Alerts

The Missouri Court of Appeals upheld a verdict in favor of women who claimed Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder and talcum powder-containing products caused their ovarian cancer. This decision is the latest in a series of lawsuits filed against Johnson & Johnson over these products. More than 19,000 women have accused the manufacturer of failing … Read More

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a safety notice on May 28, 2020 alerting patients and healthcare professionals about contaminated extended-release metformin drug products used to treat type 2 diabetes. The agency found independent samples of these drugs contained unacceptable levels of N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), a known carcinogen. The FDA warns that people taking these … Read More

Johnson & Johnson announced that it is discontinuing the manufacturing and sale of its talcum-powder based Baby Powder and Shower to Shower products after over 19,000 lawsuits have been filed by women who claim these products caused ovarian cancer. Juries have ordered the manufacturer to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in damages to women … Read More

Over 100,000 patients of Meridian Health Services may be at risk for identity theft after the company announced on April 27, 2020, that hackers gained access to its database. Patient information including name, date of birth, driver’s license number, state identification number, payment card information, Social Security number, and/or limited medical information was compromised. Meridian … Read More

Help for Business Owners with Insurance Claims Related to COVID-19 – Free Policy Review I would like a free policy review   Restaurants, hairdressers, movie theaters, gyms, and many other retail establishments are all suffering substantial economic losses as a result of shelter in place orders issued by the government. Adding insult to injury is … Read More

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a recall for all Zantac (ranitidine) drugs including over the counter and prescription formulas on April 1, 2020. The administration stated the presence of an impurity N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), which is a known cancer-causing agent, has been found in multiple independent laboratory tests. Over-the-counter Zantac and ranitidine-containing drugs had previously … Read More

A “small number” of former Fifth Third Bank employees are being investigated by law enforcement and the bank for sharing customer information with people outside of the bank according to media reports. The bank stated an active investigation is underway and sent a notice to customers it believes were impacted. Information including names, addresses, phone … Read More

A federal court of appeals recently ruled that private student loans issued by Navient Corporation and not guaranteed by the federal government were discharged by the students’ bankruptcy cases.  The Court’s ruling allows students who had taken out private loans from Navient which were not government insured or government guaranteed to pursue claims against Navient … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP class action attorneys settled a lawsuit against Indiana Members Credit Union that will return millions of dollars to its members who were charged overdraft fees. The credit union was accused of charging multiple insufficient funds fees on a single transaction as well as charging overdraft fees on a single debit card, … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP class action attorneys are investigating Elements Financial Federal Credit Union for allegedly charging improper bank fees to its checking account customers. The investigation involves the practice of charging overdraft fees on accounts that weren’t actually overdrawn, multiple non-sufficient funds fees (NSF fees) on a single item as well as charging ATM … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP class action attorneys are investigating Lake City Bank for allegedly charging improper bank fees to its checking account customers. The investigation involves the practice of charging overdraft fees on accounts that weren’t actually overdrawn, multiple non-sufficient funds fees (NSF fees) on a single item as well as charging ATM fees to … Read More

On January 16, 2020, the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri denied Simmons Bank’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit bringing claims against Simmons Bank for improperly charging overdraft fees on transactions that did not overdraw plaintiffs’ accounts. Plaintiffs allege that Simmons Bank charged them overdraft fees even though their account statements showed … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP filed a class action lawsuit against Gerber Life Insurance Company over claims of deceptive advertising of its “College Plan” and “Grow-Up Plan” products. The lawsuit claims Gerber misled consumers by advertising its “College Plan” as a savings product for a child’s education while the product is actually a life insurance product … Read More

On December 30, 2019, the Marion Superior Court certified  a class of Hubler Chevrolet Sales Associates and appointed Cohen & Malad, LLP as class counsel in a lawsuit bringing claims against Hubler Chevrolet for allegedly failing to pay sales commissions to sales associates. The lawsuit claims that the dealership failed to pay sales associates their … Read More

The popularity of ride-sharing apps is undeniable. In the United States alone, more than 45 rides on Uber happen every second. Personal safety has become an increasing concern for both riders and drivers alike as events involving of assault –including rape, attempted rape, and physical violence — have been widely reported. Uber management recently released … Read More

Greater Cincinnati Pathologists, Inc. announced cyber thieves hacked its patient database and accessed protected health information of thousands of patients sometime in August 2019. The company stated the files were accessed via a physician’s email account associated with a local hospital email server. Types of information that was compromised includes patient name, date of birth, … Read More

Select Health Network, a physician hospital organization based in Mishawaka, Indiana announced that protected health information of thousands of patients was compromised after hackers gained access to its database in May 2019.  The company stated information such as first and last names, date of birth, Social Security number, member id number, health insurance information, medical … Read More

Methodist Hospitals based in Gary, Indiana, announced a data breach of nearly 70,000 patient records after it discovered hackers had gained unauthorized access to its servers. The hospital reported cyber thieves gained access to its servers between March 13 and July 8, 2019. Information including patient names, address, data of birth, Social Security number, driver’s … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP attorneys are investigating consumer complaints of deceptive marketing against Gerber Life Insurance Company for its “College Plan” and “Grow-Up Plan” products. Consumers claim Gerber Life College Plan is not a college savings product as advertised but rather is a life insurance product which offers no unique benefits like tax-advantaged 529 education … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP filed a class action lawsuit against Nissan North America, Inc. over defective automatic emergency braking systems that can activate suddenly putting drivers and passengers at risk of immediate and unexpected danger. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of owners and leasees of 2018 models of Rogue, Rogue Sport, Altima, Murano, LEAF, Pathfinder, … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP filed a lawsuit against Porter Funeral Home in Tipton, Indiana, on behalf of a family who claims the funeral home failed to properly store the body of their deceased loved one and failed to issue a death certificate. Authorities inspected Porter Funeral Home in June 2019 and found several violations. Funeral … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP along with co-counsel firms Johnson Becker, PLLC and Kaliel PLLC filed a class action lawsuit against Bremer Financial Corporation, which owns and operates Bremer Bank, for allegedly charging multiple overdraft fees for a single transaction to customer checking accounts. Bremer Bank serves customers in Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. Cohen & … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP filed a class action lawsuit against Centra Credit Union for allegedly charging improper overdraft fees to its checking account members. The lawsuit alleges Centra Credit Union charged overdraft fees to customer accounts when the accounts did have a sufficient balance to pay the transaction. NEXT STEPS FOR YOU If you or … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP has filed a class action lawsuit against Teachers Credit Union (TCU) for allegedly charging multiple non-sufficient funds fees (NSF fees) on a single item presented for payment and charging members overdraft fees when the accounts did have a sufficient balance to pay the transaction. CONSUMER PROTECTION AGAINST IMPROPER BANK FEES Cohen & … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP has filed a class action lawsuit against Notre Dame Federal Credit Union for allegedly charging multiple non-sufficient funds fees (NSF fees) on a single item presented for payment and charging members overdraft fees when the accounts did have a sufficient balance to pay the transaction. Consumer Protection Against Improper Bank Fees … Read More

