As reported in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the settlement of a class-action lawsuit was approved by a federal judge on Friday, wherein Covelli Enterprises, a major Panera Bread franchisee, allegedly denied promotions to African-American employees. Guy Vines, of Castle Shannon, the driving force behind the settlement, claimed that, rather than promoting black employees to cashier jobs, the […]
Denver resolves $10 million lawsuit against police for $190,000
Vicki Lynn Trujillo brought a lawsuit against Denver police officer Timothy Campbell, former police chief Gerry Whitman, and the city and county of Denver three years ago for the alleged unjustifiable death of her husband, Jason Gomez. According to the Denver Post, police attempted to stop Gomez as he was driving in southwest Denver on December […]
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 […]
Montana Woman Awarded Over $34 Million in Insurance Lawsuit
Yahoo News reports that Arlene Hull, a 90-year-old woman living in an assisted living facility, and her daughter sued Ability Insurance Co. in 2010 for ending her benefits. The insurance company suspended payments saying that Hull no longer qualified after her doctor said that she was only moderately impaired and a review found that she did […]
Colorado Settles Lawsuit Over the Mental Health Evaluations of Defendants
Colorado has become the first state in the country to require the state to abide by strict timelines for mental health evaluations of those accused of a crime. The Denver Post reported that a court compromise that was announced in April means that “mentally ill people that have been accused of crimes…could spend less time waiting for […]
FedEx to Pay $3 Million to Settle Bias Case
The New York Times reports that the U.S. Department of Labor reached a $3 million settlement with FedEx to resolve complaints that the ground delivery company discriminated against over 21thousand job seekers at 24 facilities in 15 states. The Labor Department said that it had found evidence of discrimination by FedEx on the basis of […]
Colorado Supreme Court says $15 million awarded to fall victim will stand
Holly Averyt, a 41-year-old trucker from Cheyenne, slipped and fell on grease and ice while making a delivery at a Wal-Mart in Greeley, Colorado. Averyt was badly injured, resulting in three spine surgeries and an inability to work as a driver, causing her to lose her truck. A jury awarded Averyt $15 million in November of 2010, […]
$16.3 Million Judgment against Allstate for Bad Faith
On July 29, 2008, the Missouri Court of Appeals affirmed a judgment in favor of an insured and upheld a $16.3 million award against Allstate Insurance. The court concluded that Allstate was liable for bad faith refusal to settle a claim. The Johnsons were struck head-on by a drunk driver in a pick up truck […]
Are You In Good Hands?
Allstate Agrees to $10 Million Settlement A news release has confirmed that automobile insurance giant Allstate has agreed to pay a $10 million in a regulatory settlement following an investigation by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) that lasted for a year and a half. The settlement involves forty-five states, but New York is […]