#1 What Happens Next for Exactech Hip Implant Lawsuits?Brooklyn, NY – On October 29, 2024, Exactech filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. As a result, all hip failure lawsuits, including the four bellwether trials (Tarloff, larson, Kramer and Caputo) were paused.
#2 NCAA supports College Athlete NIL SettlementOakland, CA - Attorneys for college athletes told a California federal judge that the NCAA’s proposed $2.78 billion settlement to provide name, image and likeness compensation (NIL) and revenue sharing with athletes across all sports has been “overwhelmingly positive”. The deal to settle the California labor class action was first filed by former swimmer Grant House in 2020, and it is scheduled for final approval April 7th, 2025 by U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken.
#3 UnitedHealth Group to Settle ERISA lawsuit for $69 MillionMinneapolis, MN - On December 13, UnitedHealth Group, Inc. agreed to settle Snyder v. UnitedHealth Group, which claims the company mishandled its 401k plan by “imprudently and disloyally” including the Wells Fargo Target Fund Suite. The long-running class-action ERISA lawsuit alleges that the fund remained on the plan’s investment menu despite a history of poor performance.
#4 ETHEX Patient Suspected of Deliberate OverdoseTampa, FL - Imagine taking your regular prescription for ETHEX corporation drugs and waking up in the hospital, only to be told that you had purposely suffered an ETHEX overdose. Imagine the shock and fear when you are told that you will have to stay in the hospital for observation because you could be a danger to yourself. Imagine trying to survive the ETHEX side effects while trying to figure out how you could possibly have followed your prescription properly only to suffer an overdose.
#5 Gastroparesis: a dangerous Ozempic side effectPhiladelphia, PA - On February 25, Samantha Hill filed her Ozempic lawsuit in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. In Hill v. Novo Nordisk, Hill alleges that she suffered from Ozempic side effects including gastroparesis, or stomach paralysis. A July 25, 2023, article in Rolling Stone magazine—“Ozempic Users Report Stomach Paralysis from Weight Loss Drug: ‘So Much Hell’”— told the stories of three patients who have suffered severe gastrointestinal related events, including gastroparesis, as a result of their use of GLP-1RAs.
#6 Depo-Provera Litigation on Fast TrackSanta Clara, CA - Depo-Provera litigation is clipping along with Judge M. Casey Rodgers in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida. Judge Rodgers, a veteran of large mass tort litigation, has also approved a plan to increase further efficiency and avoid delays: Women can now file new Depo-Provera meningioma cases directly in the federal multidistrict litigation (MDL), as so many Depo-Provera lawsuits continue to be filed against the manufacturers of the popular birth control shot.
#7 Albuterol Asthma Death and OptumRx LawsuitMadison, WI - Cole Schmidtknecht suffered from asthma for most of his short life. He died in January 2024, just 22-years-old, allegedly because his prescription for the Advair Diskus inhaler suddenly and unexpectedly went beyond his price range because it was no longer covered by his insurance. Instead, he bought generic Albuterol, for a $5 co-pay, and used Albuterol exclusively in the time leading up to his death.
#8 Wrongful Death Hair Relaxer Lawsuit and Carcinogenic Synthetic Hair BraidsSanta Clara, CA – A hair relaxer lawsuit filed in late February alleges hair products caused the wrongful death of a Mississippi woman. And a new study indicates that many cancer-causing chemicals are found in all synthetic hair braiding products. The FDA still hasn’t banned carcinogenic chemicals in these hair products. It’s not when anymore but will the U.S. ever get dangerous chemicals out of hair products—before they harm more women?
#9 Wells Fargo Settles Disability Discrimination Suit for 22.1 millionCharlotte, NC - A former Wells Fargo Securities supervisor was awarded $22.1 million by a federal court jury in Charlotte in July. Christopher Billesdon’s disability and age discrimination lawsuit accused the San Francisco-based bank of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act and wrongful discharge under North Carolina state law. However, the bank asked the court in August to toss the jury’s decision.
#10 Rescuing PAGASan Diego, CA - On February 26, the California Court of Appeal held that Jose Parra Rodriguez’s wage and hour lawsuit did not have to be arbitrated, even though Parra signed (or did he?) an arbitration agreement. The chance to go to court, rather than arbitrate a California wage and hour dispute is generally understood as an important procedural “win” for workers. The decision appears to strengthen the ability of wage workers to use the California Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) to enforce the protective provisions of the California Labor Code.