A New Jersey law that takes effect December 1, 2019 will allow former scouts who were sexually abused by organization leaders and volunteers a two-year window to file civil lawsuits and hold their perpetrators accountable. The law applies to BSA members who were sexually abused during the approximately 30 years the organization was headquartered in … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP filed a class action lawsuit against Suncoast Credit Union for allegedly charging multiple non-sufficient funds fees (NSF fees) on a single item presented for payment. The lawsuit alleges this practice violates the express terms of the Deposit Agreement between Suncoast and its members. Next Steps for you If you or someone you … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP filed a class action lawsuit against Vystar Credit Union for allegedly charging multiple non-sufficient funds fees (NSF fees) on a single item presented for payment. The lawsuit alleges this practice violates the express terms of the Deposit Agreement between Vystar and its members. Next Steps for you If you or someone … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP filed a class action lawsuit against Addition Financial Federal Credit Union for allegedly charging improper overdraft fees to its checking account members. The lawsuit alleges Addition Financial charged overdraft fees to customer accounts when the accounts did have a sufficient balance to pay the transaction. Next Steps For You If you or … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP class action attorneys have filed a lawsuit against Activehours, Inc. the parent company of mobile lending application Earnin. The lawsuit alleges Activehours engaged in deceptive marketing practices to lure lower wage earners to use the Earnin app to get small cash advances from their paychecks by promising they would not be charged … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of more than 100 million consumers whose personal identifying information was compromised after a hacker accessed data entrusted to Capital One. Cyber thieves gained access to sensitive information on past and current cardholders as well as consumers who applied for, but ultimately were not issued … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP attorneys filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of Wintrust Bank customers who alleged the bank charged improper overdraft fees on checking accounts by charging multiple insufficient funds fees for a single item. The lawsuit seeks to reimburse these customers the overdraft fees that were improperly charged and stop the bank from … Read More

Shannon Griffin has been charged with criminal sexual assault and other charges after investigators with Illinois Cook County Sheriff’s office conducted a month-long investigation of the teacher. Authorities state the inappropriate conduct began in 2013 and continued until March 2019. Griffin is said to have engaged in sexual conduct with a student and sent nude … Read More

Registration is open for the ‘We The People’ White Knight Chess Tournament presented by Cohen & Malad, LLP and Barnes & Thornburg, LLP. Register Here

Physical Education teacher Austin Hopkins has been charged with sexually abusing 28 first-grade girls and touching 88 total over a three-month period at Clearcreek Elementary and Springboro Intermediate schools in Ohio. Investigators have obtained video from the Springboro Community Schools system that shows Hopkins touching 88 girls between December 2018 and March 2019. The school … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP attorneys have filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of nearly 20 million people whose personal identifying information was compromised after cyber thieves accessed data from third-party billing collections firm American Medical Collection Agency (AMCA). Both LabCorp and Quest Diagnostics use the third-party billing company to collect payments from patients. The … Read More

**** Update: If you received information about this $70 million settlement, please visit the settlement website for additional information. Although our firm currently has a case pending against TD Bank, we had no involvement in the case that just recently settled. **** TD Bank agreed to settle a group of consolidated class action lawsuits that … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP class action attorneys settled a lawsuit against Old Hickory Credit Union that will return hundreds of thousands of dollars to its members who were charged overdraft fees. The credit union was accused of charging overdraft fees on debit card and ATM transactions when a member’s Available Balance was negative but the … Read More

First American Title Insurance Company confirmed on May 24, 2019 that hundreds of millions of mortgage documents have been compromised through a data breach. Digitized records dating back for more than 16 years were found unencrypted on First American Title’s website. Personal identifying information including bank account numbers and statements, mortgage and tax records, Social … Read More

A federal court judge says lawsuits filed against HIV drug maker Gilead Science will proceed. Gilead Science is the maker of several drugs used to treat people who have tested positive for HIV, for the prevention of HIV transmission (PrEP), and treatment for Hepatitis. Better known names of these HIV drugs include Truvada, Atripla, Stribild. … Read More

Was your vehicle totaled in an auto accident? Did your insurance company pay you everything you were owed? Our attorneys are investigating Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance and other insurance companies for possibly failing to pay proper sales tax, tag, and title transfer fees to insureds whose vehicles were totaled. If you or someone you know … Read More

A California jury rendered a verdict against Johnson & Johnson, ordering the company to pay more than $29 million to a California woman who claimed that asbestos in Johnson & Johnson’s talcum powder products caused her to develop mesothelioma, a cancer associated with asbestos.  The jury found that Johnson & Johnson knew about the potential risks … Read More

Have you been prescribed TDF-based drugs Truvada, Atripla, Stribild, Viread, or Complera to treat HIV, for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to mitigate HIV risk, or to treat Hepatitis? Patients who have taken these drugs have reported serious injuries including chronic kidney disease and renal failure as well as bone loss, softening of the bones, and severe fractures. … Read More

Our attorneys are investigating “document preparation” fees charged by Indiana auto dealerships on new and used car sales. These fees, which can be up to $150 or more, are often tacked onto the purchase price of a vehicle after the customer has already negotiated the price of a car or truck and have no relationship … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP attorneys have filed a lawsuit on behalf of military personnel who were issued and wore dual-ended Combat Arms Earplugs while in training and/or deployed on active military duty and suffered hearing loss or tinnitus. Court documents state that 3M and Aearo Technologies were aware that the earplugs failed to provide the … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP attorneys filed a class action lawsuit against Hawaii Federal Credit Union for allegedly charging its members improper overdraft fees on checking accounts. The lawsuit alleges that Hawaii Federal Credit Union charged overdraft fees on checking accounts that were not actually overdrawn and did have a sufficient balance to pay the transactions. … Read More

For 12 years 3M Company put the health of enlisted military at risk. If you enlisted in the military between 2003 and 2015 you may be entitled to compensation for injuries such as hearing loss, tinnitus, or loss of balance. The U.S. Justice Department conducted an investigation into claims that 3M and its predecessor company … Read More

**UPDATE June 5, 2020** Pediatrician Jonathon Cavins was sentenced to 23 years with 19 years served in prison and the remaining 4 years to be served on probation. The sentence was handed down by Boone Circuit Judge Lori Shein after Cavins was found guilty on two counts of child molestation, one count of sexual misconduct … Read More

Nissan Motor Company is recalling nearly 100,000 Nissan Murano midsize crossover vehicles after numerous crash reports indicated a faulty part in the antilock braking system contributed to collisions according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This recall affects 2009 and newer models. A valve in the antilock braking system may malfunction and reduce … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP filed a class action lawsuit against Citizens Equity First Credit Union (CEFCU) for allegedly charging improper overdraft fees to its checking account customers. The lawsuit alleges CEFCU charged overdraft fees to consumers even though their accounts did have a sufficient balance to pay the transactions. If you or someone you know banks … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP class action attorneys are investigating Simmons Bank for charging overdraft fees and insufficient funds fees to its checking account customers. The investigation involves the practice of charging overdraft fees when the checking account was not overdrawn as well as charging multiple insufficient funds fees on a single transaction. NEXT STEPS FOR … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP class action attorneys are investigating complaints from Indiana residents who used MoneyMutual to obtain short-term or payday loans. Borrowers claim MoneyMutual arranged for them to receive predatory loans with sky-high interest rates that violate Indiana law. If you or someone you know used MoneyMutual to obtain a loan, contact us. Our … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP class action attorneys are investigating customer complaints of overcharges for Louisville Courier-Journal newspaper subscriptions. Customers complain that the Louisville Courier-Journal newspaper overcharged for certain promotional subscriptions. If you or someone you know signed up for a promotional subscription to the Louisville Courier-Journal, contact us. Our class action attorneys would like to … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP class action attorneys are investigating customer complaints of overcharges for Cincinnati Enquirer newspaper subscriptions. Customers complain that the Cincinnati Enquirer newspaper overcharged for certain promotional subscriptions. If you or someone you know signed up for a promotional subscription to the Cincinnati Enquirer, contact us. Our class action attorneys would like to … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP class action attorneys are investigating customer complaints of overcharges for Arizona Republic newspaper subscriptions. Customers complain that the Arizona Republic Star newspaper overcharged for certain promotional subscriptions. If you or someone you know signed up for a promotional subscription to the Arizona Republic, contact us. Our class action attorneys would like to gather … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP class action attorneys are investigating customer complaints of overcharges for Indianapolis Star newspaper subscriptions. Customers complain that the Indianapolis Star newspaper overcharged for certain promotional subscriptions. If you or someone you know signed up for a promotional subscription to the Indianapolis Star, contact us. Our class action attorneys would like to gather further … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP class action attorneys are investigating overdraft fees Eastman Credit Union charges to its member checking accounts. This investigation involves the practice of authorizing debit card purchases, but then later charging overdraft fees on those same purchases. If you or someone you know is a member at Eastman Credit Union and has … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP class action attorneys are investigating overdraft fees ORNL Federal Credit Union charges to its member checking accounts. This investigation involves the practice of authorizing debit card purchases, but then later charging overdraft fees for those same purchases. If you or someone you know is a member at ORNL Federal Credit Union … Read More

