The Huffington Post reports a Denver federal judge “ordered the consolidation of seven lawsuits brought against the Cinemark theater chain by survivors and relatives of those killed in a shooting rampage in which 12 moviegoers were slain as they watched a Batman film.” Twelve people were killed and 58 wounded in the July 20th massacre when suspected […]
Day-Surgery Centers and Hospitals, Insurers Clash in Lawsuit
The Denver Post reports that four doctor-owned Colorado day-surgery centers have filed an anti-trust lawsuit alleging that the state’s largest hospital chains are conspiring to drive them out of business. The defendants, however, are alleging that the surgery centers may violate insurance and kickback laws. The suit filed by the relatively new surgery centers claims that […]
Fort Hood Shooting Victims Sue Accused Shooter & Government
Reuters reports that the families and victims of the mass shooting at Fort Hood military base in central Texas in November 2009 have filed a wrongful death suit against the accused gunman, the U.S. government, and the estate of an alleged al Qaeda leader. The 148 plaintiffs claim the shooting was a terrorist attack, and if […]
Deaths linked to energy drinks could prompt action from the FDA
USA Today reports that five deaths and one heart attack have been reportedly linked to Monster energy drinks, and health and safety advocates believe this “should bolster efforts to get the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate caffeinated energy drinks.” FDA spokeswoman, Shelley Burgess, says that the agency “investigate[s] each report diligently,” but Monster Beverage […]
Supreme Court Considers Copyright Protection on Foreign-Made Items
The Colorado Connection reports that “Costco, eBay, Google and the nation’s top art museums are backing a Thai graduate student against book publishers, the movie and music industries and other manufacturers in a Supreme Court battle over copyright protections with important implications for consumers and multibillion dollar annual sales online and in discount stores.” Supap Kirtsaeng […]
Colorado man wins seven million from food companies for “popcorn lung”
Wayne Watson, a suburban Denver man who was diagnosed with “popcorn lung”, has won a $7.2 million verdict against various food companies. The Denver Post reports that Ken McClain, Watson’s attorney, said a federal jury granted the award against Gilster-Mary Lee Corp., The Kroger Co., and Dillon Companies Inc. after Watson developed respiratory issues in 2007. […]
Panera Franchisee to Settle Racial Bias Suit
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that a Panera Bread franchisee, Covelli Enterprises, has agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit that alleges the “company relegated black employees to back-of-the-kitchen work and denied them promotions.” The settlement will cover between 200 and 300 current or former employees that worked for Covelli’s Panera stores for more than a year from January […]
Arizona Supreme Court Rules Tattooing is Protected Speech
Reuters reports that Arizona’s Supreme Court has ruled that tattooing is a “constitutionally protected form of free speech”, the first such decision by a state Supreme Court. The ruling stemmed from a dispute between two tattooist artists, Ryan and Letitia Coleman, and the city of Mesa, Arizona. Mesa denied the Colemans a business permit three years […]
Denver council to consider settlement in death of deaf inmate
The Denver Post reports that the city of Denver will consider paying almost $700,000 to settle a federal lawsuit brought 5 years ago by the family of a deaf jail inmate who died soon after attempting suicide while in custody. Twenty-three year old Shawn Vigil was jailed on second degree sexual assault charges in August 2005 […]
Yale School of Medicine study says whiplash injury more sever when the head is turned
Yale News reports that persons whose heads are turned when in a rear impact collision are at risk for a much more serious whiplash injury, and potentially chronic symptoms. And a Yale School of Medicine study shows why. Manohar Panjabi, a professor in the departments of Orthopedics and Mechanical Engineering, said, “We believe this is the […]