Miscellaneous

• New Rules on Trucking Hours Struck Down by Appeals Court

  Jenny Albano | July 26, 2007 7:22 PM | 2 CommentsNew Orleans, LA

  A federal appeals court voided a new rule that increased limits on the amount of hours truck drivers could drive in a week. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration increased the maximum driving hours for truck drivers to 77 hours from 60 over 7 days, and 88 hours from 70 over 8 days, in 2005.The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said that there was not...

• Protecting Consumers from Binding Arbitration Clauses

  Ken Margolin | July 26, 2007 6:20 PM | 2 CommentsBoston, MA

  Big corporations love binding arbitration clauses. They are hidden in many contracts, requiring the individual to give up his or her right to a jury trial in the case of a dispute with the company. Some clauses attempt to block class actions. When large corporations are safe from class actions, they can cheat large numbers of people in small increments, knowing that paying off the few...

• The Arbitration Fairness Act of 2007 Considered by Congress

  Mike Simon | July 26, 2007 4:39 PM | 1 CommentWest Virginia, WV

  On July 12th, the Arbitration Fairness Act was introduced to the House and the Senate to amend the Federal Arbitration Act, which was passed in the 1920's. The proposed bill would make clauses in contracts that mandate arbitration and prohibit joining class action lawsuits unenforceable. The bill aims to prevent mandatory arbitration in employment, consumer, franchise, or civil disputes.Leo...

• Premature Birth Caused by Wrong Prescription

  Shannon Weidemann | July 26, 2007 1:09 PM | 0 CommentsCharlotte, NC

  A woman has filed suit in a Texas court claiming that CVS Pharmacy gave her the wrong drug when they filled her prescription and that it caused her child to be born prematurely. The prescription error happened in 2005. She was supposed to receive an antibiotic and instead received a cholesterol lowering drug that should not be taken by pregnant women. "Vytorian is a prescription tablet...

• Castleberry Foods Recalls Toxic Hot Dog Chili Sauce

  Mark McLean | July 26, 2007 12:03 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  Castleberry Foods recently recalled cans of its hot dog chili sauce after the toxic Botulism poison was found in the sauce and caused four hospitalizations. Botulism is similar to Botox in the face--causing a muscle-paralyzing disease that comes from the extremely toxic Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium commonly found in soil.The toxin often originates from under-processed and under-heated...

• Elimination of Contingent Fees: A Threat to Democracy

  Ric Davis | July 26, 2007 11:37 AM | 0 CommentsGreenville, SC

  Contingent fees continue to stir great controversy especially in class action cases, mass torts, and medical malpractice lawsuits. The controversy most recently gained national attention when President Bush banned contingency fees in cases filed by the U.S Government. Federal judges have called contingent fees "grotesque" and plaintiffs claim they will be denied access to the courts without...

• Crossed Pipes Had Family Drinking Wastewater

  Jenny Albano | July 26, 2007 10:29 AM | 0 CommentsRaleigh, NC

  A family in Raleigh discovered they had been drinking treated wastewater used for watering lawns when workers shut off an irrigation pipe in their neighborhood. All the neighbors had tap water, but their sprinklers were not working. The Jain family had the opposite, they could water their lawn but had no tap water. Somehow their piping got switched.Now officials have been checking other homes...

• Statute of Limitations is Different for Asbestosis and Silicosis

  Brent Adams | July 26, 2007 8:00 AM | 0 CommentsRaleigh, NC

  The horrible diseases of asbestosis and silicosis have long latency periods. That means that the diseases do not develop until long after exposure to the hazard which caused the condition(s).This latency period is usually ten to fifteen years after exposure.Asbestosis and silicosis are almost always caused by conditions at work. Asbestosis is caused by exposure to a mineral known as asbestos. ...

• Botulism in a can?

  April Armani | July 25, 2007 6:48 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  Canned meat recall causes quite a scare and illness too!Botulism is a rare, but serious paralytic illness caused by a nerve toxin, botulin, that is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Several days ago, many canned meat products were recalled due to the potential that the products contain botulism. The canned meat products were produced by Castleberry's Food Co. and include hot dog...

• Study Reveals Seattle Bicycle Helmet Laws Reduce Injuries

  Mark McLean | July 25, 2007 5:07 PM | 0 CommentsSeattle, WA

  Studies have shown that Seattle's bicycle helmet laws have reduced injuries, especially inuries to children.According to Beterem and the road safety organization Or Yarok, hospitalization due to cycling accidents in New York, New Jersey, Canada, Seatle and California were down by dozens of percentage points - especially among children - after helmet laws were passed.Bicycles are a great form of...