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that truck drivers can proceed with a class action lawsuit against New Prime, Inc. rather than being forced to go to arbitration. The lawsuit against New Prime claims the company failed to pay drivers the proper wages by trying to classify them as independent contractors rather than as employees.  In … Read More

All businesses have a duty to safeguard employee records and other sensitive information related to the people they employ including names, dates of birth, social security numbers, addresses, and income information to name a few items. This is the exact information that scammers are looking for to perpetrate identity theft. One tactic scammers use to … Read More

 At the same time that Catholic Church bishops across the United States gather to hold a retreat to pray about the sex abuse crisis causing upheaval in the church, reports have surfaced that include nuns among the clergy members accused of sexual abuse. CBS News reported several women have come forward with claims of sexual … Read More

Hundreds of accounts of sexual abuse and molestation surfaced against numerous fundamental Baptist churches following an investigation by Fort Worth, Texas-based newspaper the Star-Telegram. The media outlet conducted an eight-month investigation into claims of sexual abuse and molestation in 2018 after two men were arrested on charges of sexual abuse at a Mesquite, Texas church. The investigation … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP attorneys have filed a class action lawsuit against TD Bank  for allegedly charging improper fees to its checking account customers. The lawsuit alleges TD Bank charges its customers multiple insufficient funds fees on a single transaction. These fees often fall disproportionately on racial and ethnic minorities, the elderly and the young, … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP attorneys filed a lawsuit on behalf of a Town Bank customer against Wintrust Financial Corporation, which alleges that Wintrust improperly charges overdraft fees to checking accounts that were never actually overdrawn. The lawsuit seeks to reimburse these customers the overdraft fees that were improperly charged and to stop the bank from … Read More

Officials with Bankers Life and Casualty Company announced that cyber thieves accessed personal client information on its data base for a period of time between May 30, 2018 and September 13, 2018 according to media reports. The insurer stated that hackers were able to access information including social security numbers, driver’s license, bank account numbers, … Read More

Dr. Fabio Ortega was arrested on September, 10, 2018 after a patient reported the gynecologist assaulted her during an exam. The patient stated the doctor touched her inappropriately and made sexually suggestive comments. It took authorities more than 18 months to investigate the claim which included questioning the doctor as well as staff from NorthShore … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP class action attorneys are investigating Bank of Oklahoma for charging overdraft and insufficient funds fees to its checking account customers. The investigation involves Bank of Oklahoma’s practice of charging multiple insufficient funds fees for a single transaction. Consumers with Bank of Oklahoma checking accounts may have been charged multiple overdraft or … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP class action attorneys are investigating Capital One Bank for charging overdraft and insufficient funds fees to its checking account customers. The investigation involves Capital One Bank’s practice of charging multiple insufficient funds fees for a single transaction. Consumers with Capital One Bank checking accounts may have been charged multiple overdraft or … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP class action attorneys are investigating TD Bank for charging overdraft and insufficient funds fees to its checking account customers. The investigation involves TD Bank’s practice of charging multiple insufficient funds fees for a single transaction. Consumers with TD Bank checking accounts may have been charged multiple overdraft or insufficient funds fees … Read More

Our class action attorneys are investigating Wintrust Bank and its wholly-owned subsidiary banks overdraft fees on customer checking accounts. The investigation involves Wintrust Bank’s practice of authorizing debit card purchases that caused overdrafts and charges to the customers’ accounts for bank overdraft fees, instead of Wintrust rejecting the transactions. If you or someone you know … Read More

Bank of America is facing another lawsuit for allegedly charging improper banking fees to its customers. Credit card customers of the bank claim they have been charged improper “Foreign Transaction Fees” for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency transactions. The lawsuit alleges that since cryptocurrencies are not considered actual monetary instruments by banks and governments they should … Read More

On July 17 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration alerted health care professionals and patients of a voluntary recall of several drug products containing the active ingredient valsartan, used to treat high blood pressure and heart failure. This recall is due to an impurity, N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), which was found in the recalled products. NDMA … Read More

Bank of America customers are complaining about monthly service fees charged to their checking accounts without their consent. Our class action attorneys are investigating these complaints. The customers allege Bank of America closed their free eBanking Checking accounts and opened Core Checking accounts that required a $12 monthly maintenance fee without their consent. If you … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of Bank of America customers who were wrongfully assessed Withdrawal Limit Fees on their personal banking accounts. Customers claimed that Bank of America failed to adhere to its fee schedule of allowing six free withdrawals per statement cycle and instead assessed $10 charges on withdrawals … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP has filed a class action lawsuit against United Community Bank on behalf of its banking customers who have checking accounts and have been charged improper overdraft fees. The lawsuit challenges UCB’s alleged routine practice of assessing overdraft fees on debit card transactions that did not overdraw checking accounts, along with multiple insufficient funds … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP along with Cohen Milstein and the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against AT & T Mobility for discriminating against pregnant employees. The employees claim that the mobile phone company fired them unjustly for pregnancy-related absences, which is in direct violation of the Family and Medical Leave Act, Pregnancy Discrimination … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP filed a class action lawsuit against Indiana Members Credit Union on behalf of its members who have checking accounts and have been charged improper overdraft fees. One example of improper overdraft fees included in the lawsuit involved a member that was charged multiple overdraft fees for the same transaction when the account … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP filed a class action lawsuit against General Motors Company on behalf of consumers who purchased specific model vehicles and alleged the vehicles contained defective air conditioning systems. The lawsuit includes the following vehicle years and models: 2015-2017 Cadillac Escalade, 2014-2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2015-2017 Chevrolet Suburban, 2015-2017 Chevrolet Tahoe, 2014-2016 GMC Sierra … Read More

Our class action attorneys are investigating complaints from MB financial customers who have paid overdraft fees on their checking accounts. Customers allege the bank provided authorizations on debit card purchases, which took the accounts to a negative balance rather than rejecting the transaction, and charged overdraft fees when the items were paid. If you or … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP attorneys are investigating complaints from owners of General Motors vehicles regarding defective air conditioning systems. Some owners have stated that the air conditioning systems in some GM vehicles crack with normal use resulting in refrigerant leaks and pressure loss leaving the system inoperable. Many of these drivers have said that replacement … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP filed a class action lawsuit against Intel Corporation on behalf of all Indiana residents who purchased Intel processors which the company recently announced could allow hackers to steal sensitive data from devices using its hardware. The lawsuit alleges Intel’s x86-64x central processing unit (CPU) suffers from a security defect that could … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP filed a class action lawsuit with several other law firms including Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP; Carney Bates & Pulliam, PLLC; Cuneo Gilbert & Laduca, LLP; and Mehri & Skalet against HCC Medical Insurance Services, LLC; HCC Life Insurance Company, and Health Insurance Innovations, Inc. on behalf of consumers who … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP filed a class action lawsuit against VisionQuest Eyecare in Greenwood, Indiana, for failing to secure sensitive customer information stored in its computer database. Personal identification information and protected health information of over 85,000 patients was accessed by cyberthieves sometime before January 22, 2017 according to the lawsuit. This information includes names, … Read More

Mayor Joe Hogsett announced that the Consolidated City of Indianapolis hired Cohen & Malad, LLP to pursue legal action against opioid manufacturers and distributors. The mayor stated at an October 5, 2017 press conference that this legal action is an additional resource for the city in the fight against the opioid addiction epidemic sweeping across … Read More

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a drug safety announcement on May 16, 2017 that the type 2 diabetes medicine canagliflozin (Invokana, Invokamet, Invokamet XR) causes an increased risk of leg and foot amputations.  The announcement was based on new data from two large clinical trials.   As a result of the data from … Read More

