Yesterday, the United States Supreme Court dealt a blow to consumers and businesses who present punitive damage claims to deter future harmful conduct. In a sharply divided opinion, the Supreme Court held that a Plaintiff cannot seek punitive damages to punish a corporation by suggesting actions against non-parties to a lawsuit should play a role in the size of the punitive damage award. A...