Equifax reported a major data breach affecting as many as 143 million people (nearly half the U.S. population) occurred between mid-May and July 2017. The company stated cyberthieves accessed personal information including names, social security numbers, birth dates, addresses, and some driver’s license information. The company also stated the credit card account numbers of nearly … Read More

Johnson & Johnson subsidiary DePuy Synthes issued a recall of its Radial Head Prosthesis System, an elbow joint replacement device, after a number of device failures were reported to the FDA. Patients may experience serious injury including bone loss, bone fracture, soft tissue damage and pain as a result of the failure of this elbow replacement … Read More

The FDA announced a Class I recall for Cook Medical’s Zenith Alpha thoracic endovascular graft after the manufacturer stated blood clots may form inside the device. The endovascular graft is a device used  to repair blunt traumatic aortic injury (BTAI), which is defined as a tear or rupture in the main blood vessel that leads … Read More

A jury in Los Angeles, California ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $417 million in damages to a woman who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer after using Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder for feminine hygiene for decades. The lawsuit alleged that Johnson & Johnson failed to warn women about increased risks for ovarian cancer linked … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP attorneys are investigating claims for owners of Toyota Sienna minivans where the sliding door can open while the minivan is moving which puts them and their passengers at risk for serious injury. Toyota Motor North America, Inc. issued a recall of approximately 744,000 2011 – 2016 Model Toyota Sienna vehicles for … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP attorneys are investigating claims from Citizens Gas customers in Indiana who state they have charges for line repair service plans on their bills. The charge appears as “UtilityShield” on the monthly billing statement. If you or someone you know is a customer of Citizens Gas and has a charge for UtilityShield … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP filed a class action lawsuit against Nicor Energy Services Company for slipping charges onto Hoosier customers’ utility bills for unnecessary and worthless repair plans.  The class action lawsuit alleges that Nicor’s relationship with Indiana public utility company Vectren allows it to use Vectren’s logo, color scheme, and billing statements to charge … Read More

Quicken Loans, Inc. is accused of charging illegal “post-payment” interest on FHA home mortgage loans that were paid off or refinanced. “Post-payment” interest is currently not permitted on FHA loans and was only previously allowed in very specific circumstances. Quicken is the nation’s largest online retail mortgage lender and the largest FHA lender, yet is … Read More

INDOT just notified property owners along I-69 Section 6 that they will be receiving a Notice of Survey letter soon as INDOT begins survey work along the Section 6 corridor.  So what can you expect if you receive one of these letters? What is involved in the survey process? Pursuant to IC 8-23-7-26, INDOT or … Read More

Last week, Cohen & Malad, LLP sent notices of tort claims to Indiana state and local government agencies for failing to alert purchasers of thousands of homes in Indiana that the homes were former meth labs.  Indiana law provides for state and local government to provide notice on homes that have been flagged by law … Read More

There are new developments that affect more than 21,000 retired NFL football players regarding the timing of NFL concussion litigation settlement payments. Registration and certain deadlines must be made in accordance the settlement agreement. The benchmark date for most deadlines was recently changed to January 7, 2017.  This is the “effective date” and is based … Read More

Defective batteries are at the root of a recall issued by the FDA for implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) and cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators (CRT-D) manufactured by St. Jude Medical, Inc. The recalled devices include the Fortify, Unify, and Quadra models of ICDs and CRT-Ds.  The recall was issued after a defect was identified that could … Read More

Recent class action lawsuits against leading insurance companies such as Lincoln Nation Insurance Company, Phoenix Life, Transamerica Life Insurance Co., AXA Equitable, and Banner Life, allege that insurers improperly raised the “cost of insurance” on universal life the policies, which can cause the cash value of the policies to drop or the policies to lapse … Read More

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau filed a lawsuit against Navient Corporation, the largest servicer of student loans in the U.S. stating that the company “systematically” cheated borrowers.  The lawsuit alleges that Navient, which services more than 12 million borrowers, failed to respond to consumer complaints, provided incorrect information to borrowers, and improperly processed payments on … Read More

Actos Bladder Cancer Injury Attorneys in Indiana The FDA recently issued an updated safety notice related to an increased risk for bladder cancer for patients taking Actos and other pioglitazone-containing medicines including Actoplus Met, Actoplus Met XR, Duetact, and Oseni. The initial safety notice was based off interim results from a 10-year study to assess … Read More

Physiomesh Injury Attorneys Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Ethicon recalled Physiomesh Flexible Composite Mesh after two large studies revealed high revision rates. Physiomesh is implanted laparoscopically to repair ventral hernias. The studies found that patients implanted with Physiomesh experienced complications which required revision surgeries to fix problems associated with the implanted device. Complications associated with Physiomesh … Read More

Essure Contraceptive Injury Lawsuits   The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently announced a label change for Essure permanent birth control implants after receiving hundreds of adverse event reports from women who were seriously injured. Women suffered serious injuries including organ perforation after the device migrated from the insertion site, allergic or hypersensitivity reactions from … Read More

Stryker Corporation has issued a voluntary recall of its LFIT Anatomic CoCr V40 hip replacement devices. The company sent an urgent recall notification to surgeons late August 2016 advising of potential hazards associated with these devices. Specifically Stryker is recalling LFIT Anatomic CoCr V40TM Femoral Heads manufactured prior to 2011. The following chart shows additional … Read More

On Thursday, September 22, 20166, Yahoo Inc. announced it discovered a massive data breach affecting more than 500 million user accounts. The company stated that hackers may have accessed sensitive user information including names, email addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, encrypted and unencrypted security questions and answers, and hashed passwords. Users were told this … Read More

Banking giant Wells Fargo was fined $185 million for opening customer accounts and conducting transactions without permission. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau imposed the fine on Wells Fargo, which reportedly fired approximately 5,300 who signed up nearly two million customers for fake accounts dating as far back as 2011. Wells Fargo employees reportedly opened unauthorized … Read More

Banner Health announced it discovered a data breach on July 13, 2016 which put 3.7 million customers and patients at risk for identity theft. Banner Health is based in Phoenix with locations in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada and Wyoming. The company stated cyber thieves gained unauthorized access to Banner Health patient database files. … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP filed a class action lawsuit June 9, 2016 against Uber Technologies, Inc. on behalf of Uber drivers in Indiana. The lawsuit alleges that Uber failed to pay appropriate wages to drivers by misclassifying drivers as independent contractors when, in fact, Uber controls the drivers like employees. Employees, unlike independent contractors, are … Read More

The FDA issued a safety warning on May 12, 2016, to restrict the use of fluoroquinolone antibacterial drugs including Levaquin, Cipro, and Avelox. This new safety announcement will restrict use of Levaquin and other fluoroquinolone drugs and require that they not be used to treat patients with sinusitis, bronchitis, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections who … Read More

A St. Louis jury awarded $55 million to a South Dakota woman who claimed she developed ovarian cancer after using Johnson & Johnson’s talcum powder products for many years. This is the second time a Missouri jury has awarded damages in litigation involving cancer claims against Johnson & Johnson for its Shower to Shower and … Read More

The Food and Drug Administration announced Bayer Essure birth control implant devices must include a heightened warning for patients and doctors. The Essure birth control implant is a non-surgical permanent form of birth control. The implant resembles a small spring and is made of nickel-titanium coils. It is inserted into the Fallopian tubes and encourages … Read More

Premier Healthcare in Bloomington, Indiana, announced a possible data breach of 200,000 patient records after a laptop was stolen from the Billing Department of its administrative office on January 4, 2016. The healthcare company states documents that can be found on the laptop contain patient name, address, dates of birth, social security numbers, financial information, … Read More

A Missouri jury awarded $72 million to the family of a woman who died of ovarian cancer after using Johnson & Johnson’s Shower to Shower and talc-based baby powder products for several decades. Lawyers argued that Johnson & Johnson knew talc-based products could cause cancer and failed to warn consumers of this risk. The jury … Read More

Fast-food restaurant Wendy’s reported earlier this week that it is investigating claims of a possible credit card breach at certain locations. A spokesperson for the restaurant stated that a pattern of potentially fraudulent charges to credit cards used as payment at some Wendy’s restaurants was identified by payment industry contacts. Since this pattern was identified, … Read More

Vizio Inc., a manufacturer of Smart TVs, faces a class action lawsuit for violating the privacy of millions of consumers. Class action lawsuits have been filed by people who purchased Vizio Smart TVs with “Automatic Content Recognition” software. The complaints allege this software enabled Vizio to monitor and identify consumer’s video viewing habits. This data, … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP class action attorneys are investigating wage claims from people hired by Amazon to deliver products to its customers via Amazon “Prime Now” same-day shipping service. Delivery drivers claim that Amazon has misclassified them as independent contractors rather than contract employees, failed to pay them for hours worked including overtime, and failed … Read More

IU Health Arnett Hospital located in Lafayette, Indiana, notified patients that the privacy of sensitive personal information had been compromised. Notices were mailed to patients on December 31, 2015, stating that an unencrypted USB flash drive containing spreadsheets with patient information related to Emergency Department visits between November 1, 2014 and November 20, 2015 was … Read More

A class action lawsuit was filed against Swagway LLC for the defective manufacture of its “Swagway Smart Balancing Electric Skateboard”, also known as a hoverboard, after consumers complained these products caught fire while operating and/or charging the battery. Recent media reports state retailers like Amazon and Target have stopped selling these hoverboards due to fire hazards. … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of Illinois residents against Sentry Insurance a Mutual Company for failing to pay auto insurance premium refunds the company promised to safe drivers. Sentry’s Payback® insurance policies provided that if an insured remained claim free for five years, Sentry would “payback” half of the … Read More

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration met November 5, 2015, to discuss the risks and benefits of using fluoroquinolones on patients with bronchitis, sinusitis, and urinary tract infections. Fluoroquinolone drugs are a powerful class of antibiotic drugs and include brand names Cipro, Levaquin, and Avelox. Fluoroquinolone antibiotics have been linked to a list of serious … Read More

Class action attorneys at Cohen & Malad, LLP are investigating antitrust claims by municipalities and businesses that purchased the water treatment chemical liquid aluminum sulfate for industrial use. Liquid aluminum sulfate is used by municipalities to treat drinking and waste water. Pulp and paper companies also use liquid aluminum sulfate in the manufacturing process. On … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of all consumers impacted by the Excellus and Lifetime Healthcare Companies data breach. Excellus and Lifetime announced that they, along with Lifetime Benefit Solutions, Lifetime Care, Lifetime Health Medical Group, The MedAmerica Companies, and Univera Healthcare, had databases that contained personal information of approximately … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP filed a class action lawsuit against Experian Information Solutions, Inc., on behalf of T-Mobile consumers whose personal information was compromised in a data breach hack that took place between September 2013 and September 2015. Experian reported sensitive personal information of approximately 15 million T-Mobile customers was accessed by cyber thieves. Information … Read More

Discount securities brokerage firm Scottrade announced Friday October 2, 2015, that sensitive personal data of 4.6 million customers was compromised during a data breach occurring between late 2013 and early 2014. The company claims that social security numbers, email addresses, and other personal information was contained in the data base, but that only names and … Read More

Credit reporting agency Experian reported October 1, 2015 that hackers accessed personal information of more than 15 million T-Mobile customers in a massive data breach. T-Mobile uses Experian credit bureau files to run credit checks on its customers. Experian stated that cyber thieves accessed its data base in September and stole sensitive personal information including … Read More

Indianapolis, IN [September 28, 2015] — Cohen & Malad, LLP filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of Indiana residents improperly solicited for pre-need funeral and cemetery services by Crown Hill Funeral Home and Cemetery. The lawsuit alleges that Crown Hill violated the Indiana Pre-Need Act by directly soliciting patients in mental health and health … Read More

The impact of Volkswagen’s actions to cheat emissions testing via software installed in more than 11 million of its vehicles is being felt by carmakers across Europe. A German magazine, Auto Bild, reported that the International Council on Clean Transportation found some BMW diesel engines had “significantly” exceeded regulatory emissions limits. However, BMW issued a … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP filed a class action lawsuit against Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., on behalf of U.S. motorists who purchased certain diesel engine models of vehicles that contained software that only turned on full pollution controls when the car was undergoing official emissions testing. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is also … Read More

New York state health insurer Excellus BlueCross BlueShield announced Wednesday, September 9, 2015, that it was the victim of a cyber-attack that allowed hackers access to personal information of approximately 10.5 million customers. Excellus BlueCross BlueShield and its parent company Lifetime Healthcare stated the breach occurred as early as December 23, 2013 and exposed client … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of more than 3.9 million consumers whose medical information was stored by Medical Information Engineering (MIE), a medical software company that contracts with numerous healthcare facilities across the United States. The lawsuit alleges that MIE failed to safeguard personal information including names, addresses, phone … Read More

The Department of Justice has launched an investigation into possible antitrust practices including controlling the supply of available seats and price-fixing at the four biggest airline carriers in the United States: American Airlines Group Inc., United Continental Holdings Inc., Delta Air Lines Inc., and Southwest Airlines Co. according to several reports. Airline passengers filed class … Read More

The FDA issued a recall for the Zimmer M/L Taper with Kinectiv Technology Femoral Stems and Necks hip implants on June 19, 2015. Patients are at an increased risk for allergic reactions, pain, infections, or death related to high level of manufacturing residue on these implant components. The FDA states that revision surgery to replace … Read More

On March 12, 2015, the FDA issued a recall for Zimmer Persona Trabecular Metal Tibial Plate / Persona TM Tibia-Prosthesis knee implants after patients complained of complications involving loosening of the knee joint and large gaps in between knee replacement components or between bone and the components, also known as radiolucent lines. Some patients have … Read More

A Senate Judiciary Committee is meeting to discuss potential price-fixing activities of major U.S. contact lens makers after requests for an investigation by the American Antitrust Institute suggest that “unilateral pricing policies” used by contact lens makers are against the law. The American Antitrust Institute stated contact lens makers have set minimum resale prices on … Read More

Testosterone Injury Lawsuits The FDA issued a new labeling requirement on March 3, 2015, for manufacturers of prescription testosterone products to inform healthcare professionals and patients about a possible increased risk for heart attacks and strokes in patients taking these drugs. The FDA also included a caution that prescription testosterone products are only approved for … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP is investigating consumer concerns about laminate flooring sold by Lumber Liquidators. California consumers filed a class action lawsuit in December 2014 against Lumber Liquidators alleging Chinese-made laminate flooring exceeded EPA standards for formaldehyde emissions. Anderson Cooper of CBS’s “60 Minutes” reported that Lumber Liquidators is the largest and fastest-growing retailer of … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP attorneys are investigating legal claims against computer manufacturer Lenovo and advertising company Superfish based on a recently announced critical security flaw. On February 20, 2015, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued an official Alert advising consumers that since at least September 2014 computer manufacturer Lenovo has been selling Notebook computers … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of approximately 80 million Anthem health insurance customers of Anthem whose personal information was compromised in a recent security breach.  The lawsuit alleges that Anthem failed to safeguard the personal information of current and former clients allowing computer hackers access to information such as … Read More

Anthem  announced February 4, 2015 that hackers accessed records for approximately 80 million health insurance customers. Anthem has reported that this breach puts personal information such as names, birthdates, social security numbers, physical addresses, email addresses, employee information, and income information at risk. Anthem is the second largest health insurer in the United States and … Read More

On February 3, 2015, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman accused GNC, Target, Walgreens, and Wal-Mart of selling fraudulent and potentially dangerous herbal supplements and demanded that the companies remove the products from store shelves. Affected products include:   GNC “Herbal Plus” brand Ginko Biloba GNC “Herbal Plus” brand St. John’s Wort GNC “Herbal Plus” … Read More

The FDA scheduled a meeting with the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee and the Bone, Reproductive and Urologic Drugs Advisory Committee for September 17, 2014, to discuss testosterone replacement therapy drugs and cardiovascular risk. The joint meeting will allow for public comment along with advisory committee presentations. This meeting comes after the agency … Read More

The FDA issued a new safety warning on Friday June 20, 2014 based on a number of reports of venous blood clots, also known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism (PE), and venous thromboembolism (VTE). Earlier this year, the FDA announced it would be conducting an investigation into testosterone replacement therapy drugs for an … Read More

A multidistrict litigation (MDL) has been formed that will include all lawsuits filed against manufacturers of FDA-approved testosterone products. Androgel, Androderm, Axiron, and Depo-Testosterone are just a few testosterone replacement drugs that plaintiffs claim have caused serious injury such as heart attacks, strokes, and pulmonary embolisms. The Judicial Panel for Multidistrict Litigation granted a motion … Read More

The FDA has issued a recall notice for NaturaLyte liquid bicarbonate concentrate manufactured by Fresenius Medical Care, NA. NaturaLyte is used in dialysis treatment for patients suffering from kidney failure. The recall was issued after laboratory testing identified the presence of bacteria in several samples. Fifty six lots of the product are being recalled and … Read More

The FDA issued a safety announcement regarding the blood thinner Pradaxa. Results of a new study indicate patients who took Pradaxa had a higher risk of developing gastrointestinal bleeding over patients who took warfarin, another blood thinning drug. The study also indicated Pradaxa was associated with a lower risk of clot-related strokes, bleeding in the … Read More

Benicar (olmesartan medoxomil), a prescription medication commonly used to treat high blood pressure, has recently been linked to significant health problems.  In fact, in July 2013, the FDA warned that medications containing olmesartan, including Benicar, can cause chronic diarrhea, severe weight loss, and other gastrointestinal problems, also referred to as sprue-like enteropathy. The FDA warning … Read More

Endo Pharmaceuticals received FDA approval of its injectable testosterone product, Aveed, for the treatment of male hypogonadism. This condition is also referred to as low testosterone. The approval comes after concern regarding the safety of testosterone drugs was raised a few months ago by patients and the healthcare community. The FDA announced in January that … Read More

Testosterone therapy has gained a lot of attention from healthcare professionals, FDA investigators, and media over the past several months. Recent studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and Public Library of Science found men on testosterone replacement therapy demonstrated a 30% increased risk for cardiac events including heart attack and stroke. … Read More

Four children were hospitalized on Wednesday, February 12, after suffering suspected drug overdoses at an eastside Indianapolis in-home day care operated by Stephanie Gribble. Police arrested Gribble the next day and charged her with four counts of neglect of a dependent, one for each child. A day later, the state ordered that Gribble’s unlicensed day … Read More

Shortly after the FDA’s January 2014 statement that it plans to evaluate the safety of testosterone therapy, the national Endocrine Society has called for large-scale randomized trials to fully evaluate the risks of testosterone therapy. Both organizations are calling for action in the wake of three recently published studies which found a higher rate of … Read More

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced January 31, 2014, that it is investigating the risk of stroke, heart attack, and death in men taking testosterone products. This investigation comes after findings from multiple studies suggest an increased risk of cardiovascular events for men on testosterone replacement therapy. Testosterone replacement therapy generates more than a … Read More

The FDA warns physicians and patients of serious health risks associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications such as Concerta, Daytrana, Focalin/Focalin XR, Metadate CD/Metadate ER, Methylin/Methylin ER, Quillivant XR, Ritalin/Ritalin LA/Ritalin SR. These drugs containing methylphenidate and atomotxetine may cause prolonged erections in male patients, a condition known as priapism. Priapism is a … Read More

The FDA issued a safety notice for automated external defibrillator (AED) devices made by Philips Medical Systems and sold under the name of HeartStart. This includes approximately 700,000 devices including HeartStart FRx, HeartStart HS1 Home, and HeartStart HS1 OnSite. These devices were previously recalled due to an inability to deliver the proper defibrillator shock in … Read More

Reporters from Bloomberg Businessweek and the New York Times have stated that Johnson & Johnson has tentatively agreed to pay $4 billion to settle lawsuits over recalled metal on metal hip implant devices manufactured by its DePuy unit. More than 7,500 lawsuits have been filed in federal and state courts by patients who claim the … Read More

Women who take the oral contraceptive Safyral have the same increased risk for blood clots, stroke, and heart attack as women who take Yasmin. These medications, both made by Bayer, contain the same synthetic hormone drospirenone which has been found to increase a woman’s risk of developing blood clots. These clots can cause serious injuries … Read More

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Monday a “continued concern” regarding the potential increased risk of blood clots with the use of drospirenone-containing birth control pills. The FDA conducted a study which suggests there is an approximately 1.5-fold increase in the risk of blood clots for women who use drospirenone-containing birth control pills compared to users … Read More

A recent New York Times article highlights the concern over all metal hip replacement devices such as the one made by the DePuy division of Johnson & Johnson. There has been a surge of failures of these devices within the first six months of this year. The issue surrounding the use of these devices concerns the metal particles … Read More

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, (FDA) released a safety announcement on September 17, 2010, that it is reviewing a 10-year epidemiological study to evaluate whether Actos (pioglitazone), is associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer. Actos, is a drug manufactured by Takeda to help control blood sugar levels in adults diagnosed with Type II diabetes … Read More

CooperVision, Inc., the maker of Avaira Toric contact lenses quietly recalled certain lots of its product in August of this year because of an unidentified residue present on lenses. MSNBC reported October 11, 2011 on its website a growing concern from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that CooperVision, Inc. has not done an … Read More

An article in Men’s Journal Magazine (October 2011, Vol. 20, No.9) discusses the lasting side effects that some men have suffered from using Propecia (Finasteride), a drug manufactured by Merck, to stop hair loss in men. In addition to personal interviews with several men, Men’s Journal Magazine cites results of a study published in June … Read More

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has a heightened concern about the increased risk of blood clots for women who use Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella, which are drospirenone-containing birth control pills manufactured by Bayer. The FDA recently completed a review of two 2011 studies that evaluated the risk of blood clots in women using these types of … Read More

In June 2011 CBS News reported that Actos (pioglitazone), manufactured by Takeda Pharmaceuticals used to treat patients with Type 2 diabetes, has been removed from the shelves in France and Germany. A government funded study found that Actos (pioglitazone) increased the bladder cancer risk for patients taking the drug. Read more from the CBS News … Read More

Pradaxa, an anti-clotting drug manufactured by Boehringer Ingelheim, has been linked to at least 50 deaths. A recent article from Reuters states that health regulators have a heightened concern for drug overdoses due to a patient’s limited ability to filter the active ingredient in Pradaxa though the kidneys. High levels of Pradaxa can lead to … Read More

The FDA met Thursday December 8, 2011 to speak with a panel of experts regarding growing concern that Yaz and other drospirenone-containing drugs increase a patient’s risk of developing blood clots in the lungs and legs. Experts weighed in on this issue and cited 5 large studies that supported the argument that drugs such as Yaz and … Read More

An increase in the number of complications from the use of surgical mesh implants has caused the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to order new safety studies to be conducted on these medical devices. Between 2008 and 2010, the FDA received more than 1,500 complaints from women who suffered injuries as a result of … Read More

The Project on Government Oversight (POGO), a watchdog group dedicated to promoting transparent and accountable government, is asking the FDA for a re-vote regarding the blood clot risk associated with Bayer’s Yaz and Yasmin birth control pills. In a recent article by Reuters, POGO stated that four experts who had advised the FDA in December regarding … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP attorneys are investigating reported antitrust violations in the pricing of ductile iron pipe fittings used in municipal water systems. The United States Federal Trade Commission has filed complaints against the three largest U.S. sellers of ductile iron pipe fittings, McWane, Inc., Star Pipe Products, Ltd., and Sigma Corporation.  The FTC asserts … Read More

Scientists in Great Britain are currently conducting a study on the effects of metal-on-metal hip replacement devices and an increased risk for cancer according to a recent article in the Telegraph. In August 2010, DePuy Orthopaedics, a division of Johnson & Johnson, issued a recall of its DePuy ASR metal hip implant amidst patient complaints of nerve … Read More

The New York Times recently reported that Johnson & Johnson, the manufacturer of the DePuy ASR hip replacement device, continued to sell its product overseas even after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration denied its approval for sale in the U.S. This information comes at a time when thousands of patients have filed complaints about injuries … Read More

The pharmaceutical manufacturer, Takeda, who markets the drugs Actos, Prevacid, Uloric, and others is now facing additional lawsuits from patients alleging injuries. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a safety announcement in September 2010 that indicated an increased risk for bladder cancer in patients taking Actos (pioglitazone) for the treatment of their Type … Read More

Over the past several years, toning shoes have gained a great deal of attention. Early to market was Skechers, a shoe company that manufactured the toning shoe called Shape-ups. These shoes have a pronounced rocker bottom sole that creates instability for the wearer. Skechers states that the instability of the shoes causes the wearer’s muscles … Read More

Time magazine reported that statin drugs used to lower blood cholesterol levels have recently gained attention for causing an increased risk of Type II diabetes and memory loss. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a new safety warning to inform patients about the effects that statin drugs such as Lipitor (atorvastatin), Crestor (rosuvastatin), Zocor … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP recently submitted an amended class action complaint that details fraud committed against TRICARE beneficiaries after an employee of Science Applications International Corp., a contractor of TRICARE, had stolen from his car, unencrypted computer tapes containing personal information, social security numbers, and other data of over 4.9 million TRICARE beneficiaries. These tapes … Read More

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration – FDA released a safety alert Tuesday stating that physicians and patients should be aware of an increased risk for blood clots in women taking drospirenone-containing birth control pills. Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella are a few of the brand names of birth control pills that contain drospirenone, a man-made version of the … Read More

When the economy gets tough, businesses are forced to get tougher in order to make a profit or just to keep the doors open. A recent article in USA Today highlights a growing trend among American workers who have filed lawsuits against their employers for violating federal and state wage and hour laws. While doing “more with … Read More

Concerns about Pradaxa (dabigatran), which is manufactured by Boehringer Ingleheim Pharmaceuticals continue to mount. This drug was approved to be marketed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in October 2010. Since that time, over 100 bleeding deaths have been reported to the agency through its Adverse Event Database. Pradaxa (dabigatran) is an anticoagulant medication used in … Read More

Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon unit has notified the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that it plans to halt sales of many of its surgical mesh implant devices used for the treatment of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and stress urinary incontinence (SUI). POP is a condition in which the internal organs bulge into the vagina causing pelvic … Read More

Bloomberg Businessweek recently reported that medical device maker Johnson & Johnson failed to follow the orders of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to stop sales of its Gynecare Prolift surgical mesh product putting thousands of women at risk for serious injury. Documents recently made public indicate that the FDA informed Johnson & Johnson in August … Read More

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued a patient safety alert for the Onyx Liquid Embolic System (Onyx) noting nine patient deaths have occurred and more than 100 incidents of catheter entrapment have been reported. How it Works Onyx is manufactured by ev3, a medical device maker that specializes in stents, catheters, and embolic protection devices. … Read More

Lawsuits are continuing to be filed by women who sustained serious injuries from transvaginal mesh implants for the treatment of pelvic organ prolapse or stress urinary incontinence. Injuries range from severe pelvic pain and infection to perforation of internal organs and migration of the implant itself. Transvaginal mesh implants are manufactured by several companies including Johnson & … Read More

Thousands of women have filed lawsuits against Bayer, the manufacturer of the birth control drugs Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella alleging serious injuries involving blood clots such as deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and stroke. Settlement talks began earlier this year between Bayer and many law firms who are representing the victims. A status conference held recently by … Read More

A California couple won a first of its kind verdict against C.R. Bard, the manufacturer of Avaulta Mesh. The jury awarded the couple $5.5 million for damages against the manufacturer of the device claiming that it knew that the mesh implant was not safe to use and failed to warn doctors and patients of the risk. Doctors began … Read More

Bloomberg News recently reported that Bayer has now settled over 1,800 lawsuits with women who suffered blood clots after taking Yaz or Yasmin birth control pills. Yaz and Yasmin are oral contraceptives that contain the synthetic hormone drospirenone. The FDA reviewed studies indicating drospirenone increased a patient’s risk of developing blood clots and ordered Bayer to strengthen its patient … Read More

An order issued on August 6, 2012 has established the newest multidistrict litigation (MDL) for the handling of transvaginal mesh lawsuits against Coloplast Corporation. Coloplast is a manufacturer of mesh devices for the treatment of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Its products include Aris Transobturator Sling, Exair, Restorelle, Minitape, Omnisure, Supris … Read More

Patients on dialysis for the treatment of chronic kidney failure may be at a higher risk for cardiac arrest. The FDA recently issued a Class I recall on Granuflo and Naturalyte, two dialysis products manufactured by Fresenius Medical Care that are used in over 1,800 of its treatment facilities across the U.S. and sold to hospitals and clinics. … Read More

New information has surfaced linking popular hair-loss drug Propecia to depression. Dr. Michael S. Irwig of George Washington University has been studying the effects of Propecia on men based on reports of serious sexual side effects. His recent study was published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. It shows that in addition to lingering sexual side … Read More

Over 2 million gallons of gas were recalled on Monday August 20. BP claims the contaminated gas was distributed from its storage facilities in Whiting, Indiana and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The gasoline contains a higher level of polymeric residue which can lead to hard starting and other engine issues. The tainted gasoline was sold at over 200 gas … Read More

Smith & Nephew recalled the metal liner option available on its R3 Acetabular System hip replacement device after receiving patient complaints of pain and infection along with a high failure rate within the first few years of replacement. These complaints are similar to those of other metal on metal hip implant devices such as Johnson … Read More

Cohen & Malad, LLP has obtained a list of the gas stations that sold the contaminated BP gas from the Indiana Attorney General. Since August 20th, repeated requests have been made to BP and the Attorneys General of Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin to furnish a list of the affected gas stations. BP has continued to … Read More

Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co., the manufacturer of kidney dialysis products GranuFlo and NaturaLyterecently named Ronald Kuerbitz as its new CEO and Chairman of the Management Board at the same time that hundreds of dialysis patients who use its GranuFlo product are suffering serious injuries such as cardiac arrest. Fresenius recently made headlines when the … Read More

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating a fungal meningitis outbreak linked to 17,676 vials of an epidural steroid injection used to manage lower back pain and manufactured by New England Compounding Center. The contaminated vials were recalled by the manufacturer on September 26, 2012. … Read More

On Tuesday, October 09, 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported an increase in the number of confirmed cases of fungal meningitis and deaths linked to contaminated vials of an injectable steroid medication. The CDC’s website states there are 119 confirmed cases of fungal meningitis and 11 deaths across 10 states that received the … Read More

The fungal meningitis death toll increased to 15 on Monday October 15th when a second Indiana patient was pronounced dead due to complications related to the infection. The CDC has continued to work with the FDA to investigate the fungal meningitis outbreak. Current reports by the CDC show 205 confirmed cases of fungal meningitis and 15 deaths have occurred … Read More

The FDA recall issued in March 2012 for GranuFlo and NaturaLyte, manufactured by Fresenius Medical Care, has brought to the public eye an issue that the medical community has been concerned about for many years —the mortality rate of dialysis patients. Fresenius Medical Care is a large player in the dialysis market. Not only does … Read More

On Monday October 15, 2012, the FDA issued a new patient safety alert based on findings in its ongoing investigation into the fungal meningitis outbreak. It found two additional drugs prepared at the New England Compounding Center (NECC) with possible links to deadly infections. A patient who received an epidural injection of triamcinolone acetonide, another type of steroid … Read More

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been investigating the fungal meningitis outbreak that has now sickened over 250 people and contributed to 20 deaths. In Indiana, the number of confirmed cases continues to rise as 34 Hoosiers have contracted fungal meningitis and 2 have died. In addition to these cases, 3 patients have been … Read More

Officials with the CDC and FDA have now confirmed that one lot of the three potentially contaminated lots of preservative-free methylprednisolone acetate that was recalled on September 26, 2012 did contain the fungus Exserohilum rostratum, the same fungus that was present in the majority of the patients who have tested positive for fungal meningitis. Testing … Read More

Drug maker Ameridose, which shares the same management team as the New England Compounding Center, issued a recall of all of its unexpired products in circulation. The epidural steroid injections manufactured by the NECC have been linked to the nationwide fungal meningitis outbreak that has killed almost 30 people. While there have not been any … Read More

The FDA issued a safety alert and recall for Baxter Healthcare Corporation Buretrol Solution Sets. These solution sets are disposable devices used for volume control in the administration of intravenous (IV) fluids and medications. The solution sets contain a ball-valve component along with plastic tubing used to help deliver fluids and medication into a patient’s vein. The … Read More

A sixth death was reported as the fungal meningitis outbreak continues to sicken and kill patients who received tainted epidural steroid injections from the New England Compounding Center. Authorities have not stated which facility the patient had visited but did state that the person did not reside in Indiana. Six Indiana medical facilities had received … Read More

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a Class I recall for the Olympic Cool-Cap System manufactured by Natus Medical Incorporated. The Cool-Cap is used for babies who have experienced Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE). HIE is an acute brain injury that can occur when the brain is deprived of oxygen during the labor and delivery process. The Cool-Cap … Read More

The FDA has issued a safety warning to health care professionals and patients regarding the use of Pradaxa (dabigatran etexilate mesylate) in individuals who have mechanical heart valves. Pradaxa is blood thinning drug used to reduce the risks of blood clots and stroke for patients with atrial fibrillation, or irregular heartbeat. Information gathered during a recent clinical … Read More

The FDA recently announced its approval of the weight-loss drug, Qsymia, manufactured by Vivus, Inc. The drug, originally submitted under the name Qnexa, was previously rejected by the FDA in 2010 citing safety concerns such as heart problems and birth defects. Vivus provided the FDA with additional safety data and is required to do a long-term follow-up … Read More

Fresenius, the manufacturer of dialysis products GranuFlo and NaturaLyte, has recently agreed to consolidate pretrial proceedings of numerous lawsuits filed in several Federal District Courts to the Federal District Court of Massachusetts. Fresenius faces hundreds to potentially thousands of lawsuits from dialysis patients who claim to have suffered serious injuries including heart attack, stroke, and … Read More

A New Jersey jury found that Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon unit failed to warn doctors and patients of risks associated with its Gynecare Prolift transvaginal mesh device. The jury awarded the victim $3.35 million in damages associated with the implantation of the transvaginal mesh device, which has been widely used to treat pelvic organ prolapse and … Read More

A New Jersey jury awarded a plaintiff $11.1 million to compensate for damages she alleged were caused byGynecare Prolift mesh, which is manufactured by Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon unit. The jury found that Johnson & Johnson had failed to warn the surgeon of the risks associated with the use of this medical device. This case … Read More

Bayer AG recently agreed to pay $24 million to settle gallbladder injury claims consolidated in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois as well as claims filed in state courts of California, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. This settlement comes several months after the drug manufacturer began settling injury claims for women who alleged Yaz … Read More

Med Prep Consulting Inc., is recalling all products compounded at its facility due to a lack of sterile conditions. The recall was issued after a Connecticut hospital that received 50ml bags of MAGNESIUM SULFATE 2GM IN DEXTROSE 5% IN WATER intravenous solution confirmed the presence of mold in the solution. In addition to the magnesium … Read More

On March 29, 2013, a transfer order was granted to establish multidistrict litigation (MDL) in the Federal District Court of Massachusetts for lawsuits filed against Fresenius USA, the manufacturer of GranuFlo and NaturaLyte dialysis products. Consolidation of these lawsuits will help conserve resources for all parties involved in the litigation and can help provide consistent … Read More

Doctors and poison control experts warn parents of the danger that laundry gel packs and detergent pods pose to small children. Examples include Tide Pods and Purex UtraPacks. These brightly colored pods have a gummy texture which children easily mistake for candy. The containers that hold these pods are colorful and easy to open which … Read More

In 2011, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published a study comparing the impact of intensive-dose and moderate-dose statin therapy and found an increased risk for the development of type 2 diabetes in patients treated with a higher dosage of the drugs. Statin drugs such as Lipitor, Zocor, Crestor, and Pravachol are commonly used to treat patients with high low-density … Read More

Attorneys for three women who claim they developed type 2 diabetes after taking the cholesterol-lowering drug, Lipitor, have filed a motion to consolidate all lawsuits filed against Pfizer, the manufacturer of Lipitor, in a South Carolina federal court. The consolidation of these lawsuits, commonly referred to as multidistrict litigation (MDL), allows all pre-trial proceedings to … Read More

A study conducted by the Journal of the American College of Cardiology in 2011 indicated patients taking Lipitor (atorvastatin) had an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus. The study compiled results of three large randomized clinical trials and found throughout all trials that patients taking a higher dosage (80mg) of Lipitor reported higher … Read More

Stryker has issued a voluntary recall of its Rejuvenate and ABG II modular hip implants due to the risks associated with the modular-neck systems of these devices. The recall states that the metal components of the modular neck hip stems carry a high risk for fretting or corrosion which can cause swelling and pain for the patient. Patients are urged … Read More

In 2012, Stryker Corporation issued a voluntary recall of its Rejuvenate and ABG II modular hip implants. Patients have reported serious complications and device failure associated with these hip implants. The design of the Rejuvenate and ABG II devices includes modular neck-stems featuring two metal pieces that fit inside each other. It has been found … Read More

The FDA issued a safety warning related to the use of oral Nizoral (ketoconazole) tablets for the treatment of fungal infections. The agency warns that use of Nizoral tablets can cause severe liver injuries and adrenal gland problems. It cautions that patients taking high doses of Nizoral for short periods of time, as well as … Read More

A West Virginia jury ordered C.R. Bard Inc., the manufacturer of the Avaulta transvaginal mesh implant, to pay $2 million to a woman who suffered severe injuries from the device. This is the second lawsuit to be tried against a manufacturer of transvaginal mesh devices. In February 2013, a New Jersey jury awarded a woman $3.35 million … Read More

The FDA has received 89 reports of illness associated with recalled lots of Chobani yogurt. On September 5, 2013, Chobani Inc., recalled multiple lots of its yogurt products with “Best By” dates of September 11-13 and October 7-13 citing possible mold contamination of the products shipped from its Idaho facility. The FDA has a full list of … Read More

Transvaginal mesh makers C.R. Bard, American Medical Systems, Boston Scientific, Coloplast, andCook Medical have begun settlement talks with attorneys representing more than 35,000 women who have filed complaints of serious injury associated with these medical devices, according to reports. Ethicon, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, is not currently participating in these settlement discussions. Physicians have used transvaginal mesh implants … Read More

The FDA has issued a black box warning for Pfizer’s antibacterial drug Tygacil due to an increased risk of death associated with the use of this intravenous medication. Tygacil is used to treat patients with complicated skin and skin structure infections (cSSSI), complicated intra-abdominal infections (cIAI), and community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP). Serious side effects may … Read More